Future looking bright for Blackhawks' defense
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- It has the potential of being a Blackhawks' strength for many years, the sixsome on defense of Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, James Wisniewski, Brent Sopel, Cam Barker and Jordan Hendry.
And now here comes Niklas Hjalmarsson, who looks as if he is capable of holding down a regular spot next season as well.
When it comes to Hawks prospects who aren't named Kane, Toews or Bolland, the hidden gem might be Hjalmarsson, the 20-year-old Swede who is potentially the kind of open-ice hitter that is desperately needed on the blue line.
Hjalmarsson might even have made the team out of training camp had he not suffered a broken wrist that required surgery, forcing him to miss several months.
"At prospects camp last summer, there were a few guys that stood out -- Kane, Toews and Hjalmarsson," Hawks coach Denis Savard said Wednesday. "There was a difference, and you saw it."
Hjalmarsson planned to return to Sweden to play this season, but Savard talked him out of it.
"He wanted to go play back home, but I said, 'You know, you're going to play in the NHL, so you should get as much experience as possible, whether you're here or in Rockford.' I told him he should get that experience here, to play that type of hockey. He made the right choice, obviously."
The strength on the blue line would only be enhanced if, via free agency or trade this summer, general manager Dale Tallon could land the offensive-minded puck-mover he wants, such as Brian Campbell.
Signing Campbell not only would make the defense potentially one of the best in the NHL, it would allow Tallon to possibly trade from an area of strength to bolster what the Hawks need most going forward into next season, and that's more goal-scoring.
The great debate: What do you think? Should Alexander Ovechkin win the Hart Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player even if his Washington Capitals miss the playoffs?
My vote either way is going to Ovechkin, who has been the best and most dynamic player in the league this season with 61 goals and 107 points.
The only other guys who even merit consideration with Ovechkin are Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin and Calgary's Jarome Iginla.
Bad decision: If you are a hockey fan, you have no doubt seen the video of the brawl from last Saturday's Quebec Major Junior League playoff game between Quebec and Chicoutimi.
While there's nothing wrong with a good hockey brawl (that's right, Mr. Bettman), it was wrong for Quebec coach Patrick Roy, the Hall of Famer, to wave his goalie down the ice to fight the opposition goaltender -- especially when the goalie Roy ordered to fight was his own son, Jonathan Roy.
Both Roys have received stiff suspensions, and there is talk that Patrick Roy's actions may cost him a shot at coaching in the NHL.
"I think that's the last we'll see of Patrick Roy as a coach," former NHL coach Jacques Demers told Canadian Press. "It's been a burden for his family. And Patrick's not going to change. He's like that -- impulsive. He's a good-hearted guy who makes some bad decisions."