GDT: Hawks VS Blues @ 7:30PM CT on NBCSCH -- Sharpie's Last Game in Blackhawks Red?

[CallMeShaft]

There's a youth movement happening in Chicago. Specifically at the United Center and more specifically then that, the Blackhawks.

Bowman, who's been guaranteed to not be going anywhere anytime soon, is looking at the future and that means letting go of older players who's better days are behind them.

That more than likely includes three time cup champ, former Alternate Captain, and fan favorite Patrick Sharp.

Now I know Sharp wasn't the player we necessarily wanted here this season. But he wasn't taking up much cap space and he did help in a mentor role to guys like Alex DeBrincat.

And doesn't it feel nice to know that we have such a great organization (or at least did until this season happened) and city that a guy like Sharp was so eager to re-sign here? To be playing in front of us? To wear our colors and our logos as a badge of honor?

Those are rhetorical questions. I know the answers already. It's a big resounding yes.

So for all those who will be in attendance for the final home game of the season, be loud. Show him that this city appreciates all that he's done here. We didn't get the chance to say goodbye to Hossa, but we have the chance to say goodbye to Sharp. Make it count and try to enjoy the night to the best of your abilities.

Now feel free to post as many Sharpie gifs and videos as this site will physically allow.

Click to read more...

 

[Pez68]

Sharp, with the sexy hair toss, even when he's spitting....

The good 'ole days

What could have been....

Looking good boys...

How glorious it was when these two were playing together...

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

The craziest thing about Sharp coming here is that the Flyers moved him as a favor to Sharp because they were absolutely stacked and he'd never get a chance to play center there.

Guy turned from a defensively responsible bottom six center into a top line triggerman here.

I've got some bad Blackhawks team stories I'll get into tomorrow.

 

[Pez68]

Sharp should have been a center his entire career. His best seasons were at center. But Q knew better.

 

[CallMeShaft]

Sharp should have been a center his entire career. His best seasons were at center. But Q knew better.

Wasn't Sharp's best season 13-14? He put up 70+ points that year and he was at LW that year.

 

[clydesdale line]

We do the Avs a solid and of course they can't take care of their own business. Bunch of losers man.. Sakic might as well put a uniform on and try and lead those guys.

Back to the tanking ways. Let them earn their playoff spot on Saturday I say. (Obviously I'd rather beat the Blues, but damn.. maybe an OT win, makes things for both those teams really interesting on Saturday.. )

 

[Pez68]

Wasn't Sharp's best season 13-14? He put up 70+ points that year and he was at LW that year.

I would say 2009-2010, when you include playoffs. That's also why I said seasons. He tore it up from 2007-2011. I will never understand moving Sharp to wing after the Hawks won a cup with him absolutely dominating at center in 2010.

 

[clydesdale line]

I would say 2009-2010, when you include playoffs. That's also why I said seasons. He tore it up from 2007-2011. I will never understand moving Sharp to wing after the Hawks won a cup with him absolutely dominating at center in 2010.

He was playing LW even when Savard was coaching. In fact, Toews and Kane played with Sharp when they first broke into the league (and w Ruutu) and on different lines of course when Kane played w Lang, Sharp w Toews.

 

[Rolo]

I'd bring him back, unless he plans on retiring. Who is he taking a roster spot from? Jurco? Highmore? Ejdsell? Big deal. You can't ice a roster of 75-80% kids. Some of these guys may better served in Rockford.

He's a good locker room guy, and I'm sure he's helped mentor Debrincat. I don't have a problem with bringing him back, as long as Q leaves him on the 4th and gives him off-days.

"Alex DeBrincat, in particular, has pointed to Sharp as sort of a big brother. Sharp clearly sees some of younger self in the sharp-shooting DeBrincat."

Saad-Toews-Debrincat
Sikura-Schmaltz-Kane
Hino-Anisimov-Duclair
Sharp-Kampf-Hayden
Jurco
Ejdsell

---

Toews isn’t the general manager, but he doesn’t believe Sharp is done. Or, at least, that he should be, saying he still has “a crazy amount of talent.”

Jonathan Toews:
“It’s a tough situation, because how do you tell a guy like that that he can’t play anymore, just because there are so many young guys coming up?” Toews said. “To me, that’s not a reason. He can still bring a ton on the ice — we all know that, we’ve all seen that. He’s done really well [considering] the opportunities he’s gotten, and the ice time he’s gotten, and the chances he’s gotten to be in offensive situations. But he also brings a ton off the ice. He brings experience, he brings energy, he brings a presence and leadership in the locker room that I think all the young guys really respond to. Once you lose that, you feel the void. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I’d love to see him back in the locker room again next year.”

Blackhawks fans get rare second chance to give Patrick Sharp a fond farewell

 

[Enyaw]

Good Bye Sharpie ... time to hang them up

 

[Enyaw]

Forget Sharp ............. Stan Mikita .... "One More Shift" honor

Thank you for Everything Stan

"Mikita's sweater (#21) was the first to be retired in team history on October 19, 1980, at Chicago Stadium after playing his entire 22-year career with the Blackhawks (1958-80). He is the team's all-time leader in games played (1,396), assists (926) and points (1,467) and second to Bobby Hull in goals (541). Mikita was a member of the 1961 Stanley Cup Championship team and paced the team in scoring throughout the playoffs."

Blackhawks to honor Mikita with One More Shift

 

[BK]

I've got some bad Blackhawks team stories I'll get into tomorrow.

Wah....it is tomorrow.

 

[Putt Pirate]

I don’t care what Toews thinks. He is too vested with them teammate/friendship thing to be objective. Toews should be worried about his own shit game instead of Sharp’s. And if he thinks Sharp has been bringing it this year he has had a negative affect from those concussions to which he will never recover.

 

[Hawkaholic]

Wasn't Sharp's best season 13-14? He put up 70+ points that year and he was at LW that year.

Facts suck

 

[Pez68]

He was playing LW even when Savard was coaching. In fact, Toews and Kane played with Sharp when they first broke into the league (and w Ruutu) and on different lines of course when Kane played w Lang, Sharp w Toews.

Yes, he was playing LW with Kane/Toews in 2007-2008. He also played center quite a bit. Not sure how he takes 600 faceoffs otherwise... He was moved to center the next season. Played center in 2009-2010, all through the 2010 playoffs. He played center again in 2010-2011. Then there was the whole "Kane as 2C" experiment in 2011-2012...even though Sharp had shown he could play the position. And I don't think he ever played center regularly again after 2011. And to this day, nobody knows why.

 

[BobbyJet]

I wonder what Sharp's mindset is? At 36, I'm thinking he may not think he is ready to retire quite yet.

 

[AmericanDream]

Sharpie will always be one of my favorite players here. Class act, always answered the call after a bad game, led by example on and off the ice, and proved that sometimes players just need a freaking chance to show what they can do.

I have no problems if he comes back next year as a locker room guy 13/14 forward - as was said above, I would much rather have him here mentoring our youth over plugs like Jurco or Duclair...who couldn't out produce Sharpie at 10 years younger.

I am not saying we "should" resign Sharp, he has played bad this year, but I will not flip out if he hangs around 1 more year in a very limited role.

 

[ChiHawks10]

Facts suck

Sharp's best string of seasons was 07-08 to 10-11, with one outlier season in 13/14 where he put up 78 points. The rest of his best production as an NHL'er came in the years that I mentioned, of which I'm pretty sure he played center much of the time.

Facts do suck.

05-06 - 702 FOs
06-07 - 1008 FOs
07-08 - 594 FOs
08-09 - 566 FOs
09-10 - 466 FOs
10-11 - 508FOs

He played center pretty regularly from 05-11. You don't take 500+ FOs if you're not playing center a large chunk of the time.

 

[BK]

Sharpie will always be one of my favorite players here. Class act, always answered the call after a bad game, led by example on and off the ice, and proved that sometimes players just need a freaking chance to show what they can do.

I have no problems if he comes back next year as a locker room guy 13/14 forward - as was said above, I would much rather have him here mentoring our youth over plugs like Jurco or Duclair...who couldn't out produce Sharpie at 10 years younger.

I am not saying we "should" resign Sharp, he has played bad this year, but I will not flip out if he hangs around 1 more year in a very limited role.

Duclair is not a plug. I would actually not mind having Sharp mentor him specifically. If it is Sharp or Jurco? That is a different question. Personally Sharp as a 13th forward would be better.

Sharp to me has the makings of a FO type guy if he wants to do it. Not sure why but I can just see him as a GM.

 

[AmericanDream]

Duclair is not a plug. I would actually not mind having Sharp mentor him specifically. If it is Sharp or Jurco? That is a different question. Personally Sharp as a 13th forward would be better.

Sharp to me has the makings of a FO type guy if he wants to do it. Not sure why but I can just see him as a GM.

I am not sure what some of you see with Duclair to be honest, I know he is fast and still young, but I just don't see it with him...first 5 games I thought he had potential, but that was a long time ago. not going to lose sleep if either Duclair or Sharp are back, this team has much bigger problems than this to be honest.

 

[BK]

I am not sure what some of you see with Duclair to be honest, I know he is fast and still young, but I just don't see it with him...first 5 games I thought he had potential, but that was a long time ago. not going to lose sleep if either Duclair or Sharp are back, this team has much bigger problems than this to be honest.

I see a fast skater with some skill who has score 20 goals in the NHL. He needs to simplify his game more than anything else. I think he has middle 6 potential. Mostly in a 3rd line scoring role. He actually reminds me of a poor man's Sharp in someways (speed with a bit of size and a good shot).

Either way he is far from a plug. A plug is Brandon Mashinter types.

 

[AmericanDream]

I see a fast skater with some skill who has score 20 goals in the NHL. He needs to simplify his game more than anything else. I think he has middle 6 potential. Mostly in a 3rd line scoring role. He actually reminds me of a poor man's Sharp in someways (speed with a bit of size and a good shot).

Either way he is far from a plug. A plug is Brandon Mashinter types.

well he is a speedy plug for me then...2 goals in 23 games just doesnt cut it, Mashinter scored more goals than he has here in 15-16...Sharpie played defense and had a real solid IQ for the game at the same stage, I am not seeing that with Duclair at all.

to each their own, as I said bigger fish to fry here IMO.

 

[BobbyJet]

I am not sure what some of you see with Duclair to be honest, I know he is fast and still young, but I just don't see it with him...first 5 games I thought he had potential, but that was a long time ago. not going to lose sleep if either Duclair or Sharp are back, this team has much bigger problems than this to be honest.

I hope I'm wrong and Duclair goes beyond what he is today, but I see a player who will never reach his true potential - not enough commitment to the complete game. He plays like a guy who was always better than his opponents offensively and never has needed to learn anything without the puck. He seems to have hit a wall as an NHLer but he's still young so there's hope.

 

[Panzerspitze]

And to this day, nobody knows why.

Quenneville happened...

And Sharp was also removed from PK permanently.

 

[BK]

well he is a speedy plug for me then...2 goals in 23 games just doesnt cut it, Mashinter scored more goals than he has here in 15-16...Sharpie played defense and had a real solid IQ for the game at the same stage, I am not seeing that with Duclair at all.

to each their own, as I said bigger fish to fry here IMO.

I hope I'm wrong and Duclair goes beyond what he is today, but I see a player who will never reach his true potential - not enough commitment to the complete game. He plays like a guy who was always better than his opponents offensively and never has needed to learn anything without the puck. He seems to have hit a wall as an NHLer but he's still young so there's hope.

I 100% see both of your stances. Duclair seems like a feast or famine type prospect.