Joel Quenneville is the new coach of the Chicago Blackhawks. The ‘Hawks fired Denis Savard today and replaced him with Quenneville (who had been scouting for the team). The Avs will visit Quenneville and the Blackhawks on November 3rd and Quenneville will be behind the bench at the Pepsi Center on December 12th.
Personally, I find it intriguing that Quenneville would land on a team that is as youth-oriented as the Blackhawks and I am dying to see how he handles the Huet / Khabibulin situation.
If I had to guess, I’d say badly…
Are we ready for the sequel to the “goalie-go-round”?
The real question is are the Hawks ready for it?
This thought has started popping up….can we trade Arnason to Chicago now? Maybe we can talk Q into bringing his golden boy back under his wing…
We need to time the trade just before Chicago plays Edmonton. That way the ‘hawks may think they got a good deal for a day or two. Of course, Arny even sucked against Edmonton the other night. Maybe the little mojo he had is gone?
Young, inexperienced forwards? CHECK.
Two goaltenders and no clear starter? CHECK.
First pairing defenseman that is great on offense, not so much in his own zone? CHECK.
Team skill-set that excels in transition offense? CHECK.
I think Chicago found just about the worst possible coaching selection possible for how that team is built.
I really doubt Q will have any problems with their goalie situation.
He’s tasked with picking the best out of two excellent goalies now, not the lesser of two evils. That changes everything.
I think he was fickle with Theo and Budaj because he didn’t have any confidence in either, which, barring disaster, should not be a problem in Chicago.