@BenPopeCST
King on Kirby Dach's continued reluctance to shoot:

"We'll just keep beating it in him: Shoot. We need more shots. We have to have a shooting mentality."

Did anyone happen to notice if Dach lost any shifts after that ill-advised pass to Strome? Not beating up on Dach, just wondering about King's preferred reinforcement tactics.

@BenPopeCST
King on Kirby Dach's continued reluctance to shoot:

"We'll just keep beating it in him: Shoot. We need more shots. We have to have a shooting mentality."

Did anyone happen to notice if Dach lost any shifts after that ill-advised pass to Strome? Not beating up on Dach, just wondering about King's preferred reinforcement tactics.
- pdx2ord

There is also the idea of consistently losing puck battles on the boards. He is totally overwhelmed at this level. Who can't see this? He can't carry the puck, can't win draws, is badly beaten by third pairing D_men time and again, it's sad. This kid is a perfect example of someone who should be cutting his teeth in the minors. It's a joke they keep running this guy out there. He has talent, develop it where it's appropriate.

@BenPopeCST
King on Kirby Dach's continued reluctance to shoot:

"We'll just keep beating it in him: Shoot. We need more shots. We have to have a shooting mentality."

Did anyone happen to notice if Dach lost any shifts after that ill-advised pass to Strome? Not beating up on Dach, just wondering about King's preferred reinforcement tactics.
- pdx2ord

He didn’t had second most ice time by forwards behind Kane.

He didn’t had second most ice time by forwards behind Kane.
- LAHawk

It's obnoxious a player doing so little is asked to do so much. It's pathetic and I don't get why they are doing this.

Again, this is NOT an attack on Dach, but he has no business (at this time) playing meaningful minutes for an NHL team. Yet, he is loaded with ice time galore. It's a joke and wreaks of entitlement.

They’re not sending Dach down, he played about twenty minutes tonight. He needs to center the third line for now, use Borgstrom between Dcat and Kubalik. Dach, Slavin, and Strome(while still on team)on the third line.

Um no. They won multiple Cups and had to pay for it. Name the other team that won two or three Cups and then had contracts to major cogs come up. There isn't.

Also, while the Hawks didn't necessarily have an exit plan, let's be honest...did you see the Core collectively falling off the table when they did?

It's apples and oranges. Not saying it doesn't suck but to say it's the same as some of these other teams isn't entirely accurate.
- HawkintheD

Hello, D. The bottom line is that some people are not very comfortable being happy.

It's obnoxious a player doing so little is asked to do so much. It's pathetic and I don't get why they are doing this.

Again, this is NOT an attack on Dach, but he has no business (at this time) playing meaningful minutes for an NHL team. Yet, he is loaded with ice time galore. It's a joke and wreaks of entitlement.
- kwolf68

Entitlement.

If Dach continues as is for the entire season, I bet next season King plays him less and the GM finally admits that Dach needs to develop in the AHL. I wonder why he looses board battles. Is there a balance issue like K Beech had. I know projection has been that Dach gets stronger and becomes beast. Ha! Let's see how well he is on skates, not falling down next fall. Maybe power skating coach could help. I'd like to know what wiz says about Dach's skating

Hello, D. The bottom line is that some people are not very comfortable being happy.
- mohel

All well and fine, but Dach sucks!

It's over and done. It's time for pretty much a full rebuild (trouble is we have no valuable assets other than Kane), there is almost no talent left here. YES, there are some quality assets that can be future guys, but this franchise is in the doldrums right now. Tonight was fun tough because my older son is a Caps fan.

To answer you the Penguins. They got 3, and of course they won 1 Cup because idiot Bowman gave them Daley + cap relief for a civil war veteran, but otherwise they've done amazingly without ever having much of a "farm".
- kwolf68

Hilarious

It's obnoxious a player doing so little is asked to do so much. It's pathetic and I don't get why they are doing this.

Again, this is NOT an attack on Dach, but he has no business (at this time) playing meaningful minutes for an NHL team. Yet, he is loaded with ice time galore. It's a joke and wreaks of entitlement.
- kwolf68

Watching the Jones goal, I actually thought about how that play would have been different if Dach carried the puck into the zone instead of Slavin. Slavin did exactly what I want to see Dach do; he pulled up, and looked for the trailer. Too often, I see Dach skate into the corner instead of pulling up, and turning it over.

this is why i think the draft age should be raised to 19 or even better 20. alot less misses would happen then and Jr hockey would benefit more from the players staying longer and developing properly. WHA messes this one up and not sure why the NHL hasn't considered it.
- SaskHawkFan

I think it's been tested in court and they lose. An 18 year old is entitled to earn a living anyway they can? But IDK...

It isn't just the 18 year olds, its which 22 year olds show enough to keep them around until they're 25 if need be - which veterans to bring in via FA - which veterans to target with a trade - which players to extend and which to say thanks but were moving on.

Only one of their first round picks between 2010 to 2020 is still on the team which is kind of problematic.
- fattybeef

Two of them, Terravainen was lost by bad luck with Bickell and just where did he project at 22ish vs 25 to your point and the dead horse trade to Montreal where we lost Danault. Schmaltz, meh...

Dach needs to miss a few shifts after that. Him electing to pass there is just boggling. So tired of watching that.
- Fat_Tony_Amonte

Sounds like a confidence issue.

He does have some good attributes, but no speed and no desire is a bad combination. If he would put on a few pounds and compete more, he would be okay, even with his lack of speed.
- Angotti

Been saying he needs to find a gym for two years...

Um no. They won multiple Cups and had to pay for it. Name the other team that won two or three Cups and then had contracts to major cogs come up. There isn't.

Also, while the Hawks didn't necessarily have an exit plan, let's be honest...did you see the Core collectively falling off the table when they did?

It's apples and oranges. Not saying it doesn't suck but to say it's the same as some of these other teams isn't entirely accurate.
- HawkintheD

This happened at least 3 years earlier than they expected.

To answer you and Wolfie. It's still different and yes $3.8M Cap Space gives you a bit more flexibility to sign another player that can help impact the overall team dynamic.

When the team wins multiple Cups I think you have to acknowledge the contracts ratchet up to a greater degree.
- HawkintheD

When Toews and Kane signed the big contracts the whole league expected those to be a bargain in a couple years. But then the cap became more or less stagnant and Stamkos signed for $8.5 when Yzerman played hardball which left us at a big disadvantage - the bar was set and we were the losers. Kane and Toews at $8.5 would have added $4M to your point. To be clear, their agent started at ~$12 each they "settled" for $10.5 and Tallon was licking his chops in Florida.

New blog! A summary of the Blackhawks shootout victory over the Capitals.

Plus, thoughts on the Malcolm Subban deal to the Sabres and what that means for organizational goalie depth.

https://bit.ly/3pl2zyh

Say what you will about how poopty of a person Stan was, he got ADB on a $6.4M bridge deal for a guy that already had a 40 goal season vs. a guy like Hughes who has less production and got $8 X 8 with only the pedigree of being the 1st overall.
- Chunk

Even with that Debrincat wasn't seen as a centerpiece until really last year and this past one where he's been very good in all 3 zones, taken more of a leadership role and doing more than just ripping in one timers on the back side.

He's probably going to get 10 on this next deal sooooo 6.4 x 3 + 10 x 8 averages out to about the same thing. Even if its only 9.5 still averages out about the same.

Paying Hughes 5 or 6 and then having to pay 10 or 11 after. I dunno. Cost certainty for the team and he gets a nice but not extravagant pay day coming off it in what should be the back end of his prime. Should be an everyone wins deal as long as the player continues the trajectory he is on.