Justin, thanks for another well written blog.

The Hawks made changes to be harder to play against, but that part just didn't seem to translate. They give up shots and chances to easily.

Last year at 5v5
CA/60 - 58.95
SA/60 - 33.43
GA/60 - 2.54
SCA/60 - 29.36
HDCA/60 - 12.29

This year at 5v5
CA/60 - 55.08
SA/60 - 30.37
GA/60 - 2.05
SCA/60 - 27.15
HDCA/60 - 10.88

Pretty much 10-20% across the board worse in terms of attempts against, chances against, shots against, goals against. This team needs to clean up defensively. In the stat categories above, the Hawks are bottom 5-10 in the NHL. The high danger chances against is the one that is alarming to me.

I know stats don't tell everything, but this does paint a bit of a picture. I know it is in fashion to blame Toews because of his contract, but his line has at least matched up against top players and done well defensively. Just wish they could make the extra effort to score. They get chances but can't convert.

Line 2 generates offense, but man they also get hemmed into their own end way way too much. I personally want to see Schmaltz go back to wing. Can Kane play with anyone? He seems to be good when playing with Schmaltz but not so great playing without.

5v5 Kane on ice with Schmaltz
GF 24
GA 16

5v5 Kane on ice without Schmaltz
GF 11
GA 16

They should put AA back at 2C with Kane/Schmaltz on the wings. The Hawks have been finding out what they have in the bottom 6 and on D and they need to move forward with the ones that can play consistently. This season might be lost with the Hawks on the wrong side of the pack, but the difference between being on one side of the pack or the other is small. A handful of games and situations that cost them. I think they still need to sort out the D in terms of playing the tough minutes. No easy task.
- breadbag

Am I confused, or are your CA/SA, etc. figures backwards - it looks like an improvement year over year to me.

Am I confused, or are your CA/SA, etc. figures backwards - it looks like an improvement year over year to me.
- StLBravesFan

i thought the same thing. Higher numbers against last year and lower numbers against this year seem to suggest improvement.

One interesting thing about tonight is 11 or the 12 forwards are in signed or RFA's for next year assume sharp is not back and we do not trade any away. these 11 and I hope Sikura, Hayden, Kero will battle it out for 13 spots. I know things change but on paper that is how it looks.

You could put Sikura in for Sharp and then swap him for CAT or keep him on the 2nd line. then Jurco/Hayden-Kero/Kampf-Hino could possible be the 4th line.

Sikura with 14 Goals and 20A in 21 games up 1.62 points per game.
- kmw4631

Good observation. I don't think Sharp or Jurco will be back next season, Jurco maybe back within the organization but in Rockford.

If all goes well I would expect Sikura and Hayden to be front-runners for the roster next season. Hayden has been playing very well since going to Rockford, I know it's a small sample size but 5 points in 6 games is still solid.

Kampf and Kero are both wild cards. Both could make it or neither could make it, or one of them could make it.

Good observation. I don't think Sharp or Jurco will be back next season, Jurco maybe back within the organization but in Rockford.

If all goes well I would expect Sikura and Hayden to be front-runners for the roster next season. Hayden has been playing very well since going to Rockford, I know it's a small sample size but 5 points in 6 games is still solid.

Kampf and Kero are both wild cards. Both could make it or neither could make it, or one of them could make it.
- DarthKane

Kampf slots in over Kero I'd have to think. Only guy in the organization that can win a draw besides Toews.

Kampf slots in over Kero I'd have to think. Only guy in the organization that can win a draw besides Toews.
- JRoenick97

That's a fair assessment, but I think his play for the remainder of the season will dictate his future. All signs point to something positive for Kampf, but we've seen a few guys have a good start to the season but tail off after a while.

That's a fair assessment, but I think his play for the remainder of the season will dictate his future. All signs point to something positive for Kampf, but we've seen a few guys have a good start to the season but tail off after a while.
- DarthKane

Yeah, like TOEWS! Than bum! #notmycaptain.

Yeah, like TOEWS! Than bum! #notmycaptain.
- JRoenick97

WRONG!!! If you read my post properly I said that some guys had a good start. Toews has been garbage for a few seasons now and started as slow as usual this year.

WRONG!!! If you read my post properly I said that some guys had a good start. Toews has been garbage for a few seasons now and started as slow as usual this year.


- DarthKane

He had a good start to his career, now he slowed down. He can't even do 'being bad' properly.

"Stan gambled huge when he moved Artemi Panarin. Would he tick off his best player in Patrick Kane? Would Saad bring Toews back to life? Well, we've learned that Kane can play with anyone, but Bowman lost the bet that bringing Saad back would revitalize his Captain. "

We've also been reminded that Panarin can, in fact, play with anyone as well; although one would have thought the games spent on a line with Hossa and Anisimov last season would have proven that fact beyond a doubt.

"Stan gambled huge when he moved Artemi Panarin. Would he tick off his best player in Patrick Kane? Would Saad bring Toews back to life? Well, we've learned that Kane can play with anyone, but Bowman lost the bet that bringing Saad back would revitalize his Captain. "

We've also been reminded that Panarin can, in fact, play with anyone as well; although one would have thought the games spent on a line with Hossa and Anisimov last season would have proven that fact beyond a doubt.
- steve-hist-sdc

Please don't miss the point. Could this team been able to afford Panarin?

Please don't miss the point. Could this team been able to afford Panarin?
- powerenforcer

he was signed for this year and next and based on current Salary Cap increase projections, Hawks could have probably afforded Panarin at $8mil on his next deal. Oh well, what's done is done, as they say.

Been real busy and away a lot.

I've missed a bunch of blogs and some games.

I have one thing that I know............



Mr. Hossa is missed, and no matter how much credit he does get, it will never match what his true value to this team, organization, and dynasty was. They should hang his Jersey from rafters right now.

I miss Big Hoss' tenacity, no one went like him

PS. be pretty cool to have his banner hanging from the rafters before his contract is up.

Please don't miss the point. Could this team been able to afford Panarin?
- powerenforcer

Say Panarin at $8M, can you market a Russian who barely speaks
English in McD's world?

Say Panarin at $8M, can you market a Russian who barely speaks
English in McD's world?
- gazza53

The kid speaks a lot more English than he ever let on, and I can almost guarantee that if presented with a "we'll give you this raise over this term, but only if you agree to X number of interviews/PR spots per year in English," you'd see it.

Been real busy and away a lot.

I've missed a bunch of blogs and some games.

I have one thing that I know............



Mr. Hossa is missed, and no matter how much credit he does get, it will never match what his true value to this team, organization, and dynasty was. They should hang his Jersey from rafters right now.

I miss Big Hoss' tenacity, no one went like him

PS. be pretty cool to have his banner hanging from the rafters before his contract is up.
- vabeachbear

Totally agree. One HOF player, 200' player, still skating at a very high level would have made a huge difference.
Saad, Toews, Hossa
Schmaltz, AA, Kane
Sharp, Kampf, DeB
Bouma, Wingels, Hartman/Hayden

Of course we would not have had Murphy and Duclair (because the Hawks would have had the Hossa salary). But Murphy has not distanced himself from the other defender wannabees like Kempny, Forsling, Rutta, Gustafsson.

Say Panarin at $8M, can you market a Russian who barely speaks
English in McD's world?
- gazza53

maybe he comes back to ChiTown in 2 years after the CBA and we buyout 7 and 19

you include hayden, hartman, and hinostroza as baby core players. duclair most likely has a higher upside than these three if he can find his way to be a responsible two way player. the others are third line forwards at best. saad certainly is in this list. he is only a few months older than 25. there is no evidence yet that jokiharju or forsling will ever be solid enough defensively to be a top pairing d-man.

in balance bowman's drafting, trading, and outlandish contracts given out have been terrible when all is accounted. this is not the man who should be leading a rebuild and quenneville is probably not the guy to be nursing a young, inexperienced roster through a rebuild.

there have been some solid replies to this article, but i must say that any discussion of the hawks must start with anisimov as the third line center or traded. no team in the current nhl will ever win anything with a totem pole who has no quickness or skating ability as their second line center. additionally anisimov is a wussy. the next big hit he hands out will be the first of the season. and i realize it is a painfully small sample size, but kampf is scoring at a rate of .45 points per game and anisimov is at .50 per game. but kampf is not playing with schmaltz and kane and does not play on the power play. in eleven games he does have four assits playing with moe, larry, and curly as linemates whereas anisimov has five assits playing mostly with kane and schmaltz. and kampf as a rookie is above water in face offs and anisimov never has been in his career.

honestly this management is not in white flag mode: trading seabs and toews would clearly be saying that...

seabs gets you a couple of picks and maybe a prospect plus they eat half that salary for 6 more years....THAT AINT HAPPENING over rocky's and MCD's dead cold bodies
- bogiedoc

They should be

Am I confused, or are your CA/SA, etc. figures backwards - it looks like an improvement year over year to me.
- StLBravesFan

Sorry yes. I pasted them in reverse, but yeah, each thing is worse this year.

There are two big things preventing the Hawks from moving forward and its the Toews and Seabrook money. One of them needs to be off the books.

Saad is fine. His assists would be up if Panik could have finished more to start the year and if Toews was shooting his career average.

How much did Hossa hide Toews's deficiencies or even Kane on his RW earlier in their careers?

Anyway - I'd build around making another run with Kane in two years hoping he ages like Martin St Louis and you can burn the rest of it down and start from scratch. Its not even a graceful fall like Detroit. This is just baaaaaaad.

There are two big things preventing the Hawks from moving forward and its the Toews and Seabrook money. One of them needs to be off the books.

Saad is fine. His assists would be up if Panik could have finished more to start the year and if Toews was shooting his career average.

How much did Hossa hide Toews's deficiencies or even Kane on his RW earlier in their careers?

Anyway - I'd build around making another run with Kane in two years hoping he ages like Martin St Louis and you can burn the rest of it down and start from scratch. Its not even a graceful fall like Detroit. This is just baaaaaaad.
- fattybeef

Agreed 100%, but much easier said than done. How do you accomplish that tall task with such under-performing players?

The rebuild is finally on...Bouma is scratched

Blackhawks this morning:

Saad-Toews-Duclair
Sharp-Schmaltz-Kane
DeBrincat-Anisimov-Hartman
Jurco-Kampf-Hinostroza

Bouma and Wingels likely scratched.

— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) January 22, 2018

- DarthKane

I like to see that Debrincat is back playing his off wing. He has a deadly shot and he is now in a position for a one timer. He plays way better as a left winger than a right winger.

They failed two consecutive gut checks. Let’s hope they give Tampa 60 minutes of competition tonight.

The kid speaks a lot more English than he ever let on, and I can almost guarantee that if presented with a "we'll give you this raise over this term, but only if you agree to X number of interviews/PR spots per year in English," you'd see it.
- pdx2ord

So why wasn't it done, there is a decent sized Russian community
in the northern burbs, to market to them and to Russians back home
is worth alot....see Stevie Y and tonight's opponent.