Wrong.

if you played hockey at any level above peewee, tell me how speed is not a factor. With specifics. Please.

And fancy stats are only valuable when you consider context. See the post above.

You win 15 second drive-by hot take of the day, go get your gift bag.
- John Jaeckel

Especially since your main roadblocks on the way to your next Cup Final have more speed than you do - and are getting ore of it - Preds, Oil, Flames, Wild....

The league is going to speed - and the Hawks were being somewhat left behind.

Especially since your main roadblocks on the way to your next Cup Final have more speed than you do - and are getting ore of it - Preds, Oil, Flames, Wild....

The league is going to speed - and the Hawks were being somewhat left behind.
- StLBravesFan

^^^^^

And the Hawk Cup teams of 2010, 2013 and 2015 could all play a smash mouth style if forced to, but fundamentally were built on transition up the ice, the stretch pass (or the threat of it). And their defense from the offensive zone back relied heavily on speed.

So I agree the league is going there, but more importantly, it's been there, and so were the Hawks until the last couple of years.

^^^^^

And the Hawk Cup teams of 2010, 2013 and 2015 could all play a smash mouth style if forced to, but fundamentally were built on transition up the ice, the stretch pass (or the threat of it). And their defense from the offensive zone back relied heavily on speed.

So I agree the league is going there, but more importantly, it's been there, and so were the Hawks until the last couple of years.
- John Jaeckel

I'm with you on the speed and getting up the ice. The Hawks could not maintain possession to the attack against Nashville this playoff. Under pressure and giving up the puck,get to the attacking blue line and lose it way too much. Hopefully they make some progress with the changes.

Hawka didn't do poorly. However losing Panarin with Kane without a replacement (Saad should replace Hossa) is a huge gap.
D was upgraded in a speed standpoint. All else is not good
- halo63

Did you see who was playing with Kane during their Cup runs?

Also: "All else is not good"... how so?

So who is the likeliest of targets for the Hawks in an AA move?

1. E. Kane: the mercurial power forward has hands, great speed, and is a beast down low. He'll also protect his line mates.With one year left on his contract, this is potentially the lowest risk time to invest into a player like E.Kane as the Hawks could part ways after 1 year. For me, the biggest concern with E Kane is the injuries, guy can't stay on the ice. He is probably not terribly expensive to obtain either.

2. Chuky: I don't know his game as much. Maybe others can help. I know he's got great hands, decent strength, and average speed. I read he's kind of a perimeter guy though, which the Hawks don't need especially if Nicky Schmaltz is at the pivot.

3. Duchene. I just don't see this. Too much $$ and too expensive to acquire.

4. James Neal: ugh. Not a fan. Wicked shot, good down low. Slow. Slow. I see him as a third line guy it and at that cap hit? No.

5. I wouldn't mind a guy like Adam Henrique from NJD. IF the Hawks can swipe another d man in a kruger trade could maybe see them moving AA and a D prospect to Tampa for Palat. I think this is a big stretch though.

Thoughts everyone?

You know it's happening when they give it to Lazerus:

Mark Lazerus: Marcus Kruger is owed a $2 million signing bonus on July 1st and he likely won’t be dealt until after the payment is made.

murphy is a project. Young, raw, but flawed and needs to quickly get the curve up in his development.

Kempny, Rutta, Frosling....all still unknowns. Rutta is projected be a bottom tiered pairing by many scouts. The other 2? I like Frosling over Kempny but time will tell.

Like Saad coming back...no question.

Hawks just lost their best defensive defensemen, top PK d man, so impossible for me to like that deal.

Once upon a time the Hakws had a big guy who could skate like the wind and win board battles....his name was Ben Eager.....

- SteveRain

Steve, sorry to say bud but those in charge of USA Hockey AND I disagree totally with your unfair criticisms of Murphy. You don't get named CAPTAIN of the USA Team without bringing a great deal to the table. Contact Savoy and have a nice cry together about the loss of Hammer and Panarin and move on. The trades are done and StanBo did a great job.

You know it's happening when they give it to Lazerus:

Mark Lazerus: Marcus Kruger is owed a $2 million signing bonus on July 1st and he likely won’t be dealt until after the payment is made.
- walleyeb1

That is an oft-repeated theory (not about Kruger).

You know it's happening when they give it to Lazerus:

Mark Lazerus: Marcus Kruger is owed a $2 million signing bonus on July 1st and he likely won’t be dealt until after the payment is made.
- walleyeb1

Team mouthpiece.

General life scum bag.

One of the " the pen is mightier than the sword" pansies .

Uglier than Tracy .

Steve, sorry to say bud but those in charge of USA Hockey AND I disagree totally with your unfair criticisms of Murphy. You don't get named CAPTAIN of the USA Team without bringing a great deal to the table. Contact Savoy and have a nice cry together about the loss of Hammer and Panarin and move on. The trades are done and StanBo did a great job.
- Z3Hawk

So who is the likeliest of targets for the Hawks in an AA move?

1. E. Kane: the mercurial power forward has hands, great speed, and is a beast down low. He'll also protect his line mates.With one year left on his contract, this is potentially the lowest risk time to invest into a player like E.Kane as the Hawks could part ways after 1 year. For me, the biggest concern with E Kane is the injuries, guy can't stay on the ice. He is probably not terribly expensive to obtain either.

2. Chuky: I don't know his game as much. Maybe others can help. I know he's got great hands, decent strength, and average speed. I read he's kind of a perimeter guy though, which the Hawks don't need especially if Nicky Schmaltz is at the pivot.

3. Duchene. I just don't see this. Too much $$ and too expensive to acquire.

4. James Neal: ugh. Not a fan. Wicked shot, good down low. Slow. Slow. I see him as a third line guy it and at that cap hit? No.

5. I wouldn't mind a guy like Adam Henrique from NJD. IF the Hawks can swipe another d man in a kruger trade could maybe see them moving AA and a D prospect to Tampa for Palat. I think this is a big stretch though.

Thoughts everyone?
- Bjm84

1. A possibility, Hawks and Buff have talked a lot, 1 year left on his deal, a tryout to see if he can fly right, has all the on-ice qualities.

2. Montreal has mostly tried him at C, but have given up and moved him out to LW. Speed and skill, some concern about a knee injury last year. Hawks and MON have talked about these two players.

3. Not happening. Hawks went hard after him at TDL. Price is apparently way too high right now.

4. A possibility, for the same reasons as Kane.

5. His name has been linked to an Anisimov deal (involving other assets). Hawks have talked to NJ a lot.

A sleeper whose name I have not heard but I would watch:

Columbus lost a center in expansion and they have that Panarin guy now too. Matt Calvert has skill and speed but has played on mostly bad teams in Columbus. He could easily get 20+ with Schmaltz and Kane.

Thanks for your effort.
- Savoy

Effort...thsts something you should explain to your son, Artemi. Because when he doesn't give it in CLB, Daddy Torts will put him over his knee.

If he gave it in the playoffs as much as he did for his individual bonuses, maybe he'd see what a playoff round victory looks like. But he's going to a goof place, I'm not CLB knows what they look like either

Wrong.

if you played hockey at any level above peewee, tell me how speed is not a factor. With specifics. Please.

And fancy stats are only valuable when you consider context. See the post above.

You win 15 second drive-by hot take of the day, go get your gift bag.
- John Jaeckel

JJ - I can't tell you the number of debates I've had concerning analytics. My point was and is exactly your point. That analytics do not exist in a vacuum, they must be connected to context. CONTEXT! Florida got big into analytics and have now changed directions completely because analytics are only relevant with CONTEXT!

A few posts on today's blog have brought up leadership off the ice and how some of that is lost with Hossa's injury and Hjalmarsson's trade. Both of them were clear veteran leaders even if they never wore the A except in the case of injury to Toews, Keith, Seabrook, and Sharp (when he was still a Hawk). So who replaces that lost leadership?

Kane is one and has been a substitute A before. Anisimov and Kruger if they are still on the team would provide veteran leadership (ditto with Desjardins).

As far as the youngsters, I would think in time Murphy would be a good leader given he has worn the C on a team full of elite players of his age group. Saad possibly but he seems too quiet to me (leadership by example, yes, but vocal leadership not so much).

I agree with another poster that this will be a challenging year for Toews to amp up the leadership quotient given the losses of Hossa and Hjalmarsson. He does seem up for the task but it doesn't hurt to have support. Just thinking aloud where that support will come from given the team may lose 3 veterans in the next few weeks.

what's the chances Hawks bring in Campbell & Girardi for the bottom pairing...bring both to camp on PTO then sign to 1 yr 1.25M deals on day 2 once Hossa hits LTIR??

any word on Cal Petersen? Not selecting a goalie may suggest he'll be a Hawk although he's quite further along in his development than a teenage prospect so maybe there's no correlation.

Regarding the need for lower line C...what about UFA's Tom Pyatt & Derek Ryan...would either guy fit the Hawks style of play?

I appreciate everything Hjarlmarsson did here, but he wasn't some irreplaceable player. He played the PK and was a good shot blocker. Let not make him out to be a star.

With all due respect, and I mean that, the passive aggressive nature and "my word is doctrine" is getting old and juvenile.

Just be respectful even if you don't agree with someone else's outlook and analysis. And complete two way forwards with size and speed are suited for the Chicago gameplan
- 93Joe

In addition, he should quit female doging and provide good counter-arguments. Saying they should never have traded Breadman is not an argument. It is just anger, nothing else.

At first I was pissed about Hammer, he being my favourite defenceman the last generation. However after stepping back and trying to "big picture" this, it does make sense.

Has anyone heard from coach Q on his take of the trades? Also if we can get E Kane for 1 year and sign Joe Thornton for a couple of years we will not have to put the pressure on the kids I.E. Fortin, Schmaltz, and Debrincant. Let them play 3rd line minutes and learn or give them some AHL time.

I like the acquisition of Dauphin based on what I'm reading in scouting reports and posts from you all. Relentless, endless motor. Wins puck battles especially in tight areas. Plays bigger than his size. Fast. I know we often criticize the front office for drafting and signing guys shorter than 6 feet tall, but if they can fit Dauphin's description, then size doesn't matter as much if at all.

One example is Highmore. His scouting report sounds very similar to Dauphin's. Kero to a certain degree fits that mold as well.

I for one am excited to see a guy like Dauphin. If he hits his potential, he would help many (including me) finally put to rest the loss of Danault.

Has anyone heard from coach Q on his take of the trades? Also if we can get E Kane for 1 year and sign Joe Thornton for a couple of years we will not have to put the pressure on the kids I.E. Fortin, Schmaltz, and Debrincant. Let them play 3rd line minutes and learn or give them some AHL time.
- Hockeygirl222

Q better get his poop together with in game strategy and special teams delegation or he is out after this year .

I don't expect Murphy to be as good as Hammer, but with a better quality of coaches and teammates than he ever had in AZ, I could see him being close in a year or two.

I appreciate everything Hjarlmarsson did here, but he wasn't some irreplaceable player. He played the PK and was a good shot blocker. Let not make him out to be a star.
- PatShart

I think he was a warrior and a great guy to have, but you are right. There may be something else to it that we aren't hearing too. We don't know what nagging problems he may have after blocking all those shots at age 30 now either. Hammer also has shown some times lately where he has lost his cool visibly on the ice. Great guy, but it is a team sport and with new coaching come in, who knows what will happen.

Just found this on the inter webs, this is what I'm taking about:

Would love seeing Duchene's speed and skill wearing the Indianhead. How is he at the dot?
- isu83boo

Duchene won't be coming here after Friday's trades. Both monies and (lack of a full, competitive) roster fill out becomes difficult.

Don't get me wrong, he would have been a great piece to add. But now? 1. Where do the dollars come from? 2. How do you make (very good) 23-man roster?

Effort...thsts something you should explain to your son, Artemi. Because when he doesn't give it in CLB, Daddy Torts will put him over his knee.

If he gave it in the playoffs as much as he did for his individual bonuses, maybe he'd see what a playoff round victory looks like. But he's going to a goof place, I'm not CLB knows what they look like either
- PatShart

We will see which guy helps his team the most. I am looking forward to the competition.