So as of now Keith Seabrook Gusto and Jan are our top 4 dmen, oh boy

Darth posted the article about Dcat's brother going from Cincy to Rockford and those are his measurements. And I hope they are not inflated as virtually all are in the NHL.
- 6628

Is this just as a favor to the DeBrincat's? If so, I doubt he ever sees the NHL.

Darth posted the article about Dcat's brother going from Cincy to Rockford and those are his measurements. And I hope they are not inflated as virtually all are in the NHL.
- 6628

Ooh thanks. I was so confused lol.

Heck at this rate rather just see Joker and Boq be the 3rd line play 10 to 15 minutes a night. Since we really don't have any other NHL defenseman

Is this just as a favor to the DeBrincat's? If so, I doubt he ever sees the NHL.
- ToewsdNKanefusd

First the Sikuras and now the Debrincats. Does Kane have a twin that we don't know about, one who likes cab drivers?

Heck at this rate rather just see Joker and Boq be the 3rd line play 10 to 15 minutes a night. Since we really don't have any other NHL defenseman
- BetweenTheDots

IF Joki and Boquist continue to play solid throughout the rest of the preseason (especially when teams are playing more NHLers), I don't see any harm in giving them both the 9 game NHL tryout. If they regress and show they aren't quite ready, Boquist can go back to the OHL without burning a year off his contract. I'm not sure the Hawks even know what they will do with Jokiharju if he doesn't make the team..is he AHL eligible? He doesn't have much to gain by going back to the WHL IMO. Maybe he could go play in the top Swedish/Finnish league?

Would be cool for Q to put the Sikura brothers on a line together...at least for one shift. Excited to see what Knott can do. At this point Bondra looks like a bust, he is just an awful skater.
- EnzoD

Yeah - then Foley could go “Dylan with the puck - where’s Tyler?”

First the Sikuras and now the Debrincats. Does Kane have a twin that we don't know about, one who likes cab drivers?
- I Am The Breadman

Keith Seabrook also played part of a season in Rockford

I'd go with:

Saad - Toews - Schmaltz
ADB - AA - Kane
Kahun - Kampf - Sikura (too much youth?)
Hayden - Kruger - Martinsen

I don't see Schmaltz long-term at Center. I also seem to remember one of Toews best stretches of hockey last year or the year prior playing with Schmaltz. Kane doing his thing and having the option to setup ADB for 1-timers with AA in front seems like a good look to me especially with getting slightly lower quality of competition and matchups on L2.
- Coca

I am starting to think that if we are going to get a jump in production from Toews, he will have to move to wing like Giroux did in Philly.

If you wanted to have one actual good line, then it might look like this:

Toews-Schmaltz-Kane
Saad-AA-Dcat

then build the bottom two lines out of Kampf and Kruger at center however you want, doesn't matter because neither will be good.

Kunitz-Kampf-Sikura
Martinsen-Kruger-Highmore

(fixed)
Trotz will use him better
- fattybeef

There wasn't much difference in usage/deployment for Kempny on the Hawks vs Caps except that Kempny got more slightly icetime and played with a top pairing d-man (but was not top pairing himself).

Yeah - then Foley could go “Dylan with the puck - where’s Tyler?”
- StLBravesFan

OMG that's awesome so glad I don't have to hear that watching a Nuckes game anymore

First the Sikuras and now the Debrincats. Does Kane have a twin that we don't know about, one who likes cab drivers?
- I Am The Breadman

The Hawks have done this a lot over the last decade, bring over the brother of a good player as a favor to the family. Probably so that it is easier for the family to watch both play.

The Hawks have done this a lot over the last decade, bring over the brother of a good player as a favor to the family. Probably so that it is easier for the family to watch both play.
- ToewsdNKanefusd

Schmaltz got the short end of the stick. I know Jordan is in Stl.

Keith Seabrook also played part of a season in Rockford
- EnzoD

Also, there was the training camp and 2 AHL games by David Toews.

I think Kruger/Kampf could very well end up being 3rd and 4th C if AA slides back up to the top 6.
- breadbag

Yes, Kampf and Kruger are the ideal bottom 6 centers if Anisimov lands in the top 6.

Would be cool for Q to put the Sikura brothers on a line together...at least for one shift. Excited to see what Knott can do. At this point Bondra looks like a bust, he is just an awful skater.
- EnzoD

Don't think he earns a spot of out camp but Knott seems to finally be trending in the right direction and could finally earn his call-up later this season. Excited to see what's to come for him.

Agree on Bondra: he's done jack squat besides a few flashes of dominance which are simply not enough. He's irrelevant and ineffective all other times.

Noel made me a believer again in him. Thought he and Knott, along with Bondra, were getting leapfrogged by other prospects. Knott is proving his worth while Noel is carving out a much needed niche, i.e. a Shaw-like small power forward with a ton of sandpaper and loves to hit. I see Barratt in that mold as well.

I read an OHL preview artricle and Entwistle is expected to be a dominant force in that league this year. Looking like a really good trade for Bowman to dump Hossa's cap hit. No big loss in Hinostroza, IMO.
- EnzoD

Lots to like about Entwistle and coaches love him, too. He does anything it takes to win, all the small things. Doesn't care about stats. Slavin is similar.

I don't like the lines as currently constructed.

Kane needs a sniper on the LW and a big man in the middle.
ADB- AA- Kane

Saad and Toews need a play maker on RW.
Saad - Toews - Schmaltz (They may want Schmaltz to be a center, but he is what he is ... a perimeter player that has a pass first mentality.)

Kruger and Kampf should be centers for lines 3 and 4. Mix and match their wingers.

Kampf, with Sikura?Kahun?Ejdsell? Fortin?
Martinsen, Kruger, Hayden

Entwistle should start at the Rock. However it would be fun to see a line of Martinsen, Entwistle and Hayden for a preseason game or two.

D and the goaltending is a mess. Keith, Seabs, Jokiharju, Gus, Rutta, Murphy, Forsling, Manning, Davidson, Hillman. Does it really matter?
- -Doh-

When I say the D is a mess, I am just considering this year, especially the start of this year with the injuries. Future prospects look better.

Same with goaltending. Crow is iffy at best. No one can be too excited about Cam Ward. Forsberg, Delia, Lankinen, Nalimov might turn out to be a pretty good, but not this year.

I'd go with:

Saad - Toews - Schmaltz
ADB - AA - Kane
Kahun - Kampf - Sikura (too much youth?)
Hayden - Kruger - Martinsen

I don't see Schmaltz long-term at Center. I also seem to remember one of Toews best stretches of hockey last year or the year prior playing with Schmaltz. Kane doing his thing and having the option to setup ADB for 1-timers with AA in front seems like a good look to me especially with getting slightly lower quality of competition and matchups on L2.
- Coca

Even though many of us pencil in Kane and his linemates as the 2nd line, I imagine most teams consider Kane's line the 1st line. As such, Kane and company get high QOC and toughest matchups.

Not sure what the advanced stats say and you could be right.

Lots to like about Entwistle and coaches love him, too. He does anything it takes to win, all the small things. Doesn't care about stats. Slavin is similar.
- AEL_Fox

He was almost ours originally, I forgot who we drafted after him when the yotes swooped in and snatched him in the draft.

There wasn't much difference in usage/deployment for Kempny on the Hawks vs Caps except that Kempny got more slightly icetime and played with a top pairing d-man (but was not top pairing himself).
- L_B_R

Kempny even said, "It was nice knowing that I can make mistakes and learn from them, not be a healthy scratch for a couple of games like when I was in Chicago."

He was almost ours originally, I forgot who we drafted after him when the yotes swooped in and snatched him in the draft.
- I Am The Breadman

Andrei Altybarmakyan

Schmaltz got the short end of the stick. I know Jordan is in Stl.
- I Am The Breadman

The blues already had Jordan when the Hawks picked Nick. In fact, the Hawks were afraid of the Blues jumping ahead of them to unite the brothers, which is part of the reason they traded up to draft Nick that year.

The blues already had Jordan when the Hawks picked Nick. In fact, the Hawks were afraid of the Blues jumping ahead of them to unite the brothers, which is part of the reason they traded up to draft Nick that year.
- hereismike1

Did not know that, thanks.

I read an OHL preview artricle and Entwistle is expected to be a dominant force in that league this year. Looking like a really good trade for Bowman to dump Hossa's cap hit. No big loss in Hinostroza, IMO.
- EnzoD

Yet you have Tanner blogging like hinostroza is a hidden breakout star that was the steal of the century.

Hino MIGHT be a consistent 40 point bottom/middle six player but tell me exactly what's so special about that? Those are a dime a dozen across the league

And he's not even there yet