I agree - the bye week is a break for us fans, too.

But - 10 days (combining, by coincidence, the bye week with the All Star break) I think is a bit too long.
- StLBravesFan

During the All Star Break and bye week, these boards will either be hopping with lively debate and rumors or be a ghost town.

Is there a trade freeze during the All Star Break? I'm guessing there is. Any player movement during that time and the bye week would help to add more fodder for the board to devour.

They literally can't do anything with Kunitz. He has a NMC.

My guess is that they are keeping AA on the second line to move him. I wouldn't read too much into how the team is constructed or displayed on the ice right now. They know that this team is not going to the playoffs. Once the TDL passes, you will likely see more "development" type deployment.
- Chunk

Hawks won't do anything until he gets his 1000 th game. Real close now.

Sad, but I believe that is a considertion.

Hawks won't do anything until he gets his 1000 th game. Real close now.

Sad, but I believe that is a considertion.
- TrueGrit

Then lets stick his happy arse in there for 11 games and rid the team of him.

Hawks won't do anything until he gets his 1000 th game. Real close now.

Sad, but I believe that is a considertion.
- TrueGrit

It's also classy, and a reason vets would come to Chicago.

Little brothers will always get beat up, unless big brother is standing behind him. The Hawks are team full of little brothers. Martinsen may not have been the best hockey player, but at the very least , he was a big brother. Is there a softer team in the league ? In the history of Blackhawk hockey, has a Hawk team ever been this soft?

assuming Craw is done and I think he is. Please do not bring Ward back. he is 50th out of 53 in save % this year. .888 and he has not been over .910 in 7 years which is league AVG starting. how he got a 3 mil contract is beyond me. I'm fine with Forsberg and Delia. Ward is also last in GAA by a pretty wide margin. 3.58 is #52 and 3.85 is #53. anybody that thinks he has been anything but awful listens to the hawks broadcast commentary to much. they still think Seabs is good. do you give perspective he would have been 2nd last year in GAA and tied with Scott D in save %. who everybody said was brutal last year in 3rd.

Lol. Ben Eager and Adam Burish were not very good players either though better than Martinsen. That 2010 team was the most talented group of players in the modern era. Rip. The 12-13 group was probably a better 4th line.

None of these bigger guys including Haden deter anything ever. Nor do they deter anyone from taking a run on any other team. The enforcer role does not exist in the NHL today. Not on any team. Not in any game.

Well, when you compare Martinsen to the group of guys you mentioned, it's easy to just say he sucks. But again, NONE of those guys you mentioned were fourth liners either.

The 2010 Cup team had Madden, Burish and Eager for the most part. THAT my frent, was a tremendous fourth line.

Just saying that Martinsen, Kruger, Hayden was a nice combo given the talent pool they are working with.
- Return of the Roar

That was an acceptable 4th line because the rest of the roster had more talent on it then any other team since the Redwings in the late 90s. That is not a good 4th line in today's NHL. There was nothing tremendous about it. Burish played a whooping 13 games during the regular season and put up 0 pts in 15 playoff games averaging 5 mins a game......

Lets not have nostalgia and the fact Burish does post game on CSN now blind us from the facts.

Oh and Martinsen can't even hold Madden's sweaty jock strap. Madden was a really really solid bottom 6 defensive center for a decade who scored 20g at least once to my recollection.

I would consider Perlini, Kampf, and Ciaggula as a 4th line: speed, skill, grit, endurance. Kampf may not be fast like Perlini but he provides solid defense and can win draws.

As long as they live up to their potential and play consistently, all 3 have endless motors to pester in the D zone and move the puck deep and around in the O zone. And they could eat minutes as long as Colliton and co. allocates playing time adequately.
- AEL_Fox

I would love that as a 4th line. We could actually watch it dominate possession against better lines.

Little brothers will always get beat up, unless big brother is standing behind him. The Hawks are team full of little brothers. Martinsen may not have been the best hockey player, but at the very least , he was a big brother. Is there a softer team in the league ? In the history of Blackhawk hockey, has a Hawk team ever been this soft?
- OutlawSteve

Did you ever see "Little brother" Marc Savard on the Bruins have his career ended by Philly's Mike Richards while "Big Brothers" Lucic and Chara were playing for the Bruins? Please explain how the "Big brothers" on the Bruins and two of the toughest dudes in hockey prevented Savard from having his career ended.

Lol. Ben Eager and Adam Burish were not very good players either though better than Martinsen. That 2010 team was the most talented group of players in the modern era. Rip. The 12-13 group was probably a better 4th line.

None of these bigger guys including Haden deter anything ever. Nor do they deter anyone from taking a run on any other team. The enforcer role does not exist in the NHL today. Not on any team. Not in any game.
- fattybeef

Lol beat me too it. All Burish did was party with Kane, Versteeg, and Sharp. WE forgot about the great Colin Fraser too!

Did you ever see "Little brother" Marc Savard on the Bruins have his career ended by Philly's Mike Richards while "Big Brothers" Lucic and Chara were playing for the Bruins? Please explain how the "Big brothers" on the Bruins and two of the toughest dudes in hockey prevented Savard from having his career ended.
- paulr

Did Carcillo, Jamal Meyers, or the great Brandon Bollig stop or detour Raffi Torres from almost ending Hossa's career in 2012?

NOPE

Did Carcillo, Jamal Meyers, or the great Brandon Bollig stop or detour Raffi Torres from almost ending Hossa's career in 2012?

NOPE
- bhawks2241

Exactly! Every team needs toughness but this concept that a tough guy can prevent anyone from taking a run at his teammates is wrong.

USA just got lucky on the no goal call.

Exactly! Every team needs toughness but this concept that a tough guy can prevent anyone from taking a run at his teammates is wrong.
- paulr

it works. this is why pittsburgh went out to get kessel,

Before kessel, everyone was concussing sid left, right and center.
Post kessel, Sid has zero concussions.

i don't need to connect the dots. case closed.

1-0 USA!

No, just another reminder that the scheme is totally speed/skill and seemingly a big, nasty, physical type has no place on a Hawk roster. Martinson was by far the most physical player and could skate a shift.
- Mr Ricochet

You can say that. I am pretty sure they would keep a big, nasty physical, type if he could play hockey. Bouma, Martinsen, Hayden have not shown enough hockey skills.
And for that matter Martinsen played a fairly physical game, but rarely dropped the mitts. I think they would be glad to take someone in the Ladd, Bickell, Secord, Byfuglien mold.

IMO the Hawks need to use this season as a springboard. Starting with the Trade deadline.
Bowman needs to shed as much age and salary as he can muster, and stock up on picks and prospects.
With young talent like DeBrincat, Boqvist, Strome, Kurachev, Jokiarhu, Mitchell, Entwhistle, Barrett, Fortin, Beaudin, Dalia....there is hope in the pipeline in 2-3 years. Finish Bottom 3 this year, get another stud pick...and grab whatever you can get in trades.
I think this can turn around fairly quickly...BUT....ONLY IF Stan and management see that they have to make the move to be sellers over the next few months, and amass what futures they can get so that NEXT year we can start building toward a faster, more skilled and younger team.
By all means, keep Toews and Kane...unless you can get a crap-load back for one of them. The Cap should be no issue if building with the youth. By all reports, the Cap increases significantly next year.
But, give up the "Playoff dream" for this year. Embrace the losing....Aim should be bottom 3....

it works. this is why pittsburgh went out to get kessel,

Before kessel, everyone was concussing sid left, right and center.
Post kessel, Sid has zero concussions.

i don't need to connect the dots. case closed.
- DeflatedPucks

Your dots do in fact connect, Consider me convinced.

IMO the Hawks need to use this season as a springboard. Starting with the Trade deadline.
Bowman needs to shed as much age and salary as he can muster, and stock up on picks and prospects.
With young talent like DeBrincat, Boqvist, Strome, Kurachev, Jokiarhu, Mitchell, Entwhistle, Barrett, Fortin, Beaudin, Dalia....there is hope in the pipeline in 2-3 years. Fisish Bottom 3 this year, get another stud pick...and grab whatever you can get in trades.
I think this can turn around fairly quickly...BUT....ONLY IF Stan and management see that they have to make the move to be sellers over the next few months, and amass what futures they can get so that NEXT year we can start building toward a faster, more skilled and younger team.
By all means, keep Toews and Kane...unless you can get a crap-load back for one of them. The Cap should be no issue if building with the youth. By all reports, the Cap increases significantly next year.
But, give up the "Playoff dream" for this year. Embrace the losing....Aim should be bottom 3....
- hawk35

I agree pretty much with stocking up young talent but shedding salary isn't a concern for the Hawks at this point. I'd like to see them use their cap space to take on shorter term bad contracts and get prospects bundled up with them. It's time for Chicago to pillage other teams and take advantage of their cap prediciments just like teams took advantage of the Hawks when they were in cap hell.

I would consider Perlini, Kampf, and Ciaggula as a 4th line: speed, skill, grit, endurance. Kampf may not be fast like Perlini but he provides solid defense and can win draws.

As long as they live up to their potential and play consistently, all 3 have endless motors to pester in the D zone and move the puck deep and around in the O zone. And they could eat minutes as long as Colliton and co. allocates playing time adequately.
- AEL_Fox

Stan needs to field a team where JC can start slotting everyone
where they belong.

Kahun is starting to shine, I wonder where he end's up, 1st or 3rd line?

We need a like button.
- walleyeb1

Totally agree. Not only should there be a like button, but there should be a dislike button.

They automatically be tallied for each post. So if you post something and 10 people hit the like button there is a "+10" is in the upper right hand corner of your post. If you post something and 15 people like your post and 50 people do not like your post there is a "-35" is in the upper right hand corner of your post.

It would be very informative and it might limit the string of senseless posts.

If they wanted to take it one step further they could accumulate the tallies for each poster. You could then see the posters that are most in sync with the feelings of the readers.

Advanced stats for posters. Why not?

Sheldon Brookbank added to the coaching staff.

Stan needs to field a team where JC can start slotting everyone
where they belong.

Kahun is starting to shine, I wonder where he end's up, 1st or 3rd line?
- gazza53

Kahun is a solid 3rd line player not a top 6 guy. Kahun and sikura and Debrincant would be a solid performing line. Debrincant plays better away from toews and Kane and you need to balance out scoring and roll at least 3 solid lines preferably 4 lines.



Keep Kane and strome together with another top 6 lw

Trade saad and use his salary to acquire stone to play with toews and then find a solid lw with size and skill and speed to compliment that line.


Saad is to inconsistent and it's not really working out with him and toews.

Totally agree. Not only should there be a like button, but there should be a dislike button.

They automatically be tallied for each post. So if you post something and 10 people hit the like button there is a "+10" is in the upper right hand corner of your post. If you post something and 15 people like your post and 50 people do not like your post there is a "-35" is in the upper right hand corner of your post.

It would be very informative and it might limit the string of senseless posts.

If they wanted to take it one step further they could accumulate the tallies for each poster. You could then see the posters that are most in sync with the feelings of the readers.

Advanced stats for posters. Why not?
- -Doh-

OMG!!!! Great freakin' idea. And if I could amass a great corsi posting score....maybe Tanner would put me on his "Posting All-star Team"!!!

Make it so Justin!!!!!