It will be interesting to see what change, but for me right now, the Hawks aren't playing with urgency in their game. They don't look hungry to win and they don't look like a pissed off team when they are down and off to a poor start. I think they could use a spark plug of energy and something to light a bit more fire under their them. I think they need someone to step up and really give a damn out there.

I have to give some kudos to Panik. While the guy doesn't have the skill of a top player, he has been working his butt off trying at least.
- breadbag

I wonder if Tootoo getting in the fight so early in the game for really no apparent reason was meant to light a fire under his team.

And I agree, full props to Panik and his all-out effort. He may lack some skills but he's definitely hustling and putting it all out on the ice.

Does anyone know if it is possible to get cap savings from putting Toews on LTIR?

Not likely to happen, but I've always liked Holland.

Peter Holland not on the ice at #leafs practice. He continues to wait on a trade.

— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) December 5, 2016

- DarthKane

I suggested it a few days ago


...But that was out of pure speculation. TDL impact I'm looking for is a big, cheap center like Colborne. Important to have a guy who can cycle between center/wing.

Does anyone know if it is possible to get cap savings from putting Toews on LTIR?
- ToewsdNKanefusd

Yes. If we put him on LTIR right now, we might have enough cap space for Phil Kessel by the time the TDL approaches.

Hi Ty...great post and I agree on all fronts.

I know Anisimov's name has come up as a possible salary cap sacrifice, but just image where we'd be without him. I'm very happy to have #15 on the team, especially for only $4.55 million.

It's always a difficult decision to break up the PAK line, but it Toews is going to be out for much longer maybe that's the way to go. If Kruger plays with Kane, who do you think plays on the left side?

I like the idea of having Desjardins and Rasmussen on the 4th line.
- DarthKane

Hey bud - how's the west coast?

Yeah, the Hawks would be in rough shape right about now without AA.

I think if you had Kruger and Kane together, I would like Hartman there. I've been impressed with his decision making and work along the boards.

If they wanted to try to get Panik going again, that might work too.

Lines to consider based on board conversations:

Panarin - Anisimov - Hossa
Panik - Kruger - Kane
Motte - Rasmussen - Hartman
Desjardins - Hinostroza - Tootoo

Possibly flip-flopping Rasmussen and Hinostroza but not sure if an all-rookie line would get exposed over time. Better to have some experience on each of the bottom lines. Or flip-flop Panik to 3RW and Hartman to 2LW.

On defense:

Campbell - Keith
Kempny - Seabrook
Forsling - Hjalmarsson
Roszival

Is it me or are the Hawks break outs been terrible. So many times the Hawks D has to turn back with the puck and restart in the zone. Which leads to issues occasionally. Is that on the forwards or D? Or both? Why aren't our D starting the rush and carrying the puck in themselves. We have puck movers.
- bhawks2241

To me it seems like they are so concerned with possessing the puck that they hang on to I think too long. How many times have we seen 2, 4, and 51 start to skate out (with room) only to drift sideways, circle back, then get pinned and turn it over. And no, it is not always when they are going for a change.

To me it seems like they are so concerned with possessing the puck that they hang on to I think too long. How many times have we seen 2, 4, and 51 start to skate out (with room) only to drift sideways, circle back, then get pinned and turn it over. And no, it is not always when they are going for a change.
- Chunk

This is especially frustrating when the d-men linger too long in our zone in the waning minutes of the game when we're down 1-2 goals. Wastes time. Don't force yourself into a turnover situation but they're all skilled enough to just rush the puck themselves and start an offensive push. Can't create offense if you're pinned in your zone even if the pining is of your own choice.

And I know we say this ad nauseum. but Keith needs to stop with the freaking drop passes!

This is especially frustrating when the d-men linger too long in our zone in the waning minutes of the game when we're down 1-2 goals. Wastes time. Don't force yourself into a turnover situation but they're all skilled enough to just rush the puck themselves and start an offensive push. Can't create offense if you're pinned in your zone even if the pining is of your own choice.

And I know we say this ad nauseum. but Keith needs to stop with the freaking drop passes!
- AEL_Fox

Which may result from a complete reluctance to - when necessary - dump and chase.

I know where you are going with the KRuger+Kane suggestion, but I think it's a fine line to walk. For years Anaheim was able to win with a stacked line of Perry-Getzlaf-Ryan and I think Q has to stick to his guns with the PAK line for now. IF anything throw Hossa with Hartman and Kruger and see if Kruger can contribute that way. and light a candle for the bottom 6.

Good to see Schmaltz sent down. Playing like he was entitled to minutes and a spot and wasn't working as hard as he should be. Hopefully, he gets some much needed ice time and works on some of his flaws.

Keith needs to get off the PP. Nobody fears that shot and it's rarely accurate. Frosling, Seabrook, Campbell are all better options.

I don't think Toews has a concussion. Signs point to his back. Now the question is exactly HOW bad is it? Fact that the treatment he's been receiving since San Jose game hasn't made it worse, yet hasn't made it better, has me concerned. Hawks are very tight lipped when it comes to this crap. Keith has a knee surgery after weeks being told it wasn't anything major. Bolland has a back surgery out of no where in 2009-10. I'm beginning to wonder if Toews may be out for quite some time....fact he skated a few times in a row and had to shut it down is a huge red flag.

The next month for this team is going to be turblulent that's for sure. Already sense the frustration about lack of scoring and lack of depth support when the top guys talk about lack of production. Q as well before New Jersey game. Throw in CC out for a bit, and a great audition for Darling to prove here or elsewhere he can be a #1 in the league, and Toews back injury...........see how this plays out but not a lot of options when you're up against the cap like Hawks are. holes have to be plugged from within.........

This is especially frustrating when the d-men linger too long in our zone in the waning minutes of the game when we're down 1-2 goals. Wastes time. Don't force yourself into a turnover situation but they're all skilled enough to just rush the puck themselves and start an offensive push. Can't create offense if you're pinned in your zone even if the pining is of your own choice.

And I know we say this ad nauseum. but Keith needs to stop with the freaking drop passes!
- AEL_Fox

The drop pass is a staple in their offense when Kane is on the ice. They want him to carry the puck in and set up shop.....I agree and it drives me nuts, but it's not something Keith is doing on his own.

Their PP right now is stagnant. Too many obvious passes, guys standing around, nobody driving the net with the puck, and point men like Keith who are forcing shots into crowds and getting them blocked. I have never seen an opposing guy wilt to the ice in pain on Keith shot like I saw on the Frosling shot last night.

Hey bud - how's the west coast?

Yeah, the Hawks would be in rough shape right about now without AA.

I think if you had Kruger and Kane together, I would like Hartman there. I've been impressed with his decision making and work along the boards.

If they wanted to try to get Panik going again, that might work too.
- TyCamScore

The west coast is great, we have 1/2 inch of snow and Vancouver is about to shut down.

I like the idea of Panik-Kruger-Kane, if Q were going to try Kruger and Kane together.

The drop pass is a staple in their offense when Kane is on the ice. They want him to carry the puck in and set up shop.....I agree and it drives me nuts, but it's not something Keith is doing on his own.

Their PP right now is stagnant. Too many obvious passes, guys standing around, nobody driving the net with the puck, and point men like Keith who are forcing shots into crowds and getting them blocked. I have never seen an opposing guy wilt to the ice in pain on Keith shot like I saw on the Frosling shot last night.
- SteveRain

Thanks for sharing that point. Helps to gain more perspective on the method to the perceived madness.

Regarding the PP, someone else (JJ maybe) said that there's a lot of passing but too much standing around. Olczyk says it best: "move the puck, move yourself." The only person who shouldn't be moving is the guy whose keister is parked in the slot to create a screen (the only movement by this player is to shadow the goalie's movement). Shaw was a beast at this but I think Hartman and Panik have the skillset to do the same and can excel with more experience and confidence.

IMHO. Anisimov is under-rated in this area; he's actually pretty good with crease presence.

Thanks for sharing that point. Helps to gain more perspective on the method to the perceived madness.

Regarding the PP, someone else (JJ maybe) said that there's a lot of passing but too much standing around. Olczyk says it best: "move the puck, move yourself." The only person who shouldn't be moving is the guy whose keister is parked in the slot to create a screen (the only movement by this player is to shadow the goalie's movement). Shaw was a beast at this but I think Hartman and Panik have the skillset to do the same and can excel with more experience and confidence.

IMHO. Anisimov is under-rated in this area; he's actually pretty good with crease presence.
- AEL_Fox

agreed on AA. One of the few guys willing to do it with quick enough hands to deflect a shot or pop in a rebound. From what I saw on the HBO special when the Rangers played the Flyers a few years back for the winter classic vs what the Hawks got.....AA has grown up. No questioning that.

The other issue with the drop pass is you have 2 other wings, and another defensemen besides Keith or Campbell who are left stationary at the line. So once Kane does get it, if the opponent attacks him hard and quick enough, Kane has very few outlets to get the puck to. I have no idea why they still use this method but when the turnover occurs, you have 4 other guys flat footed, who are then prime to watch the opposition whiz by on a short handed chance. Why nobody in the press has questioned Q about this philosophy is beyond me.

They basically go around the horn with their passing and not changing lanes or guys and it's easy for the opposition to stay in their lanes. Kane loves to look back door to the opposing circle for the Panarin 1 timer which the league sits on now.

Their special teams coaching is really bad this year. No sugar coating that.

agreed on AA. One of the few guys willing to do it with quick enough hands to deflect a shot or pop in a rebound. From what I saw on the HBO special when the Rangers played the Flyers a few years back for the winter classic vs what the Hawks got.....AA has grown up. No questioning that.

The other issue with the drop pass is you have 2 other wings, and another defensemen besides Keith or Campbell who are left stationary at the line. So once Kane does get it, if the opponent attacks him hard and quick enough, Kane has very few outlets to get the puck to. I have no idea why they still use this method but when the turnover occurs, you have 4 other guys flat footed, who are then prime to watch the opposition whiz by on a short handed chance. Why nobody in the press has questioned Q about this philosophy is beyond me.

They basically go around the horn with their passing and not changing lanes or guys and it's easy for the opposition to stay in their lanes. Kane loves to look back door to the opposing circle for the Panarin 1 timer which the league sits on now.

Their special teams coaching is really bad this year. No sugar coating that.
- SteveRain

The PowerPlay could use a face-lift and some new strategy. You are right that the league and all of us watching the game know exactly what Kane is looking to do. I think they just need some new ideas to create some lanes, because right now the way it is going.

1) The point shots are often blocked - no lane when they let it go
2) The cross ice pass usually isn't open and if they do get the puck through, it is too hot to handle and ends up resulting in no shot anyway.

with the 8 th pick in the draft, the Chicago BlackHawks select........???, Not the worst thing in the world if it happens to play out that way this June. There is enough there for an immediate bounce back year next season . We'll see how the next month plays out .

Seems like home-ice advantage is huge this year. It's as if the league has so much parity right now that the home coach can dictate enough line matchups to shut down the other team most of the time.

Seriously, as I look at the standings in the West, only Edmonton (8-4-2) and Calgary (7-6-2) have outright winning records. Chicago and San Jose are at least pulling a point out of every away game on average (both are 6-6-1).

In the East, it's Boston, Ottawa, NY Rangers, and Columbus with outright winning records. Kind of insane...

John Dietz ‏@johndietzdh 9m9 minutes ago
Some interesting numbers:
Patrick Kane has 8 goals and 18 assists after 27 games.
Same time last year: 16 goals, 26 assists.

Panarin after 27 games this year: 10 goals, 13 assists.
After 27 last year: 9 goals, 18 assists.

Two more on Kane:
He has taken 83 shots on goal this season.
Last year at this time it was 97.

In last 6 games -- all without Toews -- Kane has averaged 2.33 shots/game.
In first 21 games, Kane averaged 3.3

So, is it increased/better defensive pressure specifically on him when he has to skipper the "1st" line? The predictability of their plays now? Does he slip more into playmaker mode now with Artemi as the scorer whereas w/Toews, he is more obviously the stronger scorer? or, all of the above?

John Dietz ‏@johndietzdh 9m9 minutes ago
Some interesting numbers:
Patrick Kane has 8 goals and 18 assists after 27 games.
Same time last year: 16 goals, 26 assists.

Panarin after 27 games this year: 10 goals, 13 assists.
After 27 last year: 9 goals, 18 assists.

Two more on Kane:
He has taken 83 shots on goal this season.
Last year at this time it was 97.

In last 6 games -- all without Toews -- Kane has averaged 2.33 shots/game.
In first 21 games, Kane averaged 3.3

So, is it increased/better defensive pressure specifically on him when he has to skipper the "1st" line? The predictability of their plays now? Does he slip more into playmaker mode now with Artemi as the scorer whereas w/Toews, he is more obviously the stronger scorer? or, all of the above?
- pdx2ord

I can't argue with anything noted here, but we also have to factor in these guys trying a bit too hard to set up pretty goals. I'm not one of the meatheads that just screams shoot during an entire PP, but these guys (pretty much the whole team) are passing up shots I need the slot to pass to someone stationed on the back line with almost no angle. If there is some traffic in front of the goalie you have to at least get it on net and go to work. Same with our 2-on-1's. the puck carrier is almost always looking to pass and we come out with either no shot on goal or a bad one.

https://theathletic.com//...awks-future/?redirected=1

Maxim shalunov, really good article on him if you belong to the website. Also has articles on Luc Snuggy and Lar's. Maxim is still hawks property and is out of KHL contract after next year.

The drop pass is a staple in their offense when Kane is on the ice. They want him to carry the puck in and set up shop.....I agree and it drives me nuts, but it's not something Keith is doing on his own.

Their PP right now is stagnant. Too many obvious passes, guys standing around, nobody driving the net with the puck, and point men like Keith who are forcing shots into crowds and getting them blocked. I have never seen an opposing guy wilt to the ice in pain on Keith shot like I saw on the Frosling shot last night.
- SteveRain

Read my mind. That kid can bring it. In a series that would get some attention. Might open it up for others. And he's 1/2 the size of Shea Weber.

We would have more space at the trade deadline if Toews was out that long (god forbid) than we did with kane.
.
- the_dough_boy

Cap space is prorated on a daily basis, so if Toews went on LTIR, the cap savings applies only when he is on LTIR -- it doesn't carry over to later in the regular season. The Kane injury situation was different, because in that scenario, he was on LTIR through the end of the regular season, so his salary did not count against the cap in the playoffs. That exception is likely to be changed by the NHL in the future.

I'd say that attitude/approach, while understandable, is a bigger risk this year because 1) with this many new and inexperienced faces, I'd think the vets need to lead by example, and 2) their ability to "come back" in the 3rd after getting down, while not completely gone has diminished. I also don't see or hear the unwavering confidence, like was so obvious in the past, in the vets when they are interviewed after the games. They say the standard things, but their frustration is evident.
- pdx2ord

This is interesting. Honestly I rarely ever listen to player interviews so this to me is interesting.

https://theathletic.com//28223/2016/12/05/khls-maxim-shalunov-could-still-be-part-of-blackhawks-future/?redirected=1

Maxim shalunov, really good article on him if you belong to the website. Also has articles on Luc Snuggy and Lar's. Maxim is still hawks property and is out of KHL contract after next year.
- kmw4631

Pretty impressive #s for Shalunov. Anyone know if the KHL is still not awarding the secondary assist? If so, the numbers are even a bit more compelling.

I also have to go back to a debate from another thread. 2PPG in ANY league is impressive (DeBrincat). I just think the size issue is going to be . . . an issue . . . until he proves otherwise at the pro level.

Take it for what it's worth, but someone who went to the Hawks open practice on Friday posted this about Toews:

Toews was on the ice for about 25 minutes before practice started, he seemed to be taking it a bit slow and just working on stickhandling. At one point he got down on the ice to do some back stretches, looked particularly focused on the lower back.

Once regular practice started, he stayed out until line drills started. He sped up a bit with others on the ice and was doing some passing and shooting and talking with everyone.