I took this to mean they are interviewing Theo.........
- vabeachbear

I bet Theo is on the council put together by the Gurus to give feedback to hockey people on which hockey person they should hire.

BTW LA HAWK,

It sure appears that the Mings are getting away with a lot of youth in their lineup this season, particularly lately. Too much youth normally is problematic. How is it that the Kings make it work put.
- jhawk59

The difference is not the youth, the difference is Kopitar and Doughty are playing like they are capable of, the addition of Danault, and Arvidsson, Quick having a renaissance year, and Kempe having a career year. The youth, Lizotte, Kaliyav, T Moore up front , M. Anderson, Durzi are playing well in limited rolls.

The Wings are what many here wish the Hawks to be. They cleaned house, on the ice and upstairs. Developed a very good farm system. Hired a top end GM almost three years ago to supercharge their rebuild. Now?

After a ten year rebuild the Wings are three points ahead of the Hawks and nine points out of a playoff spot. Now that's progress!

Be careful what you wish for.
- mohel

So what exactly is your point here ? 10 year rebuild ?? Are you on crack ?

Ken Holland delayed a proper rebuild by at least 6 years. He doesn't even believe in rebuilds... He left a complete dumpster fire for Yzerman to clean up. The Wings started their actual rebuild almost 3 years ago when Yzerman took over. And he's done a pretty good job considering he was left a team in salary cap hell with no young talent. Yzerman's track record speaks for itself... as the architect for Tampa Bay. Most Wings fans are very happy he's steering the ship in Detroit now.

The Wings and Hawks are going in two different directions... The Wings are a team on the rise... that's the difference. let's see how much of gap there is between these two teams in a year or two. The Wings continue to get younger and more talent and they have a ton of cap space.

Leddy will be gone after this season.

Wonderful thread with a bunch of solid hockey minds posting clear eyed assessments.

Take Strome, good points made for and against. As some have posted today, and in the past, Hawk evaluators need to properly assess what this guy is and sign him as cheaply as possible or move him when his value is the highest. Period, and that goes for every NHL rostered Hawk and what's in the pipeline.

Sign Strome at 4x4 and he's really the uninspired player some think he is and as Rick said you're stuck with a player who rarely helps and sucks up precious salary and a roster spot.

This is where I clamor for a Stevie Y type. Dude has proven he can build an organIzation that can evaluate and you do so correctly over and over and over and you get a 3rd line like TB had that was so important to their cup wins that when they leave you replace them inside and out of the organIzation and they hit the ground running.

About Strome last night in the Ozone. His lazer top shelf far side showed his shot, and maybe IQ, as Hagel was there for a pass driving the lane but Strome shot instead.

Both other goals showed his tool kit but especially what he can do when his feet are moving and his compete is high. Both goals were gritty in the slot 2 ft away. He muscled that Dman to get his stick on a tip, not easy showing use of size, positioning, IQ and skill. ...... The other he stayed in the weeds until the time was right, gets to the weakside slot from the endline, bodies the Dman for position, Smith's pass is on the way, shows IQ to turn/spin off his mark from his forehand to his backhand to except and redirect the pass in the net. He stays on the forehand the pass has to be perfect or he won't get his stick on it so he spins to his backhand for a much higher percentage to get the stick on the puck. Super high IQ play.

He showed most every reason he went 3rd overall last night. Size, hands, skill, IQ and add compete to that toolbox and there ain't a hockey mind on earth who sees that and says, what if? ......... It's up to a FO to know what if/is Strome. Stevie Y could do it but he ain't the only one. Lets get one into the organIzation!!

Looks like it's just waiting to become official, E Kane to the Oilers....... IMO that's good for the possibility of MAF going to EDM. Oilers fill their forward problem with Kane, MAF would fix the goalie slot and then they need a Dman or two.

Without Kane coming dirt cheap I wonder if EDM would waste assets on this group. Now they can.

I bet Theo is on the council put together by the Gurus to give feedback to hockey people on which hockey person they should hire.
- mohel

I would take the Theo over Theo Phillips for my football team but I digress.

Eh some injuries that second season including a high ankle sprain were a problem. They were bad as a team the year after that and then bad again this year - especially at the start and he certainly lost favor with the coach the year before last.

Regardless of the player potential - the GM \ hockey ops - brought in a guy that was known to be a slow skater and not physical to a team that wanted to play some overly complicated ultra aggressive man-man system. Seems kinda silly. de Haan was brought into that system and again - an average skate at best to play in a system that requires very good skaters to pull off? How much over the last 4 years is poor player performance vs poor direction and ill contrived scheme is debatable.

I think Strome should carry himself at about 220 and be impossible to move. I also think that youth size stick he uses has him off balance instead of in a strong athletic position which hampers his ability to use his long legs as leverage in battles. But he's probably a 40-55 point player on a team you won't remember which will provide a pretty decent living.

Kirby Dach looked good in his first run up here, not out of place in the bubble and then some moron decided he should play in the kids tournament and has regressed since. Surprise - surprise.

Anyway, before worrying about which players are signed or qualified or drafted - the team has to assume some type of identity, move on from players who don't fit that identity, get players and futures that fit that identity and move forward with some kind of plan instead of the haphazard poop show that has been now.
- fattybeef

That would be Dach, who had to convince the Hawks to let him play.

It's official, E Kane is an Oiler.

It's official, E Kane is an Oiler.
- Mr Ricochet

How could he sign there, I thought the border was closed!

It's official, E Kane is an Oiler.
- Mr Ricochet

Could be a good pickup. He should have a pretty good linemate or two to play with.

I think you're probably right about it increasing the odds of a MAF trade there, assuming he wants to leave.

How could he sign there, I thought the border was closed!
- powerenforcer

DocuSign.

DocuSign.
- mohel

Post of the month.

So what exactly is your point here ? 10 year rebuild ?? Are you on crack ?

Ken Holland delayed a proper rebuild by at least 6 years. He doesn't even believe in rebuilds... He left a complete dumpster fire for Yzerman to clean up. The Wings started their actual rebuild almost 3 years ago when Yzerman took over. And he's done a pretty good job considering he was left a team in salary cap hell with no young talent. Yzerman's track record speaks for itself... as the architect for Tampa Bay. Most Wings fans are very happy he's steering the ship in Detroit now.

The Wings and Hawks are going in two different directions... The Wings are a team on the rise... that's the difference. let's see how much of gap there is between these two teams in a year or two. The Wings continue to get younger and more talent and they have a ton of cap space.

Leddy will be gone after this season.
- Vladdie_Kon1

Konstantinov was a dirty POS

Hello Theo,

Since you watch the Icehogs, I would like your review whether you like or feel there is better match up in the pairing on Rockford blueline. Specificly, not so much for the team success, but player developers both Stanton and Watson take a regular turn with a prospect. This arrangement is used often since it appears one prospect dman is kept on taxi squad ( currently Kalynuk)

As well, how does the NHL ceiling look for C Addison, Iowa and a Wild prospect. He has been spotted a couple times fir a game or two NHL recall.
He was a #2 round acquired via trade from the Penguins

Goldy has remained in Minny but Addison and Rossi have packed their suitcase a couple of times. So you see the Wild is using a similar system or method as Blackhawks for top prospects. Tip offensive and an offensive capable dman. Rossi and Boldy are top prospects which we need. They have Dewar too.
- jhawk59

On the Rockford D pairs, my preference would be to:

* Sit Stanton who isn't good at defense so why play him as a veteran if he's not exactly role modeling how best to play the position.

* Sit Watson as he's nothing more than a career minor leaguer and play him only if injuries or illness arise with the others; ditto for LeGuerrier.

* Play the following pairs:

Beaudin - Mitchell
Kalynuk - Galvas
Phillips - Regula

Mitchell, Galvas, and Phillips each anchor a pair so that Beaudin, Kalynuk, and Regula can wheel and deal more. Beaudin, Kalynuk, and Regula are at their best when they can activate.

Of this trio, Kalynuk is the best at playing a two-way game. Beaudin and Regula can struggle when tasked to do too much. Simplify their games, pair them with defensively solid partners, and let them run.

As for Addison, he reminds me of a mix between Samuel Girard (Avs) and Vince Dunn (Kraken). Small yet skilled enough to play 2nd pair like Girard but with the toughness and feistiness of a defender like Dunn.

New blog! Thoughts on Arvid Soderblom potentially being a permanent fixture on the Blackhawks as early as this season according to interim head coach Derek King.

Games tonight: Blackhawks vs Avalanche + IceHogs vs Admirals.

https://bit.ly/3ra8PeB