Can we hold on to Phillips long enough to see what we have in him? Thus far, pretty impressive. And, this guy can skate!
- gabriel

Are you serious? Let’s do what we always do, hype him like crazy then when he is unable to play to those expectations we can all criticize him and run him out of town.

That's true he knows to have slow footed dmen chase the puck around in the defensive zone, he's really coaching to this teams strengths
- BetweenTheDots

Colliton doesn't impress me in the least. In his defense, he hasn't been dealt a good hand, either. All our D currently, except Jones and ahem, Gus, are plodders who are forced to chase the play due to lack of speed. Duncan Keith covered up a multitude of shortcomings and saved our bacon for a decade. In his absence (it was time for him to exit), the deficiencies are now glaring. Same principle with Hossa and our forward groupings. Now most have forgotten or are unwilling to tenaciously backcheck in his absence. Oh, really??? Where do you place the blame? I'm going with Colliton. Credit to Kubalik and Dcat who smelled the coffee brewing, and are becoming 2-way players. The remainder are pretty much blah in this regard, with the exception of Hagel.

Are you serious? Let’s do what we always do, hype him like crazy then when he is unable to play to those expectations we can all criticize him and run him out of town.
- paulr

I am a little surprised that the media hasn't begun blowing smoke rings up everyone's skirts. Maybe they learned their lesson after purposefully hyping up Bo, who should have remained in the AHL for a couple of seasons. I was one of the dumb asses who got caught up reading their swill. Sent Brian Campbell up to groom him. Blah, blah, blah.

Are you serious? Let’s do what we always do, hype him like crazy then when he is unable to play to those expectations we can all criticize him and run him out of town.
- paulr

and despite all this... Still knows more than you.
- Chunk

Well then I'm glad you like him as the head coach.

Question is now who goes first JC or Strome. My money is JC

I am a little surprised that the media hasn't begun blowing smoke rings up everyone's skirts. Maybe they learned their lesson after purposefully hyping up Bo, who should have remained in the AHL for a couple of seasons. I was one of the dumb asses who got caught up reading their swill. Sent Brian Campbell up to groom him. Blah, blah, blah.
- gabriel

As usual Boqvist was sent to the NHL where he struggled mostly with the physical play. I wished they had kept him in London for another season to not only continue his development defensively but to get a year older and hopefully a little bigger and stronger. The team always seems to move guys up too early. I’m glad they decided to keep Reichel down and hopefully with the off and on ice circus in town I hope they keep him there all season.

Colliton doesn't impress me in the least. In his defense, he hasn't been dealt a good hand, either. All our D currently, except Jones and ahem, Gus, are plodders who are forced to chase the play due to lack of speed. Duncan Keith covered up a multitude of shortcomings and saved our bacon for a decade. In his absence (it was time for him to exit), the deficiencies are now glaring. Same principle with Hossa and our forward groupings. Now most have forgotten or are unwilling to tenaciously backcheck in his absence. Oh, really??? Where do you place the blame? I'm going with Colliton. Credit to Kubalik and Dcat who smelled the coffee brewing, and are becoming 2-way players. The remainder are pretty much blah in this regard, with the exception of Hagel.
- gabriel

You’re right, there just isn’t much talent on the hawks. The defense is really weak and there are only a few forwards who are capable of playing in the NHL. Add to that Toews is a shell of his former self and there’s not much there.

Borgstrom and Kurashev (not that he is playing much center right now) both are much more effective hockey players than Strome. They both win board battles/puck possession and routinely are in the slot/going to the net. Strome occasionally does that. Which is the maddening part, because if he did it all the time he would be a solid asset.

ADB-Strome-Kane has in the past, and will continue to be, a line that you can only put out at the end of a game in which they are behind and need a goal. Otherwise they simply get buried (born out by the stats of the last two years).

Kane is going to play big minutes regardless because he is still a monster point producer. I'm not going to play line genie, but separating him and ADB will help them both.

And IMO, you don't put the team's best center and put him at wing. Toews is still a better center than any other player on the Hawks right now.
- Chunk

Neither of those other players are effective because the team can't score without Kane. They skate really hard, north south but don't offer a lot of value in terms of vision, plus hands, finishing or creating chances. Strome creates chances consistently for himself and others. Flawed player but there aren't better options.

I know Chicago fans love their guys that have jam and go hard and all that stuff but trying hard isn't going to get it done, talent will.

Toews is very effective a few shifts and then not. Based on missing a year and trying to extend the useful years of the player you absolutely move him to wing.

Neither of those other players are effective because the team can't score without Kane. They skate really hard, north south but don't offer a lot of value in terms of vision, plus hands, finishing or creating chances. Strome creates chances consistently for himself and others. Flawed player but there aren't better options.

I know Chicago fans love their guys that have jam and go hard and all that stuff but trying hard isn't going to get it done, talent will.

Toews is very effective a few shifts and then not. Based on missing a year and trying to extend the useful years of the player you absolutely move him to wing.
- fattybeef

Strome can create scoring chances, he’s actually pretty creative and he passes well but I disagree on consistently. He runs hot and cold which in itself isn’t terrible but add in he’s a weak skater, he doesn’t like getting involved in puck battles and he’s so easy to knock off the puck he becomes a liability.

Well then I'm glad you like him as the head coach.

Question is now who goes first JC or Strome. My money is JC
- BetweenTheDots

Never said anything close to that, but this was expected.

That said, I think it's likely that he is gone sooner rather than later. It also doesn't matter who is gone first. Each one will be considered a disappointment.

Neither of those other players are effective because the team can't score without Kane. They skate really hard, north south but don't offer a lot of value in terms of vision, plus hands, finishing or creating chances. Strome creates chances consistently for himself and others. Flawed player but there aren't better options.

I know Chicago fans love their guys that have jam and go hard and all that stuff but trying hard isn't going to get it done, talent will.

Toews is very effective a few shifts and then not. Based on missing a year and trying to extend the useful years of the player you absolutely move him to wing.
- fattybeef

From what I've seen Borgstrom has very good hands and a plus (and accurate) shot. He is also been adept at coming away from the wall with the puck. Kurashev could have better hands, but he also comes away with the puck and can fight through checks. Yes, they both have their flaws, but I personally find them both more effective overall players than Strome.

Again, we disagree on Toews current state. He may not be what he once was, but he is still a better center than anything else on the roster right now (IMO). I also would doubt that simply moving him to wing will extend his usefulness, as his play wouldn't change all that much, just his responsibilities.

Correct me if i'm wrong, but Toews' contract expires at the end of next season?? Does anyone think he'll simply retire from hockey at that point?

As usual Boqvist was sent to the NHL where he struggled mostly with the physical play. I wished they had kept him in London for another season to not only continue his development defensively but to get a year older and hopefully a little bigger and stronger. The team always seems to move guys up too early. I’m glad they decided to keep Reichel down and hopefully with the off and on ice circus in town I hope they keep him there all season.
- paulr

There is a lengthy list of talented Dmen ruined by being brought to their NHL teams long before they were ready - physically, mentally and capable of coping with the NHL game. Bovqist is just one of them - Luke Schenn, Alexandre Picard, Gary Nylund, Jim Benning, many more.

No time to develop, expectations too great.

Philipps is getting a small taste as a reward and so hockey ops can have a look. Thats all and send him back to the AHL to play big minutes and grow. He only has 100 or so games of junior experience under his belt and the few games with Rockford. Maybe he can be developed into a Darnell Nurse type - not in the microwave which was Bowman's way, but by playing under good tutelage Rockford. Same applies to Nolan Allen they drafted this year.

There is a lengthy list of talented Dmen ruined by being brought to their NHL teams long before they were ready - physically, mentally and capable of coping with the NHL game. Bovqist is just one of them - Luke Schenn, Alexandre Picard, Gary Nylund, Jim Benning, many more.

No time to develop, expectations too great.

Philipps is getting a small taste as a reward and so hockey ops can have a look. Thats all and send him back to the AHL to play big minutes and grow. He only has 100 or so games of junior experience under his belt and the few games with Rockford. Maybe he can be developed into a Darnell Nurse type - not in the microwave which was Bowman's way, but by playing under good tutelage Rockford. Same applies to Nolan Allen they drafted this year.
- RickJ

Kirby Dach’s draft analysis stated he was an underrated skater, a good playmaker, strong defensive skills but he hadn’t developed his finishing game. And today you see these traits including his inability to finish. I’m hoping he can figure that part of his game out but until then, him moving to the NHL could prove to be a mistake.

Well then I'm glad you like him as the head coach.

Question is now who goes first JC or Strome. My money is JC
- BetweenTheDots

I'm going to dare to dream and hope they both go at roughly the same time. When the Hawks traded for Strome, I thought he looked decent. Was better than the bust some on the site were declaring him to be.

Over time though the things that we were hoping he could potentially improve on didn't. His skating isn't better and he's still way too easily knocked off the puck. Since none of that has happened I think the questions that some have asked about him are fair. Namely...Is he someone you can win with?

If you're just looking for a guy to occupy a position fine, but I don't think he's someone you can actually win with.

Never said anything close to that, but this was expected.

That said, I think it's likely that he is gone sooner rather than later. It also doesn't matter who is gone first. Each one will be considered a disappointment.
- Chunk

Oh okay so he's not a good coach but is sending a message to Strome because he's not playing better than Kush and Borgstrom, yet those guys stats aren't any better than Stromes and Strome played on the 4th line with less games for this team. Okay then go with that

I'm going to dare to dream and hope they both go at roughly the same time. When the Hawks traded for Strome, I thought he looked decent. Was better than the bust some on the site were declaring him to be.

Over time though the things that we were hoping he could potentially improve on didn't. His skating isn't better and he's still way too easily knocked off the puck. Since none of that has happened I think the questions that some have asked about him are fair. Namely...Is he someone you can win with?

If you're just looking for a guy to occupy a position fine, but I don't think he's someone you can actually win with.
- HawkintheD

I get that, but to sit there and say how much better these other players are who haven't really done anything at the pro level is a joke, about all they do now is skate good for the time being. How many times is Kurashev going to trail his guy in our own end

I get that, but to sit there and say how much better these other players are who haven't really done anything at the pro level is a joke, about all they do now is skate good for the time being. How many times is Kurashev going to trail his guy in our own end
- BetweenTheDots

Why shouldn’t he trail guys in the Hawk’s end? I thought forwards weren’t expected to do anything in the defensive zone? The defensemen are there to defend, they don’t require support from the forwards, right?

Strome can create scoring chances, he’s actually pretty creative and he passes well but I disagree on consistently. He runs hot and cold which in itself isn’t terrible but add in he’s a weak skater, he doesn’t like getting involved in puck battles and he’s so easy to knock off the puck he becomes a liability.
- paulr

In general, you can call him a player "good enough to lose with" as are many of our players and they're playing their roles perfectly.

I get that, but to sit there and say how much better these other players are who haven't really done anything at the pro level is a joke, about all they do now is skate good for the time being. How many times is Kurashev going to trail his guy in our own end
- BetweenTheDots

Kurahev's two years younger than Strome so I give him more of a chance of figuring it out.

Both he and Borgstrom seem to be able to contribute to a cycle at times in the Ozone. The game before in StL I saw Strome do some good things in all zones. I don't think throwing him out there in a 4th line role was a great move by Colliton but other than one move to put himself in position to receive a pass for a nice chance that was blocked, he didn't provide many/if any reasons to move him up in the lineup.

I'm going to dare to dream and hope they both go at roughly the same time. When the Hawks traded for Strome, I thought he looked decent. Was better than the bust some on the site were declaring him to be.

Over time though the things that we were hoping he could potentially improve on didn't. His skating isn't better and he's still way too easily knocked off the puck. Since none of that has happened I think the questions that some have asked about him are fair. Namely...Is he someone you can win with?

If you're just looking for a guy to occupy a position fine, but I don't think he's someone you can actually win with.
- HawkintheD

Totally agree. Had not read your post when I wrote my response above. Crazy thing is, anyone can see if he put some time in the gym and played a little stronger mixing it up more he could play at his speed.

In general, you can call him a player "good enough to lose with" as are many of our players and they're playing their roles perfectly.
- rpeters01

Unfortunately there’s not a whole lot of talent on the team.

Unfortunately there’s not a whole lot of talent on the team.
- paulr

Starting with the coach

Starting with the coach
- BetweenTheDots

Wow! Never heard you say that before.

Oh okay so he's not a good coach but is sending a message to Strome because he's not playing better than Kush and Borgstrom, yet those guys stats aren't any better than Stromes and Strome played on the 4th line with less games for this team. Okay then go with that
- BetweenTheDots

Sweet Jesus. Do you know why most players hate when people bring up all of these "stats"? It is because they do not tell the entire story. They are a useful tool to help evaluators draw a more complete picture of what a player is.

They can try all they want to devise some metric that explains everything, but in the end, the numbers fall short of providing a full picture. Why? Because there is more going on than simply measuring shot attempts, "high danger" chances and shift length. David Runblad had great metrics, but everyone who ever watched a game knew he was a horsepoop hockey player.

These are two different statements:
1) Player X is better than Player Y.
2) Player X is playing better than Player Y.

Kurashev was sat for a game, and when he went back in he's stayed in and played top nine, when in all reality, he probably has a game that would be better suited to play the 4th vs Strome. Why is Strome playing down? Because he is not playing the way he needs to in order to be consistent and effective.

Finally, I've not said either way whether I think JC is a good or bad coach. I simply stated the fact that he knows volumes more about hockey than you do.