What is the more likely scenario could very well be a Dahlstrom and a Rockford call up are able to provide descent defense. Gus should stay here until a prospect can fill his offensive flair. What you obtain for Gus in trade right now and this season, anyway, is not worth it. Let Gus play and maybe a year from now Stan determines if Gus is improved, defensively, or a prospect is ready to take Gus' job.

Then too with so many prospects and others with first year pro experience giving them an edge - this is the Carlsson, Hillman edge - you want the newest pro's to get regular TOI in Rockford. Probably, correct? The players with pro experience have a leg up at least next season? Probably.
- jhawk59

I took the key parts of your longer post to generally describe a possible strategy for how to develop D prospects and graduate them to the NHL. With a deep blueline prospect pool, let each one develop at an appropriate pace while knowing that the team has enough assets to space them out so the ETA to the NHL is at least one per season is added as a regular on the Hawks backend.

This year Jokiharju, Gustafsson, Forsling, and Dahlstrom have played on the Hawks but only Gustafsson and Dahlstrom spent considerable time on the farm.

Jokiharju arguably earned his roster spot but there is a plausible argument that some time in the AHL may have been good for him. I personally am fine with him in the big show and learning there.

As for Forsling, he either needs more time in the AHL or he is what he is at this point. If the latter, then trade him.

Then who would be ready next season to possibly push for a roster spot? My bet is on Carlsson and Hillman, both defensive defensemen.

Let Boqvist, Mitchell, and Beaudin as well as Krys and Galvas (assuming these latter 2 sign ELCs) develop properly. Graduate 1-2 of them to the roster in 2020-21, then 1-2 of them in 2021-22. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Would you take Saad for DeHaan or Pesce?
- boilermaker100

Nah.

Preference is to trade Faulk at this point if possible.

de Haan is a lefty and he's been great.

TT signs a 5.4 X 5 deal coming off 64 pts year and on pace for 65 this year. Doesn't that seem like a reasonable deal? How come everybody else seems to get team friendly deals except the hawks? that is with the cap going up as well.
- kmw4631

Because Carolina hasn't won anything or even made the PO in years.

Kahun, Drake and Kampf are a good start for the bottom 6.
- SoftServe

Agree, these 3 are good candidates for the bottom 6. As much as it seems like many don't seem to project him as part of the Hawks' future, I would also include Sikura. Possibly Perlini and Hayden as options but they need to show a ton more consistency in a defined role.

What's missing? A bona fide 3C like a Nelson, Jenner, Coyle, or Dzingel (the first 3 are UFAs but not Dzingel so he'd need to be acquired in a trade). An upgrade at LW via free agency could be a possibility as well, i.e. Ferland or Martinook.

Ferland - Nelson - 3RW
4LW - Kampf - Caggiula

Fill those spots with 2 of Sikura, Kahun, Hayden, or Perlini. I prefer Sikura at 3RW and Perlini at 4LW.

I'd be fine with Hayden over Perlini if 40 stops playing fancy; just play a simple north-south game with a heavy style.

If the Hawks don't pick 1st or 2nd, forget the Russian. The Hawks have had no success drafting them for whatever reason. Take one of the centers. Dachs, Cozen, Turcotte or Boldy.

How about Ryan Dzingel as the third line center .... moving Kampf to 4th line center and getting rid of Krueger. Big stay at home defensemen that is UFA is Ben Charot from Winnepeg. Both should not break the bank and are in their late 20's
- chuckdahammer

I like those ideas. Nelson, Dzingel, Coyle, or Jenner in that order. Dzingel is not a UFA so he would need to be acquired in a trade so at this point I prefer free agency as first option.

Chariot is worth a look. I've always like Dumoulin as a no frills yet reliable top 4 defensive defenseman. But like Dzingel, he's not a UFA so he could only be had in a trade.

Not sure on this, but I thought I read Ward has a special needs child and for that reason he can't be moved around as some would like.
- 6628

Ward does have a special needs son (cochlear implant). There was a really nice Player's Tribune article a few years ago that Ward wrote about him:

https://www.theplayerstri...d-cochlear-implants-story

Besides the Hawks likely being the only team giving him the exact contract terms he wanted, particularly a NTC, another possible factor on why Chicago was the best scenario for his family is because of the great medical facilities and resources in the city for his son.

If the Hawks don't pick 1st or 2nd, forget the Russian. The Hawks have had no success drafting them for whatever reason. Take one of the centers. Dachs, Cozen, Turcotte or Boldy.
- Elbows15

I agree, as tempting a Podkolzin would be, I would go a safer route with those other draftees if not picking top 2. As it stands today, Draftsite has the Hawks picking Cozens at 4th.

https://www.draftsite.com/nhl/mock-draft/2019/

I disagree Keith it's time to move on from him and realize toews and Kane are both getting older and eating up a huge amount of cap space .

Either blow it up or realize that tinkering around the edges is just not a a realistic plan to improve this team.


The defensive is awful with Keith in the lineup id rather see this team get serious and move on .
- Taylorst1

If Keith waives his no trade clause, I suggest that Rocky might be afraid to waive good by to fans who stay away in droves after the best and most experienced dman is gone.

I too would prefer to move Keith before his value declines. Whether it makes sense to Rocky and Stan is the $64 000 question (nowadays more like the $64 million question)

I agree, as tempting a Podkolzin would be, I would go a safer route with those other draftees if not picking top 2. As it stands today, Draftsite has the Hawks picking Cozens at 4th.

https://www.draftsite.com/nhl/mock-draft/2019/
- AEL_Fox

Hope the Hawks can garner another 1st RD pick and use it on Zegras. Boldy is actually a winger but I like him.

Obvs, top 2 and its Hughes or Kakko. Its a good year for forwards.

For those of you into math, here is something for the sky is falling crowd.

The Hawks, the worst team in hockey according to the entitled, are 2 points a month (Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan) from being a playoff team.

That is 1 win a month or 2 overtime losses away from being a playoff team, 1 point back, as of right now.

9 overtime losses, flip 3 of those and you only need 3 wins. Remember Montreal loss?

Anyway, water under the bridge.

However, it is some desperately needed perspective for many here to understand and develop some context. Razor thin margins.

Meanwhile, not totally vertical or linear, there is no doubt the recent trajectory of this team is upward.

They will continue to improve and add where they can, but lets not get all caught up with the idea that somehow they are 20 games out at the all star break. Yes they are 10 back and playoffs unlikely, but you get my point...

Unless you are bad at math....

Ward does have a special needs son (cochlear implant). There was a really nice Player's Tribune article a few years ago that Ward wrote about him:

https://www.theplayerstri...d-cochlear-implants-story

Besides the Hawks likely being the only team giving him the exact contract terms he wanted, particularly a NTC, another possible factor on why Chicago was the best scenario for his family is because of the great medical facilities and resources in the city for his son.
- AEL_Fox

Thanks for the insight.

Hope the Hawks can garner another 1st RD pick and use it on Zegras. Boldy is actually a winger but I like him.

Obvs, top 2 and its Hughes or Kakko. Its a good year for forwards.
- Elbows15

My gut is that Stan will make a trade either at the TDL or this summer before the draft that has a 1st round pick coming back to the Hawks. Likely a mid-rounder or later.

There's that miniscule chance that Stan can pull off a favorable trade that lands another top 5 pick but one like that proposed Kane to the Avs trade from last week is sheer fantasy. I enjoyed playing along but do admit that such a trade is not going to happen for many reasons.

I took the key parts of your longer post to generally describe a possible strategy for how to develop D prospects and graduate them to the NHL. With a deep blueline prospect pool, let each one develop at an appropriate pace while knowing that the team has enough assets to space them out so the ETA to the NHL is at least one per season is added as a regular on the Hawks backend.

This year Jokiharju, Gustafsson, Forsling, and Dahlstrom have played on the Hawks but only Gustafsson and Dahlstrom spent considerable time on the farm.

Jokiharju arguably earned his roster spot but there is a plausible argument that some time in the AHL may have been good for him. I personally am fine with him in the big show and learning there.

As for Forsling, he either needs more time in the AHL or he is what he is at this point. If the latter, then trade him.

Then who would be ready next season to possibly push for a roster spot? My bet is on Carlsson and Hillman, both defensive defensemen.

Let Boqvist, Mitchell, and Beaudin as well as Krys and Galvas (assuming these latter 2 sign ELCs) develop properly. Graduate 1-2 of them to the roster in 2020-21, then 1-2 of them in 2021-22. Lather, rinse, repeat.
- AEL_Fox

As weak as the D is there is a glut and you posted the advantages of signing Stralman this summer which would make that glut worse.

Guess we'll know better after the TDL and who gets moved, if anyone. But I would wonder if adding a 33 yr old Stralman to Seabs and Keith would be the proper way to allocate NHL ice time making for three 33 yr old plus Dmen for a rebuilding squad?

If Gus is here add, Murphy, Dahlstrom, Joki, Forsling and maybe even KooKoo to that list and you have a glut. And we haven't mentioned one Hog or prospect.

Again the TDL will force the Hawks to show some of their cards moving forward. But unless 2-3-4 Dmen are moved adding a Stralman exacerbates the D man numbers issue.

If Keith waives his no trade clause, I suggest that Rocky might be afraid to waive good by to fans who stay away in droves after the best and most experienced dman is gone.

I too would prefer to move Keith before his value declines. Whether it makes sense to Rocky and Stan is the $64 000 question (nowadays more like the $64 million question)
- jhawk59

Hawks are at a point where you move a guy a yr to early than too late. This is magnified by the abhorrent Seabrook contract.

Agree, these 3 are good candidates for the bottom 6. As much as it seems like many don't seem to project him as part of the Hawks' future, I would also include Sikura. Possibly Perlini and Hayden as options but they need to show a ton more consistency in a defined role.

What's missing? A bona fide 3C like a Nelson, Jenner, Coyle, or Dzingel (the first 3 are UFAs but not Dzingel so he'd need to be acquired in a trade). An upgrade at LW via free agency could be a possibility as well, i.e. Ferland or Martinook.

Ferland - Nelson - 3RW
4LW - Kampf - Caggiula

Fill those spots with 2 of Sikura, Kahun, Hayden, or Perlini. I prefer Sikura at 3RW and Perlini at 4LW.

I'd be fine with Hayden over Perlini if 40 stops playing fancy; just play a simple north-south game with a heavy style.
- AEL_Fox

A good UFA addition would help. Key thing that stands out to me in what you wrote...consistency. One of the biggest areas of concern for the Hawks. I think the best thing they can do for this is solidify the top of the lineup and slot guys where they belong. I look at it this way, when guys are playing too high up the pecking order, they are not focusing on their strengths because they are not comfortable trying to do "too much". Using Kampf as an example, if he is being deployed to generate some offense and he is putting in his typical effort, that is giving him one more thing to worry about. He is out there thinking "I've got to make a big play to help the team score, because I'm playing with Kane tonight, so I need to change my game." That attention to detail in other areas can suffer.

The good players, the elite players can make it look effortless offensively and still focus on defensive positioning and play. They have the skill, hockey IQ and ability to make it look natural. The role players...not as much. Maybe some of it will come with experience, but right now it feels like Chicago has a lot of guys lacking identity in their role, on top of the vets that sometimes fail to live up to their previous roles.

This consistency might be better if some guys can actually simplify and take some pressure off themselves. I'm thinking about Saad, Gustafsson, Forsling, Hayden, Perlini as examples.

Saad can drive the net and play good D, but I think he gets a bit over his head if he is trying to be too "dynamic" in east-west play. It isn't his strength.

Gustafsson is progressing IMO, but needs to continue to pump the breaks a bit and try to do less individually. I think if he feels like pressure to be "the guy" he might not play like such a riverboat gambler.

Forsling, I'm not so sure, but it isn't helping his development when he is hurt as often as he seems to be. Does anyone know much about his conditioning? Maybe he just needs to get to that next level physically. Consistency has always been the knock against him, but he is getting older and should be starting to ramp up his game.

Hayden, I just don't know. Some nights he is invisible (partially because he can't get ice-time) but at times he has had great shifts and physicality. They could use a player of his physical caliber on the ice sometimes. I just don't know if he has it at the NHL level. I really want him to succeed, because he can protect the puck and screen the goalie pretty well.

Perlini looks lost at times. Defensive awareness seems to be a struggle for him. I think he has potential but I think he needs a simple role out there.

Overall, if we can get a bit more top end talent, maybe some of the other players can focus on being who they are and not try to be more. I don't think we have so many bad players, just too many guys trying to fill in the holes above them.

From The Hockey News - Goalie Rankings :

In dead last

31. Cam Ward, Chicago: Thrown into the fire after Corey Crawford went down with another concussion, the veteran Ward has the worst save percentage (.884) and GAA (3.99) among the league’s 31 starters.
- StutzBlackhawk

The only problem with the stat is that he's a backup, not a starter

My gut is that Stan will make a trade either at the TDL or this summer before the draft that has a 1st round pick coming back to the Hawks. Likely a mid-rounder or later.

There's that miniscule chance that Stan can pull off a favor trade that lands another top 5 pick but one like that proposed Kane to the Avs trade from last week is sheer fantasy. I enjoyed playing along but do admit that such a trade is not going to happen for many reasons.
- AEL_Fox

I'd bet he's selling at the deadline (my spidey senses tell me) and despite what he says, we're getting late first round pick (s) like the Hartman trade.

I think he learned his lesson of having a crappy summer, he's going to do something (s) big. Good or bad ... time will tell.

My gut is that Stan will make a trade either at the TDL or this summer before the draft that has a 1st round pick coming back to the Hawks. Likely a mid-rounder or later.

There's that miniscule chance that Stan can pull off a favor trade that lands another top 5 pick but one like that proposed Kane to the Avs trade from last week is sheer fantasy. I enjoyed playing along but do admit that such a trade is not going to happen for many reasons.
- AEL_Fox

Kane isn't being traded. His game will age well so there is no reason to move him.

Kaliyev is another one I like in the 15-20 range. Though, he seems to be a riser.

Because Carolina hasn't won anything or even made the PO in years.
- Elbows15

That argument makes zero sense.

It would be harder to get guys to go there. And They should have to overpay to get them to come/stay if that's what's being taken into account.

Nobody is taking a discount to come to/stick with a losing team.

TT reups 5 X 5.4
- riozzo

I assume that's NOT $5MM for 5.4 years.

A player who I always thought would be quality given a couple of years experience at 23-24 years old.

Too bad they Hawks had to move him at 21.

This ought to explode some heads in here:

Mark Lazerus
@MarkLazerus

Patrick Kane on Brent Seabrook: "People want to get on Seabs about his contract. To us, he's underpaid, what he brings to this locker room, the way he's such a great leader. ... He's an unbelievable teammate. Even that game he missed, it's like you lose your heart and soul."

That argument makes zero sense.

It would be harder to get guys to go there. And They should have to overpay to get them to come/stay if that's what's being taken into account.

Nobody is taking a discount to come to/stick with a losing team.
- BINGO!

Winning cost money. It inflates the value of players. No one cares about Carolina. Or else there would be a thread for you and the other Cane fans. Now here is something to occupy your time

TT signs a 5.4 X 5 deal coming off 64 pts year and on pace for 65 this year. Doesn't that seem like a reasonable deal? How come everybody else seems to get team friendly deals except the hawks? that is with the cap going up as well.
- kmw4631

Hjalmarsson - $20MM over 5 years.

Keith - $72MM over 13 years, signed when he was 26, effective when he was 27.

Crawford - $36MM over 6 years, signed just after his first Cup.

I think those are three fairly team-friendly deals.

This ought to explode some heads in here:

Mark Lazerus
@MarkLazerus

Patrick Kane on Brent Seabrook: "People want to get on Seabs about his contract. To us, he's underpaid, what he brings to this locker room, the way he's such a great leader. ... He's an unbelievable teammate. Even that game he missed, it's like you lose your heart and soul."
- pdx2ord

All great things, I almost all agree, but Seabs is a great guy and player. My head stayed intact.