Great points Rico. Most thought (including me) that KK would either spend the entire year in Seattle, or 9 NHL games, maybe s “conditioning stint” then WJC, then back to Seattle. So my guess is LR before putting PP minutes on KK, wants him to concentrate on 5 x 5 this year.
- LAHawk

I think most who saw KK play 5-10 MJ games or watch KK in the WJC thought KK would end up back in Seattle this yr after a 9 game NHL look. I also think most who fit that description were not definitive on where KK should play and instead said let the kid tell management where he belongs by his camp, preseason and 9 game stint.

KK split time on the Seattle 1st unit PP, was on the 2nd PP unit of his WJC team, did not get game closing minutes with his WJC team but all that said he earned his NHL roster spot!

Rick posted this and I agree. These kids will hit a wall this yr in the NHL, Bedard included, and not just a physical wall but a mental one. 3 rookie Dmen regularly dressed in the NHL WILL hit a wall cuz it just is let alone with 3 rooks on the backend you can't shelter all of them so some/most/all will be slotted a bit too high as far as say Dzone draws, PK TOI or crunch time minjutes.

Paul is right you don't wanna overlaod a kid mentally and KK might fall into that category if he's given the reigns to the #1 PP unit. Maybe LR has an eye to working KK into that spot as his progression/season continues??

All good points, not sure what Edmonton’s answer is, but they need to get rid of that contract, and they’ll have to pay for that to happen, so we’ll wait and see what the end result is, but something has to give by TDL.
- Angotti

Man, did Holland paint his organIzation into a corner with the idiotic term given Campbell and it's even bigger than just this yr. Yes, they're built to win this yr but if they stink and fail again will Draistyl and or McDavid say enough and move on thru FA?

Can/WILL losing this yr cause Leon and or McD to leave? ..... If EDM thinks there's even a 10% chance what kind of pressure do they feel to fix the goaltending problem?

I think most who saw KK play 5-10 MJ games or watch KK in the WJC thought KK would end up back in Seattle this yr after a 9 game NHL look. I also think most who fit that description were not definitive on where KK should play and instead said let the kid tell management by his play where he belongs.

KK split time on the Seattle 1st unit PP, was on the 2nd PP unit of his WJC team, did not get game closing minutes with his WJC team but all that said he earned his NHL roster spot!

Rick posted this and I agree. These kids will hit a wall this yr in the NHL, Bedard included, and not just a physical wall but a mental one. 3 rookie Dmen regularly dressed in the NHL WILL hit a wall cuz it just is let alone with 3 rooks on the backend you can't shelter all of them so some/most/all will be slotted a bit too high as far as say Dzone draws, PK TOI or crunch time minjutes.

Paul is right you don't wanna overlaod a kid mentally and KK might fall into that category if he's given the reigns to the #1 PP unit. Maybe LR has an eye to working KK into that spot as his progression/season continues??
- Mr Ricochet

Even when it was apparent KK was making the team, I thought LR would shelter him, maybe play PP #2 and 3 rd pairing, with some games in the press box. I bet Dean has had big input in KK’s development path. He was big in the development of McIlvoy, Carlo, and Gruzlyk.

Does anyone think jokharji is turning out to be a decent d for Buffalo? Or is he still considered a 3rd line d? He's still so young. I kind of wouldn't mind having him back instead of getting Nylander. In my mind I feel like bowman screwed the pooch on that one.

Thoughts?

Man, did Holland paint his organIzation into a corner with the idiotic term given Campbell and it's even bigger than just this yr. Yes, they're built to win this yr but if they stink and fail again will Draistyl and or McDavid say enough and move on thru FA?

Can/WILL losing this yr cause Leon and or McD to leave? ..... If EDM thinks there's even a 10% chance what kind of pressure do they feel to fix the goaltending problem?
- Mr Ricochet

Another bad contract was Nurse’s. Six more years at $9.2M per. And he’s not even the best defenseman on the team.

I think Zaitsev has been better than Tinrodi TBH.

Both can go as far as I'm concerned.
- fattybeef

As can Jones and Murphy.

It seems like our young d-men are carrying the veterans so far this year.

Another bad contract was Nurse’s. Six more years at $9.2M per. And he’s not even the best defenseman on the team.
- paulr

For sure. And while their goaltending is weak, that defense is nothing to write home about, and their forwards don’t help much on the defensive side either, just not a well constructed team, in my opinion. There’s another team in your neck of the woods that has similar issues, although they do have some forwards that help out on D, unlike the Oil.

He's not name calling. He's stating your train of thought or thinking is stupid. To which he's correct.There's plenty of examples of players excelling that weren't top 10 picks hense being impact players.
- BGKarras

Bergeron in the 2nd round comes to mind.....

Bergeron in the 2nd round comes to mind.....
- dahawks8819

Yup and there is plenty of other examples as well.

He's not name calling. He's stating your train of thought or thinking is stupid. To which he's correct.There's plenty of examples of players excelling that weren't top 10 picks hense being impact players.
- BGKarras

Anne Kopitar, Jeff Carter, Jerome Iginla, Kevin Fiala.

As can Jones and Murphy.

It seems like our young d-men are carrying the veterans so far this year.
- dahawks8819

For what it's worth the young D would be in tougher without vets playing the minutes. For as much as people like to female dog about Jones and Murphy, they are still #1 and #2 in minutes played on the back end and two that kill a lot of penalties. They are doing their job and the coaches recognize that, which is why they get the minutes.

Does anyone think jokharji is turning out to be a decent d for Buffalo? Or is he still considered a 3rd line d? He's still so young. I kind of wouldn't mind having him back instead of getting Nylander. In my mind I feel like bowman screwed the pooch on that one.

Thoughts?
- Hawk4life

We can't go back and change the trade, but IMO I don't think he is going to be more than a #4-5 guy. He is off to a hot start, but that 11% shooting is gonna regress to normal and probably his production will normalize.

The guy I wish we still had if we were trying to win now is Forsling. What a solid and well rounded Dman he has become.

For what it's worth the young D would be in tougher without vets playing the minutes. For as much as people like to female dog about Jones and Murphy, they are still #1 and #2 in minutes played on the back end and two that kill a lot of penalties. They are doing their job and the coaches recognize that, which is why they get the minutes.
- breadbag

Jones is fine. He's not gonna take over a game. He's just not that type of player but there is value to a reliable 25 minute muncher.

Murphy looks like he's starting to fall apart

Anne Kopitar, Jeff Carter, Jerome Iginla, Kevin Fiala.
- DarthKane

Duncan Keith, Corey Crawford, Artemi Panarin ( undrafted), Favod Pasternak, Brad Marchand

He's not name calling. He's stating your train of thought or thinking is stupid. To which he's correct.There's plenty of examples of players excelling that weren't top 10 picks hense being impact players.
- BGKarras

Yeah tons. Top 10 is just a higher chance statistically, but so many great players were passed over multiple times in the draft. Zetterberg, Datsyuk, Hull, Gilmour, Lundqvist, Pavelski, Rinne, Miller, Benn, Stone, Kaprizov, Campbell, Palat, Byfuglien, Hornqvist, Spurgeon, Vrbata, Muzzin, Bratt, Jokienen, etc.. to name some.

Jones is fine. He's not gonna take over a game. He's just not that type of player but there is value to a reliable 25 minute muncher.

Murphy looks like he's starting to fall apart
- fattybeef

I get that Murphy struggled last year and has had some iffy moments this year, but I also think its difficult for guys like this to get going for these losing seasons. I'm not saying they are phoning it in, but there is a difference when it's a team that is built to win and a team that is built to "rebuild". Murphy to me, he carried the load on defensive starts, PK, and just babysitting rookie/young Dmen for most of his Chicago career at a reasonable salary. I think the most important thing right now is he is a solid teammate for the guys coming up. They always say great things about him. He is what he is, and will probably play out his contract in time for younger guys to take his job.

Feel free to disagree with me, but IMO I think this season has gone exactly the way the Hawks needed/wanted so far. We still need to keep drafting and we are on pace to finish just as low as last season, while still breaking in new Dmen and a new superstar to the league.

Bedard is looking more and more comfortable out there. I've noticed he is less rushing around trying to do it himself on the PP and the team is starting to show a bit more chemistry moving the puck around. Speaking of the PP, I would love for them to find a big point shot in the next couple years. Someone that can get those low hard shots through.

Yup and there is plenty of other examples as well.
- BGKarras

Kucherov (2nd round), Point (3rd round), Stone (6th round)

Kucherov (2nd round), Point (3rd round), Stone (6th round)
- boilermaker100

Yup the list goes on and on. This also applies to other sports just look at how many teams passed on Tom Brady.

I thought Korchinski had one his poorest games yesterday. I felt he was out of position allot, he was constantly behind the play and he was resorting to holding and hooking because of it. He’s a 19 year old rookie and having off games is to be expected. He needs to have bad games to improve. Do you really want to see him take on another responsibility? If KK is put on the first powerplay unit do you risk getting him in over his head? Remember fans want him on the power play because it’s not producing. There’s a chance he can’t improve it. A big reason that powerplay isn’t productive is because the Hawks simply don’t have the talent. The only real threat is Bedard and teams are not only shadowing him, they sometimes double team him. That won’t stop until there are more scoring threats. There’s enough pressure on Korchinski to play solidly on the NHL, I’m not sure LR wants to add any more.
- paulr

I guess we were watching a different game. I know he got a tripping call against him sure, but the holding call was crap he's a hell of a lot better skater than the guy who he battled to the boards and fell on because he was to slow and when he fell pulled KK on top of him.

When i see KK on the ice in his own end he's constantly reading the play and effortlessly getting in different positions, i believe, based on what the coaches want him to do. There are times he moves up the ice quickly before the puck is secured in front of him thinking his team has possession which will cost us some goals sure.

I think he still gets confused when a forward is covering a guy all the way back then doesn't follow that player all the way down low, but he's got such a quick first step he then gets on them pretty quick.

Now the other day vs the Preds there was a board battle and he was behind the play along the boards cause he was pinned to them sure and the Preds scored a goal. Didn't help before that Perry didn't skate 3 more feet then dump the puck in, instead was called for icing.

The kid makes skating and handling the puck look so fluid compared to Jones, we all see it, even you. Another responsibility? He doesn't play the PK so yea let him play the PP.

I think it feels like a bigger responsibility for Seth Jones because he's just not very good at it, where i think it really won't be much of a thing for Korchinski because it sure looks like offense comes naturally to him.

Feel free to disagree with me, but IMO I think this season has gone exactly the way the Hawks needed/wanted so far. We still need to keep drafting and we are on pace to finish just as low as last season, while still breaking in new Dmen and a new superstar to the league.

Bedard is looking more and more comfortable out there. I've noticed he is less rushing around trying to do it himself on the PP and the team is starting to show a bit more chemistry moving the puck around. Speaking of the PP, I would love for them to find a big point shot in the next couple years. Someone that can get those low hard shots through.
- breadbag

They’ve had del Mastro playing the point in Rockford (not sure if that’s PP1 or PP2 though). He’s got a pretty good shot. I’m really interested to see what Rinzel becomes. Seems he’s starting to play a bit better defense, and still has some slick hands/moves.

Duncan Keith, Corey Crawford, Artemi Panarin ( undrafted), Favod Pasternak, Brad Marchand
- LAHawk

Not to mention Ed Belfour -- undrafted.

Yup the list goes on and on. This also applies to other sports just look at how many teams passed on Tom Brady.
- BGKarras

Same with Joe Montana.

Yeah tons. Top 10 is just a higher chance statistically, but so many great players were passed over multiple times in the draft. Zetterberg, Datsyuk, Hull, Gilmour, Lundqvist, Pavelski, Rinne, Miller, Benn, Stone, Kaprizov, Campbell, Palat, Byfuglien, Hornqvist, Spurgeon, Vrbata, Muzzin, Bratt, Jokienen, etc.. to name some.
- breadbag

Lol.. i would not call most of these difference makers. But of course you knew before they got to the nhl what they would become. All i said is that i dont currently see any difference makers. And if i call some of you douche bags im not name calling, just commenting on your opinions. That how it works here?

For what it's worth the young D would be in tougher without vets playing the minutes. For as much as people like to female dog about Jones and Murphy, they are still #1 and #2 in minutes played on the back end and two that kill a lot of penalties. They are doing their job and the coaches recognize that, which is why they get the minutes.
- breadbag

I would rather see them rotate in some of the defensive prospects from Rockford this year, to spell Korchinski, Kaiser and Vlasic.

Phillips is more than ready, but is being blocked by Murphy, Zaitsev and Tinordi.

If this is truly a developmental year, Phillips, Del Maestro, Crevier and Allan should be seeing 20 - 25 games each to start, and if they look like they belong, then increase as we go.

They are obviously not good enough up front to win a lot of games this year anyway, so why not get them used to NHL speed sooner than later?

Teams around the league are desperate for functional experienced defensemen - Toronto and Edmonton come to mind. Why not move Murphy, Tinordi and Zaitsev now, while the team still has the flexibility to absorb parts of those contracts?

If it wasn't for those three, Phillips, and Allan would already be up getting valuable time with the big team. And they both looked ready in preseason.