LOL! Who's pumping tires? Just stating facts which is without a top 15 pick this group's managed to find NHL talent in the first round other than the pick they spent on MacNeil.

Hartman's a 2nd year player, playing in the NHL. Kind of early to be labelling him a bust. Yes, there were a lot of people here constantly harping on TT, but I wasn't one of them...and honestly what does that have to do with anything, he is playing in the NHL, which goes back to your original point.

Short of holding a gun to Hayes' head and forcing him to sign a contract I'm not sure how the situation was mismanaged.
- HawkintheD

Solid night for Seabrook. Where's the resident crazy goalie talking about "me player" Kaner who busted his ass back-checking and took a huge hit to clear the zone on Vinnie's goal???
- EnzoD

This is exactly what I thought last night when I saw the replay.

Really, what else could they have done.
- 6628

Traded his rights for a first round draft pick, as many thought Stan should have done.

Maybe not and maybe he never was a Top 5 player in the league - offensively. He helps win hockey games thru all round play, that's his game.

All I ever read on here is that he now sucks, which is ridiculous. Supposedly he was outclassed and outplayed by Auston Mathews last week, which is just as silly. But I don't hear anybody on here even casually mention anything about how he fed Duclair a beauty of a pass on a 2 on 1 or sent Saad in by himself many times or set Panik up and none of those guys can ever finish.

Age and miles wear every player down, its inevitable. And I'd wager that Toews would admit some of it and mention what he's missing most is Marian Hossa.
- RickJ

I'm a huge Toews fan, and kind of an apologist, but I've been saying this for the last 2.5 years. I don't watch a lot of other teams, but I watch about 90% of Hawks' games. The year after Saad was traded, I can't tell you how many times I saw Toews set up a teammate (including Hossa) with a tap-in, only to see them shoot right into the goalie, miss the net or whiff on the shot.

Last year, he was hurt in the WCH, but when he finally got healthy, he went on a tear in Jan and Feb.

This year, I see it a little different, though. While his line is dominating possession, and getting plenty of chances, it just seems like something's off with him. Maybe it's his back. Maybe it's him trying to adjust his game. IIRC, someone posted a link to an interview where he said he something to the effect that he was trying to lose some weight to increase his speed. Since he doesn't really have any body fat, that means less muscle. That could explain why he doesn't look as strong on his skates, but remember when Tiger Woods redid his golf swing? It took him a while to get it right, but when he did, he came back MUCH better. Hopefully, if this is the issue, and Toews has another off-season to train, he can come back and be more of an offensive threat without hurting his 200-ft game.

OR, maybe he just hits the gym, and gains the muscle back.

Traded his rights for a first round draft pick, as many thought Stan should have done.
- StLBravesFan

Do you really think they could have gotten a first? But I agree that they should have traded his rights.

Traded his rights for a first round draft pick, as many thought Stan should have done.
- StLBravesFan

The "rights to Kevin Hayes"...LOL! That should be resurrected as trade fodder. His rights were essentially worth nothing as anyone could negotiate with him and his agent after he didn't sign with the Hawks.

I suppose someone could have but who would have offered up a first?

good win...call it a forsberg goalie win....after the 1st period he once again faced a shooting gallery of high quality chances and was outstanding and a few post hits didn't hurt...

despite the positves the negatives hang in there: to many high danger sog's against another plus 40 night...preds controlled the the o-zone the entire 3rd period...

saad and toews once again scratch on the scoring sheet; yes toews fancy stats are quite good as is the overall team play in the o-zone...

but asking forsberg, glass or even craw to face that type of onslaught (as they been asked to do numerous times) is a losing proposition...

I think there is to much youth, experience and lack of team cohesion for the defensive issues to be resolved this year...

great win...but they need to keep it going: not all the teams they are chasing are going to lose together and tis the season of the 3 pts game: aves got a point last night, ducks got a win, wild got 2 in shoot out....

LOL! Who's pumping tires? Just stating facts which is without a top 15 pick this group's managed to find NHL talent in the first round other than the pick they spent on MacNeil.

Hartman's a 2nd year player, playing in the NHL. Kind of early to be labelling him a bust. Yes, there were a lot of people here constantly harping on TT, but I wasn't one of them...and honestly what does that have to do with anything, he is playing in the NHL, which goes back to your original point.

Short of holding a gun to Hayes' head and forcing him to sign a contract I'm not sure how the situation was mismanaged.
- HawkintheD

Hartman was also the LAST pick of the first round, which is pretty much a toss up between who is selected and the rest of all the SECOND round talent.

For comparison, its not like anyone is really hitting home runs at the #30 spot since the 2000 draft. Sure, some have some upside and can develop well, but most are still projects with flaws or drafted based on need at that spot:

Eeli Tolvanen
Sam Steel
Nick Merkley
John Quenneville
Ryan Hartman
Tanner Pearson
Rickard Rakell
Brock Nelson
Simon Despres
Tom McCollum
Nick Ross
Matt Corrente
Vladimir Mihalik
Andy Rogers
Shawn Belle
Jim Slater
Dave Steckel
Jeff Taffee




Rakell clearly the best of the bunch after a 30 goal/50 pt season last year but he only scored 20 goals 43 pts in his second full NHL season. Hardly blowing away Hartmans numbers considering Rakell gets tons of top 6 and special teams time in Anaheim.

After that?
Pearson with career highs of 24 goals and 44 pts?
Nelson who is a routine 20 goal/40 pt guy?
Hartman had 19 goals and 31 pts his rookie year playing bottom six and no PP time. He is right in line with most of these guys at the same draft position. Hartman probably deserves more PP time to play the front of the net and replace shaw, but we currently only have AA doing that and the rest are perimeter guys that Quenneville refuses to change up and he wonder why the PP is atrocious

Do you really think they could have gotten a first? But I agree that they should have traded his rights.
- tvetter

Joke, guys - maybe a 6th or a 7th to a team that wanted about a month of being able talk to him before he hit free agency.

*NEW* blog: http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=90663

"I really like this team".

the guys that I did not love last night were Kane. was being way to cute a bunch of times by the blue line and let it go out. Keith's 1st period was not good, but he got better later, but he may never score another goal his shot is so weak its shocking. Subbans slapper is twice the speed of Keith. I think if we have a shot at the playoffs this is the only lineup that can do it. Our Big guys are just not dominate enough to allow ourselves to get nothing from 2-3 lines. We need to get points up and down the lineup for us to win at 65% clip. Guys like Bouma and sharp, Glass can help you split games IE win 50% but we need more then that. Juco, forsburg, Kempny can be bad sometimes (no more then keith Seabs Saad, Teows) but they have way more positive effect on the game when they are good then the other guys. Hartman might be a guy I would consider sitting but for bouma and sharp I'm just not sure.

The power play personal is better but explain to me why the call the drop back pass the push them back entry? not one Nash player leaves the blue line when the 1st guy is coming at them knowing they are going to drop it back 40 feet and then have 4 hawks players standing still. Not enough room for 9 guys on the blue line. They way you get guys moving backwards is you have multiple players and the puck entering the zone with speed.

Duclair, Hinostroza, Kampf, Schmaltz, Saad, Debrincat all speedy forwards. I still think Forsling should be playing with Seabrook or Murphy over Gustafson who is an adventure defensively. Gustafson makes some nice plays with the puck but you hold your breath in his own zone or defending in transition.
- EnzoD

I'ts only his 4th game this season. I think he looks a lot more calm than he did 2 years ago. I like what he brings as far as transition to offense. His passes are the best form the D-core so far since he's been up.