A decentralized administration and an ultra laid-back coach (Alpo Suhonen) lead the Chicago Blackhawks out of the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season. It was time for yet another change in the Windy City, and that came when no-nonsense coach Brian Sutter arrived in March to replace Suhonen, who left on medical leave. While Blackhawks GM Mike Smith re-signed top players like center Alex Zhamnov and goalie Jocelyn Thibault, few outside acquisitions were made. Can a similar Blackhawks squad better last year's finish under Sutter or will poor management and lackluster ice play doom Chicago once again?
Here are your thoughts on what the Blackhawks need for next season:
Missing link is between the pipes
I may be in the minority here, but I think the key to the Hawks' return to the ranks of the respectable depends upon their desperate need for consistent, predictable goaltending. Sure, Jocelyn Thibault had a better-than-average year, but I remember him from the disastrous years in Montreal. He proved to be streaky and even heartless on some nights. The only thing predictable about him was his unpredictability. When he's hot, he's as good as almost any NHL goalie. When he's not, he's an average United League goalie. Get consistency or get a new goalie. I wish them a successful season and a quick return to the greatness of years past.
Eric
Buffalo, N.Y.
Sutter must weave straw into gold
The Hawks did little, if anything, to improve their situation in the offseason, although the hiring of Brian Sutter is a good start. As your profile pointed out, they are woefully thin at forward and could have profited greatly from a deal to acquire Doug Weight. And while it would have been great to see Jeremy Roenick return to Chicago, it was obvious he had no intention of doing so, preferring to play for a contender. Meanwhile, the team seems destined to repeat the process that led to Roenick's departure with Tony Amonte. More importantly, their defense remains shaky. Jon Klemm is a solid pickup, but they needed to acquire another steady blueliner (like ex-Hawk Keith Carney) to stabilize their defense and keep Jocelyn Thibault from smelling like rubber after every game. How much longer will apathetic, mediocre performances by overpaid loafers like Alexander Karpovtsev and Boris Mironov be tolerated before management recognizes there's a problem? No one believed Mike Smith's hollow proclamation last year that the team's defense was 'improved.' The 'Hawks are caught in a vicious cycle: until they bring in a few good players, they are going to continue to lose. However, no good players are going to want to play for a team that continues to lose. So they have to grind it out, hoping that Brian Sutter can get more out of what is basically the same cast of characters from last year's losing squad and hope for the best.
Chris
Washington, D.C.
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We're tired of the lies. Owner Bill Wirtz, team president Bob Pulford and GM Smith need to exit stage left. ” |
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— Mike, Chicago |
Change is not always good
The Blackhawks have made lots of minor mistakes during the years. The Hawks have totally lost their identity and direction. Their drafting and trades have been more or less pretty disappointing. This team needs stability. The main reason for the slump is too many management changes. No players are able to adapt to a new strategy and a new game plan every year. Alpo Suhonen brought a new plan that took the players a long time to learn, and once players learned the system, the Hawks played really well. But then Suhonen had his health problems and Brian Sutter steps in -- another new coach who brings in yet another new game plan. Stability and long-term vision are the keys that will turn Hawks around.
Pasi
Vaasa, Finland
Current management created a disaster
The organization is a complete disaster. After wasting four years trying to adapt to a Euro-style, and last year with a Euro-coach, Blackhawks management has hired a hard-nosed coach and provided him with a bunch of underachieving Euro-sissys. The Hawks have managed to rebuild in the opposite direction during the past four years, and Mike Smith, whose reputation for being a great GM in the past is a complete farce, seems to be working at odds with Bob Pulford and in pure spite of the fans. Bill Wirtz will not front the money for a team superstar. This was obvious as the Hawks failed to make any waves in the free-agent market, and it will be obvious again when they fail to re-sign Tony Amonte. However, they did try to pass off the overpaying of John Klemm as a major acquisition. Rather than cultivating new talent, they allow it to be absorbed by other teams. While letting promising new talent escape, Smith also has an uncanny ability to get taken in trades. The Brad Brown and Brian McCabe trades immediately come to mind, and, if I'm not mistaken, Smith was also responsible for giving away J.P. Dumont to the Sabres as an added bonus in the Doug Gilmour trade. This once proud franchise has embarrassed themselves, their city, and worst of all, their fans. Without proper funding and scouting, this organization will be a joke for the next decade. Oh well, for those of us who are North-Siders, at least the Cubs are doing well.
Steven
Denver
Hawks must spend to break out of mediocrity
Chicago seems content with their status quo. While the elite teams of the league either re-sign their stars or acquire greater depth and scoring, the Hawks sign mediocre players or individuals past their prime. Tony Amonte, Steve Sullivan, and the often disgruntled and underachieving Eric Daze can only provide so much offensive production. If the Hawks want to return to the salad days of yore, they must be willing to spend the cash to land the Doug Weights, Jaromir Jagrs and, dare I write it, Jeremy Roenicks of the world. Until that day comes, Chicago will remain a team that inhabits the near-cellar of the Western Conference.
Bob
Cleveland
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Provided there is a little more consistency, which Brian Sutter would demand, the Hawks might eek into the playoffs (I stress might). ” |
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— George, Mundelein, Ill. |
Recalling good times
It's not a pretty picture in Chicago. It's really sad to think that there was a time when the Hawks played in front of a sold out arena every night. The National Anthem reverberated off the walls and the opponent was virtually defeated before the puck was dropped. Now they're playing in a United Center morgue, and they're being run into the ground by management with absolutely no brain power. Last year, GM Mike Smith promised a playoff berth but did nothing to add talent to back it up. And this year we were promised the addition of 4-5 free agents. We're tired of the lies. Owner Bill Wirtz, team president Bob Pulford and GM Smith need to exit stage left. Without the addition of some more talent, the only hope is that Brian Sutter can motivate the guys enough to "eek" out an 8th seed in the Western Conference.
Mike
Chicago
Passive offseason will produce poor results again
They are embarrassingly bad. They have great fans who are being punished by going and watching a team with obvious weaknesses that they refuse to address. They deserve to miss the postseason again with how little they were able to accomplish in the offseason. Without Steve Sullivan, Tony Amonte, Michael Nylander and sometimes Alex Zhamanov, the Hawks would be harder to watch than the Bulls.
Kris
Chicago
Sutter could turn ship around
The Hawks will improve with "no-nonsense defense first, hustle all the time or you won't play" Brian Sutter as coach. He was a good choice for a team that needed a direction change. I would expect the roster to change a good bit from the start of camp until the first half of the season to fit the Sutter mold. Will it be enough to make the playoffs? I doubt it. But they will come close. To improve, they need help in almost all areas.
Tony
Pittsburgh
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This once proud franchise has embarrassed themselves, their city, and worst of all, their fans. Without proper funding and scouting, this organization will be a joke for the next decade. ” |
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— Steven, Denver |
Hawks fans: Stay away
The Blackhawks will miss the playoffs again. They are content to be a third-tier team in a top three market. They made no moves this offseason. Hopefully, Sutter will drop Boris Mironov -- the laziest player in the NHL. Re-signing Bob Probert? Why? He doesn't fight anymore -- he's not protecting anyone. Who is there to protect? Tony Amonte, Steve Sullivan, and Michael Nylander are the only worthwhile players on this team of underachievers. Another season of mediocrity. Hopefully, the die-hard Chicago fans will stay away from the United Center. No one even cares that the home games aren't televised anymore. Bill Wirtz and Mike Smith knew better than to hold a "town hall" meeting this year to brag about their Steve Thomas and John Klemm signings.
Vince
Chicago
Doomed by broken promises
I'm always the eternal optimist, but I'm not a fool. Provided there is a little more consistency, which Brian Sutter would demand, the Hawks might eek into the playoffs (I stress might). If that were to be the case, they would not be competitive and would be quickly eliminated. I know you have to crawl before you can walk, and walk before you can run, but I'm tired of Blackhawks management setting a timetable for "returning to the playoffs." What good is that if they are quickly dispatched? How about a timetable for bringing a championship-caliber team to Chicago. The fact that they have dragged out the Amonte extension adds insult to injury and is inexcusable. I'm tired of vague and empty promises from Chicago. I will only watch the Blackhawks during the away games or when an occasional free ticket comes my way. Since the owners do not care about the fans, they will not see any of my money.
George
Mundelein, Ill.
