I just hope Stan can acquire some solid stay at home D who know how to keep the slot clear. Makes you appreciate what guys like Rozy and Hammer brought to the team.
- z1990z

I think Murphy does a pretty good job of that. Seabrook was better at it in the second half of this year as well. 4K was decent in spots but way too inconsistent. Who would you consider the best 3 at it currently in the league. I really don't pay all that much attention to it unless the puck is in the Hawks zone.

How about Trotz taking the Isles from most goals given up to least the next season.

Something to emulate.
- StLBravesFan

A good read on exactly what that is:

https://www.newsday.com/s...nse-lamoriello-1.27108854

Yeah if we thought the line up needed a undersized low scoring OLDER USA developmental prospect.

Sure the game has changed, but when a team win's Lord Stanley's Cup that has no over six foot forwards, then Would consider DeBrincat, Kahun, Sikura, and company another guy they can exchange wardrobe with...
- wiz1901

C'mon Wiz there is always somebody that takes notice of and then fancies for the Hawks a small winger that goes out and plays hard for a few games on the 4th line, even tho he never gets even 10 mins TOI.

Babcock likes him for now - until a new fancy toy comes along. And then Moore will be back in the AHL trying to replicate Cam Atkinson.

Just leaving this here...


Theo Fleury
@TheoFleury14
·
16h
You can throw analytics and corsi out the window at playoff time. It’s heart and balls that matter at this time of year. The teams that have this usually win. When talent doesn’t work hard or battle you have zero chance of winning.

I agree try to bring in 2 D, one each via trade and FA and some bottom 6 depth. Try 5o get 3 players for about 10M.
- boilermaker100

You can bring in two Dmen, but unless forwards buy in to full team defense first, it won’t make a bit of difference.

Spend the morning watching Alex Turcotte from a year ago and between injury this year.

I hear all the take about McKinnon and McDavid.

But this kid is fast too. I am not trying to make the comparison since both are bigger men (well MacKinnon is over 200 and maybe a tad over six?)

I am not sure if Alex Turcotte is truly 190 + but he is under 6 foot.

The things to like is he has honed a two-way game, kills penalties, and blocks shots, lifts opposing sticks to disrupt possession He stays on the right side of the puck and you can hit him, he doesn’t care if he got the puck to his teammate.

His got that extra gear to beat defenders form the outside, put the shoulder down and go to the front of the net. He escapes traffic and knows when to pull in the soft vacated area because his teammate is possibly gonna hit him with the puck for a chance. Very good balance in his carrying motion and strength on his edges.Wins face-offs.

He kill penalties.

And he is smart winning the one on one battles all over.

I am not making a selection, placing him over the possible slot three players but, how important is checking all the boxes and not being a standout due to one attribute?

Priority #1 IMO is doing whatever they need to do to help Seabrook for next season. I don't know what that might be, but he his minutes are getting more sheltered and his performance is not what it needs to be for his $$$.

I'm not saying he was all of the problem or that everything about his game was bad, but he doesn't look 100% himself. It is unlikely they will trade him and he won't bounce back to his prime, but if they can at least turn back the clock a bit, the needs on D lessen a bit. He isn't so old yet. If guys like Joki, Dahlstrom, or similar can take (or continue to take) some more PK shifts without drop off, then maybe Seabrook can have a bit more in the tank at 5v5.

Just leaving this here...


Theo Fleury
@TheoFleury14
·
16h
You can throw analytics and corsi out the window at playoff time. It’s heart and balls that matter at this time of year. The teams that have this usually win. When talent doesn’t work hard or battle you have zero chance of winning.
- riozzo

FNA Cotton.... Just ask the Bolts. The Blue Jackets came in and punched them in the face with no response. Just like what happened to the Hawks when the Preds took us to the wood shed. Not saying the Hawks need to have Ryan Reaves style hitters, but we need that tenacious mind set. The go get the puck pitbull attitude. The body on body you aint going anywhere with that puck mojo. The crease belongs to me mindset. You get the drift. We don't have that. Yet..

Priority #1 IMO is doing whatever they need to do to help Seabrook for next season. I don't know what that might be, but he his minutes are getting more sheltered and his performance is not what it needs to be for his $$$.

I'm not saying he was all of the problem or that everything about his game was bad, but he doesn't look 100% himself. It is unlikely they will trade him and he won't bounce back to his prime, but if they can at least turn back the clock a bit, the needs on D lessen a bit. He isn't so old yet. If guys like Joki, Dahlstrom, or similar can take (or continue to take) some more PK shifts without drop off, then maybe Seabrook can have a bit more in the tank at 5v5.
- breadbag

If Chara can be effective at his age, so can Seabs. A lot of this is scheme related. Hawks need to adjust to fit what they have. I will duck the rocks but I still think we need to look at some type of trap system to help out defensively. Must become defensive minded. Does not matter if we have multi 40 goal scorers when we give up 40-50 shots game and allow 5 goals.

If Chara can be effective at his age, so can Seabs. A lot of this is scheme related. Hawks need to adjust to fit what they have. I will duck the rocks but I still think we need to look at some type of trap system to help out defensively. Must become defensive minded. Does not matter if we have multi 40 goal scorers when we give up 40-50 shots game and allow 5 goals.
- z1990z

The one thing that concerns me about playing that way defensively is that the PK still needs to be better. If the Hawks try to play a low chance tight game at 5v5, then they need to not get buried when they take penalties, because they may then struggle to generate the offense to compensate for the PK if it sucks again.

I also wonder if we have the personnel to play that game effectively, while I'll admit I'm not an expert at schemes, do we have the guys with size, reach, and physical play to bend but not break in that posture defensively up and down the lineup? I feel like when Q tried to play the guys that way, we didn't generate offense and still couldn't hold a lead.

Ek reporting Malkin to LA.
I wonder if Pittsburgh would take Saad (Pit native), #3 overall, Bovquist, Gus, Kane (50% retained) and a 2020 4th for him?
He can be the MAN here and it would slot Toews at 3C, where he belongs

The one thing that concerns me about playing that way defensively is that the PK still needs to be better. If the Hawks try to play a low chance tight game at 5v5, then they need to not get buried when they take penalties, because they may then struggle to generate the offense to compensate for the PK if it sucks again.

I also wonder if we have the personnel to play that game effectively, while I'll admit I'm not an expert at schemes, do we have the guys with size, reach, and physical play to bend but not break in that posture defensively up and down the lineup? I feel like when Q tried to play the guys that way, we didn't generate offense and still couldn't hold a lead.
- breadbag

Agreed. They need to find some bottom 6 and some D who can be PK guys and are not afraid to block shots and move people off the puck.

Ek reporting Malkin to LA.
I wonder if Pittsburgh would take Saad (Pit native), #3 overall, Bovquist, Gus, Kane (50% retained) and a 2020 4th for him?
He can be the MAN here and it would slot Toews at 3C, where he belongs
- Slofire94

Id hold back on the 4th, borders on overpayment

Cannot, I repeat, cannot afford to trade Gus. Would lose too much offense from the back end. Please somehow trade Keith to a team under the delusion that he’s a good dman. Maybe Q will bite on him. He certainly has had his moments, but overall he’s overrated, over the hill and overestimated as far as teaching the youngsters (quote
“ this isn’t a developmental league”).
- Nmbr1

You’ve got it backwards. They cannot, repeat cannot, afford to keep Gus, either financially, or schematically. If they had 5 other defensively responsible D-men maybe they could keep him, but they don’t. Add in the fact that he’s going to want more $ than any team should ever spend on a D-man who doesn’t play defense, and the only logical conclusion is to trade him while he still is inexpensive, thereby maximizing the return.

Purely offensive D-men can put up flashy numbers in the regular season, but come playoff time, if they can’t be relied upon to help keep the puck out of your own net, then they’re virtually useless.

Ek reporting Malkin to LA.
I wonder if Pittsburgh would take Saad (Pit native), #3 overall, Bovquist, Gus, Kane (50% retained) and a 2020 4th for him?
He can be the MAN here and it would slot Toews at 3C, where he belongs
- Slofire94

Stan should be fired immediately if he made this deal

Just leaving this here...


Theo Fleury
@TheoFleury14
·
16h
You can throw analytics and corsi out the window at playoff time. It’s heart and balls that matter at this time of year. The teams that have this usually win. When talent doesn’t work hard or battle you have zero chance of winning.
- riozzo

I would argue that heart and balls are a primary indicator of a player putting up high level advanced stats.

I would argue that heart and balls are a primary indicator of a player putting up high level advanced stats.
- Ogilthorpe2

I can see Stan scurry around the office now, " Guys, guys, we need a way to measure balls before the draft!"

FNA Cotton.... Just ask the Bolts. The Blue Jackets came in and punched them in the face with no response. Just like what happened to the Hawks when the Preds took us to the wood shed. Not saying the Hawks need to have Ryan Reaves style hitters, but we need that tenacious mind set. The go get the puck pitbull attitude. The body on body you aint going anywhere with that puck mojo. The crease belongs to me mindset. You get the drift. We don't have that. Yet..
- z1990z

Get ready to be called a Neanderthal for supporting that kind of view. But you are right. Anybody who disagrees should watch more of these playoffs games and see what the winning teams are doing. The kind of hockey we see during the regular season is more like Rec hockey. I am not that confident that this Hawks team can elevate its game to the level required for the playoffs without becoming easy fodder.

You can bring in two Dmen, but unless forwards buy in to full team defense first, it won’t make a bit of difference.
- walleyeb1

Agree that defense is a team game and forwards have to pitch in. That's why I want a couple of different bottom 6 forwards to replace any existing forwards who can't/won't focus on D.

Get ready to be called a Neanderthal for supporting that kind of view. But you are right. Anybody who disagrees should watch more of these playoffs games and see what the winning teams are doing. The kind of hockey we see during the regular season is more like Rec hockey. I am not that confident that this Hawks team can elevate its game to the level required for the playoffs without becoming easy fodder.
- 67hawks

Heard this same refrain ad nauseum while enroute to winning 3 Cups in 6 years...especially for runs 2 and 3.

Heard this same refrain ad nauseum while enroute to winning 3 Cups in 6 years...especially for runs 2 and 3.
- Ogilthorpe2

Wrong.. those Cup teams at least had some of that element to get after it and scrum for pucks, block shots etc. Not to mention 19, 88, 10, 81, 2, and 7 at the top of their game. Shaw was the last of that group and we have not replaced that. Our team D is sooooo f'n bad it's rediculous.

Ek reporting Malkin to LA.
I wonder if Pittsburgh would take Saad (Pit native), #3 overall, Bovquist, Gus, Kane (50% retained) and a 2020 4th for him?
He can be the MAN here and it would slot Toews at 3C, where he belongs
- Slofire94

Heard this same refrain ad nauseum while enroute to winning 3 Cups in 6 years...especially for runs 2 and 3.
- Ogilthorpe2

Yeah I bet you're one of them lavender sniffers who is happy with those cups! Imagine winning while being out hit every game! Don't you find that embarrassing? Do you admit to your friends you support those teams? If you can't win with facepunchers then you shouldn't win at all. The whole world is becoming soft.

Ek reporting Malkin to LA.
I wonder if Pittsburgh would take Saad (Pit native), #3 overall, Bovquist, Gus, Kane (50% retained) and a 2020 4th for him?
He can be the MAN here and it would slot Toews at 3C, where he belongs
- Slofire94

I don't think that's enough... maybe add DeBrincat (signed to a long term deal and 50% retained), Strome (signed to a long term deal and 50% retained) and a 2020 1st. That MAY BE enough to get the deal done.

Ek reporting Malkin to LA.
I wonder if Pittsburgh would take Saad (Pit native), #3 overall, Bovquist, Gus, Kane (50% retained) and a 2020 4th for him?
He can be the MAN here and it would slot Toews at 3C, where he belongs
- Slofire94

Massive overpay. Malkin is not worth all of that especially 2 current top 6 forwards (one of which is one of the best players in the world if not > than Malkin himself) + a potential future top 6 forward + a potential future top 4 defenseman + a current 50ish point defenseman who is killer on the PP.