2009 NHL off-season trades, rumours, draft thread

Unless Tallon knew this was the game plan heading in. They did the same with Savard who came back and took a scouting or advisors job two weeks after getting the boot. I think they are trying to change a culture where in the past they had alienated many of the past Blackhawks, but now are trying to keep everyone together and on side. It's like with the Oilers, instead of Kevin Lowe leaving the team he got promoted when they brought Tambellini in.

 

I think Tallon got a raw deal. He has been a major part of rebuilding that franchise in recent years and deserved better.

Nothing against Stan Bowman --- gee, it would be nice to have a father who was famous in ANY business.

 

and the circus in Tampa continues

http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=284672

 

If the report that Tallon and McDonough got into a shouting match before his firing was announced is true, my guess is he didn't know this was the deal.

 

Tallon's just getting that title (the same one Scotty Bowman has, by the way) because Rocky Wirtz is being a nice guy. Really, it's just a way to pay off the last year of his contract. Tallon will consult on the golf course.

 

The credit Tallon gets only goes so far. There were a couple fantastic drafts before he got in there, and then he got some gimme picks like Toews and Kane to round it out. He got a few steals in trades (Sharp, Havlat) and threw way, way too much money at a few FAs.

 

Believe Stan Bowman was originally hired as a "capologist", to make sure the Hawks managed under the cap after the lockout. He's named after the Cup, I believe.

 

Is he at all a capable executive who would deserve to be a GM if his name were Stan Smith? That's what I want to know.

 

Heck, one column I saw pointed out the Blackhawks saying this about Bowman's former position: "The day-to-day administration of the Blackhawks' hockey operations department with his primary responsibilities including all CBA-related matters such as contract negotiations, free agency, etc."

In other words, doesn't that sound like the guy who was supposed to tell the GM when and how to get the contracts out on time? Why wouldn't he be held for the recent RFA snafu?

 

Excellent point.

 

Unfortunately, we won't know until it's too late to do anything about it. Nothing to do but hope for the best for Blackhawks fans.

 

2010 Winter Classic to be played at Fenway Park in Boston on Jan. 1 between the Flyers and Bruins.

Can't argue with that, although my first and second choices would have been Montreal and the Rangers. I suspect, however, that both declined in hopes of staging their own outdoor games in the coming years. Which would make perfect sense as well.

Both the Flyers and Bruins figure to be at least decent next season and Fenway Park has tradition much like Wrigley Field does. And the weather figures to be cold enough.