If Boqvist is in Rockford, and if he progresses well early, it may allow a trade of Gus at the deadline. Assuming Gus plays ok, he could bring a decent return at the deadline.
- mohel

Gus right now could fetch a ton..... At 1.2 per for this season and given his offensive production - that would be worth a ton to some teams up against the cap looking to add some offense to their blue line.... Easily a 1st round pick, decent prospect and a warm body...

But I don't see him traded at all this season, I mean this team is a playoff team so they will be buyers at TDL, the only way I see Gus traded is if Boqvist outplays him through camp and Boqvist outright makes the team out of camp, making gus expendable..... I mean there is only room for one of them..

But yea I think the better option would be to give Boqvist a year in the AHL, and bring him up when injury occurs ...

I think that makes the most sense, both from Boqvist's development perspective and providing him with the chance for a cup of coffee with the Blackhawks (should the opportunity arise).
- DarthKane

Even if Boqvist does well in the rock he would have to show something with the big club to warrant a gus trade. I would assume that would be before the deadline.

looks like there will be at least one scrimmage;


FRIDAY LIVE STREAM
Camp will conclude with a scrimmage on Friday at 9:30 a.m. that is also open to the public. If you can't make it out to Fifth Third Arena, you can catch all the action streamed live on Blackhawks.com with Chris Boden and Adam Burish, and ice-level interviews with Eric Lear.

looks like there will be at least one scrimmage;


FRIDAY LIVE STREAM
Camp will conclude with a scrimmage on Friday at 9:30 a.m. that is also open to the public. If you can't make it out to Fifth Third Arena, you can catch all the action streamed live on Blackhawks.com with Chris Boden and Adam Burish, and ice-level interviews with Eric Lear.
- vabeachbear

Nice! Scrimmage fun.

I always felt Beaudin rivaled Jokiharju in potential to be the most balanced defenseman in the system, and could arguably be stronger than Henri in more facets of the game. Mitchell is in the same conversation, too.

In other words, Jokiharju was not head over heels the better prospect out of the 4 Horsemen. While I'm still on the fence with the trade for Nylander, the new 4 Horsemen (swapping in Vlasic) is still a group to be happy and excited about.
- AEL_Fox

I suspect some (or much) of the attachment to the Joker is a function of his having played some games for the Hawks.

Gus right now could fetch a ton..... At 1.2 per for this season and given his offensive production - that would be worth a ton to some teams up against the cap looking to add some offense to their blue line.... Easily a 1st round pick, decent prospect and a warm body...

But I don't see him traded at all this season, I mean this team is a playoff team so they will be buyers at TDL, the only way I see Gus traded is if Boqvist outplays him through camp and Boqvist outright makes the team out of camp, making gus expendable..... I mean there is only room for one of them..

But yea I think the better option would be to give Boqvist a year in the AHL, and bring him up when injury occurs ...
- Savard2Secord

Assuming Gus is Gus, how much trial ballooning will we see out of Rockford if any? For reasons beyond my limited comprehension, Colliton beat the wrong nag to death in Gus. Kept trotting him out there. I wish I had your confidence in this being a legit playoff team. Points early in the season will be critical. I know what Gus brings on the offensive side of the equation, and believe me when I say I like him as a person. But if Colliton or anyone else thinks that one mere camp is going to solve his inherent struggles, they are already dipping into the moonshine. I felt sorry for Gus, and wanted to choke Colliton.

Nylander already has 3 pro seasons under his belt. He will never get a better chance to wipe the slate clean and grab an NHL roster spot.

Time to stop listening to Daddy and Mommy and his agent and blaming the Sabres and start playing hard. Another full season in the AHL will get him reclassified as 'career minor leaguer'.
- RickJ

Maybe Nylander was just being used wrong or just wasn't playing with the right players that are on his level or level of thinking?

It happens..

Sometimes a change of scenery and letting a player play his game and role can really turn a player around, and there have been many over the years -- most recently Strome...

I'll bet there are a lot of "busts" out there that would have succeeded in the right system/environment, but never got the chance..

Little dude is a late add to development camp:

Originally not listed on the #Blackhawks development roster, but Chicago has invited Bolingbrook's Logan Ommen of the Janesville Jets (NAHL) to camp this week

Maybe Nylander was just being used wrong or just wasn't playing with the right players that are on his level or level of thinking?

It happens..

Sometimes a change of scenery and letting a player play his game and role can really turn a player around, and there have been many over the years -- most recently Strome...

I'll bet there are a lot of "busts" out there that would have succeeded in the right system/environment, but never got the chance..
- Savard2Secord

Or maybe, putting the onus on the player, Nylander puts in the effort that got him drafted so highly.

I suspect some (or much) of the attachment to the Joker is a function of his having played some games for the Hawks.
- mohel

That sounds about right to me.

I think it is also easy to forget that there are other D prospects in the pipeline besides the vaunted 4 Horsemen. Krys is a pretty decent prospect as well as Carlsson and Gilbert.

And we don't know yet how lower-end prospects may pan out, i.e. Tuulola, Laavainen, Galvas, Shea, Ess, Moberg, etc. Chances are pretty low and most may not ever sniff an NHL rink but who knows if one goes from being like Sikura as a no-name late rounder to a top prospect to a potential impact NHL player.

Plus, the Blackhawks will continue to take D-men in future drafts. Jokiharju's trade stings but still a lot to look forward to as well.

Beaudin is Keith like with his active stick, great skating, ability to shadow the opponent stride for stride, and gap control. He's not a finished product by any means but is showing good potential to play a top 4 role.
- AEL_Fox

That is an exciting read, how many years would you guesstimate he's away from NHL...2-3???

Assuming Gus is Gus, how much trial ballooning will we see out of Rockford if any? For reasons beyond my limited comprehension, Colliton beat the wrong nag to death in Gus. Kept trotting him out there. I wish I had your confidence in this being a legit playoff team. Points early in the season will be critical. I know what Gus brings on the offensive side of the equation, and believe me when I say I like him as a person. But if Colliton or anyone else thinks that one mere camp is going to solve his inherent struggles, they are already dipping into the moonshine. I felt sorry for Gus, and wanted to choke Colliton.
- gabriel

Well, I think Colliton will be on a short leash to be honest, I think Crawford was brought in for a reason.. IMO, if JC starts screwing up I would not be shocked of Crawford was named head coach.... Crawford from my perspective was hired as a backup plan, much like Lehner was signed as a backup plan to Crow...

I'm very confident this is a playoff team...

Last season I thought the Hawks could have been a playoff team but I wasn't nearly as confident as I am about this team.... And the truth is the Hawks really could have been a playoff team last season if not for a terrible start and had Crawford had been healthy and we had a decent defense...... But everything that went wrong last season as been addressed this season...

The only thing the Hawks didn't get this off-season (and the off-season isn't over yet) is another top 6 forward, specifically a LW for Toews and Kane to play with - but all the other areas that prevented the Hawks from being a playoff team last year have been addressed..... Our defense is much improved, our goaltending is much better with Lehner and Crawford - that alone will be a huge help, so if the Hawks can continue to score like they did last year and our defense is at least adequate or average and Crow and Lehner can keep pucks out of the net -- this is going to be a pretty damn good team.... They will contend for the Central Division Title, and by December may even be considered a contender.....

And who knows, maybe the Hawks already have the top 6 left wing in the system already and we don't even know it.... Dach could turn out to fit like a glove and light it up, Nylander could come into camp and WOW --- heck Saad could come into camp and be an entirely new man....

So yea, without question in my mind this is indeed a playoff team - the real question is this team "just a playoff team" or is this a team that can make a run??

I mean the addition of Shaw, Carpenter and Lenher is HUGE, the Hawks really needed a faceoff/PK specialist in Carpenter, we all know what Shaw brings is unique and Lehner is very very good when he's on his game..... Not only that but the addition of De Hann and Maatta are huge adds too because what really hurt the Hawks last season, and the 17-18 season is the inexperience on the blue line -- The Hawks had almost no NHL experience on the blue line the last couple of season and it really showed... Now the Hawks have a legitimate veteran top 4 that know their roles and know how to cover for one another etc..... Last season these kids were running around like chickens with their heads cut off...

So yea, I'm not hopeful the Hawks will make the playoffs I'm confident they will...

I mean - not to brag or assert any sort of authority on the matter - but I've been watching hockey for a few decades now and I think I know a playoff team when I see one...... Of course anything can happen, injuries, lack of chemistry , suspensions etc.... But if this team can stay healthy and out of trouble and has the chemistry then I really like this teams chances of not only going to the playoffs but making a run.

Since everywhere I have read and heard about Nylander being soft and not willing to get into the corners does that mean you want to put him on a line with a grinder or two (ie Shaw)???

The Hawks would really need to like Wenneberg.

He's @ 4.9M AAV for the next 4 years.
- Tyler Cameron

Pass!

That sounds about right to me.

I think it is also easy to forget that there are other D prospects in the pipeline besides the vaunted 4 Horsemen. Krys is a pretty decent prospect as well as Carlsson and Gilbert.

And we don't know yet how lower-end prospects may pan out, i.e. Tuulola, Laavainen, Galvas, Shea, Ess, Moberg, etc. Chances are pretty low and most may not ever sniff an NHL rink but who knows if one goes from being like Sikura as a no-name late rounder to a top prospect to a potential impact NHL player.

Plus, the Blackhawks will continue to take D-men in future drafts. Jokiharju's trade stings but still a lot to look forward to as well.
- AEL_Fox

Krys was a second rounder in 2016. I think gets overlooked. He had a weird last season at Boston.

Hawks just need one of the guys to be a stud and fill Keith's shoes.... no easy task obviously. Keith is the guy that made this team run from the back-end during the Cup run.

When's the AA shoe going to drop? They need to trade him for two reasons:
1. Cap space this year. Yeah, I know there are ways to fit him, but it is clearly not Stan's plan to fit him, as the cap is too tight this year with him, no maneuverability.
2. Cap space next year for Strome and Cat. Again, there are scenarios where they can fit them w losing one of Lehner and Craw, plus the cap going up. But that certainly isn't Stan's plan either.

Stan has to have plans to jettison another player yet this summer. When's that shoe gonna drop?

For a moment, let us assume (big assumption, perhaps), that both Lehner and Crow remain healthy throughout the season. What do you think the starts breakdown will look like? I guess 50 Lehner, 32 Crow.

When's the AA shoe going to drop? They need to trade him for two reasons:
1. Cap space this year. Yeah, I know there are ways to fit him, but it is clearly not Stan's plan to fit him, as the cap is too tight this year with him, no maneuverability.
2. Cap space next year for Strome and Cat. Again, there are scenarios where they can fit them w losing one of Lehner and Craw, plus the cap going up. But that certainly isn't Stan's plan either.

Stan has to have plans to jettison another player yet this summer. When's that shoe gonna drop?
- Cmonalready

I ask you this, if they trade AA whom do they get in return? Getting rid of him leaves a hole on line 2/3 whether you like it or not.

For a moment, let us assume (big assumption, perhaps), that both Lehner and Crow remain healthy throughout the season. What do you think the starts breakdown will look like? I guess 50 Lehner, 32 Crow.
- gabriel

I have no idea on breakdown...I just know we will have either $5 million or $6 million in cap space sitting on the bench every night. And I am not trying to be a jerk...it's just a lot of cap space tied up in goalie.

For a moment, let us assume (big assumption, perhaps), that both Lehner and Crow remain healthy throughout the season. What do you think the starts breakdown will look like? I guess 50 Lehner, 32 Crow.
- gabriel

The Blackhawks have 16 back-to-back games this season so that right there is 16 games to Lehner. I would give him 25% of the remaining 66 games:

Lehner 32 games
Crow 50 games

This only assumes though that Crow is healthy all season which is a huge assumption.

Krys was a second rounder in 2016. I think gets overlooked. He had a weird last season at Boston.

Hawks just need one of the guys to be a stud and fill Keith's shoes.... no easy task obviously. Keith is the guy that made this team run from the back-end during the Cup run.
- bhawks2241

Really, just step in and become probably one of the top 25 if not 10 Dmen in the history of the NHL, seems easy enough.

I don’t know about that line!
- walleyeb1

What makes you uneasy about it? I'd argue that adding him to with two guys with great chemistry that are young and skilled would be a perfect spot for him, or playing with Toews and Kane who also have great chemistry would be a very good landing spot for him IF he makes the roster. Unless they wanna add some grit to Cat and Strome and put Shaw there (though I like the idea of Saad-AA-Shaw as a third line on this team). I think that if Nylander does make it on the roster it will be on one of those top two lines with Toews-Kane or Cat-Strome. Otherwise, he should be getting Top 6 scoring minutes in Rockford.

Really, just step in and become probably one of the top 25 if not 10 Dmen in the history of the NHL, seems easy enough.


- vabeachbear

I don't think be means living up to what Keith has done, but more so developing into a legit 2-Way #1 Defensemen so that Keith can still be deployed as an effective player instead of running him into the ground until he can no longer play anywhere near what he used to be (see Seabrook for example)

I have no idea on breakdown...I just know we will have either $5 million or $6 million in cap space sitting on the bench every night. And I am not trying to be a jerk...it's just a lot of cap space tied up in goalie.
- onehundredlevel

True, but it's only for one season. With how Crow has been unable to stay healthy the past few seasons they needed a legit reliable Goalie to split time with him. Lehner fits that bill perfectly and is a legit option to be the teams #1 going into next year if he resigns with Delia as the backup after getting more experience. This then also for Lankinen to take the #1 job in Rockford and get a vet to back him up in case of injury.

Yeah, it's a lot of money to be tied up into two goalies, but the insurance it provides if this team wants to make the Playoffs is well worth it. Especially, with the depth this team has at forward and on defense right now

Well, I think Colliton will be on a short leash to be honest, I think Crawford was brought in for a reason.. IMO, if JC starts screwing up I would not be shocked of Crawford was named head coach.... Crawford from my perspective was hired as a backup plan, much like Lehner was signed as a backup plan to Crow...

I'm very confident this is a playoff team...

Last season I thought the Hawks could have been a playoff team but I wasn't nearly as confident as I am about this team.... And the truth is the Hawks really could have been a playoff team last season if not for a terrible start and had Crawford had been healthy and we had a decent defense...... But everything that went wrong last season as been addressed this season...

The only thing the Hawks didn't get this off-season (and the off-season isn't over yet) is another top 6 forward, specifically a LW for Toews and Kane to play with - but all the other areas that prevented the Hawks from being a playoff team last year have been addressed..... Our defense is much improved, our goaltending is much better with Lehner and Crawford - that alone will be a huge help, so if the Hawks can continue to score like they did last year and our defense is at least adequate or average and Crow and Lehner can keep pucks out of the net -- this is going to be a pretty damn good team.... They will contend for the Central Division Title, and by December may even be considered a contender.....

And who knows, maybe the Hawks already have the top 6 left wing in the system already and we don't even know it.... Dach could turn out to fit like a glove and light it up, Nylander could come into camp and WOW --- heck Saad could come into camp and be an entirely new man....

So yea, without question in my mind this is indeed a playoff team - the real question is this team "just a playoff team" or is this a team that can make a run??

I mean the addition of Shaw, Carpenter and Lenher is HUGE, the Hawks really needed a faceoff/PK specialist in Carpenter, we all know what Shaw brings is unique and Lehner is very very good when he's on his game..... Not only that but the addition of De Hann and Maatta are huge adds too because what really hurt the Hawks last season, and the 17-18 season is the inexperience on the blue line -- The Hawks had almost no NHL experience on the blue line the last couple of season and it really showed... Now the Hawks have a legitimate veteran top 4 that know their roles and know how to cover for one another etc..... Last season these kids were running around like chickens with their heads cut off...

So yea, I'm not hopeful the Hawks will make the playoffs I'm confident they will...

I mean - not to brag or assert any sort of authority on the matter - but I've been watching hockey for a few decades now and I think I know a playoff team when I see one...... Of course anything can happen, injuries, lack of chemistry , suspensions etc.... But if this team can stay healthy and out of trouble and has the chemistry then I really like this teams chances of not only going to the playoffs but making a run.
- Savard2Secord

Truly enjoyed your response and humility. This is the way boards can work to everyone's advantage. Can tell you are a genuine Hawks fan. Should be an intriguing season ahead. Hope they stun (not just surprise) everyone this year. Moonshine nights have serious downsides. Go Blackhawks!