Glad to see you posting. I guess I'm with everyone who posts here that I like Richardson, a lot. This ain't meant to be a dig but I think you're the only one on the internets that doesn't like LR.

Keep posting what you don't like with LR cuz it's hard, or impossible, to read a negative critique of Luke.

Last yr he had em playing hard and best of all some structure, no running around. And that was with a horrid roster.... This yr so far we see a speed game being played that we didn't see last yr. New personnel, new systems. To my eye that shows fine coaching. Design systems that fits your personnel, no?........ We've seen two different rosters and LR seems to have optimize their strengths so far, no?

In fact, without thinking this thru, the only guy in 2 games that looked tentative was Ludwinski. If I'm right that's some solid coaching/preparation, no?

Liked what I saw both nights. This group of many fringe NHLers showed well. Not much running around, no breakdowns per say, many times 3-4 touches before they enter the zone with speed, some decent outs, structure seemed fine. I liked what I saw......

An LR group so far in 1yr plus a preseason looks prepared, coached up, systems to accentuate strengths and minimize weaknesses and they play with hunger and effort.

Interesting topic you bring up though. Will LR be the coach when they switch to win mode? So far, from what he and his teams have shown, I think so.
- Mr Ricochet

I don't get the Richardson love affair. I see that he looks like he is chiseled out of granite, is sympathetic, and is easily the toughest guy in the organization. However, all NHL players play hard. The standard is winning. Even taking last year out, if you look at his coaching record his teams have not improved in the standing year after year. I remember him as being picked too high and nothing special on the ice. I prefer someone with some winning somewhere in their background to lead but only time is going to tell here.

What boxes does Kane check? Do you think that KD trading Kane at the TDL, and for that matter telling Toews he will not be resigned was not without the approval of Wirtz, whether it was Danny or even Rocky at that time?
- LAHawk

I think Kane checks the box of Hall of Fame player who has seen it all and done it all. Maybe he is a cancer but I think he might provide a role model for Bedard better than Perry or Foligno.

As for ownership, after Rocky's town hall performance I thought that years of hard drinking may have caught up to him and that there may have been some dysfunction at the top. From the little I have heard from Danny, he may be a breath of fresh air and provide a modern perspective. In the end, he is a Wirtz and they play by their own rules.

Patrick Kane was always a special player who was going to score yet early in his career Quenneville benched him several times because he made poor decisions or bad plays or didn’t cover defensively. I suspect Richardson will be more concerned about Bedard’s all round game than being creative about his ice time so he can get 100 points or win the Calder this season.
- paulr

To be fair - in the first preseason game - Bedard made some tremendous defensive plays. Pretty sure that's not going to be the problem.

Bedard is not Justin Fields. He had two assists and was the best player on the ice for a big chunk of that game. The guy is going to put up a poop load of points this year and unless the goaltending is abhorrent they are going to be further from the bottom than most people expect.

And to cover K2 here as well. Of course he is going to make mistakes that against lesser competition he can get away with. That is why playing in the WHL isn't going to be of much benefit.

When he got his pocked picked in game one that is a play that most players in the WHL can't make at that speed. And getting stuck against the boards isn't something that is going to happen in the WHL because he's so much bigger and stronger than a big majority of the competition.

Other than these onesey twosey plays that are clearly a product of adjusting to the bigger stronger faster competition - he's been the best player on the blue line not named Wyatt and there is zero reason to send him back.

I think Kane checks the box of Hall of Fame player who has seen it all and done it all. Maybe he is a cancer but I think he might provide a role model for Bedard better than Perry or Foligno.

As for ownership, after Rocky's town hall performance I thought that years of hard drinking may have caught up to him and that there may have been some dysfunction at the top. From the little I have heard from Danny, he may be a breath of fresh air and provide a modern perspective. In the end, he is a Wirtz and they play by their own rules.
- stevefrmglencoe

Taylor Hall is a perfect roll model for Bedard, just as he was for Hughes, and a lesser extent McDavid.

So when KD interviewed and got the job, he didn’t tell Wirtz’s what his plan was? This was all kept secret until after he was named permanent GM.

I am glad the Hawks went the LR route. The Darryl Sutter’s Tortorella’s, Babcock’s, Gallant’s, Laviolette’s hire’s have all gone so well.

One of the two Minny blabbermouths was saying if you are rebuilding, you want to win the first pick after you have some pieces in place.

(Holy the Ducks should gotten him!)

Stamkos can and little was in place.
the next year Hedman, but NO OTHER drafted prospects those years were part of Cup runs
The next year Brett Connolly flopped and third rounder Radko Gudas help another teams Cup run...not theirs.
Next year Kucherov late in the second round...Ondrej Palat in the 7tyh, but that's it.
the next year flopped and Andrei Vasilevskiy well, excelled.
they had to wait two years to hit with Brayden Point, no others.
My entire point is they are incorrect, even Stamkos Hedman & Kucherov had to be patient and anyone who thinks winning Connor Bedard is a challenge way to build a Blackhawk, is from Minnesota, eh?

The expansion islanders drafted their Cup dynasty players year by yea...and added the Butch Gorings when they started percolating.
- wiz1901

I was coming here to post this today, guy had me laughing...and saying "what a moron this guy is when the #1 is Bedard"

To be fair though, it was one blabbermouth, the play by play guys said when the guy was done pontificating, "I don't know, I think when the #1 is Connor Bedard, you take that one anytime you can get it" and he said it like I was thinking- Are you a moron or what

Even if Kane wanted to come back, KD has made it abundantly clear, that the franchise has moved on from 88 and 19, and has full backing from Danny.So even if Kane wanted to come back at $750K, it isn’t happening.
- LAHawk

This!

Even if Kane wanted to come back, KD has made it abundantly clear, that the franchise has moved on from 88 and 19, and has full backing from Danny.So even if Kane wanted to come back at $750K, it isn’t happening.
- LAHawk

I'm still not sure why this is so hard to understand

I am not going to underestimate the importance of money. The top teams have little cap space and until I see Kane sign for a low end deal I am going to believe that if the Hawks want to keep the positive momentum despite being lower in the standings, signing Kane checks a lot of boxes. It isn't Davidson's decision. Wirtz owns the team and can do whatever he wants. As for filing in the blanks as needed, Davidson did manage to find the only 2 guys in the NHL that are slower than Khaira and sign them to 5X deals.
- stevefrmglencoe

I see this really gets to you. Have you ever considered that the one year (and I really stress the 1 year point) they are paying these guys your estimated 5x deals that their value on the rebuild here may be more than it would on other teams?

Until the rebuild plan fails, I'm willing to give it some time, and trust the guys now in charge. Mostly because its exactly what I would do, and would have started it 4 or 5 years ago.

its really hard for me to understand why people would want KD and team to use up all the cap space on guys who would be even more overpaid then Perry and Foligno. Most would have been more term.

I still think they'll be better this year than most think, and will be in most games.

I see this really gets to you. Have you ever considered that the one year (and I really stress the 1 year point) they are paying these guys your estimated 5x deals that their value on the rebuild here may be more than it would on other teams?

Until the rebuild plan fails, I'm willing to give it some time, and trust the guys now in charge. Mostly because its exactly what I would do, and would have started it 4 or 5 years ago.

its really hard for me to understand why people would want KD and team to use up all the cap space on guys who would be even more overpaid then Perry and Foligno. Most would have been more term.

I still think they'll be better this year than most think, and will be in most games.
- vabeachbear

Same. Think they will still lose a lot of games but LR got 26 winss out of a lineup with a lot of guys who wouldn't be on most NHL teams.

You are probably right and I might be dreaming.
However, Foligno and Perry would be playing for $750k on every other team in the league. If Davidson is willing to pay $4 million for those two and there is $12.8 of cap space left here, who knows? Highly unlikely but he is 3 great statistical seasons from rewriting the Hawks record book and as debated here earlier in the summer, there may be family considerations.
- stevefrmglencoe

They on purpose got rid of everyone from those cup teams so that the new players could have room to make it their team. Very much doubt you'll ever see him in a hawks sweater again until they have his whatever night.

I don't get the Richardson love affair. I see that he looks like he is chiseled out of granite, is sympathetic, and is easily the toughest guy in the organization. However, all NHL players play hard. The standard is winning. Even taking last year out, if you look at his coaching record his teams have not improved in the standing year after year. I remember him as being picked too high and nothing special on the ice. I prefer someone with some winning somewhere in their background to lead but only time is going to tell here.
- stevefrmglencoe

The team plays hard and looks fairly well organized. Huge improvement from where they were at before. With a little bit of talent they should put up some points.

Definitely a lot to like about how Richardson runs the team.

Bedard is playing tonight at Detroit. Hall and Donato staying home. Maybe he lines up with Raddysh and Dach?

https://twitter.com/BenPo...amp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

To be fair - in the first preseason game - Bedard made some tremendous defensive plays. Pretty sure that's not going to be the problem.

Bedard is not Justin Fields. He had two assists and was the best player on the ice for a big chunk of that game. The guy is going to put up a poop load of points this year and unless the goaltending is abhorrent they are going to be further from the bottom than most people expect.

And to cover K2 here as well. Of course he is going to make mistakes that against lesser competition he can get away with. That is why playing in the WHL isn't going to be of much benefit.

When he got his pocked picked in game one that is a play that most players in the WHL can't make at that speed. And getting stuck against the boards isn't something that is going to happen in the WHL because he's so much bigger and stronger than a big majority of the competition.

Other than these onesey twosey plays that are clearly a product of adjusting to the bigger stronger faster competition - he's been the best player on the blue line not named Wyatt and there is zero reason to send him back.
- fattybeef

I agree with you, Bedard made some really good defensive plays plus he was positionally sound for most of the game. I’m certainly not criticizing him that way. My point is Richardson isn’t there to pave a path for Bedard to score a ton of rookie points and to win the Calder, Richardson’s job is to coach Bedard to be the best player he can be now and in the future, not focus on this upcoming season.

I agree that Kane should not come back. When he was on the ice everyone looked to him and thus did not play their game. I don't understand not having Toews. He would be a better role model than anyone they brought in. What Bedard could learn from him would be valuable for Bedard down the road. It just does not make sense. It was a crap move on KFC's part. That is not how you treat someone who brought you three cups. And if Danny Wirtz gave the okay, then the Wirtz family values haven't changed a bit.

I agree with you, Bedard made some really good defensive plays plus he was positionally sound for most of the game. I’m certainly not criticizing him that way. My point is Richardson isn’t there to pave a path for Bedard to score a ton of rookie points and to win the Calder, Richardson’s job is to coach Bedard to be the best player he can be now and in the future, not focus on this upcoming season.
- paulr

Correct and that also isn't necessarily a different thing from him putting up 100 points.

I agree that Kane should not come back. When he was on the ice everyone looked to him and thus did not play their game. I don't understand not having Toews. He would be a better role model than anyone they brought in. What Bedard could learn from him would be valuable for Bedard down the road. It just does not make sense. It was a crap move on KFC's part. That is not how you treat someone who brought you three cups. And if Danny Wirtz gave the okay, then the Wirtz family values haven't changed a bit.
- bjphawkfan

Because it would still be Toews's team and they very clearly want it to be Bedards team.

It isn't a crap move. It's perfectly reasonable. He brought three cups made tens of millions of dollars in the process and now it's time to move on and let the new group come through without any impediments.

I agree that Kane should not come back. When he was on the ice everyone looked to him and thus did not play their game. I don't understand not having Toews. He would be a better role model than anyone they brought in. What Bedard could learn from him would be valuable for Bedard down the road. It just does not make sense. It was a crap move on KFC's part. That is not how you treat someone who brought you three cups. And if Danny Wirtz gave the okay, then the Wirtz family values haven't changed a bit.
- bjphawkfan

Well, for one, Toews as a player is not remotely dependable to be in the lineup. Hasn’t been for about 3 years now. Plus the stuff Fatty just said.

I don't get the Richardson love affair. I see that he looks like he is chiseled out of granite, is sympathetic, and is easily the toughest guy in the organization. However, all NHL players play hard. The standard is winning. Even taking last year out, if you look at his coaching record his teams have not improved in the standing year after year. I remember him as being picked too high and nothing special on the ice. I prefer someone with some winning somewhere in their background to lead but only time is going to tell here.
- stevefrmglencoe

You don’t see far better coordination of the players on the ice? Better defensive structure? More communication?the two years prior with Colliton and King at the helm were atrocious in those regards and that was with better and more experienced rosters.

#Blackhawks assign forwards Antti Saarela, Marcel Marcel and Michal Teply, and defenseman Nolan Allan to AHL’s Rockford IceHogs.

Training camp roster is down to 41 players (26 forwards, 11 defensemen, 4 goaltenders


I thought Allan would see at least another game or two in the pre-season. Not sure why they sent him down already

#Blackhawks assign forwards Antti Saarela, Marcel Marcel and Michal Teply, and defenseman Nolan Allan to AHL’s Rockford IceHogs.

Training camp roster is down to 41 players (26 forwards, 11 defensemen, 4 goaltenders


I thought Allan would see at least another game or two in the pre-season. Not sure why they sent him down already
- captainserious

I thought Allan looked pretty good but with the glut of veteran defenders on the team it’s probably best for Allan to get lots of minutes in Rockford rather than be in and out of the Hawk lineup. As I believe LAHawk said, Allan will probably be one of the first to get called up if a defenseman is needed.

You don’t see far better coordination of the players on the ice? Better defensive structure? More communication?the two years prior with Colliton and King at the helm were atrocious in those regards and that was with better and more experienced rosters.
- Chunk

Steve’s concerns seemed to be focused on Richardson’s age and experience.

I don't get the pining for Kane. The recovery from his surgery (to his previous level) is far from guaranteed.

Any news on Sammy?

I thought Allan looked pretty good but with the glut of veteran defenders on the team it’s probably best for Allan to get lots of minutes in Rockford rather than be in and out of the Hawk lineup. As I believe LAHawk said, Allan will probably be one of the first to get called up if a defenseman is needed.
- paulr

Hopefully he gets all the mins he can handle with the Piggies.
Reading Wiz's old scouting report,he made Allan sound like a combination of Hammer/Oduya

I don't get the pining for Kane. The recovery from his surgery (to his previous level) is far from guaranteed.

Any news on Sammy?
- mohel

Rumor has it the other players are pissed that he plays his boom box really loud in the clubhouse.

I don't get the pining for Kane. The recovery from his surgery (to his previous level) is far from guaranteed.

Any news on Sammy?
- mohel

Femur
Still in the hospital in Minny
I've read different things on recovery time
Hope the kid is going to be ok