The Blackhawks might finally be piecing together an improved team.
General manager Dale Tallon was stymied in his attempt to sign aquality free agent this offseason, and his first big move -- gettingforwards Martin Havlat and Bryan Smolinski from Ottawa -- cost himpopular winger Mark Bell in a three-team trade.
Tallon's latest move makes the first trade look much better.
He sent left winger Kyle Calder, last year's leader in goals,assists and points, to the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday for MichalHandzus, a big, tough center. Both are in the
final year of their contracts. Calder won an arbitrator's rulinglast week and will be paid $2.95million next season, more than doublewhat he made in 2005-06. Handzus will earn $2.1million and fills avoid that has nagged the Hawks for years.
Calder was part of only one Hawks playoff team in six seasons. Helooks forward to joining a team that has enjoyed more consistentsuccess.
"Words can't even describe how excited I am," he said. "I'm justreally looking forward to joining [the Flyers]. The have always beenone of the teams I wanted to come to. The dream is finally here, andnow I have to make the best of it. Philadelphia has a great-lookingteam on paper and on the ice. They have done well every year."
The Hawks haven't, but Handzus and two other new centers mighthelp change that. In addition to Smolinski, Tallon signed free agentDenis Arkhipov, who had some success at Nashville two seasons ago.The only full-time center from last season figuring to make theHawks' roster is Patrick Sharp. He was acquired from the Flyersduring the early stages of last season and went 24 games without agoal for the Hawks before finishing the campaign on the upswing.
"We identified the center position as one we needed to strengthen,and we feel we addressed that," Tallon said.
Handzus figures to be the best of the newcomers.
"We acquired a big, strong centerman who is an excellent two-wayplayer," Tallon said. "We needed a big centerman to play against theother big centers in the Western Conference."
Handzus, 29, brings the size (6-5, 217 pounds) the Hawks need atcenter. Last season, the Czech had 11 goals, 33 assists and 38penalty minutes in 73 games for the Flyers. He also was one of thebetter faceoff men in the NHL, winning 53.2 percent of his draws torank 18th. Fans at Philadelphia's Wachovia Center liked his workethic, breaking out in chants of "Zeus" when he was on the ice.
Handzus has had better seasons, too -- including three 20-plus-goal campaigns, his best being 25 goals with the St. Louis Blues in1999. He also has five seasons with at least 20 assists. Better yet,he has a seemingly clear-cut role with the Hawks. The Flyersfrequently played him at left wing, even though he's a naturalcenter.
"We feel that Michal's a guy who can get the puck to Havlat,"Tallon said. "We feel that a line of Havlat, Handzus and Tuomo Ruutuis a pretty good line."
It will be -- if Havlat doesn't have a repeat of the shoulderproblem that kept him out of 59 games last season, and if the injury-riddled Ruutu doesn't go down again.
Calder, 27, was a gritty player who, like Bell, came up throughthe Hawks organization. His statistics improved each season, buildingto career totals of 85 goals, 125 assists and 184 penalty minutes in359 games.
Flyers general manager Bob Clarke believes Calder is a good fit,probably on the second line. High-scoring Simon Gagne is the Flyers'top left wing, but he has only a year left on his contract and Clarkeis having trouble signing him.
"Calder is a player we have coveted for a long time," Clarke said."He can score. He can kill penalties. He can play on any of our topthree lines. We are still very strong at center, and now we are muchstronger at left wing."
lziehm@suntimes.com
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