Just for the fun of it:

-sing top NCAA ufa Vesey
- trade Shaw, McNeill and Rundblad to NJ for Severson and 2nd draft pick in 2017
- sing Campbell for one year and cap friendly contract
- buy out Bickell

Vesey-Toews-Teravainen
Panarin-Anisimov-Kane
Panik-Kruger-Hossa
Desjardins-Rasmussen-Hartman
Hino/Kero

Keith-Seabs
Severson-Hjalmarsson
TvR-Campbell
Gustafsson

Crawford
Darling

Yeah, whatever..I´m tired.

May take on the Hawks is this. The 2010 season was the culmination of the building and squeezing in a championship before the cap became an issue.

The second run was 2013-2015. Two cups and a WCF appearance.

We knew that the cap was going to be an issue this year (and maybe for a couple more) before they make their third run. That should give the core one last shot at a couple of more cups. I think the next couple of years are going to be rough. Welcome to the world of the salary cap.

Yeah, it sucks that they lost. But, it was a hell of a series.
- Tanuki

One of the biggest things going forward is knowing what the twilight years of Marian Hossa's career look like.

1) I believe he still has some juice left in the tank, especially after a longer-than-usual rest this summer. We may have seen a preview of him being a very effective 3rd-liner with some a lot of offensive upside when he matches against lower defensive pairings.

2) How long does he hope to play?? Is next season his last, as his salary drops from almost $8M this year to $4M next year followed by 4 years of $1M? Was next year the agreed upon "retirement date" when the contract was signed? If so, are there loopholes in the CBA like LTIR that would be accepted by the league and not result in severe penalties for the Hawks? Lastly, the cap recapture for trading him and then having him retire are terrible, so I don't see that as a viable loophole. Marian Hossa retires as a Blackhawk.

Answering #2 is critical. If he stays and plays out his contract or at least several more years, his $5.275M AAV hit is expensive relative to production. But, I would argue he's still a very essential part of the core of this team.

A decent scenario is that he has a bounce back year each of the next few years, making the Hawks legitimate Cup contenders.

Perhaps the best case scenario is that he has a bounce back year next year and the Hawks find a loophole for his cap hit after he retires at the end of 2016-17. Why is this so important? This is precisely when Teravainen, Panarin, and Shaw (if he does a 1-year deal now) are up for their next contracts.

Is there a link to the Q presser transcript from last night? I read somewhere that he essentially threw a player or two under the bus for "not playing the right way".

Interesting-- and he lives in Chicago-- but can he fill the need effectively?
- jb3333

Unless Soupy is willing to play for 1.5 million he will be too expensive.

How? On a true contender, you have:

- More than 3 quality defenseman (I like TVR but on a SC winner, at this point in his career, he's a #5).

- Who is the finisher on line 1? Hossa, as much as I love him, proved in this series he is the perfect 3rd line winger. He's not a #1 finisher anymore.

- Who is your 3C? #86 has proved that against bigger guys, he gets T-Rex arms. He may develop into a great winger, but how much time do you give him? I'm guessing Shaw would love to stay, and may take a smaller 2 year deal with the promise to get paid after that, but what if he doesn't? If the answer is Moose, is he a SC contending 3C?

Most of these problems can and do get fixed via UFA. Sorry, that option doesn't exist.

Yes, the core is still great. But it won't win a SC as currently constructed.
- DMCsPulledHammy

I guess it's time to fold up shop and go for the total rebuild.

Just for the fun of it:

-sing top NCAA ufa Vesey
- trade Shaw, McNeill and Rundblad to NJ for Severson and 2nd draft pick in 2017
- sing Campbell for one year and cap friendly contract
- buy out Bickell

Vesey-Toews-Teravainen
Panarin-Anisimov-Kane
Panik-Kruger-Hossa
Desjardins-Rasmussen-Hartman
Hino/Kero

Keith-Seabs
Severson-Hjalmarsson
TvR-Campbell
Gustafsson

Crawford
Darling

Yeah, whatever..I´m tired.
- MjulQvist

Trade Rundblad. Dude, NO ONE on the planet other than Stan Bowman and Coach Q want that stiff. Hell, New Jersey may give us a player if we just don't bring his name up.

If he can't make it onto an Oilers D pairing, do we really want him?
- Aroza

Nurse, Reinhart, Sekera, Klehbum are all LD and there are probably 1 or 2 other young LD in front of him. Also Mcneal cannot make our roster either.

Its funny how in June 2015 Stan was the best GM and Q was the best coach. After one early playoff exit on the past 4 seasons the villagers are out with their pitchforks demanding blood.

Stan and Q are the same GM and coach they were a year ago. They are both among the top of their respective peers and we are fortunate to have them. Are both Stan and Q perfect? No, but there isn't a GM or coach out there who is.

There are lots of potential reasons why the boys lost early this season - fatigue, increased quality of opposition, negative impacts of salary cap, poor coaching decisions. But there are still a lot of positives about this team and realistically there's no reason why they won't contend again next season.

Everyone take a deep breath. Losing hurts but this run is far from over.


- DarthKane

Respectively disagree. Stan was a genius until he literally butchered the Sharp trade resulting in both Johns and Oduya lost. Then he signs Kruger to 3M, big overpay. Seabrook at 6.8 (BIG overpay at least for the term he got). He then goes and trade Dano and a 1st for Ladd (overpay but a necessary trade) then Danault and a 2nd. I have always maintained that if Dano was not a part of the Hawks future he should have been involved in a hockey deal, not a rental.

Stan had a very rough 12 (well 10) months and his stock has gone down dramatically as a result. If he can pull a rabbit or two out of his hat this summer and get this team on the right track he will restore my faith in him but for now he is clown in my eyes.

Spot on. Had StanBo dealt Sharp for picks on draft day and not overplayed his hand by asking for more (assuming the rumors were correct), he could have gotten rid of Sharp's contract, had money to spend on Oduya, and had Johns still in the system.
- DMCsPulledHammy

And this is the biggest PitA about that situation: JO cost only $375k more this year than last year. Stan had better think more clearly this offseason. Expect a Bickell buyout. It will cost $1M (actually saving $2.05M vs burying him in RFD) this upcoming season, and $1.5M in 17/18.

Nurse, Reinhart, Sekera, Klehbum are all LD and there are probably 1 or 2 other young LD in front of him. Also Mcneal cannot make our roster either.
- kmw4631

he sounds like the there 10th best D prospect but of those in front of him 7 or 8 are LD. He would probably be our 5-6th best D prospect.

not even close...holy poop...the inter and intra game swings still have me whiplashed...both team had chances to turn tail....

IMHO...hawks not winning G3 or G4 at home was the key...gotta have one of those and maybe they prevail....
- bogiedoc

Exactly-- needed to get at least a split there at home G3-4 == HUGE turning point was the Steen goal on the turnover by TVR--

I guess it's time to fold up shop and go for the total rebuild.
- DarthKane

No, that's not the point. The point is that it's not all hearts and flowers, Player X isn't going to take a $4M discount to chase a ring because that's all we can afford, and the savior at positon Y isn't at Rockford.

People on this board need to understand it's going to be DIFFICULT for this team to get back to a SCF in the next 1 to 2 years. Not impossible, but difficult. There are too many holes to fill and not enough assets to fill them.

you can enjoy watching him lose next year too. And you can keep Dano.

Trade Rundblad. Dude, NO ONE on the planet other than Stan Bowman and Coach Q want that stiff. Hell, New Jersey may give us a player if we just don't bring his name up.
- kwolf68

A lot can happen on message board..

No, that's not the point. The point is that it's not all hearts and flowers, Player X isn't going to take a $4M discount to chase a ring because that's all we can afford, and the savior at positon Y isn't at Rockford.

People on this board need to understand it's going to be DIFFICULT for this team to get back to a SCF in the next 1 to 2 years. Not impossible, but difficult. There are too many holes to fill and not enough assets to fill them.
- DMCsPulledHammy

It's a joke people get lectured for analyzing the season just played out. I hope Stan himself is reflecting on what he can do better. He screwed up. Why can't people be allowed to admit that? It's post-season, people are frustrated, another year of the core wasted, mind boggling decisions by the truckload.

I get it many people love Stanley. Fine, but I am not part of that fanclub. Bowman walked into this team, a team that already had Kane, Keith, Seabrook, Crawford, Hossa, Toews, not sure if Hammer was in there yet...the core was built by previous guys. He tinkered around the edges, but it doesn't take a genius to give up a damn top prospect and a #1 pick for a rental. Duh! Lets erect a bust to the great Stan because he got Antione Vermette for a #1 and prospect. That took some brilliance. Now because the Hawks only lost by 1 goal (thanks in large part to the guys never even acquired by him) everyone thinks it's hunky dorey. The truth is the team looks like it's in trouble given the cap situation. Can Stan manage that? He was supposed to be a cap guru, other than moving numbers around a spreadsheet I'm not impressed. I'll rescend my view if Bowman gets it done this summer. Until then....

Is there a link to the Q presser transcript from last night? I read somewhere that he essentially threw a player or two under the bus for "not playing the right way".
- DMCsPulledHammy

Without calling him out by name, Q referenced 52's turnover no fewer than four times in about sixty seconds with phrases like "playing the right way."

Of course it's OK for people in here to piss on our players like Tazer or Seabs, but get called out for calling out the suits. Give me a break.

This team CAN still be great....time will tell if that's their fate.

Wouldn't be able to get like a Hanifin or Faulk, obviously...but maybe a little older prescience like Hainsey or Wisniewski (again; but he struggles to stay healthy). Slavin and Pesce are younger guys with big frames and some potential.
- Hank3Henshaw

Hainsey, Wis and Ryan Murphy would be available.

Slavin, Pesce, Carrick, McKeown and Haydn Fleury are not.

Key is the Canes need to take back some salary.

Hainsey, Wis and Ryan Murphy would be available.

Slavin, Pesce, Carrick, McKeown and Haydn Fleury are not.

Key is the Canes need to take back some salary.
- BINGO!

I'd love Wiz, but damn the dude is always injured.

Without calling him out by name, Q referenced 52's turnover no fewer than four times in about sixty seconds with phrases like "playing the right way."
- darklighter

I did not watch the post game, but I surely hope Q did not do that. 52 is a young D-man. Mistakes happen. You can ruin a young player doing that. Q should know better.

I'd love Wiz, but damn the dude is always injured.
- kwolf68

Pretty much. Only one year left on his deal, though.

>Stale and predictable is a fair characterization
- SnapitUpstairs

I would bet that Toews will make any and every adjustment to get back to the top-- he has that type of competitive fire and drive to be the best-- some rest and reflection is in order-- then he will start the regime to be back on top--

Pretty much. Only one year left on his deal, though.
- BINGO!

If the salary worked out the Hawks should at least consider something like that. That's the under the radar move that they need to go for....Hawks have no way to get proven guys, they need "change of scenery" types, the on the outs, the injured proned. Just take a gamble and if it pays off great. Hawks no longer in position they can make typical hockey trades. They must redefine the word creative.

It's a joke people get lectured for analyzing the season just played out. I hope Stan himself is reflecting on what he can do better. He screwed up. Why can't people be allowed to admit that? It's post-season, people are frustrated, another year of the core wasted, mind boggling decisions by the truckload.

I get it many people love Stanley. Fine, but I am not part of that fanclub. Bowman walked into this team, a team that already had Kane, Keith, Seabrook, Crawford, Hossa, Toews, not sure if Hammer was in there yet...the core was built by previous guys. He tinkered around the edges, but it doesn't take a genius to give up a damn top prospect and a #1 pick for a rental. Duh! Lets erect a bust to the great Stan because he got Antione Vermette for a #1 and prospect. That took some brilliance. Now because the Hawks only lost by 1 goal (thanks in large part to the guys never even acquired by him) everyone thinks it's hunky dorey. The truth is the team looks like it's in trouble given the cap situation. Can Stan manage that? He was supposed to be a cap guru, other than moving numbers around a spreadsheet I'm not impressed. I'll rescend my view if Bowman gets it done this summer. Until then....
- kwolf68

He didn´t walk into this team. He has been there like 15 years and was assistant Gm from 07 to 09. Let´s not exaggerate here. No Gm is perfect and Stan has made some mistakes too but he has done a lot right too.

I did not watch the post game, but I surely hope Q did not do that. 52 is a young D-man. Mistakes happen. You can ruin a young player doing that. Q should know better.
- z1990z

Or at least call out your big boys too. Seabs the Keith both had numerous terrible turnovers last night. I would like for someone to double back on Q's and Stan's comments post trade deadline concerning their belief they had enough on D and ask them why they thought they had enough on the back end. Of course no one will have the stones to do it.