Once they have established a solid unit at both ends of the ice and start winning their way to playoff spot, then the GM will staft looking for a commitment from outside. looking for a possible Hossa,
but first on te hunt for solid secondary fills like their acquistition on Andrew Ladd was.

In the mean time I have finally adjusted my top 100 players.

https://www.lines.com/nhl/drafts/2026

I will start working on filling in the evaluations now.

This new template lets me have more info seen as you scroll through.

I gave the Hawks some interesting prospects.

I'm not going to look up the years, but they didn't do that bad drafting later, TT, Kevin Hayes, Hartman all were let go or unsigned, but ended up pretty good for being drafted later.

Its just Q hated young guys .........................
- vabeachbear

They didn't do well drafting defensemen. Which meant they had to keep going outside the system to find one. From Hjalmarsson to Vlasic is a long time to go without drafting a bona fide top four.

Once they have established a solid unit at both ends of the ice and start winning their way to playoff spot, then the GM will staft looking for a commitment from outside. looking for a possible Hossa,
but first on te hunt for solid secondary fills like their acquistition on Andrew Ladd was.

In the mean time I have finally adjusted my top 100 players.

https://www.lines.com/nhl/drafts/2026

I will start working on filling in the evaluations now.

This new template lets me have more info seen as you scroll through.

I gave the Hawks some interesting prospects.
- wiz1901

You already have the Hawks drafting first next summer? Ye of little faith!

You already have the Hawks drafting first next summer? Ye of little faith!
- 333inthe3rd

so does Tankathon

Just did a spin... we dropped to 3rd (San Jose, Flyers then Hawks)

Yet they won three cups with a core the “terrible “ scouting department drafted? What KD is doing hasn’t been done on this scale before. There’s no guarantee it will or won’t work. You are the only person I’ve seen who fully believes trading away all talent, intentionally tanking, accumulating and drafting a poop ton of prospects is the perfect way to build a team. Most Hawks fans are cautiously optimistic but realistic about this method of team building. As I’ve said before you and Steve from Mopeville are the two extremes, he thinks KD can’t do anything right and you think KD can’t do anything wrong. Obviously I’m hoping you’re right but I’m also unsure how it will work.
- paulr

There is no guarantee this will work but i like my odds because how well this is being organized.

I understand it's difficult to see it working because everyone tells us it won't and no team has ever built a team through the draft because it's just not possible. The way i see it is no one has ever really tried

You already have the Hawks drafting first next summer? Ye of little faith!
- 333inthe3rd

Finish #10 and win the lotto like NYI. Guess that means #33 will really be #42.

They didn't do well drafting defensemen. Which meant they had to keep going outside the system to find one. From Hjalmarsson to Vlasic is a long time to go without drafting a bona fide top four.
- 333inthe3rd

They didn't draft him, but they did find TVR between those two.

???

They drafted Keith, Seabrook, Brouwer, Bickell, Buff, Kane, Toews, Hjalmarsson, Crawford. They signed Hossa, Campbell, Oduya, etc..

Sure they signed some duds too but every FO does. Which aspect of scouting was deficient?

They didn't make any effort to get multiple first round picks and they still built a monster.
- Chunk

But many of their 1st round picks sucked

You already have the Hawks drafting first next summer? Ye of little faith!
- 333inthe3rd

I just want me McKenna...

But many of their 1st round picks sucked
- BetweenTheDots

What does that have to do with anything? They still accumulated good players which is the entire point. Plenty of teams and GM's make bad 1st round picks, and still are successful. Not to mention, they traded a lot of firsts away trying to keep winning, and were picking at the bottom of the rounds.

You can't have it both ways - winning and making top of the draft picks.

I just want me McKenna...
- wiz1901

Hell ya, your mock draft, do what you want!

What does that have to do with anything? They still accumulated good players which is the entire point. Plenty of teams and GM's make bad 1st round picks, and still are successful. Not to mention, they traded a lot of firsts away trying to keep winning, and were picking at the bottom of the rounds.

You can't have it both ways - winning and making top of the draft picks.
- Chunk

Yes, you can female dog about McNeill, but Danault and Saad in the next two picks. Would all have felt better if McNeill was the 3rd pick instead of Saad?

Plus Danault got you Fleischmann and .....................ah never mind

What does that have to do with anything? They still accumulated good players which is the entire point. Plenty of teams and GM's make bad 1st round picks, and still are successful. Not to mention, they traded a lot of firsts away trying to keep winning, and were picking at the bottom of the rounds.

You can't have it both ways - winning and making top of the draft picks.
- Chunk

I'm talking when they were going aimless through the late 90s and 2000s when Rocky took over it changed for the better, the bad move Rocky made was hiring Mcbumhole

Let's stay on point they were very lucky to win in 2010, they tried to throw that away with the qualifying offer debacle

They didn't draft him, but they did find TVR between those two.
- Chunk

Henri Jokiharju is probably the only one that fits the category (more or less). He seems to float between #3 and #5 on the depth charts depending on the year/situation.

I'm talking when they were going aimless through the late 90s and 2000s when Rocky took over it changed for the better, the bad move Rocky made was hiring Mcbumhole

Let's stay on point they were very lucky to win in 2010, they tried to throw that away with the qualifying offer debacle
- BetweenTheDots

I knid of agree with your premise about lucking into how the team came together. Between 2000 and 2009 they whiffed on a lot of their 1st round picks.

They weren’t purposely tanking then, just icing some really bad teams, so I think luck is involved in everything to a degree, but I think maybe the point you're trying to make is, there really was no direction or grand plan and somehow a lot of things just came together…through the draft, some shrewd trades by Tallon and then of course FA.

They really lucked into picking Kane as I think they moved up from their original spot at 6 or 7 to number one and also having the first two teams in the 2006 draft passing on Toews.

I disagree on 2010. After that first round pretty sure nothing was stopping them. The QO thing pressed them up against the Cap but kind of screwed them more the following years, IIRC.

I knid of agree with your premise about lucking into how the team came together. Between 2000 and 2009 they whiffed on a lot of their 1st round picks.

They weren’t purposely tanking then, just icing some really bad teams, so I think luck is involved in everything to a degree, but I think maybe the point you're trying to make is, there really was no direction or grand plan and somehow a lot of things just came together…through the draft, some shrewd trades by Tallon and then of course FA.

They really lucked into picking Kane as I think they moved up from their original spot at 6 or 7 to number one and also having the first two teams in the 2006 draft passing on Toews.

I disagree on 2010. After that first round pretty sure nothing was stopping them. The QO thing pressed them up against the Cap but kind of screwed them more the following years, IIRC.
- HawkintheD

I didn't mean they were lucky to win the 2010 SC i meant they were lucky to get into that position to actually have built the best team in the NHL for that one year by the stars aligning in the many moves that preceded them being a playoff team then SC winner.


Yes all of this, thank you

Ryne Sandberg passed away.

Ryne Sandberg passed away.
- boilermaker100

Saw that. Sucks. Probably my all-time fave Cub.

I'm talking when they were going aimless through the late 90s and 2000s when Rocky took over it changed for the better, the bad move Rocky made was hiring Mcbumhole

Let's stay on point they were very lucky to win in 2010, they tried to throw that away with the qualifying offer debacle
- BetweenTheDots

Wordsmith

I have to say as a Chicago sports fan what KD is doing is refreshing, if he can't trade for a young and up and coming forward in the league, he just trades up in the draft for better talent.

In the last 4 years KD has made the Blackhawks the best 18 to 21 year old hockey team in the league. Which is an excellent start to any rebuild
- BetweenTheDots

He's taken a path and stuck to it which is good to see. Not enough critics accept he's also playing the hand he's dealt.

I just want me McKenna...
- wiz1901

He's another smurf.

I'm talking when they were going aimless through the late 90s and 2000s when Rocky took over it changed for the better, the bad move Rocky made was hiring Mcbumhole

Let's stay on point they were very lucky to win in 2010, they tried to throw that away with the qualifying offer debacle
- BetweenTheDots

Outside of the fact that it takes some luck to win any Stanley Cup, there was nothing particularly lucky about the Hawks. They drafted and developed the majority of the team and signed some key players to fill in the gaps. Unless you are implying that hitting on picks after the first round is pure luck?

I agree, I think he’ll eventually try to look for an established player if he isn’t looking already. I also expect him to get a little risky giving up assets for the, as you say, right player.
- paulr

Except the assets he'd be trading away are his assets he's drafted which he's yet to do so we'll see how he reacts when he needs to trade one of the young d-men he's developed for a much needed forward.

Except the assets he'd be trading away are his assets he's drafted which he's yet to do so we'll see how he reacts when he needs to trade one of the young d-men he's developed for a much needed forward.
- Assman22

I still firmly believe that the Hawks are still figuring out who fits and who doesn't while letting those young players gain some value by becoming NHL ready. You get a much better return for a young dman who has shown they can play NHL minutes and is ready vs an unproven prospect who may or may not solidify their game.

Kind of like the JJ Peterka trade, he didn't get moved for young prospects, but a now established 25 year old dman and another similar aged (23) young forward.

With the cap going up there are less teams selling and the Hawks did still manage to at least pick up one mid range talent in a cap dump (Andre Burakovsky) but teams that have high end forwards available, want NHL ready players in return. Most of the Hawks kids are still carving out roles.

I suppose you could trade Vlasic as part of a deal to get a good forward, but most people don't want to part with him. We need to have NHL ready value to get good NHL value. There just aren't that many teams rebuilding and selling to get much on prospects and picks.

???

They drafted Keith, Seabrook, Brouwer, Bickell, Buff, Kane, Toews, Hjalmarsson, Crawford. They signed Hossa, Campbell, Oduya, etc..

Sure they signed some duds too but every FO does. Which aspect of scouting was deficient?

They didn't make any effort to get multiple first round picks and they still built a monster.
- Chunk

Actually they traded for Oduya mid season.