Good list. I actually forgot about Faulk. He can look Keith like at times. Has the physical tools. He and Ekblad could be the next Keiths - if that is possible.
- tredbrta

While I don't think he will be "the next Keith", I think Seth Jones has the potential to be a top 5 in a couple of years.

Can't believe there's any argument over Keith vs. Doughty. I live in LA and see too much of Drew Doughty. He's not in the same class as Duncan Keith. He's not as good in his own end and can't come close to playing the minutes Keith does without it affecting his game. Doughty is a really good player. Keith is a generational talent - best at his position and what guys like Fowler and Lindholm aspire to be when they grow up.

Having said that, the difference in this series is not Keith (or Toews or Kane or Saad or any other forward or defensemen). Crawford has been a little better through 6 games than Andersen. He's the reason there is a Game 7. If Hawks win the series, Crawford is your difference maker. If Ducks win, it will be because Freddy found a way to raise his game.
- hardenx

there ya go...a man who knows his hockey stuff and a king watcher...

doughty is a great dman who is going to get better...but he does not possess the defensive chops and acumen of duncan keith...not even close

I had Hawks in 6 too. I overestimated the Hawks though.

For the life of me I can't figure out why they don't load Toews and Kane up on one line. The Ducks don't have a huge shutdown defensive line.
- yzermaneely

Hey, if one of you sees Q, tell him you're welcome. Who knew he read the Ducks' blog comments here on HB merely a couple of hours before gametime?

That is the King's locker room. Though I'm sure several ducks are partying with the Kings regularly. Kesler for one is a well know club kid.

Also, you apparently have missed all but 2-3 periods of this series if you haven't seen the Hawks dominating possession. I will say the Ducks have cycled better against the Hawks than I have seen any team in some time.
- tredbrta

not even close...they are that good and robotic....

i swear they knew where the hawks are going to try clear it before the hawks do...it seemed every pass was met by a duck forechecker

Are you serious? If you put Drew Doughty on this team in Kieths spot he would be just as effective, and that's not taking away from keith, he's an excellent player but he's not light years ahead of every other defenseman, there is at least 10-15 right around where he is.
- Dcoms

They raised their game. Your ducks will do the same. Somebody is going to get smoked Saturday.....sadly for you, we took out grandpa from the lineup in fear of his safety.

I'm expecting a very low scoring, tight checked game.
- SteveRain

Rundblad not quite as bad, eh?

Hey, if one of you sees Q, tell him you're welcome. Who knew he read the Ducks' blog comments here on HB merely a couple of hours before gametime?
- yzermaneely

No worries the insight here is the reason hawks are so successful. He determines his game plan after back reading.

Everyone I think is as good, if not better than keith (no specific order)

doughty
karlsson (offensively)
weber
Giordano
Subban
Hedman


Players I think could be at keith's level in the not too distant future

OEL
Carlson
Josi
Ekblad
Faulk
- benjichronic

ummmmm

doughty...yeah but a very different skill set and player...

when weber does it in the post season for once...come talk to me

the rest of 'em???

Here is the way I looks at it. Fine. Call every penalty in the game and lets see where the totals end up. I'll take my chances in that situation.
- Elbows15

What is amazing is that this sort of statement can actually be challenged by the hockey zeitgeist. Shouldn't it simply be a given? Call them all.

Must be nice to sit up on that pedistal and talk down on someone for having off ice issues. I'm pretty sure there is only one player in the Blackhawks Ducks series that was ever charged with second-degree robbery, fourth-degree criminal mischief, and theft of services.

But lets rip on a guy for being rumored for being a "club kid"
- nurk

Yawn. Guess you missed all "no comments" from teammates when he was traded. That Kesler's A was stripped by vote and the Reddit page sharing photos and stories of women he hit on while married.

Glad he went west. Particularly if it would have taken Shaw or TT. He may have been a bad influence on our "theft of services" miscreant.

And, as a fan of a team who watched Theo Fleury destroy a locker room with drugs, I have every right to look down on the drug use of highly paid athletes. Now why don't you crawl back into your cave with snipper.

What is amazing is that this sort of statement can actually be challenged by the hockey zeitgeist. Shouldn't it simply be a given? Call them all.
- tredbrta

Either you call them all...or you don't. That's the problem. What was a penalty in G1 P1, may not be in G6 P3.

Honestly, in the flow of the game, I don't mind a few non-calls. I don't mind the scrums in the protection of your goalie, cuz both teams are going to do that. But after the play is whistled dead...what Stoner did to Shaw should have been an automatic penalty. That wasn't in protection of, well, anything.

Yawn. Guess you missed all "no comments" from teammates when he was traded. That Kesler's A was stripped by vote and the Reddit page sharing photos and stories of women he hit on while married.

Glad he went west. Particularly if it would have taken Shaw or TT. He may have been a bad influence on our "theft of services" miscreant.

And, as a fan of a team who watched Theo Fleury destroy a locker room with drugs, I have every right to look down on the drug use of highly paid athletes. Now why don't you crawl back into your cave with snipper.
- tredbrta

I'm so sorry that you went through that. I feel really bad. If i had known you went through all that I wouldnt have brought this up. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

While I don't think he will be "the next Keith", I think Seth Jones has the potential to be a top 5 in a couple of years.
- DMCsPulledHammy

Agreed. If he keeps getting better they will trade Weber IMO. Budget team.

its not dense. there have been plenty of things let go on the hawks. multiple seabrook crosschecks, a slash to keslers wrist last night come to mind just off the top of my head. lets not act like the blackhawks are saints out on the ice.
- flyershockey

Compared to the ducks they are ..

Hey, if one of you sees Q, tell him you're welcome. Who knew he read the Ducks' blog comments here on HB merely a couple of hours before gametime?
- yzermaneely

I guess you missed that Q had Kane with Toews in Game 5 period 3.

How is Bruce adjusting? Is he back to binge eating again?

I'm so sorry that you went through that. I feel really bad. If i had known you went through all that I wouldnt have brought this up. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.
- nurk

I can't decide if this is hilarious or just your way of conceding while taking a shot at one of the people who called you out. Leaning toward a combination of both.

I guess you missed that Q had Kane with Toews in Game 5 period 3.

How is Bruce adjusting? Is he back to binge eating again?
- tredbrta

Don't you have to stop eating for it to be considered a binge?


Edit: maybe a little over the line with that one.

I'm so sorry that you went through that. I feel really bad. If i had known you went through all that I wouldnt have brought this up. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.
- nurk

It wasn't that traumatic. Thanks though.

Hope you see it happen in Anaheim real soon. Sounds like Kesler, Maroon and Despres may already be on the way. Attitudes and party people. The way Maroon and Kesler trash talk in the press - character is obviously an issue.

Good article here from Grantland on the salary cap and how it affects the Hawks and the NHL in general: http://grantland.com/the-...he-end-of-the-blackhawks/

Good article here from Grantland on the salary cap and how it affects the Hawks and the NHL in general: http://grantland.com/the-...he-end-of-the-blackhawks/
- Dieselhead

Good read and a bit depressing .But I may be very wrong but I don't think this cap crunch will be as bad as 2010 . Think the HAWKS have better prospects and more poised core that will remain .

Good article here from Grantland on the salary cap and how it affects the Hawks and the NHL in general: http://grantland.com/the-...he-end-of-the-blackhawks/
- Dieselhead

all of us here have known since the toews/kane extentions that this purge was coming...probably why this board is so hyperextended bi-polar with every win and loss...this team and its accomplishments is in the very mature phase and other teams are getting ready to bloom...

yet this purge will be different: it will involve older players (the so called core) like sharp, oduya maybe crawford, most likely bickel and/or versteeg 2

the 2010 purge forced out young talent: ladd, buff, niemi, versteeg 1

however the flipside is the the core remainining will now also be older with alot of hockey wear and tear: keith and seab (early 30's), hossa (36), hammy (29), toews/kane (27 plus)

Good article here from Grantland on the salary cap and how it affects the Hawks and the NHL in general: http://grantland.com/the-...he-end-of-the-blackhawks/
- Dieselhead

Thanks for the link, D-Head. That water shortage must be impacting people's mental capacity out there.

That writer apparently cannot do simple math. This is nothing like 2010 and our core players are actually younger than the trash talking ducks and their posters/columnists. We have Teuvo coming, Panarin coming, Johns, TVR and on and on... Just as deep a farm system. Deeper than what was available in 11 and even deeper now with free agent signings.

Subtract Bickell and Sharp and you more than offset Saad. He will be signed without issue... If he gets offer sheeted for astronomical dollars than someone else will have cap issues. Who is there willing to take that chance when Saad plays with Toews and Hossa all year? If Saad is a reasonable deal the Bickell/Sharp subtractions could also pay for a combo of others like Krueger and Oduya. Trade Crow and you have even more space.

Bickell will probably have to be packages with a prospect (maybe a good one) to get someone to take his full cap hit. I think Sharp will actually generate a solid return.

What will be more entertaining is watching Murray try to work on a budget when your young d men start asking for $4-5m per year and whatever Kesler's ego will be demanding. Maybe Samueli will allow him to spend to the cap for a few years for staying under it for several more? Who knows? What we do know is your 150,000 fans and trickle of merchandize sales (compared to teams like the Hawks) will make the Ducks a long term budget team unless Samueli wants a business that continues to lose.... and the last several years prove he does not.

all of us here have known since the toews/kane extentions that this purge was coming...probably why this board is so hyperextended bi-polar with every win and loss...this team and its accomplishments is in the very mature phase and other teams are getting ready to bloom...

yet this purge will be different: it will involve older players (the so called core) like sharp, oduya maybe crawford, most likely bickel and/or versteeg 2

the 2010 purge forced out young talent: ladd, buff, niemi, versteeg 1

however the flipside is the the core remainining will now also be older with alot of hockey wear and tear: keith and seab (early 30's), hossa (36), hammy (29), toews/kane (27 plus)
- bogiedoc

Hammer is 27 - Maroon's age. Kesler, Perry and Getzlaf are all over 30. Beauchamin is 35.

Hawks will get younger next year while subtracting Rosi, Bickell, Sharp probably at minimum... all of those players were playing with a low Return on Investment - particularly Bickell. The Hawks will get younger no doubt but if Panarin, Teuvo and a combination of other players provide positive ROIs (easier to do on ELCs) the Hawks will be on top again quickly. Next year will not look like 11 IMO. Could be exciting if we see more hunger and fire from the youngsters. This doesn't even consider the return in a Sharp or Crow trade. Risks yes. But there are those every year. Biggest IMO would be losing Crow and betting on Darling or a committee of goalies. That could cost a few years but would also give them more cap flex.

Thanks for the link, D-Head. That water shortage must be impacting people's mental capacity out there.

That writer apparently cannot do simple math. This is nothing like 2010 and our core players are actually younger than the trash talking ducks and their posters/columnists. We have Teuvo coming, Panarin coming, Johns, TVR and on and on... Just as deep a farm system. Deeper than what was available in 11 and even deeper now with free agent signings.

Subtract Bickell and Sharp and you more than offset Saad. He will be signed without issue... If he gets offer sheeted for astronomical dollars than someone else will have cap issues. Who is there willing to take that chance when Saad plays with Toews and Hossa all year? If Saad is a reasonable deal the Bickell/Sharp subtractions could also pay for a combo of others like Krueger and Oduya. Trade Crow and you have even more space.

Bickell will probably have to be packages with a prospect (maybe a good one) to get someone to take his full cap hit. I think Sharp will actually generate a solid return.

What will be more entertaining is watching Murray try to work on a budget when your young d men start asking for $4-5m per year and whatever Kesler's ego will be demanding. Maybe Samueli will allow him to spend to the cap for a few years for staying under it for several more? Who knows? What we do know is your 150,000 fans and trickle of merchandize sales (compared to teams like the Hawks) will make the Ducks a long term budget team unless Samueli wants a business that continues to lose.... and the last several years prove he does not.
- tredbrta

Actually, I'm a Blackhawks fan. I wasn't looking to stir up poop, just thought that it was a good article. Relax.

I'm confident that the Hawks will be able to ice a competitive team for the next several years because Chicago is a desirable destination with Tazer as the captain and Wirtz committed to winning. The player I worry most about losing is Seabrook.

The writer's primary point is that Bettman wants parity in the league, and the salary cap, among other things is helping the league achieve that.

all of us here have known since the toews/kane extentions that this purge was coming...probably why this board is so hyperextended bi-polar with every win and loss...this team and its accomplishments is in the very mature phase and other teams are getting ready to bloom...

yet this purge will be different: it will involve older players (the so called core) like sharp, oduya maybe crawford, most likely bickel and/or versteeg 2

the 2010 purge forced out young talent: ladd, buff, niemi, versteeg 1

however the flipside is the the core remainining will now also be older with alot of hockey wear and tear: keith and seab (early 30's), hossa (36), hammy (29), toews/kane (27 plus)
- bogiedoc

I think that the 2015-16 season will really tell us how good a coach Quenville is because he's going to have to develop young talent whether he likes it or not. Does Denault become Jeremy Morin 2.0? Are the young D coming up from Rockford going to turn out as well as TVR did early on? Let's just hope that we're complaining about a Cup hangover next October.