Not advocating either way to keep Boqvist as a D-man or shift him to forward but do find it interesting that some of the brilliant hockey minds in the Hunters are suggesting the move to forward while the questionable head-scratcher Blackhawks management is saying stay the course with Boqvist on the blueline.
- AEL_Fox

Yeah I thought it was VERY interesting as well. I think because he is SO talented scoring already at age 18 that maybe they think for his own good and development he'd be better off at forward. The Hawks thinking has to be that if you have a guy who can score, pass, and stick handle as well as a forward and play above the 18-19 Hawks D level then you have a hell of a player on your hands. Basically EK 2.0 which as we all know has been the comparison. I think you might as well keep him at Defense right now and let him continue to develop his game all around and see where it goes. If he gets to a point where he's just lighting up the league you give him a shot in the NHL as a D-man and maybe bump him up at forward here or there to see where he'd excel at

Have you not paid attention to the Flyers last couple of drafts?
Sanheim
Two homeruns with Provorov and Konecny in 2015
Carter Hart and Wade Allison in the second round of 2016
Nolan Patrick and Morgan Frost in 2017

The Flyers have sucked so far this season, but make no mistake they will be cup contenders for the next handful of seasons.

He also signed Coutourier to a $4.8 deal that does til 2021. He fleeced two 2nd rounders out of Bowman for Kimmo. Ghostisbehere for $4.5. Lecavalier and Schenn for Jordan Weal 3rd round pick.
Grossmann and Pronger for Sam Gagner 2016 3rd/4th.
Coburn for Gudas a 1st round pick and 2015 3rd round pick.

He's not perfect, but man is Philadelphia's pipeline well stocked. Plus they still have top talent on the team with Giroux, Voracek, Coutourier, Ghost, Provorov.
- ObeseOprah

I feel like the Hawks are in a good position with how well they have drafted the last few years.

The Barstool sports article about Barratt from November is great and the highlights are hilarious. He lights some dude up in the middle of the ice and makes a cry baby face at someone too. Anyone looking for the next Shaw or Bolland type, they may have that player there. Maybe closer to a healthy Bolland with his skill level.

Just that this year will blow but if they get a top 3 pick and Strome can take a step its not outlandish to see them back in the mix in 2 years and have another extended run of success. Kind of like when the Sharks transitioned from Thornton and Marleau to Pavelski and Couture. Havent won it all but at least they dont suck.

The center is supposed to take the 3rd forward on the other team, while the defensemen take the first two guys in deep. The center becomes in essence a 3rd defender down low against the other team's offensive line. The wingers are supposed to cover the points but they also sag into the center of the ice to help since most goals are scored in the area in front of the net.

So you wouldn't always expect to see the defensive center in the high slot. A lot of times they battle for the puck against the boards behind the net. This is something Schmaltz was terrible at, as good as he is using his speed to steal the puck from behind, he was really bad at defending down low.
- hereismike1

Why aren't the wingers playing defense then? Is it Colliton's system? I can't imagine that none of the wingers are understanding what to do, so it has to be what Colliton is telling them to do, right?

Pierre's morning podcast:
'I don't see a way out for them this year. They don't have much depth, and they have next to nothing in the American League.'

Kind of disappointing hearing confirmation of my suspicion that most of our guys in Rockford won't make it to the Hawks. I still hold out hope for some of the D, but the forwards in Rockford give me almost no hope.

Saad - Toews - xx
Xxx - Anisimov - Kane
Debrincat - Strome - xx
Xxxx - Kruger - xxxx

Keith- Joki
Xxxx - Murphy
Forsling - Seabrook

That's about all the NHL "talent" the Hawks have on the roster.

Kampf, Kahun, Martinson, Hayden, Perlini, Fortin..all AHL players at best. Same with Gustafsson, Manning, Davidson and Ruuta. If they need to plug one of them in now and then, fine. But none are nor should be regulars on a decent team. However they are all getting regular shifts in the NHL and they dont belong (along with a coach in over his head) and the results speak for themselves

Not defending Colliton, but was there a coach available that you believe would have gotten better results that Q when fired? From all indications, Hitchcock would only go to Edm (not sure if he would have made much of a difference either).
- Chunk

Wasn't / isn't Colliton supposed to be a very good player-development coach - taking young players and turning them into professional hockey players? Wasn't that supposed to be his forte at Rockford?

If so - since he's here and not going anywhere for a while - let's see how it plays out the rest of this season and next (because, as I've said before, I think he's here at least thru next season [as is his boss and his boss' boss]) with a full summer, evaluation tournaments, and training camp to work with.

Haven't seen much improvement anywhere or with any player, but probably unfair to make any final judgment at this time.

Saad - Toews - xx
Xxx - Anisimov - Kane
Debrincat - Strome - xx
Xxxx - Kruger - xxxx

Keith- Joki
Xxxx - Murphy
Forsling - Seabrook

That's about all the NHL "talent" the Hawks have on the roster.

Kampf, Kahun, Martinson, Hayden, Perlini, Fortin..all AHL players at best. Same with Gustafsson, Manning, Davidson and Ruuta. If they need to plug one of them in now and then, fine. But none are nor should be regulars on a decent team. However they are all getting regular shifts in the NHL and they dont belong (along with a coach in over his head) and the results speak for themselves
- PatShart

Probably unfair about Kampf, Kahun, Gustafsson - very possibly (but probably not probably) quality lower-line/pairing skaters in the Show.

Don't take this away from me...
- gnosox1986

Going to the northside, shorter term deal higher yearly average when it comes to the $$$$,
Even his MRS. said it will be a family decision. So for starters I am thinking that the Lakeview in Lincoln park area will appease to them more than the Ville And Bridgeport for starters. Then playing in front of 8000 fans most nights.
Talking to some other Sox fans there hoping it happens, they are already engineering in their minds a Chris Bryant trade to the southside, for which I say sure we get Jimenez and Cease back along with Michael Kopech for starters. Sounds insane right? Actually my guess Is that Harper winds up out on the Dodgers.

Why aren't the wingers playing defense then? Is it Colliton's system? I can't imagine that none of the wingers are understanding what to do, so it has to be what Colliton is telling them to do, right?
- ToewsdNKanefusd

That's a good question. What I see are a couple of things. One, confusion about who should take who. Now they are a man to man defense, they don't recognize right away that a teammate has a certain guy so they initially go to the wrong areas. In the NHL it only takes a second or two of indecision to have the puck end up in your net.

The other thing I see are guys like Kane who have sort of earned the right to take chances offensively, you know, by leading the league in points and winning the Hart Trophy, leaving the zone early and taking chances to try to break out early. The problem is some of the younger players are copying this thinking it is ok for them to do so also, like Fortin, who flew the zone early before giving up the game winning goal a couple games ago.

When we had Hossa, he was setting the opposite example and influencing guys like Kane to backcheck harder. Things have changed and not for the better defensively.

Probably unfair about Kampf, Kahun, Gustafsson - very possibly (but probably not probably) quality lower-line/pairing skaters in the Show.
- StLBravesFan

Got to agree here with Pat on most, I am with you on Kampf and possibly Kahun,Gusteffsson stinks, five goals or not I hope he does not make his way back into the lineup although that is probably falling on deaf ears. Why is everybody so down on Brandon Manning, he is what he is a good heart and soul six defenseman, look at the other garbage we have that is allegedly rated ahead of him.

Got to agree here with Pat on most, I am with you on Kampf and possibly Kahun,Gusteffsson stinks, five goals or not I hope he does not make his way back into the lineup although that is probably falling on deaf ears. Why is everybody so down on Brandon Manning, he is what he is a good heart and soul six defenseman, look at the other garbage we have that is allegedly rated ahead of him.
- wonthecup10

Manning isn’t good but at least he plays with passion and fire, unlike 90% of the roster (Kane included who has been a complete dog without the puck the last month).

EK has a rumor surrounding Nylander for Doughty. I don't know who adds, but if true, I don't see Keith to Toronto. He also gave his list of teams interested in Panarin ... Hawks not on it.

Manning isn’t good but at least he plays with passion and fire, unlike 90% of the roster (Kane included who has been a complete dog without the puck the last month).
- EnzoD

Most of the time the team strikes in spurts. Vets score and the depth doesn't, or the vets don't score and the depth does score. They are never on the same page.

I agree with you on Manning, passion and a decent player in a small role with limited minutes.

EK has a rumor surrounding Nylander for Doughty. I don't know who adds, but if true, I don't see Keith to Toronto. He also gave his list of teams interested in Panarin ... Hawks not on it.
- I Am The Breadman

and you're surprised by this why ??

and you're surprised by this why ??
- BobP.

Not surprised, just posting. Panarin has been a topic of many discussions.

EK texted himself a "rumor" surrounding Nylander for Doughty. I don't know who adds, but if true, I don't see Keith to Toronto. He also gave his list of teams interested in Panarin ... Hawks not on it.
- I Am The Breadman

fixed...

Most of the time the team strikes in spurts. Vets score and the depth doesn't, or the vets don't score and the depth does score. They are never on the same page.

I agree with you on Manning, passion and a decent player in a small role with limited minutes.
- I Am The Breadman

They are the definition of Murphy’s law this year (but I like Murphy so far in his return). Might be a piece to build around as 4/5 with size to complement the skill guys on D coming up.


Anyone see if Sikura/Dahlstrom are playing tonight?

I have a trade proposal, trade the entire franchise to Seattle for the expansion rights. Only way to solve this mess.

He was not a good coach in Sweden. He only ever coached Tier 2 Swedish Beer League. Never coached a second in the top League. Of the 4 seasons 3 were poor. He has admitted didn’t even know if team would survive. Then coached Rockford riding assigned veterans that had no future with the organization to a few play-off wins. Didn’t develop young players.

I’ve asked before does anyone think that any other team had him as a Head Coach candidate? OF COURSE NOT! His hiring was ridiculous. Rocky might as well have lit his BBQ with the $1.4M - at least then the money would have served a purpose. Colliton’s hiring has made the Hawks a Laughing Stock.
- Z3Hawk

Not sure what you have against Swedes, but he wasn’t coaching in a Swedish beer league.

After suffering a concussion in Mora IK’s (of the Hockey Allsvenskan, Sweden’s second-highest hockey league after the SHL) third game of the 2013-14 season, Colliton would decide to end his playing days and sign on with the club as their interim head coach. The interim tag was removed for the 2014-15 season, and Colliton coached Mora IK for three more seasons before electing to accept the head coaching role with Rockford. In his head coaching tenure with Mora IK, he posted a 98-57-18 record. His most successful season was 2016-17, in which his team posted a league-best 35-13-4 record and 105 points. Following the regular season, Mora IK would go on to defeat Leksands IF in six games, qualifying Mora IK for 2017-18 SHL play, the club’s first opportunity to do so since the 2007-08 season.

I have a trade proposal, trade the entire franchise to Seattle for the expansion rights. Only way to solve this mess.
- riozzo

"Winless in Seattle."

EK has a rumor.... He also gave his list of teams interested in Panarin ... Hawks not on it.
- I Am The Breadman

So we're totally in on Panarin!

Not surprised, just posting. Panarin has been a topic of many discussions.
- I Am The Breadman

sorry......unfair of me to assume......and we all know what happens when one does that...lol

https://thehockeynews.com...me-to-focus-on-the-future

“Chicago’s season, especially lately, has become an unmitigated disaster is that since the Blackhawks’ last victory — a 3-1 win over the Minnesota Wild on Nov. 18 — they have held a lead for 41 seconds. Put another way, that’s less than one minute in 660-plus minutes of play, or less than one-tenth of a percent of Chicago’s total time on ice since that mid-November win.”

Have you not paid attention to the Flyers last couple of drafts?
Sanheim
Two homeruns with Provorov and Konecny in 2015
Carter Hart and Wade Allison in the second round of 2016
Nolan Patrick and Morgan Frost in 2017

The Flyers have sucked so far this season, but make no mistake they will be cup contenders for the next handful of seasons.

He also signed Coutourier to a $4.8 deal that does til 2021. He fleeced two 2nd rounders out of Bowman for Kimmo. Ghostisbehere for $4.5. Lecavalier and Schenn for Jordan Weal 3rd round pick.
Grossmann and Pronger for Sam Gagner 2016 3rd/4th.
Coburn for Gudas a 1st round pick and 2015 3rd round pick.

He's not perfect, but man is Philadelphia's pipeline well stocked. Plus they still have top talent on the team with Giroux, Voracek, Coutourier, Ghost, Provorov.
- ObeseOprah

Patrick - 2nd pick of the draft
Provorov and Koneckny - 7th and 24th picks
Hart, Allison, Frost - we will see how they are when they make it to the NHL.
Koneckny, Sanhiem, Provorov all up for new contracts after this season, lets see where they fall. Simmonds also. A whole bunch of that cap space will be gone.

You pick that high you better draft well. Is Philly stocked or poised to be competitive.....maybe. They will be cup contenders based on what? What changes to get them from where they are at the bottom of the east?

Hextall never adequately addressed the goalie situation. We complain about Kruger or Manning or Rutta, Hextall handed Dale Weise a 4 year deal at $2.3, Lehtera is at $4.7 You have Giroux, Simmonds, Vorachek, Weise, Raffl, Lehtera all at 30 or over.

Since 2011-12 the Flyers have not realistically been cup contenders. Bottom line, they have not won or really been in the discussion for the Cup.

It's easy to Cherry pick trades and/or picks in a vacuum. Not defending Bowman, but his drafts have produced Jokiharju, Schmaltz, Hartman, Saad, Shaw, Danault, Teravianen, Hayes, Debrincat and others, all making contributions at the NHL level and none of them picked in the top 15 of the draft. They have guys like Boqvist, Beaudin, Barratt, Mitchell, Krys and Wise in the pipeline, seemingly decent picks, even though not high 1st rounders.

Bowman has handed out bloated contracts with NMC's, failed at some trades, reacted late and/or misread the market but I think his biggest flaw is that he has in many ways failed to set a direction and stick to it. He should be gone, but I would just as well hire one of the Asst. Gm's then rehash one of the old ones.

sorry......unfair of me to assume......and we all know what happens when one does that...lol
- BobP.

Hahaha, it's fine.