There's going to be a lot of guys trying to get back to the NHL next year. Ovechkin speculation now over? Kovalchuk likely to try and return?
- fvineze

Guess that means TT won't be going home next year

Pirri just did his best Kane impression in the SO. Why would we ever part ways with such a virtuoso talent?
- SimpleJack

Well, Pierre Marc Bouchard has put on shootout moves that makes Kane look like John Scott. We last heard of him playing for Rockford last season.

My jury is still way out on Pirri and Hayes as regular NHL players on a good team. Olsen I think can be a decent NHL player.

Well, Pierre Marc Bouchard has put on shootout moves that makes Kane look like John Scott. We last heard of him playing for Rockford last season.

My jury is still way out on Pirri and Hayes as regular NHL players on a good team. Olsen I think can be a decent NHL player.
- John Jaeckel

I actually root for ex-Hawks to do well, but not well enough to be considered superstars or anything. But solid NHL pros. And, at the same time, I want the Hawks to win Stanley Cups. Just shows the depth of the organization.

Now, if I was a Boston fan watching a certain young superstar in Dallas....I think I'd be pissed.

I actually root for ex-Hawks to do well, but not well enough to be considered superstars or anything. But solid NHL pros. And, at the same time, I want the Hawks to win Stanley Cups. Just shows the depth of the organization.

Now, if I was a Boston fan watching a certain young superstar in Dallas....I think I'd be pissed.


- MNHawk

Let's get older and lose offense. Just what we need.

Chiarelli/Neely are usually pretty good but Seguin and Boychuck this year make little to no sense. They should have taken the approach Stan took with Kane on Seguin. The kid was 21-22 years old. Did they expect him to be a monk?

Nice....Blues collapse in LA

6-4 Kings win!

Brodeur had a really tough night.
- ArlingtonRob

Blues get a lead and decided to try to check/bully the Kings out of their own building. That, and Brodeur, opened the doors wide open. Didn't see the entire game but Alex Pietrangelo looked like Keith against the Isles but even worse.

Well, Pierre Marc Bouchard has put on shootout moves that makes Kane look like John Scott. We last heard of him playing for Rockford last season.

My jury is still way out on Pirri and Hayes as regular NHL players on a good team. Olsen I think can be a decent NHL player.
- John Jaeckel

Blackhawks have trust in their 4th line....

http://www.csnchicago.com...e-trust-their-fourth-line

I think they should sit Carcillo and get Nordstrom back out there with Smith and Krueger. That line looked much better on the road trip with Nordstrom's energy.

Carcillo and Bickell should be rotating to the press box.

Blackhawks have trust in their 4th line....

http://www.csnchicago.com...e-trust-their-fourth-line

I think they should sit Carcillo and get Nordstrom back out there with Smith and Krueger. That line looked much better on the road trip with Nordstrom's energy.

Carcillo and Bickell should be rotating to the press box.
- tredbrta

Agreed

I actually root for ex-Hawks to do well, but not well enough to be considered superstars or anything. But solid NHL pros. And, at the same time, I want the Hawks to win Stanley Cups. Just shows the depth of the organization.

Now, if I was a Boston fan watching a certain young superstar in Dallas....I think I'd be pissed.


- MNHawk

I won't disagree with you.

I'll just say this. There is a large number of fans who seem to view this issue in the following manner. Every year or two, there is another prospect or group of prospects who are "their guys."

"Hawk amateur scouting is never wrong. So why doesn't Q play "our guys?" Q doesn't know what he's doing. Why is Bollig (Rozsival, etc) on the team?"

A few years ago, it was Jack Skille.

Many of these guys will not own up now to the fact that they were in LOVE with Skille. But they were. While many of us said, ummm, not so fast, he's got holes in his game, might have an attitude problem, etc.

A couple of years ago, it was Saad and Jimmy Hayes and Pirri.

Now, to be fair, a lot of these guys—who had actually seen Saad play in more than just the 2011 rookie tourney—were absolutely right about Saad.

What you see today is the guy a lot of scouts thought Saad would become before he hurt his knee. But for a couple of years, Saad wasn't looking all that great. And when he first came up with the Hawks, for 20-25 games, he was LOST. To his and the organization's credit, he came along, though his minutes were watched and he had some fits and starts.

And then there was the whole "Saad replaces Hossa" theory being bandied about in 2012.

Well that hasn't really happened. And might not really ever happen because Hossa is a sure-fire Hall of Fame player. Saad has a long way to go to get into that conversation. For sure, Hossa appears he might now be falling off—a bit. And Saad appears on the brink. But probably Hossa is still a better player overall, today, than Saad. Through 32 games, they have similar point numbers, but Saad's started hot while Hossa's started slow. So we'll see.

Hayes and Pirri had huge holes in their games. So did Morin. Fine, these guys can go play for marginal or bad teams, get more ice time in point-producing situations and maybe get better at the NHL level.

I do recall some saying Skille was "thriving" in Florida also, before his career swan-dived and he began his fourth line tour of NHL organizations. So we'll see.

But the point is, there has been a new "prospect golden boy du jour" all the time. The latest is Teravainen. His story will likely end up being like Saad's. And that's great.

But a few important facts remain indisputable:

1) this team is a Cup-contender year in and year out now, and there is no need (or room) for anyone to learn on the job.
2) Q does know what he's doing, as does Stanley, and Scotty
3) The Hawks are pursuing the Detroit model of talent development—keep them in the minors until they're PAST ready—because it's proven to work

I hope all these guys have good careers, and quite honestly, some of them might fit a different system and style of play better. The Hawks, for example, place a bigger priority than some teams on forwards who can play defense, and offensive transition.

But I also think the Hawks have moved them (and kept others) because they had a pretty good idea of what their upside was. And wasn't.

Plz, we just beat both those teams. Nobody can beat the Blackhawks at the moment, how bout that.

And btw what on earth is wrong with LA? They're "hangover" is FAR worse than ours was last year, and im not even really going by record, rather trends in their play. They're not the same team. Giving up tons of shots and chances, its very odd. Again, i know the Hawks weren't exactly the same team after winning the Cup in 2013, and i know its early, but something just looks terribly wrong with the Kings. That blue line is very suspect, and im not sure they can fix it. But i also wouldnt be surprised if they shut me up come seasons end. We'll see what happens.
- SimpleJack

kings got up off the ice and came back to win that game 6-4....nicely done

Obviously, the Stan Bowman green light trade special is the cheap, veteran depth move

Who does everyone think would be a good, cheap trade target for the hawks in getting ready for the playoffs?

As far as forwards, Jay McClement is a $1 mil cap hit with an expiring contract and 55% on draws this year, 53% last year. Also, on Carolina who is going no where this year and IMO would be glad to dump him for anything

Defensemen I think Methot if we could get OTT to eat 50% would be the ideal expiring guy to get to solidify the 3rd pair

Toews Hossa Saad
Richards Versteeg Kane
Kruger Shaw Sharp
McClement Smith Bickell

I think that would be ideal. Bickell can focus on being a physical force on the fourth line. Shaw moves back to wing taking less out of him. We get to have a good faceoff guy on the third line as Kruger moves up. McClement becomes a responsible 4th line guy that can win draws as well

you now have 3 of 4 lines with a 55+% guy on draws

Just about every year they don't seem to get geared up until late in season....I don't think it matters as much to guys like Sutter or Babcock if they finished 1-2 in seeding or 6-7.

That said the Kings could be due for an off season....They have had a great run recently.
- Al

The voynov thing really has derailed them. Martinez and Muzzin have been injured and Gabo is doing his normal play 2/3rds of the season routine.

Dustin Brown has been awful which is great because hes a skating pile of excrement

Of course they could be all sorted out come playoff time

Obviously, the Stan Bowman green light trade special is the cheap, veteran depth move

Who does everyone think would be a good, cheap trade target for the hawks in getting ready for the playoffs?

As far as forwards, Jay McClement is a $1 mil cap hit with an expiring contract and 55% on draws this year, 53% last year. Also, on Carolina who is going no where this year and IMO would be glad to dump him for anything

Defensemen I think Methot if we could get OTT to eat 50% would be the ideal expiring guy to get to solidify the 3rd pair
- FourFeathers773

I've only seen McClement in 1 or 2 games but he looks like he has seriously lost a step from his time in Toronto. Looked just a hair faster than Zus. Would rather have Nordstrom's speed on line 4.

Toews Hossa Saad
Richards Versteeg Kane
Kruger Shaw Sharp
McClement Smith Bickell

I think that would be ideal. Bickell can focus on being a physical force on the fourth line. Shaw moves back to wing taking less out of him. We get to have a good faceoff guy on the third line as Kruger moves up. McClement becomes a responsible 4th line guy that can win draws as well

you now have 3 of 4 lines with a 55+% guy on draws
- FourFeathers773

Bickell and his money on the 4th line = waste.

The voynov thing really has derailed them. Martinez and Muzzin have been injured and Gabo is doing his normal play 2/3rds of the season routine.

Dustin Brown has been awful which is great because hes a skating pile of excrement

Of course they could be all sorted out come playoff time
- fattybeef

McBain and McNaab are getting minutes and time to develop. I hope they don't turn into defensive versions of Pearson and Toffoli. Only strength has been goaltending and I think that article posted the other day about certain trends in advanced stats indicating deeper issues made some sense.

Will always be a fan of Daryl but I hope they crash and burn in a major way. We know their co MVPs of the playoffs last year should have been Wes McCauley and Dan OHalloran.

McBain and McNaab are getting minutes and time to develop. I hope they don't turn into defensive versions of Pearson and Toffoli. Only strength has been goaltending and I think that article posted the other day about certain trends in advanced stats indicating deeper issues made some sense.

Will always be a fan of Daryl but I hope they crash and burn in a major way. We know their co MVPs of the playoffs last year should have been Wes McCauley and Dan OHalloran.
- tredbrta

The voynov thing really has derailed them. Martinez and Muzzin have been injured and Gabo is doing his normal play 2/3rds of the season routine.

Dustin Brown has been awful which is great because hes a skating pile of excrement

Of course they could be all sorted out come playoff time
- fattybeef

Correct and naturally when the puck stays in the offensive zone longer...possession, shots against are affected.

Despite what many want to believe ....Sutter is a very good coach.

I won't disagree with you.

I'll just say this. There is a large number of fans who seem to view this issue in the following manner. Every year or two, there is another prospect or group of prospects who are "their guys."

"Hawk amateur scouting is never wrong. So why doesn't Q play "our guys?" Q doesn't know what he's doing. Why is Bollig (Rozsival, etc) on the team?"

A few years ago, it was Jack Skille.

Many of these guys will not own up now to the fact that they were in LOVE with Skille. But they were. While many of us said, ummm, not so fast, he's got holes in his game, might have an attitude problem, etc.

A couple of years ago, it was Saad and Jimmy Hayes and Pirri.

Now, to be fair, a lot of these guys—who had actually seen Saad play in more than just the 2011 rookie tourney—were absolutely right about Saad.

What you see today is the guy a lot of scouts thought Saad would become before he hurt his knee. But for a couple of years, Saad wasn't looking all that great. And when he first came up with the Hawks, for 20-25 games, he was LOST. To his and the organization's credit, he came along, though his minutes were watched and he had some fits and starts.

And then there was the whole "Saad replaces Hossa" theory being bandied about in 2012.

Well that hasn't really happened. And might not really ever happen because Hossa is a sure-fire Hall of Fame player. Saad has a long way to go to get into that conversation. For sure, Hossa appears he might now be falling off—a bit. And Saad appears on the brink. But probably Hossa is still a better player overall, today, than Saad. Through 32 games, they have similar point numbers, but Saad's started hot while Hossa's started slow. So we'll see.

Hayes and Pirri had huge holes in their games. So did Morin. Fine, these guys can go play for marginal or bad teams, get more ice time in point-producing situations and maybe get better at the NHL level.

I do recall some saying Skille was "thriving" in Florida also, before his career swan-dived and he began his fourth line tour of NHL organizations. So we'll see.

But the point is, there has been a new "prospect golden boy du jour" all the time. The latest is Teravainen. His story will likely end up being like Saad's. And that's great.

But a few important facts remain indisputable:

1) this team is a Cup-contender year in and year out now, and there is no need (or room) for anyone to learn on the job.
2) Q does know what he's doing, as does Stanley, and Scotty
3) The Hawks are pursuing the Detroit model of talent development—keep them in the minors until they're PAST ready—because it's proven to work

I hope all these guys have good careers, and quite honestly, some of them might fit a different system and style of play better. The Hawks, for example, place a bigger priority than some teams on forwards who can play defense, and offensive transition.

But I also think the Hawks have moved them (and kept others) because they had a pretty good idea of what their upside was. And wasn't.
- John Jaeckel

Great assessment! I am right with you. This is not the time to be bringing up guys to learn on the go. They will get their chances next year, and some of them will hopefully be improved and ready to contribute.

And I don't understand all of the Q bashing. I know even I don't understand/agree with some of the things he does, but most of the time they end up working out in the Hawks favor. Take the line blender he employs at times. I am always of the opinion to let guys build chemistry together instead of switching them around all of the time, but when he does it, he ends up finding combinations that work, and the Hawks almost always come out better after he finds those combinations. I'm ready to give him the benefit of the doubt that he knows what he is doing. And, yes, he relies on veterans a lot, but he has the benefit of being picky with prospects because of how stacked the team already is. He is definitely going to be in the hall of fame, and he deserves it, IMO.

I won't disagree with you.

I'll just say this. There is a large number of fans who seem to view this issue in the following manner. Every year or two, there is another prospect or group of prospects who are "their guys."

"Hawk amateur scouting is never wrong. So why doesn't Q play "our guys?" Q doesn't know what he's doing. Why is Bollig (Rozsival, etc) on the team?"

A few years ago, it was Jack Skille.

Many of these guys will not own up now to the fact that they were in LOVE with Skille. But they were. While many of us said, ummm, not so fast, he's got holes in his game, might have an attitude problem, etc.

A couple of years ago, it was Saad and Jimmy Hayes and Pirri.

Now, to be fair, a lot of these guys—who had actually seen Saad play in more than just the 2011 rookie tourney—were absolutely right about Saad.

What you see today is the guy a lot of scouts thought Saad would become before he hurt his knee. But for a couple of years, Saad wasn't looking all that great. And when he first came up with the Hawks, for 20-25 games, he was LOST. To his and the organization's credit, he came along, though his minutes were watched and he had some fits and starts.

And then there was the whole "Saad replaces Hossa" theory being bandied about in 2012.

Well that hasn't really happened. And might not really ever happen because Hossa is a sure-fire Hall of Fame player. Saad has a long way to go to get into that conversation. For sure, Hossa appears he might now be falling off—a bit. And Saad appears on the brink. But probably Hossa is still a better player overall, today, than Saad. Through 32 games, they have similar point numbers, but Saad's started hot while Hossa's started slow. So we'll see.

Hayes and Pirri had huge holes in their games. So did Morin. Fine, these guys can go play for marginal or bad teams, get more ice time in point-producing situations and maybe get better at the NHL level.

I do recall some saying Skille was "thriving" in Florida also, before his career swan-dived and he began his fourth line tour of NHL organizations. So we'll see.

But the point is, there has been a new "prospect golden boy du jour" all the time. The latest is Teravainen. His story will likely end up being like Saad's. And that's great.

But a few important facts remain indisputable:

1) this team is a Cup-contender year in and year out now, and there is no need (or room) for anyone to learn on the job.
2) Q does know what he's doing, as does Stanley, and Scotty
3) The Hawks are pursuing the Detroit model of talent development—keep them in the minors until they're PAST ready—because it's proven to work

I hope all these guys have good careers, and quite honestly, some of them might fit a different system and style of play better. The Hawks, for example, place a bigger priority than some teams on forwards who can play defense, and offensive transition.

But I also think the Hawks have moved them (and kept others) because they had a pretty good idea of what their upside was. And wasn't.
- John Jaeckel

To add to your points...

I brought this up again on the radio the other day. Since Q has been here only one player that was developed in Rockford and made an impact was only able to play on one line = Bollig.

Everyone else wasn't thought to be a one trick pony or used that way they all were able to play up and down the lineup except for those not here....Like Morin, Pirri, Skille.

Bickell and his money on the 4th line = waste.
- powerenforcer

He needs to earn a spot on a higher line at this point

Hayes and Pirri had huge holes in their games. So did Morin. Fine, these guys can go play for marginal or bad teams, get more ice time in point-producing situations and maybe get better at the NHL level.
- John Jaeckel

There's this, and there is a certain attitude/mindset/demeanor that players bring. Guys like Smith and Kruger are about what's best for the team and keep their mouths shut, and go about their jobs. What they do on the ice is why they have roles on the team.

Guys like Hayes, Morin, and Pirri are about themselves first, and were vocal about roster spots with the big club well before even arriving there. A team that's expected to contend will not win with this type of demeanor in the locker room.

kings got up off the ice and came back to win that game 6-4....nicely done
- bogiedoc

I know right, and of course they go and do that directly after i called them out on this blog for playing like poop lately. That would happen....

Im glad i said something though, glad the Blues lost

But a few important facts remain indisputable:

1) this team is a Cup-contender year in and year out now, and there is no need (or room) for anyone to learn on the job.
2) Q does know what he's doing, as does Stanley, and Scotty
3) The Hawks are pursuing the Detroit model of talent development—keep them in the minors until they're PAST ready—because it's proven to work


- John Jaeckel

This right here. good post. If it means some of the prospects get shipped out or kept in Rockford to maintain the contending status, well, it is what it is.

Now, I am as guilty as anyone for wanting to see all the prospects work out. In fact, I kept telling people, "Wait for Pirri, dude is going to take over second line center." Well, I was wrong. The kid is ok, maybe even "solid", but I'm glad he's on the Panthers and not the Hawks. I hope he does well, but not that well.

I'm preaching patience with TT. I'm sure you could plug and play him on offense. But digging pucks out of the corners and playing decent defense is still a ways away.

Another guy I want to see more is Dahlbeck. He seemed OK when he was up. But again, maybe he needs more seasoning in Rockford and I just need to relax. lol.

To add to your points...

I brought this up again on the radio the other day. Since Q has been here only one player that was developed in Rockford and made an impact was only able to play on one line = Bollig.

Everyone else wasn't thought to be a one trick pony or used that way they all were able to play up and down the lineup except for those not here....Like Morin, Pirri, Skille.
- Al

Would that be an indictment of the Hawk player developments system and/or Stan's drafts?

I know Smith played in college but wouldn't you consider him a Rockford grad? I also think Q likes Nordstrom and he is clearly a Rockford grad.

Block's piece the other day on Morin implied Stan still needs to prove himself as a drafter/talent evaluator and parlaying these pieces (that failed here) into Rundblads and Erixons who are playing in the NHL instead of their own draftees like Klas and Clendening (who have worked hard in the AHL) is bad for system morale and and the development of prospects. I'm not agreeing with Block - just interested in your opinion.

Would that be an indictment of the Hawk player developments system and/or Stan's drafts?

I know Smith played in college but wouldn't you consider him a Rockford grad? I also think Q likes Nordstrom and he is clearly a Rockford grad.

Block's piece the other day on Morin implied Stan still needs to prove himself as a drafter/talent evaluator and parlaying these pieces (that failed here) into Rundblads and Erixons who are playing in the NHL instead of their own draftees like Klas and Clendening (who have worked hard in the AHL) is bad for system morale and and the development of prospects. I'm not agreeing with Block - just interested in your opinion.
- tredbrta

You missed Al's point, which IMO, was that Bollig was the only one-trick pony from Rockford, that had made any impact. The Rockford grads that are still with the team, play more of the all-around game that Q expects.