True, but you can't make stable lines if you don't have the horses.
- stanleyhawk

That should be a top priority for Stan and Colliton to try and stabilize the lines say by the start of calendar year 2019. If a total overhaul is on the horizon, that likely won't start until the TDL then extend in to the summer around draft time and the free agency period.

Agree, the ideal player personnel may not be available now whether on the current roster or in Rockford so the Hawks have to make do with what is in the stable. I beat a dead horse with this but it would be a good start to roll 3 offensive lines and a shutdown line. Maybe something like:

Saad - Toews - Perlini
DeBrincat - Strome - Kane
Kahun - Anisimov - Sikura
Hayden - Kruger - Kampf

Not necessarily playoff caliber but perhaps enough to stabilize and demonstrate incremental growth toward improvement towards the future.

On the blueline (factoring in Murphy's return):

Keith - Jokiharju
Forsling - Seabrook
Gustafsson - Murphy

Once Murphy gets back into the groove, swap him with Seabrook so 7's minutes go down and 5's go up.

Relative to one another, Forsling > Gustafsson at playing defense so limit 56 to 3rd pair minutes and let 42 grow as a 2-way defender on the 2nd pair.

"league wide email...."



more desperate than the ladies on Madison St to make a sale.....

Corey will waive that NMC NTC so fast it'll make management's head spin. He's got no help in front of him right now
- BetweenTheDots

Someone else made this analogy in the previous blog but I fear it's getting near the point that at least one of the core is going to pull a Patrick Roy and tell the coaches and management that he's played his last game as a Blackhawk.

Someone else made this analogy in the previous blog but I fear it's getting near the point that at least one of the core is going to pull a Patrick Roy and tell the coaches and management that he's played his last game as a Blackhawk.
- AEL_Fox

Well, Toews or Kane are main attractions so, it's as if their contracts bind them to the team and now they will suffer through some dark times in Chicago and really understand the significance of their fat contracts.

The best part, even though it sucks they suck, watching McD squirm is going to be great, north side fans are completely different breed than Blackhawks fans. Already seeing a bunch of empty seats at the UC.

"league wide email...."



more desperate than the ladies on Madison St to make a sale.....
- mrpaulish

Just in case the rest of the league didn't realize the Hawks weren't going to make the playoffs, hahaha

Habs game, LL tickets $75
300 level $20

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

According to Wiki he's a writer and venture capitalist. I'm not sure how this makes him a definitive expert on generational psychology and social tendencies.

"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. "

I don't dispute the quote above, but here's another quote from that article...


The third paradigm shift is around housing. If you want a high-skilled, high-paying job, you really have to move to San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Boston — one of these areas. But housing costs have gotten so high in those cities, that it really swallows up any higher wages that you earn when you get there.
- EnzoD[/I]

The fact that this person thinks that the only high skilled, high paying jobs exist in those four cities is beyond moronic and should bring in to question the rest of her opinions.

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?

Habs game, LL tickets $75
300 level $20
- BetweenTheDots

Seriously!

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

Seriously Iook at the major accomplishments and expectation going forward. You will see the current circumstances differently vis-a- vis the tenure continues for Bowman.

He guided them through three Cups. He kept the core together and it worked. He held on to Sharp maybe one extra year before trading him. He tried to milk playing runs by patchwork after the Cup run. Some moves were not good and the extra $ paid out will continue to haunt us

For this Rocky says thank you. Now the painful rebuild - which could be less a few horrendous teams if Bowman had not tried to stay as competitive the last couple years

Tell me how not remaining as competitive would have gone over with ticket sales/season ticket holder moreover.

I am not attempting to be a Bownan apologist. Just looking at reality of Bowman trying to please his boss . You have to be accountable same way in your job?

I will add this cavaet: usually there is a weak area or last concern each GM faces in the building process.

I want to see Bowman looks to draft or trade for a power forward (second option - trade - less fathomable even if it is more for a rugged type like Toews was and not really a true power forward).

What you are beginning to witness is selling the farm for a new model. It will feature three sets of mobile highly skilled skilled dmen. Each will be slightly above to very good skaters

Up front is the big mystery. Bowman appears to be fixated upon a big center. But unless Enstwhile or Edgsell can become a #2 center, the search continues from the offensive aspect of a big center residing on the roster

I could imagine, though, how Enstwhile could succeed as a solid two way third line center

And as I have been saying in posts dating back for a while now, I strongly believe Bowman plan includes giving dmen like Oesterle, Gus an opportunity to play and establish themselves. Just so he can fill in a roster spot temporarily until these prospects come along. Bowman merely wants draft choices for the Oesterle and Gus (although it may happen he completes a trade where Oesterle was included).

Furthermore, I suggest that
Bowman expected either Rutta or Kempny would show better. Perhaps he thought one of them would fill the roster void longer.

Because Seabrook makes so much coin, Murphy will get dealt away too. Crawford would be a great tandem partner for a Stanley Cup run. Seabrook for sure and possibly Toews will be considered for complpiance buyout or traded the summer before Seattle starts up.

Toews still does a lot of good things but if you watch or listen carefully he isn't always one of the best players and he makes wrong decisions. I have heard this wrong decisions mentioned countless times this season on the radio broadcast...I heard it, I am not imagining it. Get over your love affair with Johnny B Good Toews.

He scores all goals in close and his linemattes are not scoring much. Toews is a different version....not terrible but yes, terribly overpaid. I expect that he will soak up Rocky's money until his play deteriorates and he humbly retires. A big maybe if he is let go through trade or compliance buy out once Seattle is aboard.

Keith, on the other hand, once the dmen are better he is gone. One more year Keith here. Toews I am hedging on...cannot convince myself how he finishes his career

In other news, the IceHogs play the Griffins tonight.

Game just started. Maybe they can win a game.

Habs game, LL tickets $75
300 level $20
- BetweenTheDots

Wow, 1990's pricing. I'll be in town with my kids next weekend, maybe I'll grab tickets to the Jets game.

The best part, even though it sucks they suck, watching McD squirm is going to be great, north side fans are completely different breed than Blackhawks fans. Already seeing a bunch of empty seats at the UC.
- BetweenTheDots

I didn’t feel this way until after the Q firing press conference - with McD’s duplicity and dishonesty on full display. I feel bad for most of the players and JC doesn’t deserve to burn in this dumpster fire either - but I do take solace that each loss further illustrates just how wrong the front office has been - and hopefully makes their seats even hotter.

That should be a top priority for Stan and Colliton to try and stabilize the lines say by the start of calendar year 2019. If a total overhaul is on the horizon, that likely won't start until the TDL then extend in to the summer around draft time and the free agency period.

Agree, the ideal player personnel may not be available now whether on the current roster or in Rockford so the Hawks have to make do with what is in the stable. I beat a dead horse with this but it would be a good start to roll 3 offensive lines and a shutdown line. Maybe something like:

Saad - Toews - Perlini
DeBrincat - Strome - Kane
Kahun - Anisimov - Sikura
Hayden - Kruger - Kampf

Not necessarily playoff caliber but perhaps enough to stabilize and demonstrate incremental growth toward improvement towards the future.

On the blueline (factoring in Murphy's return):

Keith - Jokiharju
Forsling - Seabrook
Gustafsson - Murphy

Once Murphy gets back into the groove, swap him with Seabrook so 7's minutes go down and 5's go up.

Relative to one another, Forsling > Gustafsson at playing defense so limit 56 to 3rd pair minutes and let 42 grow as a 2-way defender on the 2nd pair.
- AEL_Fox

Agreed. Some stability in the lines/assignments would also help in player evaluation. For example, I’m still uncertain what we have in a guy like Perlini because he’s been moved around so much.

In other news, the IceHogs play the Griffins tonight.

Game just started. Maybe they can win a game.
- Justin Lowe

Maybe package manning and rutta and take a bad contract in return that could beneifit the hawks justin or anyone what team needs defense? Or else low level prospect or 6th or7th picks. So what bad contract could be good fit for the hawks?

Agreed. Some stability in the lines/assignments would also help in player evaluation. For example, I’m still uncertain what we have in a guy like Perlini because he’s been moved around so much.
- Chief4Feathers

Exactly. I know they technically weren't exit interviews like what many pro sports teams do with their players after the season ends but the comments that both Hartman and Hinostroza made in the media after they were traded (i.e. not knowing what their and others' roles were on the team as the lineup got juggled around so much) should hopefully be just as good feedback for the coaches and management to learn what the issues are and find solutions.

It can be argued that those comments may have had some sour grapes served on the side yet I would like to believe there is still a kernel of truth to what they had to say no matter the context. Young players and possibly even veterans may struggle to grow and maximize their outputs if their role changes each game or even within the same game.

Habs game, LL tickets $75
300 level $20
- BetweenTheDots

A big Bears game Sunday night conflicts with the game too. So, even if the Hawks were doing better, it would still be a discounted resale for season tix holders.

Hmm... go watch a dumpster fire, or watch a resurgent Bears team take on arguably the best team in the NFC?

Decisions, decisions...

Agreed. Some stability in the lines/assignments would also help in player evaluation. For example, I’m still uncertain what we have in a guy like Perlini because he’s been moved around so much.
- Chief4Feathers

Well to paraphrase Colliton, Perlini is a big body winger who can really skate but has no idea how to play without the puck.

Maybe package manning and rutta and take a bad contract in return that could beneifit the hawks justin or anyone what team needs defense? Or else low level prospect or 6th or7th picks. So what bad contract could be good fit for the hawks?
- Scott1977

I'd rather just get picks for each of them than take a bad contract back. Honestly, I'd even rather just get picks than a player who is a fringe NHLer or a player who is solely AHL depth.

Seriously!
- walleyeb1

Yep and i bet they will keep dropping

A big Bears game Sunday night conflicts with the game too. So, even if the Hawks were doing better, it would still be a discounted resale for season tix holders.

Hmm... go watch a dumpster fire, or watch a resurgent Bears team take on arguably the best team in the NFC?

Decisions, decisions...
- Chief4Feathers

I'm watching Da Bears! They give me a reason to be excited. Against the Rams!?!?

Maybe package manning and rutta and take a bad contract in return that could beneifit the hawks justin or anyone what team needs defense? Or else low level prospect or 6th or7th picks. So what bad contract could be good fit for the hawks?
- Scott1977

Rutta's contract is done at the end of the year. Manning has one more year. Why on earth would you take a bad contract back?

If you're taking a bad contract on, typically you're helping someone so there would be pick/prospects involved.

The Hawks can walk away from Rutta, Kruger, Ward, Davidson and they'll have like $18M in Cap Space next year without any major RFA's to sign.

Well to paraphrase Colliton, Perlini is a big body winger who can really skate but has no idea how to play without the puck.
- RickJ

More than half of the players on this team seem to have no idea how to play without the puck? And yet JC moves Perlini up and down the lines, while giving Gustafsson 1st pairing TOI? Go figure...

More than half of the players on this team seem to have no idea how to play without the puck? And yet JC moves Perlini up and down the lines, while giving Gustafsson 1st pairing TOI? Go figure...
- Chief4Feathers

All part of the Colli-tank...

I'd rather just get picks for each of them than take a bad contract back. Honestly, I'd even rather just get picks than a player who is a fringe NHLer or a player who is solely AHL depth.
- AEL_Fox

Just an idea