Good Move to Sign Seabrook?

Seems like the Chicago Blackhawks haven't been able to stay out of the news lately. Luckily, this time it seems to be good news for the Blackhawks and not involving Patrick Kane.

The Blackhawks have signed defenseman Brent Seabrook to an eight-year contract worth $55 million dollars. Wow. That's a lot of money. Not only does this mean he'll be back, but now the Blackhawks have their top pair of defenseman locked up in Seabrook and Duncan Keith and have become one of the most reliable pairs since the 2005 season.

Unfortunately, this new deal for another Blackhawk means that they are all capped out, having seven Blackhawks under contract (Toews, Kane, Hossa, Anisimov, Crawford, Keith, and Seabook) This means that GM Stan Bowman might have more trouble for the future, especially when they might have to get rid of some of their younger players or even a top star to keep them under the cap.

The Blackhawks have already lost two players, with Patrick Sharp going to Dallas and Brandon Saad being traded to the Blue Jackets, so it would seem like the Blackhawks would have to do some scrambling to keep the rest of their big stars and it seems like they had to make sure Seabrook was kept under contract.

The question is: Is it really worth it to sign Seabrook, especially for that length of time? Maybe for the next couple of seasons the Blackhawks will do fine with him, but signing a 30-year-old player for that length of time? I'm not quite sure. I mean, Nicklas Lidstrom did manage to produce some very good numbers, even when he went into his 40s, but I wouldn't say Seabrook is gonna be on the same level when he turns that age. Lidstrom was the star of his team at the time, while Seabrook has to stick behind Toews and Kane for the amount of time that they are there and Seabrook might retire when they're still there. So I don't know. Yes, it's nice to get a guy under contract and to keep him around, but it remains to be seen whether or not they'll keep him when his age becomes a factor into how well he plays.

Right now, the Blackhawks are doing what they can to remain competitive in a very tight Western Conference, so signing Seabrook seems to be the logical move to keep some of their stars playing there. But wait a couple years and we'll see if the contract really was worth it for a 30-year-old or perhaps a waste of money if his numbers can't help the Blackhawks for that future.

Update: Kane's Accuser's Lawyer Steps Down

This is an update to my last post about Patrick Kane. I did not know about these new details at the time of the posting and thus, I am bringing you this information to supplement my last post.

The attorney of Patrick Kane's accuser has withdrawn over concerns about the evidence bag being tampered or not. Kane's attorney believes that the police investigation should be halted and thus his client cleared.

The accuser's attorney Thomas Eoannou said he was ethically required to withdraw because he does not have the confidence about how the ripped-open evidence bag found its way into his possession.

Paul Cambria, the lawyer for Kane, called a news conference which he said, "I think that anytime someone tries to undermine the science in the case...I think that speaks volume to the integrity of the accusations. I think the investigation is forever tainted."

Look, we know Cambria is trying to protect his client and obviously, this makes headway for Kane to possibly get back into training camp for the Blackhawks and go to full speed. But, like I mentioned in my earlier post, this investigation has already become more messy and ugly and it might be a while before anything is sorted out. The investigation will continue to take its course and if all goes well, based on this new development, Kane could be very well back into the Blackhawks' mix soon. And trust me, they'll need him to defend their championship. But let's see what happens. This is only a small step in Kane's direction to end those accusations for good.

Should the NHL Still Stay Quiet on Patrick Kane?

The Patrick Kane rape saga seems to be getting worse and worse. Around Wednesday afternoon, his accuser's lawyer said the evidence bag from the client's rape kit was randomly delivered to the doorstep of her mother's home.

While the attorney has asked for an independent investigation into this, the Buffalo police have said that the evidence in the case was still intact, further growing an already messy and ugly story.

This might have to draw the National Hockey League out of hiding with this league. It seems inevitable that they might have to take action against Kane. The real punishment at this time would be to tell Kane to leave training camp and go on paid leave. That is the NHL equivalent of the NFL commissioner's exempt list, which is the same list that both Adrian Peterson of the Vikings and Greg Hardy of the Cowboys spent all of last season while they were going through legal troubles.

The NHL must also begin its own investigation into Kane, which has been reluctant to do so. When the Ray Rice controversy came out, the NFL was quick enough to take action against him.

Gary Bettman came out two weeks ago, telling The Buffalo News, "It's unfortunate, it's a terrible thing, but we're going to have to watch the process play out and at the appropriate time, we'll make whatever decisions have to be made at the time."

Well, at that time, it seems the NHL has done nothing to let the process play out. Now, it seems that they have no choice but to take action. It's an unfortunate set of circumstances, but it seems that the legal process has already played its course and now they have no choice but to intervene.

I wish I could say that the NHL should stay out of it, but it seems like they have little choice left. The legal process already seems to get uglier and uglier and if it gets any worse, Patrick Kane could possibly be out of the league for a while, maybe even for the entire year. And that's not something the Chicago Blackhawks can afford and they certainly don't want that type of publicity surrounding him.

Let's be clear: Kane has not been arrested or convicted. He's only been accused, and an accusation is just an accusation and I said earlier that until he has been charged or cleared, he should be allowed to go to camp and participate in team drills and practices. I still believe he should, but now that the NHL might have to jump in, Kane might have to leave camp to avoid any unwanted attention or publicity. At least he's not an NFL player, otherwise, he would not have shown up at training camp.

The last time this kind of legal storm showed up, the NHL were quick to get involved. They suspended LA Kings defenseman Slava Voynov indefinitely from all team activities while he was being investigated for domestic abuse.

But that's Slava Voynov, not exactly an elite player. This is Patrick Kane, an already elite player. This was bound to get more attention and it already has. The NHL might have to step in. I certainly don't want them to, but the longer this drags on and the worse this might seem to get, there might not be another choice.

Peter DeBoer Looking to the Future

Peter DeBoer just seems like a guy who gets players. He understands teams, he helps bring in players that he believes will help the team find success, and then he goes out there and gets results. Although he didn't have those results with the Florida Panthers, he found them with the New Jersey Devils, resulting in a Stanley Cup Finals appearance.

Now, he'll have to find the same kind of success as the new head coach of the San Jose Sharks. Since taking over the position, he has wasted little time in finding out what went wrong and why the team missed the playoffs.

We've seen teams grow old and tired of a strategy that has worked for so long, and Todd McLellan's coaching seems to have worn out its welcome on the Sharks players. Now that he's gone, a new face was definitely something the Sharks can use.

DeBoer is entering his third job as a head coach and he doesn't believe it will take long to get the Sharks well versed in his system of hockey. In his system, aggressive play on all ends is what matters.

"We're not going to make wholesale systemic changes," he said. "Our focus really will be not as much on the system but on our commitment within the system to do things that maybe this group got away from."

Peter DeBoer sounds like the guy who is not ready to wade into dangerous waters, unless it is absolutely necessary. He understands that players are used to a system that Todd McLellan put in place and he is willing to let it play out, while at the same time blending his system into their style of hockey. But it won't be long before the McLellan system is out for good and DeBoer has replaced it entirely.

I like that DeBoer is looking to the future and promising the success of the Sharks. I don't really see it happening anytime soon. Let's face it, this team is getting old. Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau are pretty much at the end of their terms with the Sharks and it probably won't be long before they go through the exit door. Antti Niemi is no longer there and Martin Jones has taken over. Is Martin Jones really the answer in goalie, at least for right now? I'm not sure until I can see him in some games. They did acquire Paul Martin and Joel Ward from the Penguins and Capitals, respectively. The defense was terrible last year (sorry, Sharks fans, it was) and the goaltending was okay, but not great. So maybe Paul Martin comes in and provides a little bit of an upgrade but it's not enough. That's why I don't believe the Sharks will make the playoffs this year. There's too many question marks and uncertainty, especially surrounding their veterans, the defense, and the goaltending. Sharks fans, I pray the best for you, but I doubt it'll lead to the equal sign for the playoffs.

DeBoer is looking towards the future and I can't blame him for that. He's trying to make this team better and to get them to adjust to a style of play that he believes can help them win the Stanley Cup. It just won't happen this year. San Jose was not an attractive candidate for many free agents, which is why they were only able to snag three notable players. Maybe one more year and more time for the rookies will help lead this team somewhere in the future, but next season, probably not.

What Do We Make of Kane Now?

Buffalo. One a proud city that was once the booming industrial economy of New York's second-largest city. Although that portion is gone, Buffalo's spirits are still riding high on one thing.

Patrick Kane.

That's right. The Chicago Blackhawks' Patrick Kane, who is part of an ongoing sexual assault investigation. However, Buffalo is supporting him all the way.

Said local Buffalo sports fan Frank Thomas Croisdale: "I don't think we're embracing that negativity as much as we would have a few years ago." If you recall, back in August 2009, Kane and his cousin were charged with punching a Buffalo cab driver in an argument over 20 cents in change. He avoided jail time by pleading guilty to disorderly conduct and apologized to the cab driver.

Local media outlets, including the Chicago Sun-Times, are suggesting that the Blackhawks cut Kane to avoid any more of this publicity on them and it would seem like the smart thing to do. The 49ers cut Aldon Smith after he was arrested for yet another DUI and you would think that with this going on, the Blackhawks should do the exact same thing with Kane too. Not so fast, partner. It's only an investigation. He hasn't been charged with anything.

I would say it's too early to make anything out of this. There's no charges filed and until that happens, it's just an investigation. We let the investigation play now. But in terms of Kane's image, it doesn't do too well for him. He's already been taken off the cover of the new NHL 16 and it remains to be seen what will happen to his endorsements. Again, probably nothing will happen right now. Buffalo is behind him and it would seem like the Blackhawks organization would be behind him as well. I would only take drastic measures about Kane if it turns he is charged with something, but again, there's nothing about that so we just look at it like another player on the team.

The Blackhawks are gonna need Kane in help to defend their Stanley Cup title. If he's not available for any length of time, that could spell disaster for Blackhawks and it would probably put more pressure on Jonathan Toews to keep this team afloat. They already lost Brandon Saad and Patrick Sharp to the Blue Jackets and Stars, respectively, so they can't afford to lose anybody else. Certainly not Patrick Kane, for that matter.

Let's see what the investigation brings up. But until then, he's still an elite player who can produce and help the Blackhawks win. We treat him as a hockey player, as an innocent man until proven guilty. If Buffalo thinks he's innocent and the Blackhawks think he is too, then we should probably do the same. We make of him that he's a hockey player playing for the Blackhawks.

Too Much Pressure on McDavid?

The NHL season is right over and in a certain city in Canada, one proud franchises's fan base seems to be on the rise again. Or is it?

Well, for the Edmonton Oilers and their fan base, they seem pretty ecstatic about their new young rookie taking the ice. That's right, Mr. Connor McDavid.

It was only in early July and the second day of orientation camp where McDavid drew a crowd of spectators that included the new GM, the new President, and the new head coach. I mean, there were other prospects too, but number 97 was the one that drew the most eyes.

Said new head coach Todd McLellan: "The focus isn't solely on him. But it's hard not to have your eyes find 97 to see what he's up to." I mean, really? I know there's a bunch of other prospects you have to keep your eye on too, but number 97 is the reason people are showing up. They want to see what he produces, if he can help the Oilers, and if he can win a Stanley Cup for them. Sounds like a lot of people are riding Connor McDavid on being the next great thing. Even Wayne Gretzky himself says so.

But the question is: Is there gonna be too much pressure on Connor McDavid come the regular season? Will we see him light it up or will he fall down? We've already seen what the Oilers have done with recent No. 1 draft picks. Not well so far. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Taylor Hall, Nail Yakupov. Lot of first picks for Edmonton Oilers but not a whole lot of success. So can we really expect Connor McDavid to turn this all around? And all by himself? Let's be fair: the other players can pull their weight, but so far, they haven't been game changers to get this Oilers team back to the playoffs. So I say we wait to see what Connor McDavid has in store. He could be what Wayne Gretzky says he is. Fast, agile, a good scorer, and able to make good plays when they count. But until that time comes, we take it one game at a time. It's an 82-game season. He could be hot at the start, but fizzle out. Or he could be cold and then get hot at the right time. We don't know that.

The Oilers are desperately trying to win, we know that. They want it for their fans, they want it for Canada, and they just want to make everybody there proud. I can understand that. Canada needs a Stanley Cup and Calgary and Montreal couldn't make it happen last year. So can we expect the Oilers to help them out? It's a long season so we will see, but I like that Connor McDavid is developing nicely. Let's see what happens when we put him in a real NHL game.