Edzo is not a bad thought but I'd bring him in more as an assistant than head coach. There are a ton of veteran head coaches sitting out there but who is a good fit? No clue but for conversation sake I'll throw names out:

Craig mactavish
Paul Maurice
Marc Crawford
Bob Hartley
Ted Nolan (I think he's still black balled from the league)
Randy Carlyle
Jacques Martin

I'm sure I'm forgetting some.

Assuming lindy ruff gets fired as part of sweeping changes in buffalo, does he fit?
- golfbard

Under contract

Edzo is not a bad thought but I'd bring him in more as an assistant than head coach. There are a ton of veteran head coaches sitting out there but who is a good fit? No clue but for conversation sake I'll throw names out:

Craig mactavish
Paul Maurice
Marc Crawford
Bob Hartley
Ted Nolan (I think he's still black balled from the league)
Randy Carlyle
Jacques Martin

I'm sure I'm forgetting some.

Assuming lindy ruff gets fired as part of sweeping changes in buffalo, does he fit?
- golfbard

Not one guy on that list does much to excite me...And I think u could be right on Nolan.

Some like MacT are in a nice spot and won't leave for an interim committment same with Crawford or the other recent firings...They have some street cred and would want 3-4 yr deals.

The quickest band aid is probably Haviland if things don't turn around within about 10 days.

But either the style of play must change or the roster or both for a lasting positive effect.

Maybe there is time this season but the mistakes made this past summer are not easy to fix....
- Al

Agreed, see post above.

It is also not so much about this year as making some hard decisions for next year. And it might call for a dispassionate outsider.

If they believe they are going to make the playoffs then 10 days is too long!
- Gasboy

A Stanley Cup win buys a coach additional time....Look how long the Ducks waited.

And if wasn't for the Boudreau firing they may have waited longer.

Agreed, see post above.

It is also not so much about this year as making some hard decisions for next year. And it might call for a dispassionate outsider.
- John Jaeckel

I think one thing we have agreed on for many months and put our words down for the record is...

Mistakes need to be admitted before they can be fixed.

If they believe they are going to make the playoffs then 10 days is too long!
- Gasboy

Or more importantly, if they want the fans to believe it . . . which is part of why I think you will see a move here in the next 24-48 hours.

Also, the last thing Stanley (and maybe McDonough) need, on top of everything else right now, is the perception they did nothing at this point.

Hi Blackhawk fans,

Just flew in from Las Vegas ( And boy are my arms tired......).

So?........Did I miss anything over the weekend?

Actually, managed to catch most of the Phoenix game from the sports bar inside the Hard Rock Hotel. ( That place is like living inside Wayne's World.) Not the best game I ever saw. I kept asking myself " If they acquired X, this team would be winning this game right now...and I couldn't come up with an answer. It really doesn't matter wo the Blackhawks trade for. it really doesn't. The team will go as the top 6 - Toews, Kane, Hossa, Sharp, keith & Seabrook go, End of story. Now how you get those top 6 back to the level they were playing at.....I don't know. Bench one maybe? Trade one one? Ehhh Stan's never done that. Perhaps they just get a second wind.

I go back to last year's 24/7. The Capitals- similar to this year's Hawks right? Big expectations, horrendous losing streak, speculation over the coach getting canned- are losing to the Rangers and Knuble goes apesh*t in the locker room between periods. They win the next period but lose the game. They eventually crush Ottawa and wind up salvaging their season. Kind of needs to happen here. But who goes Knuble in the locker room? besides Toews of course. I was hoping it would be Brunette or O.D. because that's kind of why I thought they were signed. But they seem awfully quiet. So does Mayers. Sharp or Seabs would be my candidates. Especially Seabs- been here awhile, he's the only D carrying his share of the water this year, has some red ass in him....But, he might not be that guy. But that's the best fix here.

These stupid trades, and the whole "blow up the Irgin0I-zation in mid February- While absolutely hysterical , thank you for making a flight that much shorter- aren't going to happen.

This streak could easily end Tuesday, or it could extend through Columbus. But it's going to end when #'s 19, 10, 88, 2, 7, and 81 ply like it should end.

A Stanley Cup win buys a coach additional time....Look how long the Ducks waited.

And if wasn't for the Boudreau firing they may have waited longer.
- Al

Guy Boucher ,Ron Wilson will probably be available after this season and maybe Randy Cunnyworth.

I love Tazer....LOVE HIM...but he's got to bulk up a bit, learn how to throw an elbow and a right hand....OR the opponents have found a key way to neutralize him and that is by targeting him physically. It's now incumbent upon Johnny to add a physical presence to his game.
- philco28

Bulk up..dude he is 6'1 and 205...Mark Messier size...again, Phil you are better than this comment.

Great read JJ....another thing that would really, really help, is a goalie that can go post to post without drifting out to the boards and leaving acres of twine visible. THAT would be a real nice thing to see.
- philco28

+1

Hi Blackhawk fans,

Just flew in from Las Vegas ( And boy are my arms tired......).

So?........Did I miss anything over the weekend?

Actually, managed to catch most of the Phoenix game from the sports bar inside the Hard Rock Hotel. ( That place is like living inside Wayne's World.) Not the best game I ever saw. I kept asking myself " If they acquired X, this team would be winning this game right now...and I couldn't come up with an answer. It really doesn't matter wo the Blackhawks trade for. it really doesn't. The team will go as the top 6 - Toews, Kane, Hossa, Sharp, keith & Seabrook go, End of story. Now how you get those top 6 back to the level they were playing at.....I don't know. Bench one maybe? Trade one one? Ehhh Stan's never done that. perhaps they just get a second win.

I go back to last year's 24/7. The Capitals- similar to this year's Hawks right? Big expectations, horrendous losing streak, speculation over the coach getting canned- are losing to the Rangers and Knuble goes apesh*t in the locker room between periods. They win the next period but lose the game. They eventually crush Ottawa and wind up salvaging their season. Kind of needs to happen here. But who goes Knuble in the locker room? besides Toews of course. I was hoping it would be Brunette or O.D. because that's kind of why I thought they were signed. But they seem awfully quiet. So does Mayers. Sharp or Seabs would be my candidates. Especially Seabs- been here awhile, he's the only D carrying his share of the water this year, has some red ass in him....But, he might not be that guy. But that's the best fix here.

These stupid trades, and the whole "blow up the Irgin0I-zation in mid February- While absolutely hysterical , thank you for making a flight that much shorter- aren't going to happen.

This streak could easily end Tuesday, or it could extend through Columbus. But it's going to end when #'s 19, 10, 88, 2, 7, and 81 ply like it should end.
- yahoodi

Define what you mean by this. Replacing the coach?

Hysterical?

JJ,

I was in SJ, sitting 10 rows behind Hawks bench and wondered why nobody, other than O'D, came to the defense of Toews when he got jumped by the SJ goons. They were just standing there looking. Then he gets a little roughed up last night.

I don't know what goes on in that locker room, but is it possible some of the players are tired of Toews being serious nature and that's why they didn't come to his defense? I mean, I really doubt it...but throwing it out there as a possible explanation. To me, they're just kinda sackless overall, aside from O'D, Carcillo and Mayers

Please, just throwing it out there. Toews is special and who cares if people have an issue with him in the locker room. He's a winner and any changes moving forward are done so with Toews being the one untouchable on the team.

Guy Boucher ,Ron Wilson will probably be available after this season and maybe Randy Cunnyworth.
- VANTEL

Boucher completely does not fit this roster, Wilson is terrible, can't really comment on Cunneyworth.

GREAT POINT! My bro and I get sooooooo mad when they don't one time pucks. The game moves so fast that those lanes close if you stop the puck. Great call there. I think Konroyd mentioned that too, not taking those big windups, just getting it off your stick and to the net quickly.
- anawrocki

I meant that about the Hawks' perimiter passing on the PP. Kane passes to Seabrook, Seabrook stops and takes a look, passes to Sharp, Sharp stop and takes a look, passes back to Seabrook... It is slow and gives the opposing PK too much time to react.

Just once I would like to see Sharp to Seabrook, who one times a pass to Kane. Quickly moving the puck will create cracks in the PK that can be exploited.

[quote=John Jaeckel]

Totally agree on the two-fold task ahead of the Hawks. SB should have one offseason to get it right with a more balanced roster.

MacT is the only coach on the list worth consideration, IMO. Think Havi might still be the best bet, given what's out there. I do like Nolan though, but he'd probably never work out in this current organizational structure.

*looking at your avatar, thinking the same thing*
- bloatedmosquito

Nice comeback BLOAT.

[quote=John Jaeckel]


I agree. Coaching change now or in the offseason won't fix the issues. The roster is a problem as well.

Boucher completely does not fit this roster, Wilson is terrible, can't really comment on Cunneyworth.
- John Jaeckel

PHUCK Ron Wilson.

I agree. Coaching change now or in the offseason won't fix the issues. The roster is a problem as well.
- golfbard

Coaching change might be the key to honestly addressing the roster.

I agree. Coaching change now or in the offseason won't fix the issues. The roster is a problem as well.
- golfbard

The other issue, as always, is what will they do for political reasons, versus what they simply should do.

Perceptually, politically, there is a powerful argument right now for changing coaches.

They are coming from third parties.

Kane has allegedly been pouty over moves back and forth from center to wing. He and Toews are not the "pals" they have been promoted as. Different personalities.
- John Jaeckel

That's what I was getting at a few blogs ago--Toews and Kane seem to have been "fine" as long as the team is flying high, winning the Cup, etc. Now into the second season of a little adversity, and that personality difference, that was always real, might just matter a lot more.

I am not convinced that this model of a "core" surrounded by interchangeable bit players is the way to go--or maybe the problem is with this particular so-called core, especially if that personality difference between Toews and Kane does really matter.

JJ,

I was in SJ, sitting 10 rows behind Hawks bench and wondered why nobody, other than O'D, came to the defense of Toews when he got jumped by the SJ goons. They were just standing there looking. Then he gets a little roughed up last night.

I don't know what goes on in that locker room, but is it possible some of the players are tired of Toews being serious nature and that's why they didn't come to his defense? I mean, I really doubt it...but throwing it out there as a possible explanation. To me, they're just kinda sackless overall, aside from O'D, Carcillo and Mayers

Please, just throwing it out there. Toews is special and who cares if people have an issue with him in the locker room. He's a winner and any changes moving forward are done so with Toews being the one untouchable on the team.
- eburgio

Speculation that might or might not be true--but amen to what you say. I wonder too.

That's what I was getting at a few blogs ago--Toews and Kane seem to have been "fine" as long as the team is flying high, winning the Cup, etc. Now into the second season of a little adversity, and that personality difference, that was always real, might just matter a lot more.

I am not convinced that this model of a "core" surrounded by interchangeable bit players is the way to go--or maybe the problem is with this particular so-called core, especially if that personality difference between Toews and Kane does really matter.
- AL SEC0RD

u can do it,yzerman and federov did it for years
it just adds to the equation when the player doesnt produce (kane)

Not one guy on that list does much to excite me...And I think u could be right on Nolan.

Some like MacT are in a nice spot and won't leave for an interim committment same with Crawford or the other recent firings...They have some street cred and would want 3-4 yr deals.
- Al

I agree I don't think they would take an interim job. I think you hire one or someone else as a long term solution or if you think haviland may be part of the solution then make the change now and make him an interim choice and see how the team responds.

Boucher completely does not fit this roster, Wilson is terrible, can't really comment on Cunneyworth.
- John Jaeckel

He is ok if you don't mind that he doesn't speak French