I wonder how much being paired with Seabrook is hurting his development.
- walleyeb1

Good point.

Good point.
- matt_ahrens

Not really.

Yep. and it's also why Seabrook will play every game this year. Colliton doesn't have the stones to make hard calls, he's just so young. Ill gladly eat crow, but Not holding my breath. His ice time distribution is also mind boggling.

I guess the Hawks are playing better can be levied at the new coach, but I rather say its because instead of clods like Manning and Davisons on the ice, we now have Murphy and Dahlstrom, guys who seem to have a clue.
- kwolf68

You have to remember that Colliton supposedly played w/Seabrook for Seabrooks dad when they were kids. His connection to Seabrook going back to when they were 10-11 years old will make it even harder for him to make that decision.

Is something else wrong with Seabrook. Yeah, he is slow, can't keep up, and makes a ton of poor passes or whiffs now, but he is just flat out falling down at an alarming rate lately, many of them when he is un-touched.

I wonder if we're watching the last or second to last season for Seabrook. It sounded like he trained hard this summer but he looks worn out. He got choked up in his interview talking about his parents not being able to come watch this one in person. Maybe there is more going on than we know.
- matt_ahrens

Wouldn’t be surprised to see Crawford & Seabrook retire @ the end of this season

$$$ in the bank & cups won - why hang on

One more shift candidates in 2020

The way JC doles out minutes to particular guys/lines, I find it to be frustrating. He's not rewarding players equally. Did he do this sort of thing in Rockford as well?

Wouldn’t be surprised to see Crawford & Seabrook retire @ the end of this season

$$$ in the bank & cups won - why hang on

One more shift candidates in 2020
- Colbyboy

Crawford may spend the rest of his contract on LTIR for concussions. He may be legitimately done.

I really can't put my finger on it with Seabrook. He has never been a great skater, so seeing him slow down as he ages is not surprising. What is surprising is the horrible passing and just the number of times he is falling with no contact whatsoever.

I would guess Forsling is the odd man out when Jokiharju comes back, also. I am not convinced that Seabrook is done. He can't carry a marginal partner at this stage of his career, but that doesn't mean time to send him to the press box, or time to ship him out with a sweetener or in exchange of another bad contract.

The Bruins did a good job containing Kane's line. I also liked how the Kampf line played most of the game. I would also say that it was a good effort against the Bergeron line. The real problem today was the PK.

As for deadline deals, there is little reason to panic here. They can let the market come to them. I think this group has earned a longer leash from the front office.
- 333inthe3rd

What do you possibly see to convince you he is not done? He can't even carry himself let alone a marginal partner. His play has declined in each of the last 3 seasons, what would lead you to believe that it will all of a sudden go up? He isn't getting younger and the game isn't going to slow down.

I would guess Forsling is the odd man out when Jokiharju comes back, also. I am not convinced that Seabrook is done. He can't carry a marginal partner at this stage of his career, but that doesn't mean time to send him to the press box, or time to ship him out with a sweetener or in exchange of another bad contract.


- 333inthe3rd

Just watch him move, skate, react. If he's not done, then not sure at what point a player is. And the excuse of blaming his partner has gotten old, it was peddled all last year and continues to be standard thing this year no matter who he is paired with. You can't blame his partner for slow reaction times, bad skating, careless exit passes. His failures are his to own. As far as when to send him to the press box, his play dictates that, he is hurting this team, not helping it. His hapless attempts to clear the puck today were only overshadowed by his inability to skate with virtually every forward playing today. He is giving up the puck so quickly now because the game is too fast for him, thus, he's no longer making reads on the breakout, it's just get the puck, get rid of it. He is playing at a very low level right now, has been for 1.5 years now.

Just watch him move, skate, react. If he's not done, then not sure at what point a player is. And the excuse of blaming his partner has gotten old, it was peddled all last year and continues to be standard thing this year no matter who he is paired with. You can't blame his partner for slow reaction times, bad skating, careless exit passes. His failures are his to own. As far as when to send him to the press box, his play dictates that, he is hurting this team, not helping it. His hapless attempts to clear the puck today were only overshadowed by his inability to skate with virtually every forward playing today. He is giving up the puck so quickly now because the game is too fast for him, thus, he's no longer making reads on the breakout, it's just get the puck, get rid of it. He is playing at a very low level right now, has been for 1.5 years now.
- kwolf68

Spot on. Does he have enough pride to realize that he just can't compete anymore and retire or does he just hang on for 5 more years collecting a paycheck. He has made enough money to be set for life, but it's hard to walk away from $30+ million.

Gotta find some vertigo, skin condition, family problems........something that allows them to LTIR him.

#7 is obviously not the same player he was during the Cup years, I get that. Forsling had a brutal game today, that much was obvious. I haven't seen enough to be convinced that it was because he had to cover for Seabrook all day. He has spent a lot of time paired with Gus, Forsling, and Manning. None of those three do much in their own zone, regardless of who their partner is.

Whatever any of you think he is now, is he worth drawing out the cap hell with a buyout, or is he worth another bad contract in return, or adding sweetener to the deal just to be done with him? Would any of you trade him for Lucic or Phaneuf or Dustin Brown plus salary retention and/or a sweetener? That is the kind of deal they probably have to make to trade him.

Regardless, we are probably stuck with #7. Too much money and term. They have to make the most of it, use him judiciously. Whatever anybody thinks, NFW he is Manning or Rutta. I get the impression on here that those are viewed as his comparables now.

StanBo with an informal State of the Team:

https://chicago.suntimes....social&utm_source=twitter

Wouldn’t be surprised to see Crawford & Seabrook retire @ the end of this season

$$$ in the bank & cups won - why hang on

One more shift candidates in 2020
- Colbyboy

i don't think so: to early to bury crow and seab wants to play and they ain't walking away from those contracts...

Wouldn’t be surprised to see Crawford & Seabrook retire @ the end of this season

$$$ in the bank & cups won - why hang on

One more shift candidates in 2020
- Colbyboy

I can think of about 6 million reasons for each of them to stick around.

Wouldn’t be surprised to see Crawford & Seabrook retire @ the end of this season

$$$ in the bank & cups won - why hang on

One more shift candidates in 2020
- Colbyboy

Seabs is a candidate for one shift a game now... and every time he hits the ice the fateful cup their face in the hands and scream damn one more shift...

Well hopefully silly season is over ,no more of these stupid games . Starting Ward because I don't know a feel good story . Not say he played poorly or was the reason they lost ,BUT Delia earn and should get the starts until he fails or back to back game . This team burned enough sunlight already this year .

Don't understand the doom and gloom on here from what I saw the HAWKS could have just as easily won today against a very good team .. Get back to real hockey and keep working hard and good thing will happen .. I hope to all that is right that is the last time I have to Watch the HAWKS play another one of those outdoor sham hockey games .....GO HAWKS !!!!!!!!!!!

Well hopefully silly season is over ,no more of these stupid games . Starting Ward because I don't know a feel good story . Not say he played poorly or was the reason they lost ,BUT Delia earn and should get the starts until he fails or back to back game . This team burned enough sunlight already this year .

Don't understand the doom and gloom on here from what I saw the HAWKS could have just as easily won today against a very good team .. Get back to real hockey and keep working hard and good thing will happen .. I hope to all that is right that is the last time I have to Watch the HAWKS play another one of those outdoor sham hockey games .....GO HAWKS !!!!!!!!!!!
- oldduffman

I think we can all agree the Hawk D isn’t all that great. While he has played well so far, I’m fine with them easing the kid into the fray. They tossed Forsberg into the deep end last year and the results were brutal. If Delia gets 50% of the rest of the games, I’m happy with it.

I can think of about 6 million reasons for each of them to stick around.
- StLBravesFan

Agreed. I can’t think of an instance where a player under contract retired before his contract was up, or he wasn’t seriously injured.

I think we can all agree the Hawk D isn’t all that great. While he has played well so far, I’m fine with them easing the kid into the fray. They tossed Forsberg into the deep end last year and the results were brutal. If Delia gets 50% of the rest of the games, I’m happy with it.
- Chunk

The problem is if JC says one thing, like playing time is earned, and does another like starting Ward when Delia has played better. All those minutes to AA and 7 not earned today. The quickest way of losing the team is saying one thing and doing another. Players aren't dumb. If you don't mean it don't say it.

Once Jokiharju returns from the WJC, defense will likely be:

Keith - Jokiharju
Dahlstrom - Murphy
Gustafsson - Seabrook
Forsling

Someone else mentioned it but I wouldn't mind pairing up the core veterans:

Dahlstrom - Murphy
Gustafsson - Jokiharju
Keith - Seabrook
Forsling

I would recommend demoting Forsling then giving cups of coffee on a rotating basis to Raddysh, Carlsson, and Hillman. At least see what you have in each even though they're still likely not ready until next season at the earliest and more realistically 2020-21. But you never know: one could just kill it at the NHL level and never look back.

The problem is if JC says one thing, like playing time is earned, and does another like starting Ward when Delia has played better. All those minutes to AA and 7 not earned today. The quickest way of losing the team is saying one thing and doing another. Players aren't dumb. If you don't mean it don't say it.
- BetweenTheDots

Unless he's explaining his reasoning to the players and they accept that reasoning. I think with Ward/Delia, it's possible the whole room encouraged him to give it to Ward. DBC seems happy, even though he has shortened minutes. Last year, you could see the frustration with Vinnie, Hartman, Schmaltz, etc.

However, you're right, if he keeps emphasizing constantly the need to compete for your spot, he will lose them over time if certain players get a pass.

Wow, paid $1.73 in Albuquerque yesterday
- Steve D

$1.93 in monument co just N of air Force academy

Once Jokiharju returns from the WJC, defense will likely be:

Keith - Jokiharju
Dahlstrom - Murphy
Gustafsson - Seabrook
Forsling

Someone else mentioned it but I wouldn't mind pairing up the core veterans:

Dahlstrom - Murphy
Gustafsson - Jokiharju
Keith - Seabrook
Forsling

I would recommend demoting Forsling then giving cups of coffee on a rotating basis to Raddysh, Carlsson, and Hillman. At least see what you have in each even though they're still likely not ready until next season at the earliest and more realistically 2020-21. But you never know: one could just kill it at the NHL level and never look back.
- AEL_Fox

Raddysh has some pretty good offensive skills like Gustafsson, not as flashy, but adept at passing, running the PP, and shooting from the point. Both are stellar on the PP and in OT. Defensively, Raddysh is not that strong often missing his assignments. Could get better with pro experience and coaching.

Carlsson and Hillman are pretty similar: skate well, play physical, doesn't give up on plays. Both are defense first but aren't totally devoid of offense either with Carlsson having a greater ceiling in comparison: say 20-25 points versus 10-15 for Hillman in a full 82 game NHL season.

Again, I would like to see them rotated on a cup of coffee basis to see what they can each bring. Just a few games so not enough to shatter their confidence if they're truly not ready but enough to see what strengths they have and what weaknesses still need work.

The Stars will be in the 2020 Winter Classic at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. Not sure who the opponent will be but one funny tweet said: "Their front office."

2019 Heritage Classic next season with Jets versus Flames at Mosaic Stadium in Regina.

2020 Stadium Series will be at the Air Force Academy in Colorado. No teams announced.

St. Louis will host the 2020 All Star Game.

Not really.
- Ogilthorpe2

Terrible! Maybe he needs new skates though ;-(

What do you possibly see to convince you he is not done? He can't even carry himself let alone a marginal partner. His play has declined in each of the last 3 seasons, what would lead you to believe that it will all of a sudden go up? He isn't getting younger and the game isn't going to slow down.
- TheTrob

Sorry to say as many said before. Seabs can't skate. Can't turn, can't pivot. Can not move laterally. Falls down trying to turn. He is my hero! Trust me. Contract gonna kill us, I knew it when he signed it, I held my head low and raised a glass!