First, a bit of context, as reported here and on the RinkCast recently, this offseason and the coming NHL season, for the Blackhawks are sort of at a one-year turning point.
GM Stan Bowman and head coach Joel Quenneville will be back next season but both are on short leashes and, I’m told, both have a year to “turn things around”—or else.
So all that said, while Twitter is full of comments this morning and over the past weekend, about the style and level of play exhibited in the Winnipeg-Nashville Western Conference second round series—and how far the Hawks seem to be from being in that “league”—there will not be a significant reset this summer.
However, there will be some changes, and attempts to begin to more dramatically re-shape the roster for the future.
This is early, but a few things we have heard in the last few weeks:
Nick Schmaltz and Vince Hinostroza
The Hawks would like to extend both these players. Look for Schmaltz to get more money and longer term than Hinostroza.
Seabrook
The Hawks continue to quietly explore the possibility of moving Brent Seabrook’s contract elsewhere. They are willing to add a prospect and/or draft pick to sweeten the deal for any takers. Based on the fact that the Hawks tried the same last summer, and found no takers, it’s safe to say this is likely a longshot. However, Seabrook played well down the stretch, generally, for a poor Hawk team. You never know, especially with retained salary on the Hawks’ end.
Murphy
There were a few rumors last season that the Hawks were looking to deal Connor Murphy, but one source is telling me the Hawks are overall fairly satisfied with what they saw from him. Apparently, the organization is well aware that defense is a significant issue (which is good, because most of its fans are as well). Murphy was the definition of inconsistent, good and bad, in his first season in the Indianhead. But he did always show a physical willingness and generally nasty demeanor that is otherwise missing from the Chicago defense.
The source told me that the Hawks would like to add at least one more experienced blueliner, who is more of a purely defensive defenseman. My guess is that would be a free agency acquisition. Likely not at the crazy high price John Carlson will demand, but not the Ghost of Robyn Regehr at league minimum either.
Q and Bowman
if you missed the last RinkCast, there was one important rumor tidbit. A regular and reliable source told me a few weeks back, just after it was announced that Quenneville and Bowman would be back next year, that Team President John McDonough has quietly reached out to the management of the NFL’s Green Bay Packers for a contact at the executive search firm the Pack used to recently hire GM Brian Gutekunst.
Connect the dots, if you wish. More to come soon. Comment below.
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