I think the Oilers fans feel the same way.
- BetweenTheDots

Well, I don’t get the sense that Katz is a cheap owner, the Oilers are just a horribly managed team. Holland has his warts, but he’s still an upgrade for that front office.

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

Inaccurate...they did improve defensively after that horrible losing streak shortly after his arrival...the final 15 games the hawks goal scoring dried up. the hawks defensively were trending down since the 2015-16 season...

https://www.secondcityhoc...s-defensive-zone-strategy

Well, I don’t get the sense that Katz is a cheap owner, the Oilers are just a horribly managed team. Holland has his warts, but he’s still an upgrade for that front office.
- Chief4Feathers

Tell that to the fans, Gretzky for $15 million trade.

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.
- DK002

Bowman's two biggest mistakes IMO are the terrible Seabrook contract and the Danault trade. The Seabrook trade was horrible and there is no way to frame it any other way. With the Danault trade you can make an argument that Bowman was trying to bolster the team for the playoffs and that he and Q were not on the same page, let alone chapter or book on that trade. The Panarin and Hammer trades were done for cap purposes. The Leddy and Sharp trades brought back all they were worth and this 'argument' that he Bowman had other offers has never been proven. As for Oduya "twisting in the wind" this is just more of a nonsensical narrative of the Anti Bowman faction who are still upset that Uncle Dale, he of the missed Qualifying Offer Sheets, was fired. If Oduya felt like he was "twisting in the wind" do you think he would have re-signed with the Blackhawks?

Tell that to the fans, Gretzky for $15 million trade.
- BetweenTheDots

Ok, I see what you mean. But, that was a long time ago under different ownership.

Ok, I see what you mean. But, that was a long time ago under different ownership.
- Chief4Feathers

That's true, and i hope this happens more. I liked how the Preds brought in a partner with deep pockets, teams like the Avs and others need to suck it up and do the same thing

Bowman's two biggest mistakes IMO are the terrible Seabrook contract and the Danault trade. The Seabrook trade was horrible and there is no way to frame it any other way. With the Danault trade you can make an argument that Bowman was trying to bolster the team for the playoffs and that he and Q were not on the same page, let alone chapter or book on that trade. The Panarin and Hammer trades were done for cap purposes. The Leddy and Sharp trades brought back all they were worth and this 'argument' that he Bowman had other offers has never been proven. As for Oduya "twisting in the wind" this is just more of a nonsensical narrative of the Anti Bowman faction who are still upset that Uncle Dale, he of the missed Qualifying Offer Sheets, was fired. If Oduya felt like he was "twisting in the wind" do you think he would have re-signed with the Blackhawks?
- paulr

The Hjalmarsson trade is right up there too. Unless Murphy (this year) makes the quantum leap and becomes a legit top 4 dman with the whole league as a comparison, that deal was possibly worse than the Danault trade.

Leddy IMO is massively overrated by many Hawk fans. He was/is Gustafsson 1.0 - until this past season under Trotz, every bit as bad defensively as Gus.

Tell that to the fans, Gretzky for $15 million trade.
- BetweenTheDots

Different owners, Pocklington was in huge financial difficulty, he needed the money for a personal bailout.

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

Haula had knee surgery in October or November of 2018 and missed the rest of the
2018-19 season.

The Hjalmarsson trade is right up there too. Unless Murphy (this year) makes the quantum leap and becomes a legit top 4 dman with the whole league as a comparison, that deal was possibly worse than the Danault trade. Leddy IMO is massively overrated by most Hawk fans. He was/is Gustafsson 1.0 - until this past season under Trotz, every bit as bad defensively as Gus.
- jrsamu

While I hated to see Hammer go, Bowman had two things to factor in, age and salary cap. Hammer in his prime for Murphy in his prime would have been a terrible trade. Moving Hammer eliminated a cap problem and it brought in a younger player who had potential, who has since shown himself to be a lower pairing defenseman with little upside. I would still classify this as cap relief.

Other than one poster who fell head over heels in love with Leddy, very few thought much about him other than what he was/is. He's what he always was a guy who is good when he has the puck with no pressure on him and who's defense is still suspect, even though he has improved that aspect of his game. For pure offensive instincts I think Gus is better.

Hey gang - I have handful of Armchair GM lineups.

I will select the top 3 for tomorrow's blog.

If you want a chance to have yours highlighted... pop over to: https://www.capfriendly.com/armchair-gm

Hey gang - I have handful of Armchair GM lineups.

I will select the top 3 for tomorrow's blog.

If you want a chance to have yours highlighted... pop over to: https://www.capfriendly.com/armchair-gm
- Tyler Cameron

... also, if there are any mailbag questions RE: RFAs, UFAs, life, Trades, etc. please send them over.

I may add them tomorrow or have a special Mailbag: Weekend Edition!

Best way to have your question picked up is to PM me.

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

You’re funny

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

Sharp had ZERO goals and 6 assists in his first 25 games with the Hawks. He had 66 games with Philly in the NHL before coming to the Hawks.

Sikura had ZERO goals and 9 assists in his first 25 games with the Hawks. He had 137 games college experience before coming to the Hawks. It is a huge step up from College to the Pros.

I am willing to give Sikura a little more runway, before deciding if he will or will not take off.

Bowman's two biggest mistakes IMO are the terrible Seabrook contract and the Danault trade. The Seabrook trade was horrible and there is no way to frame it any other way. With the Danault trade you can make an argument that Bowman was trying to bolster the team for the playoffs and that he and Q were not on the same page, let alone chapter or book on that trade. The Panarin and Hammer trades were done for cap purposes. The Leddy and Sharp trades brought back all they were worth and this 'argument' that he Bowman had other offers has never been proven. As for Oduya "twisting in the wind" this is just more of a nonsensical narrative of the Anti Bowman faction who are still upset that Uncle Dale, he of the missed Qualifying Offer Sheets, was fired. If Oduya felt like he was "twisting in the wind" do you think he would have re-signed with the Blackhawks?
- paulr

Danault is one of those guys who is interesting. When he was with the Hawks he was okay, showed he had a great work ethic but 1 goal 5 points in 32 games while being well under 50% at the dot didn't jive with the Hawks expectations at 3C IMO. I think Bowman gambled on this being what Danault was essentially and tried to load up with experience.

I just wanted to bring that up also as a reminder for those who worry about Sikura and his 0 goals 8 points in 33 games. I'm not suggesting these players are 100% the same, but there are some similarities in terms of age (22 v 23) NHL experience (Danault had a lot more pro experience in the AHL), defensive awareness, ice time. Again, not all the same in terms of deployment or situation, but I'm hoping we give Sikura a fair shake to come into camp and impress. I don't think he lacks the tools to chip in a few goals at the NHL level and he could be useful if he is out there backchecking and winning pucks.

Pretty straight forward if you ask me.

Outcome A - Gus performs at the same rate (more or less) as he did this past season, which makes him an extremely important cog to the Hawks offense and their PP.

Outcome B - Gus regresses big time, but it makes it that much easier for the organization to decide to let him walk after next season, or if he was hurt/there’s a reason he regressed as much as he did (but the team is optimistic anyhow), then you can afford to re-sign him at a reasonable rate, should they choose to.

But either way, it’s a win-win gamble. The Hawks can’t afford to move him now because there’s not a single defender on the team that is capable of replacing his offensive production (assuming Boqvist will not be a Hawk this upcoming season). Therefore, there really isn’t an argument to be made as to why the team didn’t decide to sell him when his value was at its highest. I’m sure the team fielded calls on Gus, but ultimately decided that the offers they were getting weren’t good enough to warrant parting with him, and that he has more value to the team (in a similar way Saad does) than he does to other teams.
- TommyHawk

Well put agree

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

Ok fair enough just was looking for players that would help with one left on their contract before their next contract.

Danault is one of those guys who is interesting. When he was with the Hawks he was okay, showed he had a great work ethic but 1 goal 5 points in 32 games while being well under 50% at the dot didn't jive with the Hawks expectations at 3C IMO. I think Bowman gambled on this being what Danault was essentially and tried to load up with experience.

I just wanted to bring that up also as a reminder for those who worry about Sikura and his 0 goals 8 points in 33 games. I'm not suggesting these players are 100% the same, but there are some similarities in terms of age (22 v 23) NHL experience (Danault had a lot more pro experience in the AHL), defensive awareness, ice time. Again, not all the same in terms of deployment or situation, but I'm hoping we give Sikura a fair shake to come into camp and impress. I don't think he lacks the tools to chip in a few goals at the NHL level and he could be useful if he is out there backchecking and winning pucks.
- breadbag

It's funny that many posters want what's best for the team, if Sikura earns a spot or doesn't most are ok with that. But there is this Anti Sikura crowd who don't seem to care if he earns a spot on the roster, they, for whatever reason dislike him and don't want him to make the team. Not sure I understand that?

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
- jhawk59

I will give Gus credit he did marginally get better at defensive part of his game as the season went on.

It will be interesting to see what San Jose's Timo Meier, 22 year old wing, signs for. He's had 51 goals and 51 assists the last 2 seasons.

Though not quite as high as Cat's 69 goals and 59 assists the last two years, it would be a good comparable to what Alex may be looking for.

San Jose only has 15 players signed with less than 15M in cap space. Somebody should offer sheet Meier for about 4.2M (at the cost of a 2nd round pick) to put the Sharks in a really tight cap situation.

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
- jhawk59

Seems to me the perfect scenario for Gus is he is in the third pair, but gets 1 PP time.

Doesn't seem that difficult to me.

Also, as I've mentioned in the past, he and his agent must understand that if he can repeat his point total, and get better at D, he is going to get one hell of a payday.

I would think, he's be working OT on improving in the D department.

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

Going out on a limb and just thinking the Hawks personnel was a bit better when Q took over, but my memory isn't as good as it used to be.

Going out on a limb and just thinking the Hawks personnel was a bit better when Q took over, but my memory isn't as good as it used to be.
- vabeachbear

Also Q was head coach of 2 other teams in the NHL and had how many games experience behind the bench?

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

You say potAto, I say potato.

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

Honestly, I have to disagree. I'm not impressed with any of their moves

Marleau for a 1st rounder - good, but for taking that contract, especially with the situation Toronto was in, they should of got a young top prospect. They had the model right in front of them with their TT deal.

Dehaan and Saarella for Forsling and Forsberg - That's a cap dump and a terrible trade for Carolina. I'm pretty sure they could have gotten them both for a 6th and 7th round pick. Neither were probably going to be with the Hawks next year.

Haula - always injured, ya they didn't give up much, but don't think he improves their team at all.

They better watch out for an Aho OS