Agree on Highmore. They need to rotate these type of players (even including Q and K4) between the starting lineup, press box and the Rock. Competition for ice time can be very in.

I doubt Caggiula could be moved because of concussion history. His cap hit is only $1.5 mil and I think the return would be very low. IF he is healthy enough to play he might be a good role model for Highmore, Nylander, Sikura. They can see a small high energy physical player. If they make the playoffs Caggiula would be a nice line up option.
- -Doh-

Very good insight about competition. I sure would like to see a good response from Nylander.

The whole thing about any player addition and especially via trades, is this: is the newbie going to be an upgrade?

Presently the roster as constituted has plenty of role players. Improvement comes more so from betterment of a skill player instead of a role player or someone - just spitballing for example - like a Saad only has a scoring touch too.

Yes is there someone even whom to pair full or part time with Kane? Beside Nylander or Queeneville or Sikura? I see where Edmonton has a veteran scorer lighting the lamp frequently this year. They moved Lucic for him. Someone like that could help us win enough to challenge for the last playoff spot. Just maybe all things work out including addition of a scorer like that. Oh BTW defense is on every GM list so I doubt we outbid anyone for a dman.

I hate the word rebuild ,everyone says go that route ,but how many work out . Go for the playoffs till the math says different , TDL your still alive buy ,sell if your out easy . Catch fire down the stretch hot goalie puck bounces who knows what can happen .Prospect picks are all a gamble .can find a top player in the middle of the draft as easy as the top . Sign FA from oversees ,always some surprise . Big game tonight hope the HAWKS come out flying ,win big 5 to 1 maybe ..GO HAWKS !!!!!
- oldduffman

This is a fallacy I hear a lot. TOTALLY false.

The percentages of a #1 or #2 ..or 3..or 4...or 5 pick making an impact in the NHL is FAR better than a #72 or 73 or 74 pick.

Yes, there are SOME nuggets of gold (Keith) that come from middle round or low round picks. But, the VAST majority on quality NHLers come from the first and second round....and The best players is the league almost all come from the Top 10 in the draft. I won't waste my time checking numbers but would be surprised if more than 20 or 30 % of the leagues top 20 scorers are not 1st and 2nd rounders.
Chance of getting a good impact player is FAR better picking in the Top 5 than in the middle rounds. To say"find a top player in the middle of the draft as easy as the top " is just totally, completely, absolutely.....wrong.

Not wishing injury upon anyone, but if any of Bobrovsky, Anderson, Matt Murray (I don't think they would want to go with Tristan Jarry), Fleury pull a Korposalo (all have had injury issues in the past), Stan's phone will be ringing.

Who else is excited for the return of Marc Crawford? Based on how the vets speak highly of him, it will be interesting team dynamic moving forward...
- catrisc

Not me, didn’t even miss him.

This is a fallacy I hear a lot. TOTALLY false.

The percentages of a #1 or #2 ..or 3..or 4...or 5 pick making an impact in the NHL is FAR better than a #72 or 73 or 74 pick.

Yes, there are SOME nuggets of gold (Keith) that come from middle round or low round picks. But, the VAST majority on quality NHLers come from the first and second round....and The best players is the league almost all come from the Top 10 in the draft. I won't waste my time checking numbers but would be surprised if more than 20 or 30 % of the leagues top 20 scorers are not 1st and 2nd rounders.
Chance of getting a good impact player is FAR better picking in the Top 5 than in the middle rounds. To say"find a top player in the middle of the draft as easy as the top " is just totally, completely, absolutely.....wrong.
- hawk35

Yes I believe your numbers are correct, I worded that improperly . I meant the middle of RD 1 not 3rd or 4th rounds ,not a fan of trading 1st at anytime .

40% chance of a Blackhawk victory tonight in VAN.

19% chance at the playoffs as of this AM.

Reinforcements - You are spot on. Any deal Bowman makes needs to be benefit the Hawks in future years. If it helps them this year also that is fine. But add young prospects and picks, not lose them in a trade.

Gus - Needs a change of scenery.
Crow - It would not surprise me to see him moved also.
I wonder what a Gus, Smith, Crow package would bring back? If you got one decent pick or one decent prospect or a good player on an expiring contract that could help you make the playoffs this year with other trade fodder I would pull the trigger. That would also free up cap space this season.

It would not surprise me to see Crow moved. Then they shuttle Lankinen and Delia. Give Lehner the majority of starts. No use to bring them up and then only play one game every two weeks. Bring them up play a game or two then send them back down to get more starts and bring up the other one.

Dach, Boqvist, Nylander, Sikura, Gilbert need to be in the lineup on a regular basis with the occasional off night in the press box, but not held out for more than a game or two at a time.

It would not surprise me to see Lehner extended. I would try to have his contract end at the same time as Toews, Kane, Keith, and ADB (Summer of 23).

Play to win every game on the ice with the core and many rookies. Winning can also be very important to the young guys. So would playoff experience. But if you are clearly out of it in February cut back the minutes on the vets, cut back the games played by Lehner, play the kids and dive for a draft pick.
- -Doh-

It would also not surprise me to see Elbows’ head explode.

Crawford and Gustafsson are expiring contracts too. You really think some team is gonna give up some big sweeteners to take on their expiring contracts when the hawks are sending exactly that the other way?
- GPHawksfan

Nope. Not "big sweeteners". But I think they could be tradeable getting back a decent pick or prospect depending on the team and the other assets going both ways and if the Hawks eat part of the expiring contracts. They have the cap space to do that.

Who else is excited for the return of Marc Crawford? Based on how the vets speak highly of him, it will be interesting team dynamic moving forward...
- catrisc

It seemed like the Hawks played better when he wasn't behind the bench, so I doubt that anyone is excited about his return.

Last January and February was an outlier where their power play was on fire. They still sucked at everything else.

Aside from Boqvist and Keith when he cares and Murphy i guess cause he moves ok, skating on the blueline is terrible. Keith and Murphy are the only two reliable NHL defenders on the blue line which is kind of a problem.

36 shots against per game is terrible.

And their coach is a smug bozo who plays a nonsensical tag system that looks about as organized as 8 year olds skating around in a pack.
- fattybeef

Interesting stuff in Powers today.

Murphy - Koekkoek is the best Blackhawk D pair in xGf (from Charting Hockey), followed closely by Keith-Boqvist & Keith-Murphy.

More from Powers on Murphy:
29. Murphy is having a career season. He’s never going to show up much on the scoresheet, but his underlying numbers have been superb. In Evolving-Hockey’s GAR (goals above replacement) and WAR (wins above replacement) models, both of which take every facet of the game into account, Murphy leads the Blackhawks in both categories. He has a career-best 8.4 GAR (he had a combined 5.1 GAR over the last two seasons) and 1.5 WAR (combined 1.0 the last two seasons). He’s tied for 40th in GAR and tied for 35th in WAR in the league.

Last January and February was an outlier where their power play was on fire. They still sucked at everything else.

Aside from Boqvist and Keith when he cares and Murphy i guess cause he moves ok, skating on the blueline is terrible. Keith and Murphy are the only two reliable NHL defenders on the blue line which is kind of a problem.

36 shots against per game is terrible.

And their coach is a smug bozo who plays a nonsensical tag system that looks about as organized as 8 year olds skating around in a pack.
- fattybeef

They sucked the last two weeks of the season last year when they had to win and Kane and Dinky were gassed.

Who else is excited for the return of Marc Crawford? Based on how the vets speak highly of him, it will be interesting team dynamic moving forward...
- catrisc

Getting excited over an assistant coach, oy vey!

We are in the same pinch as last year. Not BAD enough for a Top 3 pick (unless lucky in the lottery again) and not good enough for the playoffs.

All we can really hope, is Stan plays it smart. All trades are with an eye to the future. Picks, prospects, young hopefuls in exchange for ANY of our guys that make sense.

Let the young guys play, DO NOT encourage tanking, it builds the wrong culture.

PLAY like you want the playoff and win the Cup. MANAGE like this year is over and we are building for the next 1-5 years.

And enjoy the ride. It will be a daily twist and turn of playoff hopeful and lottery bum. Embrace it....it is what we are.
- hawk35

They lose tonight and it's back to trade and tank..

I am reluctant to think this way, but it is New Years. As the team is currently constructed, and are in or sniffing the playoffs, I would think that Stan would be looking for a defenseman to replace Da Haan and a center to play with Kane. With Saad's return I envision

Kubalik-Toews-Saad
ADB-Strome-Dach
Sikura/Nylander-Quenville/xxx-Kane
Smith-Kampf-Carpenter

Keith-Bovqust
XXX-Murphy
Maata-Gilbert
Gus(hopefully launched-KK

I am reluctant to think this way, but it is New Years. As the team is currently constructed, and are in or sniffing the playoffs, I would think that Stan would be looking for a defenseman to replace Da Haan and a center to play with Kane. With Saad's return I envision

Kubalik-Toews-Saad
ADB-Strome-Dach
Sikura/Nylander-Quenville/xxx-Kane
Smith-Kampf-Carpenter

Keith-Bovqust
XXX-Murphy
Maata-Gilbert
Gus(hopefully launched-KK
- LAHawk

I envision a total blender of current players. Heck if Colliton does not like the first few shifts he changes lines before the end of the 1st period.

It would be nice to move Gus. But I do not see an impact player coming to the Hawks.

I am reluctant to think this way, but it is New Years. As the team is currently constructed, and are in or sniffing the playoffs, I would think that Stan would be looking for a defenseman to replace Da Haan and a center to play with Kane. With Saad's return I envision

Kubalik-Toews-Saad
ADB-Strome-Dach
Sikura/Nylander-Quenville/xxx-Kane
Smith-Kampf-Carpenter

Keith-Bovqust
XXX-Murphy
Maata-Gilbert
Gus(hopefully launched-KK
- LAHawk

Ryan Sutter for Mitchell.

Ryan Sutter for Mitchell.
- rpeters01

I am more thinking of a Andy Greene, Marco Scandella, veteran guys that are on expiring contracts and wouldn't cost too much.

I am more thinking of a Andy Greene, Marco Scandella, veteran guys that are on expiring contracts and wouldn't cost too much.
- LAHawk

Minnesota would never trade with us unless they clearly won the trade. Mitchell by himself even signed doesn't bring a Sutter back.

For those of you in or around Chicago, from Powers today:

With Joel Quenneville returning to the United Center later this month, you should jump on those tickets for Jan. 21 soon — there appear to be a number left when I looked on the Blackhawks’ site.

For those of you in or around Chicago, from Powers today:

With Joel Quenneville returning to the United Center later this month, you should jump on those tickets for Jan. 21 soon — there appear to be a number left when I looked on the Blackhawks’ site.
- pdx2ord

I would go just to boo him. He is the enemy now, especially behind the bench of the opposing team. Now, if I saw him walking down the street, I would thank him for being a part of a winner here.

Interesting stuff in Powers today.

Murphy - Koekkoek is the best Blackhawk D pair in xGf (from Charting Hockey), followed closely by Keith-Boqvist & Keith-Murphy.

More from Powers on Murphy:
29. Murphy is having a career season. He’s never going to show up much on the scoresheet, but his underlying numbers have been superb. In Evolving-Hockey’s GAR (goals above replacement) and WAR (wins above replacement) models, both of which take every facet of the game into account, Murphy leads the Blackhawks in both categories. He has a career-best 8.4 GAR (he had a combined 5.1 GAR over the last two seasons) and 1.5 WAR (combined 1.0 the last two seasons). He’s tied for 40th in GAR and tied for 35th in WAR in the league.
- scottak

Murphy deserves a hell of a lot of credit. He was terrible his first year, but looks like a solid Top 4 D-man. That trade, poopty as it was at the time, has turned out to be pretty good.

Murphy deserves a hell of a lot of credit. He was terrible his first year, but looks like a solid Top 4 D-man. That trade, poopty as it was at the time, has turned out to be pretty good.
- kwolf68

Amazing when you think about it, except for the big 4 (Oduya, Jammer, Keith, and Seabs),, either drafted or traded for thrived under Q.

Getting excited over an assistant coach, oy vey!
- rpeters01

Gotta get excited over something, right? lol

Amazing when you think about it, except for the big 4 (Oduya, Jammer, Keith, and Seabs),, either drafted or traded for thrived under Q.
- LAHawk

Oduya sucked his first half year under Q.

We can probably all agree that Corey Perry is a jerk. But he has made the Stars tougher to play against. I am certainly glad he is in Dallas and not Nashville. Nashville could really use a player, with some nasty, like Perry.
- -Doh-

Perry probably is in the record book now for the longest walk of shame in NHL history.