he can't retire retire...the hawks eat crap load of cap $$$
- bogiedoc

Maybe Hoss could come back and play defense...... he'd only have to play the top of the dzone circles to the ozone blue line A LA DUNCAN KEITH !!!! Then he could play 30 minutes a game too. DK ???? Time to say thank you but we're going to move you while you have value. We have a business to run here !! Where would you like to finish your career buddy ??? How about Edmonton ??
So long.

Maybe Hoss could come back and play defense...... he'd only have to play the top of the dzone circles to the ozone blue line A LA DUNCAN KEITH !!!! Then he could play 30 minutes a game too. DK ???? Time to say thank you but we're going to move you while you have value. We have a business to run here !! Where would you like to finish your career buddy ??? How about Edmonton ??
So long.
- Hawkytalk

Schit how bout Hossa as GM?

It's disappointing to see Darling fail so miserably, I truly wanted to see him succeed in Carolina. Hopefully he can bounce back next season, I don't think too many people saw this demise coming.
- DarthKane

It's frustrating for everyone involved I'm sure. I can't believe how bad he's been. I highly doubt he's going to find his game again. Dude got Robert Esche disease.

Mark Lazerus
‏@MarkLazerus
Joel Quenneville on the last eight games: "It’s got a lot of meaning on the other side, so let’s play the right way and try to have fun."
8:37 PM - 20 Mar 2018

now that is one helluva line from a coach who's team has gone 7-15-2 since 2/1 rarely coming close to playing the right way...
- bogiedoc

He sure doesn't seem to GAF that's for sure, and he's becoming more Bob Pulford like every darn day in his pressers. Rocky and Mac better move him upstairs and have a plan in place for GM and Coach. I'm sick of hearing that these 2 deserve a chance to turn things around because they've won 3 Cups. That's absurd.

This team has become a slowly moving trainwreck over the past 3 years, not just this year. Last years 1st in conference was mostly CC stealing game after game as discussed at nauseam. If they think I'm going to buy that thinking, they're all at fault then. Massive overhaul is needed, even if missing the playoffs happens again next year. Move em out gentlemen.....starting with 2 and 19 if possible while there's still some sort of value for both.

Well there we have it ladies and gentlemen.

We all knew the playoffs were not in reach, but now that they are officially out, I will be breaking down a few things in the coming weeks.

On the roadmap include:

* Rockford Push for Playoffs (ongoing)
* Prospect watch (ongoing)
* Off-season strategies and what I would do
* A look ahead to the next 3 years of Blackhawks hockey
* ... and a couple exclusive interviews that I've been saving


Anything specific you fine folks want me to cover?

Even though the Hawks are out, I've got a lot in the works but always have room for suggestions.

Cheers,
JL
- Justin Lowe

YES Justin.......... will you be able to get any clarification on CC ??

Well there we have it ladies and gentlemen.

We all knew the playoffs were not in reach, but now that they are officially out, I will be breaking down a few things in the coming weeks.

On the roadmap include:

* Rockford Push for Playoffs (ongoing)
* Prospect watch (ongoing)
* Off-season strategies and what I would do
* A look ahead to the next 3 years of Blackhawks hockey
* ... and a couple exclusive interviews that I've been saving


Anything specific you fine folks want me to cover?

Even though the Hawks are out, I've got a lot in the works but always have room for suggestions.

Cheers,
JL
- Justin Lowe

Maybe delve into differences in play between now and 2010-2015. It blows my mind that, even with inferior players, we give up so many high quality chances. You would think after Q saw maybe three games of this he would say "hey maybe we concentrate a bit more on D and less on flying out of the zone hoping for a stretch pass (that everyone is reading and expecting).

YES Justin.......... will you be able to get any clarification on CC ??
- Hawkytalk

"How's Cory?"
"Oh, Cory - won't see him no more."

Skrbina (one of the few remaining reporters at the Trib) says he has been working out, but hasn't been skating.

Maybe delve into differences in play between now and 2010-2015. It blows my mind that, even with inferior players, we give up so many high quality chances. You would think after Q saw maybe three games of this he would say "hey maybe we concentrate a bit more on D and less on flying out of the zone hoping for a stretch pass (that everyone is reading and expecting).
- Chunk

Lots of passes to opposing players or to open ice. We cannot seem to catch a pass cleanly. Once the D is forechecked, they seem to just dump the puck like a hot potato. HORRIBLE goalie play after CC went down

Schit how bout Hossa as GM?
- z1990z

NICE !!! Hossa for GM, Chelios for HC.......then the wussyfootin NO CHECK Blackhawks would have some toughness....... can Jocylyn Lemieux come out of retirement and Grimson and Peluso play 4th line with Hayden.

Yeah the CUPS were fantastic but until I see a semblance of that kind of talent again, it would be great to see a team that sticks up for each other and plays with a lot of edge. But again........ it starts with toughness UP TOP !! We'll see what they got this summer.

No sarcasm here (please note how difficult this is for me).

I believe that both Q and Bowman will get one more shot. If the team misses the playoffs again or loses in the first round both will be out. If the Hawks get off to a slow start next season I could see Q getting relieved of his duties before the Christmas.
- DarthKane

Agree.

Well there we have it ladies and gentlemen.

We all knew the playoffs were not in reach, but now that they are officially out, I will be breaking down a few things in the coming weeks.

On the roadmap include:

* Rockford Push for Playoffs (ongoing)
* Prospect watch (ongoing)
* Off-season strategies and what I would do
* A look ahead to the next 3 years of Blackhawks hockey
* ... and a couple exclusive interviews that I've been saving


Anything specific you fine folks want me to cover?

Even though the Hawks are out, I've got a lot in the works but always have room for suggestions.

Cheers,
JL
- Justin Lowe

Yes what ncca and euro free agents would make sense in these last couple of weeks should be looking at to possibly sign for the future besides skirua

Good post overall. Hopefully Oesterle can fully develop his defensive game. Would take him from being a fantastic #5 to a great #4 defender or even better just like that.

I'd say 3x Oesterle types overall though.

Forsling is 21 and has a lot of time to figure things out compared to the others (as others have just mentioned) and he has way more time to develop.

What you guys really need to bring in is a bonafide top 2 or better defender in, but with what you have with regards to cap space and options, don't think that will happen unless you win this year's draft and get Dahlin or trade away a star player.

The only valuable package could be your 1st coupled with trading away a star player to get that top 2 (with regards to cap space and value). OEL perhaps? Don't know what that would cost you guys exactly, but it ain't gonna be cheap.

Your other option is to leave it as is and bank on uncertain developments and a better overall output from the team (seems to be a below average season for a lot of your star players), possibly coupled with a systems change with a coaching change (someone mentioned most odd man rushes against, so it could be a systems-based problem) and see how it goes. Obviously, this is the riskiest option, but unless you can land a top 2 defender, don't see how anything can be changed. That Seabrook contract cuffed your hands.
- EdmHockeyMan

Osterle is not a good hockey player. At all. Can shoot the puck on net but thats the extent of it.

Maybe delve into differences in play between now and 2010-2015. It blows my mind that, even with inferior players, we give up so many high quality chances. You would think after Q saw maybe three games of this he would say "hey maybe we concentrate a bit more on D and less on flying out of the zone hoping for a stretch pass (that everyone is reading and expecting).
- Chunk

Couldn't count the number of times last night I saw only 1-2 Hawks in the Avs zone trying to make something happen. 3-4 guys hanging back by blue line. Shots would rebound off Varlamov and there'd be no one there to make a second attempt. It's almost like they had collectively predetermined that we'd turn it over anyway and needed to be ready to get back on D. Even on D, we almost never had anyone protecting the crease. Sigh.

extrapolating a players performance from one team to another with so many contingencies and variables in play is pointless...
- bogiedoc

So you would have Darling back with the Hawks?

Osterle is not a good hockey player. At all. Can shoot the puck on net but thats the extent of it.
- fattybeef

The team is full of players who are "ok" but not nearly good enough to be a contender - Berube, Forsberg, Forsling, Gustafsson, Oesterle, Murphy, Rutta, Jurco, Duclair, Kampf and Highmore.

Add into the mix a bunch of rookies/youngsters who are good but still not experiences - Hayden, Hinostroza, Schmaltz and DeBrincat.

Add to this veterans who underperformed to varying degrees - Saad, Toews, Kane, Keith and Seabrook.

To me these are the broad buckets/grouping of players to examine this off-season. In the first group I would give some of them a chance next season, Forsling, Murphy and Kampf for sure and maybe 1-2 of the other guys. But for the most part these guys need to be upgraded. For the rookies/youngsters I wold give them bigger roles next season. I don't know if there's much that can be done about the vets, I think we're stuck with them. Maybe the club can offer them some off-ice training to help them prepare for next season.

So you would have Darling back with the Hawks?
- 67hawks

I think the Hawks are in a spot where they can't take a chance on a back-up goalie. They need a solid 1B, Crawford has a history of injuries now and it's evident that their back-up goalie will need to play a solid number of games.

Except who you play with does matter. Toews can play better. Sure, but who you play with matters a lot.

Same thing with Kane if you want to look at it objectively. His play hasn't been so hot when it isn't Panarin or Schmaltz (or his recent Saad/Toews) with him on a line. Considering he gets deployed in the favorable match-ups, is the guy who gets the touches on the PP from the half boards for what like 3.5 minutes a game.

Everyone jumps all over Toews because they seem to expect him to be a point per game player like Kane, while also being one of the top defensive C in the NHL. At some point you have to check your expectations. Toews has been below his average lately. Okay, but how many effective wingers has he had? When he has 1 or 2 decent guys riding on his wing, he scores pretty much like usual.

Guys like Panik/Saad didn't play well. They moved to different lines plenty and failed to do anything, it wasn't like Toews was dragging them down.

Both guys, Toews/Kane got their big payday based on their playoff heroics, but neither guy should have gotten more than 8.5. Toews never had the offensive production for it and Kane doesn't play in all situations. That doesn't change their current salary or situation.
- breadbag

Toews is not a top defensive center. Certainly not this year. And Kane sees the 3rd highest QoC per 60 while his time on the ice when quality players is lower.

Patrick Kane is certainly the only player on the team living up to any expectations and still a consistent threat to score .95 ppg is still dope and he's only shooting 9.5%

Kane is also the best US born player in the league and other than Crosby, Malkin or McDavid the most exciting with the puck on his blade. Absolutely worth the 10.5 million per.

Just checked out how the draft lottery is won. Found out the top 3 picks are determined by the lottery among the bottom 15 teams. Guess that's new since I remember only the worst 5 teams could get the top pick and the most a team could improve its position was 4 spots. Years of picking in the late 20's and even 30 made me not pay attention to the lottery. Last year Colorado was the worst team and ended up picking 4th, being a total loser in the lottery. If the Hawks could get a top 3 pick in June, that would definitely make up for this terribly disappointing (but not totally unforeseeable season). Bettman definitely has an interest in Montreal, Hawks, Rangers and Wings rebuilding more quickly...

The team is full of players who are "ok" but not nearly good enough to be a contender - Berube, Forsberg, Forsling, Gustafsson, Oesterle, Murphy, Rutta, Jurco, Duclair, Kampf and Highmore.

Add into the mix a bunch of rookies/youngsters who are good but still not experiences - Hayden, Hinostroza, Schmaltz and DeBrincat.

Add to this veterans who underperformed to varying degrees - Saad, Toews, Kane, Keith and Seabrook.

To me these are the broad buckets/grouping of players to examine this off-season. In the first group I would give some of them a chance next season, Forsling, Murphy and Kampf for sure and maybe 1-2 of the other guys. But for the most part these guys need to be upgraded. For the rookies/youngsters I wold give them bigger roles next season. I don't know if there's much that can be done about the vets, I think we're stuck with them. Maybe the club can offer them some off-ice training to help them prepare for next season.
- DarthKane

OK is generous for these guys: Berube, Forsberg, Gustafsson, Oesterle, Rutta, Jurco

Powers has a pretty good article in today's Athletic on why the Hawks missed the play-offs - I don't think he gave enough "blame" to losing Hossa for the season, but ok....

What he really didn't mention was the stretch of games that really cost the team a spot in the tournament - the 18 games between January 10 (game 43) and February 19 (game 60).

Before the game on January 10, they were 21-15-6=48 points and in contention certainly for a play-off finish.

At game 60 (after going 4-12-2=10 points in 18 games) they were 25-27-8=58 points, and not even in the picture.

During that crawl (it certainly wasn't a run), the Hawks scored 37 goals, an average of 2.06 per game. They got to 3 goals or more 4 times out of the 18 games.

They gave up 57 goals in those 18 games, 3.17 per game, and gave up 3 or more in 11 of them.

And individually, no player other than deBrincat really have any kind of numbers going for them:

Kane - 4G+6A=10 pts., scored goals in 3 games, scored points in 6
Toews - 2+7=9, goals in 2 games, points in 7
Saad - 2+2=4, goals in 2, points in 3
Anisimov - 2+2=4, goals in 2, points in 4 (he only played 14 of the games)
Hartman - 1+3=4, goals in 1, points in 3 (he did play all 18 for Chicago)

Skaters that were adequate but not outstanding:

Schmaltz - 4+5=9, goals in 4, points in 8
Hinostroza - 3+7=10, goals in 3, points in 8

Only one player with very good numbers:

deBrincat - 8+4=12, goals in 6, points in 8

The "stars" let them down / didn't perform / didn't make anyone better / didn't lead on the ice at the critical point in the season, so I'm not consoled that Toews has hit 20 goals for however many straight years, or that Anisimov joined him at 20 and Saad has a chance, or that Kane could hit 30.

They failed completely when it was all on the line.
- StLBravesFan

Uhhhh, ya. Nailed it. Didn't get the job done. It's a shame to have to include Kane in all of this as I think he held his end up.

OK is generous for these guys: Berube, Forsberg, Gustafsson, Oesterle, Rutta, Jurco
- fattybeef

Fatty agree with you totally on this one. Sadly, these guys remind me of James Black, Jeff Shantz, Steve Passmore, Steve Poapst, Tony Salmeleinen-caliber players that filled the Hawks' roster from the late 90's to 2007 or so. Not a good sign.

The team is full of players who are "ok" but not nearly good enough to be a contender - Berube, Forsberg, Forsling, Gustafsson, Oesterle, Murphy, Rutta, Jurco, Duclair, Kampf and Highmore.

Add into the mix a bunch of rookies/youngsters who are good but still not experiences - Hayden, Hinostroza, Schmaltz and DeBrincat.

Add to this veterans who underperformed to varying degrees - Saad, Toews, Kane, Keith and Seabrook.

To me these are the broad buckets/grouping of players to examine this off-season. In the first group I would give some of them a chance next season, Forsling, Murphy and Kampf for sure and maybe 1-2 of the other guys. But for the most part these guys need to be upgraded. For the rookies/youngsters I wold give them bigger roles next season. I don't know if there's much that can be done about the vets, I think we're stuck with them. Maybe the club can offer them some off-ice training to help them prepare for next season.
- DarthKane

Could not agree more

Yeah.

Also he sucks.
- BINGO!

Of course, the Hawks don’t win the 2015 SC without him coming in and stoning Nashville.

This year, new city, new goalie coach, new team mates, etc. Lots of examples, from all sports, of guys signing a big contract in a new city, and regressing.

His first season as a full time backup here wasn’t great. He had always been the main guy in college and the minors before that. He figured it out and was better in the #2 roll subsequently.

This season was the first time he was an NHL #1. Things are a little more difficult when CC isn’t on the bench behind you.

I’d expect a bounce back year, where ever he ends up.

I always think it is overanalyzing when people talk about players wanting out or wanting to play for their hometown. Seeing how miserable everyone looks on the bench and after games, maybe some would be more open to waiving their NTC/NMC to go somewhere they prefer.

Seabrook, Anisimov (although I believe his expires in July anyway), Keith, maybe even Toews and/or Kane. They all might be looking for something new/different.

I wonder if anything would change in their mind if/when Q gets the ax.

Of course, the Hawks don’t win the 2015 SC without him coming in and stoning Nashville.

This year, new city, new goalie coach, new team mates, etc. Lots of examples, from all sports, of guys signing a big contract in a new city, and regressing.

His first season as a full time backup here wasn’t great. He had always been the main guy in college and the minors before that. He figured it out and was better in the #2 roll subsequently.

This season was the first time he was an NHL #1. Things are a little more difficult when CC isn’t on the bench behind you.

I’d expect a bounce back year, where ever he ends up.
- scottak

I would not. This isn't just him not being confident or struggling a little. This is full-blown meltdown. Even when they took the weight off his shoulders and gave it back to Ward Darling never really got better. He legitimately looks like he has no idea what he's doing out there anymore. Like he only knows where the puck is like 50% of the time.