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Austerity Regime

May 2, 2022, 3:48 AM ET [136 Comments]
Theo Fox
Chicago Blackhawks Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Now that the Blackhawks season is over, it's time for management to be all-in serious with rebuilding the team with not just player personnel but also with hockey operations personnel. It's also go-time for the farm team as the IceHogs gear up for the AHL playoffs beginning on Wednesday.

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Jeff Greenberg

The Blackhawks announced former Cubs executive Jeff Greenberg -- and one of the general manager finalists before Kyle Davidson was permanently hired in that role -- as the team's second associate GM joining Norm Maciver who had a stint with the Kraken.

It is important to note that president of business operations Jaime Faulkner pegged Greenberg as her top finalist during the GM finalist while chief executive officer Danny Wirtz favored Davidson. Also of note is Faulkner's husband Colin is a Cubs executive.

Davidson on Greenberg:

"Jeff will be both an architect and connector of the hockey operations group, ensuring that we’re always at the forefront of professional sports."

"Greenberg will oversee strategic systems and processes for the entire hockey ops staff to establish and optimize a modern, continually evolving approach focused on exponential growth and delivering long-term, sustainable competitive advantages."


These platitudes are great but are just words until intended results actually emerge. With a lot of technology and innovation, they are only as strong as those who implement and use them. Thus, getting the right personnel to develop and institute this plan is crucial.

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Marc Crawford & Rob Cookson

Though the future of interim head coach Derek King remains in the balance, it's no surprise that associate coach Marc Crawford and assistant coach Rob Cookson were let go. No word on whether goalie coach Jimmy Waite stays or goes. Same with Crawford's son Dylan.

The elder Crawford was a common denominator under the King regime as head coach and under the Jeremy Colliton regime, too. The Hawks were lousy under both. As for Cookson, he was on borrowed time from the beginning of his term behind the bench. He was done regardless.

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Sam Lafferty

Davidson continues to make shrewd signings as he locked up Sam Lafferty to a team-friendly $1.15M AAV 2-year contract. This comes a few weeks after inking 4th line center Reese Johnson to an even cheaper 2-year deal at $800,000 AAV.

Lafferty and Johnson will head into training camp in September securing two spots in Chicago's bottom 6. Lafferty has the versatility to play up in the middle 6 yet needs to show more finish on offense. Johnson is destined to maintain the 4C role.

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Nolan Allan & Colton Dach

If he can get into game action, there would be excitement to see what Nolan Allan can bring as a defensive defenseman. The D prospects who have a defensive bent to their game have tended to acclimate to the pro game quicker than two-way rearguards.

For instance, Jakub Galvas and Alex Vlasic are defensively wired and have acquitted themselves relatively well to the NHL and AHL so far. Also, Alec Regula has done much better when he focuses on his end first then activates. He struggled when he tried to do everything.

In contrast, Ian Mitchell, Nicolas Beaudin, Wyatt Kalynuk, and Isaak Phillips have had varying roller coaster experiences while traversing their growth curve as all-around defenders. Mitchell has worked his way to the top to become the franchise's best D prospect.

As for Colton Dach, getting him into the Hogs top 9 forward ranks would add in another volume-shooting power forward along with Michal Teply who has been a revelation this season especially on the 2022 side of the ledger after being invisible on the 2021 side.

Although he's a center in juniors, Dach is most likely a power winger in the pros which Teply is evolving into as he grows into his lanky frame. Both would be best suited as middle 6 scoring wingers who crash the crease if either of them make it to the NHL.

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IceHogs Playoff Lineup

The IceHogs open up the Calder Cup Playoffs as the 4th seed in the AHL Western Conference and will battle with the Texas Stars in the first round. Vlasic is expected to join the Hogs like Allan and Dach. Here's a projected lineup as of today:

Altybarmakian - Reichel - Teply
Hardman - Slavin - Barratt
Busdeker - McLaughlin - Gicewicz
Osipov - G Mitchell - Gabriel

Phillips - Galvas
Kalynuk - Regula
Vlasic - Beaudin

Soderblom
Morris

Extras at F: Dach, McKay, Morrison, Pour, Yetman
Extras on D: Allan, LeGuerrier, Stanton, Watson
Injured: Connolly, Howarth, I Mitchell

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IceHogs Notebook

* Mitchell is out with a right wrist injury until about Friday of next week (May 6), give or take, and will miss at least Game 1 of the first round of the AHL playoffs.

* Mild-mannered Josiah Slavin got in his first pro fight on Friday throwing down with Admirals enforcer Joseph LaBate.

* Slavin as well as Andrei Altybarmakian and Regula sat out the last game of the regular season on Saturday.

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IceHogs Team Awards

Ahead of the start of the Calder Cup Playoffs, the IceHogs recently announced their 2021-22 Team Award recipients. Some of my personal picks match who the Hogs selected while I had different perspectives on other awards.

Most Valuable Player
Team Pick: Dylan McLaughlin and Arvid Soderblom
My Pick: Ian Mitchell

Rookie of the Year
Team Pick: Lukas Reichel
My Pick: Lukas Reichel

Defensemen of the Year
Team Pick: Ian Mitchell
My Pick: Ian Mitchell

Unsung Hero
Team Pick: Josiah Slavin
My Pick: D.J. Busdeker

Heavy Hitter Award
Team Pick: Garrett Mitchell
My Pick: Kurtis Gabriel

Most Improved Player
Team Pick: Michal Teply
My Pick: Michal Teply

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Russian Prospects

With 2016 draft pick Artur Kayumov renewing for another season in the KHL for family reasons, it may be time to just cut bait with not only him but also Maxim Shalunov who was drafted over a decade ago. Neither would move the needle one iota for Chicago's rebuild.

Netminder Ivan Nalimov was a flop during his short stint in Rockford last season. It didn't help that his attitude wasn't good either. Ilya Safonov (2021 6th rounder) may have some intrigue but he would just add to the logjam of bottom 6 forward prospects in Rockford.

Altybarmakian has been the only Russian prospect worth investing in so far. Not only that but he also was eager to start his pro career in North America then signed a contract and hopped on a plane the first chance he got. Sparkplug he is, so far he hasn't disappointed.

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Draft Lottery

Remember, the 1st round pick for the Blackhawks is lottery protected so they retain it if they get the 1st or 2nd overall pick. Columbus would then automatically get Chicago's 2023 1st rounder instead. Otherwise, the 2022 1st rounder goes to the Blue Jackets.

However, don't be surprised if the Hawks parlay the lottery pick into more futures such as another 1st rounder or two and/or a high-end prospect who is NHL ready. If such a trade is in the cards, it wouldn't go down until closer to or on draft day (July 7).

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Blackhawks Game Summary

Friday Boxscore

Buffalo Sabres 3
Chicago Blackhawks 2

DeBrincat - Strome - Kane
Kubalik - Toews - T Johnson
Kurashev - Lafferty - Raddysh
Katchouk - R Johnson - Borgstrom

Vlasic - S Jones
McCabe - Gustafsson
Stillman - C Jones

Delia
Lankinen

Scratches:
Dach, Entwistle, de Haan

1st Goal (1-0): Kubalik (Vlasic, T Johnson)
2nd Goal (1-1): Thompson (Skinner)
3rd Goal (2-1): Strome (C Jones, DeBrincat)
4th Goal (2-2): Power (unassisted)
5th Goal (2-3): Mittelstadt (Cozens, Jokiharju) OT

SOG For/Against: 21/36
PP: 0-for-1
PK: 3-for-3
Faceoffs Won: 52%

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IceHogs Game Summaries

Friday Boxscore

Milwaukee Admirals 3
Rockford IceHogs 2

Altybarmakian - Reichel - Teply
Hardman - Slavin - Barratt
Busdeker - McLaughlin - Gicewicz
Osipov - G Mitchell - Gabriel

Phillips - Galvas
Kalynuk - Regula
Stanton - Beaudin

Soderblom
Morris

1st Goal (1-0): McLaughlin (Reichel, Regula) PP
2nd Goal (1-1): Knott (Huntington, Burke)
3rd Goal (2-1): Teply (Reichel, Kalynuk) PP
4th Goal (2-2): McLain (Knott, Donovan)
5th Goal (2-3): Smith (Schneider, Novak) PP

SOG For/Against: 31/27
PP: 2-for-5
PK: 5-for-6

Saturday Boxscore

Chicago Wolves 3
Rockford IceHogs 2

Pour - Reichel - Teply
Hardman - McLaughlin - Barratt
Busdeker - Yetman - Gicewicz
McKay - G Mitchell - Osipov

Phillips - Galvas
Stanton - Kalynuk
Watson - Beaudin

Morris
Stauber

1st Goal (0-1): Noesen (Poturalski, Smith)
2nd Goal (0-2): Mattheos (Rees, Marino)
3rd Goal (1-2): Phillips (Reichel, Teply)
4th Goal (1-3): Noesen (Drury, Poturalski) PP
5th Goal (2-3): Teply (Hardman, Kalynuk)

SOG For/Against: 25/54
PP: 0-for-1
PK: 1-for-2

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Readers Q&A Mailbag

If you have any questions you want to ask about the offseason -- whether about who stays/who goes, the entry draft, free agency, trades, prospects, etc -- please send me a private message or email me at [email protected].

All questions will be answered and featured in a mailbag blog due out in a week or so.

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See you on the boards!

Sources: Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Tribune, Daily Herald, NBC Sports Chicago, The Athletic Chicago

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