Fire Stanley Bowmen and hire Eddie Olczyk as GM at the end of the season.
- Bruno53

I don't get it.

People are complaining JC and Stan Bowman are inexperienced and haven't paid their dues so you want to to bring Olcyzk in who has never been a GM and had such a sub-par coaching record in 1 1/2 seasons that he has never gotten another job in the last 10 years?

Who do we want coaching? Pierre McGuire?

I look forward to one thing, The Probert Movie. I am checked out of this Hawks season already.

One thing to keep in mind (and I know you know this) is that the Hawks, even if they finish in last place, are not guaranteed #1 overall. I believe they only have 18.5% chance at #1 and about a 50% chance at a top 3 pick if they finish last. Even if they draft Hughes, I believe that they won't sniff the playoffs in 2019-2020. Lose for Hughes, get lucky enough to draft him, and another year of development for their first round pick defensive picks, and add in another top 5 pick then maybe you have the breeding of a dangerous team again. If all goes well.
- Hossa1881

I would agree with you that drafting Hughes probably doesn't transform this team. He is going to be a good player, maybe even a franchise player, but they really do need to re-establish defense on the blueline and at the team level. We are the currently battling it out for the worst defensive team in the league crown with Ottawa. This is just my priority list.

1) Defensive Coverage - Lapses have been too costly
2) Winning more puck battles - Too often in our end, we come out on the wrong side of 1v1 battles and when we try to out-man them in the battle we get burned. There is something to be said about D who can win the puck from the opposing player and relieve pressure on the entire situation.
3) Get some power back in the PP. The top producer "Kane" is sitting tied for 55th in Powerplay points. Not saying it is all him, but that is saying something when he is ~10th in PP icetime in the league. There isn't really anyone who has excelled with the man advantage this season, but something needs to improve. Once the team can start preventing goals, the PP chipping in will be huge.

Well his 3-14-2 shows perhaps he needed more seasoning, time as an assistant NHL coach at least. Not that Edzo is a great coach but I agree with him about JC should have called a time out in the last minute of our last PP to rest the big guns and questioning Martinsen on the ice for the last minute of the 3rd period last night.
- Popsghostly

I noticed those thing too while watching the game last night, that was the first time since JC got hired that I put the loss on him. Of course the players should have converted on all of those PPs, but JC had some tough decisions to make towards the end of the game and he failed.

They should lose Manning as soon as possible. He has just stunk at a career level this year. Way below expectations. Rutta, while he got off to a bad start hasn't been as terrible as people let on. I'd move him at the deadline for a good deal if it is there, but Rutta hasn't been costing us games like some other players. He is serviceable at least.

I don't get it.

People are complaining JC and Stan Bowman are inexperienced and haven't paid their dues so you want to to bring Olcyzk in who has never been a GM and had such a sub-par coaching record in 1 1/2 seasons that he has never gotten another job in the last 10 years?

Who do we want coaching? Pierre McGuire?
- Rota's Rooter

No, the coach would need to be another former Blackhawk without any relevant experience, preferably a broadcaster. Troy Murray?

I don't get it.

People are complaining JC and Stan Bowman are inexperienced and haven't paid their dues so you want to to bring Olcyzk in who has never been a GM and had such a sub-par coaching record in 1 1/2 seasons that he has never gotten another job in the last 10 years?

Who do we want coaching? Pierre McGuire?
- Rota's Rooter[/quote


It’s called a vailed attempt at humor!

Who is the first member of the core to request a trade?

Who is the first member of the core to request a trade?
- TJYTJY

Q was.

No, the coach would need to be another former Blackhawk without any relevant experience, preferably a broadcaster. Troy Murray?
- Davewn

You're right. Silly me. I forgot there needs to be a Hawks connection from the days of very good but, not quite there.

I wonder what Ken Yaremchuk is doing?

Ek has a new blog up suggesting Q may go coach the Flyers. Does anybody know if the Hawks would receive compensation from Philly for this happening? A 1st round draft choice or a prospect or two would be nice.

You're right. Silly me. I forgot there needs to be a Hawks connection from the days of very good but, not quite there.

I wonder what Ken Yaremchuk is doing?
- Rota's Rooter

Craig Adams is available.

I would agree with you that drafting Hughes probably doesn't transform this team. He is going to be a good player, maybe even a franchise player, but they really do need to re-establish defense on the blueline and at the team level. We are the currently battling it out for the worst defensive team in the league crown with Ottawa. This is just my priority list.

1) Defensive Coverage - Lapses have been too costly
2) Winning more puck battles - Too often in our end, we come out on the wrong side of 1v1 battles and when we try to out-man them in the battle we get burned. There is something to be said about D who can win the puck from the opposing player and relieve pressure on the entire situation.
3) Get some power back in the PP. The top producer "Kane" is sitting tied for 55th in Powerplay points. Not saying it is all him, but that is saying something when he is ~10th in PP icetime in the league. There isn't really anyone who has excelled with the man advantage this season, but something needs to improve. Once the team can start preventing goals, the PP chipping in will be huge.
- breadbag

I agree with this.

Do we pursue Karlsson, Myers or Stralman in the offseason?

Or attempt to end Winnipeg’s seemingly annual Trouba struggle by trading our high 2nd, one of our prized D prospects (Boquist, Beaudin or Mitchell) plus one of our Edjell-type prospects (if they would take it)?

Management knew a rebuild was in order but they know that the average fickle fan doesn’t want to wait an extended amount of time for our pipeline to develop.

Craig Adams is available.
- BINGO!

And of course, JR is too.

You're right. Silly me. I forgot there needs to be a Hawks connection from the days of very good but, not quite there.

I wonder what Ken Yaremchuk is doing?
- Rota's Rooter

Maybe they promote the guy who fills the Tommyhowk suit to GM?

Craig Adams is available.
- BINGO!

So is Kunitz.

Brandon Manning would clear waivers.
- BINGO!

That's probably true at this point. And didn't he get hurt last night, on top of that?

You're right. Silly me. I forgot there needs to be a Hawks connection from the days of very good but, not quite there.

I wonder what Ken Yaremchuk is doing?
- Rota's Rooter

Yaremchuk, still circling, lol. Stu Grimson has a gig on NHL Network, hire him for some team toughness.

They should lose Manning as soon as possible. He has just stunk at a career level this year. Way below expectations. Rutta, while he got off to a bad start hasn't been as terrible as people let on. I'd move him at the deadline for a good deal if it is there, but Rutta hasn't been costing us games like some other players. He is serviceable at least.
- breadbag

I've said this on here before, but I wonder if Rutta has been playing hurt. When a D loses the routine races for icing as often as he has, I have to wonder, because a D like that never would have made the NHL to begin with, otherwise.

Ek has a new blog up suggesting Q may go coach the Flyers. Does anybody know if the Hawks would receive compensation from Philly for this happening? A 1st round draft choice or a prospect or two would be nice.
- boilermaker100

The Hawks would get nothing for compensation since he was fired. Although, I believe, if he signs a new contract with another team, the Blackhawks do not have to pay him for the rest of what is owed on his current Blackhawks contract.

So is Kunitz.
- Rota's Rooter

That was a weird signing. Not sure what Bowman thought was going to happen there. Dude was pretty well done two years ago.

That was a weird signing. Not sure what Bowman thought was going to happen there. Dude was pretty well done two years ago.
- BINGO!

It's a place holder signing. Allows for players to develop as needed in Rockford. At least that seems to be the theory, anyway, this year's disaster not withstanding.

I've said this on here before, but I wonder if Rutta has been playing hurt. When a D loses the routine races for icing as often as he has, I have to wonder, because a D like that never would have made the NHL to begin with, otherwise.
- 333inthe3rd

If I recall correctly, Rutta played well for those 8-10 or so games in the beginning of last season and then got hurt. He’s really regressed since then. He loses corner battles regularly and a cough-up on a penalty kill directly led to an Anaheim or Vegas goal a few games ago. The cough-ups though are a regular occurrence for all our porous D-men in these past 30 games or so.

I told myself I wouldn't dive deep into the draft as early this year. Now here we are, the draft is six months away and it's already the only thing we have to look forward to.

http://www.tankathon.com/nhl

Right now we have an 18.5% chance at the top pick, and 49% chance at top three.

We will truly be the worst if we start to 'lose at losing', meaning we start to win meaningless games that bump our draft position back and make the rebuild that much longer.

I don't get it.

People are complaining JC and Stan Bowman are inexperienced and haven't paid their dues so you want to to bring Olcyzk in who has never been a GM and had such a sub-par coaching record in 1 1/2 seasons that he has never gotten another job in the last 10 years?

Who do we want coaching? Pierre McGuire?
- Rota's Rooter

Doc Emerick as Associate GM!!