well the biggest issue has been ownership/lease deal.

snow's plan is to build thru the draft (which he has) but to me, he's failed to recognize who stays and/or who goes and not knowing when to sell high on a player or holding on to long and receive nothing. His best management style has been drafting and negotiating contracts, hands down very good.

Bc of the horrible lease deal which takes more than 50% of profit regardless is what hinders Wang to build this team the cheap way plus w/the circus atmosphere the isles are not a FA destination. The Isles have offered big $$$ to FA's but none took it.

So in hindsight Snow has a plan its just taking longer bc of the issues at hand.
hope this helps without elaborating in full complete detail?
- Ur Not Me

... he's failed to recognize who stays and/or who goes and not knowing when to sell high on a player or holding on to long and receive nothing.

IMO you could have stopped after that statement.
There hasn't been a consistent plan...Either you purge and then build or you add pieces to an identified core.

Wang isn't the best but the next good trade or worthy UFA signing Snow makes will be his first.

If nothing happens before the season starts I do agree that Snow has the assets to make changes. If I had to say what Snow is willing to part w/now are the following

Bailey, Grabner, Strait, Donovan, picks.... are so far what Snow is probably trying to trade off. Grant it, there could be some possible kids/prospects but not any major prospect like Pulock, Lee, Strome, Pokka, if you get my point?
- Ur Not Me

Well good luck. Everyone is looking for good young proven top four defensemen. We won't trade Hammer so its Oduya or Leddy and I have heard from enough Islander fans that they don't want Leddy. Funny though... Leddy would be your top offensive defenseman right off the bat and likely is a top four on most other teams.

I would disagree on your order of importance. Here's mine and why:
1. Saad...Showed in playoffs what he can bring in the future. Hossa style power forward.
2. Kruger....Penalty killer, Center of which the Hawks have none in their system.
3. Oduya...If he's willing to sign for current or slightly higher money.
4. Leddy...We're dealing from strength at his position. He's an asset we should look at dealing.
- SDHawkFan

I just can't put Kruger ahead of Leddy OR Oduya.

The Hawks system revolves around puck control and puck moving D men. Both are huge contributors over that compared to Kruger. Hawks could get by with Toews, Teuvo, and Shaw and a patchwork veteran or prospect manning 4c.

Raining down, Steve Rain. Agreed. Also 100%! Well said.
- jhawk59

Thank you both.

I just saw ESPN's prospect rankings.

Only Teuvo was in the top 50, and Hartman and Cledening filled out the other 2 slots for the 3 Hawks in the top 100.

Don't really hold a lot of stock in these reports, but curious to see how all these kids look in camp.

Thank you both.

I just saw ESPN's prospect rankings.

Only Teuvo was in the top 50, and Hartman and Cledening filled out the other 2 slots for the 3 Hawks in the top 100.

Don't really hold a lot of stock in these reports, but curious to see how all these kids look in camp.
- SteveRain

Teuvo has the best highlight reel but need to see him against men.

See I wouldn't offer Bailey unless it made sense for both sides.
Hawks need slight cap relief and better players for bottom 6 and 5,6 Dmen
Am I correct on this assumption?
- Ur Not Me

No offense but the Hawks dont NEED anything besides Cap relief and Top 6 Forward prospects. basically every prospect they have besides TT and Schmaltz (who is 5 years away from the show) projects as a bottom 6 forward

Teuvo has the best highlight reel but need to see him against men.
- Al

Yeah, I'm not going to hold his small sample size against him from last year, but it will be very curious to see how he pans out. Very hyped and I hope the fan base doesn't put unwarranted or unrealistic expectations on this kid.

See I wouldn't offer Bailey unless it made sense for both sides.
Hawks need slight cap relief and better players for bottom 6 and 5,6 Dmen
Am I correct on this assumption?
- Ur Not Me

Yes and NO. We really need a big 2nd line center to compete in the West. At least IMO that is our number one need.

No thanks.... try again tho
- Ur Not Me

I was half joking when I made the suggestion, but in all seriousness, what don't you like about the trade?

Thinking about it.......if the Hawks were to trade Sharp next summer, then this team has 2 top 6 holes from this year to fill. Richards and Sharp.

Figure Teuvo slides in to one, but where is the other one being filled? then you get into the 2011 issue of guys playing in roles above their skill set.

I know a lot of people adore Marcus Kruger. I know he has value with his PK, and improving faceoff percentage. However, the past 6 years ths team has found a way to win without a 2c. They also plugged in guys like Sammy pahlsson, John Madden, and Michael Handzus to help down the middle. No reason they can't find a cheap, proven veteran to fill that void to bridge the gap for a groomed prospect IF they chose to let Kruger go.

Yeah, I'm not going to hold his small sample size against him from last year, but it will be very curious to see how he pans out. Very hyped and I hope the fan base doesn't put unwarranted or unrealistic expectations on this kid.
- SteveRain

....fan base doesn't put unwarranted or unrealistic expectations on this kid.


That ship has sailed.

Well good luck. Everyone is looking for good young proven top four defensemen. We won't trade Hammer so its Oduya or Leddy and I have heard from enough Islander fans that they don't want Leddy. Funny though... Leddy would be your top offensive defenseman right off the bat and likely is a top four on most other teams.
- FourOrr

The talent evaluation team here has decided Leddy will never be top 4 anywhere. Be careful when disputing it. They will follow you to other threads to ridicule your opinion. They learned from the best at it.

... he's failed to recognize who stays and/or who goes and not knowing when to sell high on a player or holding on to long and receive nothing.

IMO you could have stopped after that statement.
There hasn't been a consistent plan...Either you purge and then build or you add pieces to an identified core.

Wang isn't the best but the next good trade or worthy UFA signing Snow makes will be his first.
- Al

he had a plan, building thru draft, but bc isles had no prospects and barely any players he had to start from scratch. Drafting kids take time to develop and sometimes might not pan out. The only noticeable player the Isles identified as the core is JT, Hammer, KO, Frans, the rest were waiver pick-ups to try an assemble a team. Now it seems that some/most of the kids are ready and are included in being part of the core.
So from my perspective, Snow had little to identify who's really core material.

....fan base doesn't put unwarranted or unrealistic expectations on this kid.


That ship has sailed.
- Al

I don't get the "unrealistic expectations"...is it unrealistic to expect him to be a 2nd line winger and PP guy? i wouldnt say that is unrealistic whatsoever. Any fan that thinks he is the next Patrick Kane and will score 80 points his first full season is a complete fool and their opinion shouldnt even be relevant to any meaningful discussion about hockey or the Blackhawks.

Bickell and Leddy to Calgary for Curtis Glencross and a 2nd rd pick. You know Burke still loves big guys.
- powerenforcer

I wouldnt mind doing Sharp for Glencross and a 2nd or 1st. For some reason i like Glencross.

Wouldnt want to subtract the only size left on the team though in Bickell

....fan base doesn't put unwarranted or unrealistic expectations on this kid.


That ship has sailed.
- Al

Yeah, I saw a guy in a Teuvo jersey this spring, and just stared at him and shook my head and pounded my $8.75 beer. Not good.

With the Kings sending a message, that Scotty Bowman alluded to in the ESPN article after the Kings won, the Hawks need size down the middle. You can't win a cup currently with 19,86/16 down the mddle. that isn't going to work and which is why 91 was brought in. I hope the Hawks don't lose sight of that notion next summer when they pan out this roster.

Yes and NO. We really need a big 2nd line center to compete in the West. At least IMO that is our number one need.
- FourOrr

See I would agree w/the bolded part but since you signed Richards, seems like you filled that hole for this year. At least and worry more about that next year.

I don't get the "unrealistic expectations"...is it unrealistic to expect him to be a 2nd line winger and PP guy? i wouldnt say that is unrealistic whatsoever. Any fan that thinks he is the next Patrick Kane and will score 80 points his first full season is a complete fool and their opinion shouldnt even be relevant to any meaningful discussion about hockey or the Blackhawks.
- EnzoD

I agree and people were ready to storm the castle in June when he was supposedly included in a trade offer for Kesler. That ship has sailed as well.

Here's my question to you though....if you think he's a winger, I assume RW and where is he going to play? You already have 2 HOF RWs on your team right now in Hossa and Kane.

He's going to need to add a lot more "kilos" to compete at center in the NHL.

I was half joking when I made the suggestion, but in all seriousness, what don't you like about the trade?
- Tanuki

Frans ..... being a part of it

Thank you both.

I just saw ESPN's prospect rankings.

Only Teuvo was in the top 50, and Hartman and Cledening filled out the other 2 slots for the 3 Hawks in the top 100.

Don't really hold a lot of stock in these reports, but curious to see how all these kids look in camp.
- SteveRain

ESPN.... enough said.

However, that does seem to be the consensus. Lots of depth but only a few high end prospects. One of the reasons I hope they can obtain some higher picks for an older, pending FA.

The talent evaluation team here has decided Leddy will never be top 4 anywhere. Be careful when disputing it. They will follow you to other threads to ridicule your opinion. They learned from the best at it.
- tredbrta

I guess only time will tell...

The talent evaluation team here has decided Leddy will never be top 4 anywhere. Be careful when disputing it. They will follow you to other threads to ridicule your opinion. They learned from the best at it.
- tredbrta

I almost agree, Leddy on the Isles would only be a top 4 now but maybe by next year could be a 5,6 bc Reinhardt & maybe Pulock would surpass him in line-up.

I wouldnt mind doing Sharp for Glencross and a 2nd or 1st. For some reason i like Glencross.

Wouldnt want to subtract the only size left on the team though in Bickell
- BlazinMike

I understand Bickell is big, but Shaw and Smith play a much bigger game than he does, and they play it for the entire season. I don't understand why some fans confuse big frame with playing big. Most nights Bickell is a puppy dog on the ice.

I guess only time will tell...
- FourOrr

That has been my point from the start about Leddy. IMO his speed and skill have top 4 upside - he has gaps but very few 22-23 year old defensemen do not have gaps. He has 4 very solid guys in their primes in front of him and, at times, he shows some dominant possession stats in the RS.

Discount the hate from a couple here aside - he warrants a solid return. If the Hawks didn't have the cap issue I would expect a first rounder and/or a solid player back.

See I would agree w/the bolded part but since you signed Richards, seems like you filled that hole for this year. At least and worry more about that next year.
- Ur Not Me

Richards isn't exactly big - a good temporary pickup but I would look for a good prospective 2nd line center (6'2" 200lbs+ or bigger) now and if we find one with an ELC then we could slot Richards in on the 3rd line and let Shaw play wing.