Well, I’ve become the old crumudgeon (sp?) on this site a little quicker than I thought, but it was always headed this way, so allow me to show up with yet another complaint. On the comments here, and from various other places, I see some anger that the Hawks didn’t give Hossa a physical before he signed. When exactly were they supposed to do this? What team would? July 1st has become a piranha feeding frenzy, and I don’t mean when the Twins hit the postgame spread. Most free agents are signed, at least the top-ticket ones, within the first few hours. Does anyone really expect these guys to fly around to every team making them an offer and give them a physical? The Hawks looked over his MRI’s, knew about the injury, and decided that at worst it would cost them two of the 72 hockey months that he signed for, and thought it was worth it. So, everybody, down.
Secondly, the Hawks are more than equipped to deal with his absence. October is a very home-heavy schedule, and assuming the jet-lag resulting from the return from Finland (coming to a theater near you!) they should bank some points then. Also, remember, Havlat didn’t rise to the ranks for our savior until being put on the line with Bolland and Ladd, which happened December 3rd. I worry about a no training camp season for Hossa, where he won’t have oodles of time to build a rapport and find out who he should play with, but this is hardly death blow.