Firing asst. coaches is a minor move. As can be seen with all the coaching changes over the last 7 years, Kompon, Haviland, Torchetti, etc. the systems and philosophies come from Q. Very little has changed in their PK or PP style over the years for a reason. Swapping assistant coaches is just a message being sent, maybe from the FO to Q, that stuff has to change.
- TheTrob

Agreed and this resonates very little at this time.......see what the next step is.

Firing asst. coaches is a minor move. As can be seen with all the coaching changes over the last 7 years, Kompon, Haviland, Torchetti, etc. the systems and philosophies come from Q. Very little has changed in their PK or PP style over the years for a reason. Swapping assistant coaches is just a message being sent, maybe from the FO to Q, that stuff has to change.
- TheTrob

Yeah, that is the big question - does either Asst get hired elsewhere and immediately put different schemes in place? Does our PP and/or PK stay essentially the same? If the latter, then the FO has the answer as to where the problem lies.

Been blessed wit ha lot of work and kid activities.

Rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated.
- TrueGrit

Welcome back. Brandon Pirri has been worried sick about you. He told AV he couldn't possibly dress for a game with the uncertainty of his biggest fan's disappearance weighing so heavily on his mind.

Kitchen fired is not surprising, but I'm really interested to see who his replacement is.

Will it be a higher profile/up-and-comer out of NCAA maybe?

Or... will it be another Q past pal.


The decision will indicate where Q stands and how much pull he has after another disappointing 1st round exit.

Admit it, you missed me.
- HawkintheD

Of course...

I harbor no ill will towards anyone, this used to be a fun passtime for me....just no spare time anymore....

Kitchen fired is not surprising, but I'm really interested to see who his replacement is.

Will it be a higher profile/up-and-comer out of NCAA maybe?

Or... will it be another Q past pal.


The decision will indicate where Q stands and how much pull he has after another disappointing 1st round exit.
- TyCamScore

It's the first move of (probably) several moves that will be made in the off season. Player moves will take longer, the club needs to meet with the players this week then formulate who needs to go and who needs to stay. I think some of the player related changes may happen sooner than anticipated because of the expansion draft.

Welcome back. Brandon Pirri has been worried sick about you. He told AV he couldn't possibly dress for a game with the uncertainty of his biggest fan's disappearance weighing so heavily on his mind.
- RickJ

This might be the shot in the arm the Rangers need to get by Ottawa....

Heard AV has a harrasment suit from BP, due to his placement of Michael Handzuis posters around his locker....

It's the first move of (probably) several moves that will be made in the off season. Player moves will take longer, the club needs to meet with the players this week then formulate who needs to go and who needs to stay. I think some of the player related changes may happen sooner than anticipated because of the expansion draft.
- DarthKane

Hope you're right but not holding my breath.

Heard Kitch was really confused at meeting, they said you are fired. He looked at Q...shrugged shoulders...said I don't understand. (Kitch is another horse buddy of Q's)

Q to kitch, lets put it like this, we are putting you out to pasture!!!

Hope you're right but not holding my breath.
- walleyeb1

The worst thing Stan could do is have a knee-jerk reaction and rush some trades. Whether the trades work out or not is another story, but I think Stan & co will give some serious thought to any deal that needs to be made (or not made).

It's a start. Dineen next?
- TommyHawk

I bet Dineen gets a coaching job somewhere. He's highly regarded.

It's the first move of (probably) several moves that will be made in the off season. Player moves will take longer, the club needs to meet with the players this week then formulate who needs to go and who needs to stay. I think some of the player related changes may happen sooner than anticipated because of the expansion draft.
- DarthKane

Can you/should you make player moves before the playoffs are over, since you are not getting the full pool of available talent? Guess you would if there is an obvious pickup (Duchene).

Kitchen fired is not surprising, but I'm really interested to see who his replacement is.

Will it be a higher profile/up-and-comer out of NCAA maybe?

Or... will it be another Q past pal.


The decision will indicate where Q stands and how much pull he has after another disappointing 1st round exit.
- TyCamScore

Well, by my count, there are plenty of ex-Hartford Whalers from 1983-1990 to take a spin on and I will be it will be one of his ex-cronies versus a Mike Smith-like guy (after all, can't have Q throwing a hissy fit because he didn't get his choice of assistants).

A very meh move by Stan the man.
I'm expecting more of the same old same old.

Just gotta laugh my ass off, though, when the talk is about how the team has gotten so much slower and the fact that the D is really aging. Really? Guess Stan and Q couldn't see it coming. And Rozy signed already for another year. I'm sure Johnny O won't be too far behind. Maybe Soupy too. The more things change . . .

Well, by my count, there are plenty of ex-Hartford Whalers from 1983-1990 to take a spin on and I will be it will be one of his ex-cronies versus a Mike Smith-like guy (after all, can't have Q throwing a hissy fit because he didn't get his choice of assistants).

A very meh move by Stan the man.
I'm expecting more of the same old same old.

Just gotta laugh my ass off, though, when the talk is about how the team has gotten so much slower and the fact that the D is really aging. Really? Guess Stan and Q couldn't see it coming. And Rozy signed already for another year. I'm sure Johnny O won't be too far behind. Maybe Soupy too. The more things change . . .
- savvyone-1

Rozy signing was for the expansion draft requirements. Tootoo also.

Can you/should you make player moves before the playoffs are over, since you are not getting the full pool of available talent? Guess you would if there is an obvious pickup (Duchene).
- pdx2ord

GMs can make trades now if they want. From the Hawks perspective there is not reason not to make a trade before the playoffs are over, as long as the proper due diligence has been done.

Rozy signing was for the expansion draft requirements. Tootoo also.
- JRoenick97

Don't understand the Rozy signing, only need to expose one Dman. Unless they did that so they can trade TVR.

Well, by my count, there are plenty of ex-Hartford Whalers from 1983-1990 to take a spin on and I will be it will be one of his ex-cronies versus a Mike Smith-like guy (after all, can't have Q throwing a hissy fit because he didn't get his choice of assistants).

A very meh move by Stan the man.
I'm expecting more of the same old same old.

Just gotta laugh my ass off, though, when the talk is about how the team has gotten so much slower and the fact that the D is really aging. Really? Guess Stan and Q couldn't see it coming. And Rozy signed already for another year. I'm sure Johnny O won't be too far behind. Maybe Soupy too. The more things change . . .
- savvyone-1

I thought this series of tweets hit one of the bigger issues on its head:

Satchel Price‏Verified account @SatchelPrice
Tell me how many times in the Predators’ series you saw Keith/Hjammer/Seabrook/Oduya giving space on the ice to keep their gap together.

The other two defensemen, too. The Blackhawks’ defensive strategy has become increasingly passive over the past two years.

I don’t know if that was a matter of personnel or what, they’ve definitely declined to use more high-risk guys like Daley, Rundblad, Kempny.

But when you see the Hawks’ decline in possession over the past two years, I’d say coaching is probably a good part of that.

Or, let’s talk about Brian Campbell. Here’s a guy who was pretty much not used properly from Day 1 in his second Chicago stint.

The Hawks regularly forced a 37-YO over to his offside. They tried to force him into the system rather than cater to his strengths more.

Campbell is at his best when he can carry the puck into space with his size/speed, then use his vision/passing to make plays.

They wouldn’t let him do that because they don’t let anyone do that. This is what sent a ton of defensemen out of town.

Per Scott Powers - Anisimov will not play for Russia at the Worlds.

Agreed and this resonates very little at this time.......see what the next step is.
- SteveRain

I think it's the first salvo. I think Dineen stays, laying in wait as a possible replacement if next season gets of to a poor start.

I can believe that the FO and Ownership is pissed at the way the season ended and that there will be some changes. But you have to look at anything and everything that may be done with a logical eye, and curb the fanboy love and crazy scenarios.

While it is true that anyone can be moved, reality and common sense tell a different story.

1) Toews and Kane are going nowhere, regardless of their contracts. Kane produces to the value of his contract and Toews IS the face of the franchise. Unless he personally asks to be moved, my guess is that Toews retires a Hawk.

2) Hossa and Keith most likely stay due to re-capture penalties, and the fact that they still play to the value of their contracts. Keith may not be what he was a couple of years back, but he is still a top pairing D-man with a cap hit at $5.5 that is way below market value.

3) Hjarlmarsson has value way above his contract, is your best pure defender, a solid citizen and teammate. If the Hawks want to keep the window open he goes nowhere. If they decide to overhaul the roster, #4 potentially brings the most in return in terms of picks/prospects.

4)Seabrook is arguably no longer a top pairing defender, but is still a top 4. His leadership skills are high, so his contract may not be as impossible to move as some think.

5) Goaltending will shake itself out early. Hawks cant lose both Darling and Crawford, unless a deal involving Crow brings back a #1 goalie. Lots of different scenarios can happen on the Goalie front.

6) Bowman mentioning the lack of scoring may be a clue that Panarin is going nowhere.

7) rest of the roster is up for grabs, but Hartman and Schmaltz probably stay, as do Kempney and Forsling. Kempney probably gets a bridge deal of a couple of years at a slight raise.

Chris Hine‏ @ChristopherHine
Kitchen worked with Joel Quenneville for several years Quenneville has been a head coach. 98-03 in St. Louis and 2010-17 in Chicago.

Kitchen and Quenneville were also teammates in the NHL with Colorado and New Jersey from 1979-83.

Sounds like a major message being sent to the HC by ousting Kitchen, first, and not together with Dineen.

(That is, unless Q made the decision)

ETA: Chris Hine‏ @ChristopherHine 3s4 seconds ago
The prevailing thought among league, for what it's worth, is that they have a hard time believing this was Quenneville's decision.

I thought this series of tweets hit one of the bigger issues on its head:

Satchel Price‏Verified account @SatchelPrice
Tell me how many times in the Predators’ series you saw Keith/Hjammer/Seabrook/Oduya giving space on the ice to keep their gap together.

The other two defensemen, too. The Blackhawks’ defensive strategy has become increasingly passive over the past two years.

I don’t know if that was a matter of personnel or what, they’ve definitely declined to use more high-risk guys like Daley, Rundblad, Kempny.

But when you see the Hawks’ decline in possession over the past two years, I’d say coaching is probably a good part of that.

Or, let’s talk about Brian Campbell. Here’s a guy who was pretty much not used properly from Day 1 in his second Chicago stint.

The Hawks regularly forced a 37-YO over to his offside. They tried to force him into the system rather than cater to his strengths more.

Campbell is at his best when he can carry the puck into space with his size/speed, then use his vision/passing to make plays.

They wouldn’t let him do that because they don’t let anyone do that. This is what sent a ton of defensemen out of town.
- pdx2ord

Leddy, Daley, Kempny . . . high risk, high reward kind of guys.
They don't fit Q's MO (which evidenced by TOI, is TVR, who saw more ice time regardless of the fact he is not a very good athlete and a relatively poor skater).

Q ran the 1st 2 out of time (Daley, heck, he couldn't wait to run him out and get another over-the-hill veteran D man back).

I noted it early in the Nashville series and highlighted it earlier in the season. No "attacking" of the D men prior to opponents getting into the Hawks zone. Everything is about collapsing in on our G -- and we saw the same thing in our craptastic PK. No chase, no attacking, no forcing the play. Collapse into your box and give all the time in the world to the point men to drift one to the net.

Stan's firing of Kitchen is merely a rearrangement of chairs on the deck of the Titanic.

Chris Hine‏ @ChristopherHine
Kitchen worked with Joel Quenneville for several years Quenneville has been a head coach. 98-03 in St. Louis and 2010-17 in Chicago.

Kitchen and Quenneville were also teammates in the NHL with Colorado and New Jersey from 1979-83.

Sounds like a major message being sent to the HC by ousting Kitchen, first, and not together with Dineen.

(That is, unless Q made the decision)
- pdx2ord

They'd be crazy to dump Dineen. I would imagine if Q was ever on the hot seat, Dineen would be the replacement, if he didn't get another job first.

They'd be crazy to dump Dineen. I would imagine if Q was ever on the hot seat, Dineen would be the replacement, if he didn't get another job first.
- JRoenick97

That was the angle I had not thought of, but makes perfect sense considering the dearth of coaches on the market who you'd rank over Q.

Also not surprised by the firing. The Pk started the year badly and the D core despite getting re-enforced with experienced players, didn't perform up to par. There may have been more to it, but those in themselves seem like pretty good reasons to try another assistant coach.

I think you need to free up some cash by buying out some of the Ridiculous contracts. 6 more seasons of Brent Seabrook at almost 7 million a season is crazy, especially when you think he will almost be 40 by the time its done. Paying Hossa 4 more years until he is almost 42 at 5.275 million is also crazy. Cut the cord, free up some cash, get a better bottom 6 and maybe see the second round again.

But firing Mike Kitchen might work just as well