Who will get more points this season, Teravainen or Schmaltz?
- DarthKane

Who is Schmaltz playing with?

Teravainen is likely playing Staal and Williams.

Should play a point on the 1st PP unit too.

Still don't put him much more than 45 points. MAYBE hit 50. Maybe.

Who is Schmaltz playing with?

Teravainen is likely playing Staal and Williams.

Should play a point on the 1st PP unit too.

Still don't put him much more than 45 points. MAYBE hit 50. Maybe.
- BINGO!

Schmaltz may spend some time on the second line with Kane and Anisimov, but I think it's more likely he's on the third line with Hartman and ???.

Schmaltz may spend some time on the second line with Kane and Anisimov, but I think it's more likely he's on the third line with Hartman and ???.
- DarthKane

It would be foolish to think Schmaltz would crack 50 already in his 1st full pro season, especially when you factor in sophomore slump. 61 games technically counts as a full season, but there is a tough learning curve in playing 82 games of pro hockey. While I think Schmaltz has better willingness to be better than TT, I think TT probably has more natural skill. Both are too slight of frame but in the long run Schmaltz COULD be the better player. TT already has 100+ NHL games under his belt so he is better suited to outscore NS right now

It would be foolish to think Schmaltz would crack 50 already in his 1st full pro season, especially when you factor in sophomore slump. 61 games technically counts as a full season, but there is a tough learning curve in playing 82 games of pro hockey. While I think Schmaltz has better willingness to be better than TT, I think TT probably has more natural skill. Both are too slight of frame but in the long run Schmaltz COULD be the better player. TT already has 100+ NHL games under his belt so he is better suited to outscore NS right now
- Stan_Bowman

Sophomore slump is a factor to keep in mind, but 55 points isn't out of the question for Schmaltz given that he put up something like 25 points in around 35 games after his mid-season demotion last season. That PPG in those 35 games prorates to 58 points.

Cody Franson could be a decent cheap pick-up.
- BINGO!

I believe Cody Franson is going to sign with some team this upcoming week....

Just picked up this year's Sports Forecaster hockey pool magazine. I know its just for fun, but it's always interesting to see what is predicted for the Blackhawks.

Overall Finish: 3rd in Central (behind the Preds and Wild)

Anisimov: 39 points (seems low)
Hartman: 43
Hayden: 22
Hinostroza: 24
Kane: 88
Kero: 24
Panik: 34
Saad: 50 (seems low, but not by much)
Schmaltz: 55 (seems high)
Sharp: 37
Toews: 63

Forsling: 19
Keith: 45
Murphy: 23
Rutta: 20
Seabrook: 43

Crawford: 30 wins
Forsberg: 10

Edit: As a point of interest here are some former Blackhawks:

Motte: 31 points
Panarin 62
Hjalmarsson: 15
Kruger: 16
Teravainen: 57
TvR: 24
Darling: 34 wins
- DarthKane

Hawks are tied for playing the most back to backs, 19 of them. Forsberg will get plenty of starts.

The thing about the magazines that forcast points (usuallly for Fantasy leagues), they always seem to lay optistic production numbers on the established players and the hot newbies.

A few years ago, I took one of these and totalled each and every point for each and every player and then compared their guesses to entire totals after April and they had over a fifth more goals and assists than reality.
Come on, is there anyone out there who can say Rutta gets 20 points and Forsling gets 10 Wouldn't you prefer a question mark behind their names based on honesty?

I mean, I guess it's nice to speculate and look at predictions, but but after a while,it becomes a time consuming waste and the season has to develop for you to "see" how things are truly going, right?

What i find more intriguing, is how these continual low teams, that maybe sneak into a playoff and then don't make it back for a couple years, get in one time again, ...how there management can be SO PATIENT!
(Ha! Speaking as someone who sat thre and watched the old man refuse to pay players, hire more than skeleton Euro scouting staffs, and raised the ticket prices when they moved to the barnd new UC.)

How do you not find ways to change the chemistry, even after bad first tarde moves?

Has the Cap just made that impotent?

You can be angry we dont have Hammer and Breadthuck, but StanBo certainly showed some big family jewels with doing what it seems these other teams aren't way making no or few moves...Sakic afraid he might be critized IF he trades duchene for not enough or the return doesn't pan out (like in the O'Reilly trade that in my opinion, was the loss at forward that seemed to take the adhesive out of the forward group).

Hawks are tied for playing the most back to backs, 19 of them. Forsberg will get plenty of starts.
- Mr Ricochet

There are a few young players I am most interested in following their development over the upcoming season, Forsberg is near the top of that list. For the past few years the Hawks have had a stellar back-up, Forsberg has shown signs of potential but will it be realized this year?

The thing about the magazines that forcast points (usuallly for Fantasy leagues), they always seem to lay optistic production numbers on the established players and the hot newbies.

A few years ago, I took one of these and totalled each and every point for each and every player and then compared their guesses to entire totals after April and they had over a fifth more goals and assists than reality.
Come on, is there anyone out there who can say Rutta gets 20 points and Forsling gets 10 Wouldn't you prefer a question mark behind their names based on honesty?

I mean, I guess it's nice to speculate and look at predictions, but but after a while,it becomes a time consuming waste and the season has to develop for you to "see" how things are truly going, right?

What i find more intriguing, is how these continual low teams, that maybe sneak into a playoff and then don't make it back for a couple years, get in one time again, ...how there management can be SO PATIENT!
(Ha! Speaking as someone who sat thre and watched the old man refuse to pay players, hire more than skeleton Euro scouting staffs, and raised the ticket prices when they moved to the barnd new UC.)

How do you not find ways to change the chemistry, even after bad first tarde moves?

Has the Cap just made that impotent?

You can be angry we dont have Hammer and Breadthuck, but StanBo certainly showed some big family jewels with doing what it seems these other teams aren't way making no or few moves...Sakic afraid he might be critized IF he trades duchene for not enough or the return doesn't pan out (like in the O'Reilly trade that in my opinion, was the loss at forward that seemed to take the adhesive out of the forward group).
- wiz1901

Bill, I totally agree with your last paragraph, I have been on Bowman before myself,but after seeing his post season interviews and the moves he made this summer, I would not put it past him , once he finds out where they stand with Hossa's deal and if the right pieces come available to further upset the apple cart of some more of the jersey wearing fan boys and girls ,and make another deal of significance including one of their favorites if theDeal makes HIS team better.
That is where I stand this moment. He could care a less about fan conventions and PR stuff. His standard message willbe " we thank player X for their contributions and wish them well moving on."
I don't know about you,but the stupid line combo's make me laugh sometimes, it's like all of these guys are gold and NO ONE can be traded.Bowman will prove that wrong if it is needed, that is also why he has kids like Schmaltz and DeBrincat in his stable, not only to see if they are the next Toews and Kane but if they are also a high end poker card at his next hockey trades poker games!

From the Hockey News article about the top 10 players who should have their #s retired but for whatever reason have not:

Paul Kariya (Ducks)
Eric Lindros (Flyers)
Dave Andreychuk (Sabres)
Toe Blake (Canadiens)
Theo Fleury (Flames)
Peter Bondra (Capitals)
Kevin Lowe (Oilers)
Brad Park (Rangers and Bruins)
Sergei Fedorov (Red Wings)
and "pretty much anyone from the 80s, 90s and 00s – Chicago Blackhawks"

Cut-n-paste excerpt:

When it comes to retiring numbers, Original Six teams are tricky. As we covered with the Canadiens and Red Wings last time, having up to a century of history is going to make the choices a bit tougher, and most Original Six teams tend to be stingy.

Chicago certainly fits that bill, having retired just seven numbers. Six of those are Hall of Famers, and former player and coach Keith Magnuson was included five years after he was killed in a car accident. That honor was shared with fellow No. 3 Pierre Pilote, and is the only retirement ceremony Hawks fans have seen this century.

Presumably, there are a few players on the current roster who'll join that group someday – after all, this is a team that apparently features three of the 100 greatest players in NHL history. But there's still a notable gap in the team's history, with only Denis Savard having been honored among players who appeared for the franchise after 1984.

That's over a quarter century that's been all but ignored, including decent candidates like Doug Wilson and Jeremy Roenick. Maybe most glaringly, it also excludes Steve Larmer, who ranks in the franchise's all-time top five for goals, assists and points. He was also considered one of the game's better two-way forwards, not to mention his 11-season ironman streak.

It's clear the Blackhawks are being picky here; remember, they somehow made Pilote wait 40 years. Larmer, Roenick and Wilson have all been eligible for the Hall of Fame for years with no luck, so maybe they just call into the "close but no cigar" category. There's something to be said for making the rafters and exclusive club.

We'll see if Jonathan Toews and friends have any more luck in another decade or two. In the meantime, young Blackhawks fans will be left to assume that for several decades, this franchise was Denis Savard and that's about it.

Just picked up this year's Sports Forecaster hockey pool magazine. I know its just for fun, but it's always interesting to see what is predicted for the Blackhawks.

Overall Finish: 3rd in Central (behind the Preds and Wild)

Anisimov: 39 points (seems low)
Hartman: 43
Hayden: 22
Hinostroza: 24
Kane: 88
Kero: 24
Panik: 34
Saad: 50 (seems low, but not by much)
Schmaltz: 55 (seems high)
Sharp: 37
Toews: 63

Forsling: 19
Keith: 45
Murphy: 23
Rutta: 20
Seabrook: 43

Crawford: 30 wins
Forsberg: 10

Edit: As a point of interest here are some former Blackhawks:

Motte: 31 points
Panarin 62
Hjalmarsson: 15
Kruger: 16
Teravainen: 57
TvR: 24
Darling: 34 wins
- DarthKane

I agree that Anisimov and Saad's projections seem low. If healthy, Anisimov gets at least 40 points as a 20/20 player. I don't buy the whole Panarin factor of him helping to inflate Kane and Anisimov's stats the past two seasons. Kane gets his points no matter who he plays with (not necessarily 100+ but high 80s at least) and Anisimov prove he could net 40 points playing with the Rangers and Jackets.

IMHO, Saad projects to get at least 55 points and lands around 55-60.

Panik seems low but it also depends which line he plays on. If he plays primarily RW with Toews and Saad, Panik is a 20/20 player again with the potential to land around 45-50 points. But if Panik is juggled around the top 3 lines, then a mid-30 point range sounds right, maybe as a 20/15 power forward.

If early reports about Sharp looking great in workouts this summer are any indication, I think he could get 40-45 points. Like Panik, though, it depends which line he plays on and he likely will toggle between the 2nd and 3rd lines (spot starts on the 1st line if needed).

Schmaltz is capable of getting 55 points, but like Panik and Sharp, it also depends which line he plays on. If he's the 3rd line center for much of the season, the mid-40s might be more realistic. But if he can get substantial time playing top-6 minutes and on one of the PP units, then he could very well amass 50+ points.

Hartman's projection seems right and I believe he will get 20 goals to become a perennial 20/20 winger. Even if he doesn't hit the 40 point mark, I think he'll at least be a 20/15 power forward like Panik which is really good if Hartman plays mostly 3rd line.

Hayden and Hinostroza's numbers seem high since I assume they play regular minutes in Rockford for at least half the season with Bouma and Wingels getting most of the bottom-6 minutes on the Hawks. Bouma likely gets around 15 points and Wingels is capable of 20-25.

All of the blueline projects seem right, and I agree that Kempny will get 15-20 points if he players a full season or close to it.