He was on a panel on either TSN or SportNet during TDL day. Can't remember which one because I was flipping back and forth. Anyway I would forget he was on at times because he was not involved except for a couple of times when he mumbled a few lines incoherently. I just cannot visualize him hollering out instructions on the practice ice.
- 67hawks

Lol. I thought the same thing sometimes.

True enough, they can send Toews down there to earn a lil' more of that 10.5 mil.
- Murph76

During one of our recent games the tv crew posted Toews' achievements (Stanley Cups, Olympic Gold, World Junior Gold, etc).
I did not see the Calder Cup among those achievements.

During one of our recent games the tv crew posted Toews' achievements (Stanley Cups, Olympic Gold, World Junior Gold, etc).
I did not see the Calder Cup among those achievements.
- 67hawks

Or Calder Trophy. That bum

I honestly believe all of them (Kings) tuned out Sutter. There was a quote Doughty gave in the summer about how the team hated coming to practice and it wasn’t fun for him and most of the players. I felt kopitar was going to have a bounce back year but Brown is the bigger story.
- KINGS67

Well said, and still most hawk fans would rather flip over their roster, toews and kane included, then realize the coach is STALEEEEE!!!!!!

Tonight's Tank Watch:

-Islanders at Montreal
-Rangers at Vancouver (one of them has to win)
-Detroit at St Louis (can the Blues beat anyone right now?)
-Buffalo (can't remember who they are playing, just remember it would have to be an upset)

I'm not certain about that. If the Hawks need to be cap compliant on day 1 each season before putting Hossa back on LTIR then his contract is a hindrance. Sure. mid-season the Hawks have $5+ million in cap space but they can't sign any free agents until the season starts. None of the quality UFAs will wait that long. That means a mid-season trade for a pending UFA, which will likely cost picks and prospects anyway.

If the Hawks can trade Nashville's first and Hossa to Ottawa and have the ability to sign Tavares that would be pretty amazing (I'm reaching a bit here but you get my point).
- DarthKane

You get the 10% buffer in the offseason. 7.5M as it stands now. So they have space. Tavares? lol. Just what they need, another 10M+ player. JK.

I am just tired of giving assets away for nothing. If they can do it with a 3rd, fine, but keep the 1st. IMO

I'm no expert, but I thought the Hawks would be in the same situation every summer until Hossa's contract expired.

I wonder if Stan will use the 1st round pick acquired from Nashville to move Hossa's contract (i.e. to Ottawa)?
- DarthKane

My guess would be that to move Hossa's contract it would probably be a 3rd or 4th round pick. After all the team getting it gets the cap hit, but they are only paying $1 mil per year for the next 3 years. Each year there are probably 10 teams that by their choice stay more than $5 mil under the cap. So adding the Hossa hit really does not effect them.

Another what of looking it this is would you rather have $3 mil or a 3rd round draft pick. Maybe even just our 2nd round pick in 2019 would be reasonable.

Well said, and still most hawk fans would rather flip over their roster, toews and kane included, then realize the coach is STALEEEEE!!!!!!
- TrueGrit

You're kinda in the minority on this one. I think most fans are realizing that Coach Q is part of the problem as well, and would rather flip him or Bowman than flip over the entire roster.

Tonight's Tank Watch:

-Islanders at Montreal
-Rangers at Vancouver (one of them has to win)
-Detroit at St Louis (can the Blues beat anyone right now?)
-Buffalo (can't remember who they are playing, just remember it would have to be an upset)
- 67hawks

Habs and Rangers have embraced the tank entirely. Habs shutdown Weber, Price out indefinitely, Rangers traded anyone of value.

Wings are even with the Hawks in points. This game is their one in hand and the Blues are due for a win.

You're kinda in the minority on this one. I think most fans are realizing that Coach Q is part of the problem as well, and would rather flip him or Bowman than flip over the entire roster.
- Murph76

I have been wanting Q gone for a long while.

I have been wanting Q gone for a long while.
- TrueGrit

Only because he has a better mustache then Tom Selleck.

You're kinda in the minority on this one. I think most fans are realizing that Coach Q is part of the problem as well, and would rather flip him or Bowman than flip over the entire roster.
- Murph76

It's not an argument of whether Q is a good coach or not, but I agree, he could be a big part of the Hawks regression. At some point, you just stop focusing on what you've heard year in and year out. You stop focusing on changing your game, because there is no change in the plan. It's the plateau effect. You see it all the time in baseball. Pitching/Hitting coaches move all the time and get huge demand for their services. It's not because they're bad coaches, but you can only take a team so far until you need a new voice. Q, when he leaves, will have a huge demand and will probably be very successful with another team. That doesn't mean it was a bad move, it just means he gets to take his coaching style and add on to what others have done before him. It's about building, not maintaining.

What games have you been watching? DinkyCat isn't a one-dimensional player.
- TTtime

is he a top 6 during the year when there is more room and things are not as physical or fast as they are in the playoffs. I could agree with that.

Sharp played allot of 3rd line in his career and is way faster, Bigger and better Defensively then CAT when he was in his prime. CAT is slow when you factor in his Size. IE most 5-7 160 lbs guys in this league fly, he is not physically built to take contact which there is a ton in Playoff hockey.

Well said, and still most hawk fans would rather flip over their roster, toews and kane included, then realize the coach is STALEEEEE!!!!!!
- TrueGrit

Yeah. It really is like looking into a mirror with this particular hawks team compared to the kings the past couple of years. I’ve never seen 2 teams look so identical and have had almost identical out comes just a year or so apart. Meaning the first round knock out then missing the playoffs. Although hawks aren’t out mathematically it’s looking like them missing the playoffs.

But damn this draft is good coming up. Kings got LUCKY with Vilardi falling to them and I think the hawks will get picks close to the 5th. More like 6-9 IMO.

Like some of you guys have already stated “missing the playoffs isnt such a bad thing” it really isn’t. Let the guys rest, go get a UFA, and have a good draft.

They’ll be back in next year. Too much talent

Ejdsell is an unknown asset until he plays in the NHL. He was ranked pretty low by Nashville. Obviously they do not see him as a late bloomer. There is risk as he is the shiny lure that caused Bowman to bite on trading a rostered bonafied NHL former first round player for a low first round pick. Nevertheless as bad as Bowman is, we still are blessed with an excellent scouting dept so there is always a fair chance a draft pick could indeed work out.
- Savoy

Do you even realize when that "bonafied first rounder" was drafted?

is he a top 6 during the year when there is more room and things are not as physical or fast as they are in the playoffs. I could agree with that.

Sharp played allot of 3rd line in his career and is way faster, Bigger and better Defensively then CAT when he was in his prime. CAT is slow when you factor in his Size. IE most 5-7 160 lbs guys in this league fly, he is not physically built to take contact which there is a ton in Playoff hockey.
- kmw4631

You couldn’t be more wrong. His whole Jr career Cat always went into the hard areas. Continued that in NHL. He also has incredible offensive instincts and weapons. He simply knows how to find open ice. He is more than fast enough as can be seen from the facts that he backchecks very well and is never behind the play offensively.

reading Powers article today on the Hartman trade I have come to grips on why Stan must go.

https://theathletic.com/2...r-in-debuts-after-trades/

In the middle of the article he discusses how the hawks 1st rounders are gone quickly and if you recall who they were traded for - almost nothing...

Channeling my inner Rosenbloom (typed Blog the first time LOL) #theplansucks #SackStan and I hope they #suckfortzchuck or this window slams shut for 5 years...

You're kinda in the minority on this one. I think most fans are realizing that Coach Q is part of the problem as well, and would rather flip him or Bowman than flip over the entire roster.
- Murph76

The coach and or the GM is a problem, I feed, and one of them needs to go. I suggest that Q's ways may be wearing thin but I am not sure McDonough will see it that way. I do feel more strongly that McDonough is willing to give Stan longer to turn around the roster. But the players tune out or indifference - if it is suspected - will get Q gone before Bowman.

McDonough knows it is a process and Bowman needs time. But players must always play for the coach
So if Bowman could have a better roster without as bad a return on some transactions..
.it is a moot point. Q has to draw out results or he goes first. As fair or unfair as it may appear.

I would rather have Murray, dman, from Columbus than the late first and the swede and draft pick The best player to come out of that trade is Murray if Murray instead of the raft pick. He is injury prone. But he is not a third pair dman; rather can be a good second pair and maybe better if he could just stay healthy

Murray was #2 overall his draft year

Do you even realize when that "bonafied first rounder" was drafted?
- PatShart

My Poor sentence construction. Should read more like Bonafied NHL player who was a first rounder.

It's not an argument of whether Q is a good coach or not, but I agree, he could be a big part of the Hawks regression. At some point, you just stop focusing on what you've heard year in and year out. You stop focusing on changing your game, because there is no change in the plan. It's the plateau effect. You see it all the time in baseball. Pitching/Hitting coaches move all the time and get huge demand for their services. It's not because they're bad coaches, but you can only take a team so far until you need a new voice. Q, when he leaves, will have a huge demand and will probably be very successful with another team. That doesn't mean it was a bad move, it just means he gets to take his coaching style and add on to what others have done before him. It's about building, not maintaining.
- HawksHype

Preface my remark below with, I agree with your break down on a coach gets stale.

Now it is interesting to see Hitchcock return to Dallas and they are having success

My Poor sentence construction. Should read more like Bonafied NHL player who was a first rounder.
- Savoy

The point is this:

Ryan Hartman on CHI - healthy scratch multiple times, averaged under 13 min TOI when he played, 8G, 17A through 60 games. Drafted #30.

What makes you think that Bowman can't do the same thing, except this time drafting a few spots ahead of 30?

Whether or not it was Bowman/Q/Hartman's problem he wasn't playing, the fact is he wasn't playing. We could have kept going status quo this year, playing him on and off and seeing his mediocre production continue, or we can make a hockey trade, acquire more 1st round picks to either deal or take a swing at a kid. Also, getting an asset (proven or unproven, doesn't matter, he's an asset) and seeing how he can develop as a 22 year old.

It was a hockey trade, in the end, both teams may end up benefiting from it. Give it more than a 1 game gut reaction till you make a decision.

Preface my remark below with, I agree with your break down on a coach gets stale.

Now it is interesting to see Hitchcock return to Dallas and they are having success
- jhawk59

Players have all turned over. So he's starting "fresh" in a way.

How much more can Q teach Toews/Kane/Keith/Seabs and even Saad? Brinks/Schmaltz doing well as they're new. I think an issue with Murphy is Q expects him to be like Hjalms was. A coach can only take a player so far. I think Q is reaching his limit with a lot of the team right now.

Preface my remark below with, I agree with your break down on a coach gets stale.

Now it is interesting to see Hitchcock return to Dallas and they are having success
- jhawk59

Hitch usually does have an immediate impact, his system and ideas get stale fast though.

Players have all turned over. So he's starting "fresh" in a way.

How much more can Q teach Toews/Kane/Keith/Seabs and even Saad? Brinks/Schmaltz doing well as they're new. I think an issue with Murphy is Q expects him to be like Hjalms was. A coach can only take a player so far. I think Q is reaching his limit with a lot of the team right now.
- HawksHype

I don't disagree with anything you said. As I posted earlier I have a lot of confidence in our scouting dept and for that reason I believe the pick has a fair chance of working out. I didn't say anything about yesterday's games or performances by the traded guys. What I did say was while Poile likely didn't see any late blooming in Ejdsell he probably did see it in Hartman.