I fear Colliton was called up too soon to fail. They should have went with someone more experienced to finish this season.
- BlackhawkMike

I have same fear here.

They need right shot dmen so I'm not sure how this fits their need at all.
- GPHawksfan

They are in low quantity of d men who shoot for shin pads. They want him and we got him haha.

Well said and in other words IMO this is an organIzational mess and it starts with Shovel Face sticking his nose into hockey decisions, the apparent reliance on ScottBow giving his son StanBow more rope than any other GM enjoys.

And as I thought going back a couple yrs this all falls to, and can only be fixed by, Rocky. Glass half full the firing of Q means they acknowledge a problem publicly and the following poor season they will have will further expose Stan and Shovel Face.

Nothing gets fixed until Rocky says I need to fix this not Shovel Face or StanBow. It's past hoping for or expecting that.

That said I again thank StanBow for doing no harm this offseason by tying up money in a JVR, Stastny, Neal, Vanek type instead bringing in known below average NHLers in Kunitz, Ward and Manning with little to no term/cap hit. Stan knew this roster was not getting much if anything done.

This will be important when Rocky brings in a new GM.
- Mr Ricochet

LMAO @ SHOVELFACE



I do believe Stan could have done a much better job this off season with trying to drastically upgrade his top 6 , if he would have tried this team may be in a better position. Instead of wasting money on garbage . Maybe coach Q was just sick and tired of the front office for not bringing in a more supporting productive cast of players he chose to defy them and bring out or point out how awful this team is due to management being that incompetent.

I fear Colliton was called up too soon to fail. They should have went with someone more experienced to finish this season.
- BlackhawkMike

Colliton is Stan’s hail mary. He had marching orders to make the playoffs this season. As soon as it started to get away he pulled out his last resort. Enjoy (or not) Stan while he lasts because I doubt he’s here in a year.

Yeah, that could definitely be it. Good news is that Ward is starting tonight.
- pdx2ord

Ward starting tonight is good news ?

I fear Colliton was called up too soon to fail. They should have went with someone more experienced to finish this season.
- BlackhawkMike

In my opinion this just shows clearly how incompetent the front office is and speaks volumes as to why this team is lacking talent , energy , skill and any clear plan for this team.



Words like remodel and we know this team is a playoff team truly , truly just show why Rocky needs to step in and make the required changes , so he doesn't lose his fan base in droves and precious opportunities to capitalize on any remaining talent.

Agree with all of this. Bill Wirtz and Harold Ballard - 2 idiots generally responsible for long periods of darkness for their franchises.

Selling off proven talent in order to tank and rebuild from scratch is not a formula that works very often and it is usually 5 years plus of hell when a team takes that approach (Buffalo, Edmonton, Arizona, Ottawa, Florida, Carolina). Accumulated draft picks and salary cap space assure nothing and don't sell tickets. Instead work harder at scouting and player development at the minor league level.
- RickJ

That is exactly what I have been saying. Accumulated picks mean nothing. All the individual talent in the world means nothing. Please let me know who the last NHL team that tanked and then went on to win a cup was.

Hockey is not like other sports in terms of tanking and using draft picks to rebuild quickly. You can do it in Football because draft choices who can make an impact can be found in later rounds much more regularly. In Baseball, team control of a player lasts much longer and Free agency makes it much easier to rebuild over just a few years. In basketball one player can impact a game more than in any other sport.

In hockey, the percentage of lower round draft picks making any type of impact drastically falls off after the first round, ELC's are only 3 years and at that point players want to be paid or traded. You can draft the best player in the world, it doesn't necessarily make you competitive.

Ward starting tonight is good news ?
- StutzBlackhawk

Only in terms of easing Crow back into starter position. No other reason. As I mentioned, he seems "off" these past few games and interviews.

That is exactly what I have been saying. Accumulated picks mean nothing. All the individual talent in the world means nothing. Please let me know who the last NHL team that tanked and then went on to win a cup was.

Hockey is not like other sports in terms of tanking and using draft picks to rebuild quickly. You can do it in Football because draft choices who can make an impact can be found in later rounds much more regularly. In Baseball, team control of a player lasts much longer and Free agency makes it much easier to rebuild over just a few years. In basketball one player can impact a game more than in any other sport.

In hockey, the percentage of lower round draft picks making any type of impact drastically falls off after the first round, ELC's are only 3 years and at that point players want to be paid or traded. You can draft the best player in the world, it doesn't necessarily make you competitive.
- TheTrob

Building Blocks:

Kane
Toews
Saad
Jokiharju
Keith
Debrincat
Boquist


Everyone else SHOULD be....




ALL we ask for is Cap Space**!

Crawford
Anisimov
Seabrook
Rutta
Manning
Ward
Kunitz
Gustafson
**Schmaltz (1st round pick or high end prospect)

The lines got left in the blender overnight and it poured out kinda rotten...The top line should be good though.
- breadbag

Does a Coach get some terrible punishment for playing DeBrincat with Kane? Also how does Schmaltz get opportunity after opportunity?

Does a Coach get some terrible punishment for playing DeBrincat with Kane? Also how does Schmaltz get opportunity after opportunity?
- Z3Hawk

Because of me!

Building Blocks:

Kane
Toews
Saad
Jokiharju
Keith
Debrincat
Boquist


Everyone else SHOULD be....




ALL we ask for is Cap Space**!

Crawford
Anisimov
Seabrook
Rutta
Manning
Ward
Kunitz
Gustafson
**Schmaltz (1st round pick or high end prospect)
- EnzoD

I don't disagree with much of this - but - Schmaltz IS a first round pick and a high-end prospect. He's only 22 at the moment.

If we don't think he's a high-end prospect, why would anyone else - and why would we get back what you asked for?

Building Blocks:

Kane
Toews
Saad
Jokiharju
Keith
Debrincat
Boquist


Everyone else SHOULD be....




ALL we ask for is Cap Space**!

Crawford
Anisimov
Seabrook
Rutta
Manning
Ward
Kunitz
Gustafson
**Schmaltz (1st round pick or high end prospect)
- EnzoD

I’m not ready to give up on Schmaltz yet, not even close. Schmaltz may not be the big bruising Cam Neely 2.0 everyone wants him to be but he’s young, talented and worth developing. There was an outcry to trade the Euro-smurf Teräväinen, now Stan is criticized for dealing him. Maybe Schmaltz has played his way into a 2 year bridge deal, but I think he’s with the risk.

Ward starting tonight is good news ?
- StutzBlackhawk

It is a nice gesture that he gets to play in front of his former team's fans. They had a nice tribute to him in the hallway - great picture of him making the rounds of him stopping to look at it.

Ward starting tonight is good news ?
- StutzBlackhawk

It is not good news but I think sadly on a wider front. Crow simply does not seem right. Not tracking puck either side to side or quickly on the stick of players breaking in. Losing his net and angles. In post-game interview just didn’t seem himself either. Oh I despise Malkin.

It is not good news but I think sadly on a wider front. Crow simply does not seem right. Not tracking puck either side to side or quickly on the stick of players breaking in. Losing his net and angles. In post-game interview just didn’t seem himself either. Oh I despise Malkin.
- Z3Hawk

Yes to all of this

I’m not ready to give up on Schmaltz yet, not even close. Schmaltz may not be the big bruising Cam Neely 2.0 everyone wants him to be but he’s young, talented and worth developing. There was an outcry to trade the Euro-smurf Teräväinen, now Stan is criticized for dealing him. Maybe Schmaltz has played his way into a 2 year bridge deal, but I think he’s with the risk.
- DarthKane

I'm disapointed in his lack of progression from last season. It is clear he has high end skating, puck control, and pasing ability. He is very good in open ice takeaways, too. However, he is severely lacking in the physical strenght department which makes him a non-factor along the boards and in the faceoff circle. If I was Nick Schmaltz, I would've been busting my ass to add some strength and weight this past LONG summer.....it's clear he has not done that. I would only trade him for a high end D/Center prospect. While he has had a rough start, he did have over 50 points in his first full NHL season, and has moments of dominating shifts with the puck. I think he's a very desirable trade piece, IF they can't get him to sign a team friendly bridge deal.

Because of me!


- EnzoD

“Scotty is my Dad”

It is not good news but I think sadly on a wider front. Crow simply does not seem right. Not tracking puck either side to side or quickly on the stick of players breaking in. Losing his net and angles. In post-game interview just didn’t seem himself either. Oh I despise Malkin.
- Z3Hawk

Malkin did most certainly goon shot him.

It is a nice gesture that he gets to play in front of his former team's fans. They had a nice tribute to him in the hallway - great picture of him making the rounds of him stopping to look at it.
- matt_ahrens

We're already at the point where the best parts of the week are gestures to old players?

Ward= loss. The Carolina forwards know where his holes are, which at 3.92 GAA seem to be everywhere. Unless Crawford is taking a day, this move is stupid. Crawford gives up one less goal per game, and on a team that can't score at all that makes a big difference.

His short handed save percentage is .931, while Ward's is .778. So we basically are screwed if anyone takes a penalty.

A 7 game losing streak is a bad time to start handing out gestures. This is stupid.

I do believe Stan could have done a much better job this off season with trying to drastically upgrade his top 6 , if he would have tried this team may be in a better position. Instead of wasting money on garbage .
- Taylorst1

Who specifically should Stan have acquired that wouldn't just take them from 8th place to 6th? What would a 30 yr old Stastny or JVR at 6 mil for 6 yrs do for the organIzation?

The only guy I was ok giving money and term to was 27 yr old De Haan. Young enough and is a legit #4 Dman.

Love that Ward and Kunitz while they gave the club a vet for a yr and Manning after 2 yrs are all gone with zero money implications when a Joki has 2 yrs and a Boqvist a yr under their belt and they are ready to go after a real free agent worth committing money and term to.

We're already at the point where the best parts of the week are gestures to old players?

Ward= loss. The Carolina forwards know where his holes are, which at 3.92 GAA seem to be everywhere. Unless Crawford is taking a day, this move is stupid. Crawford gives up one less goal per game, and on a team that can't score at all that makes a big difference.

His short handed save percentage is .931, while Ward's is .778. So we basically are screwed if anyone takes a penalty.

A 7 game losing streak is a bad time to start handing out gestures. This is stupid.
- ObeseOprah

Jack Hughes Highlights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSCIVO40CCY

Only in terms of easing Crow back into starter position. No other reason. As I mentioned, he seems "off" these past few games and interviews.
- pdx2ord

well no surprise he seems shell shocked...because he is getting shelled; every other shot against comes from a guy 5 feet away from him or an odd man situation...

plus want to give ward his due from the former home crowd

Jack Hughes Highlights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSCIVO40CCY
- EnzoD

I can't start pining in November. Our draft drooling that began in February was painful enough. Get Sikura up here, I need something to hope over. I can't watch Anisimov float around the ice any more. I can't watch our dump-ins never get retrieved. I can't watch our best scoring opportunities come from point shots by defensemen who have not scored a single goal all year.

Although while I think about dmen I did like seeing Keith take trips below the dots for the first time in 8 years. 5 man units gets me amped up.

Building Blocks:

Kane
Toews
Saad
Jokiharju
Keith
Debrincat
Boquist


Everyone else SHOULD be....




ALL we ask for is Cap Space**!

Crawford
Anisimov
Seabrook
Rutta
Manning
Ward
Kunitz
Gustafson
**Schmaltz (1st round pick or high end prospect)
- EnzoD

I think you keep Schmaltz, but not at some ridiculous price. Unless his play changes drastically as the season goes on, he better be comfortable with a bridge deal, not the $6mil or whatever he is/was expected to ask for. Crawford should still be able to get you something good, the rest.........not so much, for varying reasons.