Very true. He does flip it out to center a lot.

Also it is interesting to note how much Seabrook is giving the puck away.

Season GP Giv Tak Giv/Tak Give/Gp

2008-09 82 35 26 1.346 0.43
2009-10 78 43 24 1.792 0.55
2010-11 82 69 27 2.556 0.84
2011-12 78 57 34 1.676 0.73
2012-13 47 40 15 2.667 0.85
2013-14 82 68 35 1.943 0.83
2014-15 82 65 27 2.407 0.79
2015-16 81 89 19 4.684 1.10
2016-17 45 58 14 4.143 1.29

This I think plays into part to something I've mentioned before and JJ commented on earlier. The Hawks don't have so many speedy breakout pass accepting LW (with the loss of Saad/Sharp). I also think the Hawks D in general just tries to force it too often lately. More short passes need maybe? A lot of the teams the Hawks have played lately that are playing well, they were killing the Hawks attacks with short passes to relieve the pressure and they'd quickly exit the zone. Hawks haven't done that as well, and maybe a bit more focus in that area (along with thought into the pairings LD/RD) would go a long way.

Edit: it turned out to be a bit hard to read, but the point of the chart, Seabrook is being credited with more giveaways per game and in relation to takeaway. Not always the best recorded stat, but I think it makes some sense.
- breadbag

TheAthletic just did a breakdown of the hawks D, which is where I got my Hammer info from. Seabrook is actually third in breakout efficiency behind Keith and Kempny, and it's very close. He's turning it over because he's exiting the zone more than almost anyone on the team. My personal opinion is that because they split Keith and Seabrook, the overall turnovers have gone up because the breakout funnels out of one of those 2 guys. Seabrook is actually the best on the team in breakup percentage at the blue line.

if we have to give up Forsling for a rental that would could have signed in the off season if we were even reasonable responsible with the cap that would really hurt.

Now there is a rumor floating that the Hawks are looking for both a LW and a Dman.

I would like to see a move of...
Crawford + D prospect (Polka)
to Dallas for
Sharp (off books next year, hope wake up Toews)
Niemi at 50% (2.25 MIL) and hopefully LV may pick him up
Rights to Nichushkin

I would like to see a move of...
Crawford + D prospect (Polka)
to Dallas for
Sharp (off books next year, hope wake up Toews)
Niemi at 50% (2.25 MIL) and hopefully LV may pick him up
Rights to Nichushkin
- PatShart

No thanks. Not only do yo make a Central division rival better but the Hawks taken on a crap goalie. There's no way LV takes Niemi in the expansion draft.

TheAthletic just did a breakdown of the hawks D, which is where I got my Hammer info from. Seabrook is actually third in breakout efficiency behind Keith and Kempny, and it's very close. He's turning it over because he's exiting the zone more than almost anyone on the team. My personal opinion is that because they split Keith and Seabrook, the overall turnovers have gone up because the breakout funnels out of one of those 2 guys. Seabrook is actually the best on the team in breakup percentage at the blue line.
- JRoenick97

Yep, and the possession numbers back this up too - Keith and Seabrook have never been as good apart as they are together. And if Keith is still recovering from his knee injury, then placing him with a guy who can't carry the puck is not going to help. I'm still baffled why Keith-Seabrook hasn't been tried this year for long with all the shuffling that happens.

That same article says that the Hawks overall transition game on defense is still strong, so it really seems like putting the right pairs together would make as much of a difference as picking up a vet d-man that will cost assets.

Not to be a Richard, but . . . I wouldn't go fishing in Chicago beat reporter columns or tweets for legit trade info.to write an article with. It's typically never found there.

Honestly, while I have heard some sporadic, muted whispers the Hawks are working on some things, the rumor mill has been very quiet this year.

All of that in the article is pure speculation however.

Funny also that they don't mention Vanek.

I know his name is not as sexy as JVR, Landeskog or Duchene or not as embedded in the conscience as say Iginla or Sharp. But there are serious problems with all five of those scenarios.

On the first three, Toronto and Colorado are going to want more for each of those three players than what the hawks can likely offer.

My educated (meaning I have heard a little) guess is the Hawks will be willing to deal a young D prospect/player and a young forward prospect/player for the right guy.

But here's the deal: I don't think packaging Forsling and Schmaltz (probably the two most attractive pieces you have) necessarily will win the bidding for any of those first three players, definitely not Landeskog or Duchene.

Hawk fans (and a lot of writers) WAYYYYY overvalue Hawk prospects versus the assets of other teams.

Another issue is cap space and the salary of the player being traded for.

Think about the following—it is important. The hawks will not deal a big contract at the deadline to acquire a"piece" for the playoff run. It is defeating the purpose to create a new hole to fill another.

Even dealing Kruger as part of a deal for Landeskog creates one hole to fill another. And no kero has not shown yet he can do what Kruger does, even if he might chip in more offensively (albeit with more o zone states, but I digress).

They must deal from depth to add to their functional veteran core for the playoffs, and where they have depth is in young D and forward prospects.

Iginla and Sharp are problematic for two reasons. While the price might be very low in terms of assets going the other way, their salaries and remaining 16-17 cap hits are high. Iginla is a RW, and appears to be in serious decline. Sharp has been hurt much of the year and he is old.

Which comes back to an asset like Vanek.

I am not here to wave Pom pons for him, but . . . he makes a lot of sense as a possible Hawk target. Why?

Natural left wing, natural scorer.

Relatively low cap hit.

Detroit GM is officially in the market for young defensemen.

While the "popular" assessment of Vanek is he sucks and doesn't play D (the latter of which has some legitimacy) I was sure you, the Hawks were willing to overlook that when they pursued him this past summer. And they did.

So I'm not saying Vanek will be the guy. But I think he is more likely as a possible acquisition than any of those guys in the article and I think the odds are kind of high the Hawks will grab him. I have as much confidence about as I did in 2015 when I reported they were after Vermette.

Too many dots connecting, at least as far as what I know.
- John Jaeckel

All of us saw Vanek play, on other teams, throughout his career. How do you think he will fit in the 'Hawks system? Especially at 1L with 19/81....?

It's easy to form an opinion on a guy elsewhere. But here could be so different. Case in point --- at least for me --- is JO. Did any of us think he would fit as well as he did on the 'Hawks D, for the '13 and '15 cup runs? I knew there was a chance he could do well. But to that extent? Critical part of a shutdown defence pairing on two cup winning teams.

Could the same hold true for Vanek? Even his D? 19/81 can really make a difference IMO.

I would like to see a move of...
Crawford + D prospect (Polka)
to Dallas for
Sharp (off books next year, hope wake up Toews)
Niemi at 50% (2.25 MIL) and hopefully LV may pick him up
Rights to Nichushkin
- PatShart

All of us saw Vanek play, on other teams, throughout his career. How do you think he will fit in the 'Hawks system? Especially at 1L with 19/81....?

It's easy to form an opinion on a guy elsewhere. But here could be so different. Case in point --- at least for me --- is JO. Did any of us think he would fit as well as he did on the 'Hawks D, for the '13 and '15 cup runs? I knew there was a chance he could do well. But to that extent? Critical part of a shutdown defence pairing on two cup winning teams.

Could the same hold true for Vanek? Even his D? 19/81 can really make a difference IMO.
- blackhawk24

Vanek is also playing for a contract...possibly his last. So it's in his best interest to do well.

I would like to see a move of...
Crawford + D prospect (Polka)
to Dallas for
Sharp (off books next year, hope wake up Toews)
Niemi at 50% (2.25 MIL) and hopefully LV may pick him up
Rights to Nichushkin
- PatShart

I would like to see a move of...
Crawford + D prospect (Polka)
to Dallas for
Sharp (off books next year, hope wake up Toews)
Niemi at 50% (2.25 MIL) and hopefully LV may pick him up
Rights to Nichushkin
- PatShart

Madness Sharttyy .


Crawford must stay .

Not to be a Richard, but . . . I wouldn't go fishing in Chicago beat reporter columns or tweets for legit trade info.to write an article with. It's typically never found there.

Honestly, while I have heard some sporadic, muted whispers the Hawks are working on some things, the rumor mill has been very quiet this year.

All of that in the article is pure speculation however.

Funny also that they don't mention Vanek.

I know his name is not as sexy as JVR, Landeskog or Duchene or not as embedded in the conscience as say Iginla or Sharp. But there are serious problems with all five of those scenarios.

On the first three, Toronto and Colorado are going to want more for each of those three players than what the hawks can likely offer.

My educated (meaning I have heard a little) guess is the Hawks will be willing to deal a young D prospect/player and a young forward prospect/player for the right guy.

But here's the deal: I don't think packaging Forsling and Schmaltz (probably the two most attractive pieces you have) necessarily will win the bidding for any of those first three players, definitely not Landeskog or Duchene.

Hawk fans (and a lot of writers) WAYYYYY overvalue Hawk prospects versus the assets of other teams.

Another issue is cap space and the salary of the player being traded for.

Think about the following—it is important. The hawks will not deal a big contract at the deadline to acquire a"piece" for the playoff run. It is defeating the purpose to create a new hole to fill another.

Even dealing Kruger as part of a deal for Landeskog creates one hole to fill another. And no kero has not shown yet he can do what Kruger does, even if he might chip in more offensively (albeit with more o zone states, but I digress).

They must deal from depth to add to their functional veteran core for the playoffs, and where they have depth is in young D and forward prospects.

Iginla and Sharp are problematic for two reasons. While the price might be very low in terms of assets going the other way, their salaries and remaining 16-17 cap hits are high. Iginla is a RW, and appears to be in serious decline. Sharp has been hurt much of the year and he is old.

Which comes back to an asset like Vanek.

I am not here to wave Pom pons for him, but . . . he makes a lot of sense as a possible Hawk target. Why?

Natural left wing, natural scorer.

Relatively low cap hit.

Detroit GM is officially in the market for young defensemen.

While the "popular" assessment of Vanek is he sucks and doesn't play D (the latter of which has some legitimacy) I was sure you, the Hawks were willing to overlook that when they pursued him this past summer. And they did.

So I'm not saying Vanek will be the guy. But I think he is more likely as a possible acquisition than any of those guys in the article and I think the odds are kind of high the Hawks will grab him. I have as much confidence about as I did in 2015 when I reported they were after Vermette.

Too many dots connecting, at least as far as what I know.
- John Jaeckel

I'd package anybody but Kane and Panarin to get Duchesne !! Colorado woudn't want any of our aging CORE vets now would they ???
Crawford, Seabrook, Keith, Krueger, all have value but they'd be fools to go that route and this management staff would never make that big of a splash...even if it would be feasible to do.

Scott Darling will be a UFA after the season, and not eligible to be picked by Vegas. After the draft, any team, including the Hawks, can sign him.

I believe the one of the Icehog goalies meets the expansion criteria, and will be the one exposed.

FWIW, Vegas will make their selections on June 20th by 5 PM ET, and they will be announced on June 21. The NHL Entry Draft will be June 23-24.
- scottak

During a normal season, NHL teams are strictly prohibited from speaking to pending UFAs until the league year begins on July 1st. However, if a UFA is left unprotected in the Expansion Draft, Las Vegas will be granted exclusive rights to negotiate a contract with the player during the three day draft period on June 17-20. If Las Vegas comes to an agreement with a player, and a deal is signed, that player is considered Vegas’ selection in the draft from the UFAs current team.

I'll re-post this from the last blog:

"Out of those I'd take Hudler. No contest.

Vanek has good numbers but he's useless in the playoffs. He'd be a healthy scratch at least once. He has great hands and offensive instincts but he's the definition of a coaster. It's always been his style.

Edit: Not that he's the best of the ones listed, but I think he'd be a good fit and he's cheap. JVR is too expensive and would be a bigger ask. Frankly I don't think the Hawks should be buying anything this season. You go big at the deadline to add a complimentary piece. We need a CORE piece to achieve.
- kinigitt"

Respectfully, and completely, disagree.

Vanek has been one of our Top 3 best defensive forwards all season long. The thing that I appreciate most is, when he makes a poor offensive decision, he skates back the hardest to diffuse the opponent's rush and/or play. He is more creative and smarter than most people will give him credit for. I honestly think his signing and play, aside from faceoffs, has completely replaced what Datsyuk provided.
- TwoPieceFeed

I respectfully disagree too.

Although it's a little hard to remain respectful when you're comparing arguably the best player in the nhl for over a decade (IMO) with...well. Thomas Vanek.

Great scorer. But he's scoring points on a team that isn't winning, and is short on depth. I will grant you that I've only watched 1 Detroit game this season. He's playing for a paycheque. Not the kind of guy to trade the farm for.

edit:

I'll add that playing with a cherry-picker is bad for line-mate morale. They do all the work and he sneaks in and gets the glory. Again, I haven't watched Detroit much this season, but all I've seen of Vanek is just that. And when the games start to get rough, you can't find him with binoculars.

So many turnovers in their own zone. Darling was exceptional.

Kempny covers a lot of ground quickly.

Can we please go back to concentrating on D first. We look like Dallas for cripes sake. in almost every post-game we hear guys say "we need to concentrate on playing in our own end" and "we need to stop trying to make the extra pass, and shoot more". Maybe try that and see what happens...

Kempny covers a lot of ground quickly.
- kinigitt

Agreed. His game continues to improve.

So many turnovers in their own zone. Darling was exceptional.
- etchtech

indeed another poor 1st period for these guys...do they ever start a game on time...

wow...easliy could be in the hole 2-0 again after 1...

passing is just a mess again...i think i saw 1 decent shift of zone time..

Can we please go back to concentrating on D first. We look like Dallas for cripes sake. in almost every post-game we hear guys say "we need to concentrate on playing in our own end" and "we need to stop trying to make the extra pass, and shoot more". Maybe try that and see what happens...
- Chunk

That period was difficult to watch.

Can we please go back to concentrating on D first. We look like Dallas for cripes sake. in almost every post-game we hear guys say "we need to concentrate on playing in our own end" and "we need to stop trying to make the extra pass, and shoot more". Maybe try that and see what happens...
- Chunk

pucks on net...
traffic in front...
tough in the puck areas....

yakety yak..don't talk back

John Jaeckel: Hawks at Bruins GameDay Preview
- John Jaeckel

Another YIKES 1st Period. Thank God for Darling.

The boys must be tired from all that partying with their dads huh ?
I hope everybody is realizing that the Defense is NOT the strenth of this team !!
Getting out shot by a ton once again 16- 5 I believe ?
I think it's time to get Forsling back in the pairings. The only way he's going to get better is to play him and not worry so much about the mistakes. Time off is needed by our old core dmen anyway, and they all make plenty of mistakes as well.

So I guess the Hawks are returning to the strategy of...

...not showing up for period 1.

Recently they'd been experimenting with...

...not showing up for period 2.

indeed another poor 1st period for these guys...do they ever start a game on time...

wow...easliy could be in the hole 2-0 again after 1...

passing is just a mess again...i think i saw 1 decent shift of zone time..
- bogiedoc

Wasn't that the first shift of the game?

pucks on net...
traffic in front...
tough in the puck areas....

yakety yak..don't talk back
- bogiedoc

red and yellow.

How many hawks in there typically? Anisimov, Hossa, Panik (when someone else can carry it in for him and setup)

The rest fly in and out of there so fast you'd think their jerseys would catch fire if they stayed.