Matta and Nylander for Bertuzzi, done
- LAHawk

That deal seems a bit one sided . If Detroit added a second round pick with bertuzzi that would seem fair. I know I've harped on nylander but if he could manage to find his game he has great upside .

Detroit could sent Bertuzzi back in a deal
- ikeane

Could add strome in the deal and get a 2nd along with bertuzzi

Saw this trade proposal on youtube today:
Beaudin dehann smith kurashev and 2021 2nd for danault from Montreal. Interesting trade possibility hawks get a two way center who slides into 2nd line center dach as your 3rd line center for now developing at a nice steady progression in all areas of his game. Plus hawks get cap space. Thoughts?

Saw this trade proposal on youtube today:
Beaudin dehann smith kurashev and 2021 2nd for danault from Montreal. Interesting trade possibility hawks get a two way center who slides into 2nd line center dach as your 3rd line center for now developing at a nice steady progression in all areas of his game. Plus hawks get cap space. Thoughts?
- Scott1977

Overpay does one year of Danault. Maybe if the Habs added Primeau.

Overpay does one year of Danault. Maybe if the Habs added Primeau.
- DarthKane

I thought so too.

Overpay does one year of Danault. Maybe if the Habs added Primeau.
- DarthKane

You rarely see in any sport a lot of players traded for one. Only in fantasy does it work where you keep adding to get what you want. It normally takes value for value. The Habs would be getting deHaan and a bunch of high caliber unknowns for their good player. deHaan is a risk, the other guys are a risk, Smith makes the dollars work.

You rarely see in any sport a lot of players traded for one. Only in fantasy does it work where you keep adding to get what you want. It normally takes value for value. The Habs would be getting deHaan and a bunch of high caliber unknowns for their good player. deHaan is a risk, the other guys are a risk, Smith makes the dollars work.
- rpeters01

Especially now when the money has to work for both sides.

I know this blog is about defenseman, but I just wanted to point out that when everyone thought my vegas pick was crazy and everyone was all in on Colorado, I think it's safe to say Chicago might have had a better shot facing Colorado than vegas . And hat's off to Vancouver for their play.
- Taylorst1

It really would not have mattered....

r U trying to say that everyone here did not understand Vegas was a deep team?

WE DID!

You rarely see in any sport a lot of players traded for one. Only in fantasy does it work where you keep adding to get what you want. It normally takes value for value. The Habs would be getting deHaan and a bunch of high caliber unknowns for their good player. deHaan is a risk, the other guys are a risk, Smith makes the dollars work.
- rpeters01

I wish the guys in MY fantasy Hockey would take a trade 3 for 1...damn, not is difficult enough to get them to TAKE two REALLY GOOD players for one guy, b/c they thin k they are getting cheated giving the real life better player...

Especially now when the money has to work for both sides.
- LAHawk

Later do you protect Daneault for the Expansion Draft?

Later do you protect Daneault for the Expansion Draft?
- jhawk59

apparently you try and fit him in somshow.

You know I understand Danault's plight, but he only got drafted in the first round based on his incredible work as P-K guy and a 200 way player but a smaller framed guy, which means his shelf life as an "engaged" defensive player is a lot of wear and tear...is probably why he wants to play higher up in the line up.

Especially now when the money has to work for both sides.
- LAHawk

Later do you protect Daneault for the Expansion Draft?

Bergevin has liked Beaudin but he has some dmen prospects coming

Early this hockey season nobody guessing Dallas - Tampa play for The Stanley Cup. But let's see how Vegas and NYI adjust respond.

Could add strome in the deal and get a 2nd along with bertuzzi
- Scott1977

A bunch of crap and a team will drop a #2 into the mix. Nope

Detroit has only Patrick Nemeth and Alex Biega signed as defenseman next year. I doubt they resign 36 yo. Trevor Daley or Jonathan Ericsson. Assuming Seider plays next year, they need at least 4 defenseman with nhl experience. I can see Bowman trading one or 2;of our defenseman (Matta, Koekkoek) for a couple of draft choices or a prospect.
- LAHawk

Dekeyser is signed for the next two seasons and Hronek (who they're high on) also is for this season. He's an RFA after this season.

There's also Cholowski who saw some time and Bowey who they might resign.

Think you mentioned Seider coming up too. Other than him and Hronek, it's a whole lot of meh.

If Bertuzzi's available and you could get him for Maata and Nylander...Maata or DeHaan and _________ (depending who), I'd look into that. You don't give away much in age as Bertuzzi's still 25 til February.

Assuming Boqvist is a given, Carlsson is closest to hold down a spot on the 3rd pair or as the 7th man.

Mitchell could state his case but there isn't any spots for him or Carlsson until a veteran or two is moved.

Gilbert would be a recall candidate, too, but he's more of in the "break the glass in case of emergency" category than a youngster to invest in and groom as a future starter by granting prime NHL minutes.
- Theo Fox

Do you not think he was "promised" a spot to leave College early?

It really would not have mattered....

r U trying to say that everyone here did not understand Vegas was a deep team?

WE DID!
- wiz1901

Most people here seemed to down play vegas more so than Colorado. Sure Colorado has some young talent and are fast but as far as overall , vegas is just as talented , plenty of depth and is a heavier team with a great system they implement and play.

I wont say Chicago would have won the cup that's fantasy . My point was Chicago vs Colorado would have been a better matchup for Chicago imo. Vegas was just to deep and Chicago had no answer/response against them.

Do you not think he was "promised" a spot to leave College early?
- vabeachbear

That's a great question. I gathered from everything I read that it seemed like Chicago made some backroom deal with Mitchell?

That's a great question. I gathered from everything I read that it seemed like Chicago made some backroom deal with Mitchell?
- Taylorst1

Sooner or later talent trumps everything else. They want a Mitchell here to see or fairly soon believe that he is ready. We shall "see"

Do you not think he was "promised" a spot to leave College early?
- vabeachbear

Like Dylan Sikura was?

I bet the team offers him a chance to play right after he graduated but the virus changed that.

Think about the idea, for a second and I just cannot see a team any NHL team saying that.
Now they might have said,m ":We really think you have a solid chance to break in our line-up and we will give you an opportunity to do so, but as you know it is a competition."

If you promised me a spot, right out of college, I would prepare for the December season with a "summer get ready program, BUT I am nor sure I dont take days off because I am already in the mix, right?

Now, if preseason camp shows he simply is so good, so ready, then GM Wiz starts looking for ways to find a trade of one of my others dee-men.

Babcock and Gallant interviewing for the Washington coaching job, and Pierre Maguire for GM of the Phoenix Coyotes

Like Dylan Sikura was?

I bet the team offers him a chance to play right after he graduated but the virus changed that.

Think about the idea, for a second and I just cannot see a team any NHL team saying that.
Now they might have said,m ":We really think you have a solid chance to break in our line-up and we will give you an opportunity to do so, but as you know it is a competition."

If you promised me a spot, right out of college, I would prepare for the December season with a "summer get ready program, BUT I am nor sure I dont take days off because I am already in the mix, right?

Now, if preseason camp shows he simply is so good, so ready, then GM Wiz starts looking for ways to find a trade of one of my others dee-men.
- wiz1901

Yea just can't see that happening, i can see we really think you have a wonderful shot of making the team based on what we see and we will give you every opportunity to, everything but guarantee you a spot since that wouldn't be fair to the rest of the players in the system.

Do you not think he was "promised" a spot to leave College early?
- vabeachbear

Not sure if Mitchell was explicitly offered a spot but possibly told a path would be made for him to make the team.

Just a rumor back then but did the Jokiharju trade factor into that path clearing, especially knowing Boqvist was on the doorstep, too?

Something else to consider is that Bowman has explicitly used terms like "we expect him to be in the lineup this season" after Euro free agent signings.

Bowman definitely said that about Kubalik and I believe to a lesser degree about Kahun and Suter.

Great blog Theo. I specifically wanted to highlight that you hit the nail on the head with the looking ahead to the future. I think Bowman has always been working on slowly introducing 1 youngster at a time on the back end if possible. Right now, it's Boqvist learning on the job and being tutored by Keith.

Personally I feel the personnel on the back end are only a part of the issue. The Hawks as a team seem to give up ground too easily and lose battles too easily. It all plays a part. Maintaining possession, battling for the puck, fore-check, pressure in the middle, back-checking, and defending their blueline are all a part of it.

When a forward lets up rather than racing down to beat an icing or chase a dump-in. When a forward tries to do too much individually and gives up the puck. Players that battle for the puck and just get out muscled or out hustled. These areas leads to giving up the possession, allowing the other team to put pressure on you, force you to defend. I think this is part of the root of where the problem starts. The Hawks have some players who are good in these areas, but still seems like too many guys up front with holes in their game in a contributing factor to the D woes.

I really want to see them continue to work on those first 2/3's of the rink and take pressure off so much playing in their own end. I really hope some of the young forwards coming bring that compete level up and down the ice. I thought Kubalik was showing well in this regard, and it's a big part of why he gelled with Saad and Toews. I think the Hawks could use a couple more guys with the tenacity to fight for the puck 200 feet. Those guys that are willing to dive in front of a shot. Take a hit to make a play. It will help in so many areas, from face-offs to maintaining pressure on the attack.

Like Dylan Sikura was?

I bet the team offers him a chance to play right after he graduated but the virus changed that.

Think about the idea, for a second and I just cannot see a team any NHL team saying that.
Now they might have said,m ":We really think you have a solid chance to break in our line-up and we will give you an opportunity to do so, but as you know it is a competition."

If you promised me a spot, right out of college, I would prepare for the December season with a "summer get ready program, BUT I am nor sure I dont take days off because I am already in the mix, right?

Now, if preseason camp shows he simply is so good, so ready, then GM Wiz starts looking for ways to find a trade of one of my others dee-men.
- wiz1901

This makes a lot of sense. I think that Bowman is probably pretty upfront about the opportunity. He crafts his words carefully in interviews and I am sure he does the same when communicating with prospects. I think he knows expectations play a bit part of the process.

Great read. I think trading De Haan makes more sense than trading Maata. De Haan creates more cap space and Maata played a lot better than him when it mattered, the playoffs. He played his best for the Penguins in the playoffs too and is experienced, so might be worth keeping around.