Here’s why ex-Senator Marian Hossa is more attractive to the Chicago Blackhawks as a free-agent acquisition than ex-Senator Martin Havlat: Hossa rarely gets hurt. Havlat almost always seems to get hurt.
And since Hossa, Havlat and Marian Gaborik were all seeking long-term commitments as unrestricted free agents, Hossa is the safest bet, even though last year, Hossa got into only 74 games while Havlat had his first injury-free season in ages, playing in 81.
Long-term, Hossa has missed only 30 games over the past nine seasons. Discounting last year, Havlat played 35, 56 and 18 games in the first three seasons coming out of the lockout. The Blackhawks and Havlat didn’t come to terms on an extension before today, largely because the two sides were hung up on term. Chicago didn’t want to commit to a de facto lifetime turn; for Hossa, they might be willing to do just that. And, of course, signing Hossa makes them stronger and their primary divisional rival, the Detroit Red Wings, weaker.
Detroit, incidentally, really thought they could get Hossa to sign long-term and they were in their pitching, right to the bitter end.
