For real. But if any of that were to happen, which one do you think could?
- robhawks

I'd say

Brookbank/Leddy
4th line
Hammer


My top 3 in order of most to least likely.

Sure he wasn't "Q"ing ?
- Beaver-Warrior

The faithful wouldn't have given him the evil eye?

I'd say

Brookbank/Leddy
4th line
Hammer


My top 3 in order of most to least likely.
- Ogilthorpe2

Maybe Bickell could, you know, a big pay day.

Crawford too, big maybe, he has played decent before.

And then Stan wakes up, all wet and sticky, and reaches blindly for the Kleenex...he knows where they are, without looking.
- Ogilthorpe2

Wow...just wow....

Maybe Bickell could, you know, a big pay day.

Crawford too, big maybe, he has played decent before.
- robhawks

Any one of those things could happen, maybe even two. Add to that, there's almost always at least one pleasant surprise per seaon that no one saw coming, but sadly most of those things are not likely to happen.

I imagine Bickell will have a better year than last (he can't be much worse), but I don't see any kind of legitimate break out from him.

But holy smokes, what if he did suddenly play his size? If he could just legitimately bang bodies and provide some net presence on the power play... his impact could be big. He has a decent somewhat tricky shot and he's shown that he has a nose for the net every so often (at least he did in 2011).

Play big, work your way up to a top line and cash in at the end of the year. He has to know this, right?

Maybe Bickell could, you know, a big pay day.

Crawford too, big maybe, he has played decent before.
- robhawks

And maybe, just maybe.......pigs could fly?

Any one of those things could happen, maybe even two. Add to that, there's almost always at least one pleasant surprise per seaon that no one saw coming, but sadly most of those things are not likely to happen.
- Ogilthorpe2

Playoff Bickell and playoff Frolik could show up for the whole season.

I don't see any reason the current roster as constructed can't win a playoff series. I don't see a chance in hell of it happening with Q as the coach, however.

-predictable, ineffective PP
-passive, weak PK
-constant line shuffling will retard, if not stop, growth from younger players
-distust of the back end of the roster will again lead to overplaying the core.
-weak, non-physical, stick waving D that refuses to engage anybody

I see these things as the primary issues with the team last year. Of course the roster could be better, but what we have isn't dog meat. I see none of these issues improving as long as Q (are we sure he's human? maybe a robot taking orders from a transistor hidden in the moustache?) is behind the bench.

Playoff Bickell and playoff Frolik could show up for the whole season.
- NewToHockey

That would make a difference.

Gotta wonder, Bickell has to play big and great this year. Shouldn't he? I would, if you know you are about to sign a deal.

Wouldn't ya think?

Also, do you want to improve Crawford? How about you get the team back to being near the league leaders in fewest shots allowed? This passive defensive system that arrived by amazing coincidence at the same time as Kitchen does Crawford no favors.

That would make a difference.

Gotta wonder, Bickell has to play big and great this year. Shouldn't he? I would, if you know you are about to sign a deal.

Wouldn't ya think?
- robhawks

I don't know. According to his twitter he spent the whole summer fishing. Great sport, love to fish myself, but it doesn't help you throw bodies around on the ice.

Get off the lake, Bicks, and get your a$$ to the gym.

I don't know. According to his twitter he spent the whole summer fishing. Great sport, love to fish myself, but it doesn't help you throw bodies around on the ice.

Get off the lake, Bicks, and get your a$$ to the gym.
- fourfeathers

I'm sure he was getting advice on physical play from Buff.

Or is Buff not allowed on his boat after last summer's arrest?

I don't see any reason the current roster as constructed can't win a playoff series. I don't see a chance in hell of it happening with Q as the coach, however.

-predictable, ineffective PP
-passive, weak PK
-constant line shuffling will retard, if not stop, growth from younger players
-distust of the back end of the roster will again lead to overplaying the core.
-weak, non-physical, stick waving D that refuses to engage anybody

I see these things as the primary issues with the team last year. Of course the roster could be better, but what we have isn't dog meat. I see none of these issues improving as long as Q (are we sure he's human? maybe a robot taking orders from a transistor hidden in the moustache?) is behind the bench.
- NewToHockey

oh dude shut up man , come on you guys are really starting to sound like spoiled babys.

I've always considered the guy overrated...

...long live Wayne Messmer.
- ArlingtonRob

I loved him.
Does anybody know why he did not return?

About Crawford:

Everyone from TSN to the Blackhawk faithful have been talking about how the Hawks need an upgrade in goal. I'm thinking this cannot be good for his ego. Let's face it, the kid needs some confidence.

And to stop soft goals.

Kaplan interviewed Toews and asked a very strange - but probably knowing - question, considering JJ's most recent blog.

He asked if, considering the sell-outs, the fan enthusiasm, etc., players on other teams were jealous of players playing for Chicago.

Toews answered, of course they are.
- StLBravesFan

And yet no top free agent so far wanted to come here since Hoss. Either all the talk about the offers Stan Bo made are crap or players don't really care all that much about 22,000 a night. The 2nd is hard for me to agree with.

I don't see any reason the current roster as constructed can't win a playoff series. I don't see a chance in hell of it happening with Q as the coach, however.

-predictable, ineffective PP
-passive, weak PK
-constant line shuffling will retard, if not stop, growth from younger players
-distust of the back end of the roster will again lead to overplaying the core.
-weak, non-physical, stick waving D that refuses to engage anybody

- NewToHockey

They have to work. We saw it numerous times last year- they'd come out completely flat and get manhandled by bigger teams. But just when they looked done and dead, every so often they'd turn it on and have brief flashes of brilliance. So frustrating.

All you have to do is watch every game against the Blues last year. Those 6 games tell you everything you need to know about this roster.

-Sometimes the Hawks didn't show up at all and were crushed (Nov 8, March 6)
-Sometimes they battled back from early deficits (the home game on March 13)
-Sometimes they simply played a strong 60 minutes against a good divisional rival (Dec 3, Feb 19, Mar 29)

They can hang with just about anyone. It's just that they don't want to work hard on a consistent basis. That needs to change more than anything.

They can hang with just about anyone. It's just that they don't want to work hard on a consistent basis. That needs to change more than anything.
- AceRatbang

I agree. This is another thing I lay at the coaching staff's feet.

Edit: They lost a game in November or December to Phoenix (I think) where they came out flat. Afterwards, Bolland said something to the effect of "we were waiting to see how they were going to play us so we could adjust to it." They went into a game with no game plan but to react to what the other team did. I have been on the Fire Q warpath ever since.

I imagine Bickell will have a better year than last (he can't be much worse), but I don't see any kind of legitimate break out from him.

But holy smokes, what if he did suddenly play his size? If he could just legitimately bang bodies and provide some net presence on the power play... his impact could be big. He has a decent somewhat tricky shot and he's shown that he has a nose for the net every so often (at least he did in 2011).

Play big, work your way up to a top line and cash in at the end of the year. He has to know this, right?
- AceRatbang

All Bickell has to do is hit someone every shift. If he does that he'll get enough space that he can pot at least 15 goals. For his size he has shown some hands,... Is this his contract year ?? Maybe he goes all power forward on us and gets 25 goals

He's OK, but with Monty and Oduya already here, he's not really the kind of D man we need. Need more size/toughness. We need a Seabrook understudy.
- Ogilthorpe2

Hannan. Pair him with Brookbank. Hannan LHS, Brookbank RHS. 'Hawks get 14-15min TOI out of their 3rd pairing, take pressure off the other guys, especially DK and Leddy, plus they can kill penalties too. Done & Done ... well except I fear he too may not want to come here.

Hannan. Pair him with Brookbank. Hannan LHS, Brookbank RHS. 'Hawks get 14-15min TOI out of their 3rd pairing, take pressure off the other guys, especially DK and Leddy, plus they can kill penalties too. Done & Done ... well except I fear he too may not want to come here.
- blackhawk24

I loved him.
Does anybody know why he did not return?
- Hawkster

He bought a share of the Wolves and Wirtz axed him.

Hannan. Pair him with Brookbank. Hannan LHS, Brookbank RHS. 'Hawks get 14-15min TOI out of their 3rd pairing, take pressure off the other guys, especially DK and Leddy, plus they can kill penalties too. Done & Done ... well except I fear he too may not want to come here.
- blackhawk24

We can take consolation in the fact that Chicago was the destination of choice for Pisani, Johnson, Scott, Brunette...

Look at the huge banner on the side of the stage. It has 3 players on it.

Keith
Sharp
Toews


No Kane.



That's not normal
- AceRatbang

Those are your players who wear the letters.