Hawks will need time to measure trades
Now that the Blackhawks have traded defenseman Brian Campbell and winger Troy Brouwer, they may have more salary-cap space and options heading into free agency, but are they better?
Right now they probably aren't, but we'll see how things stand after free agency begins Friday.
“We're actually excited about it,” general manager Stan Bowman told reporters Saturday. “You look at it as an opportunity to get better, not as something to be concerned about.”
The Hawks are minus two more key veterans who played a big part in winning the 2010 Stanley Cup, a bit smaller and less physical, and thinner on the blue line.
But this isn't to say Bowman won't address those issues in the coming days.
Bowman said it was time to give some of the younger forwards who can do what Brouwer did an opportunity to to move up the depth chart, prospects such as Jeremy Morin and Kyle Beach.
“We're trying to improve our team,” Bowman said. “There are going to be changes made when you don't reach the ultimate goal. You need to look to get better, and we're trying to do that by promoting from within as well as acquiring new players.
“I think you've always got to embrace change, especially the way the game is today. No team is going to keep their team together year to year. It's just the reality of the system we play under that you have to have young players coming in that can step in and make a difference.
“It's not easy to keep all your guys. We're very confident in the core we have and are committed to those players. They're going to be here a long, long time and you've got to fill in around them.”
Bowman's first order of business this week will be to try to get restricted free agents Michael Frolik and Chris Campoli signed.
Frolik appears to figure into the Hawks' plans, while there seems to be a need to keep the puck-moving Campoli now that Campbell is gone.
At this point it's tough to figure where and how Rostislav Olesz figures into the mix at forward. Olesz, acquired from Florida for Campbell, has high-end skill but never has lived up to expectations as the seventh player taken in the 2004 draft and has often been injured.
The Hawks asked for Olesz once Campbell agreed to waive his no-trade clause with the urging from Florida GM Dale Tallon. Campbell's no-trade clause consisted of eight teams he would agree to go to in a trade. Florida was not on that list.
One thing certain is the Hawks now figure to be bigger players in the scramble for free agents Friday with about $14 million in cap space. Of course, some of that money will be needed to re-sign Frolik and Campoli.
Bowman is sure to be on the lookout for more size and jam at forward and it's a decent market for that, starting with Washington's Brooks Laich.
In addition to Laich, a few other grinding forwards who should be on the Hawks' radar as unrestricted free agents are Joel Ward, Eric Belanger, Pascal Dupuis, Max Talbot and Sean Bergenheim.
“Whenever you have salary-cap flexibility, then you can go a few ways with it,” Bowman said. “You can acquire players that are signed already or you can go into the free-agent market July 1. I think we'll look at both those options.”