I like the title, hockey really is that simple
- BestRapperAlive

It really is!

If only it came that easy for the Hawks this year. They have the pieces and Crawford has been lights out (sans last game), they just need to put it together.

Reports that the Blues are aggressively pursuing Evander Kane. Preds made a massive upgrade to their roster in Turris, and Evander Kane on the Blues with Schwartz or Tarasenko would be a huge boost. Stan Bowman needs to improve this roster, and fast.
- EnzoD

Who do they give up and with $430k in cap space according to CapFriendly
who do they send over Parayko , Fabbri ?

Who do they give up and with $430k in cap space according to CapFriendly
who do they send over Parayko , Fabbri ?
- gazza53

Since E.Kane is a UFA at the end of the year, it's possible the Sabres could retain a large portion of his salary for this season.

I hear what you're saying...but say Stan acquired E Kane for a reasonable price would that help the likes of Toews, Kane, Saad, Keith and Seabrook play better?

I agree that Stan needs to make a move to improve the team, but the biggest source of improvement needs to be from the current group of players themselves.
- DarthKane

That's my thinking as well. New players would be great and they may give the team an immediate jolt, but they won't necessarily fix whatever is ailing the team. New toys added to a broken toy box with kids who won't play with them or play with them properly.

The Devils game is an example: the Hawks stormed to a 4-1 lead and maybe an E. Kane could contribute to the team scoring more goals, but they lost that game 7-5 because the wheels came apart with protecting the lead, committing to defense, and having all players crank out a full 60 minutes.

Since E.Kane is a UFA at the end of the year, it's possible the Sabres could retain a large portion of his salary for this season.
- EnzoD

Yep that can be done but still what do they have to offer for E. Kane?

IceHogs tied 1-1 heading into 3rd.

Fortin with his 1st goal of the year.

He's been playing down the lineup, so it's nice to see him get one. He's got a lot of speed and skill, but still needs to show that he wasn't just a flash in the pan from 2 training camps ago.

Since E.Kane is a UFA at the end of the year, it's possible the Sabres could retain a large portion of his salary for this season.
- EnzoD

The Sabres badly need defencemen and up and coming young players with talent. And their goaltending stinks pretty bad too. Draft picks are nice but that means players 3-5 years away. They would gladly eat some salary for the right deal.

Anaheim comes to mind, NYI, Columbus, maybe even Nashville.

The Sabres badly need defencemen and up and coming young players with talent. And their goaltending stinks pretty bad too. Draft picks are nice but that means players 3-5 years away. They would gladly eat some salary for the right deal.

Anaheim comes to mind, NYI, Columbus, maybe even Nashville.
- RickJ

Would you move Murphy or Forsling as part of a trade package for E.Kane?

The line blender stuff is mind numbing. Now he has DBC back at RW on the 3rd line?
Geezus.

Would you move Murphy or Forsling as part of a trade package for E.Kane?
- EnzoD

Yes OR Yes, and I would even commit to posting on the Sabers board doubling the participation!

Yes OR Yes, and I would even commit to posting on the Sabers board doubling the participation!
- riozzo

Would you move Murphy or Forsling as part of a trade package for E.Kane?
- EnzoD

I'll drive him to the airport...

And then we can use Murphys cap space next year to re-sign Rutta

Would you move Murphy or Forsling as part of a trade package for E.Kane?
- EnzoD

I think the team is at the point where they need to be careful about the youth they trade away. Fans are complaining that the quality of players surrounding the core keeps diminishing, trading away the few good young guys we have won't make that any better.

IceHogs tied 1-1 heading into 3rd.

Fortin with his 1st goal of the year.

He's been playing down the lineup, so it's nice to see him get one. He's got a lot of speed and skill, but still needs to show that he wasn't just a flash in the pan from 2 training camps ago.
- Justin Lowe

IceHogs lost 2-1.

I think the team is at the point where they need to be careful about the youth they trade away. Fans are complaining that the quality of players surrounding the core keeps diminishing, trading away the few good young guys we have won't make that any better.
- DarthKane

I agree. Again, I think that the Front Office needs to decide (and quickly decide) what the plan is for this franchise. Are they going to go "All-in for One Goal" and make roster additions while sending away prospects/picks? Or, are they going to run the course with the current roster and make some big changes this summer when they are drafting in the lottery? I'd much prefer the "All-In" approach as there are no replacements for Duncan Keith in the immediate future. Once Keith can no longer play 25 minutes a night at a high level, this team has no chance at a Cup. Toews and Kane will be 30 during next season, so the Cup-Window is closing VERY rapidly.


EDIT: OR StanBo could sell off guys like Murphy, Anisimov or Seabrook at the Trade Deadline and go into a full "rebuild on the fly".

I agree. Again, I think that the Front Office needs to decide (and quickly decide) what the plan is for this franchise. Are they going to go "All-in for One Goal" and make roster additions while sending away prospects/picks? Or, are they going to run the course with the current roster and make some big changes this summer when they are drafting in the lottery? I'd much prefer the "All-In" approach as there are no replacements for Duncan Keith in the immediate future. Once Keith can no longer play 25 minutes a night at a high level, this team has no chance at a Cup. Toews and Kane will be 30 during next season, so the Cup-Window is closing VERY rapidly.
- EnzoD

The window is closing, but is this the season to go all-in? Given the way the current team is playing it might be a waste of assets to get a guy like E Kane.

I get what you're saying that E Kane (or equivalent) would make the team deeper, but I still don't believe he makes the existing guys play better. Maybe some of them do, but not all or even most of them.

I agree. Again, I think that the Front Office needs to decide (and quickly decide) what the plan is for this franchise. Are they going to go "All-in for One Goal" and make roster additions while sending away prospects/picks? Or, are they going to run the course with the current roster and make some big changes this summer when they are drafting in the lottery? I'd much prefer the "All-In" approach as there are no replacements for Duncan Keith in the immediate future. Once Keith can no longer play 25 minutes a night at a high level, this team has no chance at a Cup. Toews and Kane will be 30 during next season, so the Cup-Window is closing VERY rapidly.


EDIT: OR StanBo could sell off guys like Murphy, Anisimov or Seabrook at the Trade Deadline and go into a full "rebuild on the fly".
- EnzoD

Just saw your edit.

Nobody is taking Seabrook without Stan adding somebody like DeBrincat or a top prospect (plus picks).

Anisimov could be traded, but I think they wait until the summer of 2019 when his NMCs expire.

It wouldn't surprise me if Murphy was dealt. I wouldn't give up on him just yet, but I could see it happening.

I think the team is at the point where they need to be careful about the youth they trade away. Fans are complaining that the quality of players surrounding the core keeps diminishing, trading away the few good young guys we have won't make that any better.
- DarthKane

How good will "the youth" in the organization ever become? Are any of the top-tier talents? Maybe. Doubtful. Could any of them be contributors on a Cup winning team? Sure, but that assumes that team has enough other talented players on the roster. Does this roster? I don't think so. So it becomes a timing game. Can the young guys get good enough fast enough before Kane and Toews and Keith and Crawford regress too much? I don't think so.

So, you keep the youth, watch the core age, try to get lucky with another free agent from Europe or college or in the draft. Hope some of these guys in the organization really improve a lot, and what does that give you? Mediocrity with the current core that merges into mediocrity with the next group.

Adding EKane would make this team better. It improves PKane's line whether it is being centered by Schmaltz or AA. It improves the third line because the other slides down and centers it. Trading the medium term future (say, 3-4 years from now) for improved near term future (this year and next) gives the team a chance with the current core players. Then when they're done, the team sucks but that gives them a chance to get some high draft picks to get the next Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews.

Unless, somehow, someone is willing to take some of these guys with NMCs. Then you could hope to rebuild a different way.

Of course it'd be great if this roster can become good, I just don't think there is enough talent and experience on it.

Just saw your edit.

Nobody is taking Seabrook without Stan adding somebody like DeBrincat or a top prospect (plus picks).

Anisimov could be traded, but I think they wait until the summer of 2019 when his NMCs expire.

It wouldn't surprise me if Murphy was dealt. I wouldn't give up on him just yet, but I could see it happening.
- DarthKane

As poor as Seabrook has been this season, I think his size, leadership and ability to be effective in the right situation would be attractive to a team like Toronto who is loaded at forward but lacks good NHL depth on Defense. Seabrook + Hartman for JVR?

Would you move Murphy or Forsling as part of a trade package for E.Kane?
- EnzoD

Murphy + yes.
Forsling + no

Would you move Murphy or Forsling as part of a trade package for E.Kane?
- EnzoD

My guess is that Sabres wouldn't be that interested in either of them because they would have better offers on the table to do a 1-1 deal. I think they would ask that Schmaltz be on the table at the very least, and both Debrincat and Ryan Hartman for purposes of broadening the trade discussion.

So if you had E. Kane and Ristolainen (not playing that well this year so far) and maybe Reinhart on Buffalo's side as possibilities, there would be a chance for a huge deal. Buffalo's #1 pick would also be a very attractive chip, but Botterill won't trade that knowing he is out of the playoffs already.

As poor as Seabrook has been this season, I think his size, leadership and ability to be effective in the right situation would be attractive to a team like Toronto who is loaded at forward but lacks good NHL depth on Defense. Seabrook + Hartman for JVR?
- EnzoD

As much as I would like JVR, I think the Hawks need more good young Dmen first.

As poor as Seabrook has been this season, I think his size, leadership and ability to be effective in the right situation would be attractive to a team like Toronto who is loaded at forward but lacks good NHL depth on Defense. Seabrook + Hartman for JVR?
- EnzoD

Logic says that 7 is fighting some type of back injury. I mean the guy just fell off the map in one summer. I know after the Blues series 2 years ago, he was a hurting unit. He looked good last year. Now this year??? Maybe his body is just done. The guy has played a TON of hockey and has had one helluva career. I think any team that wanted to trade for him will give him one thorough med exam. The rest of the league no doubt sees what we see. Unless its not injury at all and there is some internal team problem or home problem that has him unplugged.

My guess is that Sabres wouldn't be that interested in either of them because they would have better offers on the table to do a 1-1 deal. I think they would ask that Schmaltz be on the table at the very least, and both Debrincat and Ryan Hartman for purposes of broadening the trade discussion.

So if you had E. Kane and Ristolainen (not playing that well this year so far) and maybe Reinhart on Buffalo's side as possibilities, there would be a chance for a huge deal. Buffalo's #1 pick would also be a very attractive chip, but Botterill won't trade that knowing he is out of the playoffs already.
- RickJ

I would trade the whole farm for Ristolainen Big, young, mobile, physical, and can run the PowerPlay better than anyone on the Hawks' roster.

Justin with the hawks playing the rangers tonight and the scouts being at Rockford games anything being discussed that you might of heard, plus what players in your opinion would the two sides be discussing? I agree that D is the need the hawks have to fill but what team is going to give the hawks a top 4 dman without paying a kings ransom. So maybe loading up front with a Evander Kane power forward lw and a defensive center that can win faceoffs a Mark lestu or vermmette as examples might be an easier way to go. What would it take to get mcDough from the rangers if their season keeps going the way it is going. Perhaps 2018 1st dcat + forsling and a 4th so they retain some money or do the hawks start thinking about trading Hartman they could always sign wiggles next year again and hayden could turn into the next shaw type player.