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Blackhawks Notes: Quenneville, Toews

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The Chicago Sun-Times Mark Lazerus sits down to talk with Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville, who has seen his team follow a roller coaster-like track this season. In what Lazerus warns as a season where the Hawks could miss the playoffs, he asks the coach if his job status is in question due to what has been a disappointing three-year stretch for Chicago. Quenneville responded with a short, yet blunt response:

“We’re in a short-term business as coaches. We’re in the winning business.”

Two first round exits (St. Louis in 2016, Nashville in 2017) and a bumpy season haven’t done much to ease an anxious fan base. It’s one that has become accustomed to winning–and winning often–after the city rediscovered hockey following a conference championship run during the 2008-09 season. From there, the results were dizzying. A Stanley Cup in 2010, another in 2013, missing another Final appearance in 2014 by a game seven overtime goal, and then another Cup in 2015. In what is a league built on discouraging dynasties, Chicago has made a strong argument for being one. It makes for a series of difficult questions: Could the window be closing and could Quenneville, a fixture in the Windy City for a decade, be a casualty?

Lazerus writes that Quenneville knows the lifespan of a coach in the NHL–21 of the 31 coaches have been hired in the past three years while Tampa’s Jon Cooper has the second longest tenure in the NHL with five seasons. Quenneville called the season a “challenge” and insists that his relationship with general manager Stan Bowman is “solid.” Regardless of that, Lazerus points out that both could be on the hot seat should the Blackhawks not find that success of the past. But Quenneville insists he’s concerned about the next game–and not anything else.

  • Many have pointed to the goal-scoring struggles of captain Jonathan Toews as a source for the team’s struggles. Though his numbers have dipped, there was little concern, especially after long playoff stretches where Toews played a full 200-foot game. After trading for Brandon Saad, conventional thought was that another strong two-way forward would aid Toews and take some of the pressure off of him. Instead, the struggles have remained. Lazerus writes that Toews is having the worst statistical season of his career, despite fixing some offseason workout habits that were focused on him not feeling “so heavy” during the dog days of the season. Advanced stats reveal that Toews is still playing at his highest levels, but it’s not transferring over to the scoresheet. Lazerus chalks this up to Richard Panik’s struggles and a lack of puck luck.

Central Notes: Blackhawks, Anderson, Dotchin

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Always known for their offensive prowess on the ice, the Chicago Blackhawks have hit hard times. Sure, the team isn’t at the bottom when it comes to team scoring (13th overall), but the usual names aren’t showing up in the box scores, according to Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times.

Patrick Kane broke out of his slump on Wednesday with a pair of goals, but he had been fighting a one goal in 10-game slump. Jonathan Toews has two goals in the past 16 games, while Richard Panik hasn’t scored in 12 games. Nick Schmaltz has one goal in 17 games, while defenseman Duncan Keith hasn’t scored yet this season. Throw in Brandon Saad and Nick Schmaltz, who each have one goal in the last 15 and 17 games, respectively.

“It never gets easy,” said Patrick Sharp, who hasn’t scored in the last 15 games. “You think about it all the time. You feel that pressure in tight games, and in losses, definitely. You leave the rink thinking that you could have helped the team in some way.”

Lazerus writes that despite their offensive struggles, the team has been winning, going 3-1-1 in their past five games, which takes a lot of the pressure off the players. With Kane’s two-goal game, many players hope that signifies that the end of some of these slumps may be forthcoming.

  • James Gordon of The Athletic (subscription required) writes that while many people are blaming the Ottawa Senators for the team’s struggles this year, that’s not where the blame should be pointed. The scribe instead looks at the team’s goaltending, particularly the play of veteran Craig Anderson, who last year put up an impressive season in which he had a 2.28 GAA and a .926 save percentage to lead the team into a deep playoff run. Fast forward to this year and the 36-year-old goaltender has a 2.94 GAA and a .896 save percentage. Backup Mike Condon isn’t faring any better and his analysis suggests that both goalies are just making inexcusable mistakes.
  • Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Jake Dotchin (undisclosed injury) has been placed on injured reserve, according to Tampa Bay Times’ Joe Smith. Smith also says that Dotchin will be eligible to return on Tuesday and might return by then, but he will sit out two games before he is eligible to return. Cory Conacher will take his place on the roster.

Evening Snapshots: Red Wings, Mantha, Slumping Blackhawks

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Heading home for a stretch where they play 13 of 15 at Little Caesars Arena, Detroit Red Wings bench boss Jeff Blashill says there is “zero excuse” for not winning tonight writes MLive’s Ansar Khan. After getting pushed around by Calgary Thursday night, Detroit looks to get back on track against a Columbus team mired in a four game winless streak. The goal for the Red Wings are to return to the playoffs after a one-year hiatus, and this stretch of hockey with games predominantly at home serves as the best chance to get a good jump on it. Currently sitting 8-8-1, impressive forward Anthony Mantha added that the team needs have at least a .750 or .800 mark during the stretch at home.

  • Speaking of Mantha, Khan reports that the goal-scoring forward is developing into a more complete player in his second NHL season. Dogged early in his career for lack of effort, Mantha has risen to the occasion, leading the Red Wings in goals and points through Friday. Blashill says that the 22-year-old is very motivated and is skating harder now than he had previously with the team.
  • The Chicago Tribune’s Chris Hine writes that the Blackhawk faithful are keeping their hopes up that Chicago will turn things around soon. Hine likens the current slump to a “crisis of faith” as they’ve struggled to score goals, registering just 12 goals in the last seven games. The culprit, Hine writes, are the “big money” players not getting on the score sheet regularly. He singles out captain Jonathan Toews (4-6-10), Brandon Saad (6-3-9), Patrick Kane (5-9-14), Duncan Keith (0-8-8), Brent Seabrook (1-4), and Patrick Sharp (2-2) as those players. Kane hasn’t scored in seven games while Saad is goal-less in his last ten games. Head coach Joel Quenneville has been toying with lines, trying to find the right combination to break the scoring drought.

Evening Notes: Stepan, Dallas D, Schmaltz

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One of the main reasons the Arizona Coyotes made their big offseason trade in which they traded the seventh overall pick in this year’s draft and prospect defenseman Anthony DeAngelo to the New York Rangers was to acquire Derek Stepan. According to Jim Cerny of Sporting News, the Coyotes have high hopes the center will provide much-needed offensive help, but what the team is also looking for is  to have him lead their young team.

With 515 games of experience under his belt (and 97 more in the playoffs), the 27-year-old already has plenty of experience. And while no captain has been announced, Stepan is among a short list of candidates for it. Arizona has a number of young potential forwards under 23 years, including Clayton Keller, Dylan Strome, Max Domi, Brendan Perlini, Christian Dvorak, Christian Fischer, Anthony Duclair and Lawson Crouse.

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“I’ll try to do what I do best, play a 200 foot game, try to make the guys around me better, and try to be a leader for these young guys,” said Stepan. “When I was a young guy, I had older guys do it for me, and I want to do the same thing for them. Hopefully I can step in and help in all aspects.”

 

Evening Snapshots: Blackhawks, Patrick

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The pressure building on the Chicago Blackhawks is similar to that felt by the 2012-13 team writes CSN Chicago’s Tracey Myers. For fans seeking good omens, that could be one heading into a more uncertain season sans forward Marian Hossa, and a roster relying upon a bevy of youth. Myers writes that the Hawks torrid 21-0-3 start to the strike-shortened season, as well as a second round scare to Detroit ended well for Chicago as they dispatched the Boston Bruins in six games and captured its second Cup in four seasons. Few remember that the Hawks were at a crossroads–being beaten in the first round in consecutive seasons while experiencing some in-house turmoil that led many to wonder what would be. A Stanley Cup parade in 2013 put doubts to rest and the Hawks came within a puck bounce in 2014 of heading back to the Stanley Cup Final. They would win again in 2015, but are coming off of a shocking sweep last spring.

Myers writes, however, that things are a bit different than they were in 2013. The core of that team is almost five years older, have logged a lot of wear and tear, and don’t have the same supporting core they once did. Hossa’s loss hasn’t been measured yet, but the acquisition of Brandon Saad will bring a strong two-way forward back into the mix. Myers believes that a return to dominance is harder to envision, and that similar expectations to the 2013 resurgence are probably a little too optimistic.

  • The Philadelphia Flyers’ Nolan Patrick is going to be okay Philadelphia Inquirer writer Sam Carchidi assures a nervous fan base. Patrick had another surgery this summer for abdominal issues, which marked a second consecutive summer he spent rehabbing from an injury. The 19-year-old second overall pick did say he felt totally healthy three weeks ago–which should calm concerned Flyers fans. Patrick spoke about training with Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews, who Patrick called a “really intelligent guy” and one who helped him with nutrition and training advice. He also noted that he’s been playing at 100% while on the ice, and that his goal remains to make the Flyers roster out of training camp.

NHL Snapshots: Toews, Red Wings Logo, Klingberg

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Chicago Blackhawks star forward Jonathan Toews spent all of last offseason training harder than he ever had and while the 29-year-old had a solid season, his numbers dropped, particularly his goal-scoring as his 21 goals last year were the lowest number of his career. According to Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston, Toews admitted that over-training might have been a mistake and is looking to make changes to his offseason work habits.

“Last summer is the first time I really got the time to train really hard and I might have overdone it in the wrong way. Just worrying about power and strength all the time,” Toews said. “I came into the season and just couldn’t move, just felt slow. I mean the game is so fast nowadays. It’s kind of a wake-up call in that sense.”

Toews said that he has been focusing on loosening up his body and improving his mobility. He adds that he is taking ideas from some of the young stars like Toronto’s Auston Matthews and Edmonton’s Connor McDavid and intends to devote time to skating and working on his offensive game.

  • The Detroit Red Wings and the NHL are considering legal action after white nationalists used an altered form of the Red Wings logo during the “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Va. this weekend. The Red Wings tweeted that they vehemently disagree and are not associated with the event and will explore any legal action possible.
  • Sportsnet’s Sonny Sachdeva writes that Dallas Stars defenseman John Klingberg says that he is looking forward to working with new coach Ken Hitchcock this year in hopes that the veteran coach can emphasize defense more in hopes of bringing the Stars back to the playoffs. The 24-year-old blueliner has been one of the team’s brightest offensive stars, putting up a career-high 13 goals last year to go with 36 assists for 49 points. Klingberg who led the team in average ice-time (23:21) last season would embrace a coach that emphasized defense. The Stars went from winning the Central Division in 2015-16 to a sixth-place finish last year.

Bad Value: The Worst Contracts League-Wide

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It’s always interesting to see where teams are spending their money unwisely, especially to the armchair GMs of every fanbase. In a fine article by Satchel Price of SB Nation, he breaks down what he believes is each team’s worst contract currently on the books. After the slew of buyouts that happened early in the off-season, many teams were able to cut ties with some of the worst offenders. Still, some of the worst cap criminals are primed to haunt their teams yet again in 2017-18. Discounting the injured Nathan Horton, David Clarkson, and Dave Bolland, these were some of the names that stuck out on the list.

David Backes – Boston Bruins – 4 yrs x $6 MM

When Backes signed this contract, many were wondering what the Boston management were thinking. Backes already was showing signs of decline his last two seasons in St. Louis, and his tough style of play was always going to take away from his longevity. He still flirts with 40+ points and adds solid two-way ability. But in 2 seasons, if Backes continues to slow and falter possession-wise, this contract may become a brutal obstacle to beefing up the offense.

Brent Seabrook – Chicago Blackhawks – 7 yrs x $6.785 MM

Seabrook was a player who really piggy-backed off the success of the Hawks cup teams. He was a solid player, but by no means a core player. GM Stan Bowman thought differently, and handed out a massive, maximum-term contract, complete with a no-movement clause. Chicago has really struggled to fill their depth forward and bottom defensive positions out with cheap players, largely because of overpayments like this. Seabrook did accumulate a ton of assists last year, but his goal scoring has all but disappeared. Perhaps the worst negative to Seabrook? He’s never been a positive possession player in Corsi relative, in any single season he’s played. For a franchise that pays Jonathan Toews over $10 MM AAV, this contract is absolutely crippling.

Dustin Brown – L.A. Kings – 5 yrs x $5.875 MM

Brown benefited from the same intangibles-related inflation that Toews did. Leading a team to multiple Cups is generally a recipe to have your value balloon immensely. Winners are winners, after all. Brown, though, was never really integral to the team’s on-ice success in 2012 or 2014, and his undisputed leadership abilities didn’t help the team in the past few years when they have struggled to put pucks in the nett. His two-way ability is solid, but not elite, and he hasn’t broken 20 goals since 2011-12. Perhaps Brown can be revitalized under the system of coach John Stevens, but his body has to have taken a toll with the way he’s played the game. One need only look to former King Mike Richards to see what gritty, shot-blocking forwards have in the way of staying power.

Marc Staal – New York Rangers – 4 yrs x $5.75 MM

In all likelihood, the primary reason Staal has not already been bought out is because he had one more year on his contract than the much-maligned Dan Girardi. Staal has been a noticeably bad defender in terms of possession stats for the last three seasons, and showed few (if any) signs of improvement this season. He still logs over 19 minutes of ice a night, so he’s not stapled to the bench. But he’s not a top-four defender at this point, and considering how he’s never been a two-way threat, his one-dimensional game may only deteriorate further.

Andrew MacDonald – Philadelphia Flyers – 3 ys x $5 MM

This is a prime example of an error that most teams have learned to avoid – handing out multi-year deals to wildly inconsistent players. MacDonald had his offensive totals inflated by playing for a very lean New York Islanders team, and Philadelphia pounced on acquiring this player in the midst of a -9.0% Corsi Relative season. MacDonald has since dried up offensively, and while he has cleaned up his possession numbers against weaker competition, he still needs massive sheltering. He also has had a heck of a time staying healthy – he’s missed 93 contests over the last 3 campaigns. MacDonald is now taking valuable playing time from a young defensive core and hindering the team’s ability to acquire top free agents.

 

Snapshots: Schmidt, Saad, Hossa

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The Vegas Golden Knights have had a busy off-season in the lead-up to their first NHL season, and Gary Lawless laid out some of what still lies ahead for the fledgling franchise. Most notably, the team has to sign RFA Nate Schmidt, the former Washington defenseman who showed great promise as a productive player. PHR’s Gavin Lee touched on the reportedly productive manner of the talks a few days back, but he is one of the more intriguing names left on the arbitration docket. Schmidt will likely be a pivotal piece of their defense for years, as the team resisted trading him away to teams desperate for defensive help, opting instead to move older names.

Schmidt shouldn’t be too expensive in arbitration, as he only has 43 points through 200 career games. Still, Vegas seems intent to lock him up on a longer deal, and considering that they’ve cleared their focus of other distractions, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a deal get done soon. If the parties come to an agreement, it would likely be above the $3 MM mark.

  • Sports Illustrated ran an interesting piece highlighting the Blackhawks’ strategy of re-acquiring old players. Brandon Saad in particular sounds thrilled to be back in Chicago with Coach Joel Quenneville. Saad had two 53-point seasons in Columbus, but at only 24, he still has room to improve. It sounds like the plan is to re-unite him with captain Jonathan Toews, to try to spark the captain with a familiar linemate. Toews ended the season with a respectable 21 goals and 58 points, but struggled mightily to score for long stretches of time before a stellar home stretch. Saad will have big shoes to fill to replace the incredibly dynamic Artemi Panarin, however, and Patrick Kane’s line will likely see a huge hit in production in order to achieve greater balance in the lineup.
  • After the announcement that Marian Hossa is indefinitely sidelined due to a degenerate skin disorder, Blackhawks players unsurprisingly see the situation as “heartbreaking”. Hossa will not skate in 2017-18 due his medical need to discontinue NHL play. Hossa has a solid case for the Hall of Fame when he decides to retire, and being an important part of three Cup-winning teams, his loss is hard to calculate prior to the start of the season. Saad’s return may help fill some of that void, especially with Toews, but his production still will be near impossible to replace internally. More than that, however, he was arguably Blackhawks’ best defensive forward, backchecking consistently and with purpose. It will be interesting to see how the stretched-thin defense, minus Niklas Hjalmarsson, copes with one less Selke-caliber forward assisting their efforts.

Blackhawks Notes: Sharp, Saad, DeBrincat

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The Chicago Sun-Times’ Mark Lazerus (along with various Chicago media) tweeted quite a bit from the beginning of the Blackhawks Fan Convention as players and personnel were available to the media. It was a reunion of sorts as two former players returned to field questions. Patrick Sharp returns to the place where he saw much success, saying that he had some of his “best years” playing for Joel Quenneville in Chicago. Lazerus tweets that Quenneville could use Sharp with Jonathan Toews, and to expect the veteran winger to see top six minutes, which may not thrill some fans.  Brandon Saad confirmed that he would be on a line with Toews, which was the belief of many after Stan Bowman swung a deal to re-acquire the forward. The Athletic’s Scott Powers tweeted video of different interviews which included Quenneville, Patrick Kane talking about the Panarin trade, and Sharp’s return to Chicago.

  • Several hockey analysts are “tapping the brakes” when declaring Blackhawks prospect Alex DeBrincat as the next big thing. The Hockey News’ Jared Clinton and Chicago SportsNet’s Tracey Myers both covered this, with Clinton adding onto Myers’ analysis.  First, the salary cap limits who the Hawks can add to the roster, and the only player as of now who can shuffle to the AHL without passing through waivers is Nick Schmaltz. Should Marian Hossa go onto the LTIR, more than enough money would be available for many in Rockford to go onto the roster. Second, head coach Joel Quenneville isn’t exactly one to hand out ice time to kids. Clinton notes that DeBrincat is only 19, and the only players under 21 to see significant ice time during Quenneville’s tenure were Kane and Toews. Of course, Clinton notes, Toews was the captain and Kane was a budding superstar. Further, Clinton writes that Schmaltz, considered one of Chicago’s best prospects, struggled to stay in the lineup last season, showing that cracking the NHL lineup and then staying on it is far more difficult than it appears. Realistically, Clinton believes that the Hawks have the luxury to “over-season” players and allow them time to grow into a role–something that DeBrincat may very well do.

Chicago Blackhawks Bring Back Patrick Sharp

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As indicated by reports this morning, the Chicago Blackhawks have indeed signed Patrick Sharp. After a two-year hiatus with the Dallas Stars, the three-time Stanley Cup winner is back home in Chicago to the tune of just $1MM. TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports that the deal is for one year and carries an $800K base salary with $200K in bonuses for games played.

This could be quite the steal for the Blackhawks, given that Sharp scored 78 points in his last fully healthy season in Chicago. While Sharp struggled with injuries and inconsistency last season in Dallas, he posted 55 points in his first season with the team the year before and another 43 in just 68 games in his final season in Chicago. Armed with a top-end shot, Sharp was always the beneficiary of great offensive linemates on the Blackhawks and there is no reason to think he won’t excel again, even if he has lost a step.

Sharp becomes the second player this week to re-join the Blackhawks after the team re-acquired Brandon Saad from the Columbus Blue Jackets in a deal that saw Artemi Panarin shipped out of town. While neither Sharp nor Saad could single-handedly make up for the loss of offense from Panarin’s departure, together the two may be able to get the job done if they can re-ignite the old chemistry they had with the likes of Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. 

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