Yep, that Kneelander kid is OK so far.
- Chief4Feathers

Perlini who?

Lots of fans throwin out line combos so I’ll throw out mine again:

Saad-Toews-Kubalik
-This might get Toews going. 20 and 8 have been great and this line would play a complete 200 ft game.

Caggiula-Dach-Kane
-I like 77 with 88 and Drake would provide the toughness, energy, and grit to complement the skill of his line mates.

DeBrincat-Strome-Nylander
-Reunite Cat and Strome and reward Nylander for his effort by putting him on a scoring line.

Shaw-Kampf-Carpenter
-Would instantly become one of the better 4th lines in the NHL.

That’s a great way to spread out the depth, using firepower to create 3 legit scoring lines as well as 2 shutdown lines(1st and 4th).
- SimpleJack

I really like this combo, and thought process.

I have to admit, I didn’t like the Kahun/Maatta deal at first. But I was wrong and I think it’s worked out well. Kubalik has taken Kahun’s spot on the roster while Maatta has been an upgrade in comparison to last year’s defense. While he’s not a star, Maatta has been better that I expected.

The de Haan trade was a home run. Sure, it wasn’t a Patrick Sharp type of a home run deal but for two AHLers Stan got a solid second pairing defenseman with a decent cap hit for 3 seasons.

I’m Luke-warm on the Anisimov/Smith deal. I’d rather have AA as the 3C but I can see what the Hawks thought he was expendable. I think the key to that deal is the buyout options for both players. If Anisimov is bought out in the summer the cap hit for the next two seasons is about $3.5 million and $0.5 million. For Smith it’s about $1 million and $1 million.
- DarthKane

Wrong you don't know what you are talking about go back to your normal snarky posts.

From Laz...

Blackhawks this morning:

DeBrincat-Toews-Shaw
Strome-Dach-Kane
Saad-Kampf-Kubalik
Nylander/Smith-Carpenter-Caggiula

Keith-de Haan
Maatta-Seabrook
Koekkoek-Gustafsson
Gilbert-Perlini

It was doubleplusgood this summer,
- HawkintheD

What did you learn about taxes at summer camp?

Also from Laz...

Corey Crawford on the ice early at the Blackhawks morning skate. Likely means Robin Lehner gets another start tonight.

From Laz...

Blackhawks this morning:

DeBrincat-Toews-Shaw
Strome-Dach-Kane
Saad-Kampf-Kubalik
Nylander/Smith-Carpenter-Caggiula

Keith-de Haan
Maatta-Seabrook
Koekkoek-Gustafsson
Gilbert-Perlini
- TheCore

Shuffling the chairs on the Titanic.

From Laz...

Blackhawks this morning:

DeBrincat-Toews-Shaw
Strome-Dach-Kane
Saad-Kampf-Kubalik
Nylander/Smith-Carpenter-Caggiula

Keith-de Haan
Maatta-Seabrook
Koekkoek-Gustafsson
Gilbert-Perlini
- TheCore

Hmm I can dig it. Not a huge fan of the KK and Gus pairing but we'll see. You can only work with what ya got. Don't blame them for not wanting to put Gus with a rookie and you don't wanna give Gus more playing time or break up Maatta and Seabrook with how that pairing has made Brooksie a passable middle pairing D-Man.

Interesting that Dach is gonna play Center instead of Strome. Maybe just something as simple as getting him a shot at Center and having another one there to back him if need be.

From Laz...

Blackhawks this morning:

DeBrincat-Toews-Shaw
Strome-Dach-Kane
Saad-Kampf-Kubalik
Nylander/Smith-Carpenter-Caggiula

Keith-de Haan
Maatta-Seabrook
Koekkoek-Gustafsson
Gilbert-Perlini
- TheCore

I'd try....

Saad - Toews - Kubalik
Cat - Strome - Kane
Nylander - Dach - Drake
Carpenter - Kampf - Shaw

From Laz...

Blackhawks this morning:

DeBrincat-Toews-Shaw
Strome-Dach-Kane
Saad-Kampf-Kubalik
Nylander/Smith-Carpenter-Caggiula

Keith-de Haan
Maatta-Seabrook
Koekkoek-Gustafsson
Gilbert-Perlini
- TheCore

Is that last line just the extra skaters or is Perlini really being tried at defense?

Is that last line just the extra skaters or is Perlini really being tried at defense?
- AEL_Fox

Couldn’t be any worse than Gus

I still see people brushing aside Gus and his importance/role on the roster by saying “well what has he done so far this season?” .....yet it’s only been 7 games. I’m thinking big picture for the remainder of the season. We’re going to need him. He’s going to produce and help the PP. And we don’t have anyone else capable of doing so. 2 and 7 are no longer capable of being top offensive defenseman on a team that wants to make the playoffs.

So give it time before we act like last season’s production was a fluke. He most likely won’t hit 60 pts again, but I could easily see him hitting 50. His skating and vision and overall skill set are miles beyond that of any of our other defenders. We’ve already added TWO defensive minded defenseman(de Haan and Maatta) and still have Keith and Murphy. Wanting to trade away the only guy we have that gives us legit offense at that position and replace him with yet another defensive minded defenseman is quite foolish. And in the long run as the season goes on it would only hurt us.

I'd try....

Saad - Toews - Kubalik
Cat - Strome - Kane
Nylander - Dach - Drake
Carpenter - Kampf - Shaw
- mohel

I like it - although I’d prefer to flip Nylander and Carpenter for more defensive balance. Understanding that Nylander is more of a top 9 player - but I’d prefer Dach have Carpenter and The Drake on his wings.

I still see people brushing aside Gus and his importance/role on the roster by saying “well what has he done so far this season?” .....yet it’s only been 7 games. I’m thinking big picture for the remainder of the season. We’re going to need him. He’s going to produce and help the PP. And we don’t have anyone else capable of doing so. 2 and 7 are no longer capable of being top offensive defenseman on a team that wants to make the playoffs.

So give it time before we act like last season’s production was a fluke. He most likely won’t hit 60 pts again, but I could easily see him hitting 50. His skating and vision and overall skill set are miles beyond that of any of our other defenders. We’ve already added TWO defensive minded defenseman(de Haan and Maatta) and still have Keith and Murphy. Wanting to trade away the only guy we have that gives us legit offense at that position and replace him with yet another defensive minded defenseman is quite foolish. And in the long run as the season goes on it would only hurt us.
- SimpleJack

Meh.

As a DEFENSEMAN, if you’re not at least average defensively, then it doesn’t matter how much you score, you’re (your) a liability.

I'd try....

Saad - Toews - Kubalik
Cat - Strome - Kane
Nylander - Dach - Drake
Carpenter - Kampf - Shaw
- mohel

Swap Kane and Kubalik and that would balance the defensively responsible Forwards a little better IMO.

Shuffling the chairs on the Titanic.
- DarthKane

That's more like it...

Couldn’t be any worse than Gus
- Ogilthorpe2

Keith Marks

Meh.

As a DEFENSEMAN, if you’re not at least average defensively, then it doesn’t matter how much you score, you’re (your) a liability.
- Ogilthorpe2

If your plus minus is minus playing #1 pp you are a liability.

If Gus is on the ice with us for the rest of the season, forget about playoffs, he’s a defensive liability, his production will not make up for his defensive deficiencies. Might as well cue up that lottery ball.

I'd try....

Saad - Toews - Kubalik
Cat - Strome - Kane
Nylander - Dach - Drake
Carpenter - Kampf - Shaw
- mohel

I'm actually pretty good with keeping things as they are, scary as that seems. Changed my stance after watching back to back good games from the team as a whole. We've played our best hockey with the same lines so let's keep rolling with them till they poop the bed.

From Laz...

Blackhawks this morning:

DeBrincat-Toews-Shaw
Strome-Dach-Kane
Saad-Kampf-Kubalik
Nylander/Smith-Carpenter-Caggiula

Keith-de Haan
Maatta-Seabrook
Koekkoek-Gustafsson
Gilbert-Perlini
- TheCore

"When in doubt, play defense" - Brendan Perlini

From Laz...

Blackhawks this morning:

DeBrincat-Toews-Shaw
Strome-Dach-Kane
Saad-Kampf-Kubalik
Nylander/Smith-Carpenter-Caggiula

Keith-de Haan
Maatta-Seabrook
Koekkoek-Gustafsson
Gilbert-Perlini
- TheCore

I don't dislike those 4 lines either. Looks pretty solid.

The defense though...i dunno...let's see how a Gus-KoeKoek duo fares...may not be pretty...

I don't dislike those 4 lines either. Looks pretty solid.

The defense though...i dunno...let's see how a Gus-KoeKoek duo fares...may not be pretty...
- hawk35

Yeah that Gus- KK pairing ouch. They'll need to play really sheltered minutes.

If Gus is on the ice with us for the rest of the season, forget about playoffs, he’s a defensive liability, his production will not make up for his defensive deficiencies. Might as well cue up that lottery ball.
- Angotti

His production more than made up for it last season. And that was with a much more defensively inept Dcore than we have this season. Give it some time. Gus isn’t the reason we’re losing these close games. The team is playing very well and the wins will come. We’re gonna need a good skater/pt producer/PP specialist on defense. Without one our roster becomes weaker.

Meh.

As a DEFENSEMAN, if you’re not at least average defensively, then it doesn’t matter how much you score, you’re (your) a liability.
- Ogilthorpe2

That’s not true. If you provided nothing else for the team then it’s true. But if your role is to provide offense and the entire remaining Dcore is defensively responsible yet offensively inept well then...