I think the tank must stop. When Edmonton was tanking to get high draft picks they built an awful culture where winning wasn’t the priority. As of this draft, winning should and must be the “One Goal”. The culture must be one of trying to win.
- paulr

Then due to timing of what we have at lower levels you must go hard in free agency. I don't think that's the plan?

I think the tank must stop. When Edmonton was tanking to get high draft picks they built an awful culture where winning wasn’t the priority. As of this draft, winning should and must be the “One Goal”. The culture must be one of trying to win.
- paulr

Other than trading away almost every player, there was no tank this past year.

At least not from LR and whomever was left.

Don't think they'll go nuts signing FAs, and they shouldn't, especially this year, but I don't think tanking happens on the ice. There won't be a monster sell off this year, other than maybe a few guys signed to 1 year deals.

How many games last year were the Hawks actually totally out of. I'll tell you it was way less than I thought it would be.

They will be better, probably, I add that caveat as I really believe Stalock played very well last year, and not sure they'll have a goal tender play as well next year.

Then due to timing of what we have at lower levels you must go hard in free agency. I don't think that's the plan?
- rpeters01

I think what he meant was that the FO can't/shouldn't actively put a flawed roster together. If you sub C. Jones and McCabe with Kaiser and Vlasic, I think at worst, it is a wash right now, with a good possibility of being better than last year.

The forward adds are going to be the most interesting. Like others here, I can see them trying to bring Domi back (as long as they offer him a bit of term). Beyond that, who knows. I think maybe Anderson, and possibly Bjork come back with Kurashev (judging by KD's comments on him at the end of the season). We'll see. If they could raise it up to being a bubble team again, I think that would be a big win.

Well to LR winning was a priority, i mean the teams like the ducks. blue jackets, Sharks theyve got some serious issues
- BetweenTheDots

I don’t think LR was doing anything but trying to win, and I think most of the players were but there wasn’t much talent there. The tank was perpetuated by KD who managed to get the grand prize by tanking. I meant stop selling of assets to tank some more. Now is the time to build to try to win. The build will be progressive and will take time but as long as the team is being improved the results on the ice will start improving.

Other than trading away almost every player, there was no tank this past year.

At least not from LR and whomever was left.

Don't think they'll go nuts signing FAs, and they shouldn't, especially this year, but I don't think tanking happens on the ice. There won't be a monster sell off this year, other than maybe a few guys signed to 1 year deals.

How many games last year were the Hawks actually totally out of. I'll tell you it was way less than I thought it would be.

They will be better, probably, I add that caveat as I really believe Stalock played very well last year, and not sure they'll have a goal tender play as well next year.
- vabeachbear

That was the tanking. If the coach and players didn’t try then all of them would need to be shipped out. LR did a masterful job of making a reasonable chicken salad with the chicken poop KD provided.


As I already posted, this will be a process and the tanking did its job. Now everyone’s job GM, coaches and players is to move forward towards respectability, competitiveness and hopefully contender.

Other than trading away almost every player, there was no tank this past year.

At least not from LR and whomever was left.

Don't think they'll go nuts signing FAs, and they shouldn't, especially this year, but I don't think tanking happens on the ice. There won't be a monster sell off this year, other than maybe a few guys signed to 1 year deals.

How many games last year were the Hawks actually totally out of. I'll tell you it was way less than I thought it would be.

They will be better, probably, I add that caveat as I really believe Stalock played very well last year, and not sure they'll have a goal tender play as well next year.
- vabeachbear

Soderblom played well in stretches last year as well, and he will presumably be with the big club all year.

So the rebuild has sped up - from "glacial" to "molasses in winter" as far as Cup competing. I think KD really was trying to build a lot of future depth assuming they would not jump to #1 for Bedard.

But there shouldn't be a tank this year, some useful forwards should come in to get to the cap and so the team can get about 80 points or so. 2024-25 is the time where a few more young guys are coming in and maybe something like 2023 Seattle (100 points) is possible.

So the rebuild has sped up - from "glacial" to "molasses in winter" as far as Cup competing. I think KD really was trying to build a lot of future depth assuming they would not jump to #1 for Bedard.

But there shouldn't be a tank this year, some useful forwards should come in to get to the cap and so the team can get about 80 points or so. 2024-25 is the time where a few more young guys are coming in and maybe something like 2023 Seattle (100 points) is possible.
- totem

Well we are now past step 1, teardown. There isn't much left to trade for assets. We are now in the prospect collection phase. All these draft choices will now start having names associated with them. Concurrently (and the trickiest part) is development. The faster your draft picks develop, the faster the rebuild.

That was the tanking. If the coach and players didn’t try then all of them would need to be shipped out. LR did a masterful job of making a reasonable chicken salad with the chicken poop KD provided.


As I already posted, this will be a process and the tanking did its job. Now everyone’s job GM, coaches and players is to move forward towards respectability, competitiveness and hopefully contender.
- paulr

Agreee, probably should have been more concise with my points.

Almost any guy who you never heard of came in, they played hard, and respectable hockey.

Even after everyone was gone, they still played hard, you could argue they played better down the stretch.

Next blog should be: who will the Blackhawks get to play with Bedard?
- rpeters01

Let’s say Bedard is on the top line and Reichel is on the 2nd line. Assume KD signs or trades for two top six forwards. What two current Hawks fill out the top six? Tyler Johnson? Raddysh? D!ckinson?
Athansiou- just say No!
Kurashev- just say No!

I agree 100%
And actually, the tank, as it were, consisted of trading those who brought something back and waiting for the end of the Toews and Kane contracts.
If they're aggressive but not stupid this off season, their point total next years starts going up again.
Let's light this candle, Blackhawks!!
- 35Tony0

I agree, just don't throw money away. If people want to use the word tank fine, but to me this is how you start over got to hit rock bottom, we got lucky getting the 1st pick. I like this even if we got the 5th pick.

Sign me up. Guy is small but can score on very bad teams.
Another guy the hawks should sign/bring back is Tyler Motte. It’s Bedard’s favorite player from Vancouver and he’s a solid middle six board battler. There’s really not much top line talent available aside from Kane and O’Reilly. Maybe some of the cap strapped teams like Colorado, Toronto, Vegas, and Rangers need to move guys but we shouldn’t offer any picks, just relief.
- ObeseOprah

I wouldn't mind Motte but he is a 4th liner and PK guy. Which is fine and teams needs players like him. My issue is the Hawks already have a lot of players in the same vein.

I would not take Garland, unless a #1 draft pick is attached. Not with 3 years left, and the fact the cash outlay is more than the cap hit. With that contract, the only way he would be flippable at the TDL is if the Hawks retain, and they already retain on Mc Cabe for 2 more years.
- LAHawk

Garland and 11 for 19/20? I would think really hard about but think you could maybe get a future #1 for a 3rd if you pushed hard enough cause the Nucks are in total cap hell. They are pretty much at the cap with 17 players on the roster for next season.

The Hawks may have a Shaw type player in Sam Savoie similar size, a point a game player and a nuisance against opposing teams.
- paulr

I thought about Savoie as a Shaw type but I could not remember his name.

Possibly. I'm hoping they find a Bolland type somewhere in this draft.
- HawkintheD

Stramel may fit that description a bit. Bolland was just a pure gamer. Those guys seem like they would be easy to find but teams are always looking for them.

I wouldn't mind Motte but he is a 4th liner and PK guy. Which is fine and teams needs players like him. My issue is the Hawks already have a lot of players in the same vein.
- Elbows15

Yeah, not a lot of reasons to sign a guy like Motte. He's a good guy to have, but about 90% of the guys they currently have signed are the same player. Plus, it seems that he really liked NY, and there apparently is mutual interest in re-signing there.

https://youtu.be/z4gLxIUH1f0

Training video. He looks very quick.
- paulr

His edge work has been there since he was like 12. He kinda reminds me of Savvy with his lateral agility.

I wouldn't mind bringing back Khaira on a minimum salary contract. It's terrible when he was put on the 2nd or PP but as a 4th liner, that line with Katchouk and Anderson (I think) was a very effective 4th line.

He's oft injured but is a big body who drives to the net and isn't afraid to stick up for teammates.

I keep hearing this and don't understand the logic. While he may be a generational talent (whatever definition you use), he is still just one player. They still need to fully rebuild the entire team around him. Maybe one of the players drafted last year makes the leap to the NHL this year. They are destitute in the forward ranks in the NHL at the moment, and the D is at best a work in progress all while hoping that one of Soderblom, Commesso, or Stauber just grab the job and go.

McJesus has been in the league since 2015 and are just now (maybe past two years) looking solid. They've missed the playoffs in three of his eight seasons and didn't get past the first (or qualifying round in 2020) in two other seasons. That's along with having Draisaitl on the team.

Similar situation with MacKinnon.
- Chunk

All that matters is it hasn't come from anyone in the Hawks front office.

Then due to timing of what we have at lower levels you must go hard in free agency. I don't think that's the plan?
- rpeters01

Or trades. I don't think it will an issue but they still do need to spend 20M or so just get to the cap floor. Signing some of their RFA will narrow the gap but KD is going have to bring in some players from outside the org to get to that mark.

Stramel may fit that description a bit. Bolland was just a pure gamer. Those guys seem like they would be easy to find but teams are always looking for them.
- Elbows15

Bolland came onto the Blackhawks as a big scorer on London, was asked to do a job other guys may have thought beneath them and not only was he a very good third line - shutdown guy, an irritating pest and a miserable guy to play against he had and demonstrated his scoring ability with some or should I say huge goals. My favorite two were the shorty against Vancouver and of course …..

Agreee, probably should have been more concise with my points.

Almost any guy who you never heard of came in, they played hard, and respectable hockey.

Even after everyone was gone, they still played hard, you could argue they played better down the stretch.
- vabeachbear

That on me, I wasn’t very clear. I didn’t mean to insinuate Richardson had anything to do with the tank.

I wouldn't mind bringing back Khaira on a minimum salary contract. It's terrible when he was put on the 2nd or PP but as a 4th liner, that line with Katchouk and Anderson (I think) was a very effective 4th line.

He's oft injured but is a big body who drives to the net and isn't afraid to stick up for teammates.
- Popsghostly

I get what you are saying, but they have that guy already signed. About seven of them. I'd much rather (and think this is the way they end up going) that they find some trade targets and FA's that can actually play further up in the lineup.

I recall guys like Bobby Hull, Denis Hull, Chico Maki and Eddie O wore number sixteen. Yes, the Hull brothers changed their numbers, Bobby twice, but then again, another Hull wore sixteen and he was mighty good.

Bolland came onto the Blackhawks as a big scorer on London, was asked to do a job other guys may have thought beneath them and not only was he a very good third line - shutdown guy, an irritating pest and a miserable guy to play against he had and demonstrated his scoring ability with some or should I say huge goals. My favorite two were the shorty against Vancouver and of course …..
- paulr

Fun fact. He would be a "1st round pick" if taken these days. He was pick 32. Talk about a career of what might have been except for injuries. He never played a full season because of his back and then the freak cut on his foot/ankle.

He did play a lot on the 1st PP unit in chicago, IIRC. Even with his defensive duties he was still close to .5PPG. That is pretty good production all things considered.

He was a huge reason the Hawks almost were able to come back against the Canuck in 11. They were down 3-0 when he returned to the line-up and then he just proceeded to dive the Sedins absolutely bat poop crazy.