Gagner+Jones' rights for Hjalmarsson
- TheNugeIsHuge

No. Our defense should stay intact unless the Hawks have no interest in competing for the Stanley Cup again.

No. Our defense should stay intact unless the Hawks have no interest in competing for the Stanley Cup again.
- kwolf68

Has to stay intact for Crawdaddy to stay effective

Has to stay intact for Crawdaddy to stay effective
- mrpaulish

Certainly part of it or just the part that our defense is the engine to our team.

If we lose Rosy, we're looking at a combination of Brookbank/Stanton on the third pairing.

I think you will see wide open competition for a few spots in Chicago next year

L2-Center (Kruger, Pirri, LeBlanc, sleeper free agent/acquisition, Handzus type)
Third Pairing D (Brookbank, Stanton, Olsen, Lavin, Dahlbeck)
Third line wing (Smith, Morin, Carcillo)
Fourth liners (Bollig, loser in the Third Line Wing battle and hopefully Matt Hendricks to center)

Then toss in what seems to be the yearly "where did he come from" sleeper like Shaw then Saad. Names to think about here are Danault (taking third line center job from Shaw and moving Shaw to the wing), Clendening.

If Danault could win the L3-C job and we pick up Matt Hendricks we'd have the best faceoff team in hockey...PUCK POSSESSION baby.

Certainly part of it or just the part that our defense is the engine to our team.

If we lose Rosy, we're looking at a combination of Brookbank/Stanton on the third pairing.

I think you will see wide open competition for a few spots in Chicago next year

L2-Center (Kruger, Pirri, LeBlanc, sleeper free agent/acquisition, Handzus type)
Third Pairing D (Brookbank, Stanton, Olsen, Lavin, Dahlbeck)
Third line wing (Smith, Morin, Carcillo)
Fourth liners (Bollig, loser in the Third Line Wing battle and hopefully Matt Hendricks to center)

Then toss in what seems to be the yearly "where did he come from" sleeper like Shaw then Saad. Names to think about here are Danault (taking third line center job from Shaw and moving Shaw to the wing), Clendening.

If Danault could win the L3-C job and we pick up Matt Hendricks we'd have the best faceoff team in hockey...PUCK POSSESSION baby.
- kwolf68

Hendricks.

Certainly part of it or just the part that our defense is the engine to our team.

If we lose Rosy, we're looking at a combination of Brookbank/Stanton on the third pairing.

I think you will see wide open competition for a few spots in Chicago next year

L2-Center (Kruger, Pirri, LeBlanc, sleeper free agent/acquisition, Handzus type)
Third Pairing D (Brookbank, Stanton, Olsen, Lavin, Dahlbeck)
Third line wing (Smith, Morin, Carcillo)
Fourth liners (Bollig, loser in the Third Line Wing battle and hopefully Matt Hendricks to center)

Then toss in what seems to be the yearly "where did he come from" sleeper like Shaw then Saad. Names to think about here are Danault (taking third line center job from Shaw and moving Shaw to the wing), Clendening.

If Danault could win the L3-C job and we pick up Matt Hendricks we'd have the best faceoff team in hockey...PUCK POSSESSION baby.
- kwolf68

Okay...nothing personal here but you need to learn more about the players in RFD than just throwing out names because they appear on a piece of paper...

Third line D pairing - Brookbank/Stanton ? Have we lost Leddy?? Is Rosi officially not coming back? I agree Stanton will probably be with the club in some capacity but at this point we don't know. Lavin was a healthy scratch for the better part of the second half last year and his future does not look bright. Dahlbeck is Eli's guy and he did look pretty good in the few games I saw him in person but he may not be ready and will need another year as does Clendening. Olsen needs to re-establish himself.

L2 Center - I'm excited as anyone about Leblanc being in the system but in the two games he played he looked really slow and needs a year to get used to the pace of the game. He did not look lost or intimidated , just slow. Kruger or Shaw would be a better option at 2C than Pirri. Someone brought up moving Pirri to wing and that may be a better fit for him...who knows.

I could see a sleeper making it on the club like a Saad and it could be Danault.....it also could be the kid Nordstrom....the Bowmans like their Swedes and one thing about them is they are usually sound and not mistake prone......but I still think he needs at least a few months before he is ready. The stars would have to align for it to happen. Remember Saad has a handful of games in the previous season before he made the club this year.

Smith, Morin and Stanton should get a serious look from the Hawks in camp and will probably make the team. Pirri is a huge question mark and makes me nervous to think he could be starting at center on any of the lines. Hayes will be a floater between RFD and Chicago. There may be a sleeper (Danault, Nordrstom,)

I would say there will only be 3 rookies on this team next year...tops! Any more than that Q will have a stroke and it will make for a long season.

I hate doing this but here is what you will be looking at ....

19-88-29
16-81-10
65-20- open
28-open-open

the three open spots will be a mixture of Morin/Bolling/Carcillo and a free agent or two.

this is totally off base.
but i'm sure some of you have seen this in the last few days, and i hope you like what i added.

I saw him Saturday.....looks like he should be in high school.
- UnnamedSource

That's the thing. He is going to get bigger and stronger. Already a pretty good player. And he will get better, maybe a lot better.

this is totally off base.
but i'm sure some of you have seen this in the last few days, and i hope you like what i added.



- InvisibleOrange

Is this the real Tony Amonte - passing judgment on someone else's injuries - someone you probably don't even know?

A bit unfair, don't you think?

OLSON HAS THE SLOWEST STRAIGHT LINE SPEED I HAVE EVER SEEN OF A PROFESSIONAL HOCKEY PLAYER
I THINK GOALIES IN PADS COULD BEAT HIM IN A STRAIGHT INE RACE
- molly2522

Evidently, you've never seen Andrew Brunette or one Vaclav Prospal

Gagner+Jones' rights for Hjalmarsson
- TheNugeIsHuge

An overrated smurf and a 4th liner for a #2 defenseman. So not happening.

I really don't like Bobby Lou, but I would have to agree
- GoHawks63

I don't really have any issue with Lu. He took way too much of the brunt of the blame for the Hawks games IMO, and not enough went to the floppers, and divers, because they would occasionally put the puck in the net.

He seems to be one of the few stand-up guys on that team.

I agree. I don't think you can have more pressure than playing goal for Canada IN Canada in the olympics and he came up big. I know that team was stacked, that is why there was so much pressure. He came 1 win away from being a Cup champ in 2011. He had 1 bad game in that series. In 2009 and 2010 he had to face one of the best offensive teams. The Hawks would make any goalie look bad. No shame in losing to the Hawks those years
- tomcat24

Playing in Vancouver no less. God forbid anyone up there question, or rip on, the twins.

John Scott...one legged turtle...still liked him though for real


And Hayes is pretty fast those first 3 strides before he lands on his nose
- philco28

Reminds me of the tryouts scene in Youngblood when they say they are only looking to fill one roster spot and the coach says "yeah like that sorry bum that tripped over the blueline?"

I've said this before...

Hayes skates like a rabies infected raccoon stumbling around in the daylight.
- EKolb13

This one caused actual laughter, not a smirk, laughter!
Good on ya!

Has to stay intact for Crawdaddy to stay effective
- mrpaulish

Whatever combo works
Sure worked this season.
Good luck with the re build Oilers...... Seems with three coaches in three years and a new GM the patience is wearing thin

We will keep Hammer and Leddy but thanks

What news from the front?

What news from the front?
- Kentxo

Would expect announcements on Emery and Leddy soon. A bargain-basement vet signing or two in UFA. Viktor Stalberg will become a wealthy man in another city.

Would expect announcements on Emery and Leddy soon. A bargain-basement vet signing or two in UFA. Viktor Stalberg will become a wealthy man in another city.
- John Jaeckel

Matty Hendricks 4 th line center for aav of 1m ?

Matty Hendricks 4 th line center for aav of 1m ?
- mrpaulish

Would expect announcements on Emery and Leddy soon. A bargain-basement vet signing or two in UFA. Viktor Stalberg will become a wealthy man in another city.
- John Jaeckel

Have a list of RFAs qualified JJ?

I see MrP's 1mil AAV for Hendricks and am willing to go as high as $1.25

Waiting for the selloff or cut of Carcillo and/or Brookbank....

I've come to terms that this will probably be a pretty light offseason for the Hawks when it comes to UFA signings or trades. As JJ said we'll probably seen new deals for Emery, Leddy and Kruger in the not too distant future. There will be a couple of cheap bargain UFA signings like Rozsival last year and the remaining spots will be fought for between some of the Hogs. As for Rosey, I'd like him back but if not I think the Hawks will be able to sign a guy just like him. With the cap going down, only a small percentage of the UFA's will be getting hefty raises. There will be alot of 1 year deals this offseason for guys trying to prove their worth to get a better contract next offseason when we could see the cap rise to $70 mil.

.

Waiting to see retirements from Zues and Mayers any day now. If it can be done for less than $2.5 I would love Hawks to signs Hendricks AND Gordon

Bicks-Toews-Kane
Sharp-Kruger-Hossa
Saad-Shaw-Smith/Jones(JJ mentionned him)
B52-Hendricks-Gordon

Hendricks and Gordon both can win draws and I would imagine could be had for around $1 to 1.25mil AAV

Would expect announcements on Emery and Leddy soon. A bargain-basement vet signing or two in UFA. Viktor Stalberg will become a wealthy man in another city.
- John Jaeckel

U
I will personally miss Stalberg but I understand why he will be a rich kid soon.

My knowledge of the league is limited but it seems to me we still need a second line center.

Ribirero would be perfect but likely too expensive
Are Hendricks or Weiss possibles or is it more likely we fill the position from Rockford?

Waiting to see retirements from Zues and Mayers any day now. If it can be done for less than $2.5 I would love Hawks to signs Hendricks AND Gordon

Bicks-Toews-Kane
Sharp-Kruger-Hossa
Saad-Shaw-Smith/Jones(JJ mentionned him)
B52-Hendricks-Gordon

Hendricks and Gordon both can win draws and I would imagine could be had for around $1 to 1.25mil AAV
- ikeane

Reasonable line up but I think we go to the Rockford class before Carcillo
I really think that ship has sailed.

Seems to me everyone projects Danault's ceiling to be as a third line center/penalty killer. IMO we can't yet know what Danault's ceiling is or will be, he's still growing and just about to start his pro career. He was an elite playmaker in the QMJHL, surround him with the right players and he will light up the score sheet. Who is to say Danault doesn't end up playing on the second line in the next couple of years?