That is why reading the pages of this current blog are tough for me with all the hopes of signing a RFA from a trade or adding a vet who hasn't been signed.

I don't see that as a big part of the direction...it is try and improve with your own assets, with the ones already in the league needing qualitative improvements and the new farm guys showing they are here to stay no matter where they slot line wise now.

The minute we won one championship, the pressure was on from the Cap.

The management miscalculated the rise we all thought the Cap was going to jump.

You suddenly can't keep everyone.
EVERY team has fans shaken their heads not understanding why their team didn't back up the truck with loads of cash to keep their mid-level fan favorite guy.

Teams who haven't won are experiencing it already decisions that could end up looking bad when a guy drafted mid rounds they feel cant get paid SO much right now until he actually becomes a rounded impact player (like Buff sorta has turned into).

Nashville's emergence didn't happen overnight, or the Jets, but Nashville drafted well with late and second rounders and the jets (and every other "bad" team) by virtue of the luxury of more than one very early pick, another at slot 9, and the jets having seven drafted players before pick 20...and Jack Roslovic @25...it helps.

Wasn't that partially OUR team formula?

So despite the fact I can't be bothered trying to be optimistic or pessimistic, I do know there will have to be growth, improvement, and experience in whatever the results are.

I can't begrudge any organization or team member for the backslide, but the result of not going to the playoffs means a shot at a top three player via the lottery, and 13 other really good "others in the 2019 draft class (DraftSite all 7 rounds are up).

So that is things will happen.


No other outside guy is going to be able to carry the load of post season and even regular season success.
- wiz1901

That's exactly right - management misjudged the cap growth. Management also overpaid guys based on their performance since, even if the cap had grown as expected. I'm not saying I knew better, I didn't; either with regards to the cap or the players, just saying that's how it turned out.

My expectations for the season are low. Best case scenario: the core guys are all back to their performance level of 3 or 4 years ago, and the young guys take leaps of improvement, and the other veterans play their roles well. The team comes out of the gate on fire. The front office adds some pieces before the TDL. The team makes the playoffs then goes on a run. All of that is unlikely.

More likely scenario: the team looks a little better than last year. Some higher contract guys get traded. The team misses the playoffs. Q gets fired. The team signs a decent free agent or two next summer. A new beginning in 2019-20 after the CBA gets worked out.

That's exactly right - management misjudged the cap growth. Management also overpaid guys based on their performance since, even if the cap had grown as expected. I'm not saying I knew better, I didn't; either with regards to the cap or the players, just saying that's how it turned out.

My expectations for the season are low. Best case scenario: the core guys are all back to their performance level of 3 or 4 years ago, and the young guys take leaps of improvement, and the other veterans play their roles well. The team comes out of the gate on fire. The front office adds some pieces before the TDL. The team makes the playoffs then goes on a run. All of that is unlikely.

More likely scenario: the team looks a little better than last year. Some higher contract guys get traded. The team misses the playoffs. Q gets fired. The team signs a decent free agent or two next summer. A new beginning in 2019-20 after the CBA gets worked out.
- matt_ahrens

Agree I think the rebuild starts when new cba is sorted out and build around kane and the baby core. A question for this year of the remaining rfa players not signed who should the hawks maybe targeting? Jorden smaltz to me is another bottom pair d man and the hawks already have enough of those. Hawks need help on the wings and center and top 4 d man those are the holes. This is just a hypothetical question for discussion sake. Trade scenarios are welcome!!

This is similar to the Detroit redwings situation, in years past you had Yzerman , Federov , then Lindstrom, Datczuk, or however it is spelled, Zetterberg, Holmstrom etc. how they are mired in mediocrity because most of the young kids they have drafted are not of the elite status. Everybody is drinking the Kool-Aid on schmaltz and Debrincat,Again probably will be very good players but no way in hell will be the next Toews and Kane .
Instead Bowman decides to draft undersized defenseman, instead of taking a page out of Ryan Pace’s Book, by trading up to a top for spot and having a shot it either Tkachuk,Zadina,Or the kid from Montreal, he should’ve taken Wahlstrom when he had the chance. You always go for the forward especially if one has the potential to be a powerhouse.
If things start out crappy I just don’t know if Rocky has his old mans temper To come out and fire Stan Bowman sooner than later. Said it before and I’ll say it again, they just hired Bowmans replacement When they brought Chris Chelios back into the fold.

This is similar to the Detroit redwings situation, in years past you had Yzerman , Federov , then Lindstrom, Datczuk, or however it is spelled, Zetterberg, Holmstrom etc. how they are mired in mediocrity because most of the young kids they have drafted are not of the elite status. Everybody is drinking the Kool-Aid on schmaltz and Debrincat,Again probably will be very good players but no way in hell will be the next Toews and Kane .
Instead Bowman decides to draft undersized defenseman, instead of taking a page out of Ryan Pace’s Book, by trading up to a top for spot and having a shot it either Tkachuk,Zadina,Or the kid from Montreal, he should’ve taken Wahlstrom when he had the chance. You always go for the forward especially if one has the potential to be a powerhouse.
If things start out crappy I just don’t know if Rocky has his old mans temper To come out and fire Stan Bowman sooner than later. Said it before and I’ll say it again, they just hired Bowmans replacement When they brought Chris Chelios back into the fold.
- wonthecup10

I understand many here hates Stan and thinks he's an idiot.

But when making factual statements "he should've taken Wahlstrom when he had the chance", could we at least wait until said player plays one minute of NHL hockey before making these exact statements.

I'll tell you this, after watching him in the latest youngster tourney, Stan and Mark Kelly would be getting killed here for wasting our top 8 pick on this guy. He was nowhere to be seen.

This is similar to the Detroit redwings situation, in years past you had Yzerman , Federov , then Lindstrom, Datczuk, or however it is spelled, Zetterberg, Holmstrom etc. how they are mired in mediocrity because most of the young kids they have drafted are not of the elite status. Everybody is drinking the Kool-Aid on schmaltz and Debrincat,Again probably will be very good players but no way in hell will be the next Toews and Kane .
Instead Bowman decides to draft undersized defenseman, instead of taking a page out of Ryan Pace’s Book, by trading up to a top for spot and having a shot it either Tkachuk,Zadina,Or the kid from Montreal, he should’ve taken Wahlstrom when he had the chance. You always go for the forward especially if one has the potential to be a powerhouse.
If things start out crappy I just don’t know if Rocky has his old mans temper To come out and fire Stan Bowman sooner than later. Said it before and I’ll say it again, they just hired Bowmans replacement When they brought Chris Chelios back into the fold.
- wonthecup10

Uhm, ok. You start by identifying the Hawks trying to emulate the Wings model and then go on to single out forwards as the reason why the Wings have failed to rebound and the Hawks are destined to.

Couldn't disagree more. The Wings have hit upon some forwards, Larkin being the best of the bunch and now Zadina, after falling into their laps in this past draft. They've drafted others too: Nyquist, Tatar, Mantha, Anathasiou.

The reason the Wings weren't able to keep making the playoffs forever is they have no one on defense. It may be a few years before the Hawks are able to roll a true top 4 D-core, but unlike the Wings they look to be better prepared to re-stock the group.

You just don't replace players like Lidstrom or Keith, easily if ever, but the Wings haven't had a true top 2/3 dman filling out any of their 3 units since he retired.

Another is you typically aren't drafting elite talent at the end of the first round which until recently is where both teams were picking.

Back from the cottage/my sister's wedding... and back in action.

*NEW* blog up: https://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=94480