What about trading for someone like Josh Levio to compete for a LW spot. He is going to have to pass thru waivers and its only 50/50 he makes the team. he probably gets claimed by someone before the hawks. he has shown to be a good goal scorer and has a friendly salary. Hartman, Mcneal, Schmaltz are all better on the RW I thought I read. we are not going to be able to get a true top 6 LW but even if we get a Bottom 6 LW that can score goals and give him a shot on the 1 or 2nd line that just means Panik is probably sitting at the 3LW.
- kmw4631

How good would Matt Nieto look on this team? They have to find another LW with speed and some skill to help in the top 6. I understand they want to see what Motte, Schmaltz and McNeil look like in camp, but to hope one of them can really chip in on the top 6 is alot to ask of those guys. Maybe we catch lightning in a bottle.. dunno.

81 will no doubt start on the top line, but he appears better suited at this stage in his career to slot back a bit. If the Hawks dont acquire any more help then Big Hoss stays up with Toews.

I would rather have Kruger than Hudler and Pirri.
- DarthKane

Kruger is key for match ups

Having Pirri and Hudler over Kruger isnt doing you any favors come playoff time for depth matchups

Nash at 50% retained for Kruger would work.
- kmw4631

Nope to Nash... he is the definition of playoff disappearance.

Nope to Nash... he is the definition of playoff disappearance.
- RedFeather

Nash makes 7.8M. Kruger and Hjalmarsson would do it.
- TTtime

http://www.si.com/nhl/pho...-nhl-teams-no-1-left-wing

panarin at #6LW. Teows was at 3 and Keith was at #3, Crawford was at #5. I assume Kane would be top 3 at this point. I think we are all OK with AA and Kruger at #2 and #3 Center. We just need to get more out Hossa and Panik and as 2 of the 3 wings on the 2nd and 3rd pairing and I think they will both go for 15-20 goals this year. now we need to find 2 more guys to put with them.

are there any proven LWs out there that are cap friendly or tradeable for?
i'm a little nervous with this roster.....
- Kewl1

welcome to the preseason ledge....alot of company

Rags reportedly looking to trade for Defensemen.

How about Nash to fill that LW spot in exchange for some defensive prospects? Even though the Hawks are already thin on them...

Would you take the gamble?
- Hank3Henshaw

How bouts Sveddy Testes for Vesey?

How come if McNeil is good defensively and at the dot, Q don't like him? Does he have an odor?

Stop slotting Hoss at 3rd line. Stop it. Just stop it. Hoss is the boss until he plays like he's not. Stop it. Stop it right now. STOP IT. It's ridiculous. So stop it now. It needs to stop. No more of this. Stop.

This is the longest off season eeevvvvvver. Look it up.

Same for Hossa, points per 60:

12/13 - 2.1
13/14 - 2.1
14/15 - 2.0
15/16 - 1.2

So the two of them -

12/13 - 5.4
13/14 - 4.4
14/15 - 4.2
15/16 - 2.8
- StLBravesFan

this is the killer for the hawks....they had a guy named to saad to play with.....

if they are forced to play AHL 1LW roulette first half of the year....this team may have trouble being a WC and toews and hossa might not combine for 100 points

- L_B_R

what if they retain some salary?

- hawkeytalkman

That's great. I bet he would love to play with Toews or Kane.

Thankfully we have you Eli. I wasn't aware.

Definitely a versatile FWD, however I'm scared for MM as I have a feeling he could be Q's new whipping boy.

I've always been a fan, I'm routing for him.
- TyCamScore

+1 on both of these points. Keep posting them Ty

I watch a lot of hockey, and the Kane, Panarin, Anisimov line is one of the most dominant in the entire NHL. This is our #1 line folks.
I love Toews, but him and Hossa are on the second line. I think Panik will start with these two, and could possibly do quite well. He showed a good nose for the net, and I could see him scoring 15 this year.
We have a solid bottom 6, solid top 4 D, and Crow in net. What could go wrong?

Let's drop the puck already!

Great post as usual.

My info. is they see Lundberg making the team and contributing. What I hear is the guy is just tough and nasty to play against. Physically strong. We'll see because that's a scouting based on the context of the SEL and not the NHL.

But, because you are essentially swapping TVR out for Campbell and Kempny reduces the minutes of Rozy and likely eliminates those of Svedberg, the team should definitely be faster on the back-enbd, coming out of the zone, more good options for getting the puck up the ice. All good.

The other thing I see emerging is this. yes, they lost Shaw, but they have potentially added a lot of "miscreants":

Tootoo
Lundberg
Hartman
Add Panik in because he can deliver some big hits and agitate a bit
Even Campbell will occasionally light someone up, moreso than TVR anyway

I can actually see the lower lines being a bit nastier and tougher to play against than in some time.
- John Jaeckel

Thanks for the info on Lundberg.

The thing that stands out to me with those miscreants though is quality skating ability. Not sure if Tootoo still has wheels but I think those mobile guys will be much better suited to Chicago style than a Bollig or Manshinter or similar and should be able to tilt the ice and transition at a very fast pace.

Toews is paid $10.5 mil to carry a line, not depend on a HOF RW(Hossa) and All-Star LW's (Sharp+Saad). The reason that the 1LW was a revolving door of Bottom 6 talent is bc Captain Serious is the Co-highest paid player in the NHL. With the Hawks' top heavy cap structure, cheap vets or kids on an ELC is all Stan can afford. So make it work 19. Ironic that the first year without Sharp or Saad on his line, and an aging Hossa, Toews' line took a HUGE step back in possession and production....hmmmmm
- EnzoD

I am personally amazed his leadership wasn't able to bridge the gap and get more production out of Hossa and the guy on the other wing

Can't he just stare at them in the dressing room and the bench, or was that more of a Messier thing?

Im just happy the Canucks have never won.

Just picked up the latest Sport Forecaster NHL Preview Magazine. From my perspective it's one of the better hockey pool magazines.

Here are some of the predictions

Toews - 67 points
Anisimov - 40
Kruger - 28
Desjardins - 16
Kane - 91
Panarin - 83
Hossa - 51
Motte - 42
Schmaltz - 40
Panik - 31

Keith- 42
Seabrook - 32
Campell - 27
Hjalmarsson - 24

Crawford - 33W 5SO 2.43GAA .921 SV%
Darling - 14 1 2.66 .912

Way off in my opinion.

Honestly, McNeill is better suited for the wing than center, and that's because of foot speed. However, he would be effective sliding in and taking draws - much like Steve Ott typically does.

I would imagine that McNeill would fit best as a lower line wing - preferably on the right side. Also, he'd fit in on the PK as well.

I can see the sense of the idea of slotting McNeill on the LW with Toews/Hossa. However, I wouldn't bet money on him sticking there. I also wouldn't be shocked if that spot becomes a revolving door again this season, and McNeill will get a look there at some point...

...if McNeill doesn't crap the bed and is banished to the organ loft by Q...
- EKB13

I'd like to see something like this given a try...

AA - JT - Hossa
Panarin - Kruger - Kane
Panik/Motte - Lundberg - McNeil
Desjardin - (??) - TooToo/Hartman

Semi-balanced scoring on lines 1 and 2, some scoring on line 3 (but a lot of checks delivered) and all grit on the 4th.

Seeing Hudler and Pirri sign for a combine $3.1M per makes me want to repeatedly hit my head against the wall when I think of what Stan is paying Marcus Kruger.
- acmidd28

Ahhh, I will respectfully demur, AC.

Late in playoff games, taking defensive zone draws, shutting down a Tyler Johnson or a Ryan Getzlaff, I would take Kruger over Hudler+Pirri x 2. Who in that context are pretty much just "guys."

Meh, Hudler, could def add something, and IMO Dallas got a crazy good deal on him. Pirri? Pffffffft.

Just picked up the latest Sport Forecaster NHL Preview Magazine. From my perspective it's one of the better hockey pool magazines.

Here are some of the predictions

Toews - 67 points
Anisimov - 40
Kruger - 28
Desjardins - 16
Kane - 91
Panarin - 83
Hossa - 51
Motte - 42
Schmaltz - 40
Panik - 31

Keith- 42
Seabrook - 32
Campell - 27
Hjalmarsson - 24

Crawford - 33W 5SO 2.43GAA .921 SV%
Darling - 14 1 2.66 .912
- DarthKane

That's a better team than last year, IMO. What's their methodology, Darth?

Thanks for the info on Lundberg.

The thing that stands out to me with those miscreants though is quality skating ability. Not sure if Tootoo still has wheels but I think those mobile guys will be much better suited to Chicago style than a Bollig or Manshinter or similar and should be able to tilt the ice and transition at a very fast pace.
- fattybeef

Tootoo looked about the same last year to my eye.

Kruger is key for match ups

Having Pirri and Hudler over Kruger isnt doing you any favors come playoff time for depth matchups
- hawkeytalkman

Totally agreed.

Marcus Kruger has played on two Stanley Cup teams in Chicago. And he came up fairly huge in the critical games and series of both. He and Keith and Toews were the guys against Anaheim in the 2015 WCF. Kruger was quietly, effectively brilliant at both ends. He also had a nice series in the 2013 SCF. Those matter.

How bouts Sveddy Testes for Vesey?

How come if McNeil is good defensively and at the dot, Q don't like him? Does he have an odor?

Stop slotting Hoss at 3rd line. Stop it. Just stop it. Hoss is the boss until he plays like he's not. Stop it. Stop it right now. STOP IT. It's ridiculous. So stop it now. It needs to stop. No more of this. Stop.

This is the longest off season eeevvvvvver. Look it up.
- hocktock

DO. NOT. EVER. CHANGE. EVER.
That is all.

That's a better team than last year, IMO. What's their methodology, Darth?
- John Jaeckel

It's very complicated...

That's a better team than last year, IMO. What's their methodology, Darth?
- John Jaeckel

Seriously, I have no idea. Their numbers for the Blackhawks seems to be a bit high among the forwards. Two rookies getting around 40 points each would be massive! They do have the Hawks finishing 2nd in the Central (behind Nashville) so they would need to get offense from somebody (using their assumptions).