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Blackhawks Shore Up In the Face-off Department

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Handzus to the BlackhawksThe Chicago Blackhawks take on the Nashville Prdeators tonight with more zeal than usual. Stan Bowman announced that they acquired Michal Handzus from the San Jose Sharks for a 2013 Draft Pick to be determined later. This prompted a quick roster shift  leading to Brandon Bollig being assigned to the Rockford AHL affiliate, the Ice Hogs. However, it is important to note that Handzus will be filling in as more of a role player and less of an offensive presence. He is a center ice specialist by title, but he is listed as a forward. His main expected contribution? Win pucks in the face-off circle, a place that has not been good for the Blackhawks, as of late. Handzus has won a respectable 55% of his face-offs. David Bolland, and Marcus Kreuger are at roughly 45% apiece, while Andrew Shaw is winning just about 43% of his face-offs

He will be considered more of a 4th line role player, as opposed to a penalty killing specialist. At 36, he has played almost 1,000 games but fans are wondering just how much he has left in the tank. The hawks hope that he will be able to stay healthy enough to contribute throughout the rest of the season. He is no stranger to playoff games. He has a whopping 74 NHL Playoff games under his belt. His ability to stay cool under pressure will help the younger players around him learn about the playoff environment.

The demotion of Bollig will leave the role of the enforcer open. Bollig may not have contributed much offensively, but he was always there to stand up for his players whenever the situation arose. No one is expecting Handzus to fill those shoes, but other teams may try to capitalize by targeting the smaller skilled players on the team. The management was happy about the relatively low asking price, and may not be looking to make many more moves before the impending trade deadline.
About the Author: Prateek Maitra

The post Blackhawks Shore Up In the Face-off Department appeared first on Hawks Hockey.


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