I couldn’t say it any better:


Ben Pope
@BenPopeCST
Foligno with some blunt words postgame:

"We are a team that needs to make some changes. This isn't good enough; this can't be good enough. This has to change drastically over the summer."
- LAHawk

4th line journeymen stealing millions rarely call out other players. It is possible he is talking about something else here.

He's making the team better by playing young players. Vlasic Korchinski, Kurashev, Bedard, Reichel, Kaiser, Phillips, now Nazar and Slaggert. The problem is so many want instant gratification. He's not building this year or next years team better its the 3 to 4 year away team He's building and it started this season.
- BetweenTheDots

Well then the GM should get a new de facto captain, because the de facto captain is not having any of it.


Mark Lazerus
@MarkLazerus
Nick Foligno said it'll be hard to see guys leave, but "We have to change. I want to change. We can’t go through this again. And I certainly won’t allow it. Either the mindset changes from the group or personnel changes. That’s just the way it is in the NHL."

I couldn’t say it any better:


Ben Pope
@BenPopeCST
Foligno with some blunt words postgame:

"We are a team that needs to make some changes. This isn't good enough; this can't be good enough. This has to change drastically over the summer."
- LAHawk

So Foligno sending a not so subtle message to KFC. His season ending exit interview with management should be interesting.

It was nice to have that 8-6 record in that time frame. Baby steps, yes. Watching them win games is much more enjoyable. And I'm sure winning those games gave the young players some confidence and a taste of what they can accomplish in the NHL. But the fact remains after that they went 0-5-1 against two bubble teams and 4 playoff teams. (Definitely a nice come back last night.) I.m just putting out that there's a lot of work to do to build this team until it reaches the skill and compete levels of the top teams.

I think Nazar sticks on the big team next year. Slaggert had a good game, Reichel may have waken up. Hopefully he carries on next season.
- boilermaker100

Where was the Reichel we’ve seen the past few weeks all season? What a beautiful goal! The power, skating and skill we all knew he had.

This team is not ready to add all star caliber free agents. This team is still rebuilding, however they do need to add up front so they can be a bit more competitive next year, yet still be in a position to draft top ten. They will have drafted top four two years in a row, along with a 7th and 13th three years ago. They now need to move up a tier in 24/25, so draft in the 7-10 position vs top four. The games will be more competitive and the rebuild carries on. I’m thinking a DeBrusk or TT kind of adds, we’ll see. If they don’t pick first, I’m taking the big center or the RD from Michigan State.

Another quote from Foligno.

“We have to change. I want to change. We can’t go through this again. And I certainly won’t allow it.

“Either the mindset changes from the group or personnel changes.”

—Nick Foligno pic.twitter.com/Cwb6q9Ap8K— Phillip Thompson (@_phil_thompson) April 19, 2024

I wonder if he is talking about anyone in particular about mindset changes. We can speculate - Seth Jones?

Another quote from Foligno.

“We have to change. I want to change. We can’t go through this again. And I certainly won’t allow it.

“Either the mindset changes from the group or personnel changes.”

—Nick Foligno pic.twitter.com/Cwb6q9Ap8K— Phillip Thompson (@_phil_thompson) April 19, 2024

I wonder if he is talking about anyone in particular about mindset changes. We can speculate - Seth Jones?
- boilermaker100

I like Foligno, but he needs to play bottom six, not top middle six, is this allowed?

Well then the GM should get a new de facto captain, because the de facto captain is not having any of it.


Mark Lazerus
@MarkLazerus
Nick Foligno said it'll be hard to see guys leave, but "We have to change. I want to change. We can’t go through this again. And I certainly won’t allow it. Either the mindset changes from the group or personnel changes. That’s just the way it is in the NHL."
- LAHawk

That's exactly why Foligno was brought in here. He stands up in front of the media and says the right things. Father figure on the ice for Bedard and other kids.

Many here gush over the Ducks, just like us a very young team on the ice, just like us drafting top 5. Young players don't win you cups, experienced players do. Look at LA, Byfield might finally be productive in the playoffs. That Clarke kid though when is he going to experience his growing pains in the NHL?

Well then the GM should get a new de facto captain, because the de facto captain is not having any of it.


Mark Lazerus
@MarkLazerus
Nick Foligno said it'll be hard to see guys leave, but "We have to change. I want to change. We can’t go through this again. And I certainly won’t allow it. Either the mindset changes from the group or personnel changes. That’s just the way it is in the NHL."
- LAHawk

I imagine KD is under enormous pressure from fans, media, ownership, the coaching staff and players to ice a better product. I think all of us can live with a gradual progression, while few, and hopefully none of us want to see him go out and get older guys to try to hurry the rebuild along. Next season looks promising if only because the washed up vets should be gone and we’ll see some younger guys in the lineup. I’ll be happy with forward progress, however small. But enough of the tanking.

This team is not ready to add all star caliber free agents. This team is still rebuilding, however they do need to add up front so they can be a bit more competitive next year, yet still be in a position to draft top ten. They will have drafted top four two years in a row, along with a 7th and 13th three years ago. They now need to move up a tier in 24/25, so draft in the 7-10 position vs top four. The games will be more competitive and the rebuild carries on. I’m thinking a DeBrusk or TT kind of adds, we’ll see. If they don’t pick first, I’m taking the big center or the RD from Michigan State.
- Angotti

Kind of hard to thread the needle of improving, but only a specific amount. I'm not expecting them to get into the playoffs regardless of any additions, but I'm on board with everything you say here.

I'm in the minority here, but I no longer care where they draft. 1OA last year in a really good draft year, and at worst 4OA this year.

I thought I said that?
- paulr

Kind of but I think Dots post just adds a bit more context to yours.

Another quote from Foligno.

“We have to change. I want to change. We can’t go through this again. And I certainly won’t allow it.

“Either the mindset changes from the group or personnel changes.”

—Nick Foligno pic.twitter.com/Cwb6q9Ap8K— Phillip Thompson (@_phil_thompson) April 19, 2024

I wonder if he is talking about anyone in particular about mindset changes. We can speculate - Seth Jones?
- boilermaker100

If it is Seth Jones, that is quite the turnaround from this interview with Foligno

https://www.nbcsportschic...g-with-seth-jones/493187/

Kind of hard to thread the needle of improving, but only a specific amount. I'm not expecting them to get into the playoffs regardless of any additions, but I'm on board with everything you say here.

I'm in the minority here, but I no longer care where they draft. 1OA last year in a really good draft year, and at worst 4OA this year.
- Chunk

Oh I don’t know, I think most would have no issue if there was enough improvement where they are picking outside the top 10. Just a big leap is all.

How about this? I’m expecting them not to be the first team eliminated from playoff contention next season. RF

Be interesting to see if some old posters start visiting now that the team is turning around! Ogi, Beaver, Elbows (more often), QAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGG, amongst others. Wonder if we’ll see if Edzo from Colorado with the Blackhawk tatt and who cries and takes his ball home when anyone disagrees with him

Oh I don’t know, I think most would have no issue if there was enough improvement where they are picking outside the top 10. Just a big leap is all.

How about this? I’m expecting them not to be the first team eliminated from playoff contention next season.
- HawkintheDRF

What? You mean it's not common to improve 35 points in one offseason?

To kind of echo what Foligno is saying, I think they need to find a way to be more competitive in games next year. This will likely be the most interested I've been in an offseason in a very long time.

In the last three seasons, there have been 246 Chicago Blackhawks hockey games with 492 points available in the standings. The Blackhawks have attained 179 of them, for a three-season points percentage of .364. That’s as bad as any three-year stretch for this team since the 1950s, and that includes the early/mid-2000s.

In the last three seasons, there have been 246 Chicago Blackhawks hockey games with 492 points available in the standings. The Blackhawks have attained 179 of them, for a three-season points percentage of .364. That’s as bad as any three-year stretch for this team since the 1950s, and that includes the early/mid-2000s.
- LAHawk

All of which was the plan. Rebuilds are not for everyone.

I can't wait to read this joint in three years if the Hawks rebuild matches Detroit's. And remember, they have Stevie Y.

Well then the GM should get a new de facto captain, because the de facto captain is not having any of it.


Mark Lazerus
@MarkLazerus
Nick Foligno said it'll be hard to see guys leave, but "We have to change. I want to change. We can’t go through this again. And I certainly won’t allow it. Either the mindset changes from the group or personnel changes. That’s just the way it is in the NHL."
- LAHawk

Foligno is pretty divisive. He's a hockey player with an opinion and personality which of course isn't allowed so people get irritated when these guys aren't brick walls.

He is very articulate and like him or not his segments on Zawaskis podcast are pretty insightful. Of course he doesn't speak for every player but he doesn't sugar coat everything either.

In one of the episodes this past week the guys asked him what perpetual losing does, what tanking does - and he blatantly said, you have to be a professional but that's only good to a point. These kids need to play meaningful games and see that carrot so that they are even further motivated to get better and perform. Otherwise you get complacent players that only rack up points after nothing matters in the spring.

Also said the playoffs are dumb right now and should be 1 vs 8 not the wonky way they do it today.

All of which was the plan. Rebuilds are not for everyone.

I can't wait to read this joint in three years if the Hawks rebuild matches Detroit's. And remember, they have Stevie Y.
- mohel

So what does the Hawks's Gosplan 5 year plan say is in store for year 4?

I like Foligno, but he needs to play bottom six, not top middle six, is this allowed?
- Angotti

If the roster isn't garbage...

So what does the Hawks's Gosplan 5 year plan say is in store for year 4?
- LAHawk

We need someone to tap into KFC’s phone to find that out. Unfortunately we can only speculate, make poop up and get frustrated.

So what does the Hawks's Gosplan 5 year plan say is in store for year 4?
- LAHawk

You're a smart guy, you are well aware of the plan. You just don't like it; and to your credit, said so from the start.

As far as an answer, Detroit is a decent guide. Just add three years, and hope they get higher-end stars along the way.

No...if you're being realistic, the expectation should have been for some modest improvement and a team that could compete on most nights.

Also, if we're being realistic, when injuries happened to a number of key players with no ability to absorb those injuries, in large part due to where they are in the process of a rebuild, the original expectations were no longer realistic.
- HawkintheD

It was always gonna be bumpy to finally get rid of Toews/Kane and we did it right after we jettisoned all the other tradable assets in a deep rebuild. We did that when we didn't have any "sure fire" NHL prospects ready to jump in either.

The GM sent a pretty clear message when the rebuild started and he traded guys like Hagel, Dabrincat, Dach, that this was an aggressive teardown. When this season started, the highest scoring returning forward was Athanasiou with 40 points and we saw we'd be playing about 3 (sometimes 4) rookie dmen nightly.

There was pretty much no chance we were going to move up in the standings in any meaningful way this season. That wasn't really in the cards, but the season was pretty damn successful in terms of the rebuild. We a solid rookie season from our franchise forward. We two young Dmen play top 4 minutes all season and take big strides along with several other rookies who got some solid minutes and icetime to bring along their game. Not to mention all the prospects that moved up the system that one step closer.

Guys on the ice, guys like Foligno will say what the say. That is his role, to motivate change, lead, build the culture of continued improvement.

What? You mean it's not common to improve 35 points in one offseason?

To kind of echo what Foligno is saying, I think they need to find a way to be more competitive in games next year. This will likely be the most interested I've been in an offseason in a very long time.
- Chunk

I think we really need to consider what injuries did to this team also. Losing Hall for basically the whole season. Athanasiou missed 2/3rds of the year, Murphy missed half, T.Johnson and S. Jones missed 15 games, Bedard - 14, Perry lasted a whole 16 games You had one player that played in every game (Richardinson).

Yeah the year was ugly for the most part, but like him or not Murphy is way better than any combination of Megna, Tinordi, Zaitsev. Hall is better than any other forward not named Bedard. Athanasiou at least gives you the threat he can create some offense, more so than any combination of Raddysh, Katchouk, R. Johnson, Blackwell, Entwhistle, etc.

A slightly more healthy roster doesn't make them a playoff team by any stretch, but it does make them more competitive, leads to a few more wins, and has a few more veterans that understand what it takes to win.