Oliver Ekman Larsson, my predicted sleeper star of the draft.
(Oliver Ekman Larsson, left defense, 6 foot one 1/2, 175 lbs. :
This IS the wild card of this draft. If he lasts THIS long this pick's value goes up and up with other GMs. One of the best skaters, and although not the finished product at his present size, displays the abilities to be as dynamic a player as ANY defenseman in this draft. Every team is looking for an ice dancing rover who can thread the needle on the stretch if his rushing lane closes. Super creative, poised, and has really good vision. He is already growing into his frame. His point shot is developing and he already can get the puck to anybody on the ice. Displays a long stick and breaks up developing plays. Has had problems in the past with larger forwards who attack with power, but he will add size and weight and nullify much of that. Some will say that even though his upside may be equal to Hedman, he may be a little bit riskier pick with bust written on him. Others are convinced he is already a better prospect than Ottawa's recently signed Erik Karlsson, and bigger and better defensively. I think there will be more than a few NHL teams interested in moving up to the middle of the draft if he lasts this long.)


If I am the Hawk GM I am not at all interested...not because of his talent but because of the trade price and eventual salary.

If I am Stan, I have already talked to the agent of the Isles Andrew MacDonald, becasue he is a UFA, fits on any pairing, is a young 29, and probably wants to win sooner than later.
He costs you nothing in terms of trade bait or picks
He allows movement within the next couple years on defense with a drop, and all he cost is cap $.

As much as I like Eckman-Larsson they will get a Gagner and more or key piece in return if they are stupid enough to dangle him out there...
- wiz1901

Question I have is... Why trade OEL????

He's only 22!

Lackluster Hawks fall to SJ 3-2 in a shootout. Bickell benched in 3rd period-
0n The Blackhawks-Fox Chicago: http://bit.ly/1dJ8YJ5

Question I have is... Why trade OEL????

He's only 22!

Lackluster Hawks fall to SJ 3-2 in a shootout. Bickell benched in 3rd period-
0n The Blackhawks-Fox Chicago: http://bit.ly/1dJ8YJ5
- Al

Agreed Al. Would think Yandle would be the one they want to move. Looking for hits in my guess.

Too bad the Sabres don't play tonight, I could have scouted Wayne Ott and John Scott for the big TT trade.

As far as I know the Swedish Olympic team has not been announced- could you have seen the Swiss team by mistake???????

Too bad the Sabres don't play tonight, I could have scouted Wayne Ott and John Scott for the big TT trade.
- Ogilthorpe2

Ahem.......Rocket Scott!

Damn I can't believe Hammer wasn't added. you are right, though, I am glad they will get some rest. Hammer sure needs it. Tomorrow is the big day. I still say it will be Toews, Keith, And Sharp
- tomcat24

If they are thinking of playing Toews as a 3rd or 4th liner, I hope he tells them to (frank) off. And he is taking his team mates with him.

Too bad the Sabres don't play tonight, I could have scouted Wayne Ott and John Scott for the big TT trade.
- Ogilthorpe2

That trade will make us faster...no?

Agreed Al. Would think Yandle would be the one they want to move. Looking for hits in my guess.
- Elbows15

Hard to imagine, but maybe, just maybe, if you're dealing with the right team desperate for Blue Line help, but with high picks/prospects to offer....maybe you turn one valuable asset into two or more? Get someone to trade their future away for a chance to win now. Yandle still makes more sense though.

That trade will make us faster...no?
- UnnamedSource

I was thinking redder

Re: O E-L:

If I am the Hawk GM I am not at all interested...not because of his talent but because of the trade price and eventual salary.

If I am Stan, I have already talked to the agent of the Isles Andrew MacDonald, because he is a UFA, fits on any pairing, is a young 29, and probably wants to win sooner than later.
He costs you nothing in terms of trade bait or picks
He allows movement within the next couple years on defense with a drop, and all he cost is cap $.

As much as I like Eckman-Larsson they will get a Gagner and more or key piece in return if they are stupid enough to dangle him out there...

http://www.newsday.com/sports/columnists/arthur-staple/is-andrew-macdonald-s-future-with-the-islanders-1.6734784
- resqmed99

(Great minds...MacDoanld would have to come here at a set price...)

Sweden, not Switz.
- powerenforcer

Ahh.... sorry. The friggin cold must have gotten to my brain.

>If Bickell cannot stop and start explosively, perhaps he shouldn't be playing
>Bollig also has abandoned the "stop and start" needed to be an effective player -- too many aircraft carrier turns and no hitting has made him invisible lately
>Long, long regular season -- Q will ultimately get to the four lines that work best
>One area the Blackhawks can be more physical in is at the faceoff dot -- how about the forwards playing with more "jam" in their puck pursuit instead of a "reach and hope" while going after a 50/50 puck
>Since when is a nobody like Demers (#5) allowed to bearhug Hawk forwards all night long without even 1 penalty called? (Sharks with 0 game penalties)

Them learning how to win together seems to be the issue here. For all the hyped draft picks, the hogs haven't made the playoffs in 2 or 3 years.
- Elbows15

There's the rub ! While winning at any level, should be the objective, Rockford has been a decent training ground for the likes of Crawford, Smith, Kruger, Shaw, Saad, Morin, Pirri and a few others.

I'm not a huge fan of Hogs' coach Ted Dent, but it seems like the Hawks' brass is happy with how's he been getting young players prepared to make their stab at an NHL career. Some have succeeded and STUCK better than others, but some credit must be given IMO to the apparatus in Rockford.

>If Bickell cannot stop and start explosively, perhaps he shouldn't be playing
>Bollig also has abandoned the "stop and start" needed to be an effective player -- too many aircraft carrier turns and no hitting has made him invisible lately
>Long, long regular season -- Q will ultimately get to the four lines that work best
>One area the Blackhawks can be more physical in is at the faceoff dot -- how about the forwards playing with more "jam" in their puck pursuit instead of a "reach and hope" while going after a 50/50 puck
>Since when is a nobody like Demers (#5) allowed to bearhug Hawk forwards all night long without even 1 penalty called? (Sharks with 0 game penalties)
- SnapitUpstairs

Could he ever do this?

>If Bickell cannot stop and start explosively, perhaps he shouldn't be playing
>Bollig also has abandoned the "stop and start" needed to be an effective player -- too many aircraft carrier turns and no hitting has made him invisible lately
>Long, long regular season -- Q will ultimately get to the four lines that work best
>One area the Blackhawks can be more physical in is at the faceoff dot -- how about the forwards playing with more "jam" in their puck pursuit instead of a "reach and hope" while going after a 50/50 puck
>Since when is a nobody like Demers (#5) allowed to bearhug Hawk forwards all night long without even 1 penalty called? (Sharks with 0 game penalties)
- SnapitUpstairs

Not just on face-offs: too often they are reaching for pucks instead of skating to them and engaging for them.

Chris Kuc (@ChrisKuc):

‪#‎Blackhawks‬ defenseman Michal Rozsival named to Czech Olympic team roster.
- Beaver-Warrior

So did Frolik!!!

What I don't get is why Bickell got that payday in the first place. So he's clearly not 100% right now, isn't skating well and just hasn't looked great at all this season after getting the Joel Ward treatment. So Bickell played his best hockey of his career in the playoffs last year, by doing what basically nobody not named Andrew Shaw does which is go to the net. Pretty sure that's how Byfuglien had all that success in the playoffs for the Hawks too by taking his big body to the net and using his size. We all watched Bickell tear up the postseason while playing with some okay hockey players on the Hawks top line, finally starts playing with an edge and using his size around the net and he starts putting up points. Magic. Throw some serious $$$$$$ his way this guy is money. Honestly how is anyone surprised he's back to his old ways of inconsistent lazy play and not producing or skating like we all think he should. Guys been anything but consistent in his career and were his postseason numbers really some huge plateau he had reached????? Or just the benefit of going to the net while playing with the best guys he has ever played with or both?????? Either way right now he's showing us all he never deserved 4 mil or that he's still injured and shouldn't be playing. Gross

Re: O E-L:

If I am the Hawk GM I am not at all interested...not because of his talent but because of the trade price and eventual salary.

If I am Stan, I have already talked to the agent of the Isles Andrew MacDonald, because he is a UFA, fits on any pairing, is a young 29, and probably wants to win sooner than later.
He costs you nothing in terms of trade bait or picks
He allows movement within the next couple years on defense with a drop, and all he cost is cap $.

As much as I like Eckman-Larsson they will get a Gagner and more or key piece in return if they are stupid enough to dangle him out there...




(Great minds...MacDoanld would have to come here at a set price...)
- wiz1901

Easy. Trade Bickell, Brookbank, and a 2nd round pick to the Islanders in exchange for Vanek and MacDonald. *Written in Red Font

What I don't get is why Bickell got that payday in the first place. So he's clearly not 100% right now, isn't skating well and just hasn't looked great at all this season after getting the Joel Ward treatment. So Bickell played his best hockey of his career in the playoffs last year, by doing what basically nobody not named Andrew Shaw does which is go to the net. Pretty sure that's how Byfuglien had all that success in the playoffs for the Hawks too by taking his big body to the net and using his size. We all watched Bickell tear up the postseason while playing with some okay hockey players on the Hawks top line, finally starts playing with an edge and using his size around the net and he starts putting up points. Magic. Throw some serious $$$$$$ his way this guy is money. Honestly how is anyone surprised he's back to his old ways of inconsistent lazy play and not producing or skating like we all think he should. Guys been anything but consistent in his career and were his postseason numbers really some huge plateau he had reached????? Or just the benefit of going to the net while playing with the best guys he has ever played with or both?????? Either way right now he's showing us all he never deserved 4 mil or that he's still injured and shouldn't be playing. Gross
- Ballam

Or, probably closer to the truth, he will be a rich player in some forgotten NHL city that has a losing record. (See Frolik)

What I don't get is why Bickell got that payday in the first place. So he's clearly not 100% right now, isn't skating well and just hasn't looked great at all this season after getting the Joel Ward treatment. So Bickell played his best hockey of his career in the playoffs last year, by doing what basically nobody not named Andrew Shaw does which is go to the net. Pretty sure that's how Byfuglien had all that success in the playoffs for the Hawks too by taking his big body to the net and using his size. We all watched Bickell tear up the postseason while playing with some okay hockey players on the Hawks top line, finally starts playing with an edge and using his size around the net and he starts putting up points. Magic. Throw some serious $$$$$$ his way this guy is money. Honestly how is anyone surprised he's back to his old ways of inconsistent lazy play and not producing or skating like we all think he should. Guys been anything but consistent in his career and were his postseason numbers really some huge plateau he had reached????? Or just the benefit of going to the net while playing with the best guys he has ever played with or both?????? Either way right now he's showing us all he never deserved 4 mil or that he's still injured and shouldn't be playing. Gross
- Ballam

Grade incomplete. If he shows up in the playoffs again, and the Hawks go deep again...totally worth it. With the cap going up, $4.0 is the new $2.0. He could have easily gotten more elsewhere. If he just wanted to sit back and count his coin, he would have gone for the bigger pay day somewhere else. I'll reserve judgement until June.

Easy. Trade Bickell, Brookbank, and a 2nd round pick to the Islanders in exchange for Vanek and MacDonald. *
- TommyHawk

Fixed.

Fixed.
- Ogilthorpe2

Cheers

Could he ever do this?
- DarthKane

>You make a good point -- but he could change directions much quicker than he is now
>I'm not dogging Bicks -- think he is still hurt -- or he is really "tied-up" mentally trying to earn all of his contract in one shift
>Power forwards do struggle at times, Bicks is just so out of the flow of the game right now...

Not just on face-offs: too often they are reaching for pucks instead of skating to them and engaging for them.
- StLBravesFan

>Yes, indeed
>Think that is part of having the 82 game regular season
>Doesn't happen in games Hawks are "dialed in" or in the playoffs
>But, the second-tier forwards need to do a bit more

I spent the morning going over the Swedish World junior games again, and I can now offer a bit more on Robin Norell.
Just mind the fact that the defenders who play in front of him are basically Swedish junior national vets who get the minutes and situations based on their experience, seniority, etc.
At this point he is isn’t tall but a stocky.
He appears to already have really good upper body strength.
Similar to Nik Hjarlmarsson, he plays the right side as a left hander.
As Hammer at this point he is asked to play a defensive role, and there were only two incidences where he carried on into the attack zone to maintain possession as his team made it’s change.
Comparisons to Hammer are pretty easy because both are really well-balanced powerful skaters, although Norell doesn’t have Hammer’s bent-over hitch.
Norell excelled as a strong shot blocker, and was always on one of the PK pairings on all penalties.
He closed the gap on puck carrying attackers gaining the zone, but what was noticeable was he very physically strong and engaging in his zone, whether it was on the wall, in front or behind the red line.
Please understand my meaning: he wasn’t on bone-rattler checker-but in every opportunity where on opposition attacker was in reach, he applied strong forearm punch (similar to the move an offensive linemen in football makes once the ball is hiked) to players and usually moved them or disrupted their attempted mobility.
Watching the games before doing the “Norell iso” I didn’t realize his feet, because when in the middle zone, he always reverted to a more compact forward skating style, where he knew he was passing off and not gaining the red line. In his own zone he opened up the hips and was very fluid in all directions to allow him to poke check, close and engage and move to body check in his defensive zone.

I refuse to make predictions except that he is smart and solid on the ice defensively at his current level.

Just thought all of you needed something from me to make for my posts yesterday.

I just want all our kids to be with parent club when the situation is most conducive to their success, not every Hawk fan having Danault TT, and the rest penciled in the hawk line-up because it a popular thought.
- wiz1901

Did you see the OT rush by Norell? Quite impressive. The Finnish d-man who scored the winner went to the net everytime he was on the ice in OT.