Toews, Kane, Keith & Seabrook locked up for another 7 years.
Hossa for another 5.

And the window is closing already? That sucks. So are the next 7 years just throw aways then?
- wolphnuts12

Great point.

Not just Bowman: Rocky is the deciding factor, I would think.

What is it - $2MM per play-off game?

He doesn't like missing out on many of those.
- StLBravesFan

I think you are close on that number....2 million. He does get some money as they all do from playoff revenue sharing, but yeah.....that gate is crucial to rolling the dice on win now trades by Bowman.

I give Wirtz a LOT of credit. I don't always agree with his constant whining about losing money on the hawks, which is a load of crap, BUT I do give him credit for checking his ego and empowering McDonough to come off as the guy running the team and Wirtz being OK with being in the background.

If you think about it......the Hawks management chain.
Q--out going personality carries large EGO
Bowman---introverted, calculated, etc
McDonough--same as Q
Wirtz---more like Bowman

So you have a good mix of personalties but where it does get interesting is when the larger then life ones start to invade your introverted GM.

McDonough hinted around that in his Haugh article how Bowman comes to him with plans and why this would work.....etc.

I agree. At some point, they have to promote the young guys and see what you have. This season seems like a perfect opportunity to do just that
- Hank3Henshaw

I'm not saying that they can't win, but for the 1st time since probably 2012 I don't have the same expectations of them being a legit cup contender. I fully expect them to make the playoffs and IF ALL goes right they have a good chance, but lots of questions have to be answered. Completely different feeling then 2013, 2013-14, 2014-15, and even last year until it was evident they had flaws that were unfixable....mainly on the back ebd.

Putting the 3 cups to 2 argument aside, because the Pens had the worst injury luck in the entire league the past 10 years, why do you feel that's true?
- MattStrat

Pens had 7 years between cups... at that rate, I like the hawks to get another in the next seven. Also, only because the hawks core has more core players remaining. I think the pens had four, yes?

Hawks will cobble together a better fourth line than Wilson/Cullen/Fehr. And defensively, the hawks have FOUR A-S caliber D-men in their top-4. They both have their down-arrows: Kunitz/Hossa or Hornquist/Tootoo... but seems the pens got hungry again after a while. This is the hungry year here again, I believe. Also, we got rid of D. Rundblad, and that is how I know.

2C > 3/4C. Having a hole at one of your bottom C's is a better problem to have than a hole at 2C.

I believe he has some untapped offensive potential. He will never be a goal scorer, but if you watch him from his Sweden days, you can definitely see some playmaking ability. Q has put him there for a few games over the past couple seasons, might be worth a try. If it works out, he becomes an underpaid 2C.
- Antz96

Well that kind of goes against the argument that his defensive value is hard to replace. In Q's system Kruger plays a huge roll in how the lines work. The moving Anisimov to 1LW and Kruger to 2C is just rearranging the deck chairs.

You kind of missed my point. That scenario makes this team worse.

In a vacuum sure 2C has more value that 3C or 4C and the later are easier to replace but this isn't being looked at in a vacuum.

Kruger takes a large portion of defensive zone starts for the team. He won't if he centers Kane and Panarin. You do not want Toews taking more than he already does so you are going to rely on some league minimum bottom 6 fill in to do that or a rookie? That won't end well.

Kruger is not a 2C in this league either. Sure he will put up some points with Panarin and Kane on his line because he will touch the puck occasionally.

I get Kruger could potentially be a good set up guy but his best asset is his defense and ability to shut guys down. You lose pretty much all of your ability to use that asset of his if he is centering Panarin and Kane. You don't put those two wings in for D zone starts. They are the teams offensive engine.

I don't disagree but in fairness you go off of track record and these guys have non. So while yes, Panarin hit, doesn't mean they all will. That's all I am saying.

I think the negative reaction is to assume NON will hit. The optimistic reaction is to say they ALL will hit.

I fall in between those 2 segments.
- SteveRain

Good thing is they don't need to find another Panarin. Even with a complete question mark at 2LW, Panarin-AA-Kane, XXX-Toews-Hossa is as solid as you'll find for top 6's in the NHL. So, come playoff time they essentially need to find/develop 2 quality 3rd liners(assuming Panik is your other 3rd line winger, and Desi/Kruger anchor the 4th line), and eventually(maybe waiting until the TDL) find/develop a 2LW. Schmaltz/Motte/McNeil/Lundberg/Hartman/Hinostroza/etc is a good collection of potential 3rd line talent.

There's that, and then there's still the idea of breaking up Toews/Hossa and the Panarin/AA/Kane line to spread out those 5 players and distribute the firepower on lines 1, 2 and 3(still with a Desi/Kruger 4th line).

I think either way the Hawks will ride the D/goaltending until they figure this out. Not sure they will in time for the Cup run, but if they do they'll probably be the league's best team.

Agreed, not all rookies are the same. A 23-24-25 yr old rookie isn't the same as a 20 yr old rookie and some guys like Rasmussen played 5-6 yrs pro overseas. In the hard cap world these older "rookies" from overseas that have 4-5 yrs pro experience are very attractive.

I've been a fan of Rasmussen since his first shift. Liked his size right away and as I watched him he showed solid IQ . But last year with the Hawks he showed a more dynamic step/burst and seemed better with the puck on his stick. Showed a heavy shot as well.

I was always a fan but much much more after his time with the Hawks last year. With only 9:00 average TOI in a 4th line role in 44 games he put up 4 goals, 5 assists and was a plus NINE.

I think he might be the surprise of this year. He has upside, more than most think. I don't think a 3rd line look as the season progresses is out of the question MAYBE even a look with Kane and Panarin in an in game Q blender.
- Mr Ricochet

I agree with you and last year at the end of the year he also started to play with a more physical edge. I think he will be a regular this year at center

Hey Rainman agree on this - the defense is much improved. I think Soupy may be the biggest bargain of the summer. He was still playing top minutes last season and I believe led dmen in +/-. Kempny was another big add as well. We all know this team needed a #4 last season and didn't have it, but now the defense is your biggest strength.

The big question is scoring depth and quite a bit was lost here in the last couple months. And while they may be forced to put some kids in I'd still like to see them sign Hudler. I think Vesey is going to the Bruins...so the other question out there is what they'll be able to do at the TDL with the Rockford cupboard a little more bare after the moves they've made the last couple of seasons.

Should be interesting to see what they do here if anything before camp starts.
- DK002

Shoring up the D was a 'must have' IMO....but this team will be middle of the pack without a veteran winger (OR 2)
nothing against the rookies, but 'seeing what they can do' is not very reassuring

Which of the young players on the hawks would have to clear waivers if sent down?

Mcneal? I think does
Svedberg I think does
Moose?
Hartman?
Gus?
Hino?
Pokka?
Panik-Does
Lundberg-?
Kero?

Wiz, Bishop is a UFA following this season. If TB plays him in the upcoming playoffs, after the TDL, he's gone for nothing.

TB is ok THIS year salary wise as they have the space for Kucherov, who is an RFA, but it will put them at the cap. Next year is where hell visits them. Tyler Johnson, Drouin and Palat are all RFA's and they will not have the money for all 3 of them.
- Mr Ricochet

yeah understood every facet when I posted they would try and get SOMETHING FOR THE SOON TO BE UFA...or let Las Vegas have him.

I think they can get a sign and trade done even though he is going to be an UFA or he is a Las Vegas gambler .

Shoring up the D was a 'must have' IMO....but this team will be middle of the pack without a veteran winger (OR 2)
nothing against the rookies, but 'seeing what they can do' is not very reassuring
- Kewl1

Fair enough on your thoughts, just feel like these "rookies" aren't your typical roll out of the OHL and into the starting line-up types. That would have me worried.

Compare to the Wings who are considering Larkin as their 1C this year... talk about a big jump in expectation for a young kid in his 2nd year.

Hypothetical here:

Would you guys be down with bumping the PAK line up to be the #1 and make the Toews line #2?

Which of the young players on the hawks would have to clear waivers if sent down?

Mcneal? I think does
Svedberg I think does
Moose?
Hartman?
Gus?
Hino?
Pokka?
Panik-Does
Lundberg-?
Kero?
- kmw4631

capfriendly.com has a feature that show which players have to go through waivers:

https://www.capfriendly.com/teams/blackhawks

My opinion is Bowman is really trying to land Vesey. Here's to hoping for a new 2/3LW ... Panarin is 1LW.

Hypothetical here:

Would you guys be down with bumping the PAK line up to be the #1 and make the Toews line #2?
- Hank3Henshaw

What is the difference, really? Other than saying it is easier on paper to slot a new 2L under the cap than a 1L. It is what it is, plus if Hoss has some 3R time, no matter what anyone says, Toews is 2C. I don't think one single guy in the group of 15/19/72/81/88 could care less who is 1st line or 2nd line.

Now, wanna throw Hudler and/or Richards in the mix? Sure that makes for discussion, but when push comes to shove, who cares right?

Hypothetical here:

Would you guys be down with bumping the PAK line up to be the #1 and make the Toews line #2?
- Hank3Henshaw

They play the same Number of minutes of 5 on 5. its basically the #1 line is the one that starts a period. the PAK line at times does start as the 1. Q generally bases on who is out there on the other team, IE the Teows line is better on face offs and better on Defense, so if the other team puts there best OFF line out he would go with Teows if they do not he might go with PAK.

A few things in response to what has been said on the thread today:

-- How do the Hawks get Hudler? Who becomes a cap casualty to make that happen? And is Hudler really what the doctor ordered? Detroit fans I have talked to in the past always had questions about his level of compete.

-- I have never watched Anisimov play LW. Can he really play 1LW? What are the odds that such an arrangement doesn't work with 19 and 81?

-- Richards would be a downgrade at 2C from Anisimov. Anisimov knew his role on that line. Go to the net and let the wingers do their thing. Panarin talked about him being the big reason for the line's success. Also, if Richards replaces him there, the line will be a bigger defensive liability. The only thing that will improve is faceoff percentage.

-- As said already, the D is upgraded in a big way. It's not just 4D, but the 3rd pair, also.

-- I will keep saying it, but I think 19 and 81 played hurt a lot last year. They can carry a mediocre LW when they are healthy, much like Kane can carry a mediocre 2C. Maybe they can get Sharp back or cheap after his current contract is done, who knows?

-- Regarding Subban for Weber, does anybody make that trade in a vacuum? Did the Habs feel that they absolutely had to move Subban? If so, what kind of return does anybody think they missed out on? The only other argument that could be made is that they should have purged management instead of trading what was supposed to be the team's cornerstone player. I'm not privy to the reasoning that went into this deal. I don't think GMs go out of their way to make these deals. They happen because of something else in a lot of instances. I have to think the Taylor Hall deal was not a deal that gets made in a vacuum, either.

Kruger won't be 2C. He is going to be our 3C. Also, Q has already said he would like to see Hossa and Kruger on the same line....so say the third line. Now just for giggles, lets say the Hawks were to sign Richards to play 2C between Kane and Panarin. And, for more giggles AA gets moved to 1LW. My question to you under that scenario is who becomes our 1RW? Panik? I can see a fourth line of Desi, Moose and Tootoo. So Panik then has to play either 1RW or 3LW...with only one other spot open for Vinny, Hartman, Motte and Schmaltz.

I can maybe see them signing Richards to play 4C...that would be nice center depth. Seems to me though they really want the kids to play. So if Richards were a 4C then Moose either is the 13th guy or plays in minors.

I just think they really are going to let the kids play.

Kruger won't be 2C. He is going to be our 3C. Also, Q has already said he would like to see Hossa and Kruger on the same line....so say the third line. Now just for giggles, lets say the Hawks were to sign Richards to play 2C between Kane and Panarin. And, for more giggles AA gets moved to 1LW. My question to you under that scenario is who becomes our 1RW? Panik? I can see a fourth line of Desi, Moose and Tootoo. So Panik then has to play either 1RW or 3LW...with only one other spot open for Vinny, Hartman, Motte and Schmaltz.

I can maybe see them signing Richards to play 4C...that would be nice center depth. Seems to me though they really want the kids to play. So if Richards were a 4C then Moose either is the 13th guy or plays in minors.

I just think they really are going to let the kids play.
- onehundredlevel

I like the Kruger Hossa idea. I think you need to put Panarin or Kane with Toews then. I don't want to see Toews drag two sub-par linemates around all year. That is a waste of his abilities. Also spreads out the fire power a bit more.

I like the Kruger Hossa idea. I think you need to put Panarin or Kane with Toews then. I don't want to see Toews drag two sub-par linemates around all year. That is a waste of his abilities. Also spreads out the fire power a bit more.
- bhawks2241

I can see the "sub par" Kruger and Hossa as Toews wings...

A few things in response to what has been said on the thread today:

-- How do the Hawks get Hudler? Who becomes a cap casualty to make that happen? And is Hudler really what the doctor ordered? Detroit fans I have talked to in the past always had questions about his level of compete.

-- I have never watched Anisimov play LW. Can he really play 1LW? What are the odds that such an arrangement doesn't work with 19 and 81?

-- Richards would be a downgrade at 2C from Anisimov. Anisimov knew his role on that line. Go to the net and let the wingers do their thing. Panarin talked about him being the big reason for the line's success. Also, if Richards replaces him there, the line will be a bigger defensive liability. The only thing that will improve is faceoff percentage.

-- As said already, the D is upgraded in a big way. It's not just 4D, but the 3rd pair, also.

-- I will keep saying it, but I think 19 and 81 played hurt a lot last year. They can carry a mediocre LW when they are healthy, much like Kane can carry a mediocre 2C. Maybe they can get Sharp back or cheap after his current contract is done, who knows?

-- Regarding Subban for Weber, does anybody make that trade in a vacuum? Did the Habs feel that they absolutely had to move Subban? If so, what kind of return does anybody think they missed out on? The only other argument that could be made is that they should have purged management instead of trading what was supposed to be the team's cornerstone player. I'm not privy to the reasoning that went into this deal. I don't think GMs go out of their way to make these deals. They happen because of something else in a lot of instances. I have to think the Taylor Hall deal was not a deal that gets made in a vacuum, either.
- 333inthe3rd

I think Subban had a full NTC/NMC (whichever one it was) that kicked either the day of, or just in front of the day he was moved. Nashville has since indicated they would NOT honor that clause (which is their right)

My opinion is Bowman is really trying to land Vesey.
- 93Joe

I think StanBo doesn't get to try hard...it is actually a matter of the kid's agent at Global Hockey Consultants, Peter Donatelli and Peter Fish, calling all the teams they and Jimmy Vesey are interested in HEARING from.

Sure StanBo can sell try and sell the kid, but he cannot try to land anyone.

He can call August 16th but if the kid wanted the Balckhawks they would be calling bright and early in the morning not Stan calling...

I think Subban had a full NTC/NMC (whichever one it was) that kicked either the day of, or just in front of the day he was moved. Nashville has since indicated they would NOT honor that clause (which is their right)
- dstainer

Right, similar to when the Flyers moved Carter and Richards, right before their new deals kicked in. But the question remains as to what the thinking was in Montreal that led to this deal.

I think StanBo doesn't get to try hard...it is actually a matter of the kid's agent at Global Hockey Consultants, Peter Donatelli and Peter Fish, calling all the teams they and Jimmy Vesey are interested in HEARING from.

Sure StanBo can sell try and sell the kid, but he cannot try to land anyone.

He can call August 16th but if the kid wanted the Balckhawks they would be calling bright and early in the morning not Stan calling...
- wiz1901

Is it tampering if you send Kane over to practice with the kid? Informally of course. He can see first hand on the ice what it would be like to play with someone of Kane's caliber. In my mind that would sway me a considerable amount. Being able to see and practice with the best RW in the world a couple of times before making a decisions.

I can see the "sub par" Kruger and Hossa as Toews wings...
- wiz1901

You and I had as many goals in the NHL as Kruger did last year

Kruger-Toews-Hossa makes Toews and his linemates the highest paid "checking-line" in NHL History. Pass....