A couple more mini munsters? (Tired of the Smurfs mantra)
- walleyeb1

I think we can get a few more miles out of that.

Weird, racist vibe in here lately.

I think we can get a few more miles out of that.
- DarthKane

The second someone under 6'1 gets knocked over in the preseason, all we're gonna hear is how the team is too small.

Don Cherry has ghost accounts

Weird, racist vibe in here lately.
- BlazinMike

Juuuuuust a little bit.

Weird, racist vibe in here lately.
- BlazinMike

Racism? where? I haven't seen anyone bash a player based on the color of their skin......

The second someone under 6'1 gets knocked over in the preseason, all we're gonna hear is how the team is too small.
- BlazinMike

I don't care if he's 5'4 or 6'7, key is you have to be hard to play against and tough on your skates.

Adam Creighton was a giant, and he was as soft as they come......

Think we can all agree Hawks need to harder to play against..........and size does come into play when you get to the postseason and you routinely are taking hit after hit after hit.......Believe it was Troy Brower who wore down Phaenuff back in 2008.....

I'm totally fine within brining in Europeans who are looking to make the jump to the NHL, especially if they're talented, but if the Hawks are planning on giving this guy the same treatment they have Kempny this season then it doesn't make much sense. How are you expecting these guys to develop/adapt to the NHL game if they aren't even getting regular opportunities? I get that we have a talented top-3, but the fact that Kempny was routinely benched in favor of Campbell and Pizza man, when they failed to provide much of anything really boggles me. Hopefully Q gives Kempny the ice time he needs this season. And if Rutta or whoever is brought over, hopefully they get a consistent chance to as well.
- TommyHawk

That's my fear as well that Bowman will bring in coveted European talent or free agents who check off some or all of the boxes we need for the glaring holes in the lineup -- especially guys who play a gritty, heavy style whether at forward or defense -- but Q just won't play them for whatever reasons.

So if Bowman and Q are finally on the same page of getting players who will actually play the style for what has made their respective reputation in the NHL or whatever league they're coming from, then I'm all for this. But I would be hesitant if they are not on the same page because then it's more of the same drama with just different actors.

I don't care if he's 5'4 or 6'7, key is you have to be hard to play against and tough on your skates.

Adam Creighton was a giant, and he was as soft as they come......

Think we can all agree Hawks need to harder to play against..........and size does come into play when you get to the postseason and you routinely are taking hit after hit after hit.......Believe it was Troy Brower who wore down Phaenuff back in 2008.....
- SteveRain

I would have to agree with you: it's the size of the fight in the dog that counts, not the size of the dog. Like Creighton, Daze was a big man but not exactly a prototypical power forward. Max Domi and Brendan Gallagher come to mind as short individuals who play huge games.

The Hawks definitely need defenders to play on the right side.

This is what I would do.
1. Resign Kempny
2. Sign Rutta
3. Send Vegas a 4th round pick (or a prospect) to take Kruger and not TVR. That would free up $3 mil and keep a serviceable right side defender
4. See what it would take to get Duchene. I would trade Anisimov, Panik, Forsling and a 2nd round pick this year and a 2nd next year (that moves up to a 1st if the Hawks are in the Cup final) for Duchene. Colorado eats $2 mil in salary this year and next. It seems like we would be giving up a lot. But you free up a little cap space, have a 2nd line center that can win face offs, and can make 2 really solid lines. If you could keep Forsling out of the deal I would. But he could be the most attractive piece to Colorado. Colorado might be able to trade off Panik and Anisimov for prospects/picks in their rebuild.
5. Sign Oduya if you can at a low price.

Forwards
Panarin - Duchene - Kane
??? - Toews - Hossa
Remaining forwards - Kero, Hartman, Hayden, Schmaltz, Debrincat, Motte, Hino, Tootoo, Moose, Jurco, Kampf etc....

Defense
Keith, Seabs, Hjalmarsson, TVR, Rutta, Oduya, Kempny,

Goalies
Crow & Glass (or suitable 2nd goalie)

Cap $72 mil+/- then add the overages

Racism? where? I haven't seen anyone bash a player based on the color of their skin......
- SteveRain

Closer to the nationalism that is infecting society and politics throughout the Western world, I'd say.

Dobrý den, pane Jan Rutta. Jak se máš?

Closer to the nationalism that is infecting society and politics throughout the Western world, I'd say.
- pdx2ord

Bingo

I compare this to minor league baseball formation where teams have many prospects but know that only a slim few will ever make it big in the majors. The Blackhawks just need to stockpile talent and hope some hit.

I compare this to minor league baseball formation where teams have many prospects but know that only a slim few will ever make it big in the majors. The Blackhawks just need to stockpile talent and hope some hit.
- BlackhawkMike

And that is MUCH more difficult drafting in the mid to high 20's every round.

And that is MUCH more difficult drafting in the mid to high 20's every round.
- 35Tony0

Agreed and which brings us back to one of JJ's blog points that the next best thing is to scout talent in Europe and even have coaches and player development personnel who have a good track record working with such players. My guess is this is a reason why Colliton was hired as the new Ice Hogs head coach given his years of coaching in Sweden and the Hawks infatuation with Swedes and the rumor of Samuelsson possibly being one of Q's assistants.

I don't care if he's 5'4 or 6'7, key is you have to be hard to play against and tough on your skates.

Adam Creighton was a giant, and he was as soft as they come......

Think we can all agree Hawks need to harder to play against..........and size does come into play when you get to the postseason and you routinely are taking hit after hit after hit.......Believe it was Troy Brower who wore down Phaenuff back in 2008.....
- SteveRain

Kinda like last night when Subban heard the footsteps and threw the grenade to Perry in overtime. And sure, he tried to recover but wound up tipping it into his own net. Game over. Doesn't happen if he takes the hit to make a play, or even just eats it. Perfect example of what the cavemen here (welcome to the cave Rain) and even JJ say about cumulative effect of getting run over and over. It all adds up.
And to me it really highlights how good the hawks have been winning 3 cups while getting the bizness repeatedly and taking it while still making the cups happen.

Kinda like last night when Subban heard the footsteps and threw the grenade to Perry in overtime. And sure, he tried to recover but wound up tipping it into his own net. Game over. Doesn't happen if he takes the hit to make a play, or even just eats it. Perfect example of what the cavemen here (welcome to the cave Rain) and even JJ say about cumulative effect of getting run over and over. It all adds up.
And to me it really highlights how good the hawks have been winning 3 cups while getting the bizness repeatedly and taking it while still making the cups happen.
- 6628

That's why I love Hjalmarsson. Never shrinks from getting clobbered, just gets that puck out of danger.

Kinda like last night when Subban heard the footsteps and threw the grenade to Perry in overtime. And sure, he tried to recover but wound up tipping it into his own net. Game over. Doesn't happen if he takes the hit to make a play, or even just eats it. Perfect example of what the cavemen here (welcome to the cave Rain) and even JJ say about cumulative effect of getting run over and over. It all adds up.
And to me it really highlights how good the hawks have been winning 3 cups while getting the bizness repeatedly and taking it while still making the cups happen.
- 6628

I love the cave......

yeah, the more I watch Suban the more I see why Montreal dealt him. Like you said if he takes the hit the goal doesn't happen.

Closer to the nationalism that is infecting society and politics throughout the Western world, I'd say.
- pdx2ord

Well you or somebody else mentioned racism and I was confused as I didn't see any posts like that.

Moving on.........not getting suckered into a political debate.

And that is MUCH more difficult drafting in the mid to high 20's every round.
- 35Tony0

That only goes so far.....to get a top 6 player or top 4 d man? Debatable.

To get a serviceable player who can skate in the 9-12 slot at F or 5-6 D slot? yeah, that should happen.....

hawks have missed on a lot of drafts as of late.

The Hawks definitely need defenders to play on the right side.

This is what I would do.
1. Resign Kempny
2. Sign Rutta
3. Send Vegas a 4th round pick (or a prospect) to take Kruger and not TVR. That would free up $3 mil and keep a serviceable right side defender
4. See what it would take to get Duchene. I would trade Anisimov, Panik, Forsling and a 2nd round pick this year and a 2nd next year (that moves up to a 1st if the Hawks are in the Cup final) for Duchene. Colorado eats $2 mil in salary this year and next. It seems like we would be giving up a lot. But you free up a little cap space, have a 2nd line center that can win face offs, and can make 2 really solid lines. If you could keep Forsling out of the deal I would. But he could be the most attractive piece to Colorado. Colorado might be able to trade off Panik and Anisimov for prospects/picks in their rebuild.
5. Sign Oduya if you can at a low price.

Forwards
Panarin - Duchene - Kane
??? - Toews - Hossa
Remaining forwards - Kero, Hartman, Hayden, Schmaltz, Debrincat, Motte, Hino, Tootoo, Moose, Jurco, Kampf etc....

Defense
Keith, Seabs, Hjalmarsson, TVR, Rutta, Oduya, Kempny,

Goalies
Crow & Glass (or suitable 2nd goalie)

Cap $72 mil+/- then add the overages
- -Doh-

Overages put you closer to the 76 million mark which will be OVER

So you need to move more bodies out.

Please go to capfriendly.com

You will see hawks are 3.8 over as of TODAY. Getting d of Kruger doesn't make them cap compliant........need more moves and your team is weaker before you even start to look fix the holes from this past year.

Kinda like last night when Subban heard the footsteps and threw the grenade to Perry in overtime. And sure, he tried to recover but wound up tipping it into his own net. Game over. Doesn't happen if he takes the hit to make a play, or even just eats it. Perfect example of what the cavemen here (welcome to the cave Rain) and even JJ say about cumulative effect of getting run over and over. It all adds up.
And to me it really highlights how good the hawks have been winning 3 cups while getting the bizness repeatedly and taking it while still making the cups happen.
- 6628

Exactly. This is why consistent body checks and hits (that are legal and not of the variety that leads to penalties) plus consistent clearing of the crease makes the other team think twice about playing too comfortably and patrolling unscathed in high percentage scoring areas. Even if opposing players continue to venture in these areas, make it tough as heck for them to even make a play or force them to make ill-advised plays like what happened to Subban on Perry.

If you are a 26 dman like Ruutu and just saw a lot of press box time for Kempny last year, what is the draw to the Hawks vs another club that will have you skate 2/3 or more of the regular season? Doubtful he will get more than 2 years on his first NHL deal. I'd go to a club that can promise some ice time.

For Kempny, is it a given that he is returning? I liked his ability and nasty and maybe tolerated the mental gaffes more than Q. I'm sure there are other clubs that could let him do a bit more on-the-job learning.
- phantasmo

Not guaranteed, but likely