Weekly Rumours – Blackhawks Fallout and More
2 years ago
The fallout from the Chicago Blackhawks investigation continues to be the biggest story in the NHL, as it should be. I’m honestly surprised that the NHL’s punishment/fine was as light as it was. There should have been draft picks taken away from the team and the fine should have been much more substantial.
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Let me just also add that Kyle Beach coming out and revealing himself as John Doe is an act that is far more courageous than anything that any NHL player has ever done on the ice. His decision to make his identity public will legitimately change lives. I don’t want that it to seem like I’m brushing that aside as I talk about what could be next for the Hawks organization.
They’ve named Kyle Davidson the interim GM and he is certainly a candidate to be the full-time GM. I do expect there would be another more veteran hire added to the front office anyways.
I personally think Jeff Gorton would be a great fit. He got a bit of a raw deal in New York and actually did a solid job of rebuilding the Rangers, he just didn’t get to reap the benefits.
Whoever they hire, one thing is clear: the Hawks need change, both on and off the ice.
The team has also been awful so far this season and there is plenty of chatter that they might be considering a coaching change. Jeremy Colliton is under contract through next season so I think that gives him a little bit of stability through this year, but if the losses keep piling up, it’s hard to imagine a scenario where the Hawks can keep him around.
Here’s what else I’m looking at around the league:
EICHEL TO THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS?
Feb 15, 2021; Buffalo, New York, USA; Buffalo Sabres center Jack Eichel (9) waits for a face-off ]during the third period against the New York Islanders at KeyBank Center.
Speaking of Frank Seravalli, He reported this week on his ‘Ice Breakers’ segment on The Daily Faceoff Show that there has been increased chatter between the Golden Knights and Sabres regarding a potential Jack Eichel.
“The pressure is mounting a bit on the Sabres here,” said Seravalli, who added that there’s the potential for the Eichel camp to file a grievance soon.
It would make a lot of sense for the Golden Knights to go get Eichel. They’re a team that still believes their Stanley Cup window is open, they have a clear need for a play-driving centreman, and they’re currently dealing with injuries to their two best offensive players. They need Eichel now.
Seravalli even added that they may get a third team involved so that they can make the money work.
From an Oilers perspective, this is obviously not something you’d want to see. As it sits right now, the Oilers appear to be in a great spot to win the Pacific Division but if the Golden Knights were to go out and get Eichel for the stretch drive and the playoffs, it’d be hard to make the argument that they aren’t the best team in the division.
One thing to keep in mind here is that Eichel still needs to get surgery and once he gets his preferred operation, it’s going to keep him out about 3-4 months. If this deal is going to happen, it needs to happen sooner rather than later.
QUICK NOTES
- Honestly, things are quiet on the Oiler’s front. The team is winning and I really don’t think we’ll hear about any potential trades or roster moves until January at the earliest. The team will be buyers at the deadline as long as they don’t completely fall off a cliff but for now, there really isn’t much to speculate on.
- There is now just one active unvaccinated player in the NHL: Tyler Bertuzzi. Mackenzie Blackwood of the Devils got his shot and is now eligible to participate in the Olympics.
- Nikita Kucherov will be out 8-10 weeks and will be on LTIR for that time. Cue the LTIR jokes that will come with that!
- Despite his hot start to the year, Vlad Tarasenko still reportedly wants out of St. Louis. Jeff Marek reported that earlier this week. His trade value has to be skyrocketing considering how good he’s looked in his first handful of games.
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