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?
- EnzoD

Bowman will troll for a veteran that will come here on modest contract...Like Brad Richards and same goes for a defender.

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

Al, you guys are closer to it then we are,but I agree, Q won't stand for that hot dreamy mess, I bet there is something in the works coming down the pipe that no one saw coming or expected.gettin anxious to find out. Plus the kid is only 20, I see him gettin atleast if not a full, but at least a half a season in Rockford.

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.
- EnzoD

100% agree.

I was referring to Hossa's contract moving forward, but you get the point.

Yes, talking about Franz Nielsen. He's always been at the top of my list of centers for Bowman to pursue. Complete player and as you said very underrated. He is getting older (32, I think) but as he ages he's poised to be a great defensive forward with 30-40 points which is much like how many are projecting Hossa to be as his career winds down.

Would AA and Nielsen be redundant, though, now with Schmaltz signed and with potential to make the lineup this fall? I don't think so if (as many have recommended already) Schmaltz starts at wing this year then moves to center later. I personally think that is the safer learning curve for him.
- AEL_Fox

Financially yes, they are redundant as both are good 2C's but probably elite 3C's. I'll tell you this IF you could get a Nielsen at 4 mil per and go back in the time machine and rip up Kruger's 3.1 per contract and find a Cullen like guy at 1 mil to play 4C I'd pull both hamstrings doing cartwheels and back flips!!

You just can't have your 4 centers being paid so much, can you?. Go Johnny Go 10.5, The Cossack 4.5, Nielsen 4.5ish, and PK ace 17 point man Kruger 3.1.

Bowman will troll for a veteran that will come here on modest contract...Like Brad Richards and same goes for a defender.
- Al

Do you personally have anyone in mind as a cheap veteran UFA target?

Financially yes, they are redundant as both are good 2C's but probably elite 3C's. I'll tell you this IF you could get a Nielsen at 4 mil per and go back in the time machine and rip up Kruger's 3.1 per contract I'd pull both hamstrings doing cartwheels and back flips!!

You just can't have your 4 centers being paid so much, can you?. Go Johnny Go 10.5, The Cossack 4.5, Nielsen 4.5ish, and PK ace 17 point man Kruger 3.1.
- Mr Ricochet

Well, I hate ripping on Kruger after a tough season, but he was on an 8 point, zero goal pace through 82 games....

Well, I hate ripping on Kruger after a tough season, but he was on an 8 point, zero goal pace through 82 games....
- EnzoD

Why quibble over 2-3 or 8 points. Either way stats wise it's like putting perfume on a pig.

Hey guys, can someone post another projection of what our lines will not be come the start of the season?

Why quibble over 2-3 or 8 points. Either way stats wise it's like putting perfume on a pig.
- Mr Ricochet

I hated the deal since the day the ink dried. I pray that Kruger proves me wrong. 38 year old Matt Cullen had 32 points (16G, 16A) for $800,000 this year...

Hey guys, can someone post another projection of what our lines will not be come the start of the season?
- Foles27

Hey guys, can someone post another projection of what our lines will not be come the start of the season?
- Foles27

Mashinter-Malkin-Rundblad
Desjardins-Coach Q-Motte
Svedberg-Schmaltz-Hartman
Toews-Kane-Me
You/Hossa

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.
- Mr Ricochet

Subscription isn't all that expensive and IMO it's worth it for the hockey alone, but also has great coverage of other sports too. Super excited to see how Schmaltz does playing with the big boys.

Thanks SimpleJack, that looks pretty close to the real thing.

I think he gets a look but they always START them on the wings b/c it is less thinking and the kid played there already.

The kid has always been able to make plays while engulped by checkers, in traffic etc.

It just that he always was a perimeter player.

He has learned to execute the defensiev side and last year was actually pretty effective all over.

The kid has great hands and that is the part they drafted - the high skill level.

Has he got a few goals in him? Sure, but right now, he is more of a play generator...I wouldn't be surprised if he gets a shot with Toews off the bat...

I would say things have changed since I write this after the selected him:

http://www.draftsite.com/...ayer/nick-schmaltz/19500/
- wiz1901

Right on, Wiz. Right on. If I didn't know any better I would have thought you plagarized me back in back in 2014.

But you have to admit he's come a long way since then........

Another thing I was thinking about since posting a Schmaltz Ricochet scouting report a few hours ago, I have no idea what kind of shot he has!! He rarely shoots.... I have UND v Omaha-Nebraska and UND v Quinnpiac games still on my machine. Gonna rewatch them.

Gonna play 20/20 hindsight. Like you I had Fabbri ahead of Schmaltz in the 2014 draft. If the Hawks took Fabbri instead would he have been Go Johnny Go's LW this year and if so would they have moved Denault and and that 1st rounder to Montreal? And if so do the Hawks beat the Blues with Fabbri as a Hawk and not a Blue? And if so are the Hawks set at 1LW with a guy on an ELC for 2 more years!! And if so would they have had to move TT? And if so do we have Toews, Kane, Panarin and Fabbri as the top 4 for 4-5-6 more years?

Lotta dominoes falling that day they took Schmaltz instead of Fabbri, bad ones? Only time will tell.

Thanks SimpleJack, that looks pretty close to the real thing.
- Foles27

Do you personally have anyone in mind as a cheap veteran UFA target?
- EnzoD

I will let you know in about 10 days....I have some thoughts but basically guessing and would want to see what shakes out.

Draft should be interesting, hearing now Fowler could be dealt and that's surprising to me. But I'm hearing the FO there thinks he tests free agency when he has the chance in a couple of years. So in today's NHL you trade sooner than later.

Enzo,
So sensitive to sarcasm. Someone not change your diaper today?

Enzo,
So sensitive to sarcasm. Someone not change your diaper today?
- Foles27

I will let you know in about 10 days....I have some thoughts but basically guessing and would want to see what shakes out.

Draft should be interesting, hearing now Fowler could be dealt and that's surprising to me. But I'm hearing the FO there thinks he tests free agency when he has the chance in a couple of years. So in today's NHL you trade sooner than later.
- Al

2nd year in a row i have clamored for Schlemko. Any chance they sign him Al?

Al, you guys are closer to it then we are,but I agree, Q won't stand for that hot dreamy mess, I bet there is something in the works coming down the pipe that no one saw coming or expected.gettin anxious to find out. Plus the kid is only 20, I see him gettin atleast if not a full, but at least a half a season in Rockford.
- wonthecup10

Winning know how is tough to teach...

Victor Bartley might be another option i would think

Haha, Nice Enzo. In all seriousness though, why is everyone trying to create lines for the Hawks. Have we not realized yet that with Q as our coach there is no such thing as set lines? He changes them all the time. You guys would be better off just posting an active opening night roster. Am I wrong?

I hated the deal since the day the ink dried. I pray that Kruger proves me wrong. 38 year old Matt Cullen had 32 points (16G, 16A) for $800,000 this year...
- EnzoD

You can't, you must not, you don't pay 4th line support players at the expense of losing a core guy. You can't, especially a team like the Hawks that bleed core guys every year due to the cap. They lost Oduya over 400k!!!!

Now if Kruger plays 3C, wins 50%+ at the dot, shuts down the Crosby line and puts up 35-40 points then his 3.1 mil per is ok. Anything other than that you've cost yourself 2 mil per too much and lost a Shaw or Panarin because of that contract.

You can't, you must not, you don't pay 4th line support players at the expense of losing a core guy. You can't, especially a team like the Hawks that bleed core guys every year due to the cap. They lost Oduya over 400k!!!!

Now if Kruger plays 3C, wins 50%+ at the dot, shuts down the Crosby line and puts up 35-40 points then his 3.1 mil per is ok. Anything other than that you've cost yourself 2 mil per too much and lost a Shaw or Panarin because of that contract.
- Mr Ricochet

The deal has Bickell 2.0 written all over it. Let us hope that we are both wrong and Kruger can be more than the 4C he has been his entire career.....

The Schmaltz signing is huge. I have seen him play in person a few times when he came here to Omaha, with North Dakota. The game comes very easily to him. He enters the zone with the puck beautifully. He uses teammates very very well.
His growth from year one to year two was substantial. As a freshman he looked like a skinny kid who played on the perimeter and was constantly trying to get the puck to his brother Jordan, at the point.

As a sophomore he grew into hs body and was fantastic with the cycling and puck possession with his linemates, boeser and caggulia.

His back check when the puck was turned over was very very good.

I am psyched.