It lies on the great Theo. He signed Chatwood, Darvish, and Morrow to huge deals and Morrow hasn't pitched since last July, Chatwood is a damn disaster, and Darvish may be the most mentally fragile player since Rick Ankiel.

Maddon will be fired soon. Lame duck managers rarely survive. His message won't be heard by the team and come June they will need a swift kick in the butt and the move to make will be firing the coach.
- SteveRain

Pretty much sounds like all of Stan's signings.

Look at the post I was responding to might help with context, might.

Ricketts is an entitled nobody, right daddy.
- gazza53

yeah, I am still lost. The rickets family bought the team and he runs it.....what's the point? Every team has a budget. Cubs have spent a TON of money, not wisely mind you, so it's hard to call them cheap.

Now.....the Sox, no owner is more of a moron then ole Jerry. Still has employed GarPax which has killed that franchise, and Kenny is on his way to destroying the Sox.....as they completely screwed up the Manchado deal.

yeah, I am still lost. The rickets family bought the team and he runs it.....what's the point? Every team has a budget. Cubs have spent a TON of money, not wisely mind you, so it's hard to call them cheap.

Now.....the Sox, no owner is more of a moron then ole Jerry. Still has employed GarPax which has killed that franchise, and Kenny is on his way to destroying the Sox.....as they completely screwed up the Manchado deal.
- SteveRain

Agree on Jerry, maybe age got to him.

As far as the Ricketts, I was responding to this, bolded.


Problem is ownership - when Tom ricketts cried poor (cubs are worth 2.9B) and couldn't be bothered to fix the pen this offseason. It's not like that problem magically fixed itself - kind of like Stan and his defense...

Andrew Miller wouldn't have cost that much - take a good look at Theo and the UFA pitching signings...next time Darvish finds the plate will be the first since he signed.
And don't forget Chatty...yikes scooby. Only a few months until the Bears report for camp. Going to be along summer. Didn't the Sox Manny...oh wait...lol.
- DK002


Ricketts the entitled one cries poor, could he become the next
$$$ Bill?

They have but last year's excuse was that the core guys needed to be better and they needed more out of Crawford (health wise)

Well.....the core was better. A lot better. Kane had his best year since they jettisoned Panarin for everyone's favorite "try hard" player in Saad, Toews has had his best year, Seabrook and Keith were better, and they got a helluva year out of Gus, ADB, and the new addition Strome > Schmaltz

They also got additional games from CC and even signed a proven veteran back stop early in UFA to shore up goaltending in Ward, even giving him the NMC

In the end they are 1 W better then last year, and yes....still have 3 games left but against all teams fighting for playoff seeding. So the mythical idea of these teams sitting guys isn't going to happen.

The main problem is after that....what happened? To roll out this same crew and think a tweak here or there is going to vault them 10-15 pts next year is foolish.

BTW that was a helluva power move out of Hayes last night. Shook Strome and just wasn't going to be denied.

Jets are a fun team to watch.....Play heavy but have a LOT of skill.
- SteveRain

Until they get a coach who demands discipline and creates a defensive system and makes the players accountable to play that system they can play heavy, be fun to watch and have skill but they will be hard pressed to do much when it counts. They had their hands full when a middling Hawks team forced them in heir own zone.

We ran into a lot of 'walls' out there - as the game went on, we just couldn't generate much Offense - heck we had a hard time gaining he red line
- glennjpawlak22

Winnipeg is a Big, Heavy, Fast, skilled team. You really have to wonder why they don't dominate the way Tampa does. For all their size and skill they tend to get into streaks where they play incredibly sloppy and/or stupid. They are not a great Defensive team and give up a TON of shots. Hellebuyck has a decent save pct, but his GAA is high because of the number of shots against.

Winnipeg is a Big, Heavy, Fast, skilled team. You really have to wonder why they don't dominate the way Tampa does. For all their size and skill they tend to get into streaks where they play incredibly sloppy and/or stupid. They are not a great Defensive team and give up a TON of shots. Hellebuyck has a decent save pct, but his GAA is high because of the number of shots against.
- TheTrob

I've said it since he was fired but I'd really like to see Quenneville replace Maurice. I think he'd have a the Jets playing a better all round disciplined game and bring them to the next level.

I've said it since he was fired but I'd really like to see Quenneville replace Maurice. I think he'd have a the Jets playing a better all round disciplined game and bring them to the next level.
- paulr

Q would probably have them playing more disciplined, yes, but could he really institute his system with the D-men that WPG has, and would they be open to playing it. Not sure you are going to get Buff, Trouba and Myers to be stick checking, gap control defensemen. All of them like to jump into the offensive zone, D be damned. There were plenty of times last night where d-men lead rushes up ice or jumped into plays and were then the last man back into the d-end.

A guy like Campbell was able to play in Q's system as a defenseman who rarely skates backwards, because there were enough guys like Seabrook, Keith and Hjalmarsson who were solid D men. Buff, Meyers and Trouba are not great traditional d-men.

Re-doing the 2018 draft. How would it unfold today?

https://thehockeynews.com...how-would-it-unfold-today

Q would probably have them playing more disciplined, yes, but could he really institute his system with the D-men that WPG has, and would they be open to playing it. Not sure you are going to get Buff, Trouba and Myers to be stick checking, gap control defensemen. All of them like to jump into the offensive zone, D be damned. There were plenty of times last night where d-men lead rushes up ice or jumped into plays and were then the last man back into the d-end.

A guy like Campbell was able to play in Q's system as a defenseman who rarely skates backwards, because there were enough guys like Seabrook, Keith and Hjalmarsson who were solid D men. Buff, Meyers and Trouba are not great traditional d-men.
- TheTrob

That's where discipline comes in. Not just discipline to avoid dumb penalties but the discipline to do what it takes to win. If Q or any coach can get them to buy into a defensive scheme that accomodates their talent, they become a better team based on that. A big part of Q's defensive system is positioning. Losing position for a big hit is poor discipline. Stick checking and gap control are a big part of any defensive system, now add that physical element and the Jets have the potential to be great defensively. The questions are can Q work with the Jets talent and would the Jets buy into Q's message?

A couple weeks back I suggested Ben Chiarot may be someone we can target as a UFA d-man this summer to be a top-4 LD. The responses varied but for the most part the general consensus was that he is more of a 5/6 guy than 3/4 guy. The thought was he was playing 2nd-pairing only because Winnipeg was missing a couple of their top-4 d-men - Byfuglien and Morrissey were both out. So, OK ... moving on from looking at Chiarot.

But then the Hawks played the Jets last night and I noticed Chiarot and he looked pretty good. Granted, Morrissey is still out so maybe that's still the reason Chiarot played a top-4 role and on the first PK unit. So ... I don't know ... I'm looking at Chiarot again. At the very least he would be an upgrade over Forsling, Dahlstrom and Koekkoek. His cap hit is $1.4M and obviously he'll be looking for a raise but if he can be signed for around $3.5M I would be in favor of getting him.

Watching last nights game it was pretty obvious that the Hawks main guys have just hit the proverbial wall. They are still playing hard and giving max effort, but there is just not much left in the tank for most of them. The heavy minutes played by guys like Kane, Toews, Saad, DeBrincat and even Strome has really shown up over the last 10 games/month.

Stromes goals last night were his first in 12 games. Kane hasn't had a goal in 10. ADB had a few recently but had gone thru a 8-10 game drought. Shots they were all hitting before are now being shanked, mis-handled, or shot into goalies chests.

They made a valiant effort to get back in the playoff race but the lack of depth on the team has seen almost all of them running out of gas.
- TheTrob

You are spot on!

This team ran out of gas under Q a few times b/c the 4th line played 5 mins a night. Same thing here just with an older core.

A couple weeks back I suggested Ben Chiarot may be someone we can target as a UFA d-man this summer to be a top-4 LD. The responses varied but for the most part the general consensus was that he is more of a 5/6 guy than 3/4 guy. The thought was he was playing 2nd-pairing only because Winnipeg was missing a couple of their top-4 d-men - Byfuglien and Morrissey were both out. So, OK ... moving on from looking at Chiarot.

But then the Hawks played the Jets last night and I noticed Chiarot and he looked pretty good. Granted, Morrissey is still out so maybe that's still the reason Chiarot played a top-4 role and on the first PK unit. So ... I don't know ... I'm looking at Chiarot again. At the very least he would be an upgrade over Forsling, Dahlstrom and Koekkoek. His cap hit is $1.4M and obviously he'll be looking for a raise but if he can be signed for around $3.5M I would be in favor of getting him.
- EbonyRaptor

I wouldn't mind taking a look at Chiarot as a 4/5 defender. If $3.5M is doable, the question then is term. He's 28 so still young enough to command term in the 4-6 range.

Contrast that with a UFA like Stralman who is 33. Is it doable to get him around $4M? If so, then as a 30+ year old, signing him to shorter term may be in the cards. Say 2 years. Doesn't need to be Stralman, just using him as an example comparing UFAs by age and possible term they may demand.

Who knows, though, maybe a 33 year old like Stralman will still want term. In that case, go with the younger option as long as he's still reliable defensively.

Q would probably have them playing more disciplined, yes, but could he really institute his system with the D-men that WPG has, and would they be open to playing it. Not sure you are going to get Buff, Trouba and Myers to be stick checking, gap control defensemen. All of them like to jump into the offensive zone, D be damned. There were plenty of times last night where d-men lead rushes up ice or jumped into plays and were then the last man back into the d-end.

A guy like Campbell was able to play in Q's system as a defenseman who rarely skates backwards, because there were enough guys like Seabrook, Keith and Hjalmarsson who were solid D men. Buff, Meyers and Trouba are not great traditional d-men.
- TheTrob

After the Jets get bumped this yr to me they have the look of Washington when Trotz came in. Stacked roster, top goaltending, superstars, just missing the details to succeed......... Even OV was all ears and open to any system that might turn things around and indeed they won the cup.

I think the Jets would buy anything Q is selling. And as far as Dmen Morrissey, Trouba and Chiarot are pretty good in their own end with Morrisey and Trouba able to be offensive too.

A couple weeks back I suggested Ben Chiarot may be someone we can target as a UFA d-man this summer to be a top-4 LD. The responses varied but for the most part the general consensus was that he is more of a 5/6 guy than 3/4 guy. The thought was he was playing 2nd-pairing only because Winnipeg was missing a couple of their top-4 d-men - Byfuglien and Morrissey were both out. So, OK ... moving on from looking at Chiarot.

But then the Hawks played the Jets last night and I noticed Chiarot and he looked pretty good. Granted, Morrissey is still out so maybe that's still the reason Chiarot played a top-4 role and on the first PK unit. So ... I don't know ... I'm looking at Chiarot again. At the very least he would be an upgrade over Forsling, Dahlstrom and Koekkoek. His cap hit is $1.4M and obviously he'll be looking for a raise but if he can be signed for around $3.5M I would be in favor of getting him.
- EbonyRaptor

Always been a fan of Chiarot and going back a couple yrs he always played with Buff. He'd be a fine partner for Gus covering for his wandering ways the same way he has done for Buff for a couple yrs.

And with the D prospects being offensive minded for the most part a "predictable" player like Chiarot would be a fine addition.

That's where discipline comes in. Not just discipline to avoid dumb penalties but the discipline to do what it takes to win. If Q or any coach can get them to buy into a defensive scheme that accomodates their talent, they become a better team based on that. A big part of Q's defensive system is positioning. Losing position for a big hit is poor discipline. Stick checking and gap control are a big part of any defensive system, now add that physical element and the Jets have the potential to be great defensively. The questions are can Q work with the Jets talent and would the Jets buy into Q's message?
- paulr

What won't happen is the Jets "buying" Q's contract demands to relocate to the Peg.

Maurice is a terrible coach for a team with that much talent IMO. Doesn't adjust to other team's forechecking or defensive strategies.

However, when discipline and the Jets are the topic Buff and Trouba are the 2 who display that trait the least. Morrissey is their best Dman by a mile. Hope I am wrong but don't see them winning more than 1 playoff round if that.

Not dumping on him. I think he is an effective player that can slide up and down the line and be effective. He shows he can be dominant at times, but he is non-existent for too many games for someone that CAN dominate. I think if he ever "brought it" on a regular basis he could go from being a 40-50 point guy to a 60+ point guy. I think if he was closer to that 60 point guy his $6mil contract would look better.
- TheTrob

He was not so existent last night .... so were other players. I've seen this crap before .... got to find somebody to point the finger at. Have ya noticed that Kane has hit the wall too .... let's trade them all

Always been a fan of Chiarot and going back a couple yrs he always played with Buff. He'd be a fine partner for Gus covering for his wandering ways the same way he has done for Buff for a couple yrs.

And with the D prospects being offensive minded for the most part a "predictable" player like Chiarot would be a fine addition.
- Mr Ricochet

I agree about Chiarot. Twenty Eight years old ... young veteran and will not cost a fortune. 3.0-3.5 would be money well spent and the Jets WILL be in salary cap hell this off season

Until they get a coach who demands discipline and creates a defensive system and makes the players accountable to play that system they can play heavy, be fun to watch and have skill but they will be hard pressed to do much when it counts. They had their hands full when a middling Hawks team forced them in heir own zone.
- paulr

I do not disagree with what you are saying, but could you give us an example of current teams/coaches that check off those boxes?

Lets stop with the run out of gas meme please. Really. How many excuses can we come up with for the fact that they just did not get it done.

There are no style points for how you lose. You just lose, because you get outscored. You do that enough, no matter why, you miss the playoffs.

I know this is a Hawks fan site, but really? Do people here really think the hawks situation is unique to them? What their top players are experiencing is somehow different or more difficult than what 10 other teams are dealing with?

Paul points it out like most, the team does not win or compete along the wall very well. Especially in their own end. It is easy to knock the defensemen, but boy they are not near as bad as they are made to look by the support they do not get from wingers and centers (often). That piece has to tighten up.

They do not lack talent, they lack compete and will. That you can control. Knock Sikura all you like, but that guy competes every second of every shift regardless of what zone he is in.

A couple weeks back I suggested Ben Chiarot may be someone we can target as a UFA d-man this summer to be a top-4 LD. The responses varied but for the most part the general consensus was that he is more of a 5/6 guy than 3/4 guy. The thought was he was playing 2nd-pairing only because Winnipeg was missing a couple of their top-4 d-men - Byfuglien and Morrissey were both out. So, OK ... moving on from looking at Chiarot.

But then the Hawks played the Jets last night and I noticed Chiarot and he looked pretty good. Granted, Morrissey is still out so maybe that's still the reason Chiarot played a top-4 role and on the first PK unit. So ... I don't know ... I'm looking at Chiarot again. At the very least he would be an upgrade over Forsling, Dahlstrom and Koekkoek. His cap hit is $1.4M and obviously he'll be looking for a raise but if he can be signed for around $3.5M I would be in favor of getting him.
- EbonyRaptor

Man, I think you are on the right track. I'll admit myself that I don't know a lot about Chiarot, but it will probably be an under the radar UFA addition that helps this team.

Last summer, I thought the Hawks missed out on a chance to sign Greg Paterynwho can play some good defensive minutes. Moore would have been good too.

I think Stan might try to pry someone away from a team that is in a bad cap situation and can't fit an RFA. Maybe we can try to pickup Scott Harrington from CBJ.

I wouldn't mind Patrick Nemeth for the right price as UFA. He can block shots, hit, defend okay and doesn't give the puck away. Even Dan Girardi would be okay for some consideration.

I do not disagree with what you are saying, but could you give us an example of current teams/coaches that check off those boxes?
- TrueGrit

The coaches of Tampa, Boston, Toronto, The Islanders, come to mind immediately. Washington seem to be harkening back to the 70s with all their after the whistle and intimidation tactics which can unnerve some team but a disciplined team can take advantage of their lack of discipline. Babcock has the wrong mix of players but you can see the team discipline, except kadri who seems to never learn from his stupid mistakes.

I have to admit I was one of them. I do not understand what happened to Saad, he was such a clutch during 2015 playoff run and torched some teams like Ducks with shorthanded goals, which took a wind out of Duck attempts to win the series.

On another topic - watched Tampa game yesterday, Rutta was pretty decent in that game, and he was a total disaster here, is this Daley de-ja-vu?
- vshun

It is confidance. You can guess whatever reason(s?) for his poor play. Two reasons for the performance not equal to his beginng time in Chicago cannot br ignored, however, as factors leading to poor performance

Rutta suffered a concussion and whennhevresumed playing for us, he was not a sound smart decision dman. Too many turovers. Never was physical.

So concussion is #1. The #2 is the support from the 5 man group on his ice minutes logged. The effort from firwards and bis dman pairing was not good. Too offen both dmen woukd watch and not get involved to contest the opposing forward. You have that plus hirtible team xefense too. No wonder he too was bad. And maybe he plays timid now due to the concussion - is he playing scared or overly worried about suffering another concussion ?

Rutta has a nice shot, knows how to play (lot if euro exoerience) and initially showed that he makes smart decisions. He eould be the puck mover out of his zone efficient type dman although not necessarily a puck carrier. I noticed that he was used on pk too.

What and how he dies in Tampa has a lot to do with regaining confidance. Perhaps enough time since concussion and enough games played translates into a .kre comfortable feeling on the ice. A much better team and a team with a system that works would make most anyone appear better than they were.

Ut yes i say he still has worts in his game. Curiius hiw steadt and effective he may become away from the chaotic ways in Chicago.

Always been a fan of Chiarot and going back a couple yrs he always played with Buff. He'd be a fine partner for Gus covering for his wandering ways the same way he has done for Buff for a couple yrs.

And with the D prospects being offensive minded for the most part a "predictable" player like Chiarot would be a fine addition.
- Mr Ricochet

I would rather have Brendan McNabb than Chariot, Vegas is in more cap hell then Winnipeg, maybe we can get him for a second or third rounder, he only makes $2.3 mil., and has played top 4 minutes with both Vegas and the Kings where he was Doughty's partner.

BLACKHAWKS JUST RE-ASSIGNED SIKURA TO ROCKFORD.

I suggest the reasoning has to do primarily more about the Icehogs run the table and make the playoffs than for the development of this player.

I do not believe that he is lacking the ability to score at the NHL level. He scored a fair amount previously in Rockford and as a collegiate. You might be remiss, however, if you did not think he was beginning to squeeze his stick after the goal-less streak continued here in Chicago lineup

I know that it is difficult to play more than one or two rookie dmen in the NHL lineup. But Krys and Joki receive playoff pressure which is good for their development. The playoffs look attainable as said to run the table with Sikura addition. For a team whose weakness was offense, ADD: Holland, R Johnsin and Hagel, Sikura. Together that is a transition from sort of a joke offense to actually having skill difference makers.

They do not lack talent, they lack compete and will. That you can control. Knock Sikura all you like, but that guy competes every second of every shift regardless of what zone he is in.
- TrueGrit

I fully expect Sikura to be resigned and make the team out of camp next fall. Agree, his compete level is one of the best on the team already. The things that can help him elevate his game are within his control (i.e. gaining strength) and a summer of working out and being hungry to prove he can score in the NHL will be good for him.

I know there are varying perspectives of him on these boards, but IMO, he is one of the starters in next year's top 9. If the team expects to be more competitive, then you start with players who compete whistle to whistle. And youngsters like Sikura and Caggiula compete.