Posts Tagged ‘Shawn Lalonde’

Top twenty Blackhawk prospects: Fall 2010

October 15th, 2010 by Leigh Michael Dengis

Our first installment of prospect rankings for the season have been expanded to twenty players, from the usual ten. The regular guidelines for making the list are still intact – under the age of 25, and less than 40 games played at the NHL level for skaters and 20 appearances for goalies. For more information and statistics regarding every player in the Blackhawks’ system, check out our In the Organization page above.

A lot has changed since the Spring 2010 rankings due to the addition and subtraction of so many players this off-season.

1. Kyle Beach (LW)
Date of Birth – January 13, 1990
Team – Rockford IceHogs (AHL)

If a general manager praises a player for his tenacity after jumping then injuring a five-foot something Norwegian at prospect camp, thus knocking him out of commission for about four months, things become very clear. Beach is a Stan (and Scotty) Bowman favorite, no matter how dense he is. He’ll spend most of the year in Rockford, with a few trips up and down I-90 this season. (Previous Rank: 1)

2. Jeremy Morin (LW)
April 16, 1991
Rockford IceHogs (AHL)

Looks like Bowman got himself a gem in the Dustin Byfuglien to Atlanta trade. Morin was close to breaking training camp with the Blackhawks, but the experience he will gain playing in the AHL will prove to be beneficial. The kid is a natural scorer, but his skating could improve. Morin was a member of the gold medal winning American team at the World Juniors in 2009, and is a lock to make the team once again this year. (NR)

3. Dylan Olsen (D)
January 3, 1991
Minnesota-Duluth (WCHA)

He’s got all the tools. He is big, physical, skates well and is a natural playmaker from the point. Olsen will spend another season at Minnesota-Duluth, and is a candidate to make the Canadian under-20 national team for the World Juniors. Olsen will compete for a spot on the Hawks’ blue line next fall, at the earliest. (3)

4. Shawn Lalonde (D)
March 10, 1990
Rockford IceHogs (AHL)

He joined the IceHogs for eight regular season and three post season games last year, and will play the majority of his games in Rockford this season. Primarily known as an offensive defenseman, Lalonde provides some pop as well. He has great up-ice vision, skates well and is destined to be a power-play quarterback. (2)

5. Marcus Kruger (C)
March 27, 1990
Djurgardens (SEL)

The Swede is wearing the “A” for Djurgardens at the ripe age of 20. On top of being an on-ice leader, Kruger is a playmaker whose instinct is to pass first. His head is always on a swivel, and is constantly looking for the open man. Kruger is also an asset in the defensive zone. The Blackhawks signed him to an entry-level deal this summer, but missed training camp with a foot injury. (5)

6. Nick Leddy (D)
March 20, 1991
Chicago Blackhawks (NHL)

Despite seeing some improvement from the 19-year-old defenseman in the first four games of the season, on the job training isn’t something you want from a guy playing fifteen minutes a game in the NHL. Leddy could use some seasoning in Rockford to work on his board play, strength and overall decision making. (4)

7. Kevin Hayes (RW)
May 8, 1992
Boston College (Hockey East)

Kevin was drafted out of Noble & Greenough High School in Massachusetts this spring. He accelerated his schooling in order to be draft eligible, as well as join his older brother Jimmy (see below) at Boston College this fall. Kevin was a crowd pleaser at this summer’s prospect camp because of his speed and all-around hockey ability. (NR)

8. Brandon Pirri (C)
April 10, 1991
Rockford IceHogs (AHL)

He left Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute after his freshman year for the bright lights of…umm…Rockford. Pirri happens to be another Bowman favorite, luring him away from collegiate ranks this summer with an entry-level deal. He’s a nice little player (6‘0“ 160), but has a long way to come to be a regular in the NHL. (8)

9. Brian Connelly (D)
June 10, 1986
Rockford IceHogs (AHL)

Connelly was named the IceHogs’ Rookie of the Year last season. In 78 games, the defenseman scored four goals and 31 assists. His 35 points was good enough for sixth best in the AHL among blue liners. Connelly doesn’t have a ton of hype surrounding him like other prospects in the system at the position, but he’s a solid two-way player. (10)

10. Jack Skille (RW)
May 19, 1987
Chicago Blackhawks (NHL)

Yep, Skille is still considered a prospect. It finally looks like the 23-year-old forward found a home on the Blackhawks’ roster. He has been one of the better players on the young season, and provides a nice balance skill and energy as a bottom-six forward. Skille has yet to scratch the score sheet, but if he continues at this pace the ponts will come. (7)

11. Ivan Vishnevskiy (D)
February 18, 1988
Rockford IceHogs (AHL)

Vishnevskiy came to Chicago when Andrew Ladd was shipped to Atlanta, and is now with his third organization. Like many Russians he skates well and is skilled, but it’s been four years since he was drafted in the first round (27th overall; 2006) and the sheen is beginning to dull. Vishnevskiy is part of the deep defensive prospect pool in Rockford, and will have a hard time standing out above the rest. One thing that will set him apart from the rest is experience. (NR)

12. Jimmy Hayes (RW)
May 8, 1992
Boston College (Hockey East)

Kevin’s older brother was acquired by the Blackhawks during the 2010 draft weekend from the Maple Leafs. The fact that Brian Burke let a big forward (6’5” 210) such as the elder Hayes go, should raise a few eyebrows. Toronto’s general manager drools over these sorts of players. Jimmy is a big, physical power forward with an offensive upside. (NR)

13. Ludvig Rensfeldt (LW/C)
January 29, 1992
Brynas J20 (SuperElite)

Rensfeldt is tearing up Sweden’s 20-year-old junior league. In eight games so far, he has seven goals and eight assists. It’s only a matter of time before he gets called up to the SEL. Rensfeldt is a player to keep an eye on. The 18-year-old is a talented player, and it will be a couple years before he’s ready to cross the Atlantic for good. (NR)

14. Bryan Bickell (LW)
March 9, 1986
Chicago Blackhawks (NHL)

Bickell is a tough, physical winger, but he doesn’t have much in the way of skill. He has a nose for the net, but won’t be anything more than a bottom-six forward. Not that there is anything wrong with that… (NR)

15. Byron Froese (C)
March 12,1991
Red Deer Rebels (WHL)

He is very raw in appearance, but gets the job done with his physical and offensive play. In nine games played for the Rebels on the young season, Froese has netted three goals and tallied twelve assists. His numbers so far this season are a little deceiving – the kid can score. Froese had 29 goals with the Everett Silvertips in 2009-10. (NR)

16. Igor Makarov (RW)
September 19, 1987
Rockford IceHogs (AHL)

Makarov caught the eye of fans at training camp, but just fell short of making the Hawks’ roster. The Russian winger has been an enigma in his short career. He is quick and a great level of skill, but needs to be stronger on his skates and battle harder along the boards. For the last two years in the KHL, he was an unproductive bottom-six forward. I have my doubts whether Makarov will stick in the NHL, if he ever gets there. (NR)

17. Philippe Paradis (C)
January 2, 1991
Prince Edward Island Rocket (QMJHL)

Of the prospects that came over in the Kris Versteeg trade, Paradis performed better at prospect camp and training camp, which isn’t saying much. He was selected in the first round (27th overall; 2009) by the Hurricanes solely on potential. Paradis might make it to the NHL one day, but it will be a long and bumpy road that gets him there. (NR)

18. Ben Smith (RW)
July 11, 1988
Rockford IceHogs (AHL)

The former Golden Eagle doesn’t necessarily have all the tools, but his work ethic is second to none. Smith was important cog in the Boston College machine, which national championship in 2010. He was named the Frozen Four MVP. He has a nice career ahead of him as a bottom-six forward, and a penalty kill unit specialist. (NR)

19. Joe Lavin (D)
July 17, 1989
Notre Dame (CCHA)

Lavin is already half-way to becoming a hockey legend. The 21-year-old was arrested for supplying alcohol to minors at a party in his honor. He was not disciplined by the team, however. Lavin is a strong skater, plays the position well and has a wicked shot from the blue line. (NR)

20. Justin Holl (D)
January 30, 1992
Minnesota (WCHA)

The tools are there, but the 18-year-old could be more refined. He is an offensive minded defenseman, skates well and likes to jump in as the fourth forward. Holl’s overall defensive play needs a lot of work, and he’ll get the necessary playing time at Minnesota. The Blackhawks will give him a few years to fill out his frame (6‘2“ 170) before they come knocking. (NR)

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Twelve cut by Blackhawks this weekend

September 26th, 2010 by Leigh Michael Dengis

Twelve players were cut from the Blackhawks’ training camp roster this weekend. Forwards Brandon Bollig, Chris DiDomenico, Rob Klinkhammer, Brandon Pirri and defensemen Jonathan Carlsson, Simon Danis-Pepin, Shawn Lalonde, Ivan Vishnevskiy, Ryan Stanton were assigned to Rockford. Forwards Nick Tarnasky and Ratislav Pavlikovsky were released along with fellow non-roster camp invite, defenseman Wade Brookbank.

In related news, today was the first day of the IceHogs’ training camp.

Training camp roster as it stands –

Forwards (21) – Kyle Beach, Bryan Bickell, Dave Bolland, Evan Brophey, Troy Brouwer, Jake Dowell, Marian Hossa, Hugh Jessiman, Patrick Kane, Tomas Kopecky, Igor Makarov, Jeremy Morin, Fernando Pisani, Ryan Potulny, Ludvig Rensfeldt, Patrick Sharp, Jack Skille, Ben Smith, Viktor Stalberg, Jeff Taffe, Jonathan Toews

Defensemen (10) – Nick Boynton, Brian Campbell, Brian Connelly, Jassen Cullimore, Jordan Hendry, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Duncan Keith, Nick Leddy, John Scott, Brent Seabrook

Goalies (4) – Corey Crawford, Alec Richards, Hannu Toivonen, Marty Turco

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Silvertips trade Byron Froese to the Rebels

July 26th, 2010 by Leigh Michael Dengis

Byron Froese, the Blackhawks fourth round (119 overall) selection of the 2009 draft, was traded by the Everett Silvertips (WHL) to the Red Deer Rebels (WHL). He was traded with a third round pick in 2012 for center/right winger Landon Ferraro – a prospect in the Red Wings system. In 70 games with the Silvertips, Froese scored 29 goals with 32 assists in his second season with the club. He was at the Blackhawks’ prospect camp earlier this month, and he looked good out there on the ice – good skater, big body and a hard shot.

Toronto Rookie Tournament

The Blackhawks will send a full squad of prospects to London, Ontario to participate in this season Maple Leafs Rookie Tournament in September. The Senators, Penguins and Maple Leafs, of course, will also field teams. Top prospects Kyle Beach, Shawn Lalonde and Jeremy Morin are already slated to play, but a complete roster is expected to be announced sometime down the road.

Good thing I have a ton of family in the London area, and one of them will have the hono(u)r of hosting me for the weekend of the tournament. If that doesn’t happen, hopefully it will be televised on the NHL Network.

Changes have been reflected on our In the Organization page above.

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Notes from the final day of prospect camp

July 13th, 2010 by Leigh Michael Dengis

I’ll start off with just a couple general observations from the final day of prospect camp. The overall level of play was better on Monday compared to the first day of camp. Every player from the 2010 draft class was in attendance. One day one they looked at little green as a whole (minus Kevin Hayes), and three days later that wasn’t the case. There were no drills to start each session this time around, just two 60-minute scrimmages. Now for a few notes from prospect

- Story of the day from prospect camp was the absence of Norwegian forward Mathis Olimb, and early reports are stating that he’ll be out four months with an injured shoulder. He (5’10” 176) and Kyle Beach (6’3” 202) went at it twice over the weekend. This really is nothing new when it comes to Beach. I don’t think I’ll ever understand why two players would square off at prospect camp. It wasn’t Beach’s only scuffle at camp either, which should raise a few eyebrows. Anyways, he was nearly invisible on the ice surface Monday, and I doubt Olimb will wear a Blackhawks jersey in 2010-11.

- Justin Holl and Nick Mattson were paired together again on the final day of camp, and both were more aggressive on both ends of the ice compared to the day one. Holl was beat a few times on the back check. He could use some work on the whole skating backwards thing, and it wouldn’t hurt if he increased his cheeseburger intake (6’2” 170).

- On both days of camp I never really noticed much of Jeremy Morin, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. On day one he did pick Marcus Kruger’s pocket in the neutral zone and scored off of it, but aside from that he doesn’t appear to have much flash to his game.

- There were quite a few prospects within the Blackhawks system whose play improved from day one of camp, and the guy I want to single out is Joakim Nordstrom. He was barely noticeable on Friday, but on Monday he was all over the place. Nordstrom would go in hard to battle of the puck against the boards, move the puck up ice well, can back check and appears to have all the tools.

- Of the two prospects that came to Chicago in the Versteeg trade with the Leafs, Philippe Paradis was the better of the two at the camp. Paradis is bigger, more athletic and a better skater than Chris DiDomenico. There was nothing about DiDomenico that impressed me in either session I went to. He looked lost out there.

- It seemed unfair to have Shawn Lalonde, Nick Leddy, Ryan Stanton and Joe Lavin on the same team in scrimmage. As a group they were tight defensively. Goaltender and non-roster invite Calvin Heeter barely saw any action with these guys in front of him all afternoon. Kevin Hayes managed to score a goal in the last minute of scrimmage.

On day one, Leddy couldn’t have impressed me less, but on the last day of camp he stood out as the best defender on the ice. He scored his team’s first goal top-shelf from just above the key. The chemistry between him and Lalonde was undeniable. Still, Leddy is a few years away from making a realistic run at a NHL roster spot.

- Second round pick (58th overall) in 2010, Kent Simpson let in five goals in 30 minutes of action in his team’s scrimmage. Mac Carruth came in for the second half of scrimmage, which would have happened no matter how well Simpson played in net. Carruth let in one goal in his half against the same opposing team on Monday. I was disappointed with Simpson’s performance in either camp session I was at.

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Notes from day one of prospect camp

July 10th, 2010 by Leigh Michael Dengis

So, I get to Johnny’s Icehouse-West just in time for the beginning of drills with the first group of camp invitees to realize I forgot to print off a roster, and there was a coffee stain on my shorts. Not many people were there at 10am, so it wasn’t hard to get a seat. Pulled out a pad and pen, and noticed I was the only one in attendance taking notes. It didn’t take long for me to feel the pressure from the leering eyes to hide them in my backpack (could have been the big brown coffee stain).

The camp roster was broken down into four teams, and there were two separate sessions. Each session began with a series of drills, and that was followed by a 60-minutes scrimmage with an intermission half-way through. Anyways, here are a few first impressions from day one of prospect camp.

- The Hayes brothers have on-ice chemistry – almost Sedin-like. Well, not really. At a prospect camp, where familiarity with other skaters is virtually non-existent, the Hayes brothers seemed to have an advantage against their opponents in scrimmage. For the first 30 minutes of play, they controlled the tempo while on the ice. They tried Chris DiDomenico and Brandon Pirri at center with the brothers. I felt Pirri complemented the two more so than DiDomenico. He was aggressive to the net, controlled the puck well and looked more poised.

From what I saw yesterday, Kevin Hayes, the Blackhawks 2010 first round (24th overall) pick, is more skilled and better vision than his older brother. Those in attendance were treated to some of that skill when he beat Palmer on a penalty shot. Instead of attempting to describe it, you can watch this video clip.

- Dylan Olsen showed off his skill-set best during the pre-scrimmage drills. Minus stick-handling, Olsen was the best looking player out there of the first group. His passing was accurate, quick and hard. He skated well, carried the puck well and had great down-ice vision. During the scrimmage, Olsen had dialogue going on with his partner.

- From the get-go, Justin Holl looked nervous/clumsy out there. He’s an awkward looking player – very tall and very slim. During drills he looked lost. At the start of scrimmage he was getting beat while skating backwards into the defensive zone. With the more ice-time he got, Holl did seem to improve. He would jump in on plays in the offensive zone, and made a few good passes. My first impression of the kid wasn’t good.

- The player I was least impressed with was Mathis Olimb. He half-assed every drill, and was only interested in offensive play during the scrimmaging. When it comes to back checking, Olimb makes Patrick Kane look like a Selke finalist. I would think this attitude would have to change if he wants to make the NHL roster this fall.

- Kyle Beach led much of the physical play that took place in the second group. I wish I paid more attention to his performance during drills, but I was reading up on the Sharks’ offer sheet to Hjalmarsson on my cell. Big guys such as Brandon Bollig, Ryan Stanton, Robert Flick and Daniel Delisle joined in on the physical game. Beach and non-roster invitee John Kurtz squared off (clip here). Beach was the victor.

- Shawn Lalonde was one of the more polished guys in the second scrimmage. He was paired with Nick Leddy in the afternoon scrimmage, and Lalonde played the role of offensive defenseman. He looked comfortable joining the rush, jumped in on the play in the offensive zone and has a good, hard slap shot from the point. Leddy stayed at home, and challenged shooters in his own zone.

- There were three Swedes at camp, and the one that impress me most was Marcus Kruger. He has great vision and his head was always on a swivel looking for a good pass, which he made many of them. His highlight moment from day one of camp was a cross-ice pass he made on a fast break that led to a goal. His lowlight was when Jeremy Morin picked his pocket in the neutral zone as he searched for an outlet. Morin skated into the offensive zone and scored.

- Joe Palmer and Kent Simpson were in net for first group’s scrimmage, and neither were really challenged or stood out. In the second group, Mac Carruth showed off the goods. He looks small out there compared to Palmer, and is a quick, butterfly goaltender. He did well taking away angles from defenders shooting from the point, and has a relatively quick mitt. Carruth was a little chippy in his crease. He was tapping and pushing opposing skaters with his stick. He came out of a 6-on-5 situation unscathed.

- Mitch Versteeg looks nothing like his older brother. He did put someone over the boards and into the bench. Friday’s crowd loved it.

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Top ten Blackhawk prospects: Spring 2010

June 3rd, 2010 by Leigh Michael Dengis

Welcome to Red Rising’s fourth seasonal top ten prospect rankings at ranking the top ten prospects in the Blackhawks system. Age doesn’t factor into these rankings, only the number of games played at the NHL level. Skaters with more than 40 games played in the NHL and goalies with more than 20 appearances are exempt from the list. Swedish forward Marcus Kruger keeps climbing the list, and Brian Connelly cracks the top ten. Enjoy.

1. Kyle Beach (LW) – Beach had the best season of his junior career with the Spokane Cheifs in his last year of junior hockey eligibility. In 60 regular season games, he scored 52 goals and 34 assists (86 points), and in seven post-season games he scored seven goals with two assists before the Chiefs were eliminated from the playoffs by the Portland Winterhawks. Beach joined the IceHogs when his WHL season was over, and played four regular season games and four post-season games. Of Rockford’s five playoff goals, Beach scored three. He has a real shot to make the team out of training camp, but will need to cut down on the penalties to be productive at the next level. (Previous Rank: 1)

2. Shawn Lalonde (D) – Lalonde will join the Blackhawks at some point next season, and has the speed and vision to be a dynamic blue-liner (see clip below). He led the Belleville Bulls in points this season at 56 in 58 games played with 13 goals. Nine of Lalonde’s goals happened on the power play. He joined the Blackhawks AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs, when the Bulls’ season ended. In eight regular season games, Lalonde scored a goal and an assist with 11 penalty-minutes, but didn’t notch a point in three post-season games with the IceHogs. (Previous Rank: 2)  

3. Dylan Olsen (D) – Making the jump from AJHL to the college ranks wasn’t a problem for big-bodied defenseman. Olsen scored one goal and helped on ten others in his freshman year at Minnesota-Duluth, and worked his way onto the first defensive pairing before the season was over. He should continue to see plenty of playing time with the Bulldogs, which of course will only aide his development. At best, Olsen is about two years away from getting his cup of coffee. (Previous Rank: 3)

4. Nick Leddy (D) – Leddy was selected by the Minnesota in the first round of the 2009 entry draft (16th overall) straight out of high school. His rights came over from the Wild with defenseman Kim Johnsson at the pre-Olympic trade deadline this year. Leddy finished his freshman season at Minnesota with three goals and eight assists in 30 games. Reports stated that the Wild began to sour on the defenseman because of the lack of offensive production. He skates well, but needs fill-out his 5’11” frame. If he pans out, Leddy is two or three years away from cracking an NHL roster. (Previous Rank: 4)

5. Marcus Kruger (C) – Kruger had quite the year in Sweden. He was a rookie of the year nominee in the SEL, and was selected to his national team for the World Junior Hockey Championship. The Swedes won bronze. The 20-year old possesses leadership qualities, and accumulated 31 points in 36 games in one of the better hockey leagues in the world. Kruger played a pivotal role in Djurgardens’ second place finish with ten points (three goals and seven assists) in 16 games. Impressive for a player drafted in the fifth round (149th overall) of the 2009 entry draft. It will be another year before he comes stateside. (Previous Rank: 7)

6. Akim Aliu (RW) – Aliu started the season in Rockford, but was reassigned to Toledo (Blackhawks’ ECHL affiliate) for his lack of on-ice production. He finished the year with the Toledo Walleye on a high note – scoring five goals with nine assists in 13 games. Aliu will rejoin the IceHogs out of training camp this fall, and should stay there for the season. He has the raw talent to be a top-six forward in the NHL one day, but Aliu will need to curb the attitude and temper if he ever wants to live up to his potential. (Previous Rank: 5)

7. Jack Skille (RW) – All you really need to know about the former first-round draft selection (7th overall) out of the University of Wisconsin is that he’s a bust at 23. That being said, Skille will be on the Blackhawks roster once training camp breaks this fall. (I felt like a broken record just then). He is a restricted free agent at the end of the season, and will be retained by the organization because he’ll come cheap. With the current state of the Blackhawks’ 2010-11 payroll, cheap is good. (Previous Rank: 6)

8. Brandon Pirri (C) – Like Dylan Olsen, Pirri’s transition from the junior ranks (OJHL) to a collegiate hockey program was seamless. He scored 11 goals with 32 assists in 39 games with the Engineers, and was second on the team with 43 points in his freshman season. The Blackhawks will want him to bulk up – which he’s been doing – and could play out his collegiate career at RPI. (Previous Rank: 9)

9. Billy Sweatt (LW) – In 39 games with the Tigers, Sweatt scored 15 goals with 33 points in his senior season at Colorado College, which was his best. He doesn’t have a professional contract, and wasn’t assigned to Rockford with the group of players whose junior or collegiate eligibility expired. If the Blackhawks don’t sign him his off-season, they will have to relinquish his rights. The fact that he has yet to sign probably the Blackhawks have soured on the second round draft pick. Sweatt’s greatest asset is his speed, but needs to improve in other areas of his game at the next level. (Previous Rank: 8)

10. Brian Connelly (D) – Connelly was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Colorado College last spring, and played 78 games with the IceHogs this season. He was second among defenseman with 35 points in his first year in the AHL. Connelly is small for a defenseman (5’10” 167lbs.), but his skating and playmaking abilities supersede any short-comings (pun intended). He has the inside track to win a spot on the Blackhawks blue line out of training camp this fall. (Previous Rank: NR)

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Blackhawks recall eight before semi-final match-up

April 28th, 2010 by Leigh Michael Dengis

A few days ago the Blackhawks recalled goaltender Corey Crawford from their AHL affiliate, and today the organization added eight more players to the roster that were previously stationed in Rockford. Of the recalled, take not of forward Kyle Beach and defensemen Shawn Lalonde and little known Brian Connelly. None of the players recalled today will lace-up for the semi-finals, but they are going to only see time in practice. The rest are forwards Jake Dowell and Jack Skille, defensemen Jassen Cullimore and Danny Richmond and goaltender Hannu Toivonen. Nothing to be excited about there.

Changes have been reflected on our In the Organization page above.

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Lalonde Assigned To Rockford, And More Movement

March 17th, 2010 by Leigh Michael Dengis

Well, the Belleville Bulls season is over and that means the OHL career of Blackhawk defensive prospect (Red Rising’s #2) Shawn Lalonde is over as well. It was a disappointing season in Belleville for the Bulls, but not so much for Lalonde. He has his best season for the Bulls playing in fifty-eight games tallying fifty-six points (thirteen goals and forty-three assists). Lalonde signed a three-year entry-level deal with the organization earlier this season, and Tuesday he was reassigned to Rockford. He should be in the lineup on Friday when the IceHogs face the Peoria Rivermen.

More minor league movement –

We already know that Nick Boynton cleared waivers Tuesday, and will be in the lineup in Anaheim as Kim Johnsson didn’t make the trip to Los Angeles with the team due to injury. There have been reports he will meet the Blackhawks in Phoenix. Boynton has 547 NHL games on his resume with 135 points (33 goals, 102 assists), 810 penalty minutes and a plus/minus rating of +18.

Corey Crawford was recalled for his first cup of coffee this season, and will surprisingly get the start Wednesday against the Ducks. He is replacing Cristobal Huet in the lineup because he has the flu. Yea, the goaltending issues haven’t improved, but I don’t really understand why Coach Quenneville isn’t going to allow Antti Niemi get the start in the back-to-back games. He could use the work with fourteen games left in the regular season. Subsequently, the IceHogs recalled Alec Richards from Toledo.

Changes have been reflected on our In the Organization page above.

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Top Ten Blackhawk Prospects: Winter 2010

March 5th, 2010 by Leigh Michael Dengis

Winter ain’t over, yet. Now that the trade deadline passed there won’t be any more personnel changes in the Blackhawks’ system. Anyway, this is our third attempt at ranking the top ten prospects. Skaters with more than forty games played in the NHL and goalies with more than twenty appearances are exempt – age doesn’t factor into the rankings. There are a few new faces on the list that weren’t part of the fall rankings. Enjoy, and feel free to comment.

1. Kyle Beach (LW) – Beach is having the best year of his WHL career with the Spokane Chiefs. He has forty-eight goals and thirty assists (seventy-eight points) in sixty-tree games – he has 166 penalty-minutes to boot. He’s a big guy (6’ 3” and 200 lbs.) and has a lot of offensive talent, but his temper is an issue. If Beach drops the bad boy attitude he has the talent be become a top-six forward, but if he doesn’t he could become another Steve Ott – a player that had an upside, but opted for the life of goonery. In the poll that has been on the site for over a month, many of you agree that Beach is the ‘Hawks top prospect. (Previous Rank: 1)

2. Shawn Lalonde (D) – Lalonde was cut from the Canadian junior team in December, but the defenseman has had his share of good news since. He signed a three-year entry-level deal with the Blackhawks, and was selected to represent the East at the OHL All-Star. Lalonde is an offensive defenseman, good skater and carries the puck well. In x games, he has twelve goals and thirty-four assists (forty-six points). He leads the Belleville Bulls in points. Lalonde could get a primer with the Rockford IceHogs once the OHL season is over with an entry-level professional deal already in place. (Previous Rank: 2)

3. Dylan Olsen (D) – I have one leg in the Olsen bandwagon. As a freshman at the University of Minnesota-Duluth he has played his way onto the top defensive paring, and is gaining the necessary ice-time to develop. Like Lalonde, he was cut from the Canadian junior team that won silver in the tournament. He may end up being the best defensive prospect currently in the organization – largely due to his great two-way play – but he is about two years away from playing in the NHL. (Previous Rank: 3)

4. Nick Leddy (D) – Leddy is one year removed from being named “Mr. Hockey” in the state of Minnesota. The Wild drafted the defenseman straight out of high school with their first pick of the 2009 draft (16th overall). Leddy’s rights were traded with Kim Johnsson to the Blackhawks for Cam Barker last month – he currently plays at the University of Minnesota. Word is that Minnesota’s opinion of Leddy soured in his brief time with the organization. The addition of Leddy gives the Blackhawks great depth at defense. They will take their time with Leddy – who is two or three years away from the show. (Previous Rank: NR)

5. Akim Aliu (C/RW) – Aliu won’t take a hit in the rankings just one day after being reassigned to Toledo (ECHL). He was drafted as a project for the organization, and could probably use some more Elmer’s glue. Aliu has the raw talent to play in the NHL, but it’s still up in their air whether he can develop into a top-six forward. However, there will always be questions regarding his temper. Aliu might be a viable third line option as soon as next season. (Previous Rank: 4)

6. Jack Skille (RW) – Skille is a restricted free agent at the end of the season. With the looming salary cap issues awaiting the organization, Skille will be a relatively cheap piece to rebuild after the small exodus of talent after the season. With thirty NHL games on his resume, he hasn’t been able to make the jump to the next level. In his third season playing for the IceHogs, Skille is on pace to have his best season yet. In forty-nine games game he has twenty goals and twenty-three assists (forty-three points). (Previous Rank: 7)

7. Marcus Kruger (C) – The Swede started the season in the SEL (Swedish Elite League) real strong, but his point production has tapered off. He is just nineteen years old playing in the third best hockey league in the world, and has twenty-nine points (nine goals, twenty assists) in thirty-four games. Kruger’s season earned him a nomination for the SEL rookie of the year, and a spot in the Swedish junior team. The Blackhawks’ fifth-round pick (149th overall) in the 2009 draft was a sleeper. (Previous Rank: NR)

8. Billy Sweatt (LW) – Sweatt is a native of Illinois and a senior at Colorado College. He has plus speed, and is having his best year as far as point production. Sweatt only has two more regular season games with the Tigers – in thirty-four games he has fourteen goals and sixteen assists. I doubt he can make the jump from the WCHA to the NHL next season. Sweatt will need a year or two of seasoning in Rockford. That should be incentive enough to improve quickly. (Previous Rank: 6)

9. Brandon Pirri (C) – Freshman year at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has been kind to the undersized Pirri. In thirty-six games the eighteen year-old has forty-one points (ten goals, thirty-one assists) while centering Maple Leafs’ prospect and American World Junior star Jerry D’Amigo for most of the season. Pirri is second on the team in points, and first in assists. The Blackhawks will want him to bulk up a bit, and he could play out the remainder of his college career. (Previous Rank: 8)

10. Corey Crawford (G) – Crawford was shut down in November with a ‘lower-body’ injury, but has played well since he returned to action. In thirty-four games this season he has a save percentage of 0.909 and a goals-against average of 2.66. The Blackhawks don’t have that much organizational depth in net, and Crawford is first in line to get recalled to the show if something were to happen to either Cristobal Huet or Antti Niemi. (Previous Rank: 10)

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Stupid Tkachuk: Blackhawks 2, Blues 3

February 4th, 2010 by Leigh Michael Dengis

Wide open shot for Hossa after Toews set up.

Everyone expected this game to be physical and get down right dirty – not the kind of dirty Brent Sopel enjoys. Davis Payne had the Blues playing like a real team, and it paid off in a 3-2 victory over the Blackhawks. This game reminded me of the Anaheim game on January 10th. Not because a solid goalie performance on the other end, but in the sense that the Blackhawks weren’t the offensive juggernaut were used to seeing. I hate loosing to the stupid Blues, and hate the stupid Keith Tkachuk even more.

Anyway, the Blackhawks were able to take the lead early in the first off a Patrick Kane breakaway. Troy Brouwer blocked a shot from a Blues’ defenseman, and Kane was off. In the second period the Blues scored three consecutive goals to take the lead. All of which were a result of poor decision-making at the hands of the Blackhawks. In the third, the ‘Hawks pressed hard all period, but could only come away with one goal from Marian Hossa – the playmaking ability of Jonathan Toews made it possible. He faked the shot, skated past the net to get Chris Mason to over commit and found Hossa waiting on the open side of the net for an easy goal.

As much as the goaltender tends to get the blame for a loss, Cristobal Huet played well last night. The defense in front of him didn’t over much help at all when need be. The Blackhawks had a few costly turnovers on their end of the ice, and the defense couldn’t bail Huet out of trouble. It’s become apparent in the last few weeks that a little more depth on the blue line is needed. The top pairing of Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook didn’t perform well at all last night – in the last few weeks as well.

If there is anything positive that can be taken from last night’s loss it’s that Dave Bolland slowly saw his playing time increase as we moved from the fourth line to the second line. His total time on ice was 13:46.

Next up, the Blackhawks will host the Phoenix Coyotes at the United Center on Friday, and on Saturday they travel to St. Louis for a rematch. Hopefully Antti Niemi is feeling better because his services will be needed with the back-to-back games.

OHL All-Star Game –

Shawn Lalonde was the lone Blackhawk representative at the OHL All-Star game. He tallied one assist and had a plus/minus of -1. Lalonde was on the East, and they beat the West 17-10 in the exhibition game. Here is the scoresheet.

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