Columbus is flyin. Lil Arti backchecking hard. Excited for tomorrow nights game.

GO HOCKS!!!! 10 more.

McDavid is the best player in the game today and it's not even close.
- DarthKane

I don’t think you can say someone is “the best” until he’s been able to take his team deep into the tournament a couple of times - it’s more than just numbers - it’s also being able to lead your mates to team success.

Crosby has led his team to 4 Final series and 3 Cups. McDavid needs to prove himself in the post-season before I’ll grant him “best player” status.

Lil Arti with the assist.

Still like the trade.

Great pace to the Blue Jackets/Isles game. I can see why coaches lose their nerves during games like these, but it's good for the fans and the league.

Don't get me wrong, I loved Hammer when he was here, but what I saw in the Nashville series last year, told me that him along with some of the other older defensemen we had were just not quick enough to pucks in the d-zone anymore, and not pushing the pace like they used to. IMO, this is the main reason why he was traded.

I guess I didn't think through the retread of Hawks players though, as I guess it has worked out to a greater degree for the Hawks. However, most of those brought back were jettisoned solely due to the cap, whereas the Hammer trade was different IMO. I don't think that Stan brings him back. I could be wrong though, and there has only been one game played so far, so it could change as the season wears on.
- ToewsdNKanefusd

Nothing like a four game sample to base an opinion on.

Hjammer was traded because of the cap though - they wanted a younger guy, sure, but one that was signed longer and cheaper as well. Only Hjammer among d-men was easily traded as the other two have full NMC without impacting the return.

Panarin with 3 assists and still time left in the 3rd

Still think Saad's debut was more emphatic, gotta love the goals, and the way he scored them(going hard to the net)

But both players are outstanding and i think Panarin will go on to be an allstar in this league.

Athanasiou want $2.5 million AAV for 2-3 years.
- L_B_R

Could we give him an offer sheet for 2.5 for 2 years?

If Schmaltz has any kind of sprain/strain, even grade 1, you sit him this weekend and let him get back to 100%. #8 is now a KEY cog at 2C and was as much a factor in Line 2's dominance as 88 was. Another key takeaway was that Jan Rutta played more minutes last night than any other defenseman not named Duncan. For his first NHL game, that should tell us all a lot about his ability and what Q/Ulf think of him.
- EnzoD

Forsling was out of position a lot last night. Thought Rutta played well.

Second, I'll probably get hated for saying this, but Seabs is too slow/lazy on PP. Was last year and was again last night. Puck goes back, PK guys chase and beat him at times and IIRC we gave up the most SH goals last season. Replace him on PP already. Rest of PP looks solid.

Could we give him an offer sheet for 2.5 for 2 years?
- tvetter

Hawks can't do this because the compensation would be their 2018 second round pick - Which they traded to Montreal in the Weise/Fleischmann deal.

Could we give him an offer sheet for 2.5 for 2 years?
- tvetter

Nope. Hawks don't have their 2nd in 2018.

The Wings are at least partially offering Athanasiou $1.9m because that's the difference between a 2nd and 3rd round pick in terms of compensation for an offer sheet. Let's teams know they'll match anything below that because a 3rd isn't much but teams are less willing to lose a 2nd for a guy being stubborn on a deal.

Nope. Hawks don't have their 2nd in 2018.

The Wings are at least partially offering Athanasiou $1.9m because that's the difference between a 2nd and 3rd round pick in terms of compensation for an offer sheet. Let's teams know they'll match anything below that because a 3rd isn't much but teams are less willing to lose a 2nd for a guy being stubborn on a deal.
- L_B_R

Do we have a 2nd round pick from someone else? If so, could we trade that pick to them, and then sign him?

Why do we need the other AA? We've got an amazing group of forwards, what's not to like? If anything maybe we eventually make a move for a defenseman at some point. Gotta see how we look after 15-20 games, but IMO we're probably better off making an addition to the blueline especially with all that extra cap space.

Just watched last nights game. It was only one game but,...

EVERYONE on the team looked better than they did last season!

Most notably, The Captain. He looks lighter & quicker and better on the puck. Aside from a couple of weeks last season, he hasn't looked this good since last hoisted the Cup.

DeBrincat is a gamer. Fun to watch. He has a way better all-around game than TT. His check was awesome. I guess the question now is if he can keep it up.

Rutta might be a better RD than Murphy, and Murphy didn't look bad. I liked his (Murphy's) check on Malkin with about 3 minutes left.

Top line better, second line better, third line better, fourth line better.

Consistency is the question on D too but the 2nd and 3rd pairings held their own. Keith and Seabrook seemed fairly spry as well.

I still can't believe how good the team looked. Saad and Sharp definitely make a difference. Schmaltz and Hartman are much improved. AA looks like an above average 3rd line center. Heck, even Bouma did his thing and, with Hayden, added some physical presence.

A season of this would be great.

Do we have a 2nd round pick from someone else? If so, could we trade that pick to them, and then sign him?
- tvetter

No, the Hawks have no 2nds in 2018.

Also my comment wasn't to suggest the Wings want a 2nd for Athanasiou - they definitely don't want just a pick. The report is they're not actively shopping him, but that they are listening, though only on for a player of comparable age / experience (likely on a cheap deal) to come back. From Custance:

But multiple sources confirmed that they are listening. They have to at this point. Teams are calling to check in on the situation to see how eager the Red Wings are to make a move. The message back has been consistent. The return has to be a good — a young player with similar upside. The Red Wings are telling teams they aren’t moving Athanasiou for something like a second-round pick or a player in their late 20s who only makes them marginally better.

The only players the Hawks have that fit that description are Schmaltz and Hartman, so no thanks. I know people like to randomly throw Anisimov and Hinostroza into make believe deals for players like Athanasiou, but the former is too old for the Wings (but good for a win-now Hawks team) and the latter is not valuable enough (who is currently only an AHLer).

Just watched last nights game. It was only one game but,...

EVERYONE on the team looked better than they did last season!

Most notably, The Captain. He looks lighter & quicker and better on the puck. Aside from a couple of weeks last season, he hasn't looked this good since last hoisted the Cup.

DeBrincat is a gamer. Fun to watch. He has a way better all-around game than TT. His check was awesome. I guess the question now is if he can keep it up.

Rutta might be a better RD than Murphy, and Murphy didn't look bad. I liked his check on Malkin with about 3 minutes left.

Top line better, second line better, third line better, fourth line better.

Consistency is the question on D too but the 2nd and 3rd pairings held their own. Keith and Seabrook seemed fairly spry as well.

I still can't believe how good the team looked. Saad and Sharp definitely make a difference. Schmaltz and Hartman are much improved. AA looks like an above average 3rd line center. Heck, even Bouma did his thing and, with Hayden, added some physical presence.

A season of this would be great.
- matt_ahrens

Toews scored at almost a PPG in the second half of the season, so it was more than a couple of weeks.

He did look good in the game though.

I'm also blown away by how many different players stood out.

Saad was outstanding, what else can you say...
Toews looked very solid and noticeably faster than he's been the majority of the time since 2015, hopefully its a sign that he's fully healthy.
Panik looked great, like a legit top line winger.

Hartman is a perfect fit to play with 8 and 88 because of his grit and the way he can play around and in front of the net, yet another outstanding 10 out of 10 performance...
Schmaltz was off the charts great, like all-star caliber and then some.
Kane looked as good as he's ever been, top notch MVP caliber form.

Sharp was great, looked fast, explosive, like a very dangerous 3rd line winger. Didn't look old that's for sure.
Anisimov was a steady force and can become one of the leagues best 3Cs.
DeBrincat was better than his 1 assist stat line shows. I REALLY loved his game. Very noticeable, not afraid of contact, he's a top 6 talent in the making because he's got a nose for goal scoring and its only a matter of time before he starts lighting the lamp.

Bouma wasn't bad, but still no reason for him to be out there with Hinostroza as an option.
Kero was very solid for the 7 or so minutes he played before he got hurt, hope he doesn't miss any time. He's a legit 4C as long as he's halfway decent with face offs.
Hayden is a beast. He's got one of the best shots on the team. A release you see out of top 6 caliber goal scorers. He's probably already one of the best 4th line wingers in the NHL, and only because of our depth is he in this position. Good problem to have.

Keith and Seabrook both looked better than i was expecting, had jumps in their steps and provided a lot of offense. Good sign. I hope they keep it up.
Kempny stood out to me as much as anyone. His puck movement, his ability to cover ground and use his body. He's got dangerous potential.
Murphy was also better than i was expecting after an early turnover, and provided a physical presence that we really haven't had back there in some time.
Rutta is another example of a bigger body that can cover ground and hasn't made mistakes in his own end. Impressive debut
Forsling was alright and as long as he makes smart decisions in his own end he can be a decent bottom pairing defenseman.

Crawford was as solid as ever when he was tested.

I mean honestly everyone was impressive. Cant find many complaints after that performance. I really hope the defense continues to impress.

I'm noticing a theme with this new look Blackhawks team:

Bigger bodies that can all skate. Many of them relatively young. Bigger, nastier forwards that are willing to crash the net and do dirty work. Bigger, nastier defenseman that are able to dish out hits and physically impose themselves while remaining mobile and being able to provide offense.

Very reminiscent of 2009/10 dare i say...

Just 1 game, but a lot to like if things keep heading this direction with all these different(and for the most part young) players.

Toews scored at almost a PPG in the second half of the season, so it was more than a couple of weeks.

He did look good in the game though.
- L_B_R

I was going by the eye test but it turn out his hot streak was six weeks last season, not "a couple" or "a month" as I've previously written. Here's the math:

In 2016-2017 Toews scored 58 points; 21 goals and 37 assists in 72 games for a .8 points per game (PPG) average.

From Sunday, January 22nd through Saturday, March 4th, exactly six weeks, he scored 26 points; 10 goals and 16 assists in 17 games; 1.52 PPG.

10 = 47.6% of his goals
16 = 43.2% of his assists
26 = 44.8% of his points.
17 games = 23.6% of his total games played last season.

In the other 55 games he played, he scored 32 points, which is an average of .58 points per game. That works out to 22 points and 39 games before the streak, .56 ppg, and 10 points and 16 games after the streak, .62 ppg.

He looked really good during that stretch but not as good before or after. I especially remember the after because it seemed like whatever mojo he had regained during the streak, he had lost again.

I am with you Matt Ahrens. Ruuta looks fantastic. Plays fast, moves the puck, fires it from the point quickly. I really really like his game. Kempny also looks much more confident out there. Playing on instinct and not overthinking it.

I watched Hawks practice on Snapchat. Looked like Schmaltz was full go. Didn't see Kero out there, but that doesn't mean anything either.

Why do we need the other AA? We've got an amazing group of forwards, what's not to like? If anything maybe we eventually make a move for a defenseman at some point. Gotta see how we look after 15-20 games, but IMO we're probably better off making an addition to the blueline especially with all that extra cap space.
- SimpleJack

Gotta disagree with you Jack. Anytime you can add size,speed, and youth to your team, you have to try. Yes of course we would all like another top 4 dman but they are much harder to acquire and their cap hits are usually in the 4 mil range. AA from Detroit is looking for around 2.5 with the stalemate on term I believe. I dont see any issue with a 3 to 4 year term for a 23 year old with his upside at that cap hit. Remember , Stan gave Kruger 3 mil for his services. Adding this type of speed to the Hawks would give them a better chance of contending for CUPS in the next 3 years consistently, and that's exactly what management's goal has been in this era. Size, Speed and Youth at a low cap hit ??....he's a perfect directional fit.

Hawks can't do this because the compensation would be their 2018 second round pick - Which they traded to Montreal in the Weise/Fleischmann deal.
- Tanuki

Although they could easily make a small trade with the Canadians to get their 2nd round pick back. Not going to happen. But logistically it is possible.

I watched some of that Vegas game last night.
James Neal is going to be a nice trade deadline acquisition for someone.

Do we have a 2nd round pick from someone else? If so, could we trade that pick to them, and then sign him?
- tvetter

Need your own picks in order OS anyone. Can't get someone else's 2nd to cover for the 'Hawks 2nd in this case.

How does Corey Perry get only a 2 minute penalty, get to play and be a factor in the rest of the game, and no suspension after that hit on the Coyote's goalie the other night?
To me it looked worse than Shaw's hit on Mike Smith. Shaw got the book thrown at him while Perry just slinks away unpunished.

Forsling was out of position a lot last night. Thought Rutta played well.

Second, I'll probably get hated for saying this, but Seabs is too slow/lazy on PP.
- Assman22

I guess I missed the Forsling out of position, and a slow PP Seabrook.

Sorry, trying to hold back, but get your head out, man!


Preconceived notions about players when you even start to watch a game can really skew what you think you see.

I am probably more guilty than most in watching junior players, especially if I read what a bunch of talent reviews by draft prognosticators...it would prejudice me and I would get things stuck in my head.

It is best to garde game to game, and that is how your post reads, but I dunno, I had a very different impression, especially since all the hawk defenders were so good to close and "stick" on attackers and quickly crisply make exit passes, and the PP isn't about fast as seeing the place you can/want to attack from as the creases up front open. It is not time to replace Seabrook. I will admit when that game started I though Duncan Keith was on fire as an attacker.