The Truth About Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, and the Chicago Blackhawks roster-makeup

Over the course of this season, whenever the Chicago Blackhawks have stumbled, I have seen many Blackhawks fans blame Patrick Kane, some even floating the idea that maybe the team needs to move on without him in the future. Never was this sentiment more evident among Blackhawks fans than when their team fell behind three games to one against the Detroit Red Wings in the Western Conference Semi-finals. Blame turned to adulation, however, when the Blackhawks came back to beat the Red Wings in seven games, and then took out the Los Angeles Kings in five in the Conference Fninals on the back of Kane’s overtime-winning hat trick goal in the final game.

But now that the Blackhawks have fallen behind to the Boston Bruins after three games of the Stanley Cup Final, criticism is once again being aimed at Patrick Kane, and this time Jonathan “one-goal-in-twenty-games” Toews is drawing a fair share of the fans’ ire too. So this is a long comment I started writing to one of the Chicago Blackhawks bloggers who has been echoing these same sentiments of many Blackhawks fans, but instead I’ve decided to post it here on Shark Circle.

Here’s my opinion on the play of Kane of Toews and the criticism being aimed at them.

What’s Up With Michal Handzus?

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When the San Jose Sharks signed Michal Handzus last offseason, I gave it my stamp of approval, including it on my list of the offseason’s 20 best signings (in part because I wanted to have a Sharks’ signing on the list if possible, but I did genuinely like the signing as well). Of the few prototypical third-line centers who were available as unrestricted free agents, I viewed Michal Handzus and Eric Belanger as the two best based on their level of play last season, so I was pleased Sharks’ GM Doug Wilson was able to procure one. I would have preferred Jason Arnott, also UFA, given the similar cap-hit to Handzus (and not insignificantly, the one-year term versus two), but Arnott had mostly been a top-six forward throughout his career, so maybe Doug Wilson did not trust his defensive abilities enough to sign him as pivot of the Sharks’ checking (third) line. I cannot read Doug Wilson’s mind, although Sharks fans have to be wishing he could read mine (about Arnott), considering how the Handzus signing is working out, where Arnott is thriving in St. Louis.

The Top 20 Signings of the NHL Offseason, And Why the Sharks Should Have Signed Them, Part 6

(Editor’s Note. Don’t forget to vote in the poll or comment with your thoughts!)

In this series of articles, we will take an in-depth look at what we consider to be the 20 best value UFA signings of the offseason, in no particular order. We will first detail what makes the signings good from a neutral perspective, then discuss why the signing would have benefitted the Sharks (at the same contract terms unless others are discussed). There is no guarantee these players would have even come to the Sharks, but we find it interesting to analyze signings made this offseason through a Sharks lens. Enjoy!

If you missed the first four parts when they were posted, you can check them out here. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, and Part 5. Now for Part 6.

ERIC BELANGER – C – EDMONTON OILERS
Age. 33. Height. 5’11”. Weight. 185 lbs. Shoots. Left.
Contract. 3 years, 5.25M, Edmonton Oilers.
2010-2011 Stats. 82GP, 13G, 40PTS, +11 plus/minus, 36PIM.

Eric Belanger is a third line center with the two-way skills to step up onto the second line if needed.