Zach Jarom: My Five Must Watch Games

I am looking forward to every game.

Today is... Oh Captain! My Captain! Our fearful trip is done. The ship has weather'd every rack, the prize we sought is won.
It is Jonathan Toews Day! #19. Special mentions to T. Murray and Uncle Dale. A special mention for Ron Sedlbauer. We used to call him Reverend Jim. Played right wing with Lysiak.

Excited to see Bedard, Reichel, and hopefully Korchinski as full time NHLers. All three fast and skilled. Crazy to think that we’ll go from a Dcore that had plugs like Murphy, Tinordi, Caleb Jones, and other human paperweights to Korchinski, Vlasic, Kaiser, etc.
hopefully this season is the start of the next core.

Today is... Oh Captain! My Captain! Our fearful trip is done. The ship has weather'd every rack, the prize we sought is won.
It is Jonathan Toews Day! #19. Special mentions to T. Murray and Uncle Dale. A special mention for Ron Sedlbauer. We used to call him Reverend Jim. Played right wing with Lysiak.
- bjphawkfan

Toews! Much, much respect for The Captain.

I don't think anyone has ever said Bedard is gonna be the next McDavid. Not anyone with a brain at least. Some over excited fans maybe

Today is... Oh Captain! My Captain! Our fearful trip is done. The ship has weather'd every rack, the prize we sought is won.
It is Jonathan Toews Day! #19. Special mentions to T. Murray and Uncle Dale. A special mention for Ron Sedlbauer. We used to call him Reverend Jim. Played right wing with Lysiak.
- bjphawkfan

Brent Grieve...best #19 ever.

I don't think anyone has ever said Bedard is gonna be the next McDavid. Not anyone with a brain at least. Some over excited fans maybe
- GPHawksfan

I don't think Bedard will be like anyone in the league. He's not the next McDavid, Crosby, Matthews or P Kane. He'll be the next Bedard. In a couple of years people will be comparing prospects to #98.

Honestly Zach the summers are too short for me and getting shorter and shorter. As i said before i can wait to see Bedard but it's great that when fall does come around i get to watch Bedard in a Blackhawks sweater.

I'm excited any time we play Nashville. Them defeating us as an 8th seed. Rinne scoring that open net goal on us. Them still never winning a Cup and then Vopats commenting on the board. All good fun.

Sadly, for me this has replaced the Canucks rivalry of the first half of the 10's and Wings/Blues rivalry for ages before that.

I don't think Bedard will be like anyone in the league. He's not the next McDavid, Crosby, Matthews or P Kane. He'll be the next Bedard. In a couple of years people will be comparing prospects to #98.
- DarthKane

I don't even know what to expect. That's why it's so exciting.

I don't even know what to expect. That's why it's so exciting.
- BetweenTheDots

Me too. As long as he's not Daigle, I'll be OK.

I don't think Bedard will be like anyone in the league. He's not the next McDavid, Crosby, Matthews or P Kane. He'll be the next Bedard. In a couple of years people will be comparing prospects to #98.
- DarthKane

What do you, or anyone, feel about a comparison of Bedard to Jack Hughes?

What do you, or anyone, feel about a comparison of Bedard to Jack Hughes?
- Mr Ricochet

I think the only way to compare one elite hockey player to the next is statistically. Each player has his own unique skill set and character that makes it difficult to compare a McDavid to a Matthews to a Kane to a Hughes and so on.

I just finished watching a must watch game for me... 17 seconds!!!

I'll be at Bedard's first game in Nashville and his first game in Columbus!

What do you, or anyone, feel about a comparison of Bedard to Jack Hughes?
- Mr Ricochet

I believe he will be unique in his own generational way, that's why I'm excited to see him play.

It took Hughes a while to figure things out, I'm thinking Bedard already processes the game at another level.

I don't think anyone has ever said Bedard is gonna be the next McDavid. Not anyone with a brain at least. Some over excited fans maybe

The kid is special. Odds are he won't be McDavid level, but in 2015 I didn't expect McDavid to become McDavid level. Who knows? But, the perception of the two players as they entered the league if you go back to 2015 is similar.

Matthews extended for 4 more years at 13.25 aav thru 2028.

Don't see how the leafs keep all those guys together...but crazier things have happened.

I agree on Bedard. I am not expecting 90+ points year 1....if he cracks 70 i;ll be ecstatic. He'll have learning curves, and need to adjust back to the league when they adjust to him after his initial boom. Just need to stay with the plan and build accordingly and be smart with cap space.

Matthews extended for 4 more years at 13.25 aav thru 2028.

Don't see how the leafs keep all those guys together...but crazier things have happened.

I agree on Bedard. I am not expecting 90+ points year 1....if he cracks 70 i;ll be ecstatic. He'll have learning curves, and need to adjust back to the league when they adjust to him after his initial boom. Just need to stay with the plan and build accordingly and be smart with cap space.
- SteveRain

All the rumours I’ve heard is they’ll move Nylander. Matthews ensures he’ll be ok but that it makes it difficult to build a winning team around him. Hopefully Bedard is watching and understands what not to do, assuming winning is important to him.

I’m going out on a limb with Bedard. I’m thinking he gets 80-100 points.

I have no idea why, but I still love that Eichel got a cup before McDavid. I know there were rumored of an attitude problem, but he got crapped on pretty because he wasn’t McDavid and he was trapped on a dysfunctional Buffalo team.

Maybe it’s just schadenfreude…

All the rumours I’ve heard is they’ll move Nylander. Matthews ensures he’ll be ok but that it makes it difficult to build a winning team around him. Hopefully Bedard is watching and understands what not to do, assuming winning is important to him.

I’m going out on a limb with Bedard. I’m thinking he gets 80-100 points.
- paulr

I hear you on Nylander but also recall that Toews and Kane each took 10.5 cap hits during that last cup year and the Hawks won all but 1 (fi you count the bubble) round with those cap hits......so it'll be interesting to see how these big name guys navigate cap hit % in relation to their teams. You know the NHLPA will push them to maximize earnings as it helps the next tiers of players get higher salaries as well....see Brandon Hagel as exhibit A.

What I find interesting on Matthews is that'll he'll be 30 when this deal expires and 100% wanting to cash in again......his agent is playing the long game here.

I have no idea why, but I still love that Eichel got a cup before McDavid. I know there were rumored of an attitude problem, but he got crapped on pretty because he wasn’t McDavid and he was trapped on a dysfunctional Buffalo team.

Maybe it’s just schadenfreude…
- Chunk

I have no issue with either player. I absolutely hate Crosby as he's a whiny b-tch, but I respect his game. Camp Ovechkin over here and looking forward to him breaking that record.

Bedard won't be like McDavid, in that he won't have that same 1 on 1 dominance with the puck. I say 1 on 1, but it's sometimes 1 on 5 with McDavid flying by people. Not saying Bedard won't be good or able to dominate some guys 1 on 1 or even deke through the other team at times, but I don't see him being that same level on the rush like McDavid seems to be night after night.

Not to say that he doesn't have the talent to score a lot of points and especially goals in his own way, just that I think for him it will be less individual effort and more team play, find the soft areas between coverage, cycle the puck, using his shot.

Honestly at the end of the day, it's not an individual sport. You don't win the cup by having one guy and he doesn't need to beat anyone individually to prove anything. He just needs to come in, play hockey and be part of a team that is looking to get back on the right side of things. KD will surround him with talent and he will have a chance to make his name in the NHL.

My comment about Korchinski on the last thread was that we don't have to start worrying about his next contract at this point. We are about 2-3 years away from the Hawks GM really starting worry about that kind of thing. A lot of hockey and unknowns between now and then.

I'm just saying KK has offensive talent, but today in the NHL Dmen have to be more well rounded than ever before. Let him get a season under his belt (if he makes the team) and see how he does at both ends.

I think for him, the offense will come, but the physical part, physical maturity and playing in his own end will be the thing the coaches will keep a keen eye on. Not saying he needs to be a shutdown player, but he has to hold his own and be able to make plays to get the puck up the ice.