2. Hey Adam! I really enjoyed watching you play. You were high energy and exciting. Now, you have to pick this to respond to since I pumped your tires there, right??? What do you think the Blackhawks are going to do with money left over from trading Hossa's contract? Their offense looks pretty good so far. Do you think they will be able to get another good D man and when? That is probably their biggest need, although they could probably use some more grit up front too, especially if they make the playoffs. Thanks! - Craig from Schaumburg, IL
Thanks for pumping me up Craig, you must have only watched the three good games I had in my career… timing is everything, I guess! But I do appreciate the kind words.
It's an interesting question, and it's fun to talk about and speculate what they will do with the money they have now. You can go down a rabbit hole with this kind of speculation…will they trade someone with a high salary and replace him with a lower-paid player to have even more flexibility, or do they just want to add to what they have? Who would they move, and then to your question what do they want/need?
I think if you asked any GM in the league they would tell you, "we are always trying to make our team better, if the right situation comes up we will do it."
It sounds like a cookie-cutter answer, but put yourself in their shoes. You would never turn your phone off and not listen to ideas or offers. The easy answer everyone will say is the team would love another top-four defenseman, but every single team would say that also. The way the game is going now, you have to be able to score goals. The skill level is so high that good offense beats good defense every game now, so you need all the offensive guys you can get. I believe you can teach guys to defend as long as they are willing to commit to it, and you have a good culture, which the Blackhawks have. You can't teach scoring, you can't teach what Patrick Kane does.
Sorry for the run-around answer there, but I'd have to believe that Stan is always listening to what other teams are saying and if it's a top-four d-man or a top-six forward and he can fit it in he will. It's a giant puzzle. Not sure how they do it sometimes, but that's why I'm talking to you on the internet and not sitting in the big corner office at the United Center!
3. Brandon Saad certainly seems to be in a funk. As a player yourself who may have had similar stretches during a season, how did you approach your game and maintain a positive attitude with all the added focus and urgency to turn your game around? - Scott Z. from LaGrange, IL
I had so many funks throughout my career that by the end they weren't funks anymore, they were good games since I was still in the league!
But I can tell you it is hard on guys. They hear what fans are saying, they feel the pressure, they want to produce every game. It wears on a player more than people think or more than he says.
