The closest to Hjalmarsson in the system is Carlsson. Defense first, some offense, decent size, skates well. He doesn't give up on plays and can play physical.
- AEL_Fox

Better than Murphy and Dahlstrom? Any idea when he will be ready for the show?

Better than Murphy and Dahlstrom? Any idea when he will be ready for the show?
- 35Tony0

Possibly a better all around defender than both if he hits his potential yet I do like how Murphy and Dahlstrom are progressing in their own right as a shutdown unit.

Carlsson's ideal timeline would be to make the team in 2020-21 with maybe a chance next season to see what he can bring. Hillman likely has a similar trajectory.

Also, FWIW, I believe Carlsson and Boqvist were partners on Swedish national teams.

We hear your point, however Stan can not be excused for his contracts he personally gave out to players , like Seabrook , Bickell, Panick, etc and his horrible trades especially movingmpanarin who was a superstar for saad who was a average player in comparison. The whole cap reason or excuse doesn't fly when Stan would have hadm2 years to retool this team and it's cap to then resign panarin with more cap space .


Bickell never was a top 6 guy but because in his contact year he had a great playoff run Stan overpaid him.

If the GM isn't taking control of his team and allowing a coach to dictate personnel management then the GM in my opinion is weak and guilty of allowing this charade to continue and not showing any true leadership qualities.
- Taylorst1

What?
Did you watch him play when he was healthy?
He was very inconsistent, But when he was ON, He was very much a top 6-9 player. No doubt Stan overpaid for a great playoff run. But what happened to Bickell was a travesty.

Possibly a better all around defender than both if he hits his potential yet I do like how Murphy and Dahlstrom are progressing in their own right as a shutdown unit.

Carlsson's ideal timeline would be to make the team in 2020-21 with maybe a chance next season to see what he can bring. Hillman likely has a similar trajectory.

Also, FWIW, I believe Carlsson and Boqvist were partners on Swedish national teams.
- AEL_Fox

Ah, thanks. Carlsson must still be really young then is my next guess.

I still hope ALL the pipeline dmen hit the show at one point. Gets the boys back in Cup contention sooner.

Did you watch Norell play at all? He is a career AHL player at best, no loss there. Maybe he is a late bloomer, at which point he turns into a fringe NHL player. A Hjalmarsson clone was never a reality, he is smaller and never close to as good a skater.
- TheTrob

I noticed his slkating seemed aveage at best. But I only saw him play a few times. I did not know if he was caught in a numbers game or just not good enough. Able to play both sides and got good low shots on net. Original scouting reports mentioned possible Hjalmarsson comparison... where I got that from

Drake Caggiula is sorting out his U.S. visa. #Blackhawks⁠ ⁠ are hoping it will be resolved by the end of the week.
- walleyeb1

I think this happened to Wiese a few years back after he was traded for Danault. Took him about a week to report. Hope the comparison with Caggiula ends there and Drake is more productive.

Nobody absolves SB for any bad moves. What most are saying is that without Q, he does not go after those players. Want proof?

1. SB said so directly.
2. First chance to get them off the ice and out of the organization...that happened too.
3. What we can never know, but likely also a contributor to Q leaving is all the players that did NOT want to come here to play any longer. Which is why you ended up with Manning and kunitz.

If you think I am wrong, then all then the owners and brass above both Q and SB are idiots too.

If anyone believes that the higher ups (those truly in the know) believed it was SB's fault for not getting Q the right players, he would have been gone before Q. The fact is/was there is/was clearly a difference in philosophy regarding the future of the organization and the style of play that will lead to winning again. Q's style is now an exhibit at the museum of natural history.

This is an examination of facts. It places no blame on anyone nor absolves anyone from responsibility.

Not long ago SB was quoted somewhere talking about the lessons he learned over the years and likely why hammer was dealt, is that when you allow yourself to be put in a position with no leverage, you get nothing. Business 101.
- TrueGrit

Regarding your last paragraph, perhaps a competent GM would realize the leverage angle at once and not learn the lesson after 3 tries. i.e. the Leddy, Sharp and Bickell trades

I think this happened to Wiese a few years back after he was traded for Danault. Took him about a week to report. Hope the comparison with Caggiula ends there and Drake is more productive.
- boilermaker100

IMHO, I always thought the Weise thing was half visa issue and half hissy fit.

Even that’s a bit ambitious. He’s most likes a 4th line AHLer a time best.
- DarthKane

Nah! He'll be selling fuller brushes this time next year.

Regarding your last paragraph, perhaps a competent GM would realize the leverage angle at once and not learn the lesson after 3 tries. i.e. the Leddy, Sharp and Bickell trades
- boilermaker100

Explain to us how Bowman had leverage when he was over the cap in each case, had to ice a competative team and had only one team interested in each of those players. Not to mention one player was sick and another was pretty well washed up.

Explain to us how Bowman had leverage when he was over the cap in each case, had to ice a competative team and had only one team interested in each of those players. Not to mention one player was sick and another was pretty well washed up.
- paulr

Yes Bowman was under the gun due to the reasons as you describe, and he was under the gun in the Leddy and Sharp situations because he waited too long to pull off a trade. Maybe other GM's were holding out waiting for Stan to have to make an 11th decision.. I don't know. There was the rumour that Stan had an offer for Sharp at that summer's draft. Maybe not. Not saying I know what went on behind the scenes. Respectfully, you know that only one team was interested in each of these players?

Yes Bowman was under the gun due to the reasons as you describe, and he was under the gun in the Leddy and Sharp situations because he waited too long to pull off a trade. Maybe other GM's were holding out waiting for Stan to have to make an 11th decision.. I don't know. There was the rumour that Stan had an offer for Sharp at that summer's draft. Maybe not. Not saying I know what went on behind the scenes. Respectfully, you know that only one team was interested in each of these players?
- boilermaker100

No one knows how many teams were interested in these players. One thing Bowman did well was keep his activities secret. So based on that I'd have to think whether one team made an offer or more than one made an offer we'd have to assume Bowman got the best deal he was able to, don't you think?

Yes Bowman was under the gun due to the reasons as you describe, and he was under the gun in the Leddy and Sharp situations because he waited too long to pull off a trade. Maybe other GM's were holding out waiting for Stan to have to make an 11th decision.. I don't know. There was the rumour that Stan had an offer for Sharp at that summer's draft. Maybe not. Not saying I know what went on behind the scenes. Respectfully, you know that only one team was interested in each of these players?
- boilermaker100

The only option is trading a guy a year of 2 before you would like. Then you can get value, but in reality, it was never done because the team was a buyer playing for cups.

Had SB tried that, I would hate to have seen this board. After all, that is likely what the halmerson trade was. Done a year before you would have liked.

Anyways, this is where we are now. Look for sB to continue to follow the old hawk model, now Tampa model. Get guys who can skate and grind and roll 4 lines of them.

This team will be back in contention a lot sooner than most think.

I’m sure we’re all in different time zones and countries so Happy New Year wherever you are!

Win or lose, here’s to a competitive 2019 for the Blackhawks!

I’m sure we’re all in different time zones and countries so Happy New Year wherever you are!

Win or lose, here’s to a competitive 2019 for the Blackhawks!
- AEL_Fox

Play competitive but lose not all the time but enough to get a top 5 pick that can help for the future. Then couple creative trades free agent signings and in the system players or on the team now taking the next step forward could be a quick turnaround.

I can't believe Manning was traded. They got nothing for him but did clear some cap space.
- Elbows15

If Caggiula has bottom 6 usefulness, that is a bonus. If he doesn't, then I guess he gets traded or buried in Rockford, so that could take away some of the 750K in cap space they gained from the trade for next season. And they get more flexibility with a roster spot than they had with Manning, so there is that.

The only option is trading a guy a year of 2 before you would like. Then you can get value, but in reality, it was never done because the team was a buyer playing for cups.

Had SB tried that, I would hate to have seen this board. After all, that is likely what the halmerson trade was. Done a year before you would have liked.

Anyways, this is where we are now. Look for sB to continue to follow the old hawk model, now Tampa model. Get guys who can skate and grind and roll 4 lines of them.

This team will be back in contention a lot sooner than most think.
- TrueGrit

Without a proven number 1 defenseman, with their star players on the downsides of their careers, and with all their depth being prospects I figure the Hawks are 5 to 6 years away from contending, at best. The Hawks have to rebuild, they're not going to retool their way out especially with all the young star talent OTHER teams have that the Hawks dont.

I would like Kapanen as part of the return if Keith heads to the Leafs

I’m sure we’re all in different time zones and countries so Happy New Year wherever you are!

Win or lose, here’s to a competitive 2019 for the Blackhawks!
- AEL_Fox

Here here. well said! Same to you

So Ward is in net tomorrow?

So Ward is in net tomorrow?
- SoftServe

apparently

I’m sure we’re all in different time zones and countries so Happy New Year wherever you are!

Win or lose, here’s to a competitive 2019 for the Blackhawks!
- AEL_Fox

Happy New Year to all! We're all Hawks fans here most of all anyway except for the trolls. As a 2019 resolution, lets keep the personal attacks out of our posts. It's great to have dissimilar opinions being discussed. Let's leave it at that.

Signing off for thr remainder of 2018. Go Hawks. Lets get the ship righted ASAP.

I’m sure we’re all in different time zones and countries so Happy New Year wherever you are!

Win or lose, here’s to a competitive 2019 for the Blackhawks!
- AEL_Fox

Just landed back in Ontario. Happy New Years everyone!

So Ward is in net tomorrow?
- SoftServe

Yes.

The veteran gets the nod over Delia.

The Hawks lose every WC anyway so does it matter? Ha.

The word in Toronto is they want a player with term, Keith could be a viable option if they decide to go that route and he waives his NMC. They also might be willing to move Nylander. Not sure Chicago would want him in return but maybe kadziri. Not sure I spelled it correctly but we could use some solid depth down the middle.
- Taylorst1

What's the source on this one Taylor?

I would be shocked if Nylander is traded during his contract with TOR. Dubas gave him his word he wouldn't move him as that was one of Nylander's concerns in signing this deal. He knows Toronto will be in cap hell and didn't want to sign just to be flipped.

Kadri would be a more likely candidate but they really like him in Toronto. He's on a cap friendly deal and just came into his own the last couple years.

That being said... contracts will have to be shipped out to make next year's roster work.