According to Barstool Chief, yes.

@BarstoolChief
Hearing that Brian Campbell will officially retire this week. He will have some type of role in the organization. Hell of a career for Soup
- L_B_R

That's good. He wasn't the answer for them on D.

Toews isn't an offense only guy, but still over the last 3 seasons, he put up 1C numbers. Some guys outscore him but he plays a better 2 way game that most other C.

Add in the fact that he has been playing with some wingers who couldn't finish. (i.e. Hossa had a hard time finishing from 2014-16) He found his stride in the second half and was pretty much a point per game player in 2017. That was playing with a rookie (Schmaltz/Hayden/Hartman) on one wing and a journeyman (Panik) who has typically been suited to the bottom 6.

Keith has been dealing with a knee injury, but is still legit 1D while not firing on all cylinders. Elite status for them is completely subjective, but there are still many elite aspects to their game, even in down years. I'm not worried about either one.

Probably the biggest concern I have....what happens if CC gets hurt? Not a lot of proven NHL talent behind him in the depth chart. I think the Hawks have enough depth/talented skaters but they could slip fast if the goalie situation becomes a question mark. CC/Darling as a combo were solid and Darling was a top 5 backup G in the NHL last season.
- breadbag

We're so thin on the back-end, there's no doubt. If DK goes down or is hobbled that's all she wrote. Seabrook as slipped considerably. My biggest worry with JT is his confidence in the playoffs. He's been outmatched the past two seasons. The pressure to right that ship will be enormous. That goes for PK as well, but I think his swagger is still very much intact.

That's good. He wasn't the answer for them on D.
- breadbag

Wonder if Oduya will follow him.

If they are going to keep Rozy, I'd still rather have Oduya.

Oh FFS . . .

OK, by now, we know that's what you think. And I'm sure when they get off to a rough start, you'll be doing a daily victory dance here. Can't wait.

But Bowman is clearly playing a long game here. Too bad you can't see that.

That's not to say his strategy will work long term, but you are completely missing the point.
- John Jaeckel

The point is to win hockey games and you don't do that by trading away some of your best players just because they are the guys whose contracts allow them to be most easily traded. Those are the only trades so far or would you like us to believe that is just a coincidence? Smells.

Oh FFS . . .

OK, by now, we know that's what you think. And I'm sure when they get off to a rough start, you'll be doing a daily victory dance here. Can't wait.

But Bowman is clearly playing a long game here. Too bad you can't see that.

That's not to say his strategy will work long term, but you are completely missing the point.
- John Jaeckel

Agree completely JJ...

It's amazing how many arm chair GM's think the job is easy...complain when they see problems...refuse to compliment when compliments are due...and live a world without a hard salary cap.

The point is to win hockey games and you don't do that by trading away some of your best players just because they are the guys whose contracts allow them to be most easily traded. Those are the only trades so far or would you like us to believe that is just a coincidence? Smells.
- Savoy

Then what are you b!tch'n about...?

Winning games is something we've grown accustomed to in the last decade...

...and all the while the hard cap has tried to punish the Hawks for their success.

Perfection is apparently your requirement...IOW you'll never be happy.

I'm hearing Campbell is retiring?
- MichaeLionheart

Props to Soupy. Like most athletes he gave it a year more than the body would allow. However, he was a great player for the beloved'

I think they will give those two both the opportunity to do more this year.

Just my .02, but Kempny's game was more bug-free than Forsling's—which is why he got way more TOI in the NHL.

Forsling has talent but every time he holds on to the puck in his end, which is a lot, he is like a human no-pest strip, attracting forecheckers with ill intent and risking turnovers.

He just needs to learn to get the puck off his blade in the right way to the right guy at the right time.

It could shake out differently, but I think you will see Murphy with Keith and Seabrook with Kempny as your top 4, with the hope being that Kempny—with basically a full year under his belt—will be more bug-free mentally (because physically he has all the tools) and become sort of a Johnny Oduya-like left side guy for them.

It was asking a lot of him last year, in his first season in NA, to do that. Oduya himself had to take many seasons to become the player Hawk fans remember.

Another possibility is they could have Seabrook babysit Forsling and Kempny with one of countrymen Rozy or Rutta, but I think that is less likely. I also feel like the door is not shut yet on Campbell either.
- John Jaeckel

Really good points. It was Forsling's first year on a smaller surface and as a 21 yr old at this level that's a real tough way to acclimate to the difference in surfaces, the difference in how quickly decisions have to be made. We should see a much better Forsling this yr as far as having acclimated to the smaller surface.

I'm confused by this sentence, sorry.
- L_B_R

Sorry, in the last two seasons in terms of points scored he hasn't been in the top 20 scoring centers. I know he's not had the best wings but I'm sure there's other centers that had things that worked against them as well.

Props to Soupy. Like most athletes he gave it a year more than the body would allow. However, he was a great player for the beloved'
- riozzo

If the story is true I'm happy that Campbell is staying with the organization.

Oh FFS . . .

OK, by now, we know that's what you think. And I'm sure when they get off to a rough start, you'll be doing a daily victory dance here. Can't wait.

But Bowman is clearly playing a long game here. Too bad you can't see that.

That's not to say his strategy will work long term, but you are completely missing the point.
- John Jaeckel

- Quicky72

Mind if i use this? Brilliant.

Wonder if Oduya will follow him.

If they are going to keep Rozy, I'd still rather have Oduya.
- vabeachbear

JO still has some tread left. Wonder if he is a fit, salary-wise.

- Quicky72

That's Gold, Jerry. Gold!

JO still has some tread left. Wonder if he is a fit, salary-wise.
- blackhawk24

He will on day 2 of the season.

Sorry, in the last two seasons in terms of points scored he hasn't been in the top 20 scoring centers. I know he's not had the best wings but I'm sure there's other centers that had things that worked against them as well.
- walleyeb1

Why would you base your opinion of his scoring ability on just pure point totals when he missed time? That makes no sense. You wouldn't say McDavid was the 46th best center in 2015-16 because he only scored 48 points, would you? Or that Kane was only the 29th best player overall in 2014-15 because he only had 64 points. That's why PPG is a better representation/evaluation of production than just points, as long as the sample isn't small.

- Quicky72

every body a pigeon in his own mind...no exceptions...

checkmate

The point is to win hockey games and you don't do that by trading away some of your best players just because they are the guys whose contracts allow them to be most easily traded. Those are the only trades so far or would you like us to believe that is just a coincidence? Smells.
- Savoy

Well, not exactly. Point is to win SC. And I will trust those that make their living running a hockey team...crazy, I know

How serious is this latest round of trade talks? A couple of points, 1st, Uncle Johns convention: what a perfect splash for him to make by marching out someone like Evander Kane or Matt Duchene next Friday afternoon, 2nd , regarding AA, if your him, do you even show for this event if he is on his way out of town?
Kudos to Soupy on a great career, but let's stop with the Oduya crap , I don't think SB has any intention of bringing him back. That Franson idea doesn't sound bad. Q probably endorsing it also. No F'N way Joel goes into the season with Forsling, Ruutta , and Kempney all playing meaningful minutes, I see , if this crap is true, Cody Franson being a logical choice.
Same goes with the Forwards,no way Joel goes into it with 5-7 young guys in his top 9, so Debrincat, Fortin , and who ever else the Kool aid drinkers are slotting on Kane's line, I think Quennville will surely have something to say about that.
If ya can't get a kid like Duchene, Jenner or E. Kane without trading AA, wellllll, , I am stumped, have to see what Bowman does, which will probably be resolved long before camp starts and NOT the second day of the season. Right now,, Bowman threw alittle piece of cheese out there regarding Hossa's status and time frame, and most took the bait thinking game 2of the season. Good move Stan , keep em guessing.

every body a pigeon in his own mind...no exceptions...

checkmate
- bogiedoc

Great writeup, JJ. I think the hardest part for many of us was accepting the reality of the situation. Bottom line was that Hammer and Breadman were only here for two more years, and the Hawks probably couldn't pay them after that. In the meantime, this team was probably not going to win, and after those two years, they would be even further from the one goal with nothing more to show for it. Standing pat was not an option, period.

The point is to win hockey games and you don't do that by trading away some of your best players just because they are the guys whose contracts allow them to be most easily traded. Those are the only trades so far or would you like us to believe that is just a coincidence? Smells.
- Savoy

The team didn't win a post season game in 2017. They ended the season up against the cap with a roster mainly consisting of 1) highly paid players taking up a lot of cap room, 2) mostly unproven, inexperienced young players. 3) veterans well past their primes, and Richard Panik (didn't fit any category, couldn't think of others who fit with him.) What is it that you wanted them to do?

It would be a weak argument to make imo. Toews PPG was 15th amount centers who played at least 30 games last season. Some of the guys above him are really offensively deployed 1C-B (Malkin, Carter) or did not play primarily as centers (Pavelski, Draisaitl). Not to mention Toews underlying numbers are definitively top line. He also had the same PPG as in 2014-15, so who knows what he could have done if he'd not had back issues / now that he has Saad back. Either way, someone can correctly say that Toews has not been the top 10 center like he was in the past, but the argument that Toews has dropped to a 2C level is really premature.

Honestly, I think people's perception of a 1C's point production is skewed, esp since the lower range has been around .70/71 PPG for years, including a couple of years before the lockout.
- L_B_R

If Toews production doesn't improve he will be more in line with a #2 center-But not saying that is etched in stone. A back injury for a hockey player...especially a chronic one is tough.

My overriding point is I would be more concerned in his ability to cover a #1 center rather than score like one.

Thanks Al.

Think you might be thinking about Carl Dahlstrom the Dman, I'm talking about John, he's just 20, plays wing and put up really good numbers this past season at Medicine Hat.

At only 20, assume he could have stayed in Medicine Hat.

Didn't seem all that strange that he may want to go back to Sweden, just thought it would be better if he was playing against men in the SEL.

Maybe he's not good enough, but did put up pretty good numbers in the WHL.
- vabeachbear

I was confused...But in the same way Sweden is well thought of as a training ground for future NHL players. Maybe there is a big $$ difference and playing at home is probably attractive for a 20 year old.

The point is to win hockey games and you don't do that by trading away some of your best players just because they are the guys whose contracts allow them to be most easily traded. Those are the only trades so far or would you like us to believe that is just a coincidence? Smells.
- Savoy

I talked about this very point before and after the trades happened on XM. The NHL because of a hard cap which has been flat, and big market teams tie up their core long term...Has become a league of trade who you can not necessarily who you want.