Seems some of you are coming around to the view of Colliton that I’ve held since he was hired.

History of losing
History of team defenses in the bottom half of the league
Zero experience as an NHL assistant
Zero experience as a HC or assistant in the Canadian juniors
1 year as a HC in Rockford

This is what you get when you hire an unqualified individual for a job.

#FireColliton
- scottak

That is close to describing Bill Belicheck before New England except he had some NFL experience...

Colliton Contract: That contract expires after the 21-22 season right? I remember hearing he had 3 full years in addition to the majority of last year.

Update: it runs through 20-21. Next year is his last season hooray!
- catrisc

EEK

Seems some of you are coming around to the view of Colliton that I’ve held since he was hired.

History of losing
History of team defenses in the bottom half of the league
Zero experience as an NHL assistant
Zero experience as a HC or assistant in the Canadian juniors
1 year as a HC in Rockford

This is what you get when you hire an unqualified individual for a job.

#FireColliton
- scottak

The more you look at this in retrospect, the more clear 'the plan' becomes. The front office knew they would be a bubble team at best during Colliton's tenure.

Sure seems like the intent all along was to develop young players while also saving cash on a cheap HC? Colliton's 3 year deal (soft rebuild time) is only around 1.7 mil in total. Q was making around 5-7 per million per year.

Then after Colliton's contract expires, go out and find a better coach to hopefully coach a more competitive young team into the playoffs. Seems about right, no?

If we can unload Maatta and Smith.
(....)

- -Doh-

Check out their buyout calculations at Cap Friendly. Saad's is pretty cheap, too. I'm thinking the front office did their homework on these acquisitions, gamed out worst case.

That is close to describing Bill Belicheck before New England except he had some NFL experience...
- rpeters01

BB did not spend 4 years coaching in NFL Europe, 1 year in the AFL, and then get handed the Patriots job.

It was his second NFL job, and he’d also been an NFL assistant.

The comparison doesn’t hold water. Colliton had never been a coach, of any kind, in NHL locker room, until he walked in as the Blackhawk HC. 4 years in Sweden in a Tier 2 league, 1 in Rockford.

If Shaw's contract is insured it would be better for him to be injured. I don't know now but used to be collect from insurance company tax free?
- rpeters01

Wouldn't the team have the insurance policy, and they would continue to pay Shaw?

Then - not tax-free. I don't think it would be tax-free even if Shaw carried the insurance.

I'm pretty sure that the team is responsible for paying the remainder of the contract of injured players - there would be no reason for Shaw to take out insurance.

Laviolette named US coach at the May IIHF tourney. If Kane plays for him, maybe Lavi will ask him to put in a good word to Stan.

The more you look at this in retrospect, the more clear 'the plan' becomes. The front office knew they would be a bubble team at best during Colliton's tenure.

Sure seems like the intent all along was to develop young players while also saving cash on a cheap HC? Colliton's 3 year deal (soft rebuild time) is only around 1.7 mil in total. Q was making around 5-7 per million per year.

Then after Colliton's contract expires, go out and find a better coach to hopefully coach a more competitive young team into the playoffs. Seems about right, no?
- catrisc

Your catching on, Chief!

Wouldn't the team have the insurance policy, and they would continue to pay Shaw?

Then - not tax-free. I don't think it would be tax-free even if Shaw carried the insurance.

I'm pretty sure that the team is responsible for paying the remainder of the contract of injured players - there would be no reason for Shaw to take out insurance.
- StLBravesFan

Anyone know that if there is an insurance policy, can Shaw retire, cash in on the policy and the Hawks get out from the cap hit?

Check out their buyout calculations at Cap Friendly. Saad's is pretty cheap, too. I'm thinking the front office did their homework on these acquisitions, gamed out worst case.
- 333inthe3rd

Smith is a buyout candidate. I don't think they buyout Saad or Maatta.

Smith is a buyout candidate. I don't think they buyout Saad or Maatta.
- -Doh-

I think the whole plan has been to buyout Smith after this year because they can save 2M on the cap next year and only have 1M in dead money

Check out their buyout calculations at Cap Friendly. Saad's is pretty cheap, too. I'm thinking the front office did their homework on these acquisitions, gamed out worst case.
- 333inthe3rd

Saad's deal was done in Columbus, I believe.

Check out their buyout calculations at Cap Friendly. Saad's is pretty cheap, too. I'm thinking the front office did their homework on these acquisitions, gamed out worst case.
- 333inthe3rd

I wouldn't want to buy out Maatta. Trade him within the next year. He has value either to a contender at next year's TDL, or to someone who needs a D to expose in the expansion draft.

Anyone know that if there is an insurance policy, can Shaw retire, cash in on the policy and the Hawks get out from the cap hit?
- boilermaker100

The team carries the policy because the team is obligated to the contract. Hossa hasn't "retired" yet, he still wants his $1 mil. for the year.

Keep: Kane, Toews, Kubiliak, Saad, Cat, Dach, Kampf, Carpenter
Boqvist, de Haan, Keith, Murphy, Mitchell,
LTIR/Buyout/Trade: Seabrook, Shaw, Smith, Maatta, Nylander

???-Strome...at good contract for Hawks you can keep him as the 3rd line center, but don't overpay him.

Goalies: Go young and don't use huge cap space on this spot right now. You had two great goalies this year and you still missed the playoffs. How about defensively upgrading at defense and spending money there? Lehner wants to much term (see Seabrook, Brent) and Crawford is way too old to give a long contract for. Why sign him to a one year deal and play him when we should really be seeing what our young goalies can do???

Wouldn't the team have the insurance policy, and they would continue to pay Shaw?

Then - not tax-free. I don't think it would be tax-free even if Shaw carried the insurance.

I'm pretty sure that the team is responsible for paying the remainder of the contract of injured players - there would be no reason for Shaw to take out insurance.
- StLBravesFan

I remember Brian Bosworth in football, Seattle Seahawks took his $5m medical insurance and retired tax free. They said no way he comes back at that time he would have had to play another 7 years and he wasn't very good. I don't know how it worked?

Anyone know that if there is an insurance policy, can Shaw retire, cash in on the policy and the Hawks get out from the cap hit?
- boilermaker100

No.

OK, so what do we know, what do we think we know, and under the best of circumstances what will the Hawks team be next season? Will it be a contender? How many of the requisite pieces of a champion team is in place? We may not know the answer to those last two questions but the objective is to get closer to knowing.

What the 2020/21 lineup could be given the best case scenario of winning the draft lottery and selecting Lafreniere and signing Ian Mitchell and having Lafreniere and Mitchell both be not only ready for the NHL but both be in the running for Calder. But even then - will this lineup be enough to win the Cup?

Saad-Toews-Kubalik
Lafreniere-Dach-Kane
Cat-Strome-Nylander
Kampf-Carpenter-Highmore

Keith-Boqvist
deHaan-Murphy
Koekkoek-Mitchell
Carlsson-Seabrook

Crawford
Delia/???

That is close to describing Bill Belicheck before New England except he had some NFL experience...
- rpeters01

Great. Let Colliton coach the Browns for 4 years and then the NY Jets for 3 years. Then he might be the greatest NHL coach ever.

Interesting quote by Kane on the future. Comes from an article from the Athletic yesterday by Powers.

"There probably isn’t a quick fix, and Bowman recognized some patience could be required. The problem with that is the Blackhawks have veterans like Kane, Toews and Keith who are in their 30s and want to win now.

Kane and Toews were asked Tuesday about the focus being on becoming great again and whether they were on board with that if it took time.

“Well, I don’t know,” Kane said. “I think that’s something we’ll have to discuss with him after the season and kind of see where everyone’s at. I’m sure there’ll be some conversations once the season’s over.”

Keep: Kane, Toews, Kubiliak, Saad, Cat, Dach, Kampf, Carpenter
Boqvist, de Haan, Keith, Murphy, Mitchell,
LTIR/Buyout/Trade: Seabrook, Shaw, Smith, Maatta, Nylander

???-Strome...at good contract for Hawks you can keep him as the 3rd line center, but don't overpay him.

Goalies: Go young and don't use huge cap space on this spot right now. You had two great goalies this year and you still missed the playoffs. How about defensively upgrading at defense and spending money there? Lehner wants to much term (see Seabrook, Brent) and Crawford is way too old to give a long contract for. Why sign him to a one year deal and play him when we should really be seeing what our young goalies can do???
- onehundredlevel

They have an idea what the young goalies can do and are either of them better than Forsberg?

Smith is a buyout candidate. I don't think they buyout Saad or Maatta.
- -Doh-

This is not directed at you Doh, but to whomever originally posted it.

Why in the world would you buy out Saad?

If you don't want him, he has value as a trade piece.

The only logical buyout candidates are ones that no longer have any value, or have buy out benefit that exceeds their CAP hit.

OK, so what do we know, what do we think we know, and under the best of circumstances what will the Hawks team be next season? Will it be a contender? How many of the requisite pieces of a champion team is in place? We may not know the answer to those last two questions but the objective is to get closer to knowing.

What the 2020/21 lineup could be given the best case scenario of winning the draft lottery and selecting Lafreniere and signing Ian Mitchell and having Lafreniere and Mitchell both be not only ready for the NHL but both be in the running for Calder. But even then - will this lineup be enough to win the Cup?

Saad-Toews-Kubalik
Lafreniere-Dach-Kane
Cat-Strome-Nystrom
Kampf-Carpenter-Highmore

Keith-Boqvist
deHaan-Murphy
Koekkoek-Mitchell
Carlsson-Seabrook

Crawford
Delia/???
- EbonyRaptor

I am with you.
Lafreniere is a kind of dream.
Caggiula instead of Kampf (Kampf as 13th forward -unless Shaw is healthy enough to play )
Nylander instead of Nystrom
No K4 (only 7 defenders)
Let Subban, Delia, Lankinen battle for the back up role.

OK, so what do we know, what do we think we know, and under the best of circumstances what will the Hawks team be next season? Will it be a contender? How many of the requisite pieces of a champion team is in place? We may not know the answer to those last two questions but the objective is to get closer to knowing.

What the 2020/21 lineup could be given the best case scenario of winning the draft lottery and selecting Lafreniere and signing Ian Mitchell and having Lafreniere and Mitchell both be not only ready for the NHL but both be in the running for Calder. But even then - will this lineup be enough to win the Cup?

Saad-Toews-Kubalik
Lafreniere-Dach-Kane
Cat-Strome-Nystrom
Kampf-Carpenter-Highmore

Keith-Boqvist
deHaan-Murphy
Koekkoek-Mitchell
Carlsson-Seabrook

Crawford
Delia/???
- EbonyRaptor

Nylander?

OK, so what do we know, what do we think we know, and under the best of circumstances what will the Hawks team be next season? Will it be a contender? How many of the requisite pieces of a champion team is in place? We may not know the answer to those last two questions but the objective is to get closer to knowing.

What the 2020/21 lineup could be given the best case scenario of winning the draft lottery and selecting Lafreniere and signing Ian Mitchell and having Lafreniere and Mitchell both be not only ready for the NHL but both be in the running for Calder. But even then - will this lineup be enough to win the Cup?

Saad-Toews-Kubalik
Lafreniere-Dach-Kane
Cat-Strome-Nystrom
Kampf-Carpenter-Highmore

Keith-Boqvist
deHaan-Murphy
Koekkoek-Mitchell
Carlsson-Seabrook

Crawford
Delia/???
- EbonyRaptor

I don't know very much, but i'd be very willing to bet a lot of money that the answer to this would be a resounding...……..NO