Toews, Hawks will benefit from addition of Lang, Perreault
Blackhawks general manager Dale Tallon has a plan, he's sticking to it, and it has everything to do with putting the team's future into the hands of its prospects.
The Hawks believe that in a few years Jonathan Toews could be one of the best young centers in the NHL, and maybe they'll be right. That's why Tallon didn't see the point of committing six- or seven-year contracts to the likes of Daniel Briere, Chris Drury and Scott Gomez - the three best centers available as free agents.
Briere got an eight-year deal in Philadelphia, while Gomez signed for seven years and Drury five with the New York Rangers.
Toews certainly has the look about him of being a special player.
"It's nice to see people make plays," Hawks coach Denis Savard said after watching Toews practice Tuesday at prospects camp. "I know he's skating with other kids, but he looks really, really good - not only with his skill, but with the little details that great players have."
The Hawks didn't get the top-end free-agent centers available, but they believe they added two veterans that fit their needs in Robert Lang and Yanic Perreault, both 36. The Hawks are committed to Perreault only through next season and to Lang for just two years.
Savard believes Lang has plenty of offensive game left. He had 19 goals and 52 points for the Red Wings last season in 81 games while playing about 17 minutes a night.
"He wants to play more, and he will," Savard said. "In Detroit, with (Pavel) Datsyuk and (Henrik) Zetterberg ahead of him, he didn't get to play as much as he wanted. He won't have to worry about that here. He's going to play with Martin Havlat, and that's going to be a pretty explosive line. I'm sure his numbers will be better here."
Tallon turned to Lang on Monday after Michal Handzus accepted the Kings' four-year, $16 million offer. The Hawks refused to offer any more than three years to Handzus and about $3.8 million in salary.
"We didn't want to do four years," Tallon said. "We like Lang. He's a fit guy, he's smart and he's had success playing with Havlat in international events."
With veterans Lang and Perreault, the Hawks believe it will be easier for Toews to make the adjustment to the NHL from college.
"Now we can put our kids in there and not worry about them," Tallon said. "Before we would have had some concerns going with our young guys, but now we have those guys to take the heat offensively off them, plus it gives us a lot more options up front."
Maybe the real truth is that there was no chance of Briere, Gomez, Drury or Ryan Smyth ever coming to Chicago in the first place. That's what happens when a team hasn't won for so long.
Perhaps in a few years, if the Hawks grow into a contender, then it will be Tallon picking and choosing through the top-end guys - and those players are going to want to come.