Do we really need another 2nd pairing guy? Eso one who is just okay defensively + offensively and is signed for another 3 years. If Gus is traded, it should be in a package for a forward of some type or picks, and only if they think Jokiharju/Boqvist is going to compensate for the offense lost. Again, Gus was the 2nd highest contributor to offensive impact on the PP and 3rd on the team.
- L_B_R

As much criticism as Gus gets here, he is going to be an important cog again despite any negative factors. He helped us win a lot of games with that shot last season. I really think he can become better - less gaffes - and he will be aided in a stronger performance via the new system as much as his desire to earn a big fat new contract.

I am curious how he might hook up with Kane on some magical plays. Gus could be playing an ok game then late third periid either a trademark sweet outlet pass or just a pass results in a glorious scoring attempt. Or just that shot wins games.

He may go at trade deadline but my guess is at this time next year or not until Boqvist arrives. A lot of the final determination on Gus' future may depend upon whether he steps up and is better defensively. That's my read.

If he is traded i prefer to see him as central piece which brings us a round one top tier 2020 draft choice. As in our #1 + Gus for a top choice. Another #3 overall but who knows if. that is infeasible when the time comes for a possible trade

I don't want him. Although to be perfectly fair, I do not know if his game changed at all last season. We need big fast and physical and he is for most part just fast maybe ok scorer.
- jhawk59

Athanasiou wouldn't be bad but I can't see the Wings letting him go unless a top 4 dman was coming the other way. Also, he's an RFA next season and already making $3M so the Hawks likely couldn't afford him.

Tyler just looking at cap friendly andreas
Athanasiou has 1 year left at 3 million in your opinion wonder kind of package could the hawks put together to trade for him. Murphy +++ to start i would think.
- Scott1977

Not sure what a trade with him would look like. They like their AA quite a bit but his last contract negotiations didn't go the best.

Haula Is the player from Vegas I wanted the Hawks to go after
- HamiltonHawk

I'm guessing he was injured last season? Only 15 GP, none on the playoffs.

Keep in mind that Colliton took over a team mid-season. I'll give him this year to implement his system. He also had Keith and Murphy, and 4 AHL players/Seabs. This year they added 2 top 4 Dmen, so he has Keith, Murphy, Maatta, and De Haan as his top 4. If after having a training camp with these players, the Hawks are last in the league on PK and HDSA, then move on from Colliton.
- tvetter

One of the fallacies that gets discussed is that Colliton did not have time, did not have a training camp. Colliton replaced Q very early in the season, very early. He had basically the entire season to implement his “system”. It wasn’t a question of implementation, it was a question of a grossly flawed “system”. Colliton’s “system” was in place but it was just awful.

When Q was hired early in the season, with no training camp, not one person said he should be given slack if there are problems, not one person. The difference? Q was an actual professional NHL-level Coach.

The Hawks never improved defensively over the course of the whole season. They were as awful at the season’s end as they were 2 weeks into Colliton’s tenure.

Not sure what a trade with him would look like. They like their AA quite a bit but his last contract negotiations didn't go the best.
- Tyler Cameron

My guess is he and his agent will be looking for Saad type money and term at least, if he's able to reproduce last season's numbers.

One of the fallacies that gets discussed is that Colliton did not have time, did not have a training camp. Colliton replaced Q very early in the season, very early. He had basically the entire season to implement his “system”. It wasn’t a question of implementation, it was a question of a grossly flawed “system”. Colliton’s “system” was in place but it was just awful.

When Q was hired early in the season, with no training camp, not one person said he should be given slack if there are problems, not one person. The difference? Q was an actual professional NHL-level Coach.

The Hawks never improved defensively over the course of the whole season. They were as awful at the season’s end as they were 2 weeks into Colliton’s tenure.
- Z3Hawk

Pretty sure Colliton has said they haven't introduced the entire system yet and needs a camp to truly implement it. But that's ok, I have you down in the "Colliton sucks" and "Dach will be a bust" ledger. It's important to get ahead of these things before they've had a chance to play out.

There is no reason Jokiharju should start the season in Rockford. He was one of the 2 best defensemen on the team in his early stint, played well with Keith. Plus, he made every guy he played with better.

Then he went to World Juniors, and teamed with Kakko to lead his team to the gold medal.

Unfortunately, the Tier 2 Swedish coach couldn’t figure out that he was better than Gus, Dahlstrom, Forsling, Koekkoek, Seabrook & Murphy.

It’s a crime if he doesn’t start the season in top 4, paired with either Keith or de Haan.
- scottak

Agree on Joki completely. He should have been with the Hawks the whole year. Swedish Tier Two Coach Colliton was in over his head on so many issues including this one.

I remember Patrick Sharp had a hard time scoring goals when he first came to the Hawks.
- Larmer

The words “scoring goals” was still used wrt Sharp. Sikura scored ZERO goals - ZERO!

The words “scoring goals” was still used wrt Sharp. Sikura scored ZERO goals - ZERO!
- Z3Hawk

At least the team will save you some time this season. They aren’t a slam dunk to win the Cup so no reason to watch, right?

Also, I’m glad you mentioned how many goals Sikura had...wasn’t sure til this morning.

The words “scoring goals” was still used wrt Sharp. Sikura scored ZERO goals - ZERO!
- Z3Hawk

Yea I totally here about Sikura doing the little things like maintaining possession, using his speed, etc. But the results speak for themselves - 0 goals. And if I recall, he had some time on the Toews line and still didn't produce. I think he could work on the third line. Less pressure on him and his speed could work well there and maybe the production starts to happen. But reality is, If the top six forwards today are Toews, Kane, Strome, Cat, Saad, and maybe/hopefully Kubalik. With or without Kubalik, they are at least one top six forward short.

I'm pretty sure all the Sikura non-haters would agree that Sikura will have to score to continue to be in the lineup. The difference between the haters and non-haters is that the haters have run out of patience whereas the non-haters have appreciated other parts of his game and believe more patience is warranted.
- EbonyRaptor

For the record I am not a “hater” of Sikura. However, I am also a realist and know that even with other attributes, he is going to have to add goal scoring, of some level, to his resume - especially as an offensive player. Here’s hoping he can. His window at 24 not the same as if he was 20.

Tyler just looking at cap friendly andreas
Athanasiou has 1 year left at 3 million in your opinion wonder kind of package could the hawks put together to trade for him. Murphy +++ to start i would think.
- Scott1977

Another brilliant idea

Yea I totally here about Sikura doing the little things like maintaining possession, using his speed, etc. But the results speak for themselves - 0 goals. And if I recall, he had some time on the Toews line and still didn't produce. I think he could work on the third line. Less pressure on him and his speed could work well there and maybe the production starts to happen. But reality is, If the top six forwards today are Toews, Kane, Strome, Cat, Saad, and maybe/hopefully Kubalik. With or without Kubalik, they are at least one top six forward short.
- golfbard

Due to Cap constraints how many teams aren’t short at least one true top 6 forward?

Last season, Caggiula is I would estimate not a traditional top 6 fwd yet worked really well on the line with 88 and 19.

I’d like someone a bit better there this year, preferably with some finish, it I think balance throughout the forward lineup is more important than having a full true top 6.

Remember when everyone thought it was going to be easy to trade, Sharp, Oduya, Leddy? How they said Bowman waited to long?

Really curious to see how this plays out.
- BetweenTheDots

Bowman waited until the end of that summer to move Leddy and got jack squat. Oduya was a UFA - Stan let him sit there and twist in the wind while he resigned his pet Rundblad and then failed to get the #4dman he needed all that year (especially when he handed Danault to the Habs for hot garbage) which killed them in the series against the Blues...Sharp should have been moved at the draft as well, but Stan the man didn't get it done and then got hosed by Nil.

Then there's the last two offseasons two bad trades (Panarin and Hammer) and then last year's UFA class...

No question Bowman has made a couple of nice moves here, not to mention saving himself from handing Schmaltz a full deal with an NMC...but that defense has no where to go but up. And we knew last offseason the defense was a train wreck but Stan brought everyone back and then signed Brandon Manning instead of deHaan who was available as a UFA last summer as well...

but there's hope ...all those dmen marinating in the minors and a couple of young pieces in Strome and Cag...Based on reports I think Stan will be getting his extension any day now...hopefully it'll have a full NTC/NMC...just like Seabrook's.

You have to admit that the Carolina team is not resting on their playoff laurels...fans start becoming regulars when they see the team continuing to improve with additions...
- wiz1901

Its amazing when you get an owner who values winning more than the bottom line.

For the record I am not a “hater” of Sikura. However, I am also a realist and know that even with other attributes, he is going to have to add goal scoring, of some level, to his resume - especially as an offensive player. Here’s hoping he can. His window at 24 not the same as if he was 20.
- Z3Hawk

Didn't you guarantee the hawks would make the playoffs last year? I know you did, so it's safe today you have no idea what you're talking about

The words “scoring goals” was still used wrt Sharp. Sikura scored ZERO goals - ZERO!
- Z3Hawk

Posters who have ZERO intellegent posts - ZERO still get to post on this site.

Its amazing when you get an owner who values winning more than the bottom line.
- BetweenTheDots

With the exception of Bill Wirtz and Harold Ballard, most owners do value winning over the bottom line mainly because winning positively affects the bottom line.

One of the fallacies that gets discussed is that Colliton did not have time, did not have a training camp. Colliton replaced Q very early in the season, very early. He had basically the entire season to implement his “system”. It wasn’t a question of implementation, it was a question of a grossly flawed “system”. Colliton’s “system” was in place but it was just awful.

When Q was hired early in the season, with no training camp, not one person said he should be given slack if there are problems, not one person. The difference? Q was an actual professional NHL-level Coach.

The Hawks never improved defensively over the course of the whole season. They were as awful at the season’s end as they were 2 weeks into Colliton’s tenure.
- Z3Hawk

The reason he played this system is because the blue line lacked talent.

He did what good coaches do, play to your strengths. Love Q but unless he had a really stout blue line, his team struggled.

Defenseman and good defensive forwards are not interchangeable.

So it's not the system, lack of talent is the issue

One of the fallacies that gets discussed is that Colliton did not have time, did not have a training camp. Colliton replaced Q very early in the season, very early. He had basically the entire season to implement his “system”. It wasn’t a question of implementation, it was a question of a grossly flawed “system”. Colliton’s “system” was in place but it was just awful.

When Q was hired early in the season, with no training camp, not one person said he should be given slack if there are problems, not one person. The difference? Q was an actual professional NHL-level Coach.

The Hawks never improved defensively over the course of the whole season. They were as awful at the season’s end as they were 2 weeks into Colliton’s tenure.
- Z3Hawk

All that being said, the Colliton choice is vastly better than the typical "hire a guy with experience" who has failed at other NHL head coaching jobs.
Now, it's all about getting the horses you need to win The Cup.
The hard cap era is a very cruel mistress.

All that being said, the Colliton choice is vastly better than the typical "hire a guy with experience" who has failed at other NHL head coaching jobs.
Now, it's all about getting the horses you need to win The Cup.
The hard cap era is a very cruel mistress.
- 35Tony0

You got that right, twice we've had to unload talent.

Posters who have ZERO intellegent posts - ZERO still get to post on this site.
- paulr

I think I prefer it when Z3 is bashing the Dach pick at #3 - at least it’s a more limited scope in forming a counter argument. This latest stuff... I just don’t know where to start.

With the exception of Bill Wirtz and Harold Ballard, most owners do value winning over the bottom line mainly because winning positively affects the bottom line.
- paulr

The long-suffering fans in Ottawa wish this were true...

The long-suffering fans in Ottawa wish this were true...
- Chief4Feathers

I think the Oilers fans feel the same way.