Holy poop the Canadian tax rate tops out 53%, damn
- BetweenTheDots

well "free health care" isnt' free and that's why they also pay $50 for a case a beer.

Not surprising.

well "free health care" isnt' free and that's why they also pay $50 for a case a beer.

Not surprising.
- SteveRain

Not really an issue either.

It would be really nice to see what Highmore could do with some extended time up. I would guess Johnson would be the logical call up?
- Chunk

Highmore getting hurt with the way the hawks season has gone is really unfortunate for him.

I like his skill set for a bottom 6 guy who has a little scoring touch. Might be back in time for a cup of coffee in March/April.

Wouldn't mind seeing Martinssen brought up and paired with Hayden and Kruger. Don't think he's part of the Hawks future, but maybe a decent spot to showcase him.
- HawksHype

Showcase him for what? No-one wants him, and nobody is giving up anything for him.

well "free health care" isnt' free and that's why they also pay $50 for a case a beer.

Not surprising.
- SteveRain

No free health care isn't free it's paid for by our taxes. And beer is $38 CDN for a case of 24. We also pay more for a gallon of gas. Lots of taxes are built into everything. Would I like to pay less taxes? Yes. But I and most Canadians I know happy here and don't have much else to complain about, except maybe the weather.

100% agreed. They are 3 points from the 2nd wild card spot and 3 points from the Kings for last place. They have to leap frog 5 teams and only Vancouver has played as many games as the Hawks.. The other 4 teams have games in hand.

So while it's exciting to see them play exciting hockey, the young guys develop, it's hard to think the playoffs are a reality. Especially when you have the worst the PK in the league and are close to the bottom in goals against per game.

Sell the veterans you can to clear cap room, take on younger players and picks, and don't lose sight of what this team really is......not a true bottom feeder, but not a playoff team either.

The last this team needs is Stanley dumping picks and prospects to Philly for Wayne Simmonds.

28 games to go.....95 points usually gets you in...so the Hawks need to average 1.57 pts a game the rest of the way.
- SteveRain

I would doubt any team (maybe Minnesota) would get to 95 points this year - prebably / certainly not any of the 7 vying for the last WC spot.

St. Louis would have the best chance - they would need to win 68% of their remaining available points to get there.

The other six would need 72% plus - Chicago, Van, AZ, Edmonton and Anaheim would need more than 75%.

Even to get to 90 points - all would need to win 60% plus of their remaining points.

Certainly one could go on a long streak and get to 90 or even 95 - but none has yet shown the ability to do that. It's very possible that the final Western WC spot could go to a team with less than 90 points.

To get to 90, Chicago would need to win 2/3 of their remaining points.

No free health care isn't free it's paid for by our taxes. And beer is $38 CDN for a case of 24. We also pay more for a gallon of gas. Lots of taxes are built into everything. Would I like to pay less taxes? Yes. But I and most Canadians I know happy here and don't have much else to complain about, except maybe the weather.
- paulr

The fishing is amazing, more like catching. It's a Beautiful country.

I would doubt any team (maybe Minnesota) would get to 95 points this year - prebably / certainly not any of the 7 vying for the last WC spot.

St. Louis would have the best chance - they would need to win 68% of their remaining available points to get there.

The other six would need 72% plus - Chicago, Van, AZ, Edmonton and Anaheim would need more than 75%.

Even to get to 90 points - all would need to win 60% plus of their remaining points.

Certainly one could go on a long streak and get to 90 or even 95 - but none has yet shown the ability to do that. It's very possible that the final Western WC spot could go to a team with less than 90 points.

To get to 90, Chicago would need to win 2/3 of their remaining points.
- StLBravesFan

Looking it up, the Wild in 15 and 16 got in with 87 points otherwise the lowest get in the dance points were 94

No free health care isn't free it's paid for by our taxes. And beer is $38 CDN for a case of 24. We also pay more for a gallon of gas. Lots of taxes are built into everything. Would I like to pay less taxes? Yes. But I and most Canadians I know happy here and don't have much else to complain about, except maybe the weather.
- paulr

I so agree Paul, we don't complain. no wonder we are so laidback, outside of sports we still wonder how one third of American people support that a Hole Trump.

My take on this season so far:

1) I will NEVER root for the Hawks to lose.
2) Even though their record sucks, this team is exciting to watch. I got NHL Center Ice 5 years ago, and watch every Hawks game. The last two years, I "watched" a lot of their games in FF. This year, I think I've done it only 2 or 3 times.
3) If the Hawks play well and lose anyway, great! I'd love for them to have Hughes or Kaako, and play the way they're playing. Next year, bring in Mitchell or Boqvist, and hopefully sign a top 6 wing and a 3C, and I feel we're pretty close. After some of our other prospects make it (Entwhistle, Beaudin, Kurashev, Hillman), we'll be SC contenders again.
4) If they sneak into the playoffs as the WC2, great! It will be good experience for some of the younger players, and will only help them moving forward.
5) Worst case scenario for me is that they barely miss the playoffs, and don't get a difference maker in the draft. I'm even ok with this happening because I feel the veterans would be teaching the younger guys how to win. Again, this helps them next year.
6) They need to trade AA. Either at the TDL, or after 7/1, he needs to go. I don't care if it's just for future considerations at this point. They'll need his cap space to resign ADB and Strome the following year.
7) They should trade any player they don't plan on resigning. Even if they just end up with a bunch of 7th round picks, they get assets for basically nothing.
8) They need to figure out their goalie situation. If CC is healthy next year, I'm good with him and Delia in net, but that's a BIG if. I would hope that with the experience he's getting this year, they could have Delia as a 1A/1B option with Crow. I would like them to split the games almost 50-50. However, if CC is NOT healthy, do you ride Delia and Forsberg? Do you extend Ward another year? do you go out and sign a backup for Delia? Would Delia be ready to start 55-60 games? I don't know the answers to these question, so I hope Stanbo does his due diligence to figure it out before the season starts.
9) Can they win with the Dmen they have in house? I think that's a no. I wonder if they could get Stralman to sign a 2-year deal? I think he believes this will be his last big contract, so he'll be looking for more. Do you trade Saad for a top 4 Dman? Maybe, but that depends on what your forward group looks like. Plus, he is one of our better defensive forwards, so even with adding a top 4 Dman, you may actually be hurting team defense depending on who replaces him.

I know we're probably 2 to 3 years away from really contending, but I am actually excited to see where we go from here.

I so agree Paul, we don't complain. no wonder we are so laidback, outside of sports we still wonder how one third of American people support that a Hole Trump.
- holyJumpin_NL

It’s because beer in the states is like $15 a case they were all drunk on Election Day!!

I like most here would be ok with Kunitz or Kruger even aa being traded for almost anything. I’m all for Stan looking to do complete more (hockey trades ) like the storme trade and even if there’s a change of scenery trade like the Koekkoek trade

Showcase him for what? No-one wants him, and nobody is giving up anything for him.
- TheTrob

Good to know... good talk.

Showcase him for what? No-one wants him, and nobody is giving up anything for him.
- TheTrob

Cody McLeod was traded for a 7th round pick. That sets the market on that particular skill set for the current TDL.

That sucks. I thought I heard he had some personal issues shortly after he got there. I wonder if it was just the pressure of being a starter that got to him.
- Chunk

Do know that his engagement was broken off that summer. That may have contributed to his mental state. Seems he's doing better now (if his Insta is any indication), and I hope so. A genuinely good guy.

Cody McLeod was traded for a 7th round pick. That sets the market on that particular skill set for the current TDL.
- 333inthe3rd

Really bottom of the barrel there, not sure why’d they even want him.

Really bottom of the barrel there, not sure why’d they even want him.
- walleyeb1

Because their tuff guy Austin Watson is back on the restricted list for booze and drugs

Really bottom of the barrel there, not sure why’d they even want him.
- walleyeb1

Was this solely to put him on the ice when Reaves or Wilson are on the ice?

Really bottom of the barrel there, not sure why’d they even want him.
- walleyeb1

This is more in relation to Martinsen than it is mcleod, not every trade is made to impact the NHL roster.

Really bottom of the barrel there, not sure why’d they even want him.
- walleyeb1

He's played for Nashville, so there is familiarity.

Remember when the Hawks got a 5th for John Scott? Or a 3rd for Brandon Bollig? Good times.

I would doubt any team (maybe Minnesota) would get to 95 points this year - prebably / certainly not any of the 7 vying for the last WC spot.

St. Louis would have the best chance - they would need to win 68% of their remaining available points to get there.

The other six would need 72% plus - Chicago, Van, AZ, Edmonton and Anaheim would need more than 75%.

Even to get to 90 points - all would need to win 60% plus of their remaining points.

Certainly one could go on a long streak and get to 90 or even 95 - but none has yet shown the ability to do that. It's very possible that the final Western WC spot could go to a team with less than 90 points.

To get to 90, Chicago would need to win 2/3 of their remaining points.
- StLBravesFan

If the Blues really do trade Pareyko, then a team built to win (after last summer moves, i.e. O'Reilly) is really on par with several other teams to grab the last couple playoff spots. Chicago included. The teams that get the better goaltending should have this advantage.

You think we have bad defense! I guess that is why they have the "blues" in St Louis. Bowmeester no longer good, Shattenkirk gone (and has not been good since he left), and now if Parayko goes. If you have to call V Dunn your best then you are in deep doggie poop.

LATE ADD my point about St Louis weak defense still holds true although I overlooked Pietrangelo. Allen is inconsistent in net too.

well "free health care" isnt' free and that's why they also pay $50 for a case a beer.

Not surprising.
- SteveRain

If you think that a mildly higher cost of beer is directly tied to the Universal Healthcare, then I don't know where to begin to explain. The higher beer costs are part municipal taxes, part transportation costs from the companies themselves to the rural areas, and a myriad of other factors.

If you had the choice between a $30,000 procedure and a $18 case of beer, and a $300 procedure and a $50 case of beer, which would you choose?

If we spent half as much as we do in Afghanistan, Iraq, or Syria, we could finance a Universal Healthcare system. But instead we have people citing 'high beer prices' as direct evidence that Universal Healthcare is an untenable idea.

No free health care isn't free it's paid for by our taxes. And beer is $38 CDN for a case of 24. We also pay more for a gallon of gas. Lots of taxes are built into everything. Would I like to pay less taxes? Yes. But I and most Canadians I know happy here and don't have much else to complain about, except maybe the weather.
- paulr

No free health care isn't free it's paid for by our taxes. And beer is $38 CDN for a case of 24. We also pay more for a gallon of gas. Lots of taxes are built into everything. Would I like to pay less taxes? Yes. But I and most Canadians I know happy here and don't have much else to complain about, except maybe the weather.
- paulr

Oh....one other complaint...a lifetime of listening to Hab fans.....

Entwistle apparently has been out a few games with a LBI but expected to return to game action tomorrow.

If you think that a mildly higher cost of beer is directly tied to the Universal Healthcare, then I don't know where to begin to explain. The higher beer costs are part municipal taxes, part transportation costs from the companies themselves to the rural areas, and a myriad of other factors.

If you had the choice between a $30,000 procedure and a $18 case of beer, and a $300 procedure and a $50 case of beer, which would you choose?

If we spent half as much as we do in Afghanistan, Iraq, or Syria, we could finance a Universal Healthcare system. But instead we have people citing 'high beer prices' as direct evidence that Universal Healthcare is an untenable idea.
- ObeseOprah

Honestly i like the idea of taxing things like alcohol and tobacco, now Canada can tax pot, is a great idea Taxing fuel and supposedly that's suppose to pay for the upkeep of the roads and bridges.