Ahhh...the false legend of Tom Wilson grows

His first 82gms he had a whopping 10pts. Then 17 the next season in 67 games

Hayden has my played 59gms and had 17pts

Wilson is soooooooooooo.....ooooooooo
....ooooooooo....over rated by people on here it must be some sort of joke. He can make "triangle passes"? What are those?
- PatShart

Points, points, points....that is only good at negotiating time! Did you see him with Ovie, and Kuznetov on the top line making big hits but also making those plays I am talking about? Triangle passes...very simple player on half wall, player down low, and player in high slot, like tic tac toe. Hayden can only wish to be half the skater Wilson. I am very surprised you did not know anything about triangle passes; guess you have not seen options on the PP.

Whatever dude. Don't say I didn't warn you when he fails to hit 65 points.
- BINGO!

Let’s be realistic if skinner was as good as you say why would he be on the market????

If it’s skinner for schmaltz that doesn’t help the hawks now (current contract)
Or the near future as he will probably cost less (lower point total)
Or if he does well and the hawks can’t afford him. ( his trade value)
Skinner while a nice player isn’t worth what schmaltz worth is to the hawks

At their same stage Schmaltzy is by far the better defender with back and zone pressure. I would call their offensive capabilities even as Schmaltzy is faster and can back off defenders and quick counters whereas TT has better hands and in tight play-making abilities.
- D2D

I'm not a big fan of Schmaltz - yet. Meaning I am very willing to cut him some slack if I see improvement year over year that justifies what amount I know Bowman will overpay him by.

Schmaltz has talent - what he needs to do is work his butt by following the Mark Scheiffle game improvement program.

Points, points, points....that is only good at negotiating time! Did you see him with Ovie, and Kuznetov on the top line making big hits but also making those plays I am talking about? Triangle passes...very simple player on half wall, player down low, and player in high slot, like tic tac toe. Hayden can only wish to be half the skater Wilson. I am very surprised you did not know anything about triangle passes; guess you have not seen options on the PP.
- D2D

Well, I played a little and never talked about triangle passes, but ok

And I'll look forward to seeing Wilson in the skating competition next ASG.

I didnt know he was such a fluid skater as well.

Just because he serves a purpose, doesnt equate to good

Enrico Ciccone served s purpuse... didnt mean he was ever good
- PatShart

HHa. He’s better then. Ciconne or Jim
Cummins. He’s not useless. Is he worth a big pay day? Absolutely not.

Well, I played a little and never talked about triangle passes, but ok

And I'll look forward to seeing Wilson in the skating competition next ASG.

I didnt know he was such a fluid skater as well.
- PatShart

Same here. Thought that was cycling or good positioning. New term.

Would you consider Shaw a good player? Another guy overrated imo. Yet did his job. I’m not advocating Wilson is 1992 bob probert but he’s not Brandon bolig either.

I’ll tell you that. That game 6 vs Tampa when Washington was playing lights out, fast paced, and taking the body was a thing of beauty. There was zero chance Tampa was beating them in game 7.

That’s why I love Ovechkin. Closest thing to Roebuck I’ve seen. Skilled and will make a big hit. I hope 8 rides downtown Pittsburgh naked slugging beers giving those hill rods the bird.

I'm not a big fan of Schmaltz - yet. Meaning I am very willing to cut him some slack if I see improvement year over year that justifies what amount I know Bowman will overpay him by.

Schmaltz has talent - what he needs to do is work his butt by following the Mark Scheiffle game improvement program.
- RickJ

I think trying to make Schmaltz into Scheifele is beyond a dream and a fantasy. I watched the Jets a lot this past season, and Scheifele is going to be a perennial top forward in the league for years to come.

For what we as Hawks fans and so far from a StanBo perspective have received out of Schmaltz is IMO on par. Kaner is going to make anyone greater so that is what it is, but he is fitting into the system nicely. Yes I agree I want to see production year in and year out as we want to with every player, but he is a low 2C/high 3C player. If he gets some size on him and maintain his skill set, he will be a very very solid 2C.

Fingers crossed.

HHa. He’s better then. Ciconne or Jim
Cummins. He’s not useless. Is he worth a big pay day? Absolutely not.
- SteveRain

I miss players like that in hockey. Cummins was always willing and ciccone was crazy

Same here. Thought that was cycling or good positioning. New term.

Would you consider Shaw a good player? Another guy overrated imo. Yet did his job. I’m not advocating Wilson is 1992 bob probert but he’s not Brandon bolig either.

I’ll tell you that. That game 6 vs Tampa when Washington was playing lights out, fast paced, and taking the body was a thing of beauty. There was zero chance Tampa was beating them in game 7.

That’s why I love Ovechkin. Closest thing to Roebuck I’ve seen. Skilled and will make a big hit. I hope 8 rides downtown Pittsburgh naked slugging beers giving those hill rods the bird.
- SteveRain

BTW that triangle mostly is derived from soccer of which Europeans are good hence it made its way to hockey. You can also have the triangle, going to the point. Or even swing to the weak-side. That's why the Caps PP is so good and lethal. Of course it helps to have the players: Carlson (point), Backstrom (right half wall), Kuznetzov (low), Oshie (high slot), and Ovie (weak-side). Hawks dabbled with this a bit with Keith in high-slot but mostly used him as a relief point or bumper instead in dangerous shooting position (one-timer) like Oshie.

I normally don't put a lot of stock in offseason depth charts, but Powers has now repeatedly placed Edjsell as the LW for Kane and Schmaltz in his prognostications. I wasn't upset with the initial look we got with him, but I'm intrigued by what he may become.

Prospect camp and training camp will be very interesting. There are a lot of young guys that have a chance to make the big club (again) and it's always neat to see who puts the best foot forward.
- Chunk

Powers has some good connections on information, but the guy doesn't really have much hockey insight. He had McNeill penciled in on the 2nd line twice when he was still here.

Same here. Thought that was cycling or good positioning. New term.

Would you consider Shaw a good player? Another guy overrated imo. Yet did his job. I’m not advocating Wilson is 1992 bob probert but he’s not Brandon bolig either.

I’ll tell you that. That game 6 vs Tampa when Washington was playing lights out, fast paced, and taking the body was a thing of beauty. There was zero chance Tampa was beating them in game 7.

That’s why I love Ovechkin. Closest thing to Roebuck I’ve seen. Skilled and will make a big hit. I hope 8 rides downtown Pittsburgh naked slugging beers giving those hill rods the bird.
- SteveRain

I do know if you were asking me but I will chime in on Shaw. He was a very effective player given his skill set although he does possess underrated skating and hands but his biggest characteristic/asset is his heart and passion despite being 5'10", much like and younger Kunitz. Shaw did more with less and that's and complement to him as a throw-away 6th rounder who cashed in. Good for Shawzsy!

Whatever dude. Don't say I didn't warn you when he fails to hit 65 points.
- BINGO!

What would it matte if he didn't hit 65 points? I'm not sure which Canes player you're defending anymore, but both Skinner and Teravainen have only hit that mark once and both play a much less restrictive position as wing. If you look at mico stats, Schmaltz is pretty excellent in everything except shot volume - he's better than Skinner in most categories and on par with Teravainen for the most part. Like seriously:




I included charts for last year and the four-year option because Teravainen had a productive last season but his micro stats were below his typical standards so I wanted to show he's been historically good to great.

Edit: Some context: QOT and QOC are pretty much the same %; Schmaltz had 4% more OZ share but their DZ share are almost indistinguishable so TT just ended up with slightly more NZ deployment.

If Teravainen can get 65, chances are Schmaltz can based on their similar micro stats and production trends. Maybe Schmaltz would only do it if he switched to wing but it's objective / realistic estimation that Schmaltz could get in that point range. That's not hype - that's just basing it on predictive math.

What would it matte if he didn't hit 65 points? I'm not sure which Canes player you're defending anymore, but both Skinner and Teravainen have only hit that mark once and both play a much less restrictive position as wing. If you look at mico stats, Schmaltz is pretty excellent in everything except shot volume - he's better than Skinner in most categories and on par with Teravainen for the most part. Like seriously:



I included charts for last year and the four-year option because Teravainen had a productive year but his micro stats were below his typical standards so I wanted to show he's been typically good to great.

If Teravainen can get 65, chances are Schmaltz can based on their similar micro stats and production trends. Maybe Schmaltz would only do it if he switched to wing but it's objective / realistic estimation that Schmaltz could get in that point range. That's not hype - that's just basing it on predictive math.
- L_B_R

Cirelli goes nowhere, good teams do not trade entry level deals. Its why Lightning are in strong position.

Cirelli goes nowhere, good teams do not trade entry level deals. Its why Lightning are in strong position.
- TrueGrit

Well, that second part is just factually inaccurate. I mean, just this past TDL, they traded Brett Howden and Hajek as a part of a package to get McDonagh and JT Miller. Howden was their top center prospect at the time, above Cirelli.

And they are most likely going to have to move a prospect or if they're serious about getting Karlsson - at the very least, the trade to get Karlsson will probably involve a prospect or two on ELC; but if they really want to move Callagan for space, a pick or prospect is going to be needed.

Adding: I don't know if Cirelli in particular will go but it's not out of the realm of possibility he's got to Ottawa considering the cost of McDonagh or a 3rd team considering the cost of moving bad contracts.

Bowman will trade Schmaltz straight up for Panerin if he gets an extension commitment ahead of time???????🤔
- wonthecup10

NO CHANCE !!

Well, that second part is just factually inaccurate. I mean, just this past TDL, they traded Brett Howden and Hajek as a part of a package to get McDonagh and JT Miller. Howden was their top center prospect at the time, above Cirelli.

And they are most likely going to have to move a prospect or if they're serious about getting Karlsson - at the very least, the trade will probably involve a prospect or two on ELC, but if they really want to move Callagan, a pick or prospect is going to be needed.
- L_B_R

I think trying to make Schmaltz into Scheifele is beyond a dream and a fantasy. I watched the Jets a lot this past season, and Scheifele is going to be a perennial top forward in the league for years to come.

For what we as Hawks fans and so far from a StanBo perspective have received out of Schmaltz is IMO on par. Kaner is going to make anyone greater so that is what it is, but he is fitting into the system nicely. Yes I agree I want to see production year in and year out as we want to with every player, but he is a low 2C/high 3C player. If he gets some size on him and maintain his skill set, he will be a very very solid 2C.

Fingers crossed.
- purepone

I am not trying to make Schmaltz into Scheiffle but Schmaltz himself should aspire to doing that. Especially if he's looking for a contract I the $6-7M/yr. range.

Its very early to put a ceiling on him as a 2C or 3C. With the right coaching and drive on his part he could become an extremely good player. Its the drive part I question with him, how much does he have?

I have advocated this position myself. I know it wouldn’t work — don’t see the nhl agreeing to swap out the Arizona team for the wolves or ice hogs if it came to that. But I wish there was some way to deal better with teams that won’t or can’t spend; without much empirical evidence, you would think anyone with the smallest amount of common sense could deduce that if you don’t spend, you don’t get the quality players, and if you don’t get the quality players, you can’t compete. At an absolute minimum, you could argue that this seriously compromises the competitive integrity of the league.
- Spec41971

Makes me think of maybe moving the Arizona team to Seattle where it would be well received instead of expanding (as was considered a while ago). But it certainly would be hard for the league to turn down the expansion payout in that case.

Kruger likely fills a hole. Kruger could bounce back if healthy and odds are high that he will be back in Q's system as a go to Dzone draw guy. The injuries were a concern but he is the type of forward thy were lacking. We know he probably only nets 15-25 points maximum but if he helps prevent those extra back breaking goals, he is worth it.

The other thing is that Kruger is a vet that might help some of younger guys. For example, if they see Kampf (or someone else) in a similar mold, well now you got another mentor on the team in the form of Kruger. He sets a good example and we know he can be trusted to give it all he has (the question will be if he is healthy enough).
- breadbag

In fact this might be a good theme as with Kunitz. Veterans for short-term to help the younger guys and target a 2020-2022 last shot with the current core. Just have to hope for a breakout from 2-3 of the surplus of lower-round picks and UDFAs soon (and of course some of the higher picks too).

Schmaltz just shown good chemistry with Kane and Toews since joining the Hawks and last year put up similar points to guys like Paul Stastny and Ryan Johansen. He also lead the team in Takeaways (second for NHL C behind only McDavid) and was one of the better penalty killers the Hawks last season.

He has some things to work on but he is only 2 years pro, 22 years old and should continue to improve. The Hawks absolutely pay him what he is worth because he is worth it. He could very well become the 1C for the team in the future.

Schmaltz just shown good chemistry with Kane and Toews since joining the Hawks and last year put up similar points to guys like Paul Stastny and Ryan Johansen. He also lead the team in Takeaways (second for NHL C behind only McDavid) and was one of the better penalty killers the Hawks last season.

He has some things to work on but he is only 2 years pro, 22 years old and should continue to improve. The Hawks absolutely pay him what he is worth because he is worth it. He could very well become the 1C for the team in the future.
- breadbag

His back checking/take aways are a very impressive part of his game. His vision is elite...yea, I'd like to see him shoot it more and win faceoffs.

Things could change but it seems like the Blackhawks are going the route I was hoping they would: give Q and the core some help to see if they can rebound from some down years and make another run this upcoming season without sacrificing the future in terms of young talent and future cap space.

Adding a solid winger in the last year of his contract like Pacioretty or Skinner - who have been rumored - or someone else like Wayne Simmonds or even Panarin or Rick Nash - would be a talent upgrade relatively cheap with no long term salary commitment.

Similarly a defenseman like Justin Faulk or Erik Karlsson or Stralman would add some punch on the blue line with limited long term commitment.

I could see them wanting to put AA in a trade package since he has three years left on his deal and maybe not the best fit for the Blackhawks for either a playoff run or a rebuild.

So the team would be positioned to:

1) Make a legitimate playoff run in 2018-19. If the season starts well, they could even think about adding some pieces for a deeper playoff run.
2) If 2018-19 is a good year, they can try to resign the veteran help they added or shift gears and invest in the younger talent on the team. Maybe even give Q an extension.
3) if 2018-19 doesn't go well, they could be sellers at the deadline, maybe even some of the core who are signed longer-term, and just let the added vets leave via free agency. Probably let Q go, either in the season or after, and bring on the next chapter.

Either way, a year from now the team will know what the core has left in the tank, know which new guys they want to keep, know which young guys have taken the next steps in their development, have some cap flexibility, and have the coaching situation figured out for the next couple of years.

In other words, give it a good shot, if it works, build on it, if it doesn't, shift more to rebuild / retool with younger guys.

It seems like a good plan. Now Stan just needs to execute on it.

So what are the chances that Panarin comes back to the hawks?

So what are the chances that Panarin comes back to the hawks?
- MichaeLionheart

According to one guy in here, 100%
According to others, 0%

Someone posted in another thread he wants to play in New York or near LA because he has a model girlfriend? Don't know if that's hogwash or not.

I am not pinning for him personally.