First, moy if you agree with juskays last statement, does that mean you do not consider bryan trottier an elite player?
In addition, show me 1 player who NEVER failed to step up evey single time his team needed it and ill show you a player who has won every championship he's ever competed for.
Second, and please know that to be 100% crystal clear, I mean absolutely no offense by this, its just an honest question: is the fact that you've argued with muddy all season just in response to bitterness and frustration about how the flyers season ended last year? If so I totally understand, I was just curious as to why you've been willing to contradict him at every turn.
Third, to say that the money the Hawks have locked up is on "soft" players is a gross understatement of the talents they are I believe.
Duncan Keith proved he was far from soft in the San Jose series he lost 7 teeth and came back in the game. Patrick Sharp, although not a physical player per se, has shown his willingness to fight through pain both this season and last. There's not much I have to say to convince anyone that Jonathan Toews or Brent Seabrook aren't soft because they do a good enough job of that on their own, and Dave Bolland has shown he can be one of the best pests and shutdown players in the game. As for Marian Hossa, there are many people during broadcasts and analysis who have said he's one of the best backcheckers and is one of the hardest players to knock off the puck.
Other than Kane and Campbell, that pretty much covers all the Hawks long term contract or core players. When you put that group next to Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Franzen, Lidstrom & Kronwall, I think anyone would say they stack up pretty well. Not necessarily better, but at the very least comparable in quality.
When you talk about the Kris Drapers and Darren Helms of the world, I think that's where good scouting and player development comes in. For anyone who's watched him play, I think that Kris Beach could very realistically fill one of those roles on the 3rd or 4th line. The key is that the cap forced the team to get rid of players sooner than normal.1 or two more seasons would have allowed some of the prospects to develop and come in to replace departing players, hopefully seamlessly.
The problem with judging the Hawks emulation of the Detroit model is that too often people forget that Detroit has been building and refining this system for the better part of 20 years now, most of which was before the cap era. For the hawks, its been 3 seasons. And let's not forget that when it all started in Chicago, the cupboard was startlingly bare.
I think judging the job Bowman has done based on this season alone is unfair to him and to the players he acquired. Once Morin, Beach, Leddy, Olsen and the rest of the hawks prospects are ready to step in to full time duty in the nhl, the core of Keith, Seabrook, Bolland, Toews and Kane will still be young enough to make another serious run if the team works out the way management hopes. If not, I believe that's when well be able to say Mr. Bowman did not do a good enough job. Until then, I think the jury is still out.