A team missing its top 2 centers is lacking in top end forward talent? Well no poop. Lol...
- SimpleJack

I thought Toews was a third line Center?

Not sure the best GM in hockey would want him back, he’s the best GM right?
- Angotti

To borrow a line from Paulie, Stan is the 2nd best GM in the league. All the others are tied for 1st.

I thought Toews was a third line Center?
- paulr

Pshhh u kidding me? he’ll be lucky to beat out Kampf for 4C. Let’s not overrate Toews again.

A team missing its top 2 centers is lacking in top end forward talent? Well no poop. Lol...
- SimpleJack

I believe they need another one, perhaps two. I'm not talking about an okay top six guy. I'm talking about the Aho level.

Jesus Christ. If they lose 4 or 5 in a row you'll be back on the ledge as always. This team still lacks talent at forward. They work hard is the only difference from the last couple years
- GPHawksfan

Yup!

I believe they need another one, perhaps two. I'm not talking about an okay top six guy. I'm talking about the Aho level.
- mohel

Call me a glass half empty guy but the longer Toews says nothing the more this appears permanent; whatever it is, hell if I know...

I believe they need another one, perhaps two. I'm not talking about an okay top six guy. I'm talking about the Aho level.
- mohel

U think a top 6 with Kane, Toews, Kubalik, Cat, and Dach is STILL potentially 2 Aho-caliber players away from being good enough? That’s unrealistic. Nobody has a top 6 with 6 all stars. Maybe if DeBrincat wasn’t rebounding the way he is, I could see needing another top 6 winger. But if he’s gonna be around a ppg then that’s good enough for me.

This doesn’t even include guys like Suter, Kurashev, Strome, Nylander, etc. who all have top 6 potential.

We’re loaded at forward. We need our young defenseman to continue to improve and the blueline needs to be better as a whole.

Call me a glass half empty guy but the longer Toews says nothing the more this appears permanent; whatever it is, hell if I know...
- rpeters01

“Call me a glass half empty guy”

Lol you? Noooooooo. Never.

I would love to see Highmore play again vs Boston. He really got under Marchand's skin. I think they had a fight, too. Would havevto be next season barring a surorisr playoff match this season.

Changing subjects

With the new management in Pittsburgh there will be changes if for no other reason for the Penguins to retool. Up front they need a top young talent besides Guenzel. I think they trade both Letang and Malkin for draft choices. The Penguins have not been enamored with their goaltending this season. They do not have much in the farm system and three of their stars are paid too much and are getting long in the tooth. I would never trade Crosby but Letang and Malkin would strongly suggesthat trading at least one of them
- jhawk59

Thats because they are both Bluenosers from Halifax. Highmore probably (and correctly) accused Marchand of having a total vocabulary of 10 words of less.

Thats because they are both Bluenosers from Halifax. Highmore probably (and correctly) accused Marchand of having a total vocabulary of 10 words of less.
- RickJ

Marchand....as much as you love to hate him and his antics....has really established himself as one of the leagues best wingers over the past few seasons. Good enough for there to be an occasional “Kane vs Marchand” poll on HFboards(the ultimate quality information source for all things hockey 😉)

U think a top 6 with Kane, Toews, Kubalik, Cat, and Dach is STILL potentially 2 Aho-caliber players away from being good enough? That’s unrealistic. Nobody has a top 6 with 6 all stars. Maybe if DeBrincat wasn’t rebounding the way he is, I could see needing another top 6 winger. But if he’s gonna be around a ppg then that’s good enough for me.

This doesn’t even include guys like Suter, Kurashev, Strome, Nylander, etc. who all have top 6 potential.

We’re loaded at forward. We need our young defenseman to continue to improve and the blueline needs to be better as a whole.
- SimpleJack

Toews is a question mark, and will be 35 two seasons from now. Dach looks like he will be good, but we don't know about top 5 or 10 in the league. Kubalik is a 3rd liner on a really good team. Cat is not as good as Sharp was. You need a stud or two. They have 1 or two all-star caliber guys right now. Where did you get six? Good Lord....

U think a top 6 with Kane, Toews, Kubalik, Cat, and Dach is STILL potentially 2 Aho-caliber players away from being good enough? That’s unrealistic. Nobody has a top 6 with 6 all stars. Maybe if DeBrincat wasn’t rebounding the way he is, I could see needing another top 6 winger. But if he’s gonna be around a ppg then that’s good enough for me.

This doesn’t even include guys like Suter, Kurashev, Strome, Nylander, etc. who all have top 6 potential.

We’re loaded at forward. We need our young defenseman to continue to improve and the blueline needs to be better as a whole.
- SimpleJack

Everyone knows Dach's injury is career ending.

Toews is a question mark, and will be 35 two seasons from now. Dach looks like he will be good, but we don't know about top 5 or 10 in the league. Kubalik is a 3rd liner on a really good team. Cat is not as good as Sharp was. You need a stud or two. They have 1 or two all-star caliber guys right now. Where did you get six? Good Lord....
- mohel

Not saying I wouldn't like two more top 6 guys but even when they were winning Cups it was debatable if all the guys in their top 6 were true top 6'ers...especially in '13 and '15.

Zus wasn't in '13 and Richards really wasn't in '15 but those teams were just deep...especailly in '13. In '15 I'd say the forward group was deep but we were a bit thin on the blue line.

Toews is a question mark, and will be 35 two seasons from now. Dach looks like he will be good, but we don't know about top 5 or 10 in the league. Kubalik is a 3rd liner on a really good team. Cat is not as good as Sharp was. You need a stud or two. They have 1 or two all-star caliber guys right now. Where did you get six? Good Lord....
- mohel

"Thank you very much!"

One surprise last night was the play of Carl Soderberg. I've been quite critical of the big Swede. but taking Shaw's place on the powerplay, he was good. He is good on the draw, and provided an excellent screen in front of the net. It's not as easy as it looks .... Soda took the goalie's vision away, and he is larger than Shaw, which adds even more to his screening ability. He does remain rather slow but at least they can make use of his ability on the powerplay

Not saying I wouldn't like two more top 6 guys but even when they were winning Cups it was debatable if all the guys in their top 6 were true top 6'ers...especially in '13 and '15.

Zus wasn't in '13 and Richards really wasn't in '15 but those teams were just deep...especailly in '13. In '15 I'd say the forward group was deep but we were a bit thin on the blue line.
- HawkintheD

Imo, Hossa, Sharp, Prime Kane and Toews was three HoF guys and a guy (Sharp) who is better than all the current top six except Kane. My point has been for awhile that they need 2/3 top of the league players at forward. Right now they have one (88), and he's getting up there. To get another extended window, they don't have the firepower.

To your point, if you give me Hossa, young Kane and Toews, plus a guy as good as Sharp, a couple Kubalik types in the top six is fine. Right now they don't have that.

It's just my opinion, and if you disagree with it.....I'll still happily share a virtual glass of brown liquor with you later.

Imo, Hossa, Sharp, Prime Kane and Toews was three HoF guys and a guy (Sharp) who is better than all the current top six except Kane. My point has been for awhile that they need 2/3 top of the league players at forward. Right now they have one (88), and he's getting up there. To get another extended window, they don't have the firepower.

To your point, if you give me Hossa, young Kane and Toews, plus a guy as good as Sharp, a couple Kubalik types in the top six is fine. Right now they don't have that.

It's just my opinion, and if you disagree with it.....I'll still happily share a virtual glass of brown liquor with you later.
- mohel

I don’t see any of these new guys cracking the cup winning lineups. You can add Bolland, Buff and possibly Versteeg and Bickel that are better than the new Blackhawks.

I don’t see any of these new guys cracking the cup winning lineups. You can add Bolland, Buff and possibly Versteeg and Bickel that are better than the new Blackhawks.
- paulr

All that I've been saying for a year and you can add, the next Keith, Seabrook and Hjarmelsson are not in sight as well. Crawford... This team is closer to Rockford than a cup team.

I don’t see any of these new guys cracking the cup winning lineups. You can add Bolland, Buff and possibly Versteeg and Bickel that are better than the new Blackhawks.
- paulr

Hossa, Kane, Toews, Sharp - yeah, three HOFers and a 4-time All Star. Won't see that kind of forward line-up for a while.

But neither has anyone else. Did these Cup winners since then have that kind of quality?

Pittsburg - Crosby, Malkin, Kessel, Sheary - probably the closest

Washington - Ovechkin, Kuznetsov, Backstrom, Oshie - very good, but other than Ovechkin, who would replace one of those Blackhawks?

St. Louis - Tarasenko, O'Reilly, Perron, Shenn - the first maybe, but who would he replace?

Tampa Bay - Kucherov, Stamkos, Killorn, Point - first two very good, all four - not up to Chicago Cup winning standards.

My point is - I don't think you have to have "studs" like those Blackhawk teams had - you need very good players with a leader.

And you don't think there's a chance (perhaps a good chance) that among deBrincat, Kurashev, Suter, Kubalik, Dach there aren't skaters who could replace Byfuglien, Bolland, Versteeg? Perhaps even crack the lineups of the susequent Cup winners?

Probably none will be better than Hossa, Kane, Toews, Sharp. But the roster isn't solidified at those here now (add in Reichl, for instance), and their development (hopefully) hasn't ended. Perhaps they may be good enough.

Young kids show promise. Great to see two rookies score their first NHL goals. Mitchell had a rough time in his own zone tho. #2 with a classic mistake leading to CBJ game winner. Classic meaning we've seen it many times before.

Hossa, Kane, Toews, Sharp - yeah, three HOFers and a 4-time All Star. Won't see that kind of forward line-up for a while.

But neither has anyone else. Did these Cup winners since then have that kind of quality?

Pittsburg - Crosby, Malkin, Kessel, Sheary - probably the closest

Washington - Ovechkin, Kuznetsov, Backstrom, Oshie - very good, but other than Ovechkin, who would replace one of those Blackhawks?

St. Louis - Tarasenko, O'Reilly, Perron, Shenn - the first maybe, but who would he replace?

Tampa Bay - Kucherov, Stamkos, Killorn, Point - first two very good, all four - not up to Chicago Cup winning standards.

My point is - I don't think you have to have "studs" like those Blackhawk teams had - you need very good players with a leader.

And you don't think there's a chance (perhaps a good chance) that among deBrincat, Kurashev, Suter, Kubalik, Dach there aren't skaters who could replace Byfuglien, Bolland, Versteeg? Perhaps even crack the lineups of the susequent Cup winners?

Probably none will be better than Hossa, Kane, Toews, Sharp. But the roster isn't solidified at those here now (add in Reichl, for instance), and their development (hopefully) hasn't ended. Perhaps they may be good enough.
- StLBravesFan

My point is that the current Hawks aren't close to the forward group of any of the teams you listed, in terms of the weight of high end talent. They seem to be developing good solid depth. Are they developing anyone who will successfully compete against the best players of the best teams in the league?

Imo, Hossa, Sharp, Prime Kane and Toews was three HoF guys and a guy (Sharp) who is better than all the current top six except Kane. My point has been for awhile that they need 2/3 top of the league players at forward. Right now they have one (88), and he's getting up there. To get another extended window, they don't have the firepower.

To your point, if you give me Hossa, young Kane and Toews, plus a guy as good as Sharp, a couple Kubalik types in the top six is fine. Right now they don't have that.

It's just my opinion, and if you disagree with it.....I'll still happily share a virtual glass of brown liquor with you later.
- mohel

I don't think they'll ever find another Hossa. That's the loss that hurt the most over the past few seasons.

I will reserve judgment on the youth movement versus Sharp. Sharp's breakout season was at age 26. Still plenty of time for the kids to catch up.

It's Friday so yes.

Saturday it's deHaan.
Sunday it's Keith.
Monday it's Z
Tuesday it's Soderburg
etc.
- Rota's Rooter

Friday is I'm in love day.

My point is that the current Hawks aren't close to the forward group of any of the teams you listed, in terms of the weight of high end talent. They seem to be developing good solid depth. Are they developing anyone who will successfully compete against the best players of the best teams in the league?
- mohel

I think it remains to be seen whether or not the players I mentioned on the Blackhawks rise to the level of the current competition.

I was also responding to the assertions that they won’t be as good as the three HOFers and one all star that the Hawks had. I agree. But they don’t have to. No other Cup winner since has really come close.

I don’t know that the current crop will or won’t come close to the top forwards on the recent Cup winners, or to the top forwards on current (or future) Cup competitors.

I think it’s incorrect to say now that they won’t.

I believe they need another one, perhaps two. I'm not talking about an okay top six guy. I'm talking about the Aho level.
- mohel

Reichel will be one. Not at Aho's level but I bet he is at TT's.