Really? Have you seen their D?

They have no D and keith is cost controlled vs what Nylander will want (LT)

Also lets not forget Babcock who needs guys he can trust.....pretty sure when he was with Detroit he had an older D man who was solid back there.....some Swedish guy.....what was his name....
- SteveRain

I like the idea of trying to get Nylander if possible. I did watch the replay of the Leafs Game 7 vs Boston on the NHL Network last week. Gardner was a -5 and the story since that game has been how bad their D is. The replay looked different. I could not believe how loose the Leafs forwards were with the puck late in the game and how unset Fredrickson looked on most of the goals. And the players giving up the puck were Nylander, Marner, Marleau and Matthews.

All four would be first liners here but I think Babcock has lots of work to do if they are going to win the Cup.

You don't tank now..... The Hawks have too much talent and too much money invested in this team..

The Hawks are 2 players away from contending.... What they need is a legitimate #2 left wing, and #4 defenseman, and you don't tank just because you have 2 holes.

I mean, I find it interesting that some Hawks fans (and it's always been this way) want to tank when they're not shoe-in's for the Cup.... This team has potential to be really good. Yea, the team fell flat last season, just about every veteran had a bad season, but it seems some Hawks fans believe these guys are incapable of rebounding. The Hawks played 20 rookies last season and as rookies they were going to make rookie mistakes, but these kids got a season of NHL experience under their belts and at their age that means a ton to their development - now they're not going to be so wet behind the ears which will take a little responsibility off the vets. Also, the loss of Hajamarsson, Hossa and Kruger hurt tremendously last season and it really showed and IMO, bringing Kruger back is huge - many fans cant see just how important he was playing in that bottom 6 role - I mean he's a shutdown defensive forward that is excellent at the dot... And that is another reason why the Hawks were terrible last season - they were terrible at the dot - winning draws is an extremely important aspect of the game, and when you lose 47% of your draws you're on the wrong side of the puck more often than not so Kruger is an improvement there...When you give up a face-off in the offensive zone you're losing a scoring opportunity, and when you lose a face-off in the defensive zone you're giving up a scoring opportunity, so performance at the dot matters Kruger is a massive improvement there. When Kruger wins a draw he can get the puck out of the zone, if he loses a draw he can grind out a turnover..... But this is just one aspect where the Hawks have improved, but it's an aspect that is profoundly overlooked...

I suppose my point is that this team is a lot better than what the fans are giving it credit for and have improved more than many may think..... The Hawks are only a couple of pieces away from seriously contending, and if one or 2 of these kids can step up and show they're ready to fill a bigger role that will be excellent... Jokiharju is NHL ready from an offense and skating perspective and I would say he's ready for the top 4, however he defense is suspect so I think he's going to need to get better there before he's the answer...But the Hawks already have the prospects they need to contend again - they're just not ready to jump into those roles.. The Hawks will need short-term solutions to fill those roles and Bowman is going to have to find them because you don't want to waste another year with Kane at 29, Toews at 30, Keith at 34 - I mean they're not exactly "old" but they're not exactly young so wasting another year just to take makes absolutely no sense at all....

To be honest, what this team is going to come down to is goaltending and defense, if Crow comes back and is back to normal Crow (and ward is consistent) goaltending will not be an issue, but Q is going to have to figure out the defense and that will be the most difficult part of getting this team back to contending... Sure in 2-3 years the Hawks will have one of the best defenses in the league, but that's 3 years not now....

But with all that said - taking is absolutely out of the question - especially closer to contending than they are taking - and make no mistake this would be an extremely expensive tank...
- Savard2Secord

Your enthusiasm and belief that the Hawks are close is great. I want to see what you see but when I think about the upcoming season and games against Winnipeg, St Louis and Nashville I think it's going to be men against boys. Maybe they play well against the rest of the division but Colorado seems too fast, Dallas and Minnesota have very similar rosters to last season in which they handled the Hawks fairly well.

I think there are bigger issues than filling holes, PTOs and free agent scraps.

Since drafting Kane, their first round picks have been Beach, Olsen, Hayes, McNeil, Danault, Tevo, Hartman, Schmaltz, Jokiharju, Boqvist, Beaudin. The lower rounds have been worse. The drafting magic that started under Smith in the early 2000s and continued under Tallon has evaporated.

Drafting is hard but they rarely draft size. They ignore goalies. They fall for the myth of "offensive defensemen" who pile up points in lower leagues but have a hard time playing solid for NHL coaches. The development in Rockford has been atrocious.

None of us are going to care about no movement clauses in the near future when Kane, Toews and Keith all demand to be traded to contenders. Hopefully they don't do it publicly further diminishing their value.

Bowman who did a fantastic job in winning 3 Cups in a rough salary cap era needs to stockpile high picks now and hit on them or we fans are doomed for 10 bad years similar to 97-07.
- stevefrmglencoe

The draft picks don't seem to be an issue considering they didn't get any picks in the top 15 for pretty much a decade.

Smith was the GM for what 3 years of draft 2000-2003.

So he drafted Ruutu(9th), Babchuk(21st), Seabrook(14th) in the first round. He did find a few later round picks that worked out well, but was that him or the scouting/player development that deserves credit? Honestly a lot of people passed on these players like Keith, Crawford, Wisnisewski, Anderson, Byfuglien, and they developed over years in the system.

After that Tallon was promoted to assistant to Pulford and then later GM and the Hawks drafted Barker(3rd), Skille(7th), Toews(3rd), Kane (1st), Beach(11th), Olsen(28th) and they landed a lot fewer late round gems in that span.

Seems like under Bowman they have drafted later and found few "sure things" but haven't had so many outright busts. Hard to really compare unless you give Bowman some more top 10 picks and then wait and see how they pan out.

Oh, I agree with you. They have a hole either way. What I'm saying is they have some flexibility in terms of where they fill the hole.

I think they could add a player to any forward position LW/C/RW and shuffle it around to work pretty well. I think they have actively been trying to deal AA for a winger, but probably haven't found any takers.
- breadbag

I'm open to trades, but it would be foolish to trade Schmaltz or the Hawks first round pick (at least now). I mean I could see the Hawks moving their first round pick at the trade deadline if they're in the mix for the playoffs.

The only roster players I would have no issue with Bowman moving are Anisimov and to a lesser extent Murphy... Saad, Schmaltz, DeBrincat and the Hawks first round pick are totally out of the question at this point..... I would rather the Hawks have another terrible season and pick in the top 10 again rather than trade a guy like Schmaltz... Because I would take another top 10 pick to be honest... Don't get me wrong I'm not talking about tanking but I think it's mandatory the Hawks keep their first round pick just in case they do have a terrible season... I mean a team would have to offer a deal Bowman couldn't refuse to move Schmaltz, DeBrincat or the first round pick.... So I think the best course for the Hawks future would be to fill the left wing hole via UFA instead of trade unless Anisimov is part of the deal, that I could live with - as a matter of fact moving Anisimov for a pending UFA would be good for the Hawks because it would give the Hawks more cap space next summer...

And honestly, I'm absolutely certain Bowman will be targeting Panarin next summer as a UFA (unless he signs an extension CBJ or is traded and signs an extension with that club which I doubt he will)... I think Bowman's plan all along when he traded Panarin (and this was a mutual agreement) was to re-sign him as a UFA. I mean the Hawks will have plenty of cap space to sign Schmaltz & DeBrincat long-term while bringing Panarin back long-term in the process while still having room to add others.... Granted he will have to trade Anisimov but that won't be difficult (I expect him to be traded before the start of the season anyway).. If Bowman really had to move Anisimov he could trade him quick for a 2nd or 3rd round pick.. He's worth more than that, and obviously Bowman would love to use him as bait to bring in Patches, Skinner or Faulk to fill one of those holes but if he cant then, what can you do? the only option there are UFA's and if Nash is healthy enough to step into that 2nd line left wing spot then I'd be fine with that.

Honestly, I'm more concerned with the Hawks defense than I am with the Hawks offense, I think the offense will be fine but there are plenty of question marks on D and goaltending too..... I hope Crow is healthy come October..

I do not think Stan is done. I think AA could be gone. A defenseman not name Keith could be gone. But as the roster stands now I would just try to identify the locks instead of line combinations because we all are very aware that Q does not use line combinations. He uses a blender. (and yes Duffman, I wish he would slow down or shut down the blender.)

Toews C
AA C
Schmaltz C LW RW
Kruger C
Kane RW
Saad LW
Debrincat LW RW
Kunitz LW
Hayden LW RW (Hayden might not be a lock, but he would have to stink it up in camp or a few babies would have to play lights out to knock him off the roster.)

So 3 forward spots on the ice plus one seat in the press box are open. I would expect Martinsen to be one of the 3 on the ice and/or in the press box.

Keith L
Gustafsson L
Manning L
Seabs R
Rutta R
Murphy R
Forsling L (Maybe not a lock, but he would have to stink it up in camp or a baby (Jokiharju?) would have to play lights out to knock him off the roster. If Jokiharju makes the team out of camp I would expect Murphy or Rutta to be traded before the season starts.)

Crawford
Ward

The draft picks don't seem to be an issue considering they didn't get any picks in the top 15 for pretty much a decade.

Smith was the GM for what 3 years of draft 2000-2003.

So he drafted Ruutu(9th), Babchuk(21st), Seabrook(14th) in the first round. He did find a few later round picks that worked out well, but was that him or the scouting/player development that deserves credit? Honestly a lot of people passed on these players like Keith, Crawford, Wisnisewski, Anderson, Byfuglien, and they developed over years in the system.

After that Tallon was promoted to assistant to Pulford and then later GM and the Hawks drafted Barker(3rd), Skille(7th), Toews(3rd), Kane (1st), Beach(11th), Olsen(28th) and they landed a lot fewer late round gems in that span.

Seems like under Bowman they have drafted later and found few "sure things" but haven't had so many outright busts. Hard to really compare unless you give Bowman some more top 10 picks and then wait and see how they pan out.
- breadbag

Thanks for the response. All good points.

I do believe that the GM's are ultimately rated based on their drafting a trades. So I consider the scouts and extension for the GM. I think Smith was in charge of 4 drafts and 22 of the picks ended up playing in the NHL. I'm pretty sure it is still among one of the most fruitful drafting periods in Hawk history if not the NHL. Granted many made the NHL because the team was so bad that there wasn't much ahead of them but that is for another debate that not even the hard core buzzers would read.

I also believe that 50% of first round picks play at least 300 games in the NHL. You are right that it does seem that the first 15 make it and the next don't but it really isn't true because there are busts up and down the first round.

I am a overall Bowman fan. Mostly because he got Kane and Toews to sign those $6 million contracts when the could have got more and I think Kane in particular was in a position to demand more that $10.5. I contend that Kane is underpaid. Toews is overpaid. Seabrook is overpaid. Duncan Keith is one of the biggest bargains in the league. I think Bowman went for the Cup year after year and the 3 Cups prove he knew what he was doing. Many think there would have been a 4th if the puck had not bounced in off of Leddy but I am not 100% convinced. I recall that Hjalmarsson was hurt in that game, broken foot. We all know now what the Hawks D looks like without him and I think the Rangers would have been a tough out that year without 4.

I don't like drafting offensive defensemen with high picks because they rarely turn out to be solid, the coaches doghouse them and our experience in Chicago with Barker, Babchuk, Royer, McCarthy and others is that they can't replicate what they did against future bloggers.

I think Bowman deserves 10 more years at GM. Based on how many chances they gave Pulford I want to see what Bowman can do coming up from the bottom. We know he can win from the top.

Thanks for the response. All good points.

I do believe that the GM's are ultimately rated based on their drafting a trades. So I consider the scouts and extension for the GM. I think Smith was in charge of 4 drafts and 22 of the picks ended up playing in the NHL. I'm pretty sure it is still among one of the most fruitful drafting periods in Hawk history if not the NHL. Granted many made the NHL because the team was so bad that there wasn't much ahead of them but that is for another debate that not even the hard core buzzers would read.

I also believe that 50% of first round picks play at least 300 games in the NHL. You are right that it does seem that the first 15 make it and the next don't but it really isn't true because there are busts up and down the first round.

I am a overall Bowman fan. Mostly because he got Kane and Toews to sign those $6 million contracts when the could have got more and I think Kane in particular was in a position to demand more that $10.5. I contend that Kane is underpaid. Toews is overpaid. Seabrook is overpaid. Duncan Keith is one of the biggest bargains in the league. I think Bowman went for the Cup year after year and the 3 Cups prove he knew what he was doing. Many think there would have been a 4th if the puck had not bounced in off of Leddy but I am not 100% convinced. I recall that Hjalmarsson was hurt in that game, broken foot. We all know now what the Hawks D looks like without him and I think the Rangers would have been a tough out that year without 4.

I don't like drafting offensive defensemen with high picks because they rarely turn out to be solid, the coaches doghouse them and our experience in Chicago with Barker, Babchuk, Royer, McCarthy and others is that they can't replicate what they did against future bloggers.

I think Bowman deserves 10 more years at GM. Based on how many chances they gave Pulford I want to see what Bowman can do coming up from the bottom. We know he can win from the top.
- stevefrmglencoe

Bowman is the best GM the Hawks have had - at lest since I've been watching the Hawks (1983)... I think it's ridiculous that some are calling for his job (Q too) considering they were contenders for basically a decade and they have 3 Cups to show for it - not only that but Bowman has done a fanatic job drafting - especially over the last few years, and I think the 2018 draft will be his best one yet... I wouldn't be shocked if all the guys Bowman/Mark Kelly drafted played a role with the Hawks at some point in the next few years.... Wise and Nordgren were steals, not to mention the (2) top 4 defenseman he drafted in the first round in Boqvist and Beaudin.... Boqvist has the potential to be a franchise defenseman.... I know some fans aren't thrilled with some of his signings and trades, but Bowman and his staff have an excellent eye for talent and losing that would indeed be the end of this era...Bowman and Q need to stay - I think they've done enough for the Hawks to be given the opportunity to fix this team.... I mean the only reason why the Hawks missed the playoffs last season is because of the salary cap - so it's not like he's done a terrible job, he's just been in unfortunate positions - which he ultimately ended up fixing. I mean the 2010, 2013 and 2015 teams were pretty different from one another..... So I have faith in Bowman, he knows what he's doing - he obviously has a long-term plan for this team, so we need to be patient and give him time to execute his plan.... I've been a fan for 35-years so I trust him and I have faith the Hawks will be back to contending, perhaps even this year....

That ahl roster looks charmin soft. Have you heard if they are looking to add veteran grit. Brett Gallant is a ahl vet they could use as the 12th forward.

Thanks for the response. All good points.

I do believe that the GM's are ultimately rated based on their drafting a trades. So I consider the scouts and extension for the GM. I think Smith was in charge of 4 drafts and 22 of the picks ended up playing in the NHL. I'm pretty sure it is still among one of the most fruitful drafting periods in Hawk history if not the NHL. Granted many made the NHL because the team was so bad that there wasn't much ahead of them but that is for another debate that not even the hard core buzzers would read.

I also believe that 50% of first round picks play at least 300 games in the NHL. You are right that it does seem that the first 15 make it and the next don't but it really isn't true because there are busts up and down the first round.

I am a overall Bowman fan. Mostly because he got Kane and Toews to sign those $6 million contracts when the could have got more and I think Kane in particular was in a position to demand more that $10.5. I contend that Kane is underpaid. Toews is overpaid. Seabrook is overpaid. Duncan Keith is one of the biggest bargains in the league. I think Bowman went for the Cup year after year and the 3 Cups prove he knew what he was doing. Many think there would have been a 4th if the puck had not bounced in off of Leddy but I am not 100% convinced. I recall that Hjalmarsson was hurt in that game, broken foot. We all know now what the Hawks D looks like without him and I think the Rangers would have been a tough out that year without 4.

I don't like drafting offensive defensemen with high picks because they rarely turn out to be solid, the coaches doghouse them and our experience in Chicago with Barker, Babchuk, Royer, McCarthy and others is that they can't replicate what they did against future bloggers.

I think Bowman deserves 10 more years at GM. Based on how many chances they gave Pulford I want to see what Bowman can do coming up from the bottom. We know he can win from the top.
- stevefrmglencoe

Not saying I agree or disagree. But this is an excellent post. Please post more often.

Not saying I agree or disagree. But this is an excellent post. Please post more often.
- -Doh-

Agreed.

That ahl roster looks charmin soft. Have you heard if they are looking to add veteran grit. Brett Gallant is a ahl vet they could use as the 12th forward.
- vandymeer23

aren't AHL rosters supposed to generally match/prepare the players for the parent club?

Thanks for the response. All good points.

I do believe that the GM's are ultimately rated based on their drafting a trades. So I consider the scouts and extension for the GM. I think Smith was in charge of 4 drafts and 22 of the picks ended up playing in the NHL. I'm pretty sure it is still among one of the most fruitful drafting periods in Hawk history if not the NHL. Granted many made the NHL because the team was so bad that there wasn't much ahead of them but that is for another debate that not even the hard core buzzers would read.

I also believe that 50% of first round picks play at least 300 games in the NHL. You are right that it does seem that the first 15 make it and the next don't but it really isn't true because there are busts up and down the first round.

I am a overall Bowman fan. Mostly because he got Kane and Toews to sign those $6 million contracts when the could have got more and I think Kane in particular was in a position to demand more that $10.5. I contend that Kane is underpaid. Toews is overpaid. Seabrook is overpaid. Duncan Keith is one of the biggest bargains in the league. I think Bowman went for the Cup year after year and the 3 Cups prove he knew what he was doing. Many think there would have been a 4th if the puck had not bounced in off of Leddy but I am not 100% convinced. I recall that Hjalmarsson was hurt in that game, broken foot. We all know now what the Hawks D looks like without him and I think the Rangers would have been a tough out that year without 4.

I don't like drafting offensive defensemen with high picks because they rarely turn out to be solid, the coaches doghouse them and our experience in Chicago with Barker, Babchuk, Royer, McCarthy and others is that they can't replicate what they did against future bloggers.

I think Bowman deserves 10 more years at GM. Based on how many chances they gave Pulford I want to see what Bowman can do coming up from the bottom. We know he can win from the top.
- stevefrmglencoe

I hear you. I think it can be challenging to compare guys in different years and different situations.

Hindsight is 20/20 but I don't think many people would have valued Kane over Toews in July 2014. Toews had more goals at that point, Kane had more assists, and their point production was close 0.91 to 0.96 PPG. You had one guy more focused on offense and another guy who was a two-way player. Both guys huge in the playoffs. You subtract either one and you probably don't have any cups for this team in that span.

I've always thought both guys got overpaid and both seem overpaid to me still. The Keith contract was great and I don't think I'll ever complain about that one. Seabrook definitely got too much and I kinda wished they would have moved him at the time.

I thought the Hawk would have won in 2014, but conversely they got kinda lucky in 2015 to win. I mean, Brad Richards signed a sweetheart deal to boost the team and then Kane being hurt allowed them to exceed the cap for the playoffs. If you have Richards go for more money elsewhere and you don't go out and get Vermette. Darling played unreal hockey to save the day in round 1.

Agreed.
- Justin Lowe

Derek Grant signed by pitt dam wanted hawks to sign him could not have enough centers.

I think he can play both sides so I'm kind of hoping they try Alex Debrincat over on the LW so he can shoot from that side. Much like Patrick Sharp or Artami Panarin, maybe he can find a home as a Right Handed shooter playing LW opposite Kane. Lots of options depending on who could be the best option coming into the top 6.

I think it starts with Kane/Toews. Play them together or apart? I still really think they compliment each other, but if you do that, does the rest of the top 6 have enough to be effective? These 2 are still clearly the offensive engines that drive their lines. Kane with his playmaking and stick-handling in the offensive zone. Toews with his transition and driving possession from D to O. I think putting them together cancels out a lot of their individual weaknesses.

I guess my point is I think they can likely add someone at any F position into the top 6 and make it work.

Add a RW and shift Debrincat over
Add a C and you can shift Schmaltz to LW.
Add a LW and keep things in their more "natural" state.

I feel like they will experiment in camp and then Q might change his mind after a game or two.
- breadbag

Debrincat mostly played the right side last year and couple of times when he was on the left he did not look nearly as comfortable. Now can he make that adjustment of course he can. You would think he should be well accustomed to the 'European/Russian wing" as most gifted goal scorers are as you stated with the biggest in Ovie.

Early in their careers Kaner/Tazor looked good together but lately they have not looked as good and as I think Kaner is the better player now. That said, keep them split up.

Derek Grant signed by pitt dam wanted hawks to sign him could not have enough centers.
- Scott1977

At 650k for 1 year, would have been a great pick up. Even as a 13th/14th forward.

Then you would be able to keep a forward in Rockford that sbould belong in the AHL.

aren't AHL rosters supposed to generally match/prepare the players for the parent club?
- Slofire94

But dont we want some toughness which we were lacking last year and everyone agreed. That's why with hayden kunitz and manning we got a lil better.

There are no guarantees Rick Nash will be back this year as he;s hedging on retirement....Not to mention if he were to come back he probably wants a realistic shot at a cup, and based on this roster...….that is happening here.

I'm sure Bowman is waiting out Carolina like teams waited him out the year he traded Leddy which I believe was very close to opening night. Again, I don't see an addition of Faulk catapulting this team into playoff contention, as you will most likely be subtracting your NHL roster to acquire Faulk.

As far as prospects go....its' nice to lay on eyes on them, but they are just that......prospects. And dominating other prospects in your organization isn't always a tell for how good/bad they could be.

Lastly, I did chuckle at Toews proclaiming that if you put the same guys out there from last year to this year....you get different results. That's the definition of insanity and afraid this organization from top down is hedging on that......
- SteveRain

Remember when JJ wanted to trade Kane For Nash?


Good times, good times.

#badforthebrand

Whether you agree with it or not, there must be a plan, and the plan must set priorities. Is the top priority to win this season or to build for future success? It seems the top priority is the latter, but Stan and company may still try to hedge their bets a bit and that is where the potential for ending up in "middle-ville" lies. I'm not suggesting the Hawks should tank but I am suggesting they should not mortgage even a smidgen of the future to enhance the 2018/19 team. Pick a plan and stick with it.
- EbonyRaptor

Well said. I do think they go in with what they have and see how it looks at the TDL when they may be sellers. I don't think the club will be the clown show they were last yr with the additions of Kunitz, Manning and Ward to add proven NHL players. Also expect some bounce back yrs from some of the core and organic improvement but asking that 5-6-7-8 needed ifs to hit to make them a playoff team is asking too much.

Stick to the organIzational plan, put a team on the ice that is watchable, give Gus and Forsling types NHL ice time, see if a Kahun type proves an NHL player, watch Rockford as closely as Chicago and keep an eye peeled for value as the season goes on.

Thanks for the blog Justin! Edjsell has some physical talent, and also some physical deficiencies with his mobility. Kahun I think is more likely to make the team based on the Olympic speed/skill/offense he showed and might replace Hinostroza in the lineup.

TBH, if the Hawks trot out a lineup similar to the one you posted (which I don't think is far off given the current roster), they are going to struggle to win hockey games most nights. I think that Bowman is aggressively pursuing a trade for a "cost controlled" player like Faulk/Skinner but rightfully is not willing to part with 1st round picks of A-level prospects.

I think this is a serious #TANK season for the Hawks, and they use their extra cap space next summer to seriously retool.

Also, saw another Draft Recap last night that compared Boquist to Tyson Barrie, FWIW.
- EnzoD

Very good comparison and I'm afraid that's how that might shake out. A one dimensional player that isn't elite in that dimension. Any comparisons to rocket shot lighting release Wahlstrom?

IMHO He's a bridge burning Deadwing and he go take a flying leap...
- Beaver-Warrior

I'll 2nd, 3rd and 4th that.

Your enthusiasm and belief that the Hawks are close is great. I want to see what you see but when I think about the upcoming season and games against Winnipeg, St Louis and Nashville I think it's going to be men against boys. Maybe they play well against the rest of the division but Colorado seems too fast, Dallas and Minnesota have very similar rosters to last season in which they handled the Hawks fairly well.
- stevefrmglencoe

Well, this era's Hawks have never been physical team to begin with, it seems Nashville, Winnipeg and any physical team in general tends to push the Hawks around, however the Hawks still manage to win because they play a finesse game - speed, skill, line chemistry and bottom 6 lines that can shutdown opposing top lines...Q's strategy has been effective (for the most part) thus far so I don't see why it wont continue to be effective... I agree the Hawks could use a few physical guys that are perhaps more aggressive, but it's not like these kids are passive and some are pretty big themselves..

I will uncharacteristically refrain from making any outlandish predictions, but I think that the Coyotes have a real chance to make the playoffs this year. Only the Predators and Jets are absolute locks for the playoffs in the West. I highly doubt the Oilers and Flames will be as unlucky as they were last year, so lets go ahead and put them in, along with the Blues.

You can definitely count out the Hawks and the Canucks, so that leaves the Coyotes fighting with the Wild, Vegas, Ducks, Sharks, Kings, Avalanche and Stars for one of the final three playoff spots.

- Jane Tanner

When the 'spaghetti don't stick...

But in all seriousness, really? Lets talk playoff predictions because its July and we're all avid (admittedly bored) hockey fans.

From the west I have:

Vegas, Nashville,Winnepeg as "locks" to make it

Blues, Kings, Sharks are all high probability

Dallas/Avs/Calgary/Edmonton could duke it out for wildcard spots

Chicago, Anaheim might sneak in on a fluke, but its unlikely

Minnesota, Vancouver, Arizona are probably out before the season starts


From the east:

Toronto, Tampa will fight for presidents trophy

Pittsburgh/Washington/Boston are in the race

Columbus, Flyers, Panthers, Devils will fight for the last spots

Buffalo, NYR might sneak in on a fluke, but its unlikely

Montreal, Ottawa, Carolina, Detroit, NYI are all participating in #loseForHughes

Well, this era's Hawks have never been physical team to begin with, it seems Nashville, Winnipeg and any physical team in general tends to push the Hawks around, however the Hawks still manage to win because they play a finesse game - speed, skill, line chemistry and bottom 6 lines that can shutdown opposing top lines...Q's strategy has been effective (for the most part) thus far so I don't see why it wont continue to be effective... I agree the Hawks could use a few physical guys that are perhaps more aggressive, but it's not like these kids are passive and some are pretty big themselves..
- Savard2Secord

Write another novel on the subject of how two defenders waiting for a hawks player to receive an outlet pass all game long is an effective strategy.

Write another novel on the subject of how two defenders waiting for a hawks player to receive an outlet pass all game long is an effective strategy.
- 6628

The play isn't the problem - the players making those plays are.

Truth of the matter is the Hawks played 20 rookies last season and they clearly were not up to playing on the level the vets are accustomed to, and that dragged them down - not only that but guys like Toews and Keith were overworked... With the Hawks teams of the past everyone was on the same page and those outlet passes were second nature to them, but the kids have never played on that level - they're rookies and they're going to make rookie mistakes... I'm sure the kids will be a lot better this season after an NHL season under their belt, a Calder Cup run and a summer to get stronger both mentally and physically... Kids that age can grow tremendously over the course of a summer....I mean some fans are acting like these kids have reached their ceiling, when many have only scratched the surface of their potential.. I know last season was painful to watch but the kids are NHL ready and the only way they're going to further their development is by playing in the league.

And if it matters that stretch pass has worked more times than not, I bet anything that stretch passed lead to more goals than it has steals the turned into goals...

Besides that stretch pass is a difficult pass to defend against - if the checker tries to break up the pass and he misses it it's an odd man rush for the Hawks, if not a breakaway... Guys like Keith know what they're doing with the stretch pass..

When the 'spaghetti don't stick...

But in all seriousness, really? Lets talk playoff predictions because its July and we're all avid (admittedly bored) hockey fans.

From the west I have:

Vegas, Nashville,Winnepeg as "locks" to make it

Blues, Kings, Sharks are all high probability

Dallas/Avs/Calgary/Edmonton could duke it out for wildcard spots

Chicago, Anaheim might sneak in on a fluke, but its unlikely

Minnesota, Vancouver, Arizona are probably out before the season starts


From the east:

Toronto, Tampa will fight for presidents trophy

Pittsburgh/Washington/Boston are in the race

Columbus, Flyers, Panthers, Devils will fight for the last spots

Buffalo, NYR might sneak in on a fluke, but its unlikely

Montreal, Ottawa, Carolina, Detroit, NYI are all participating in #loseForHughes
- Slofire94

Honestly, I think Vegas did as well as they did last season because there was zero expectations for that team, not only that but every player on that bench wanted to prove their former teams wrong for leaving them exposed - those two ideas combined really created the perfect environment for success... That and Vegas had a very favorable expansion draft do they got some decent players, a bunch of very good 3rd liners and a few legitimate 2nd liners, so when you have a team where your top 9 forwards are either really good 3rd liners or better you kinda have the edge against a lot of teams as far as median skill, and I don't think a lot of people realized that..... Either way, hockey fans - especially Vegas fans - now have expectations - high expectations and it's going to be difficult for Vegas to top last season.. So it will be interesting to see how Vegas deals with adversity because the team pretty much had none last season because there were zero expectations.

I do think Vegas is a playoff team, don't get me wrong but Vegas also has potential to have a meltdown too so they have vulnerably, so it will be interesting to see how they handle the pressure and expectations.