sketch22
Registered User
- Jul 18, 2011
- 1,540
- 7
With all due respect to Chicago, this seems like a risky move. Yes they have a need, their forward depth is not very impressive. But is Jurco really the guy you want to pencil onto your third line for a deep playoff run? He has never really proven to be anything more than a role player on a decent Detroit team.
It is a gamble. No doubt about that. As far as the Hawks forward depth goes I think people are going to be surprised. The Hawks have a lot of youth, but the youth has been improving all year long and the team seems to be hitting their stride.
You also have to be cautious about counting on the success of guys like Panik and Schmaltz, neither of which have had much meaningful playoff experience. If I was Chicago, I would have tried to be more aggressive on a guy like Vrbata who you know is going to walk at the end of the year, but I’d have more faith in him in the playoffs than a guy like Jurco. Even a guy like Iginla could be considered.
Chicago already had Vrbata and no thanks. Even if Vrbata didn't have 600k in potential playoff bonuses. He isn't at all what the Hawks want and need. Iginla is showing his age and doesn't even remotely fit in with the Hawks style of play.
Jurco is also a RFA at the end of the year, so if he doesn’t work out is Chicago gonna still extend him?
He will most likely be re-signed if for no other reason than to be one of the 2 forwards the Hawks need to leave unprotected for the expansion draft.
Also, the timing of this move is really strange. If a 3rd for Jurco is all you can really get, yeah sure take a risk and do it. But the trading deadline isn’t until Thursday...why not hold onto the pick and see if you can throw it in as part of a better trade?
It is quite possible that the other forward the Hawks were looking at got traded to the Ducks and an hour later the Hawks picked up their back up plan.
Take it from a Bruins fan, Sweeny traded a 3rd for freaking Rinaldo. Chicago is trying to win a Cup, and if they want to do that then I hope they have a couple more moves up their sleeve.
I highly doubt the Hawks make a couple of more moves before the deadline. Bowman already said after the Jurco trade that he isn't expecting to be making any more trades. So unless the price drops or someone new comes available this is quite possibly the team the Hawks take into the playoffs. The possible exception to that being Shalunov because the Hawks already own his rights and can sign him whenever they want.