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

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.

My Sentiments exactly!! 1miilion percent! Hopefully the Chicago media doesnt give him a pass, he has failed miserably this in his actual 1st year he has had to stir the ship! The last couple of re builds or re tools he still had a lot of Dales assets here, now he's got to move forward with house league players like Gusteffsson, Runblad, Svedberg, Rassmusson, Mashintor ect. NONE, I repeat, NONE of those mentioned could make any of the 29 teams roster, plus he gave up Johns, Now Gave up Danault and Dano, and is gonna lose Ladd and Shaw. The Hawks will have the most elite House league team in the NHL next season! If Bowman doesn't fix this early, Hopefully McD. Will pull the plug on him early enough and get a real hockey GM back in there like they had before!
- wonthecup10

A new GM is going to have to work with the same useless assets this off season that Stan will, so I don't see the point of replacing Stan unless you're looking at a complete rebuild, which we are not.

Stan deserves all of the blame for losing Oduya, but I wouldn't be surprised if McD and other front office people pushed the TDL acquisitions because they knew a splash would excite the fan base.

If you're going to use an excuse, I think the season and a half of extra hockey they've played over the past 8 years is probably the best one. 120+ games of the hardest kind - playoff hockey. I know it won't happen but players skipping the IIHF Worlds and the World Cup would be for the best. Hawks need a long rest.
- Aroza

I don't think it's an excuse, honestly. It's a serious difficulty that requires creativity to overcome. I give Q a lot of credit for keeping practices short and sweet, at least when there's not a pressing need to help new guys adjust to the team's play. But I think the idea of taking a game day off is foreign to professional hockey. Sometimes the refusal to admit weakness is itself a weakness.

Hossa should maybe consider calling it a career, I did t watch alot of hawk games but he seems to have lost a step.
- Alexzanki

I think he can move down to a 3rd line winger who's solid defensively and can occasionally make something happen out of nothing in the offensive zone.

Soupy DOES live in the Western burbs and if he could be had on the cheap would help a lot next year

It has been reported he and his wife are looking at houses in South Florida and want to stay.
- Al

>Hi Al, really hope the reports are not accurate -- but $ talks
>I do know that Soupy lives quite close to my sister and has said he would love to come back -- that was mid-year -- but we know the Hawks have little $
>Al, are you aware of any KHL Dmen Barry Smith might be able to recruit?
>As always, I'm looking forward to your next broadcast

Not basically. EXACTLY. Stephen Johns and Johnny Oduya are the Stars #1 D pairing as they advance to the 2nd round. Both players SHOULD have been in the Hawks lineup last night (or at least 1 of them). That trade destroyed the chances of a Cup this season. No other way around it. Gustaffson and Rundblad were terrible. The Gustaffson neutral zone TO, when he could have gone D-D or ANYWHERE but 1v1 and lose the puck, cost them the game.
- EnzoD

Oduya wasn't traded. He patiently waited, and waited. SB missed his guess on moving Bickell, big time. Now while the buyout cap hit starting this season would have been 1, 1, 1.5 & 1.5, SB would have had $2.05M more this season as compared to burying Bickell in the minors.

You then couple in the fact Daley may not have been part of the return in the Sharp deal and a lot of things change.

This whole fiasco goes back to the Bickell situation.

The FO made all the right moves at the TDL and gave Q the horses to make a run.

- Return of the Roar

Absolutely NOT.

I don't see how they can keep Shaw. He's probably their only valuable trading chip.
- 333inthe3rd

Without a doubt. If there's a market, they almost have to trade him. It sucks. I love that poophead. But this team is badly in need of help on the blue line and in their prospect pipeline.

The penalties were defined an codified AFTER the contract was signed and in effect for a couple of years - the penalties are part of the most recent CBA contract.

Seems a bit unfair to retroactively punish a team for executing a contract that was completely legal when signed, but - to be fair - I don't recall Rocky / McDonnough putting up a fight about it.
- StLBravesFan

And by approving the cba (and by default the penalties), they really have no leg to stand on to fight it now.

Just needs to managed

I'm wondering if the Hawks window started closing the minute the ink was dry on those two 10 million dollar contracts. That's 28% of your entire cap in two players. With the cap being stagnant that is a crippling figure, even though they are good players. Bowman is gonna have to be exceptional in his drafting and signing NCAA fa's as the Hawks are going to need to find cheap complimentary players as depth is what makes champions. There are a lot of two line teams but not many four line teams. Even though Kane is a good player I would rather they have traded him for an excellent return and kept Saad and Shaw. They give you more depth and are good playoff type performers.

The stakes for Game 7 against the Ducks went through the roof for Nashville with Chicago's loss

Oduya wasn't traded. He patiently waited, and waited. SB missed his guess on moving Bickell, big time. Now while the buyout cap hit starting this season would have been 1, 1, 1.5 & 1.5, SB would have had $2.05M more this season as compared to burying Bickell in the minors.

You then couple in the fact Daley may not have been part of the return in the Sharp deal and a lot of things change.

This whole fiasco goes back to the Bickell situation.
- blackhawk24

You can't really afford to make mistakes with contracts in the salary cap era, even for sentimental reasons. I think that the Hawks' window is still open, but only as long as Brent Seabrook -- whose contract will look worse than Bickell's by the time it expires -- is an effective 3D.

Bob Stauffer
✔ ‎‎@Bob_Stauffer

Don't be surprised if N.A. U-24 Managers Peter Chiarelli and Stan Bowman make a deal at some point this off-season

Stauffer say something on his show yesterday regarding a minor deal involving David Musil for Mark McNeill.

http://oilersnation.com/2...usil-take-it-to-the-limit

Looks like a 6-4 210 LD. probably a good deal for both teams. sounds like he is unluikely to make the team and would have to go through waivers. Same as Mcneal correct?

I'm wondering if the Hawks window started closing the minute the ink was dry on those two 10 million dollar contracts. That's 28% of your entire cap in two players. With the cap being stagnant that is a crippling figure, even though they are good players. Bowman is gonna have to be exceptional in his drafting and signing NCAA fa's as the Hawks are going to need to find cheap complimentary players as depth is what makes champions. There are a lot of two line teams but not many four line teams. Even though Kane is a good player I would rather they have traded him for an excellent return and kept Saad and Shaw. They give you more depth and are good playoff type performers.
- Joinable

This team wins nothing without Patrick Kane. Easily their best skater this year, and an absolutely critical -- and clutch -- playoff performer. Incredibly, he's getting better.

Oduya wasn't traded. He patiently waited, and waited. SB missed his guess on moving Bickell, big time. Now while the buyout cap hit starting this season would have been 1, 1, 1.5 & 1.5, SB would have had $2.05M more this season as compared to burying Bickell in the minors.

You then couple in the fact Daley may not have been part of the return in the Sharp deal and a lot of things change.

This whole fiasco goes back to the Bickell situation.
- blackhawk24

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.

Bob Stauffer
✔ ‎‎@Bob_Stauffer

Don't be surprised if N.A. U-24 Managers Peter Chiarelli and Stan Bowman make a deal at some point this off-season

Stauffer say something on his show yesterday regarding a minor deal involving David Musil for Mark McNeill.

http://oilersnation.com/2...usil-take-it-to-the-limit

Looks like a 6-4 210 LD. probably a good deal for both teams. sounds like he is unluikely to make the team and would have to go through waivers. Same as Mcneal correct?
- kmw4631

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

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

Maybe he hurts the tank so they need to get rid of him?

Just 3 more #1s and they'll contend...promise!!

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

Panik couldn't make the Leafs roster and he looks pretty solid here

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

At this point you have to add him. More candidates to choose from the more one may pan out. Hawks need to add D-men into their system at every chance they get.

In reference to no "Parayko" in the pipeline, is there any chance of seeing Forsling or any other prospects at the big-league level next year?

To be fair, I can't afford tickets to see Chicago right now. What were prices like before 2005? Baseball doesn't have a cap and attendance seems fine.

I'm not arguing for removing the cap. I think it's good. It's just hard letting go of a dynasty...
- Aroza

Letting go? WTF is that all about?!

This team wins nothing without Patrick Kane. Easily their best skater this year, and an absolutely critical -- and clutch -- playoff performer. Incredibly, he's getting better.
- darklighter

Yeah he's good but it all depends on what you could get for him. If the cost of his contract is no depth and no cups is it worth it? There might be the argument made that he is untradeable - that you couldn't get a proper return, but that remains to be seen. The other option would be trading Toews and I don't believe that is an option. Centres are far more valuable than wingers.

Will start off saying thank you for another good season. Another playoff appearance, another 100 point season and an MVP performance from Patrick Kane. This is the toughest sport in the world. To win a Cup? Wow.. To win 3 in 6 years. Geezus..

All said and done this was a tired group. 2, 7, 4, 19... were all gassed, but again showed why they have won 3 Cups coming back down 3-1 to almost take this series. Lack of D depth showed, but in reality with all the Cup purges we still are in the hunt. Yes most of the D did not play all that well, especially Gus in the last few games. What Gus did get was incredible experience. Playoff hockey experience. He will be that much better next year. The entire D core will be better as well with some rest too I think. Call me crazy but TVR still hasnt fully developed yet. This for all accounts was a true legit rookie campaign for him. With 57 and 52 coming back next year rested and with more experience, the D isnt as thin as some may think. A legit vet is needed to help bridge the gap, but overall its still a good group.

Key will be for Q to manage the minutes better by rolling all the pairings more consistently. What we did lose was some quality depth at forward. Gone are Danault and Dano. Gotta give Stan credit for making the big trades happen to bring Ladd, Weise and Fleischman here. The Sharp trade did not turn out well, which brings me to the biggest failure of the season... Coaching!

Sharp had to go.. so off to Dalllas he goes in return for Trevor Daley and Garbut. Daley got very little time to acclimate himself to this team. He would have been damn helpful to have against the Blues. His skating ability and transition game would have helped. Nope... he got the show me now or be gone routine from Q. Same with Garbut. Yo-yo'd all over the place before being traded for Sekac who got the same damn treatment from Q. Then there was the Mashinter fiasco. Marched out there non stop and the guy did zilch for this team. Same with TT. Yes he has skill, but was in a major funk and needed some time in the press box. Nope.. off you go and he did zilch considering all the responsibilty Q gave him.

Weise? Again given very little time to acclimate then gets benched to start the playoffs. The guy was a difference maker in the last two games. So fatigue and some depth issues were present, but the HC did not dress the best line up available to him and it cost him. He made some changes, but they were to late. Daley was needed in this series, but he was shipped off to Pitt and is a major contributor there now.

Q will be in the HOF, but for all accounts this was a very poor coaching year for him. You cant pout/throw tude etc. when you dont get everything on your wish list at the deadline. He had the pieces, yet did not use them. There needs to be a meeting of the minds with Q and Stan this summer. Find a common ground or move on. Those young guys will be there next year and with more experience. You need a HC that will help them develop. Not have to endure the yo-yo nutball Q treatment.

Diamonds in the rough: 72. Wow what a find.
14. Power forward in the making.
70. Big C who can skate.

And Stan's ability to land AA when the Saad deal went south. Get some rest boys. Enjoy the extra time off and re-charge. And thank you to JJ for keeping us in the loop all year!!! (Sorry for the long post)

I agree that the better team won. The hawks had some bad luck (how does that not go in?!), but in the end, it is what it is. I'm thinking that TT is moved this summer and I think Andrew Shaw will want too much money, so he'll walk too.

I've said this before, but I'll say it again, Brian Campbell and Florida haven't extended his contract. He has already made a ton of money, what are the chances that he comes back from a cap friendly deal?
- Crawford

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

In reference to no "Parayko" in the pipeline, is there any chance of seeing Forsling or any other prospects at the big-league level next year?
- phantasmo

My take is any will be a trainwreck. Forsling isn't ready in his own zone if he ever will be, Pokka I think is over-rated (wished we could have moved him and not Johns), and after that is just a bunch of average guys and a couple sleepers that may be 2-3 years out. Hawks have ZILCH at defense in the farm right now.