I've been pretty critical of Leddy at times, but I've seen steady improvement year after year and there is much upside there. You can't teach his natural ability. Does he need to improve around the net and in his puck decisions? Absolutely. But all that said, he's still a fairly competent NHL defenseman. And he can get much better.
- John Jaeckel

Thanks John. I know you and I have had this conversation. No question, but those things could be said about just about any D man Leddy's age. Does ANYONE remember Duncan Keith at the same age? I do. He was a disaster pretty often. And in fact, many have a short memory with Hjalmarsson as well. At Leddy's age, was just breaking in after the AHL and had quite a few bad moments of his own. I distinctly remember many on the Daily Herald board wanting #4 traded because of the Bowman comments about Lidstrom.

All I know is Leddy's ceiling is much higher than what we've seen. Whether we see it in Chicago is the question we'll have an answer to fairly soon.

It's laughable for those that think this guy can even replace Leddy, whom so many hate -- yet on a weak team, Rundblad can't even find a home and he's supposed to find one on a team with one of the best defensive groups?



You Leddy haters slay me with astute hockey know-all.
- savvyone-1

I haven't seen anyone say he REPLACES Leddy. I like Leddy, his speed and his age/upside BUT cap space is coming from somewhere.

There are probably going to be some d holes to fill and we are talking about options to fill them.

My ideal situation would be Rundblad/Johns/Dalbeck showing something and filling 7-8 in place of Brookbank/Rosi.... then developing into a replacement for Oduya down the road.

It looks as if cap space is coming from D now BUT this is why it would be much better to move Sharp for real cap space. The Hawks will miss his offense much less than having to fill 2-3 defense spots with rookies.

Personally, I would prefer to have Oduya and Hammer stay together plus the youth of Leddy and his speed continuing to develop here. Add to that players, cap space, and picks for Sharp and that would be the player to go. Let the rooks fill one spot on D and continue to develop in Rockford this year.

Don't remember, but it's been said elsewhere for sure. And I DO SUSPECT SOME HAVE AT LEAST IMPLIED IT HERE.
- John Jaeckel

I would be FLOORED if Teuvo saw anything more than some minutes vs. extensive minutes this season. If he's seeing extensive minutes, this team is in DEEP DEEP trouble.

FYI...

Oduya and Bickell, possible trade candidates, both have modified no-trade clauses. Bickell 10 teams, Oduya around there too. #Blackhawks

— Brian Hedger (@BrianHedger) July 18, 2014

Michal Handzus.

and i'm not arguing that Eller is the best center, i'm more arguing that Shaw is better on the wing on the 3rd line. His game is too high energy to play effectively with 2nd line minutes!
- dsav123

Wrong. Shaw was centering the first line in Toews' absence.

Interesting. There's a page on whitesox.com where the SOX themselves, evaluate their top 20 prospects. It's brutally honest. I mean, they pull no punches on where these guys need to improve, what their weaknesses are. And it's damn refreshing.

I caught myself asking, would the McDonough-run Hawks EVER do this? Answer: no.

What's funny is, I know very few longtime fans who "appreciate" being told how wonderful everything is. I think part of that is, these guys paid their dues for decades watching a garbage team (for the most part) and now they;re like you know what, thanks, I'll enjoy this, but please stop telling me how great everything is, because I know how bad it can get.

And I think part of it is a broader appreciation of the rest of the league, the players who've come and gone, and the ability to separate the hype from the reality.

There ARE some newer fans who really yearn for knowledge of the game overall and don't get sucked in as much. And there are some older fans who lap up everything the organization has been putting down the last 6-7 years.

But . . . generally speaking it seems to be the newer fans who love Bowman and McDonough no matter what.
- John Jaeckel

Why wouldn't they? Since those two have been around the Hawks have had a fairly large degree of success. They haven't been through the many hyped can't miss prospects that the fans who have been through the grinder as a Hawk fan.

Doesn't make it right or wrong. Just the way it is. Gaining an interest in the sport will lead fans to learn the game in a more educated manner. For lack of a better term.

Maybe it's just me, but I don't see Bowman "punting" on Versteeg yet.

As for Tuevo, why keep him up when Bowman brought in Richards to fill that spot? Wouldn't it make more sense to let Tuevo ply his trade in Rockford instead?
- EKolb13

Sure I think TT would be well served in Rockford, but if Bowman was willing to move Versteeg, TT could play some wing up here or bring up someone else. Just that it would leave some room and allow us to keep Oduya. I prefer that over keeping Versteeg, JMHO

Sure I think TT would be well served in Rockford, but if Bowman was willing to move Versteeg, TT could play some wing up here or bring up someone else. Just that it would leave some room and allow us to keep Oduya. I prefer that over keeping Versteeg, JMHO
- Canardhawk

Steeger wasn't announced at the convention...something brewing?

Steeger wasn't announced at the convention...something brewing?
- resqmed99

He's getting married.

Is Leddy his best man? He wasn't there either.

Is Leddy his best man? He wasn't there either.
- resqmed99

Maybe he is finding a helmet that fits.

Maybe he is finding a helmet that fits.
- Elbows15

Maybe, just maybe he's negotiating a new contract with the Hawks.

Maybe, just maybe he's negotiating a new contract with the Hawks.
- Canardhawk

He just got lost on his way. And after last season, he needs a pay cut.

He just got lost on his way. And after last season, he needs a pay cut.
- Elbows15

You need patients my friend.

You need patients my friend.
- Canardhawk

Nester is a doctor?

You need patients my friend.
- Canardhawk

I don't think that is his long suit.

EDIT: Is anyone home ?

I don't think that is his long suit.

EDIT: Is anyone home ?
- Beaver-Warrior

Dinner time in the central time zone: always gets slow about now.

Dinner time in the central time zone: always gets slow about now.
- StLBravesFan

Was starting to think everyone went to the convention to hang out with the boys..

Was starting to think everyone went to the convention to hang out with the boys..
- Beaver-Warrior

"Boys" is right - they all are - and look - so young.

"Boys" is right - they all are - and look - so young.
- StLBravesFan

Or we're just old.

Or we're just old.
- Elbows15

There must be more to us than "just old".

Thanks Wiz.

So this is basically Rundblad's make or break opportunity. Hope he is treating it that way. He shows something in camp he either sticks with the Hawks or gets a chance off of waivers with another club. He shows nothing then he is Hawk property in the AHL or back in Sweden until his deal is up.

Worst case. Hawks eat $900k (not on the cap) or lose him to another team.

Like I said the math works. The pressure is on him and not the Hawks.

I wonder who that 2nd rounder we gave up to Phoenix turned into? Any idea?
- tredbrta

even if I am not around you can go to the finalized draft for each year
(http://www.draftsite.com/nhl/draft-history/2014/) and go to any team (like Phoenix) who has a "T" behind it and all trades in the round are listed.

The player is:

http://www.draftsite.com/...r/christian-dvorak/21059/


Believe me your curiosity is similar to mine, but mine goes ot the Nth degree.
I couldn't do it as the draft was going on because I was moving the players into the draft board with each pick. Later...
I went back and any trade made on draft day, live during the draft, where some team pulled out of a spot and dropped back for an additional pick I made a record of who pulled back and what players each team got.

Usually it amounts to NONE of the players being pro players or all have a cup of coffee as pros so it doesn't matter.

But someday, I am goona find one where a team jumps up and the team that jumps back gets two starters.

If you guys are haven't been following drafts for long, I gotta tell you I would get totally pissed because on almost all the past regimes prior to Rocky had GMs in charge who alwasys seems to manage to make tardes where they threw in second rounders...and it was ALWAYS when the drafts actually were thicker with lots of BETTER possibles than any years they acquired second rounders....
It was as if they were getting suckered each time.

It would drive me crazy, but usually the pick they traded was never an earth shattering pro.

... those things could be said about just about any D man Leddy's age. Does ANYONE remember Duncan Keith at the same age? I do. He was a disaster pretty often. And in fact, many have a short memory with Hjalmarsson as well. At Leddy's age, was just breaking in after the AHL and had quite a few bad moments of his own. I distinctly remember many on the Daily Herald board wanting #4 traded because of the Bowman comments about Lidstrom.

All I know is Leddy's ceiling is much higher than what we've seen. Whether we see it in Chicago is the question we'll have an answer to fairly soon.
- savvyone-1

Savvy I know you weren't aiming at me concerning Leddy I was just citing what I thought would have to happen IF Oduya was dearly departed.

and you are absolutely correct that when Hjarlmarsson was Leddy's present age he had only played about 112 NHL games. Hammer was a plus nine that year

When Keith was 23 he was in his first season as a hawk and a minus 11 accumulating 21 points.

This past year Leddy was a plus 10 and had 31 points.

All these stats and plus / minus don't tell the story of the entire roster/ partners or the entire team they are playing around.

So that speaks to your point about how Leddy was young when placed on an NHL roster, and had to learn on the job because he had skills that placed him above most prospects.

And I hate to repeat what JJ said but there are skills there that many others do not have, just as there are areas to work on.

Despite the way the year and post season ended, there was still an improvement in his game. I won't take it any further than to say whether we dissect it one way or another the coaching staff plays who they think are up to the shifts and areas they are asked to play in.

Or we're just old.
- Elbows15

I know I feel old when they announce both Dogie Mohns and Doug Jarrett died...

I gotta say I just watched that opening ceremony and if I was anyone of theose young prospects they had walk through that crowd, it has to leave an impression.

Think Danault McNeill Johns Hartman Schmaultz and Clendenning are gonna quit working hard after that?

And it was great to see Tazer so happy and brushing away the Captain Serious tag...he looks pretty happy...and I loved him saying "what the plan is..." - to bring it back.

I truly become a rah rah after I see these guys walk down to the front....we have a whole lotta good players.

And it is now pretty clear what Stan Bowman's plan is...

There are no shoes falling this week or next.

They are gonna wait until closer to camp and some team is gonna have a space they feel they need to to fill and they will come to the Hawks looking for the experienced guy.

That contract and the fact TT won't be on the parent roster for an entire season will give them plenty of ways to "get complied" with one substrcation at the bottom end.

FYI...

Oduya and Bickell, possible trade candidates, both have modified no-trade clauses. Bickell 10 teams, Oduya around there too. #Blackhawks

— Brian Hedger (@BrianHedger) July 18, 2014

- EKolb13

From purely a cap perceptive moving Oduya and/or Bickell makes the most sense. Losing Oduya would clear up more than enough cap space for this season. If he's not in the team's plan beyond next season then moving Oduya makes more sense. If Bickell were to be moved Stan would need to find an effective physical replacement. Maybe a Bickell for Greening type of deal.

However, Stan can't (and likely won't) make his moves solely on the basis of a player's cap hit.