Maybe Chicago can help a team create cap space for a team to acquire one of these 2....for a price. I'd like to see KD get some prospects vs. picks.
- DarthKane

Definitely Darth. As teams rearrange their deck chairs this off season, they may have to move out some salary to accommodate some high priced player coming in. Hopefully Chicago does not act as a 3rd party broker though. I feel you can get a better return for taking on some salary than acting as the middleman in a 3 way trade.

After going through tough times as a fan these past few years: Stan GMing, the off ice issues, having to watch a sucky hockey team, saying goodbye to Toews and Kane, Keith too.

Hearing in that podcast a highlight of all the great things that the hawks and us fans have here right in front of us sure feels good.

Now the new hockey ops need to hit after picking Bedard. This draft will be a defining moment. Looking forward to it.
- TheDrumonMadison

The draft can't come fast enough for me. Not a day goes by I don't waste a few hours studyin up. Feel pretty confident a really good player will fall to the Hawks at 19 although I doubt KD's and my board are the same or evaluations either.

It's the 2nd rd and beyond where the rubber will hit the road. That's where the scouts, evaluators and KD will earn their money. ........ I have visions of that DAL draft many like to talk about when they drafted Heiskanen and Oetinger in the 1st rd and Robertson in the 2nd 39th overall in 2017.

Not mad, Mo...... Have a bunch of generalizations/observations as all humans do. I'm a pretty polite/tolerant guy so find no need for filters per say so I rarely get in trouble for sharing them. And even if I do, so what?

Polish guy I know who lived behind the Iron Curtain came to the US when he was 15, school teacher. Said back home not many civil rights at the time and the cops took care of punks right then and there. Much safer but less free..... Asked which he liked better, he had to think about it for a bit.

Also said in Germany people don't walk against a red light. People follow rules for the most part.
- Mr Ricochet

Same thing in Switzerland. I get strange looks all the time. One guy asked me very nicely to at least not do it in front of children so they don't learn bad habits.


The Brits and Italians don't seem to give a single poop though. Regardless of cars coming or not.

Me to, really hope for a Domi reunion, and i do agree with Elbows. Barbashev and Fast would be nice additions as well
- BetweenTheDots

Barbashev and Fast are nice players but probably too early in the rebuild to sign those types. After these playoffs Barbashev will be the shiny new toy and get a nice contract with term. Fast is a very good bottom 6 guy but doubt he'd wanna sign with a rebuilding club for short term like the Hawks.

Domi too. With his solid playoffs he may have priced himself out of the Hawks in terms of term he may attract.

Same thing in Switzerland. I get strange looks all the time. One guy asked me very nicely to at least not do it in front of children so they don't learn bad habits.


The Brits and Italians don't seem to give a single poop though. Regardless of cars coming or not.
- Chunk

That really is funny.

Barbashev and Fast are nice players but probably too early in the rebuild to sign those types. After these playoffs Barbashev will be the shiny new toy and get a nice contract with term. Fast is a very good bottom 6 guy but doubt he'd wanna sign with a rebuilding club for short term like the Hawks.

Domi too. With his solid playoffs he may have priced himself out of the Hawks in terms of term he may attract.
- Mr Ricochet

Fast could be a sign and flip if contending teams don't have money to pay him.

Barbashev and Fast are nice players but probably too early in the rebuild to sign those types. After these playoffs Barbashev will be the shiny new toy and get a nice contract with term. Fast is a very good bottom 6 guy but doubt he'd wanna sign with a rebuilding club for short term like the Hawks.

Domi too. With his solid playoffs he may have priced himself out of the Hawks in terms of term he may attract.
- Mr Ricochet

I'd look to sign 1-2 forwards to 1 year deals, like Domi and AA last season. I'd still be ok signing Domi to a 3 year deal max (no pun intended). For the 1 year type of deals, they'd be guys that could be flipped at the deadline too.

- JT Compher
- Miles Wood
- Vladislav Namestnikov
- JvR
- Jason Zucker
- Mattias Janmark (note: he netted the Hawks Colton Dach and Samuel Savoie from his first stint with the team)

I'm not sure if these guys would accept a 1 year deal, they're just the type of forwards that could work.

Along with Babcock they have injected maybe more hope than actual improvement.

- jhawk59

I think both in Philly and CLB they did not like the culture of the locker rooms. Way too relaxed, care free with no urgency. Felt they needed a strong hand like Torts and Babcock to kick some rear ends and root out those that don't fit.

Fast could be a sign and flip if contending teams don't have money to pay him.
- 333inthe3rd

I just don't think a guy like Fast has any interest in a rebuilding team like the Hawks. He's 31, still very effective and has played playoff hockey for the past handful of yrs.

I just don't think a guy like Fast has any interest in a rebuilding team like the Hawks. He's 31, still very effective and has played playoff hockey for the past handful of yrs.
- Mr Ricochet

Probably true. Just saying if nobody else has money to pay him. And the following year, when the cap goes up, more teams will be able to pay him.

I just don't think a guy like Fast has any interest in a rebuilding team like the Hawks. He's 31, still very effective and has played playoff hockey for the past handful of yrs.
- Mr Ricochet

Fast played for 2M AAV the past three years. Would he agree to a one year deal here for 2.5 to 3M with a handshake deal to be dealt to a contender. Best of both worlds for him. He makes some extra cash by playing here for 5 or 6 months and still winds up with a contender at the TDL.

The same goes for any other free agent who wants to play for a contender and also take home a larger paycheck.

I'd look to sign 1-2 forwards to 1 year deals, like Domi and AA last season. I'd still be ok signing Domi to a 3 year deal max (no pun intended). For the 1 year type of deals, they'd be guys that could be flipped at the deadline too.

- JT Compher
- Miles Wood
- Vladislav Namestnikov
- JvR
- Jason Zucker
- Mattias Janmark (note: he netted the Hawks Colton Dach and Samuel Savoie from his first stint with the team)

I'm not sure if these guys would accept a 1 year deal, they're just the type of forwards that could work.
- DarthKane

For sure those players would fit for KD, maybe not JVR though. Too slow? .... Always liked Wood. Good size, motor and can fly. Namestikov is a Rodriguez type guy who can play center and slot up and down the lineup. I thought he was the next big find for TB. He didn't quite pop that way but is still a nice piece.

But like you say will they come for 1 yr? KD might have to go longer term like he did with AA or one or two of those players might fall thru the cracks without an offer come August and be amiable to signing for 1 yr and getting moved at the TDL?

Probably true. Just saying if nobody else has money to pay him. And the following year, when the cap goes up, more teams will be able to pay him.
- 333inthe3rd

Starting to read this more and more, the cap going up. It's said the Kings wanted to give Gavrikov term but he and his agent insisted on only 2 yrs so he could become a FA and cash in when the cap goes up.

They must really believe that cuz LA gave him 5.7 per.

Fast played for 2M AAV the past three years. Would he agree to a one year deal here for 2.5 to 3M with a handshake deal to be dealt to a contender. Best of both worlds for him. He makes some extra cash by playing here for 5 or 6 months and still winds up with a contender at the TDL.

The same goes for any other free agent who wants to play for a contender and also take home a larger paycheck.
- boilermaker100

Maybe, BM. But CAR is in good shape cap wise, no? I do see they have a boat load of UFA's and RFA's come 2024/25. .... I'd imagine they want Fast back?

No doubt though, KD has some advantages and has proven he will accommodate players and move them at the TDL.

I think the Hawks should bring him back, 100%.
- DarthKane

And issue him jersey number 85.

Same thing in Switzerland. I get strange looks all the time. One guy asked me very nicely to at least not do it in front of children so they don't learn bad habits.


The Brits and Italians don't seem to give a single poop though. Regardless of cars coming or not.
- Chunk

We just came back from a three week vacation in Switzerland, Germany and Amsterdam. You can almost eat off the floors of bathrooms in Switzerland, it’s the cleanest country I’ve ever seen. Germany is close but Amsterdam is pretty filthy.

We just came back from a three week vacation in Switzerland, Germany and Amsterdam. You can almost eat off the floors of bathrooms in Switzerland, it’s the cleanest country I’ve ever seen. Germany is close but Amsterdam is pretty filthy.
- paulr

Not as filthy as say Rome (low bar) but I think it’s a great city regardless. The area around the 9 Streets or 9 Avenues is great and so is around the museums.

Not as filthy as say Rome (low bar) but I think it’s a great city regardless. The area around the 9 Streets or 9 Avenues is great and so is around the museums.
- HawkintheD

Love Rome and Athens and Amsterdam regardless of cleanliness. I really liked Switzerland and Germany too.

So if Honzek and Danielson are there at 19, who are we taking?

So if Honzek and Danielson are there at 19, who are we taking?
- Angotti

The Hockey News has Danielson at 22 and Honzek at 29. There are huge discrepancies from the various evaluators.

We just came back from a three week vacation in Switzerland, Germany and Amsterdam. You can almost eat off the floors of bathrooms in Switzerland, it’s the cleanest country I’ve ever seen. Germany is close but Amsterdam is pretty filthy.
- paulr

Used to work for a Swiss company, been to Zurich, Interlaken, Bern and Geneva all sparkling clean, but regimented. We say they more German than the Germans.

Work for a German company now, been there a bunch, clean and regimented.

Amsterdam - unregimented, any goes, and its a poophole.

So if Honzek and Danielson are there at 19, who are we taking?
- Angotti

After hearing Bedard interview, Danielson. Can't see him being there at 19. Think Honzek will be.

Ben Pope
@BenPopeCST
The Blackhawks are deep into their draft preparations, having interviewed 65-75 players at the combine this week in Buffalo.

The #1 pick is obvious. I asked Kyle Davidson about #19: "We have a good sense of who we like, but who’s going to be there, that’s a huge question mark."

Ben Pope
@BenPopeCST
Davidson sounded open to trading back OR trading up from #19.

"If you’re sitting there at 19 and there’s 5 guys you like, maybe you look to move back because you can get one of those guys...and keep banking assets. To say we’re just going to move up, that’s probably premature."

So if Honzek and Danielson are there at 19, who are we taking?
- Angotti

Danielson, 100%.