If that lineup does not scream "we are doing nothing we like our club" I don't know what else is.

Kruger was a Scotty find - I bet Stan would not deal him.
- Return of the Roar

I don't see Kruger going anywhere either, unless it was part of a blockbuster type deal. Yesterday Mayers didn't skate with a line, so it looks like he's swapped with Kruger.

If Bolland works out on the 2nd line I think Kruger will end up on the 3rd line, as centre or wing eventually.

If Edmonton gets any goaltending and can find a d man...watch out. That's a loaded team, and if I'm not mistaken they rolled the Hawks a bunch of times last year.

Prospects always get overhyped, but the best GMs deal those who appear to be a gem, but really turn out to be crap.
- SteveRain

Like Barker for Leddy...

Based on what I am hearing about how Brookbank looks in the informal practices, he can play bottom pair minutes just fine. He did for ANA last year, too.

Yeah, then I guess you go with Rozsival with Oduya.
- John Jaeckel

So JJ...are the d pairings...

2-7
27-32
8-4 ?

I don't want Leddy playing top 4 minutes...though it makes sense since he is dead fit...just think he'd be fresher and more lively on the rush as a 5 or 6..if paired with a solid stay at home guy like Hammer...who i would retain for the short season

So JJ...are the d pairings...

2-7
27-32
8-4 ?

I don't want Leddy playing top 4 minutes...though it makes sense since he is dead fit...just think he'd be fresher and more lively on the rush as a 5 or 6..if paired with a solid stay at home guy like Hammer...who i would retain for the short season
- philco28

Hopefully that keeps Leddy fresh to be THE point guy on the PP rather than "hit a leg" Keith.

If Edmonton gets any goaltending and can find a d man...watch out. That's a loaded team, and if I'm not mistaken they rolled the Hawks a bunch of times last year.

Prospects always get overhyped, but the best GMs deal those who appear to be a gem, but really turn out to be crap.
- SteveRain

Only thing I question about EDM is they are soft as Charmin for the most part upfront. Talented but I think they can be intimidated. I know that is the book on Hall, FWIW.

So JJ...are the d pairings...

2-7
27-32
8-4 ?

I don't want Leddy playing top 4 minutes...though it makes sense since he is dead fit...just think he'd be fresher and more lively on the rush as a 5 or 6..if paired with a solid stay at home guy like Hammer...who i would retain for the short season
- philco28

No idea. They might break up Butch and Sundance but you know they'll be together in April.

The reality is we really don't know whether Stan is passive or aggressive although my bet would be the former because he is totally married to his depth of prospects and probably overvaluing the talent in the system.

A bigger factor could be relationships with other GM's around the league. After Tallon, Bob Murray. Chevaldayoff and the Montreal tandem now, who the hell does he know and have full trust in dealing with? I don't know the answer to that, but having Mr. Personality Pierre Gauthier in the office sure ain't going to help him much around the league. And Daddy is getting a little long in the tooth to make all his phone calls.
- RickJ

Another FAILED, RETREAD, PHUCKING BUM.

Hopefully that keeps Leddy fresh to be THE point guy on the PP rather than "hit a leg" Keith.
- Return of the Roar

No idea. They might break up Butch and Sundance but you know they'll be together in April.
- John Jaeckel

More like Butch and "Shinsniper"

yup, how bad has mcneils stock fallen?

kid was drafted and being labeled "NHL ready" and physically mature.

two years later it doesnt even look close to him cracking NHL and he barely got on to Canadas junior team via backdoor
- FourFeathers773

Physically he probably is ready. Mentally however probably not. He has been 6-2 and around 210 since they drafted him playing against kids. Obviously he did not react to a high pressure situation in an ideal fashion. Canada's team was weird this year anyways.

Not dissimilar to Saad, he needs to learn how to play against men and higher competition/better skaters and no one will know what exactly is there until that happens.

Like Barker for Leddy...
- fattybeef

The main guy in that trade was Kim Johnnson who fell off the face off the year..wink, wink. Leddy was a throw in, but yes....dealing Cam Barker was a fantastic move.

Maybe the Leddy thing is different because of the agent mess....

To me it boils down to whether the bigger need is goalie or center. If you had to make that choice, who do you reserve hammer for in a trade?
- Return of the Roar

When they signed Rozsival—which took everyone by surprise—it became pretty apparent (and although everyone knew Montador was probably done) that it was going to be musical chairs on the blueline.

So you deal from strength to fill a need. Three areas the Hawks identified (or so I'm told) were a physical depth center/wing who was strong on draws, a physical depth defenseman (which became Brookbank) and an upgrade in net.

So two of those needs still exist.

If you can get a guy like Boyle, who is huge, tough as nails and was 52% in the dot last year, that would seem to be a smart basic part of the return for Hjalmarsson.

I don't see Kruger going anywhere either, unless it was part of a blockbuster type deal. Yesterday Mayers didn't skate with a line, so it looks like he's swapped with Kruger.

If Bolland works out on the 2nd line I think Kruger will end up on the 3rd line, as centre or wing eventually.
- DarthKane

Probably just a rest day for Kruger in all likelihood.

Not true.

have I sent out any crazy trade ideas? No.

What I am saying is you have a GM who is hell bent on rolling out the exact same team (save me from the Sheldon Brookbanks of the world) the past 3 years. 2 years, your season has ended by round 1...So why is this year going to be any different?

That's the difference. Instead of making back handed digs, try defending this insane logic to me...
- SteveRain

As soon as you prove that he has not tried. That is the point. This is not poker where you get mad you fold and re shuffle. You have to be a little smarter than that. As JJ alludes, to get you must give, in reality most of you would run the other way if you realize what you would have to pay to gt what you want....that is it. Did they not try to sign Parise and Suter? as for 2nd line center, think that line is like 25 teams long...so lets not act like they are sitting on a shelf, let alone even for sale.

When they signed Rozsival—which took everyone by surprise—it became pretty apparent (and although everyone knew Montador was probably done) that it was going to be musical chairs on the blueline.

So you deal from strength to fill a need. Three areas the Hawks identified (or so I'm told) were a physical depth center/wing who was strong on draws, a physical depth defenseman (which became Brookbank) and an upgrade in net.

So two of those needs still exist.

If you can get a guy like Boyle, who is huge, tough as nails and was 52% in the dot last year, that would seem to be a smart basic part of the return for Hjalmarsson.
- John Jaeckel

Have you dug any further on this or is Boyle just a guess because of the chatter involving Hawks:NYR ??

No idea. They might break up Butch and Sundance but you know they'll be together in April.
- John Jaeckel

Q, along with every bench boss in the league, will really be under pressure to keep their top 10 players (6 forwards, 4 d-men) relatively fresh, if their squad is in the playoff hunt late.

With the compressed sked and all the back to back games...it would be extremely unwise to be riding 2 and 7 for 28-32 minutes a night, especially in the first 20-25 games. Oduya, despite his horrendous showing in the playoffs, will be key to this strategy. The trick for every head coach will be to get QUALITY minutes from their bottom 6 forwards and bottom 2 d-men.

Only thing I question about EDM is they are soft as Charmin for the most part upfront. Talented but I think they can be intimidated. I know that is the book on Hall, FWIW.
- John Jaeckel

I hear you...however, if the NHL polices the the clutch and grab like they did the last time they came back...and it's wide open...Oilers will be scary. I think they're primed for the hawks 07-08 run...they''ll be factor but just outside of the playoffs.

Physically he probably is ready. Mentally however probably not. He has been 6-2 and around 210 since they drafted him playing against kids. Obviously he did not react to a high pressure situation in an ideal fashion. Canada's team was weird this year anyways.

Not dissimilar to Saad, he needs to learn how to play against men and higher competition/better skaters and no one will know what exactly is there until that happens.
- fattybeef

McNeill seems like a smart kid, who is extremely coachable. I'm confident he'll eventually be renting in Chicago. Might take a few years, but i'm a fan.

Have you dug any further on this or is Boyle just a guess because of the chatter involving Hawks:NYR ??
- mrpaulish

Boyle is a GUESS.

Q, along with every bench boss in the league, will really be under pressure to keep their top 10 players (6 forwards, 4 d-men) relatively fresh, if their squad is in the playoff hunt late.

With the compressed sked and all the back to back games...it would be extremely unwise to be riding 2 and 7 for 28-32 minutes a night, especially in the first 20-25 games. Oduya, despite his horrendous showing in the playoffs, will be key to this strategy. The trick for every head coach will be to get QUALITY minutes from their bottom 6 forwards and bottom 2 d-men.
- philco28

Could not agree more. This is another reason they might prefer to deal Leddy over Hjalmarsson.

As soon as you prove that he has not tried. That is the point. This is not poker where you get mad you fold and re shuffle. You have to be a little smarter than that. As JJ alludes, to get you must give, in reality most of you would run the other way if you realize what you would have to pay to gt what you want....that is it. Did they not try to sign Parise and Suter? as for 2nd line center, think that line is like 25 teams long...so lets not act like they are sitting on a shelf, let alone even for sale.
- TrueGrit

Talk is cheap...if you read the articles the guy they lost to Montreal had all the contacts in the front office. Yeah, older Bowman knows everybody, but that doesn't mean his son does. The NHL is still a boys club. All these guys are tied to each other, one way or another. Don't think for a second the Hawks still don't have some egg on their face for the way the Tallon situation went down. The same will hold true in Toronto.

At the end of the day, and i hate saying that line, you are evaluated on results. Not rumors. Not conversations. Not anything else. Deals are there to be made.

My main problem with Bowman is that he doesn't seem to be aggressive enough to get a deal done. Until proven by RESULTS, it's hard to argue otherwise.

I could care less if Bowman is never whispered in another trade rumor as long as he addresses the holes this team has and acts accordingly.

Could not agree more. This is another reason they might prefer to deal Leddy over Hjalmarsson.
- John Jaeckel

As stated earlier...8-4 make the most sense to me as our 5-6 pairing...depending of course on well Rozsival gels with Oduya. As a nod to Savvyone, Leddy has obvious offensive talent. And with the time and money the organization has invested in him, i'd be inclined to hold on to him, at least for this season, unless a too good to refuse offer came along.

Talk is cheap...if you read the articles the guy they lost to Montreal had all the contacts in the front office. Yeah, older Bowman knows everybody, but that doesn't mean his son does. The NHL is still a boys club. All these guys are tied to each other, one way or another. Don't think for a second the Hawks still don't have some egg on their face for the way the Tallon situation went down. The same will hold true in Toronto.

At the end of the day, and i hate saying that line, you are evaluated on results. Not rumors. Not conversations. Not anything else. Deals are there to be made.

My main problem with Bowman is that he doesn't seem to be aggressive enough to get a deal done. Until proven by RESULTS, it's hard to argue otherwise.

I could care less if Bowman is never whispered in another trade rumor as long as he addresses the holes this team has and acts accordingly.
- SteveRain

Really, Oduya, Frolik and Leddy are the only meaningful additions he's made via trade.

There have been no significant FA acquisitions.

I will grant, he has made a few nice draft picks—thank you, Norm McIver and Euro scouting.

The results (or lack thereof) over the last two seasons, speak volumes. That said, although we would all like to see the Hawks make moves to improve, you do need to get fair value in return.

I JUST NOW heard that the Hawks did indeed talk to NYR about Hjalmarsson, Hawks asked for Boyle and/or Krieder (which made sense). No deal.

Lots of conversations going on by the way. Hawks are actively trying to upgrade G especially with an eye to the future, in spite of the expected "we like our team" crap.

I am inclined to give Bowman a little bit of slack on this until they drop the puck. He has time to get a deal done and I think he might.

That said, when you have an area as deficient as the Hawk goaltending, and you identify a guy you think can anchor the position for the next 5-10 years, you don't quibble about throwing in a 2nd round pick.

Hopefully that keeps Leddy fresh to be THE point guy on the PP rather than "hit a leg" Keith.
- Return of the Roar

"Hit a leg Keith"? More like hit the glass Keith.

Also, Kruger is just a rest day,