I’ve heard whispers since February of 2015 that the Blackhawks might want to deal Corey Crawford. They didn’t make total sense, until possibly now.
Since I started blogging in 2009, I’ve broken a lot of rumors. And as such, I’ve become the Hawk blogosphere version of an “acquired taste.” So be it.
Because when, as a blogger, you go out with rumors, you always run the risk, even if the conversations you’re reporting on are valid, that no actual deal will happen. And the doubters and haters will then run wild, “see, I told ya he just makes sh—up.”
Funny, there was a fellow blogger who actually posted a blog saying that about me— the day I reported (out of the blue), in the summer of 2011, that Patrick Kane was going to have wrist surgery the following day.
Then, Kane had the surgery, and the blog in question mysteriously was taken down. And I’m still waiting on the retraction/apology (via fax). Haha.
But I digress.
What this blog is actually about are some rumors I’ve reported since February of 2015 regarding one Corey Crawford.
No, the rumors were not about his personal life/off-ice habits. And I’m not going to get into that today. Yes, here at the-Rink.com, we’ve been hearing a couple of different things over the last ten days or so about the nature of Crawford’s injury absence from the Hawk lineup. And since we didn’t have complete substantiation of it, and it could be a highly personal matter, we chose not to report anything
The rumors were about what I was told—that the Hawks in February of 2015 had quietly begun talking to two teams about trading Crawford. One was Edmonton (before they acquired Cam Talbott) and the other was Buffalo (before they acquired Robin Lehner). At the time, people were highly skeptical. It caught me a bit off guard as well. But this was the same reliable source who tipped me on the Hawks’ interest in Antoine Vermette about that time—and we know how that turned out.
In the summer of 2016, “quiet” Crawford rumors were hitting my inbox again. The main teams mentioned were Toronto and Calgary, who in the end, acquired Freddie Andersen and Brian Elliott respectively. Again, the rumors were met with skepticism. Everyone “liked” Scott Darling, but most liked him strictly as a backup.
Why would the Hawks deal an elite, or near-elite goalie, and downgrade arguably the most important position on the ice—just for cap savings?
I reported again, this past summer, that the Hawks were going to approach Crawford about waiving his NMC—because they hoped to retain Darling at about $3 million a year, which would make him the Hawks #1 goalie.
Again, it was met with hard skepticism.
But it wasn’t my “idea.” It was what I was hearing. And what I subsequently heard was that Crawford was approached and basically told the team to “go f— (them)selves.” He wasn’t waiving.
Darling then signed a $4 million per year deal with Carolina. And the rest is history. Again, there were a lot of doubters on those stories.
But . . .
Now, the picture suggests, hmmm, maybe.
Today, the Hawks are relying on a 32 year old journeyman rookie and a talented but raw kid who had just a handful of NHL games prior to this year. Think about that. This is arguably the last or next to last year of the “Cup window,” and here we are.
And we can argue ad infinitum if Darling would be any better than Jeff Glass or Anton Forsberg, especially after his disastrous season thus far in Raleigh. But based on his previous 2 ½ seasons in Chicago, it was not hard to at least conceive that the Hawks would ride Darling—if Crawford was as much of a wild card as the current rumors suggest.
Hurricane GM Ron Francis, who’s forgotten more about hockey than most of us will ever know, had no issue handing the reins to Darling, that’s for sure.
And let me be clear, I will not pretend to know for certain if the rumors surrounding Crawford’s absence are true. But there does seem to be some fire to this smoke.
And then, when you go back through these rumors, as I have over the last 24 hours, the picture that emerges from them starts to make a lot of sense.
And if they are true, believe me, 30 other NHL GMs know it.
Which adds some intrigue to this drama going forward. You might assume, in that event, Crawford would be deemed untouchable.
I’ll submit, a 100% “healthy” Corey Crawford, at $6 million a season, is still a huge bargain to a team that’s one great goalie away from a Stanley Cup.
Before Crawford played his last game on December 23rd, my belief was that if the Hawks fail to make the playoffs this spring, there will be bigger changes—and two names I felt would get shopped were Crawford and Duncan Keith (in spite of having NMCs—which can always be waived—especially if someone feels a change of scenery, a return to a hometown or to get out of the Chicago media spotlight, is best).
It is also quite possible that the Hawks and Crawford will decide that the best thing for him and the team is for him to continue his stellar career right where he is.
And yes, it is possible Crawford just fell off a snowmobile and that’s the entire story—the other rumor that’s been out there.
I’m just telling you what I’ve heard. And what I think about what I’ve heard—including what’s been swirling the last 24-48 hours or so.
I’m sure there will be “robust” discussion below.
Follow: @jaeckel