Never mind Chris Gratton, a youngster around whom the bland Blackhawks wanted to build until he was awarded to Philadelphia. There might be a more immediate solution to Chicago’s hockey wasteland.
Brett Hull.
More Top Picks Slide
Next summer this 32-year-old sniper will become an unrestricted free agent, and there is reason to believe that the St. Louis Blues are prepared to trade him now instead of pay him what he wants or wait until he leaves them with an empty locker.
Given the bloodlines–father Bobby Hull was the most electric player in Hawk history–Brett’s presence here would enliven the tepid pace of season-ticket renewals for the United Center.
Also, Brett Hull would provide some oomph to the Hawks’ squirt-gun offense. Of the 16 teams that qualified for the NHL playoffs last spring, only one, Florida, scored fewer goals than Chicago’s 223.
Hull bagged 42 with the Blues, one better than the Hawks’ only real threat, Tony Amonte. After him, Eric Daze checked in with 22. The Hawks, in other words, frighten nobody anymore except their own fans, many of whom apparently are thinking twice about pledging college-tuition funds toward another winter of 2-1 thrillers.
Especially when chances are that the opponent will wind up with 2. The Hawks won but 16 of 41 home games last season, an indication that this once proud outfit has surrendered its building as well as its image.
Ah, but even with so few forwards, there is at least one line, the bottom line. Financial World magazine recently ranked Chicago as the most valuable franchise in the entire league and the sixth most profitable in all sports.
That’s correct. Just below the New York Yankees, and with double the intake of the San Francisco 49ers, who finished 12th. So money shouldn’t be a problem for the Hawks, unless they cling to their belief that a hockey player mustn’t be paid more than Alex Zhamnov or Chris Chelios.
This is a noble policy. This is also 1997.
The Blues, conversely, might be stretched financially. They had the NHL’s fourth highest payroll last year at almost $30 million–thank you, Mike Keenan–and the new general manager, Larry Pleau, might be of a mind to retrench.
Pleau is savvy, but Hull evidently was thoroughly and understandably underwhelmed by a preliminary proposal for a decrease in his current $4.4 million salary. Hull loves St. Louis, almost as completely as St. Louis idolizes him. However, if Pleau dares to engage in a controversial trade, well, Brett has often talked of playing where Dad played.
Feel free to assume that the New York Rangers also will express interest in a man with 527 career goals. They lost Mark Messier to Vancouver and failed in their pursuit of his replacement, Joe Sakic, who remained in Colorado.
The Rangers have lots of cash and Wayne Gretzky, a close pal of Hull’s.
But the Hawks really shouldn’t go to war with this roster, and their new general manager, Bob Murray, exhibited an early bold streak in the Gratton chase. The Hawks need a drawing card. The Hawks need a personality. The Hawks need goals.
Speaking of which, we turned a hat trick Tuesday. We called the Hawks, the Blues, and Hull’s agent, Michael Barnett, and the silence was deafening.
Nobody knows nothing. We’ll take that as confirmation that something’s happening.