Nice piece on Panarin and the folks helping him acclimate off the ice:
http://www.chicagotribune...-1206-20151205-story.html

By missing the playoffs this year, and getting those cote players a good spring and summer off to let their bodies regenerate properly.

Because one thing I can tell you about professional athletes: when playing tired, season ending injuries usually occur. It's the body's way of telling a player that it can't take the punishment.
- dahawks8819

The last two years proved that the Hawks can flip the switch when they get to the postseason, but 3 deep playoff runs has really worn them down. If the reality is they are just too worn down this year to win, then I think that the longer the break the better to prep for 2016-17. Seriously. If only we all had a crystal ball to tell us the future.

I think we know by mid-January what type of season this will be. Are they even still in one of the WC spots at that time? Or have they finally figured out how to roll 4 productive lines and go on a winning streak? If it's either of these options, I think the front office will act appropriately. The worst may be if they still continue to be right on the bubble. Do they then mortgage the future in another push to go all the way?

I think there are some similarities, but I also think this team is much better than the 2010-2011 team. Despite having no consistency so far, the Hawks are only 4 points behind the second-best team in the entire Conference.

Patience is going to be the key with this group. To me, there is enough talent on this team to win another Cup this season. There have been inconsistencies, but everything is fixable. I don't think the answer is to pull the trigger on a trade, especially when a lot of suggestions involve Teuvo and Dano. Both of those guys are very young and have already shown the type of players they can be. Let them develop throughout the year and reap the rewards when they find their consistency.

Another point that has to be considered is the division has gotten a lot better in the last few years. When the team in your division has won 3 out of the last 6 Cups it stands to reason every other team will want to get better and they have done so.

The Central is arguably the toughest division in sports period.

Dallas - getting Nill was big for them and they've built up...adding Sharpie and Oduya to that team has helped even more. Minni - Parise, Suter, Pomenville, Vanek, added to a young core. St. Louis, and the Jets...The Preds have always been a great defensive team, but now have an offensive coach in Lavy.

BTW any chance the Jets could leave Laddie or Buff here after the game tomorrow it would be much appreciated...

I think there are some similarities, but I also think this team is much better than the 2010-2011 team. Despite having no consistency so far, the Hawks are only 4 points behind the second-best team in the entire Conference.

Patience is going to be the key with this group. To me, there is enough talent on this team to win another Cup this season. There have been inconsistencies, but everything is fixable. I don't think the answer is to pull the trigger on a trade, especially when a lot of suggestions involve Teuvo and Dano. Both of those guys are very young and have already shown the type of players they can be. Let them develop throughout the year and reap the rewards when they find their consistency.
- Hawks_49

Toews, Hossa, Kruger, Crawford: can the veterans who have done it here before get back to it?

Desjardins, Daley - can new vets who have done it before get back to it?

TT, Dano, Kero, Tikhonov, TVR (Mashinter) - can the young prospects who haven't done it before get it done now?

Keith, Seabrook, Hjalmarsson - can this core who have done it splendidly here before keep it up through a long tournament (and probably long minutes)?

Roszival - can the peg-legged old man come back to it?

Garbutt - probably playing at his career level now.

And, of course, Kane, Anisimov, Panarin - well....

Bowman - can he fill in and fix problems without busting up the future of the franchise TOO much?

I think there are some similarities, but I also think this team is much better than the 2010-2011 team. Despite having no consistency so far, the Hawks are only 4 points behind the second-best team in the entire Conference.

Patience is going to be the key with this group. To me, there is enough talent on this team to win another Cup this season. There have been inconsistencies, but everything is fixable. I don't think the answer is to pull the trigger on a trade, especially when a lot of suggestions involve Teuvo and Dano. Both of those guys are very young and have already shown the type of players they can be. Let them develop throughout the year and reap the rewards when they find their consistency.
- Hawks_49

Yes, I agree that patience is required if there are no moves made. Can/will Stan make some moves? I don't know - he doesn't have any good options - kind of a damned if he does and damned if he doesn't position.

But I disagree this team is much better than the 2010/11 team.

That team had Hendry, Boynton, Cullimore, Campoli and a rookie Leddy to rotate on the 3rd pairing - which is debatable whether that group is better than what we have this year (I think the 2010/11 5/6/7/8 group is better than the group this year, even is only marginally) - but what isn't debatable is the top-4 where the Hawks still had Campbell to go with 2-4-7. I would give the 2010/11 d-corps the advantage.

The forwards had guys like Pisani, Scott, Skille and a couple other below average guys to go along with 19-88-81-10, but they also had some guys having good years, if not career years in Kopecky (15g), Bolland (15g), Bickell (17g), Brouwer (17g) and Stalberg (12g). So if you consider that Panarin cancels out Sharp and the top-4 forwards are the same, the difference is that the 2015/16 team has only Anisimov as a secondary scorer versus the 5 listed above from the 2010/11 team. The secondary scoring from guys this year like Teravainen, Dano, Shaw, Garbutt, Kruger and others will need to step it up big time to provide the secondary scoring that the 2010/11 team had. I would give the 2010/11 forwards the advantage too.

The one area that the 2015/16 team is better is goaltending because Crawford is the starter on both teams but I think Darling is considerably better than Turco was that season.

It's hard to recall how important Dave Bolland was to the Hawks in the playoffs, but he was a big difference maker in the 2009/10 championship win with his aggravating defense on the Sedins and Thornton and others. So when the 2010/11 playoffs started Bolland was out with a concussion for the first 3 games against the Canucks - all Hawks losses. Then Bolland came back in Game 4 and the Hawks won the next three games to send it to a 7th game which took a lucky break for the Canucks to win in OT. That Canucks team was a juggernaut and the Hawks arguably could have won that series had Bolland been there checking the Sedins line from Game 1. It's debatable if they could have beaten the eventual champion Bruins - but the point is that we tend to remember the 2010/11 team as some sloppy rebuilding year when they really weren't all that bad.

I agree with your comment about Hossa on the off wing Hawkshead. Hossa's results couldn't be any worse than they have been so far. Here's what my line combo's look like.....

Hossa Toews Kane ( kane will get those two on track )

Panarin Anisimov Tikhonov ( Putin line )

Garbutt Teravainen Dano ( Gritty with some finesse )

Des Jardins Kruger Shaw ( excellent 4th line )

Instant balance between scoring and defense
- Gary0301

If you're going to move Kane to the Toews line and play Dano in his natural right wing position, wouldn't it make sense to insert him on the Anisimov line? His success in Columbus was on a line with Anisimov, wasn't it?

John Jaeckel: Shades of 2010-11
- John Jaeckel

Best blog all year JJ. Great points made.

This team is NOT solid with the three wheeled cart #32 on the ice!!! He was finished last year, he is more than finished this year. Why any of you can't see this is beyond my comprehension.

Any dman on Rockford is a definite upgrade to #32.
- dahawks8819

That isn't a possibility without sending salary to Rockford or placing someone on LTIR. The choice is Rundblad if not Rosi.

A lot of you here are missing a very important point on Oduya. He is 33, with a lot of heavy miles on his small body, and started to break down over the past 16 months. A badly broken foot in the WCF in 2014, a separated shoulder last February, and a triceps injury in game 7 against Anaheim that he claimed left him without feeling in that arm throughout the finals.

You can blame Bowman for a lot of decisions, but choosing to cut ties with a 3-4 million a year defenseman with a recent history of injury is not one of them.

On a related topic, you can blame Bowman and possibly the minor league coaches for acquiring defense prospects that either could not play in this system, or were never developed to acclimate to Q's system.
- dahawks8819

TVRs development would have helped offset Oduya's aging. TVR and Oduya would have been a very nice 4-5 this year and TVR probably would have had more time to solidly take the 4 position from Oduya over the next few years. The it would be Oduya/Rosi/Gus/Sved/Rundblad fighting for 5-6-7.

Great piece! Very thought provoking.

I doubt last year's roster could repeat this year, it needed upgrading. That happened at 2LC and 2L LW but 1L LW, 3LC, 3L LW, and 4th defenseman are all worse than last season.

The thing about trading the future (TT, Dano, etc.) for today (JVR, Ladd, Buf, Marleau, Staal, etc.) is that it's great only if it works. If those trades happen but the Blackhawks don't win another Stanley Cup this year (or maybe next if the players are still here) then StanBo will be criticized forever.

A question I have is if this core has another cup run in them even if three critical pieces could somehow be added or are they too worn out?

I hope they add a top 6 LW. Maybe they add one who is on the younger side of 30 with a few years of contract like JVR or Skinner. That way if this year doesn't work out, there is still value for the years to come.
- matt_ahrens

Have to agree Matt on tradin away the young talent. If we have to retool this year to become dangerous next year, then fine. However, that is one year lost. Sure TT and Dano have not been lighting the lamp, but they will acclimate. Dano does not belong on the fourth line and TT belongs in the top 6. If he is injured, let him rest, put Dano in the top 6 and dress Tikhonov for the 3rd/4th line. Big divisional tests coming up. Will be fun to watch.

By the way, great writing JJ.

So you have what you have—a "bubblicious" team with one great scoring line and daily rearrangement of the deck chairs on the other three.

JJ nice write up

I don't think they are a bubble team, do I think they have come back to the competition in the league, ABSOLUTELY, but about a 3rd of a season in and sitting in the middle of the playoff pack, Keith back for only 10 games. To me this team is more 2011-12

I guess I'm more optimistic with this team a little disappointed in all the penalties they are committing but happy for the most part with the defense they are playing. We'll see where they're at come around the trade deadline
- BetweenTheDots

Terrific blog JJ. One of your best. I like this post and agree with it. The Penalties are a mixture of being out hustled to the puck and mental mistakes. For some reason power plays seem to capitalize on dumb penalties more than good penalties.Why is that?

So...
We need to find a top 6 LW and a #4 D'man. Toews and Kruger must find their games or we have a scoring line and 3 checking lines. If not the Hawks are a Bubble Team and the decision at the Deadline will be

Buyers or Sellers?
Who goes and who stays?

Terrific blog JJ. One of your best. I like this post and agree with it. The Penalties are a mixture of being out hustled to the puck and mental mistakes. For some reason power plays seem to capitalize on dumb penalties more than good penalties.Why is that?

So...
We need to find a top 6 LW and a #4 D'man. Toews and Kruger must find their games or we have a scoring line and 3 checking lines. If not the Hawks are a Bubble Team and the decision at the Deadline will be

Buyers or Sellers?
Who goes and who stays?
- Colbyboy

BLANKET THANK YOU FOR ALL THE KIND WORDS.

It's the objective, non-partisan, thought-provoking commentary on this thread that plants the seeds of my better blogs—including this one—and all of you are responsible for that.

But - I keep hearing that TT has always been a left-winger in his career until now.
- StLBravesFan

Well, pretty sure MOST of his career he's been a center, and played some wing in the SM-Liiga part of the time. I was/am pretty sure I always heard that was at right win.

Mjulqvist? Paging . . . Mjulqvist.

Last year, C at Rockford and RW and C in Chicago.

Doesn't matter, I have pretty much consistently heard—and observed—RW might be his best position in the North American pro game.

Well, pretty sure MOST of his career he's been a center, and played some wing in the SM-Liiga part of the time. I was/am pretty sure I always heard that was at right win.

Mjulqvist? Paging . . . Mjulqvist.

Last year, C at Rockford and RW and C in Chicago.

Doesn't matter, I have pretty much consistently heard—and observed—RW might be his best position in the North American pro game.
- John Jaeckel

For the 1000th time, let Dano and TT play RW, and let Daley play with Hammer.

Just for the month of December, pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeese!

and then if that doesn't work we can trade for Stamkos and Tom Wilson

If you're going to move Kane to the Toews line and play Dano in his natural right wing position, wouldn't it make sense to insert him on the Anisimov line? His success in Columbus was on a line with Anisimov, wasn't it?
- stanleyhawk

That's an option too Stanleyhawk......my thoughts were since Tikonhov skated with Pararin in Russia and they are good friends, the communication between them would should work well also.....Dano would add more offense to the third line hypothetically........Anything to get some balance at this point though.....

Tikonov on Waivers

Tikhonov on waivers.

Tikhonov on waivers.
- John Jaeckel

Don't tell Ogi.

To bring Bickell back up? Tikhonav's cap hit over $1MM.

Mashinter is too cheap to send down - only $562,000 - to bring back Bickell at $950,000 or Daneault at $863,000, Tikhonov is the only cap reduction available.

Tikhonov on waivers.
- John Jaeckel

Does this mean they're making room for Bickell to come back up? He had a 3 point game last night. Think you would need to send 2 down to bring Bickell up. They could send Mash down too and that would make space and let you keep Dano and Kero on the big club.

Or is there something else in the works?

Don't tell Ogi.
- StLBravesFan

Guessing this means he's going to Rockford (or elsewhere), wonder who's coming up? Bickell is the obvious guess. But I won't be surprised if it's Ross, Danault or McNeill.

Christ I hope its not to.bring 29 back up.

Does this mean they're making room for Bickell to come back up? He had a 3 point game last night. Think you would need to send 2 down to bring Bickell up. They could send Mash down too and that would make space and let you keep Dano and Kero on the big club.

Or is there something else in the works?
- Marlowe

Possibly.

Could be a deal.

Could be Bickell coming back. Could be Bickell coming back because an interested team wants to see how he plays at the NHL level.

Could be another player coming up.

Could be a deal.

Could be Bickell coming back. Could be Bickell coming back because an interested team wants to see how he plays at the NHL level.

Could be another player coming up.
- John Jaeckel

Stay tuned Hawks Fans.... JJ are you hearing anything in regards to any moves possibly being made?