Is Makar considered good in the defensive zone?
- mohel

Personally I consider him moving at the same pace he does in the attack. It might not be textbook, but those kinda hands and wheels lets him play back there so I would say, good is a proper grade.

Best scenario for the Hawks would be to have a healthy and productive Toews for the next 2 seasons with Dach playing well but also learning from one of the best 2 way centers in the game. Significant learning curve to develop into an excellent #1 C and being able to compete against guys like Crosby, Bergeron, Barkov, Malkin, Couturier, Point, Mackinnon and that other guy #97.
- RickJ

Which made Suzuki's march to the cup finals really impressive. Kid went thru Matthews, Scheifile and Point as a 22 yr old 1C. ..... Not saying he's elite but he's off to a fine start.

Which made Suzuki's march to the cup finals really impressive. Kid went thru Matthews, Scheifile and Point as a 22 yr old 1C. ..... Not saying he's elite but he's off to a fine start.
- Mr Ricochet

Not to take away anything from him but it didn't hurt in 2 of those 3 series, they had the better, harder to play against defenseman and goalie.

Entrevue de Louis Crevier en français
https://www.facebook.com/...c/videos/344737673759338/

One interesting tidbit I heard on the radio the other day…Jones last productive year fancy stats wise was when Panarin was a Blue Jacket. As soon as Panarin left Jones as well as most of the other Blue Jackets stats suffered a big decline.

Maybe being around playmakers like Kane, Dach, and Dinky help turn Seth’s numbers around. Grasping at straws here. Don’t like the move, but best I can do now is hope Stan has a horseshoe up his ass, and this works out.
- Ogilthorpe2

I'm a fancy stat neophyte, but I thought they accounted for quality of teammates.

Like you, I'm glad they selected Dach and think he will be a force for the Hawks up front for many years - provided he can stay relatively injury free and is given reasonable time to develop. That means more than 20 games this season before everybody starts dumping on him.

Looking at the 2017-2019 drafts, numerous centers drafted. Will give you a list of about a dozen names. Wondering who you think will turn out to be the best NHL pivots out of the group:

Dach
Jack Hughes
Turcotte
Zegras
Krebs
Kotkaniemi
Barrett Hayton
Hischier
Nolan Patrick
Nick Suzuki
Cody Glass
E.Pettersson
Cody Glass
Mittlestadt

I like some of the guys that are a bit underrated - Dach, Suzuki, Mittelstadt and a longshot in Barrett Hayton, especially if he can escape Arizona.
- RickJ

Zegars but if Dach can stay healthy could be a toss up. Plus everyone wants him to play with kane and dcat but i like to see him with kubalik and hagel. And Towes if he returns between dcat and kane but there many questions going forward and line combinations to look forward to.

Unfortunately, George McCaskey didn't fire these two last off-season like he should have. This team continues to digress under their leadership. And for whoever posted that 1 preseason game is causing these continued concerns is just plain wrong. Matt Nagy has faltered all along. His 12-4 rookie season was lead by a defense that ranked number one in defensive turnovers, and the addition of Kahlil Mack just before the start of the season.
That team was as close to being a SB contender that year as we'll ever see under Nagy. The 4 losses that year, along with the playoff loss to the Eagles were all caused by the same deficiencies we still see today.
A terrible offensive scheme that can't score touchdowns, lack of a productive running game, receivers that are not hit in stride, horrendous third down conversions, and a now aging defensive team. For some reason this team just cannot run the football. No matter how many new offensive lineman are drafted, the scheme is ineffective. Yes they do have injuries but so do other teams.

I guess it's pretty obvious that I am not a Matt Nagy fan and I strongly believe that he is a highly overrated head coach because of his first year.

Lastly, Justin Fields is obviously a tremendous talent and hopefully he will be able to mask over the deficiencies of a horrible offensive scheme. And if he does and becomes the player that we all want him to be, unfortunately that may save the jobs of Pace and Nagy.
- Hawkytalk

agree never liked the nagy hire and pace went to the gm school of bowman and cirellia.

Horrible offensive scheme? Its the same one run by KC and it was the scheme for the Eagles when they won the Super Bowl.
- Elbows15

its not the scheme its the implementation and teaching of the scheme is the problem plus don't have the right players to play that scheme imo. So nagy has to adjust his scheme which he is stubborn to do so.

We will see about the O-line. I think the middle of it will be solid. Peters hopefully has something left and that will help the LT spot. Ifredi being healthy with help the RT spot.

Fields isn't ready yet. No need to rush him at the moment. Get the O-line settled before putting him back there. Dalton is better than we have seen so far. Vets hate preseason games and rarely show much if they even play.
- Elbows15

Agree on fields let wait and watch no need to rush him until he is ready.

We will see about the O-line. I think the middle of it will be solid. Peters hopefully has something left and that will help the LT spot. Ifredi being healthy with help the RT spot.

Fields isn't ready yet. No need to rush him at the moment. Get the O-line settled before putting him back there. Dalton is better than we have seen so far. Vets hate preseason games and rarely show much if they even play.
- Elbows15

My wife would agree.

Looking at the 2017-2019 drafts, numerous centers drafted. Will give you a list of about a dozen names. Wondering who you think will turn out to be the best NHL pivots out of the group:
- RickJ

I don't want to call this group centres....Turcotte Zegras Krebs Hischier can help teams in m ore than the centre position and may.
Grades
Italics = Long career as a keystone forward
underlined = huge offensive upside
Bold NHL impact centre and generator
Red = serviceable pro player with many attributes that will help a team win
Blue = has a upstream paddle to be a keystone forward
Purple= Centre might NOT be their NHL position
Yellow = Flop

Dach
Jack Hughes
Turcotte
Zegras
Krebs
Kotkaniemi
Barrett Hayton
Hischier
Nolan Patrick
Nick Suzuki
Cody Glass
E.Pettersson
Cozens
Mittlestadt

I like some of the guys that are a bit underrated - Dach, Suzuki, Mittelstadt and a longshot in Barrett Hayton, especially if he can escape Arizona.

Which made Suzuki's march to the cup finals really impressive. Kid went thru Matthews, Scheifile and Point as a 22 yr old 1C. ..... Not saying he's elite but he's off to a fine start.
- Mr Ricochet

I’ve been very impressed with Suzuki, I really like his game. I have not seen Pettersson play as much, since I live in eastern time zone and he plays out west.

Because you have issues of your own that you want to work out vicariously through strangers?
- Ogilthorpe2

That hit a bit too close to home.

Hughes has been small he whole life. He will adjust and avoid hits like Kane and other smaller players. Plus, you can't hit what you can't catch.
- Elbows15

When the real playing starts in April and May the big boys with the height, weight and wing span advantage come out with the nasty attitude. Seems to happen every single year as does the disappearing acts of featherweights like Jack Hughes, Pettersson and Hischier, etc .

And making any link with Hughes to Patrick Kane is ridiculous. Until he is comparable over many measurements he just isn't.

Commesso is a top 5 goalie prospect for the whole league, IMO.

Also, when comparing Commesso to an athletic goalie, use Crawford. Crawford was extremely athletic and one of the main reasons he was drafted.
- Elbows15

Sure was when he was drafted and made saves before they "coached him up" and made him be a butterfly shot blocker. The transition from one to the other and the awkward period as I call it is what I blame the two goals in OT to the Yotes in 2012 on.
He made great glove and kick saves in his first year before having to change styles. The fact that he had the stones to go to the minors and (eventually) make the switch is something I would classify as elite.

Which made Suzuki's march to the cup finals really impressive. Kid went thru Matthews, Scheifile and Point as a 22 yr old 1C. ..... Not saying he's elite but he's off to a fine start.
- Mr Ricochet

They probably do already, but if not Vegas is going to regret that Suzuki trade.

When the real playing starts in April and May the big boys with the height, weight and wing span advantage come out with the nasty attitude. Seems to happen every single year as does the disappearing acts of featherweights like Jack Hughes, Pettersson and Hischier, etc .

And making any link with Hughes to Patrick Kane is ridiculous. Until he is comparable over many measurements he just isn't.
- RickJ

Kane has proven he can play in the tough going. He’s also proved he can come back after an injury after physical contact. Until a player, regardless of size, can prove he’s able to play physical hockey and able to play at the same level there will obviously be questions about his courage.

Remember the comment Harold Ballard made about Inga Hammerstrom? He’s the only player who can go into the corner with 12 eggs in his pocket and come out with none broken.

Kane has proven he can play in the tough going. He’s also proved he can come back after an injury after physical contact. Until a player, regardless of size, can prove he’s able to play physical hockey and able to play at the same level there will obviously be questions about his courage.

Remember the comment Harold Ballard made about Inga Hammerstrom? He’s the only player who can go into the corner with 12 eggs in his pocket and come out with none broken.
- paulr

Oh yes, the Harold Ballard era from which the Maple Leafs have never recovered. Calling Dave Keon a weak leader and running him out of town; bouncing Bernie Parent over a couple of bucks on a contract. letting a pedophile ring operate out of the Gardens.

And going on a radio show and saying - 'if you can call a Chevrolet a Chev, why can't you call somebody Japanese a Jap'?

Oh yes, the Harold Ballard era from which the Maple Leafs have never recovered. Calling Dave Keon a weak leader and running him out of town; bouncing Bernie Parent over a couple of bucks on a contract. letting a pedophile ring operate out of the Gardens.

And going on a radio show and saying - 'if you can call a Chevrolet a Chev, why can't you call somebody Japanese a Jap'?
- RickJ

Or telling Jim Hunt his last name really began with a “C”.
Some other Ballard quotes:

Why should I put a bunch of Cadillacs on the ice, when I can sell out with a bunch of volkswagens.

Women are good for only one thing - lying on their backs

Anyone who thinks that God wins or loses games has to have an awfully weak mind.

Or telling Jim Hunt his last name really began with a “C”.
Some other Ballard quotes:

Why should I put a bunch of Cadillacs on the ice, when I can sell out with a bunch of volkswagens.

Women are good for only one thing - lying on their backs

Anyone who thinks that God wins or loses games has to have an awfully weak mind.
- paulr

He was a beaut, I think from about the same era as the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Here's one I always laugh about - he tried to buy the Toronto Argonauts but couldn't so he ended up owning the Hamilton Tiger Cats. Doubt he paid any money for the team but he underwrote their operating losses and they were fairly successful on the field and got to the Grey Cup a few times when he owned them.

So one year the Grey Cup is in Toronto and the CFL always puts on the Grey Cup parade on the Saturday morning. Each team in the league puts in a float to be represented in the parade. The Tiger Cat float always featured a huge tiger with sound and motion effects that made menaciing growls etc. Ballard is so angry at the league and the Argonauts over not being able to buy them, he decides that the tiger on the Hamilton float would be reconfigured to have an Argonaut player in a blue jersey coming out of the tiger's butt, basically a bowel movement of a Toronto Argonaut.

The league got wind of it and made sure it didn't happen.

Wow, they gave 'Moose' Vasko's number to Jones? Big shoes to fill.
- scottak

You mean Doug Jarret

He was a beaut, I think from about the same era as the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Here's one I always laugh about - he tried to buy the Toronto Argonauts but couldn't so he ended up owning the Hamilton Tiger Cats. Doubt he paid any money for the team but he underwrote their operating losses and they were fairly successful on the field and got to the Grey Cup a few times when he owned them.

So one year the Grey Cup is in Toronto and the CFL always puts on the Grey Cup parade on the Saturday morning. Each team in the league puts in a float to be represented in the parade. The Tiger Cat float always featured a huge tiger with sound and motion effects that made menaciing growls etc. Ballard is so angry at the league and the Argonauts over not being able to buy them, he decides that the tiger on the Hamilton float would be reconfigured to have an Argonaut player in a blue jersey coming out of the tiger's butt, basically a bowel movement of a Toronto Argonaut.

The league got wind of it and made sure it didn't happen.
- RickJ

Who was the NHL team who came into the Gardens with a Huge Argos banner? Was it Boston?

Or when the Beatles played the Gardens. He turned up the heat on a hot day in August. He had the concession staff over salt the popcorn and lowered the price by 50%, then he had the water fountains shut off and tripled the cost of the soft drinks.

Remember him and King Clancy sitting in their box at the gardens? They looked like the hecklers on Seasame street.

Who was the NHL team who came into the Gardens with a Huge Argos banner? Was it Boston?

Or when the Beatles played the Gardens. He turned up the heat on a hot day in August. He had the concession staff over salt the popcorn and lowered the price by 50%, then he had the water fountains shut off and tripled the cost of the soft drinks.

Remember him and King Clancy sitting in their box at the gardens? They looked like the hecklers on Seasame street.
- paulr

Don't remember that one about the Argo's banner. I would have guessed the Canadiens.

The stories are endless - remember when he fired Roger Neilson as the coach and then they couldn't find another coach so he brought Neilson back for the Saturday Hockey Night in Canada game but wanted him to wear a bag over his head so everybody watching on TV would be wondering who it was.

And then there was his girlfriend Yolanda who did time in jail for fraud who brought a cake to the Gardens one day, refused to leave, befriended him and just decided to change her last name to Ballard - no marriage, no legal reason.

its not the scheme its the implementation and teaching of the scheme is the problem plus don't have the right players to play that scheme imo. So nagy has to adjust his scheme which he is stubborn to do so.
- Scott1977

That scheme is based on lots of speed (nope missing that) and plus receivers (nope missing that) and O-line (nope missing that) and a great QB doesn't hurt... crickets!

Don't remember that one about the Argo's banner. I would have guessed the Canadiens.

The stories are endless - remember when he fired Roger Neilson as the coach and then they couldn't find another coach so he brought Neilson back for the Saturday Hockey Night in Canada game but wanted him to wear a bag over his head so everybody watching on TV would be wondering who it was.

And then there was his girlfriend Yolanda who did time in jail for fraud who brought a cake to the Gardens one day, refused to leave, befriended him and just decided to change her last name to Ballard - no marriage, no legal reason.
- RickJ

What a scam artist. Remember TC Puck?