Hawks sign another, Prospect Camp Finale thoughts

Written by Chris Block

Friday, 10 July 2009 23:00

-- Nothing announced yet, but it appears the Hawks have signed 30-year old Mark Cullen, to a one-year, two-way contract. Mark is the younger brother of Carolina Hurricanes’ center Matt Cullen, and Mark previously played for both the Blackhawks and Norfolk Admirals (the Hawks’ AHL affiliate at the time) during the 2005-06 season and as a Hawks appeared in 29 games, scoring 7 goals and 9 assists. Cullen’s contract calls for a rate of pay at $500,000 at the NHL level and $105,000 in the minors. Cullen played for the Manitoba Moose last season, scoring 14 goals and 39 points in 56 regular season games and another 4 goals and 13 points in 20 playoff games. The year before that, Cullen was a member of the Detroit Red Wings organization.

Coach Q ponders places for new faces Tim Sassone, Daily Herald

Quenneville excited about free agents, wants vet blue liner Chris Kuc, Chicago Tribune

Brian Campbell at least throws this one over the plate Friday at Wrigley blackhawks.tv

Some Hawks’ prospects give their camp standouts blackhawks.nhl.com

Friday scoresheets
Thursday scoresheets

-- Not much to say about Friday’s scrimmages. The players were split up into four teams and thus skated four-on-four. Not the best way to evaluate players, but it did give some of the guys more room to move and create. As a result, Kyle Beach had what was probably his best day of camp, though that isn’t saying much. Brandon Pirri can dangle. That’s for sure, but he’s not strong on his skates at this point. Billy Sweatt has definitely improved in the last year. He slips through traffic very well and some body size gains have boosted his aggression and ability to win board battles. Yet, he’s still shows little confidence and a lack of calmness with the puck and there’s no finish to his game. Sweatt has a big senior season ahead of him at Colorado College.

A lot of the guys appeared drained on the final day of camp. Realistically, in those six days they were pushed as hard, likely harder, than they’d been all previous season and it’s the second week of July so it’s no surprise Friday’s session was lackluster.

Dylan Olsen, who was having a great camp, was robotic on Friday. Teigan Zahn was one of a few guys whose minds were already on the flight home. Darien product and 2009 7^th round selection Paul Phillips was the best of all defenseman. He does everything right and is always talking to his teammates. That’s the way it’s supposed to be done, but he’s so efficient he’s almost unlikeable. Akim Aliu and Simon Danis-Pepin did not skate Friday, neither did 2009 sixth-round draft pick David Pacan, who was injured earlier this week. Pacan is headed to the University of Vermont. Phillips, who played in the USHL for Cedar Rapids last season, will be attending the University of Denver.

Shawn Lalonde was the best guy in either scrimmage Friday. He skated like a man-possessed, throwing his body around, leading the rush and jumping into the play consistently. Easily the best he looked all camp. Lalonde’s quickness was most-evident on this day and he was intent finishing camp on a strong note…. Joe Lavin’s a defenseman no one’s talking about, but he had a strong camp as well. Lavin left Providence College last season and transferred to Notre Dame. Due to NCAA rules, he played the remainder of his 2008-09 season in the USHL after leaving Providence and will join the Fighting Irish this fall.

Paul Phillips, Lalonde, Lavin, Olsen, Dan DeLisle, Brandon Pirri, Akim Aliu, and goaltender Alec Richards did the best in improving their stock from the three days I saw firsthand. Olsen will be on the Hawks’ blue line in a minimum of three years. DeLisle is a project and needs to work on his shot.

Joel Quenneville made his first appearance at prospect camp Friday. John McDonough was there for a bit too. Lowest media turnout of the five days though there was a Jesse “the body” Rogers sighting.

Len Ziehm wrote about Paul Phillips today Chicago Sun-Times

-- Money on the MacArthur and Danis-Pepin deals from earlier in the week. Simon Danis-Pepin’s three-year entry-level contract is worth a total of $1.75 million and a $583,333 cap hit should he ever be on a Blackhawk roster….. Pete MacArthur’s one year deal is worth $500,000 at the NHL level, $105,000 in the minors…..

-- The Ducks finally announced that Steve McCarthy signing we noted last week.
-- Travis Moen inked a 3-year deal with the Montreal Canadiens on Friday, leaving San Jose, the team he was traded to, along with former Hawks’ draft pick Kent Huskins, at this past season’s trade deadline. Moen’s Montreal contract is worth at total of $4.5 million for an annual cap hit of $1.5M.
-- A Hawk multiple times last season, defenseman Doug Janik, signed a one-year deal with the Detroit Red Wings this week. He also dressed in four games with Rockford in February, while property of the Dallas Stars, so Montreal could scout him. Six days after his last game with the IceHogs, Janik was dealt to the Habs for center Steve Begin. If you recall, Janik was signed by Chicago last summer but when they placed him on waivers for the purpose of sending him to the AHL after training camp, Dallas claimed him. Dallas also wanted to send him to the minors (Janik had to clear waivers there again), so the Hawks claimed Janik right back and then turned right around and traded him back to Dallas for a conditional draft pick. Conditionally, the Hawks are getting Dallas’s seventh round pick in 2010.

-- Former Blackhawk training camp invitee, Chris Durno, re-upped with the Colorado Avalanche. Durno played almost entirely for their AHL team in Cleveland (Lake Erie Monsters) but did get in a few games last season in Colorado. He’s a big left winger who has a little skill. Kind of like a homeless man’s Travis Moen.

-- Some other notable un-restricted free agents with new addresses: Ales Kotalik leaves Buffalo for the New York Rangers (3yrs, $9.0M)…. Jay McKee goes from St. Louis to Pittsburgh (1yr, $800k)…. Brendan Morrison from Anaheim Dallas (via Anaheim) to the Washington Capitals (1yr, $1.5M). That’s a really good signing for the Caps. Morrison’s going to show he’s still got something left with that group…. Paul Mara leaving MSG for the Molson Centre (1yr, $1.675M). And that’s the first good move, save for letting Kovalev walk, Bob Gainey’s made this summer….

A little background on prospect camp invitee David Stich Telegraph-Journal

Al Cimaglia suggests trading Patrick Sharp to Toronto for Garnet Exelby ESPNChicago.com

Catching up with Laredo Bucks Pres/GM/Head Coach Terry Ruskowski LaredoBucks.com

Video games Press-sensitive passing, board play, catching puck with glove, the Messier shot all new features for EA Sports NHL 10.

-- McClure and Sam from Second City Hockey will be the guests Monday night on the HockeeNight PuckCast.

While I’m plugging other Blackhawks blogs, the Fifth Feather discussed the aftermath of the RFA controversy and Dale Tallon’s admission his office screwed up.

-- Former Blackhawk Dave Chyzowski (8gp, 96-97) was born in Edmonton, Alberta on this date, 38 years ago.

-- Dale Tallon traded for Martin Havlat three years ago yesterday.

-- Where your money should be going on tonight's UFC 100 and 1/2. (it's actually something like 135 shows, but no one cares I suppose). Brock Lesnar over Frank Mir; Georges St. Pierre over Thiago Alves, Michael Bisping (this breaks my heart) over Dan Henderson; Stephan Bonnar over Mark Coleman; Jon Fitch over Paulo Thiago (could be fight of night); Jon "Bones" Jones over Jake O'Brien and Alan Belcher over Yoshihiro Akiyama in continuing the long tradition of great Japanese (he's actually Korean though) stars coming to America and flaming out in their debuts.

Article on 1971 Hawks draft pick, and new Nebraska-Omaha head coach Dean Blais American Chronicle

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