For Those That Really Want To Stain Their Shorts

Wait til the end of Hot Stove, and you'll hear Pierre LeBrun report the Hawks would lead the queue for Ilya Kovalchuk. It would clear cap space, depending on who would go. I go back and forth on this, I would have to see the package. But it's intriguing, isn't it?

about 2 years ago SamFels 24 comments 0 recs |

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Interesting

Getting Ilya would certainly make the Hawks the best team in the NHL, but what players would be heading to Atlanta? If Versteeg is part of the trade then the forward lines could look like this:

Kane, Toews, Brouwer
Hossa, Sharp, Kovalchuk

I’m assuming that the five Hawks above would not be part of any deal. Those are incredible lines.

by DStanda on Jan 2, 2010 9:22 PM CST reply actions

But...

…aren’t the Hawks the best team in the NHL already?

GMing and setting lines is fun, but this team has great depth and chemistry as it is, plus Weapon and Burr on the come.

Is this because of Hossa’s recent sluggishness? Two assists and a solid game last night.

Let’s be careful out there.

by cliffkoroll on Jan 3, 2010 9:43 AM CST up reply actions

It would have to be Versteeg and Buff I imagine

I’m not going to worry about this. I think speculation on Kovalchuk is running amuk. Until Stan Bowman shows his cards at least a little bit I’m not interested in following this story.

The Blackhawks and the Stanley Cup in 2010.

by BLou on Jan 2, 2010 9:43 PM CST reply actions

prob Versteeg, Buf & Barker to clear space

and that would likely be worth it.

by krome on Jan 2, 2010 10:18 PM CST via mobile reply actions

When the Hawks got...

Kovalchuk. I JIZZED IN MY PANTS!

by MaverickNJ on Jan 2, 2010 10:22 PM CST reply actions

Color me intrigued.

For a few reasons. First, let’s assume that the package necessary to make the move is Versteeg, Buff, Barker, potentially with a draft pick coming back with Kovy because that’s a lot of talent to give up for a rent-a-player, capocolypse or no capocolypse.

First, this basically eliminates the cap problem for next season.

Second, I’m not sure any of those three would be major losses. When Bolland comes back, I’m not sure where you put Versteeg. Buff is obviously an enigma, and he has as many bad nights as good, and I think Brouwer replaces a lot of what he does. Barker is a third-pair defenseman on this team, and his PP skills just aren’t as big a deal when you have as much talent as this team does.

Third, and I think this needs to be considered, Chicago is the absolute best-possible landing spot for Kovy because of one man: Marian Hossa. These two made beautiful music together in Atlanta, and I think it’d take about two games to find their flow again.

The lines, in my mind, would look like this:

Sharp-Toews-Kane
Kovalchuk-Bolland-Hossa
Brouwer-Madden-Ladd
Kopecky-Fraser/Burish-Eager

Keith/Seabrook
Hjalmarsson/Campbell
Sopel/Hendry

PP1: Hossa-Toews-Kane-Campbell-Kovalchuk
PP2: Sharp-Bolland-Brouwer-Keith-Seabrook

I think it makes sense. Unless I’m totally underestimating the loss of the three players, which is completely possible. But on the surface, I don’t think any of the three would be that sorely missed.

by Dr. Ice on Jan 2, 2010 10:29 PM CST reply actions

Just creamed

Loves me some Buff and STEEGER but those lines are absolutely awesome. Switch out Brouwer and Sharp until Bolland comes back and we’re good. I don’t know much about cap space and all, but it would certainly work.

After Sopel’s game tonight and Campbell’s game tonight and the last few weeks, I think Barker is way expendable. God bless him for standing up tonight but he is a one dimensional player.

by Gbubbs on Jan 2, 2010 11:44 PM CST up reply actions

Hossa, Toews, Kane, Keith, Kovalchuk? Gives me a girlboner.

I don’t think it’s going to happen, but I would jizz my pants. The thought of Panda on a line with Kovalchuk would keep me warm at night. The idea of a top two lines with Kane-
Toews-[somebody] and Hossa-[somebody]-Kovalchuk… guh.

by spokeinthebandwagon on Jan 2, 2010 10:40 PM CST reply actions

Is girlboner an original?

Haven’t heard it before.

I have to agree with everyone on this. As much as I like Versteeg, just the idea of having Kovalchuck on this team is making me look all googly-eyed.

by meeshak on Jan 3, 2010 12:34 AM CST up reply actions

I know I've used it before

and I’m pretty sure that I am rightly afraid to google it.

by shinkicker on Jan 3, 2010 11:14 AM CST up reply actions

ATL really has no use for Barker. They’re pretty well set for offensive defensemen with Bogosian, Enstrom, and Kubina. I’m sure they’d hold out for Hjammer whom they desperately can use. Can’t imagine Versteeg + Buf gets it done either. Another team should be able to put together a better package than what the Hawks can offer. Then again they are ATL and took a package of mediocrity from the Penguins centered around Colby Armstrong and Erik Christensen for Hossa so you never know.

by Crease Monkey on Jan 2, 2010 10:46 PM CST reply actions

You might be right, but I think you can only ask so much when all you’re giving a team is three months of a player.

Versteeg/Barker/Buff is twice the package they got for Hossa in a similar scenario.

by Dr. Ice on Jan 2, 2010 10:49 PM CST up reply actions

Hjammer’s contract is up this year (still will be an RFA but needs to be resigned) so it wouldn’t make much sense for ATL.

by burgstrom on Jan 3, 2010 12:01 AM CST up reply actions

sure it would. Even if Nik was unwilling to sign an extension, all ATL has to do is sign him to a qualifying offer to maintain negotiating rights, and at the very least he’d get his minimum bump in salary to around $1.365M for next season depending on whether they go to arbitration or not. Not that I actually think the Hawks would move him…just saying. Besides having no need for Barker, they also really have no need for Buf either. Arranging a ménage à trois with a club like Carolina would make more sense. Then they can take Barker and/or Buf. ATL has 6 UFAs at the forward position after this season. If they deal Kovalchuk they’re heading to rebuild mode. so draft picks or prospects make more sense for them.

by Crease Monkey on Jan 3, 2010 2:42 PM CST up reply actions

This I think falls under my "Hotstove Is For Shit" theory

And yet — I’ve been racking my brain for the last ten minutes thinking about this. Atlanta needs bodies. You get two or three people of proven quality (with notable drawbacks which you can plan for). I’m not convinced that this isn’t total horseshit, but this may actually make a lot of sense for Atlanta.

WAIT FOR THE WHISTLE!

by Sec 326 Bureau Chief on Jan 3, 2010 12:33 AM CST reply actions

theres no way

hammer is part of this deal…when scotty b says hed stake his career on hammer being a top d man you aint gonna deal him…also i just got my hammer sweater in the mail so we BETTER NOT deal him!

by sec. 317 on Jan 3, 2010 11:46 AM CST reply actions

WHY!?!?!

Let me take a line out of Bull Durham and say “never fuck with a winning streak”. Meaning, Team chemistry cannot be overlooked here. The Hawks are a fantastic team. Big Buff is a presence and a large body in front of the net, I would hate to lose him. Versteeg! could be the 2nd coming of Jeremy Roenick (Only his 2nd season), and Barker is just Barker.

Do we really want to turn into the Yankees of the NHL? I don’t know if adding Kovalchuk is that great a move. We already are capable of putting up 5-6 goals on any given night. Our defense is rolling right now. The only plus I see out of this deal is that our PP would be dangerous.

by ieat_people on Jan 3, 2010 12:08 PM CST reply actions

When Roenick was Verteeg's age (23/24)...

…he posted back-to-back 107 point seasons. Let’s not get crazy here.

by Dr. Ice on Jan 3, 2010 12:16 PM CST up reply actions

The best comparison to a 90's Hawk I see is

Eric Daze.

Chicagoan in the Lou.

by Mike Martin on Jan 3, 2010 3:58 PM CST up reply actions

Maybe. No. No.

Chemistry argument………maybe.
Versteeg (ever) = Roenick……“come on man” (and I’m saying that Cris Carter style)
Hawks = Yankees……..CBA, salary cap, anybody?

"In an ideal world I would have all 10 fingers on my left hand so my right hand could just be a fist for punching."

by Hack on Jan 4, 2010 10:33 AM CST up reply actions

Yeah

Steeger being the second coming if jr is laughable…as much as I like steeger dealing his noodling thru the neutral zone for the chemistry hossa and kovy could muster sounds fine by me

by sec. 317 on Jan 3, 2010 1:41 PM CST via mobile reply actions

ok you're right

but i think he has a lot more potential with the hands and wheels he has….i stand corrected. I just really like the team we have now. The Sox won the world series and then got rid of Rowand (aka the definition of grinder baseball) for more power in Jim Thome. Hawks haven’t won the whole magilla yet, but I get worried when I think about this possibility…..However, it would be pretty awesome.

by ieat_people on Jan 3, 2010 2:09 PM CST reply actions

The sox losing

Had a lot less to do with dealing rowand and more the Bullpen hittin the pisser. Remember rowand is a career .250 hitter at best. True I like the teams chemistry now but if dealing steeger, barker and either sopel or barker frees up space to sign hammer and gets u kovy I don’t mind the move

by sec. 317 on Jan 3, 2010 3:00 PM CST via mobile reply actions

The sox losing

Had a lot less to do with dealing rowand and more the Bullpen hittin the pisser. Remember rowand is a career .250 hitter at best. True I like the teams chemistry now but if dealing steeger, buff and either sopel or barker frees up space to sign hammer and gets u kovy I don’t mind the move

by sec. 317 on Jan 3, 2010 3:01 PM CST via mobile reply actions