Agreed.

They do still have faith in him to "rebuild" this team apparently.

If/when that changes... he will be out ASAP as this is a very pivotal time for this organization to get back to contention.
- Justin Lowe

Ok let me ask you this , say by the winter classic the hawks are done and clearly not going to make the playoffs and United center continues to dwindle and get embarrassed so bad at the winter classic to. A point the analysts are just ripping hawks management is then that rockey finally fires bowman? I just don't see how blinded they are that they have faith in him after the last 3 years and the fact he is not a very good gm to start just frustrating. What was the last trade bowman made that he won?

I love baseless Millennial blame game and resentment!

https://www.vox.com/2017/...millennials-congress-debt

"The boomers, according to Gibney, have committed “generational plunder,” pillaging the nation’s economy, repeatedly cutting their own taxes, financing two wars with deficits, ignoring climate change, presiding over the death of America’s manufacturing core, and leaving future generations to clean up the mess they created."

https://www.npr.org/2018/...llennials-and-the-economy

"Healthcare, housing and education are more than five times more expensive than they were for our parents. There are fewer steady jobs. Wages have stagnated since the 1970s. "

Also, there is no "Planet B". The destruction of the Earth via Fossil Fuel consumption is the single greatest crime of the Baby Boomer Generation. Let's not forget the Drug War on Marijuana (with alcohol being statistically and scientifically proven to be deadly and more hazardous for your health). This had led to the highest incarceration rates (primarily of minorities) for small possession of cannabis.


https://www.marketwatch.c...climate-change-2016-12-20

"“Without substantial and sustained global mitigation and regional adaptation efforts, climate change is expected to cause growing losses to American infrastructure and property and impede the rate of economic growth over this century,”

But blaming those entitled youngsters is much easier, right?
- EnzoD

Hi, is this the police?

I'd like to report an absolute murder.

Doesn't mean everything but just food for though on Strome's offensive start and the state of the Hawks offense at 5v5. For the season, here are the rates Hawks players are putting up Primary Points (Goal or First Assist).



Strome will slow down and return to mean a bit, but he has had an good offensive impact in the minutes he has played in 6 games.

Ok let me ask you this , say by the winter classic the hawks are done and clearly not going to make the playoffs and United center continues to dwindle and get embarrassed so bad at the winter classic to. A point the analysts are just ripping hawks management is then that rockey finally fires bowman? I just don't see how blinded they are that they have faith in him after the last 3 years and the fact he is not a very good gm to start just frustrating. What was the last trade bowman made that he won?
- Scott1977

Right after I read your comment, interesting to see which team they put in the header pic for this article

https://twitter.com/hocke...tatus/1071156906578849792

Maybe instead of line juggling, JC should learn about line matchups...where he has zero clue on how to put his best players in a position to succeed.


Maybe I should just sit back though and let JC develop in this new developmental league the NHL has now become

Good to see DCat got his minutes last night, but Gus cannot play 26 minutes.

Hi, is this the police?

I'd like to report an absolute murder.
- ObeseOprah

No, you got the wrong guys: Sting, Andy Summers, and Stewart Copeland.

Wow.

Just today - FOUR Winter Classic solicitation emails, a Tommy Hawk Holiday Photo shoot solicitation email, and a Valentine's Day photo with Sharp and Burish solicitation email.

Just for that McD, I'll be doing my drinking and eating 100% pre-game Sunday at the Beer Bistro on Madison.

Not one dollar more at the UC beyond the tickets I bought until you are gone.

Winning fills seats. Work on that.
- Return of the Roar

GREAT POST. .....I am with 100%.

I know everyone excited about the young Defenceman coming and hopefully a few will make it bUT to think all will seems unrealistic.
- HamiltonHawk

Exactly but that is the advantage of prospect depth. Not all will make it and the big club wouldn't necessarily have enough spots for them anyway. Even if more than what a team needs develops nicely, then some of them become nice assets for trades to shore up other needs.

The critical part is evaluating which ones to keep and which ones to cut bait on but not doing so where it bites you in the butt where the ones you keep end up not really cutting the mustard while the ones you traded turn out to be better than expected.

Maybe instead of line juggling, JC should learn about line matchups...where he has zero clue on how to put his best players in a position to succeed.


Maybe I should just sit back though and let JC develop in this new developmental league the NHL has now become
- PatShart

Maybe for Christmas you could send JC your acclaimed book on line matchups and gently remind him that unless he improves on line matchups you will be forced to do more than just sit back and let him develop.

Exactly but that is the advantage of prospect depth. Not all will make it and the big club wouldn't necessarily have enough spots for them anyway. Even if more than what a team needs develops nicely, then some of them become nice assets for trades to shore up other needs.

The critical part is evaluating which ones to keep and which ones to cut bait on but not doing so where it bites you in the butt where the ones you keep end up not really cutting the mustard while the ones you traded turn out to be better than expected.
- AEL_Fox

AEL, I got some Rockford questions.
1. Who has been given more starts and/or looked better: Forsberg or Delia?
2. Who do you think is the first defenseman called up? If Rutta ++ are being shopped and moved.
3. Who is the next forward called up? Again, if people are shopped and moved or sent down.
2&3 are just assumptions. I haven't been able to catch any Rock games, and I've been meaning to.

On a high note it looks like they have a player in Strome and if he gets his fitness up a bit and fills out that frame he will be a very good hockey player. Maybe somewhere around a Johansen or Spezza type. He always seems to be in the right spot and being just a little stronger on his skates and able to start and stop with out huffing and puffing after a few direction changes and i think you start to see some dominant shifts more consistently there.
- fattybeef

Agree on Strome. He has the tools to be a top 6 center but his skating and conditioning need work. Great to know he has taken on a skating coach so hopefully that will start to pay dividends over the next year or so.

If Strome does become Spezza-like, hope he doesn't have the same laugh.

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

The ghost of Q will come to life soon when he takes over in Philly as their coach as long as Fletcher agrees to get him something better than a Jr.B goaltender. And then you will see some Hawk-Flyer trade action.
- RickJ

Unique perspective that I hadn't thought of: if/when Q lands a new coaching gig, will some of the core be willing to waive their NMC/NTCs to go where he is?

Let's say that ever happens, I could see McD and Stan nixing any trades to Q's new team out of spite.

I get what you're saying, Duffy. They are tougher, just not in the first period. These past couple games have been close, but too little and too late.
- I Am The Breadman

It blows my mind man how they get behind in every game ,then battle back hard against some decent teams to make it interesting .Maybe just the other team taking their foot off the pedal .
I could see this team turning it around later in the season ,when it's to late for the playoffs .Going on a late season run would just put a dent in the Hughes lottery chances . I like that Russian Kid Podkolzin anyway .. I always want the HAWKS to win ,even when it might not be the best for the future

JC's blender is 100% based on self-doubt and terrible play. He's lost as to what to do, so he's just jumbling things and hoping something sticks - like grasping at straws. I think he needs to just set lines and see it through,, even if it gets rough.

Can't keep bouncing guys around IMO. They need some stability and structure.

I think another big issue is lack of identity/role for some of these guys. When you're moving guys all over, they have no clue what their role is. They seem to try to play a certain way dependent on the line they're on. JC needs t plant these guys on a line and say, "This is where you're playing and this is what I need."

If you look at Hartman before he was shipped out, he was caught in the middle of whether or not he needed to be a role player or a skilled guy. The end result was that he was a ghost on the ice because he didn't know what to do.
- Hank3Henshaw

Great post. Rewarding good play is one thing but slotting players improperly above or below their water level does not help the team as a whole. That might work if the talent level between the top 6 and bottom 6 was thin but not when there's a vast chasm instead.

This is the grim reality, I'm afraid- the fringe NHL talent currently playing bottom 6 (and defense for that matter) isn't blocking a bunch of high level prospects, just different ones. The higher rated prospects are playing in lower levels and are a couple of years away, unless they're rushed to the slaughter.
- Davewn

Agree. Yet, if that's the case, it wouldn't hurt to demote some guys like Fortin and Hayden back to the AHL for more seasoning and see what some of the other Hogs have to offer like the Sikura brothers, Knott, Nilsson, Edjsell, Louis, or (if he weren't injured) Highmore. At least as far as forwards go.

Sign Panarin - for Kane's happiness. And for this, keep Anisimov.
- PatShart

If Panarin is reacquired by the Hawks, I could see them holding on to Anisimov to reunite that line.

Then if that's the case, you role these forward lines:

Panarin - Anisimov - Kane
Saad - Toews - Sikura (or other RW)
Perlini (or other LW) - Strome - DeBrincat
LW - Kampf - RW

Perhaps Kahun at 3LW?

That 4th line needs to be a shutdown unit and I think Kampf should be the centerpiece. Not sure about the wingers at this point.

This also doesn't factor in a possible 2019 1st rounder if the Hawks are fortunate to draft one who is NHL ready immediately (assuming they also draft a forward and not another D-man).

How long until the Blackhawks could be Cup contenders again?
This year? uh, no.
Next year? hmm, very doubtful
The year after? well, maybe if the stars aligned
The year after that? if a good plan gets executed well, possibly. Why not? Let's shoot for it.

That's year 2021-22.

Could Kane and Toews still be top contributors? Yes.
Could Crawford? Yes.
Could Keith or Seabrook? Not unless they reverse their decline really quickly.

But in terms of cleaning house, I think they need to consider a few things:
1) What is best for the development of the younger guys? Is it better to play with veterans like Keith and Seabrook - still at least two of the three best Blackhawks defensemen - who can teach the young players a thing or two or is it better to let the youngsters play against the best competition and see if they can figure it out? With a young head coach trying to figure it out at the same time?
2) How do you keep as much as the fan base between now and when the Blackhawks are competitive again? Is seems critical to keep Kane and Toews, but how many of the other guys who have won a Cup here can they afford to lose like Crawford, Keith, Seabrook, Saad, and Kruger? Even AA has been around enough to be known to more casual fans. It isn't just familiarity, it is that they are significantly better than the other guys on the roster, if the product on the ice gets much worse, it will be unwatchable. (I'd definitely be ok trading AA and even Kruger. I can understand why they'd trade Seabrook and Keith, but I'm going to be sad when they do.)

It blows my mind man how they get behind in every game ,then battle back hard against some decent teams to make it interesting .Maybe just the other team taking their foot off the pedal .
I could see this team turning it around later in the season ,when it's to late for the playoffs .Going on a late season run would just put a dent in the Hughes lottery chances . I like that Russian Kid Podkolzin anyway .. I always want the HAWKS to win ,even when it might not be the best for the future
- oldduffman

It's not like we make teams pay for mistakes on the pp.....

I think it is a combination of teams take their foot of the gas and fight back. Players look pissed and show it, by expression and by their play.

Maybe for Christmas you could send JC your acclaimed book on line matchups and gently remind him that unless he improves on line matchups you will be forced to do more than just sit back and let him develop.
- EbonyRaptor

Gladly. It may teach him something. Do I send it to McD, Blunk and Stan first for approvals?

Maybe for Christmas you could send JC your acclaimed book on line matchups and gently remind him that unless he improves on line matchups you will be forced to do more than just sit back and let him develop.
- EbonyRaptor

How is he wrong though? JC isn't ready to be an NHL coach and it shows. They should have left him in the AHL to DEVELOP the players there and get some more experience instead of feeding him to the wolves on this poop pile team.

AEL, I got some Rockford questions.
1. Who has been given more starts and/or looked better: Forsberg or Delia?
2. Who do you think is the first defenseman called up? If Rutta ++ are being shopped and moved.
3. Who is the next forward called up? Again, if people are shopped and moved or sent down.
2&3 are just assumptions. I haven't been able to catch any Rock games, and I've been meaning to.
- I Am The Breadman

Just one fan's perspective so take it FWIW:

1) From what I can recall, Delia has gotten in slightly more games once Forsberg joined the Hogs. Both seem to be performing at the same clip. Generally solid with some things to work on as well. Don't think at this point neither is head over heels better than the other. That can be a good thing given that neither are stinkers either.

2) First D-man call up: Dahlstrom out of seniority and experience level. Then possibly Carlsson or Hillman. All 3 are defense-first but able puck carriers, just not on the same level as offensively gifted blueliners like Forsling and Gustafsson. But again, that's a good thing since the Hawks sorely need defensive defensemen to balance the back end.

3) First forward call up: Dylan Sikura given that he is the best forward they have and could help with solidifying a 3rd line. Highmore would have been a strong candidate but he's injured. Wouldn't mind sending down Fortin and Hayden to see how Knott and Tyler Sikura would fare.

My periodic reminder that I actually said this team was heading into the ditch two seasons ago and that they should've very quietly moved on from Seabrook...and I got laughed at

I said then what I'm saying now: No one can ever take the Cups from you, and they were well-earned

But you waited too late to recognize the truth: All runs end, and you gotta get out ahead of it as soon as you see the warning signs -- and that curb-stomping by Nashville in the playoffs should've been, was and always will be the four-alarm fire that shouldn't have been ignored

Question if anyone knows the backstory: (if true) why exactly is Trouba not happy being on the Jets and be open to a new team?

Seems like he's in a good spot with a budding Stanley Cup contender with a really great young nucleus who are just going to get better.

Question if anyone knows the backstory: (if true) why exactly is Trouba not happy being on the Jets and be open to a new team?

Seems like he's in a good spot with a budding Stanley Cup contender with a really great young nucleus who are just going to get better.
- AEL_Fox

American kid that doesn't want to be in the middle of no where apparently. He supposedly wants to play on an eastern time zone preferably in the USA