John Jaeckel: The What Ifs, Part 1

First!

oh yeaaaaa

Stanny boy rockin the blog shoutouts

... What could possibly go wrong??? #Championship

... What could possibly go wrong??? #Championship
- PuckAndSticks

Tune in tomorrow . . .

Good blog. It's not impossible for the Hawks to have a really good season, it just feels unlikely.

Was this post inspired by my Bears post with essentially the same title from a month or so ago? Highly doubt it, but I'd be flattered.

https://www.windycitygrid...to-go-right-for-the-bears

Good blog. It's not impossible for the Hawks to have a really good season, it just feels unlikely.
- BINGO!

That's kind of how I felt last season. It went well, until the playoffs. I feel like we will be battling for 3rd this season with some growing pains. Playoffs are an unknown.

Good blog. It's not impossible for the Hawks to have a really good season, it just feels unlikely.
- BINGO!

I guess that depends on what is considered "a really good season".

They still have the most important parts of the team and they shouldn't be breaking in as many rookies. Health of the core players will be a factor (as it is for most teams) but it shouldn't shock anyone if the Hawks remain one of the top teams in the western conference. I also think it wouldn't be shocking if they fall to 3rd in the division or to the wild card.

I think it would be shocking if they miss the postseason. They are definitely still playoff worthy unless some players actually suffer meaningful decline or they get overwhelmed with injuries.

That's kind of how I felt last season. It went well, until the playoffs. I feel like we will be battling for 3rd this season with some growing pains. Playoffs are an unknown.
- JRoenick97

I think you'll see a little bit of a bounceback from Seabrook this year before things really go off the rails going forward. Playoffs shouldn't be too big of an issue with another depth D addition, but the future has a pretty big question mark stamped all over it.

Biggest issue facing this team is Depth
Hawks are thin at every position

Sustained injuries to Kane-Toews-Seabrook-Keith or Crawford
will send this team south in the standings and quickly.
Tampa and Dallas last season are prime examples of what happens.

Healthy - they are a Wild Card team or maybe third in the Central.

Great article as always. I think after the early exit last season Bowman wrote a check with his mouth that his a$$ cant cash. To say that a 1st round exit will never happen again. Heck he might not even make the playoffs this year.

Do you think they will ride most of the season early on to see where the team is headed before he tries to make a move with the cap space?. Think it needs to go all the way until the trade deadline?. Seems like there may be more teams that need to fine tune their situations early on as well.

I would hope it could be earlier rather than later. Good to see a team gather continuity rather than hope for a late bloomer like Vermette.

MHO

"Back to the future"

I'd guess Saad will also be getting PK minutes and be a threat to score ShortHanded. I believe the Hawks were DEAD LAST in the NHL for Shorthanded Goals scored with 1. I would not be shocked to see Forsling-Seabrook as the 2nd pair, with an all-Czech 3rd pairing of Kempny-Rutta to start the year.

Overall, I think the Hawks' forward group is deeper, more physical and more balanced. Panarin had the most sheltered Zone Starts of any player in the NHL and is a perimeter offensive guy. Saad and Sharp play all 3 zones, in all areas of the ice, and have a physical edge. IF Sharp is healthy, and Schmaltz/Hartman can improve on their Rookie Seasons, the Hawks will have 3 very potent lines that can bring offense and be responsible in all 3 zones.

Defense is just a huge question mark and while forward depth for faceoffs/PK minutes are a need, adding an experienced NHL dman that can play a safe and reliable 12 minutes a night is a MUST HAVE. Because even if Forsling + Rutta are NHL-ready, an injury to any dman and Rosival/Gustaffson/Svedberg are playing every night. THAT would be a disaster.

Stupid question, I know that Hossa has a NMC and I know that a NMC typically prevents a player from being demoted to the AHL. However, if the player accepts could the Hawks put Hossa in the AHL? He'd have to clear waivers of course.

LTIR doesn't solve problems other than getting under the cap, it causes other ones. For example, you do not get to bank any cap space that you accrue because you are technically over the cap. So the Hawks would have basically zero flexibility from the start of the season.

So my thought is that if you can waive Hossa and place him in the AHL, you save approximately $1M which gets you under the cap and now you are banking space. Come trade deadline you promote him to the NHL and immediately put him on LTIR and now can acquire a more expensive player.

Thoughts?

I agree. I also appreciate the positive attitude. New season, new hope. Everyone can win.
The thing about the depth is, now a kid can come and fill in. Be rewarded for good ahl play and not have to much pressure on him. The waiting is the hardest part.

Tom Petty

I agree. I also appreciate the positive attitude. New season, new hope. Everyone can win.
The thing about the depth is, now a kid can come and fill in. Be rewarded for good ahl play and not have to much pressure on him. The waiting is the hardest part.

Tom Petty
- hocktock

New paragraph. T he waiting is the hardest part.

For me.

JJ...a name you've omitted on the blue line who I bet winds up with the club - Oesterle

JJ...a name you've omitted on the blue line who I bet winds up with the club - Oesterle
- PatShart

It's gonna be a battle between him, Forsling, and Ruuta.

"Back to the future"

I'd guess Saad will also be getting PK minutes and be a threat to score ShortHanded. I believe the Hawks were DEAD LAST in the NHL for Shorthanded Goals scored with 1. I would not be shocked to see Forsling-Seabrook as the 2nd pair, with an all-Czech 3rd pairing of Kempny-Rutta to start the year.

Overall, I think the Hawks' forward group is deeper, more physical and more balanced. Panarin had the most sheltered Zone Starts of any player in the NHL and is a perimeter offensive guy. Saad and Sharp play all 3 zones, in all areas of the ice, and have a physical edge. IF Sharp is healthy, and Schmaltz/Hartman can improve on their Rookie Seasons, the Hawks will have 3 very potent lines that can bring offense and be responsible in all 3 zones.

Defense is just a huge question mark and while forward depth for faceoffs/PK minutes are a need, adding an experienced NHL dman that can play a safe and reliable 12 minutes a night is a MUST HAVE. Because even if Forsling + Rutta are NHL-ready, an injury to any dman and Rosival/Gustaffson/Svedberg are playing every night. THAT would be a disaster.
- EnzoD

You are right. Hawks used to be such a dangerous team while shorthanded, but that has faded big time in recent seasons.

I think the D, the Hawks will wait and see how the candidates play out. They have some new guys in the mix and some new coaching.

They got burned on their experienced D last year who honestly didn't cut it when the going got tough.

I look back to the 2015/16 season and the Hawks had Keith,Seabrook,Hajlmarsson,TVR,and then a mixture of Rozsival ,Gustafsson, Daley, Svedberg, Scuderi, Rundblad, Erhoff.

or the year before
Keith, Seabrook, Hjalmarsson, Oduya, Rozsival, Rundblad, Timonen, Erixon, Cumiskey, Dahlbeck, Clendening, Paliotta

This next season they have something like
Keith, Seabrook, Murphy, Kempny, Forsling, Rutta, Oesterle,Gustafsson, Pokka, Svedberg, etc..

I think there may be a question as to who rounds out the top 4 and if the Hawks will be looking for a 4D, but I dunno that the 5-7 is really any worse off. Not saying there aren't questions, but I dunno about there being a disaster if there is an injury to a Dman. I'm more worried about what happens if Crawford goes down.

If you're ever feeling down about your team just visit the DET capfriendly page.

Stupid question, I know that Hossa has a NMC and I know that a NMC typically prevents a player from being demoted to the AHL. However, if the player accepts could the Hawks put Hossa in the AHL? He'd have to clear waivers of course.

LTIR doesn't solve problems other than getting under the cap, it causes other ones. For example, you do not get to bank any cap space that you accrue because you are technically over the cap. So the Hawks would have basically zero flexibility from the start of the season.

So my thought is that if you can waive Hossa and place him in the AHL, you save approximately $1M which gets you under the cap and now you are banking space. Come trade deadline you promote him to the NHL and immediately put him on LTIR and now can acquire a more expensive player.

Thoughts?
- dstainer

You wouldn't bank enough space to come close to the amount you gain by putting Hossa on LTIR. With some moves of shuffling players around, Bowman should be able to have almost all of Hossa's cap hit to play with during the season. The Hawks want to be right up against the cap number in order to utilize as much of hossa's cap hit as they can.

It's gonna be a battle between him, Forsling, and Ruuta.

Is Pokka not even in the equation? I have no idea who is going to be a Hog for life or who has a shot at the big club.

If you're ever feeling down about your team just visit the DET capfriendly page.
- Feds91Stammer

You wouldn't bank enough space to come close to the amount you gain by putting Hossa on LTIR. With some moves of shuffling players around, Bowman should be able to have almost all of Hossa's cap hit to play with during the season. The Hawks want to be right up against the cap number in order to utilize as much of hossa's cap hit as they can.
- TTtime

He's not saying to only bank - he's saying bank cap space until the TDL and then put Hossa on LTIR, which could net the Hawks even more space over $5m to work with at the TDL.

The theory is good, but it's just not practical with how the team cap space is structured. The Hawks are slightly over the cap with an extra goalie but without 2 d-men. The only way to be under the cap with Hossa buried would be to go to a 21 man roster, which is not ideal as it leaves little to no wiggle room for injury replacements or call-up rotations.

Is Pokka not even in the equation? I have no idea who is going to be a Hog for life or who has a shot at the big club.
- ItHossaGood

He had that leg injury that knocked him back quite a bit last season. I honestly just forget about him, but it's possible Gustafsson and him could be in the mix if they impress.

Was this post inspired by my Bears post with essentially the same title from a month or so ago? Highly doubt it, but I'd be flattered.

https://www.windycitygrid...to-go-right-for-the-bears
- RomanF

It was not, but great minds . . .