1. Brady Tkachuk
2. Riley Nash
3. Adam Clendening
4. Cam Ward
5. Tyler Sikura (yes Tyler)

Excepting the fact that Keith scored 2 goals this season ...

Not the city. The (Warren) Ville
- Panarin27

Nah. That's my vinyl siding guy. Works out of West Chicago.

Now Kempny is better than Keith

Time to go into hibernation
- PatShart

If that kind of talk is happening now, can’t imagine what kind of craziness people will be saying after the excitement of draft and free agency passes

Didn't Niemi "win" as much because of waiver rules (I think Crawford could be sent down, Niemi couldn't without clearing waivers) as much as demonstrated NHL readiness?
- StLBravesFan

Could be. IIRC Niemi was signed as a free agent. The battle between the two was the backup Khabibulin....... Both looked good, Niemi had a lot of motion to his game but made a lot of athletic saves that got the crowd ooohing and aaahing.

Little did any of us know we were looking at the cup winning goalie that coming yr.

Agreed with all of this except for the tank. The retool is already happening. Toews is a bad first line center and great second line center. Schmaltz is a good second line center, AA is a good third line center.

I have some hope that Jokiharju, Sikura, Krys, Hillman, Mitchell, and the 2nd-5th rounders from the last 3 years will turn into something. The survivors from that pool plus the 8th and 27th pick of this year will help restock our cupboards. We also have some wildcards in Edjsell, Duclair, Forsling, and Hayden. Not all of these four will make it to full-time NHL status, but they're solid pieces to hope for.

The one thing we're missing right now on the Hawks is a top flight prospect, a Brayden Point... a Casey Mittelstadt... a guy who we're watching junior and AHL games of and counting the days until he arrives in the big leagues. We don't have one of those yet... hopefully #8 changes that.
- ObeseOprah

Indeed. This pick could (should?) be the top 3 or first pairing difference maker in 2-3 yrs that will be a fixture for the next 10 yrs.

You have to wonder if the D are hoping to be traded in season to a team, as there have now been two d trades in the last 2 years where the D have gone on to win a cup/be 1 game away from winning a cup!

Could be. IIRC Niemi was signed as a free agent. The battle between the two was the backup Khabibulin....... Both looked good, Niemi had a lot of motion to his game but made a lot of athletic saves that got the crowd ooohing and aaahing.

Little did any of us know we were looking at the cup winning goalie that coming yr.
- Mr Ricochet

I think Khabibulin was gone by then - Huet was to be the starting goalie in 2009-10, but lost out to Niemi during the season.

Excepting the fact that Keith scored 2 goals this season ...
- steve-hist-sdc

Yes Keith scored 2 goals.

So you're saying that somebody learned something ???? We shall see if there are any philosophical changes from the coaching staff....along with system changes after that nightmare of a season. I just don't see it from Quenneville and I am not confident that he has it in him.
- Hawkytalk

I think that the statements made by Wirtz a couple days ago are pretty significant. If we witness any of the crap we did last season and the fans respond accordingly into Rocky's ear and pocketbook, there will be a dramatic response. I am somewhat comforted by that as I do not want to watch another season like that.
Trading away assets like Hartman and Kempny was not the correct response for a losing season from the current group in charge. I have little confidence in them and would welcome a fresh positive approach. A united in thought coaching /management team making personnel changes that make sense is absolutely necessary.

Stats have their place, but not to the exclusion of the eye test, or the only stat that matters - W/L.

You can possess the puck all night, but if your possession time consists of a lot of shifts circling around in the d zone to find and make stretch passes to forwards who get it into the O zone, then play perimeter pass keep away for a minute, and then lose a board battle, or make a bad cross ice pass through four defenders, just in time for an ill timed pinch by a D man, the result all too often last year was a 25 second odd man break that resulted in a goal.

1. They don't have the horses to execute playoff level hockey (on SB)
2. The coaching style is static and not dynamic (on Q)
3. They are too cap constrained (on McD)
4. They draft non-physical and undersized players (on SB)
5. They have one too many layers of management - read: McD (on Rocky)

What are the real holes to fill?

1. Four solid centers - now, they have none. Maybe one if 19 sacks up
2. Two more top four D guys - not in the system now
3. Two power forwards to own the boards - not in the system now
4. A real checking line that can shut down and score - not in the system now
5. Goaltending - 50 still uncertain, and none of the backups are NHL caliber

That is more than ten guys.

How do you do all of that with less than $10MM in cap space, five untradeable contracts, a front office hell bent on drafting and signing undersized guys who shy away from contact, a stubborn coach who fails to adapt, and a team president who knows nothing about hockey?

Sorry, but guys like Hayden, Hino, Gus, Oesterle, Rutta, Kampf...... bottom six/bottom pairing guys at best.

The rebuild is going to take much longer than any of us might imagine. Best to tank, draft high again, and wait for the new CBA before going forward with much else.
- Return of the Roar

This X 2. Excellent post.

Yes Keith scored 2 goals.
- Z3Hawk

Thx to correct me!! ha!!!

2 is better than 1....or none...

No, but Keith had by far the worst season of his career. Pretty bad by any metric when comparing to his previous standards. -30 is ugly as was his 0 goals for 90% of the Season
- EnzoD

My point was not on resume, it was about moving forward.

It is not to denigrate Keith or elevate Kempny, it is to put the whole stupidity of running him out of town into play and how useful he could have been for Hawks moving forward.

The evidence is in, Kempny could have been part of the solution that the board is looking for.

My point was not on resume, it was about moving forward.

It is not to denigrate Keith or elevate Kempny, it is to put the whole stupidity of running him out of town into play and how useful he could have been for Hawks moving forward.

The evidence is in, Kempny could have been part of the solution that the board is looking for.
- TrueGrit

Or - he could be "just another guy".

He's having a good tournament (with some flaws, BTW) - helps to be on a winning team, and not just because of the QOT (quality of teammates) but because of the infectious attitude that certainly was missing from this year's Blackhawks.

Let's see how he does over a regular season - a mixed bag, I think, here (maybe because of Q - maybe because of K).

Or - he could be "just another guy".

He's having a good tournament (with some flaws, BTW) - helps to be on a winning team, and not just because of the QOT (quality of teammates) but because of the infectious attitude that certainly was missing from this year's Blackhawks.

Let's see how he does over a regular season - a mixed bag, I think, here (maybe because of Q - maybe because of K).
- StLBravesFan

You are actually making my point. By your description, absent many items from paragraph 2, most/all players are "just another guy".

In this case, as would have been with Hawks, Kempny is not/was not the guy responsible for bringing the attitude and mojo.

Bottom line, is he has the requisite skills to be solid NHL defensemen. More importantly, he has natural gifts that allow him to play/contribute in a variety of ways and systems. ie, speed and size....

The Caps could have traded for Trevor van remsdyke and got him for a 7th rounder and maybe some extra memorabilia...but he does not check off many boxes that Kempny can.

Thx to correct me!! ha!!!

2 is better than 1....or none...
- glennjpawlak22

Bet the difference meant something to Keith - looked for a while like he might get zero goals for the season. Hope he gets to 2 in the first few games next season.

Keith is far and away a better defenseman than Kempny.

Kempny was not run out of town, he was a UFA next year and obviously not staying with an organization that hardly played him. Getting a 3rd round pick was the second best thing we could've done besides handling him correctly and keeping him.

Kempny is having a good playoffs, he will likely be overpaid by a team besides the Caps this offseason.

This board needs to chill out about Kempny, we all wish he stayed but it's time to move on. He's gone, Panarin's gone, Darling's gone, get over it. Every team loses players the fans like. We need to look forward to the draft and the first free agency in years where we'll be actually signing someone instead of unloading.

Jason your Moms pool boy

Hows High School Hockey tryouts going

Do you like your new double runners

Wash your 88 sweater & wipe your chin too

Quinn Hughes is best selsction Hawks can make but you ***** have 0000 clue

Carry on DaBaby88........



- Goalie-33

C'mon man, there's a lot of name calling but let's reel it back a little. We're all adults here..

Regarding Hughes, I feel like his stock is rising and might not be available. That being said, I thought Quinn had said he was going back to Michigan for another year.. is that the case? Seems to be the norm with a lot of the top prospects playing in college.

Keith is far and away a better defenseman than Kempny.

Kempny was not run out of town, he was a UFA next year and obviously not staying with an organization that hardly played him. Getting a 3rd round pick was the second best thing we could've done besides handling him correctly and keeping him.

Kempny is having a good playoffs, he will likely be overpaid by a team besides the Caps this offseason.

This board needs to chill out about Kempny, we all wish he stayed but it's time to move on. He's gone, Panarin's gone, Darling's gone, get over it. Every team loses players the fans like. We need to look forward to the draft and the first free agency in years where we'll be actually signing someone instead of unloading.
- ObeseOprah

Well said. I think at the end of the day Kempny didn't show enough upside to warrant paying to keep him vs the other guys that play that side on D. Could be a mistake in the long run, but those happen. Time to just keep looking forward.

One of those silly hockey rumor "insider" accounts. Great for entertainment but has pointed out smoke in the past. Figured a little more discussion outside of, to some, future HOFer Michal Kempny wouldn't hurt anybody in the dog days of June. Would anybody accept this trade? I really don't think I would. Fun to ponder though.

"Hockeyy Insiderr
‏

@HkyInsiderr
9m9 minutes ago
More
*BREAKING NHL NEWS*:

IF the Habs offer is rejected by the Oilers they will turn their attention to the Hawks. The Habs are willing to offer Galchenyuk+Pacioretty+Fucale+3rd overall for Toews+8th overall. It would be a HUGE deal. Toews would have to waive NMC as well."

Keith is far and away a better defenseman than Kempny.

Kempny was not run out of town, he was a UFA next year and obviously not staying with an organization that hardly played him. Getting a 3rd round pick was the second best thing we could've done besides handling him correctly and keeping him.

Kempny is having a good playoffs, he will likely be overpaid by a team besides the Caps this offseason.

This board needs to chill out about Kempny, we all wish he stayed but it's time to move on. He's gone, Panarin's gone, Darling's gone, get over it. Every team loses players the fans like. We need to look forward to the draft and the first free agency in years where we'll be actually signing someone instead of unloading.
- ObeseOprah

I don't even care that he was traded...I care that he was a capable and quality asset completely misused and mismanaged by the coaching staff. His recent quotes say it all about Q + Ulf's failures with Kempny (and Daley).

Time and time again whether by the coaching staff or General Manager, this team has been terribly managed ever since 2015. The list of errors is so long that there is NO surprise that Rocky Wirtz publicly threatened the job security of Bowman and Quenneville. There is no subtlety to Rocky Wirtz's interview earlier this week. He has seen the ugly results and like many on this board, he doesn't view them as acceptable. Bowman hasn't drafted a good NHL Dman in 10 years and the best one he drafted in 2010, Stephen Johns, he gifted to a Division Rival. Bowman has overpaid every single "Core" player with the exception of Hjallmarsson, and the "illegal" contracts of Hossa+Keith. Combining Bowman's lack of drafting, trading and contract negotiation skills with Quenneville's stubbornness and lack of adjustment in system/usage of players and you have a last place team.

As I said months ago, when Stan Bowman is fired, I will stop complaining about the moves he has made to tank this once great team built primarily on the drafting of his predecessors. Until Q is replaced it is more than fair to question the absurdity of Kempny not being able to crack the Top 6D for the worst team in the Central Division, but being a staple at 4D for the likely Cup Champions (same story different year with Trevor Daley).

With better drafting, cap management, contract negotiation, and trading ability, the Hawks SHOULD have had a Detroit-esque run of many many years in the playoffs and ENTERTAINING HOCKEY. They Hawks were terrible to watch and if they didnt have Patrick Kane I probably wouldn't watch 80 games like I did this year. Instead, they nosedived into the basement, with very little reason to expect much different results next season. Same coaching staff, same GM, and essentially the same players (we will see what, if any, "big changes" are made)...why would you expect a miraculous climb back to Cup Contention?

Every person who comes to this site in (frank)ing June is a die-hard Hawks fan. They watch almost every game, and spend thousands on tickets and merchandise. IMO it is very fair and well within their rights to voice grievances towards those who are responsible for icing a garbage product and generally failing at their job duties for 3 seasons.

One of those silly hockey rumor "insider" accounts. Great for entertainment but has pointed out smoke in the past. Figured a little more discussion outside of, to some, future HOFer Michal Kempny wouldn't hurt anybody in the dog days of June. Would anybody accept this trade? I really don't think I would. Fun to ponder though.

"Hockeyy Insiderr
‏

@HkyInsiderr
9m9 minutes ago
More
*BREAKING NHL NEWS*:

IF the Habs offer is rejected by the Oilers they will turn their attention to the Hawks. The Habs are willing to offer Galchenyuk+Pacioretty+Fucale+3rd overall for Toews+8th overall. It would be a HUGE deal. Toews would have to waive NMC as well."
- Trammelt

Wow...

I don't even care that he was traded...I care that he was a capable and quality asset completely misused and mismanaged by the coaching staff. His recent quotes say it all about Q + Ulf's failures with Kempny (and Daley).

Time and time again whether by the coaching staff or General Manager, this team has been terribly managed ever since 2015. The list of errors is so long that there is NO surprise that Rocky Wirtz publicly threatened the job security of Bowman and Quenneville. There is no subtlety to Rocky Wirtz's interview earlier this week. He has seen the ugly results and like many on this board, he doesn't view them as acceptable. Bowman hasn't drafted a good NHL Dman in 10 years and the best one he drafted in 2010, Stephen Johns, he gifted to a Division Rival. Bowman has overpaid every single "Core" player with the exception of Hjallmarsson, and the "illegal" contracts of Hossa+Keith. Combining Bowman's lack of drafting, trading and contract negotiation skills with Quenneville's stubbornness and lack of adjustment in system/usage of players and you have a last place team.

As I said months ago, when Stan Bowman is fired, I will stop complaining about the moves he has made to tank this once great team built primarily on the drafting of his predecessors. Until Q is replaced it is more than fair to question the absurdity of Kempny not being able to crack the Top 6D for the worst team in the Central Division, but being a staple at 4D for the likely Cup Champions (same story different year with Trevor Daley).

With better drafting, cap management, contract negotiation, and trading ability, the Hawks SHOULD have had a Detroit-esque run of many many years in the playoffs and ENTERTAINING HOCKEY. They Hawks were terrible to watch and if they didnt have Patrick Kane I probably wouldn't watch 80 games like I did this year. Instead, they nosedived into the basement, with very little reason to expect much different results next season. Same coaching staff, same GM, and essentially the same players (we will see what, if any, "big changes" are made)...why would you expect a miraculous climb back to Cup Contention?

Every person who comes to this site in (frank)ing June is a die-hard Hawks fan. They watch almost every game, and spend thousands on tickets and merchandise. IMO it is very fair and well within their rights to voice grievances towards those who are responsible for icing a garbage product and generally failing at their job duties for 3 seasons.
- EnzoD

Well stated, and John's is the real crime in StanBo's tool kit...

Jason your Moms pool boy

Hows High School Hockey tryouts going

Do you like your new double runners

Wash your 88 sweater & wipe your chin too

Quinn Hughes is best selsction Hawks can make but you ***** have 0000 clue

Carry on DaBaby88........



- Goalie-33

Reel it back a lot, this is your warning, one and only.

Thanks for understanding.

One of those silly hockey rumor "insider" accounts. Great for entertainment but has pointed out smoke in the past. Figured a little more discussion outside of, to some, future HOFer Michal Kempny wouldn't hurt anybody in the dog days of June. Would anybody accept this trade? I really don't think I would. Fun to ponder though.

"Hockeyy Insiderr
‏

@HkyInsiderr
9m9 minutes ago
More
*BREAKING NHL NEWS*:

IF the Habs offer is rejected by the Oilers they will turn their attention to the Hawks. The Habs are willing to offer Galchenyuk+Pacioretty+Fucale+3rd overall for Toews+8th overall. It would be a HUGE deal. Toews would have to waive NMC as well."
- Trammelt

Makes AA/Schmaltz your #1 center and no cap savings that is why it is unrealistic (red font)