Some toughness on the 4th line don't think McNeil is worthy of a spot from what I've seen of him. He's got the tools needs more snarl a big winger who can hit an f fight on that line would help Hartman out and if desi can keep up he looked like crap most of last year. And a physical 7th dman younger than 35 would be nice too. No rozival
- vandymeer23[to old] or mashinter [didn't enforce]

2words buddy. Matt Martin if he is a UFA , but will SB look at that possibility is the question.

Why would a team with the NHL's leading scorer ever think about breaking up his line, the first line he has had year long success with these kind of results and trade away the centre of that line?
- wiz1901

My Question exactly.

2words buddy. Matt Martin if he is a UFA , but will SB look at that possibility is the question.
- wonthecup10

I would, especially in lieu of losing Shaw. Probably $1M lower AAV. Wonder if he'd sign here $7M, 4 years.

Edit: He is a UFA. Coming off a 4 year deal, $1.0M AAV where he made $1.35M last year. And he is only 27. Just pulled info from Cap Friendly.

Subtract Crawford and add Shaw and Ladd instead? Maybe....possibly....

Ladd-Toews-Schmaltz
Panik-Shaw-Kane
Panarin-Anisimov-Hossa
Desi-Kruger-Motte/Hartman

Championship caliber forward depth is what I'm hoping for...
- SimpleJack

Those lines are ...we can dream, right??

Why would a team with the NHL's leading scorer ever think about breaking up his line, the first line he has had year long success with these kind of results and trade away the centre of that line?
- wiz1901

Because they were essentially a 1-line team last year. When 72-15-88 didnt score, the Hawks did not win many games. I think Panarin-Anisimov-Hossa would be one of the best 2nd lines in the NHL. You can throw pretty much anybody on the LW with 19+88 and have two lines that are a threat to score on every shift.

Those lines are ...we can dream, right??
- EnzoD

Yeah I kinda envision the Panik-Shaw-Kane line being like Saad-Shaw-Kane in 2014. Ladd and Toews coming back rejuvenated with a young, speedy, skilled Schmaltz and then that 3rd line would be just unstoppable as far as 3rd lines go.

Subtract Crawford and add Shaw and Ladd instead? Maybe....possibly....

Ladd-Toews-Schmaltz
Panik-Shaw-Kane
Panarin-Anisimov-Hossa
Desi-Kruger-Motte/Hartman

Championship caliber forward depth is what I'm hoping for...
- SimpleJack

Solid lineup. Assuming D stays the way it is now?

Solid lineup. Assuming D stays the way it is now?
- 93Joe

Yeah not enough cap space to upgrade the D any further(assuming we trade CC and bring back Shaw and Ladd), so it would look something like this:

Keith-Seabrook
Kempny-Hammer
Gus-TVR
Svedberg/Pokka

Yeah not enough cap space to upgrade the D any further(assuming we trade CC and bring back Shaw and Ladd), so it would look something like this:

Keith-Seabrook
Kempny-Hammer
Gus-TVR
Svedberg/Pokka
- SimpleJack

Schlemko is still my target of the offseason. Maybe Gragani (dont remember how to spell it) and Tennyson. All low cost. Tennyson is depth and big and mobile and right handed shot, Grags is an offensive puck mover and Schlemko is a dependable 4/5

Because they were essentially a 1-line team last year.
- EnzoD

and Anisimov was PERT of that line!

LOL

2things.....1) Schmaltz is another of what we have too many of....a perimeter player if I read correctly, and 2ndly) I think SB has enough egg on his face already with enough botched up trades.... Why in the hell would he trade AA? Then he totally lost the Saad trade also if he does that. I don't understand that talk especially with a White Sox looking cupboard up in Rockford being full of more players eventually destined for The business world and Beer leagues vs.NHL!
- wonthecup10

The cupboard is not in only Rockford as long as the current model is in place...NCAA-Euro's are where it's at and there hasn't been many who have come up to help from Rockford after spending a long time there developing.

Because they were essentially a 1-line team last year. When 72-15-88 didnt score, the Hawks did not win many games. I think Panarin-Anisimov-Hossa would be one of the best 2nd lines in the NHL. You can throw pretty much anybody on the LW with 19+88 and have two lines that are a threat to score on every shift.
- EnzoD

You can take this to the bank...Teams that have one line score about 41% of their goals usually don't last long in the playoffs if they get there.

Can anyone explain the Andrew Ladd love to me?

We're talking about a player who has never hit 30 goals, who has only hit 60 points ONCE in his career, and a 30-year-old who was almost invisible this post-season.

Why would we reward him with a 5.5-6.0 (?) million dollar contract?

Because he's 6'3"? Because we need a top-six caliber LW? Because he's got "some grit" to his game? Or is it because he was once a Hawk and has familiarity with the 'Hawks system?

Why wouldn't we throw that money at Milan Lucic who is two years younger, has much more playoff success, and has a style of play that everyone has been clamoring for? The "toughness" that the team has been missing, yet has scoring touch as well. He's the same size as Ladd but has more weight on him, and uses his body/physicality a lot more.

Maybe Lucic gets more money AAV than Ladd does, but to me, it makes no sense to explore bringing Ladd back without even considering the fact that there's a player that is better than him on the market that ought to have a similar cost.

Maybe I'm in the minority here, but I didn't see enough out of Ladd over the course of the ~30 games he played here in Chicago to warrant him being a top priority. If he wants to get one final pay-day, let him get that elsewhere for a team that would be willing to overpay for his game, just don't let it be us.

As a matter of fact, I thought Shaw did a better job playing with Toews and Hossa than Ladd did. At least Shaw had developed some sort of chemistry and was able to play off of the two players.

I'm not saying Seabrook isnt still a very good two-way defenseman, but wouldn't you agree as far as usage against higher quality of competition last year?
- EnzoD

Seabrook was the best dman on the team til about December and then he tailed off a lot. A dman's partner means a lot as to how on can be consistent game in and game out....

Can anyone explain the Andrew Ladd love to me?

We're talking about a player who has never hit 30 goals, who has only hit 60 points ONCE in his career, and a 30-year-old who was almost invisible this post-season.

Why would we reward him with a 5.5-6.0 (?) million dollar contract?

Because he's 6'3"? Because we need a top-six caliber LW? Because he's got "some grit" to his game? Or is it because he was once a Hawk and has familiarity with the 'Hawks system?

Why wouldn't we throw that money at Milan Lucic who is two years younger, has much more playoff success, and has a style of play that everyone has been clamoring for? The "toughness" that the team has been missing, yet has scoring touch as well. He's the same size as Ladd but has more weight on him, and uses his body/physicality a lot more.

Maybe Lucic gets more money AAV than Ladd does, but to me, it makes no sense to explore bringing Ladd back without even considering the fact that there's a player that is better than him on the market that ought to have a similar cost.

Maybe I'm in the minority here, but I didn't see enough out of Ladd over the course of the ~30 games he played here in Chicago to warrant him being a top priority. If he wants to get one final pay-day, let him get that elsewhere for a team that would be willing to overpay for his game, just don't let it be us.
- TommyHawk

Ladd is in the exclusive club of players who can score 20 and dish out 200 hits. If he is used as a 1st line player on the 1st PP unit he will score, but in my book on a vg team he is a great 3rd line player.

Why would a team with the NHL's leading scorer ever think about breaking up his line, the first line he has had year long success with these kind of results and trade away the centre of that line?
- wiz1901

Because they had no scoring balance and their 5 on 5 play was not good at all...The worst it has been in recent memory.

Ladd is in the exclusive club of players who can score 20 and dish out 200 hits. If he is used as a 1st line player on the 1st PP unit he will score, but in my book on a vg team he is a great 3rd line player.
- Al

His physical style of play was different in Winnipeg than in Chicago. The two teams have very different playing styles. Sure he can score 20 and play anywhere along the top-9, but the fact of the matter is, if I'm Stan Bowman, I'm not paying $5.5-$6.0 for a great third line player, and neither should the 'Hawks.

Can anyone explain the Andrew Ladd love to me?

We're talking about a player who has never hit 30 goals, who has only hit 60 points ONCE in his career, and a 30-year-old who was almost invisible this post-season.

Why would we reward him with a 5.5-6.0 (?) million dollar contract?

Because he's 6'3"? Because we need a top-six caliber LW? Because he's got "some grit" to his game? Or is it because he was once a Hawk and has familiarity with the 'Hawks system?

Why wouldn't we throw that money at Milan Lucic who is two years younger, has much more playoff success, and has a style of play that everyone has been clamoring for? The "toughness" that the team has been missing, yet has scoring touch as well. He's the same size as Ladd but has more weight on him, and uses his body/physicality a lot more.

Maybe Lucic gets more money AAV than Ladd does, but to me, it makes no sense to explore bringing Ladd back without even considering the fact that there's a player that is better than him on the market that ought to have a similar cost.

Maybe I'm in the minority here, but I didn't see enough out of Ladd over the course of the ~30 games he played here in Chicago to warrant him being a top priority. If he wants to get one final pay-day, let him get that elsewhere for a team that would be willing to overpay for his game, just don't let it be us.


In my DREAMS would I Love to see Looch here, but we all know he's gonna settle on a 1year shorty , let the Kings clear some doe and then get the big kahuna next summer. I like Lad, but I would try to snare Matt Martin if the Isles dont re up him.

As a matter of fact, I thought Shaw did a better job playing with Toews and Hossa than Ladd did. At least Shaw had developed some sort of chemistry and was able to play off of the two players.
- TommyHawk

His physical style of play was different in Winnipeg than in Chicago. The two teams have very different playing styles. Sure he can score 20 and play anywhere along the top-9, but the fact of the matter is, if I'm Stan Bowman, I'm not paying $5.5-$6.0 for a great third line player, and neither should the 'Hawks.
- TommyHawk

THawk....Save the keystrokes Bowman won't/can't pay $5-$6 mill per.

Bottom line, I think we'll know a lot more by this time next week.

So, barring a major blockbuster trade, here is my projected depth chart...

Panarin-Toews-Kane
Schmaltz-Anisimov-Hossa
Panik-Kruger-Motte
Hartman-Desi-McNeil

Keith-Hammer
Kempny-Seabs
Gustaffson-TVR

Crow
Darling


Thoughts?
- EnzoD

I would have to bet there won't be 4 rookie forwards in the lineup to begin the season.

THawk....Save the keystrokes Bowman won't/can't pay $5-$6 mill per.
- Al

I dont think he can pay Ladd $5mil even if he moves Crawford's full $6mil....I really am not sure what to expect. The only thing I am truly hoping for by the end of this offseason is a contract extension for Artemi Panarin....

EDIT: to your point in the comment above, then what is the alternative?

THawk....Save the keystrokes Bowman won't/can't pay $5-$6 mill per.
- Al

I understand.

I just want the Ladd possibilities quashed as well.

He would be a worse cap casualty than Seabrook/Hossa.

I understand.

I just want the Ladd possibilities quashed as well.

He would be a worse cap casualty than Seabrook/Hossa.
- TommyHawk

It is hard for me to view Hossa as a cap casualty bc he was arguably the Blackhawks best forward from 2009-2013 and they dont win a single Cup (IMO) without HossBoss....but I get your point.

Good article by Scott Powers of theathletic.com on Schmaltz and his conscious development of a 200' game - acknowledging he needed to step it up on defense:https://theathletic.com/2...-to-sign-with-blackhawks/

Bowman discussed Schmaltz's development last month: https://t.co/TUeA18juRr?ssr=true
Here's Schmaltz on himself from March:
https://t.co/xBIQopuCXK?ssr=true
- Marlowe

Thanks for posting those links, Marlowe. Powers does a solid job IMO but I've now used 3 of my 5 free articles for the month.

StanBow:

“He’s done everything we’ve asked him to do,” Bowman said in May. “Like a year ago, we met with him and he had a great freshman year offensively, but he needed a little more of a commitment to playing two ways. And he took that, and he really worked at it this season. He was a penalty killer for them, and he really changed his game to being more of a two-way player. That’s the biggest thing. When you have a guy with his talent, and you point something out to him, and he went and made changes to his game, it shows you he wants to be a player.”

Yes, yes and yes that's all you hope for is a weakness is pointed out, the kid sees that, accepts the coaching and puts in the effort to improve. Seems simple enough but not every kid will do this. I guess that's why teams evaluate a 17/18 yr old kids head to see if they can project his heart/ability/willingness to improve.

Schmaltz himself:

Yeah, I think naturally that’s just the way my game is. I think the offense has always been there. I know my dad and my coaches have always been harping on me to play as hard I do with the puck, play that hard without it. I think this year has been the biggest steppingstone for me. I think it’s shown the most. I think I’ve been playing the best hockey I have in my life this year, so it’s been fun.

Kid is saying, without saying it, I rarely gave effort or engaged in any zone besides the offensive zone all my life, he mentions his pops telling him to play hard/compete without the puck. I say show my eyes and don't tell my ears and he has indeed done that this last year at UND.

I'm 90% happier with the pick than I was the day the Hawks made it and that's due to this last year at UND.