Is this English?
- Ogilthorpe2

Sorry. Corrected. My bad to not check. I am horrible when I type on the cell phone and I needed to proofread.

Not sure why some are not sold on Sikura. Even if he goes to Rockford, he us going to be a skill point producer in the NHL. How much so I cannot predict yet.
- jhawk59

Isnt everyone a point producer? Whether it be 1 or 100?

WTF are you talking about? I was responding to a trade of Crawford to the Islanders that makes no sense for them. If you're going to respond to every post know what you're talking about at least. (and learn to spell already)
- GPHawksfan

There was mention of NY Islanders GM, Lamorello, as not being too smart in post Tavarez moves.This was a segway to the remark about trading Crawford to NY Islanders. This refers also to Elbows post. I do concur about the trade to NYI makes no sense.

I may respond to a few texts or I may go many pages without comments. And I need to always proofread carefully. My bad. Sorry.

There was mention of NY Islanders GM, Lamorello, as not being too smart in post Tavarez moves.This was a segway to the remark about trading Crawford to NY Islanders. This refers also to Elbows post. I do concur about the trade to NYI makes no sense.

I may respond to a few texts or I may go many pages without comments. And I need to always proofread carefully. My bad. Sorry.
- jhawk59

If crow is being really being shop what landing spots would make the most sense? I was the one that put the trade crow to the islanders just an idea from some reports lou likes crow a lot.

Isnt everyone a point producer? Whether it be 1 or 100?
- PatShart

There was implied the message that Sikura needs to prepare for NHL by going to AHL first to hone his game. I thought it is clear when one says 'point producer," there is obviously different levels of accomplishment. Normally point producer used how I did means one whom accumulates a significant amount of points.

For Sikura I believe he is capable of approaching a point per game basis. He would need to remain healthy and I would not expect such scoring
necessarily in his first full NHL season

Who would order Dominos in Chicago...
- Slofire94

Post of the day

i think the hawks are at 49/50 contracts. thinking whatever deal he makes has multiple pieces leaving town
- ikeane

They’re at 47 contracts as per capfriendly.com.

IF the Hawks were considering trading Crow, now would be the absolute worst time to do it IMO. He hasn't been on the ice since Dec and I can't see any team offering up real value until he gets back on the ice for a while. I know there are some less than intelligent GMs out there but I just can't see Crow being moved at all until he proves he's healthy. And if he comes back to form why would you get rid of him?

That quote about his edgework was from 3 seasons ago so I have no idea if it's still valid or something that wouldn't hold him back. I didn't watch enough of Gilbert in college so I can't fully speak on it, but Stephen Johns had pretty similar scouting report in terms of his skating and people here seem to love him.
- L_B_R

I saw both Gilbert and Hillman play in college and I thought Gilbert was better overall. I think he has more upside and I thought he skated fine. Gilbert was on the ice a lot as a shut down pair with Wade, playing with an edge. The only downside is that sometime he'll have a brainfart during a game like an inexcusable turnover in the D zone and you scratch your head and say "Did he just do that and why?" As for Hillman, this is very strange I thought he looked better with the Hawks in the few games than when I saw him a DU. Nothing majorly wrong but just didn't seem like a good foundation to build on. I hope I am wrong on him.

Jay Zawaski

@JayZawaski670
Left Bowman’s Presser about an hour ago. Nothing he said today indicated anything was close. He pointed to arbitration dates & preseason as periods that may be more active. That said, I was told a while back that Q likes Tobias Enstrom.

there is your defensive "upgrade"
- ikeane

He is undersized and not bad but now you have all the LH Swedes on D that don't really like to play D. I think it is more of Q liking experiences rather thatn the roller coaster of younger unproven players

There was implied the message that Sikura needs to prepare for NHL by going to AHL first to hone his game. I thought it is clear when one says 'point producer," there is obviously different levels of accomplishment. Normally point producer used how I did means one whom accumulates a significant amount of points.

For Sikura I believe he is capable of approaching a point per game basis. He would need to remain healthy and I would not expect such scoring
necessarily in his first full NHL season
- jhawk59

I am buying what you are selling on Sikura having watched him progress at NE. I also saw his brother play at Dartmouth and Dylan is by far the better player. He can flat out make plays with patience and good decision-making, something that is hard to teach. Said another way, he can slow the game down in his head while playing fast.

Bowman is such a franking hack.

"Bowman said he believes the roster as currently assembled — with Crawford in net — can return the Hawks to the playoffs."

“We’re not looking at the past,” Bowman said. “We’ve done that — we have done our assessments. Now we’re excited, we’re looking forward and we’re hopeful for the next year."

http://www.chicagotribune...wford-20180718-story.html

Bowman is such a franking hack.

"Bowman said he believes the roster as currently assembled — with Crawford in net — can return the Hawks to the playoffs."

“We’re not looking at the past,” Bowman said. “We’ve done that — we have done our assessments. Now we’re excited, we’re looking forward and we’re hopeful for the next year."

http://www.chicagotribune...wford-20180718-story.html
- SoftServe

What’s he gonna say? I’d better get moving and make a few deals, or we are really going to suck?

He’s just giving the stock answers to the stock questions that only the die hards care about in mid-July.

What’s he gonna say? I’d better get moving and make a few deals, or we are really going to suck?

He’s just giving the stock answers to the stock questions that only the die hards care about in mid-July.
- Ogilthorpe2

I'm a huge fan of "I like our team".

Here is crazy trade idea bennet and brower for AA pick/low prospect. Get young player probably needs change of team fresh start and big power forward with size and physical play.

Here is crazy trade idea bennet and brower for AA pick/low prospect. Get young player probably needs change of team fresh start and big power forward with size and physical play.
- Scott1977

AA is more valuable than either of them. Calgary would have to add to get someone to take Brouwer. Bennett isn't it.

He is undersized and not bad but now you have all the LH Swedes on D that don't really like to play D. I think it is more of Q liking experiences rather thatn the roller coaster of younger unproven players
- D2D

The last thing the Hawks need is another LHD. Enstrom is an injury waiting to happen.

(frank) Q. He is getting paid a bunch of money and he has Manning as his boy. One crappy player for him is enough

Here is crazy trade idea bennet and brower for AA pick/low prospect. Get young player probably needs change of team fresh start and big power forward with size and physical play.
- Scott1977

Here is an idea you might want to try, Scott: peruse other hockeybuzz team sites to get a feel for what even one particular writer is thinking about his team.

You often have ideas and some have more merit than others. I at least look at the headline of the other team sites and I have noticed there are a fair number of other here here who venture over.

As for your latest idea, I just point out that Bennett was a high choice and plays soft. At least when he first turned pro that was a big concern. Bennett is not someone going to come really cheap. I do not want to add another non physical center, anyway. Unless it is a great superlative talented player. And why would Calgary want AA?

Brick bats: from other posts
* Agreed now is definitely not the time to trade Crawford.

Rebuild is on going but staying competitive is very important. There is a correlation between being competitive to the point you entertain fans, they continue to come through turnstyles. Crawford can steal wins. He also is at peak value now ....meaning if he comes back strong ''now" is the trade deadline. If .....IF you trade him depends upon a few things: 1). What do you get for him; 2). How much do you like Forsberg/Dellia; and maybe the biggest impetus of all is; 3). How much does Rocky and or whomever else in the Blackhawks chain of command not like Crawford's issues.

I would consider trading him. I believe there could be a market for him. I am intrigued whether a good prospect or high draft choice could be squeezed out of certain teams for the battle playoff tested Crawford.

* On Hillman.
Ironic you said that he played better here than maybe he did as a collegiate. I thought that might be true, too. I suspect that Bowman wants to see how good Hillman is for a half season, minimum, and not rush anyone on defense. Gilbert and Hillman sounds like a law firm but could be two ex collegiate patrolling blueline and match well with some elite skill dmen we have drafted. How is Bowman going to give all the dmen playing time somewhere and not send anyone to the not really helpful ECHL?

I am buying what you are selling on Sikura having watched him progress at NE. I also saw his brother play at Dartmouth and Dylan is by far the better player. He can flat out make plays with patience and good decision-making, something that is hard to teach. Said another way, he can slow the game down in his head while playing fast.
- D2D

Sikura looks like he has the potential to be a top 6 quality playmaker, but where he plays will depend on how quickly he can take on the highest comp in the NHL. My great hope is that he'll have a knack for it ala Gaudreau after college and be able to play with Saad-Toews. Like I'm not saying he'll be able to put up the same production, just that Gaudreau is also a smaller slight player who adapted extremely quick to the comp levels.

A playmaker is exactly the type of player Saad-Toews need on their wing - allows Toews to go back to being a balanced shoot/pass player vs having to do all the heavy pass lifting as when Panik was on the line. It's be great if they had another shoot/pass player ala Hossa but he just done so next best is a distributer like Kane. It's why Hinostoza worked there for a bit (kid can pass) and why Schmaltz worked so well with Toews-Panik (playmaker-shoot/play-shoot).

So ideally the Hawks would fine that type of player to play on the top line and Sikura could be the best option there. If not, a Sikura-Debrincat offensive 3rd line option (with say Kahun?) looks great on paper.

@ScottKingMedia

Hillman on Jokiharju: "He's a great player, he's a great skater, he's really smart. He thinks a lot like me in the D zone where he wants to be aggressive and get the puck and get the puck out of the zone."

Same Twitter page with a few clips of Hillman defending in drills (one with Jokiharju; they were paired up on Tuesday):

2-on-2 with Jokiharju
https://twitter.com/Scott...tatus/1019297124813504517

2-on-1 alone
https://twitter.com/Scott...tatus/1019296425665007616

A few clips from Scott Powers feed of Hillman and Jokiharju defending as a pair:

https://twitter.com/BySco...tatus/1019300435436490761

https://twitter.com/BySco...tatus/1019299930396151808

https://twitter.com/BySco...tatus/1019298284643454982

At least in drills, it was nice to see Hillman and Jokiharju engaging the forwards as they defended. Good mix of playing physical to isolate forward along the boards, pushing off a forward establish presence, and relying on stick checking at opportune times rather than as the primary method of defending.

https://blackhawkup.com/2...jus-prospect-camp-so-far/

Initial impressions from Blackhawkup.com. Great comments about Wise and Jokiharju.

Sikura looks like he has the potential to be a top 6 quality playmaker, but where he plays will depend on how quickly he can take on the highest comp in the NHL. My great hope is that he'll have a knack for it ala Gaudreau after college and be able to play with Saad-Toews. Like I'm not saying he'll be able to put up the same production, just that Gaudreau is also a smaller slight player who adapted extremely quick to the comp levels.

A playmaker is exactly the type of player Saad-Toews need on their wing - allows Toews to go back to being a balanced shoot/pass player vs having to do all the heavy pass lifting as when Panik was on the line. It's be great if they had another shoot/pass player ala Hossa but he just done so next best is a distributer like Kane. It's why Hinostoza worked there for a bit (kid can pass) and why Schmaltz worked so well with Toews-Panik (playmaker-shoot/play-shoot).

So ideally the Hawks would fine that type of player to play on the top line and Sikura could be the best option there. If not, a Sikura-Debrincat offensive 3rd line option (with say Kahun?) looks great on paper.
- L_B_R

I like your outlook and potential options on Sikura. If Sikura makes the lineup out of training camp, which I feel he will, I also see him either playing with Toews and Saad or playing with DeBrincat with either Anisimov or another youngster as their center to form a kid line which I guess would be the 3rd line. Sikura and DeBrincat had some chemistry in the times they played together late last season, I believe with Ejdsell as their center.

If Sikura starts the year in Rockford, I could see him having the same path as Schmaltz earning a call-up to the Hawks and sticking with the big club after a brief seasoning stint with the Hogs.

It's official: Ejdsell has inched his way up the jersey numbers chart from 14 to 16 and now to 17. I'd have the equipment staff hold off on sewing up his jersey. Once October hits, Ejdsell will be wearing 98.

Then Bowman can trade for Sergechev who wears 98 in Tampa, then Ejdsell can wear double zero like George Costanza.
- AEL_Fox

Clark Griswold has that number already though I think...

Eklund saying Crawford would be in a deal going back to CBJ for Panarin lol
- SoftServe

This is a stretch even for Ek.

CBJ have Bobrovsky at $7mm+ AAV and they wil add CC at $6mm?

There was mention of NY Islanders GM, Lamorello, as not being too smart in post Tavarez moves.This was a segway to the remark about trading Crawford to NY Islanders. This refers also to Elbows post. I do concur about the trade to NYI makes no sense.

I may respond to a few texts or I may go many pages without comments. And I need to always proofread carefully. My bad. Sorry.
- jhawk59