I'm with both of you. Honestly, when the other core guys get going (outside of the Kane line), you'd think things will look a bit better. At the same time, my expectations are a bit on the low side given this team's start.

That doesn't mean that this team can't make the playoffs. But I have to really question just how deep they can go - given where the team is right now.

But things could change in an instant - especially if Bowman can trade for a LW that could skate with Toews and Hossa and a D-man who can skate and is responsible in his own end.
- EKB13

I hear you....hard to ever count out this core, but they alone need help down below and it isn't there.....yet.

To your point about adding a LW and a d man, I just don't know how they get that with being so cap strapped. To have somebody take Bickell at full cap hit, he needs to add more to it.

Even if this year does become a huge struggle, it's imperative that any young guys you want to be part of this are getting playing time and being put in positions so that they experience this now.........So playing aging Veterans to win today to stay a marginal team vs playing a young guy with an eye on the future.......I do the latter.

I'm with both of you. Honestly, when the other core guys get going (outside of the Kane line), you'd think things will look a bit better. At the same time, my expectations are a bit on the low side given this team's start.

That doesn't mean that this team can't make the playoffs. But I have to really question just how deep they can go - given where the team is right now.

But things could change in an instant - especially if Bowman can trade for a LW that could skate with Toews and Hossa and a D-man who can skate and is responsible in his own end.
- EKB13

Good afternoon Eli!

He's got the LW to play with Toews and Hossa, his name is Tikhonov. Unfortunately Q is too pig headed to play him.

C'mon guys we're sitting tied for 3rd in the division.....a nice stretch of home games coming up. We lost a tough OT game in LA after playing 3 games in 4 nights, came back home clearly flat and out of sorts with our first home game in 2 weeks against a desperate Wild team, and then lost a tough OT game in Ottawa where i thought we were the better team.

This team will go on a nice run coming up, im sure of it. A bunch of home games, easier opponents later in the month. I think over that time Toews, Hossa, and Dano will break out and start producing, and im hoping Teravainen does too. A lot of players that haven't played nearly as well as they are capable of, especially at forward.

We're still playing pretty solid team defense, and it would help to get more consistent goaltending or we'd see even fewer GA.

What im saying is im not all of a sudden because of a few rough games gonna change my outlook on this team.

There still isn't a team out West i would pick to beat us in a 7 game series assuming we're healthy. I wouldn't say we're a "bubble" team. Thats kinda silly. Along with LA i bet all other teams would agree nobody is more dangerous when all the chips are on the table.
- SimpleJack

I'm the most pessimistic person I know, but I'm still holding out hope here. I feel like we've seen a lot of exhausted players, some flashes of brilliance, some people on the roster who absolutely should not be, and a lot of line juggling preventing chemistry from developing. I think if Q sends 53 down, puts 11 back in, and then sticks with the same lines for a handful of games we could see some significant improvement. Try Hossa on 1LW and put TT at 1RW. Then you can have Dano at RW, which he played last night and probably looked the best he has all season. I would try these lines out for a few games in a row.

81-19-86
72-15-88
28-67-56
11-16-65

I know that 4th line looked rough when he used it a few times earlier in the season, but I say give them another chance. Daley has looked slightly better lately, but I still say trade him at the deadline once some teams know they're not making the playoffs. If you can get a 3rd pairing d-man to take some minutes for the other top 3, I think this team has the pieces to make a deep run, it's just a matter of putting them together in the right spots.

Good afternoon Eli!

He's got the LW to play with Toews and Hossa, his name is Tikhonov. Unfortunately Q is too pig headed to play him.
- Ogilthorpe2

Nyet.

Good afternoon Eli!

He's got the LW to play with Toews and Hossa, his name is Tikhonov. Unfortunately Q is too pig headed to play him.
- Ogilthorpe2

14 is better then 52......but I can't say he's better then anyone else in the lineup right now.

Not overly impressed by 14. Maybe as a depth guy, but not playing with 19/81

I disagree to a certain extent about the 2010 sell off only netting Danault and Forsling. I think that's looking at it a little too black and white.

At the end of the day only black and white matters....
- Al

If that is the case then you cant simplify it to just those two guys

If that is the case then you cant simplify it to just those two guys
- YuenglingJagr

Yes... I can't find any other value.

It's the cap era. That reality makes it even more impressive in what your organization accomplished. CHI is still a modern dynasty at least until this April if they don't make it. I think this would be different if they played in any other division.

JJ - lots of good points and I pretty much agree 100%. My heart is hopeful while my head is avoiding eye contact.

I thought the most salient point of the article was

"It took two years for the Hawks to work through the repercussions of 2010-11. But it's simple math—the "core" was all 3-4 years younger then than they are now. "

... because it puts into perspective the difference between 2010/11 and 2015/16. The core players have 3-4 fewer years to play at a championship level than they did back in 2010/11. That makes it more urgent to try everything possible to win now and next season rather than 2 or 3 years from now because some of those core players will probably not be capable of playing at a championship level then.

I think the most import decision that the organization has to make is whether the core players will still be capable of playing well enough to win 2 or 3 years from now. Guys like Hossa, Keith, Seabrook and even all the wear and tear on guys like Toews and Hjalmarsson - will they still be elite players 2 or 3 years from now? If the answer is "probably not, at least not most of them" - then it makes the decision of whether to mortgage the future (TT, Dano, Pokka, etc) clearer - it comes down to enhancing the possibility of winning another Cup this season and/or next knowing that the future beyond a couple years will be pretty bleak - or - do not mortgage the future and hope to find a couple diamonds in the rough to replace Hossa, Keith, etc.

If I were making that decision, I would try to win now while this core can still play at the level needed to win.

JJ - lots of good points and I pretty much agree 100%. My heart is hopeful while my head is avoiding eye contact.

I thought the most salient point of the article was

"It took two years for the Hawks to work through the repercussions of 2010-11. But it's simple math—the "core" was all 3-4 years younger then than they are now. "

... because it puts into perspective the difference between 2010/11 and 2015/16. The core players have 3-4 fewer years to play at a championship level than they did back in 2010/11. That makes it more urgent to try everything possible to win now and next season rather than 2 or 3 years from now because some of those core players will probably not be capable of playing at a championship level then.

I think the most import decision that the organization has to make is whether the core players will still be capable of playing well enough win 2 or 3 years from now. Guys like Hossa, Keith, Seabrook and even all the wear and tear on guys like Toews and Hjalmarsson - will they still be elite players 2 or 3 years from now? If the answer is "probably not, at least not most of them" - then it makes the decision of whether to mortgage the future (TT, Dano, Pokka, etc) clearer - it comes down to enhancing the possibility of winning another Cup this season and/or next knowing that the future beyond a couple years will be pretty bleak - or - do not mortgage the future and hope to find a couple diamonds in the rough to replace Hossa, Keith, etc.

If I were making that decision, I would try to win now while this core can still play at the level needed to win.
- EbonyRaptor

Good afternoon Eli!

He's got the LW to play with Toews and Hossa, his name is Tikhonov. Unfortunately Q is too pig headed to play him.
- Ogilthorpe2

Agreed. The loss of Saad on the Toews Hossa line is no excuse for both these guys under performing--Tikhinov on that line would be fine if Q would just put him there and leave him there. He plays a 200 foot game, he skates well, is scrappy on the puck, and while he's not a great finisher, he's plenty good enough to assist the 'scorers' on this line. If they could only start scoring.

I'm the most pessimistic person I know, but I'm still holding out hope here. I feel like we've seen a lot of exhausted players, some flashes of brilliance, some people on the roster who absolutely should not be, and a lot of line juggling preventing chemistry from developing. I think if Q sends 53 down, puts 11 back in, and then sticks with the same lines for a handful of games we could see some significant improvement. Try Hossa on 1LW and put TT at 1RW. Then you can have Dano at RW, which he played last night and probably looked the best he has all season. I would try these lines out for a few games in a row.

81-19-86
72-15-88
28-67-56
11-16-65

I know that 4th line looked rough when he used it a few times earlier in the season, but I say give them another chance. Daley has looked slightly better lately, but I still say trade him at the deadline once some teams know they're not making the playoffs. If you can get a 3rd pairing d-man to take some minutes for the other top 3, I think this team has the pieces to make a deep run, it's just a matter of putting them together in the right spots.
- maria_wyeth

This makes great sense to me!!! I know i will prob get blasted for this one as far as Dmen pairings why can't it be:

2-7
6-4
57-32

Oduya learned that way... why can't Daley? Just asking

I disagree to a certain extent about the 2010 sell off only netting Danault and Forsling. I think that's looking at it a little too black and white.

At the end of the day only black and white matters....
- Al

It also netted 2 more cups...and each deal in 2010 impacted the decisions moving forward (Oduya, Vermette, etc...).

Could they have won more, maybe, could they have won less, maybe.

So there are a some roster decisions that are causing more issues than they are helping. Mashinter and TVR on his off side to name two that I dislike.

When Garbutt is the 4th or 5th best forward on the ice then there is a problem.

Appreciate what the guy has done for 18 years but Hossa continuing to not finish and losing the puck at the blue line is becoming a problem. His finishing is absolutely horrid at this point, even when the puck is going left to right (which i assumed would fix it). 1 5v5 goal on the year and 4 total, woof. Not a good trend. Especially looking at last years regression or whatever you want to call it.

Toews has also had a horribly inconsistent start to the season. Not getting a lot offensively from those two is kind of a problem. Like a big one. Granted, they could click and all of a sudden make this statement look stupid but that doesn't erase the last 25 games.

Anyway, they should have won last night. Stupid penalties and poor penalty killing really killed that one.

The margin of error is thinner but every team in the NHL is flawed in one way or another. The Blues are LOL, the Preds cant score, Minny looks like they have some irritated guys in the locker room, LA is a bunch of wankers and the Ducks have Blow it Bruce behind the bench.

Some frustration for the Hawks but that isn't an exclusive thing right now.

Also, with limited miles left on Keith's legs, a rebuild isn't really an option at this stage in his career. "Pitcher it may rain tomorrow cliche"

You know, if all they did was move Hossa lines would be more balanced;

81 - 19 - 56
72 - 15 - 88
65 - 67 - 86
11 - 16 - 28

Seems like 1 guy (and a vet real pro) out of position makes more sense then having like 5 of them playing the wrong position.
- vabeachbear

A non-Mashinter lineup is simply not acceptable ... so please leave common sense at the door next time. Thank you. Sincerely, Q.

I lost you at 5 of them being out of position. Its truly just 1.

Could be Dano....then your bottom 3 lines are the same.
- SteveRain

I think he meant that since Dano is having trouble with the transition to LW - have Hossa play LW because as a veteran he should be able to adapt a lot quicker to a new position than a guy who barely got his feet wet while playing his normal position.

A non-Mashinter lineup is simply not acceptable ... so please leave common sense at the door next time. Thank you. Sincerely, Q.
- EbonyRaptor

but really,

A non-Mashinter lineup is simply not acceptable ... so please leave common sense at the door next time. Thank you. Sincerely, Q.
- EbonyRaptor

The answer is more Mashinter, not less!

72 - 19 - 81
53 - 15 - 88
65 - 86 - 56
67 - 16 - 28

I disagree to a certain extent about the 2010 sell off only netting Danault and Forsling. I think that's looking at it a little too black and white.

You get picks as lottery tickets, and I am willing to bet having extra picks changed their strategy a bit. What is undeniable though is that the blackhawks whiffed on a lot of their picks. They obviously hit paydirt on many of the picks that got them to this point, but they are in a better situation today if they had more depth coming in as replacements. It is hard to do, but at least they are supplementing the picks they give up on rentals

You were spot on with the trade climate this winter. The cap crunch limited Bowman's options for salary dumps...even if he learns valuable lessons from the first dump, it was a different environment this summer
- YuenglingJagr

I went back and counted all the picks and who they turned into. This is factual. All they have to show for that talent sell-off is Forsling and Danault.

If that is the case then you cant simplify it to just those two guys
- YuenglingJagr

I went through ALL the players, prospects and draft picks (who was drafted wight eh specific picks acquired)—and what those players, prospects and picks might have been later dealt for—that they acquired for Byfuglien, Ladd, Versteeg, Brouwer and Campbell.

All they have to show for it today are Forsling and Danault.

I went back and counted all the picks and who they turned into. This is factual. All they have to show for that talent sell-off is Forsling and Danault.
- John Jaeckel

And cap relief - which allowed them to sign/trade for other players....as well as two more Stanley Cups

Chicago-Winnipeg Preview and a Hawks update as they enter an all important December.... With Rick Ralph TSN 1290- https://soundcloud.com/ro...le/al-cimaglia-dec-4-2015

C'mon guys we're sitting tied for 3rd in the division.....a nice stretch of home games coming up. We lost a tough OT game in LA after playing 3 games in 4 nights, came back home clearly flat and out of sorts with our first home game in 2 weeks against a desperate Wild team, and then lost a tough OT game in Ottawa where i thought we were the better team.

This team will go on a nice run coming up, im sure of it. A bunch of home games, easier opponents later in the month. I think over that time Toews, Hossa, and Dano will break out and start producing, and im hoping Teravainen does too. A lot of players that haven't played nearly as well as they are capable of, especially at forward.

We're still playing pretty solid team defense, and it would help to get more consistent goaltending or we'd see even fewer GA.
What im saying is im not all of a sudden because of a few rough games gonna changmy outlook on this team.

There still isn't a team out West i would pick to beat us in a 7 game series assuming we're healthy. I wouldn't say we're a "bubble" team. Thats kinda silly. Along with LA i bet all other teams would agree nobody is more dangerous when all the chips are on the table.
- SimpleJack

I am not sure if the Hawks can do all these things with all these new faces. Jack it isn't quite as simple as you may think.... But I hope you are right.

I think he meant that since Dano is having trouble with the transition to LW - have Hossa play LW because as a veteran he should be able to adapt a lot quicker to a new position than a guy who barely got his feet wet while playing his normal position.
- EbonyRaptor

Check your PM's please ...