If they fired Q to rebuild, you trade Kane

You dont trade draft assets for Shaw, acquire DeHaan, Lehner and Maata.
- PatShart

You do if you want to sell some tickets during the rebuild.

If line choices aren't that hard, why did Q have a "blender"? He was/is a good coach, no?
- mohel

His blender had a method

He matched lines. He would move a guy to exploit a matchup in the teams/players favor

It's why in playoffs, come game 5, they had the matchups they knew they wanted and teams couldn't counter

Come playoff time, when he would put Saad-Shaw-Kane together vs LA...it was because Shaw/Saad created space for Kane with LA's clog the middle of the Dzone system

Then, vs BOS, he went to kane- Toews-Bickell. Why? Because BOS put character against Kane and BOS needed to put Chara around the net to move Bick. Creating space for.....Kane

Hossa that series could barely walk. So adjustments were made


Q would do this during the year so come playoff time, players have had the experience/some chemistry with playing with different guys

Q wouldnt go and put Kruger with Toews and Hossa. Or Frolik centering Kane and Shaw. He had specific roles for the players and yes, if he didnt feel they fit his role/skillset he wanted for his system - he didnt have a use for them

I've concluded Rocky and MC D know that Chicago for the next 3 to 4 years will be in this mess , simply due to the cores contracts the team is stuck with. Rockford lacks any serious talent that is up and coming to slot into the next generation of top 6 and their blue chip defensive prospects are unknown and at best 3 years out from being nhl ready or having enough slots open and available to compete for.

I know some fans will overly brag about the likes of strome, kubalick or even cat .

Strome has been very quiet all season long cat other than his shot his numbers are down and he doesn't really have any strong skating or play making ability.

Kubalick we have only seen a small sample of this guy , and for those who are quick to put him in Chicago's future I'd say let's wait and see.

I Also believe if Chicago's true goal was to not except anything less than making the playoffs and they allowed JC all those weeks of awful losing hockey , they would have fired him.

The off season will be interesting but IMO if some major changes are not made I don't see next year being any better with a core group a year older and another off season of tinkering due to a team cash strapped because of last summer's all out moves .
- Taylorst1

You are so full of it! You're the biggest flip flopper that posts on this site. One minute the Hawks are gonna win the division now you're some kind of great hockey mind that can see what the hawks are doing or some poop. Give me a break. All you post is nonsense

You do if you want to sell some tickets during the rebuild.
- mohel

So how do rebuild if you trade young players and draft capital?

Ty, do you believe JC sat Seabs, Kubalik, Nylander, etc., completely on his own? Or did he do so with the input/approval of the front office?
- mohel

oooh this is a fun one.

His blender had a method

He matched lines. He would move a guy to exploit a matchup in the teams/players favor

It's why in playoffs, come game 5, they had the matchups they knew they wanted and teams couldn't counter

Come playoff time, when he would put Saad-Shaw-Kane together vs LA...it was because Shaw/Saad created space for Kane with LA's clog the middle of the Dzone system

Then, vs BOS, he went to kane- Toews-Bickell. Why? Because BOS put character against Kane and BOS needed to put Chara around the net to move Bick. Creating space for.....Kane

Hossa that series could barely walk. So adjustments were made


Q would do this during the year so come playoff time, players have had the experience/some chemistry with playing with different guys

Q wouldnt go and put Kruger with Toews and Hossa. Or Frolik centering Kane and Shaw. He had specific roles for the players and yes, if he didnt feel they fit his role/skillset he wanted for his system - he didnt have a use for them
- PatShart

100% agree his blender method did work. Collitons blender method seems to have no merit other than truly being a blender of seemingly unrelated parts.

TC - possible Stan didnt do much at the TDL because he already knows he is going to jettison JC at end of the season and with a more experienced/better/more qualified coach, such as Gallant, this team would fare much better. I mean look at the Pens - is their roster head and shoulders above the Hawks, or is our coach/system just pulling us that far down?
- glennjpawlak22

Yes. To both.

The only area where the Hawks have better personnel than the Penguins is in goal. Throw in the fact that their coaching staff has been able to keep the team in playoff position when half of their roster was AHLers. Can you imagine what would happen to the Hawks if Toews, Kane, and 3/4 of our top pairing D went through out the year?

So how do rebuild if you trade young players and draft capital?
- PatShart

Since Q was let go, how many draft picks have been traded away? Young players have been traded; for other young players. Perhaps I didn't understand your point.

Chunk im sorry but Chicago isn't fielding the youngest team in the league . Chemistry is also a huge factor. Who in Rockford is projected to be Chicago's next top 6 prospects? Nobody. That's a well reported fact .


Regarding Chicago's defensive prospects they are all unknown and looking at the amount of available slots Chicago will have open maybe 1 . Nothing will happen until maatta , murphy, de haan ,Keith and Seabrook are off the books in 3 to 4 years

I'm thankful for the 3 cups and exciting hockey , but I'm over the toews , Kane, Keith era and the decline and the lack of a FO willing to tear it down and rebuild it the right way.

3 years of missing the playoffs and I don't see next year being any better with a core that is another year older and not much cap space to work with.
- Taylorst1

Actually they are fielding one of the youngest teams.

100% agree his blender method did work. Collitons blender method seems to have no merit other than truly being a blender of seemingly unrelated parts.
- catrisc

Didn't Q have some better ingredients for his blender?

Since Q was let go, how many draft picks have been traded away? Young players have been traded; for other young players. Perhaps I didn't understand your point.
- mohel

They traded two draft picks for Shaw (not including the swap of 7ths). And of course, they traded a 5th for Kubalik, but nobody is complaining about that one.

Say hawks management does fire both jc and bowman who makes that decision and who replaces those two? Now as far as a coach it cannot be gallant or lavi your just bringing Q all over need a coach that develops young players while can communicate with the vets. Gm has to be someone no ties to the core and imo is a builder. So thoughts and opinions on who should replace bowman and JC.

Dach, Cat, Strome and Kubalik are all young players on the come - they will look more like top-6 stars next season at this time.
- EbonyRaptor

I'm hoping that too, otherwise we are in even bigger trouble, but not this past year.

Since Q was let go, how many draft picks have been traded away? Young players have been traded; for other young players. Perhaps I didn't understand your point.
- mohel

Dont make me do more homework

I know 2 were moved for Shaw

They gave up Forsling and Forsberg to get DeHaan. Why make that move if they are rebuilding? Wouldnt have needed Lehner either

I'm hoping that too, otherwise we are in even bigger trouble, but not this past year.
- rpeters01

Yeah...ignore the facts that Kubilak would be leading other playoff teams in goals scoring

Say hawks management does fire both jc and bowman who makes that decision and who replaces those two? Now as far as a coach it cannot be gallant or lavi your just bringing Q all over need a coach that develops young players while can communicate with the vets. Gm has to be someone no ties to the core and imo is a builder. So thoughts and opinions on who should replace bowman and JC.
- Scott1977

Who developed Toews, Kane, Saad, Kruger, Leddy, Shaw, Bolland, Verstteg, Hjalmarsson....?

Dont make me do more homework

I know 2 were moved for Shaw

They gave up Forsling and Forsberg to get DeHaan. Why make that move if they are rebuilding? Wouldn't have needed Lehner either
- PatShart

Because this FO thinks this roster is a playoff team. And I'd agree this roster is top 15 in the league when healthy. All that means is top 50%.

Their awful play in their own zone and terrible PP makes them appear worse then they are. Want to see a bad team? Go watch the Minnesota Wild. Everything about them is mediocre. Whereas the HAwks have some very sharp young and old talent.

Kubilak 26g would be 8 more than anyone on DAL and hed be 2nd in scoring there

Hed be 2nd in goals in COL

He'd be leading in goals in STL

And he played with Kampf the first quarter of the year while being healthy scratched

Still "meh" though, I'm sure
- PatShart

I looked it up so I'm not talking out of my ass, and I did say nice pick up even at first. To your point, only Boston, Tampa, Winnipeg and Toronto have better #2's. I have to admit, better than "meh." But we're still not talking Hossa or Sharp good yet which is one reason we are down.

They traded two draft picks for Shaw (not including the swap of 7ths). And of course, they traded a 5th for Kubalik, but nobody is complaining about that one.
- 333inthe3rd

Good catch. I assume Shaw was to sell tickets, too.

I'd rather they rip off the band aid, but I think they are afraid to do that.

I looked it up so I'm not talking out of my ass, and I did say nice pick up even at first. To your point, only Boston, Tampa, Winnipeg and Toronto have better #2's. I have to admit, better than "meh." But we're still not talking Hossa or Sharp good yet which is one reason we are down.
- rpeters01

Sharp at 24 yrs old, had 14g and 31pts.

Had 20g and 35pts at 25 yrs old

I looked it up so I'm not talking out of my ass, and I did say nice pick up even at first. To your point, only Boston, Tampa, Winnipeg and Toronto have better #2's. I have to admit, better than "meh." But we're still not talking Hossa or Sharp good yet which is one reason we are down.
- rpeters01

Hossa was like 30 when the Hawks acquired him and as he admits truly became a 200’ player while with the Wings and watching guys like Datsyuk and Zetterberg.

Sharp was like 23 or 24 when the Hawks acquired him and I’m pretty sure he didn’t bust the 20 goal mark until he was 25 or older.

Kubalik. Is he a keeper ? Yes, absolutely. Hard to say, as a RFA, what kind of contract he will get from someone. But I sure hope he stays. He has that 'burst', of getting to the puck, and he is very quick to shoot. His accuracy is obviously very good. He has had his share of problems in our own end, especially getting the puck out of the zone when needed. But dang, this is his 1st year here, and he is a quality player. Now, looking at the standings, we need a win from Devils tonite and a Hawks loss. Not good to get in a habit of losing ? High picks like Seabrook, Toews, and Kane, is how you stop the losing, not by winning some meaningless games at the end of the season. And another benefit is speeding up the ousting of Colliton. That's just the facts, IMO
- MadHatter

But...with Kubalik, there is a high number of his possessions where he isn't strong with the puck. Before I start opening the purse strings to long term deals
Just don't expect him to blossom into a power player over a quick shooting guy willing to go to the dirty areas but also willing to play off the perimeter, maybe more than you like.

Chunk im sorry but Chicago isn't fielding the youngest team in the league . Chemistry is also a huge factor. Who in Rockford is projected to be Chicago's next top 6 prospects? Nobody. That's a well reported fact .


Regarding Chicago's defensive prospects they are all unknown and looking at the amount of available slots Chicago will have open maybe 1 . Nothing will happen until maatta , murphy, de haan ,Keith and Seabrook are off the books in 3 to 4 years

I'm thankful for the 3 cups and exciting hockey , but I'm over the toews , Kane, Keith era and the decline and the lack of a FO willing to tear it down and rebuild it the right way.

3 years of missing the playoffs and I don't see next year being any better with a core that is another year older and not much cap space to work with.
- Taylorst1

The average age of the current skaters is 26.1 which is top 6 youngest in the league (and that is still including de Haan, Seabrook and Shaw).

Yes chemistry is important (I should know, I was a chemist).

My point was that players that we recently drafted would otherwise be in Rockford, but they are in the NHL now out of necessity (Dach, Nylander, Boqvist, etc).

If the young players show well enough, Maatta, de Haan and Murphy can all be traded easily. You don't trade proven quantities until the replacements show competence.

If you are over the Toews, Keith, Kane era, fine. You will have to stop watching until either their contracts are up or the FO pisses them off so much that they agree to waive as all of them have stated their desire to stay and turn the team around, and they have all the power.

I mean look at the Pens - is their roster head and shoulders above the Hawks, or is our coach/system just pulling us that far down?
- glennjpawlak22

I would argue that the Penquin's two top players are better than our two top players and they have been able to continue to retool around them and keep getting scoring.

Another thing to note, I focused most on the skaters that are currently in Chicago, however, I wouldn't be shocked to see Dylan Sikura back, Phil Kurashev, Hagel up front.

On the backend, we may see Gilbert again or someone out of the McCoshen, Beaudin, Krys group.

This will all depend on injuries but there's a possibility the Hawks reward some of these guys and see what they have.
- Tyler Cameron

Might be only a game or two near or at end of the season since Icehogs are trying to make playoffs.. it could even be if someone on NHL roster is sick or a minor I jury, an Icehog is recalled. However, a Rockford goalie would make a lot of sense since they have been rotating three netminders. Just because Bowman and Colliton have not seen Laakinen perform or much in practice sessions at the NHL level.- but is very familiar with Delia the past three seasons - it would be surprising if Delia is recalled over Laakinen