They already tried Hartman-Schmaltz-Kane and it did not work past a single game. They tried Sharp-AA for many games and it did not work. What is working is Schmaltz-AA-Kane. Debrincat/Panik switch is up for discussion but that's a lot of desired upheaval for a roster that is playing pretty damn well right now.
- L_B_R

They are playing better but not great....The schedule has been kind to them, let's see how things go in the next week. NYR are no great shakes and they played the night before and the Ducks are hurting.

But they already did that (minus the Panik and ADB swap).
- JRoenick97

They started playing faster when Forsling came back....Schmaltz should be given a shot at center one way or the other....Team is much stronger if AA is the 3rd line center, otherwise whoever you put there will get eaten up in the playoffs. Debrincat is not a 3rd line player, period.

3-1-1 I say

They started playing faster when Forsling came back....Schmaltz should be given a shot at center one way or the other....Team is much stronger if AA is the 3rd line center, otherwise whoever you put there will get eaten up in the playoffs. Debrincat is not a 3rd line player, period.
- Al

It would be nice to have a "third" line like the Penguins had in 2016.
AKA two first lines, a 2nd line (featuring Kessel) and a fourth line

Marchessault and Sbisa for DeBrincat, Forsling, Murphy and a 1st. Get it done Stan!
- DarthKane

That maybe the worst trade i have ever seen posted on this board.

They started playing faster when Forsling came back....Schmaltz should be given a shot at center one way or the other....Team is much stronger if AA is the 3rd line center, otherwise whoever you put there will get eaten up in the playoffs. Debrincat is not a 3rd line player, period.
- Al

AA was not great at 3C. He's been lighting it up as 2C. Moving him down makes no sense. I agree ADB is not a 3rd line guy, but that's got no bearing on line 2. I"d be fine flopping him and Panik, but they are playing well right now as they are. Schmaltz looked good at 2C before he got hurt, but then he was bad. Very bad. Has found his groove back at wing. Hartman looked good last night, I'd give him a few games to see if he keeps it up.

That maybe the worst trade i have ever seen posted on this board.
- SaskHawkFan

It's DK. It's a joke.

That maybe the worst trade i have ever seen posted on this board.
- SaskHawkFan

He was being sarcastic. Darth is well known for this...

What you said exactly but not sure about Hinostroza.
- Al

Seem like Colliton agrees with Al.


http://www.dailyherald.co...k-with-chicago-blackhawks

AA was not great at 3C. He's been lighting it up as 2C. Moving him down makes no sense. I agree ADB is not a 3rd line guy, but that's got no bearing on line 2. I"d be fine flopping him and Panik, but they are playing well right now as they are. Schmaltz looked good at 2C before he got hurt, but then he was bad. Very bad. Has found his groove back at wing. Hartman looked good last night, I'd give him a few games to see if he keeps it up.
- JRoenick97

On a very good team AA is a 3rd line center....You can take a tally of centers who play with Kane and he brings out the best in all-Even Handzus and an aging Richards.

You can't judge young players on a handful of games and playing center in the NHL is a tough job. All I'm saying is unless they can find someone besides AA to fill the 3rd line center role via trade, they will be exposed in the playoffs if they get there.

Seem like Colliton agrees with Al.


http://www.dailyherald.co...k-with-chicago-blackhawks
- walleyeb1

I haven't watched Hinostroza enough to have an opinion.

They are playing better but not great....The schedule has been kind to them, let's see how things go in the next week. NYR are no great shakes and they played the night before and the Ducks are hurting.
- Al

They've been the best possession team (esp if score adj) over the last 10-15 games and they've faced some good teams in that span. 8 of the last 10 opponents are either in the playoffs currently or within two points (with less games played in most cases). And they didn't win all the games they should have, either, but controlled the puck in a mass majority of those matchups. Sure there are still kinks and weaknesses, but I think some off y'all let the span before this when the team was shooting at like 4% (which was never going to last) skew your perspective a bit. Jmo. Now, whether they'll keep it up is still to be seen, but they've been playing pretty great by eye test and statistically.

And just to note, the Rangers had not played the night before - they actually had 3 days off before that game.

On a very good team AA is a 3rd line center....You can take a tally of centers who play with Kane and he brings out the best in all-Even Handzus and an aging Richards.

You can't judge young players on a handful of games and playing center in the NHL is a tough job. All I'm saying is unless they can find someone besides AA to fill the 3rd line center role via trade, they will be exposed in the playoffs if they get there.
- Al

Kane actually got most of his point away from Handzus when he was Kane's primary center. Handzus was on the ice for only one of Kane's goals in 2013-14, for example. Anisimov is worlds better than Handzus was by the time he was on the Hawks, that should not be in question lol.

I actually agree that they need to get a checking line 3C (from Rockford or trade), but they don't need anyone fancy. Just someone Q can trust and who can hold their own against mid-tier comp and flip the ice. Schmaltz isn't going to be 2C this year - he got his shot but he's just not there yet and that's fine because Anisimov is pretty great there. Finding a 3C should not be that difficult.

Obviously Q agrees but before camp started I thought he would have been given more of a shot, although Fransen wasn't on my radar then. They like Rutta, who I am not all togther sold on and it is also obvious they need what Forsling brings even though he has some warts.

But there is too big of a drop off in experience and ability now throughout the 6. That's what most don't get and that's why Seabrook needs to play a lot of minutes. Maybe not as many as last year but a significant amount .

Bowman will need to get creative once again but they need an Oduya like dman if they are going to be a serious Cup contender. Now the better teams can force the Hawks to play a chip'n chase game which they aren't built for....The speed starts in their own end with very good passing and being able to skate out of trouble. Much of the time this year that's been missing. That's why Forsling is playing a good amount, he has those traits more so than other new guys.
- Al

I liked Rutta to start the season but thought that Forsling was way over his head to start. As each has gained more playing time they have both progressed/regressed to the middle.

Rutta was playing really well to start, and then began to struggle a little bit, especially when being tossed into more difficult matchups and a few games on his off side. Forsling flashed the needed skills and the promise of a high end but was making way too many mistakes.

Now that they are being paired together and being allowed to work thru their mistakes, they are developing into a nice pair. Their play at times is a little bit rough, and they make plenty of rookie mistakes, but overall both seem to be developing.

Liken this in some cases to when Keith and Seabrook came up. They were allowed to grow into the position and make a LOT of mistakes. Sure there is a difference in the teams from a bad one then to one expected to compete for a cup each year, but still, it is 2 rookies (albiet a 27 year old one), being allowed to learn the position on the job at the NHL level.

If the trend continues, you can deal with the mistakes at this point in the season, with the hope that they continue to grow and be more ready and able come April.

On a very good team AA is a 3rd line center....You can take a tally of centers who play with Kane and he brings out the best in all-Even Handzus and an aging Richards.

You can't judge young players on a handful of games and playing center in the NHL is a tough job. All I'm saying is unless they can find someone besides AA to fill the 3rd line center role via trade, they will be exposed in the playoffs if they get there.
- Al

That may very well be true, just not sure Schmaltz is the guy to handle 2C yet. They might get exposed there if he's not ready.

I stated right here a year ago that ADB would break camp with the Hawks. Having watched him play in Erie was what I needed. Not unlike me being there for Toews v Pittsburgh and knowing he IS playing well. Sometimes you have to see the player play.

JJ spent a good part of the year posting what I called "cold water" blogs about DB...that is now gone. Alex is in the NHL for good. Case closed. Will he make mistakes? Struggle at times? You bet. You also know the Predators will come out nasty tonight. I expect multiple slew foots from PK Subban and possibly 1 or 2 against the kid. Lets see how 12 handles it.

Another kid I raved about for a while now is John Hayden. The bottom line with him is ONE DAY he will be in the Hawks Top 6. Mark it down now. His skating is noticeably better than 2 years ago and it appears to me it's even better now than 2 months ago. I have no idea how Hayden spends his time, but I suspect he's doing extra skating work away from normal Hawks practices. To have a player with that kind of size, strength and skill on our fourth line is actually indicative of superb depth.

The one area I still don't trust is L3-C. While Hartsy seems to be looking better there, the fact is I still don't believe that is going to work out for the Hawks. HOWEVER, if by some chance Hartman does become a capable center it will prove to be one of Q's better moves. While some pine for Kero on L3-C, the fact is he doesn't have the strength or skill of Hartman. And playing with ADB and Sharp we need a center who can play a heavy game. I think Hartman sees the ice well enough to play center, he's tough enough, he seems to have a feel in setting up his teammates and is a decent defender. Maybe there is something there.

Defense is the other elephant in the room. Yet, I am seeing tremendous improvement there too. Forsling has to be causing great tears from Canucks fans today. This trade may end up being Stan's best trade. Forsling, for all intents and purposes, is now a Top 4 D-man. And he's acquitting himself quite well. Even Connor Murphy, who looked like a joke early, has become a very useful player. I don't project him as a Top 4, but given a Bottom pairing role, bottom pairing minutes against bottom pairing competition it's obvious he can be a solid depth D-man. His errors have been reduced, he seems calmer. He brings a edge to the table and I like the fact he's willing to take a hit to get the puck out.

Still, I'd like to find a way to land a Shae Theodore from the D-rich Knights....22 year old, future / current Top 4 talent D-man. I just don't think the center is out there. I know Pittsburgh is really in the market for a 3rd Line center so the bidding war will boost up the price. I think it may be easier to sneak a D-man to Chicago than a center. It's be nice to get both but I don't see that as a possibility.
- kwolf68

The best way to address the team needs imho is look within our pipeline and to either draft or make a trade.

Sikula by every report is the real deal. We cannot assume how good he will be, but we can be reasonably secure knowing he is likely a point producing offensive line center. That means we will have three smallish centers or one smallish center and two wingers also smallish in Schmaltz and DeBrincat. One of them at some point hopefully brings a larger center who can win his share at the dot.

You could either draft a center in round one 2018 or trade for one. Conversely, the price tag for Theodore (your mention) immediately before the draft could be one of those smallish forwards plus the #1 2018.

Who knows if someone else could snag Theodore. One interesting scenario, however, is if LV uses its numerous number one picks to try to isolate/draft one or two of the type players they want as cornerstones.

Or let us just declare whomever fits in their grand scheme of building. They have undergone an interesting strategy and the draft would augment this whomever they might be swapping #1 picks.

Now ...we have maybe as good or better defensemen prospects ever in the pipeline. It is premature to guess how soon they make the NHL. The prospects on defense whom might make the most sense are hopefully not as lean and needing muscle as our collegiate prospects. I would be most excited about Krys because he can play high speed, he can skate like crazy and he delivers the mail. But he almost assuredly needs one year AHL if he came out early.

Snuggerud, if he learns how to play defense well enough at Rockford, could be very dangerous on a third pair with Murphy. He is very good offensively....but also Duncan Keith size is his physical description

Toulola and Carlsson are the guys I watch. Carlsson may be the solid defensive type but like the Finn both have offensive game. The Finn particularly could bring offensive ability. Carlsson for sure and the Finn, I think as well, can really skate. Put them with Forsling and Ruuta and see one of the best skating blue line units.

Jokiharju probably needs to gain strength. I know he rates highly from offensive point of view. A smaller dman like him and Snuggerud I think have to be ready for the NHL level because when that time comes, they need to find a way to play despite their size/strength.

I haven't watched Hinostroza enough to have an opinion.
- Al

I haven’t either but I’ll take Colliton’s word for it:

“He's been good the whole time. He's been working hard," said Rockford coach Jeremy Colliton, in his first season with the IceHogs. "But the last 2-3 weeks, he's really raised his game.
"He's just relentless on the forecheck, relentless on loose pucks; he's backchecking as hard as anyone in the league. That's allowing him to be in the offensive zone a ton. That line has been excellent."



8G 10A 20 games

It would be nice to have a "third" line like the Penguins had in 2016.
AKA two first lines, a 2nd line (featuring Kessel) and a fourth line
- Slofire94

Hmm the Pens didn't really roll quite like that, they just had Kessel playing most of his 5v5 time with 3rd lines. Q has done this several times in the past: Saad in 2014, Sharp in 2015, and Hossa last season. I wouldn't really say they had two 2nd lines either cause they had two middle/bottom 6 players playing with Crosby (Rust) and Malkin (Kunitz). It was a smart distribution of their top players on the lines so they'd cause matchup issues and Sullivan found the right complimentary players to go with the star to make it work.

Not all teams need all-star players on each line though - they just need balance throughout the lineup. The 3rd line for the Hawks much of the dominating 2013 season was Bickell-Shaw-Stalberg. Can't get anymore "who?" than those guys at that time. I would like 3rd center option that Q trusts a bit more than Hartman/Wingels but that does not need to be a big name player by any means.

He was being sarcastic. Darth is well known for this...
- BGKarras

He has gotten most of us with a implied sarcasim at one point or another.

Really @NHLPlayerSaftey

Chicago’s Patrick Kane fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for slashing Anaheim’s Nick Ritchie.

Really @NHLPlayerSaftey

Chicago’s Patrick Kane fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for slashing Anaheim’s Nick Ritchie.
- walleyeb1

I missed that if anyone has a link to a video - I would appreciate it.

I missed that if anyone has a link to a video - I would appreciate it.
- riozzo

https://twitter.com/markl...status/935584600339959809

I missed that if anyone has a link to a video - I would appreciate it.
- riozzo

It's a pretty good wind up and whack. Could have hurt Ritchie if it connected wit his body rather than stick.

Kane fined $5k for slashing incident. NHL is a joke. No fine for the hit on crow.

They've been the best possession team (esp if score adj) over the last 10-15 games and they've faced some good teams in that span. 8 of the last 10 opponents are either in the playoffs currently or within two points. And they didn't win all the games they should have, either, but controlled the puck in a mass majority of those matchups. Sure there are still kinks and weakness, but I think some off y'all let the span before this when the team was shooting at like 4% (which was never going to last) skew your perspective a bit. Now, whether they'll keep it up is still to be seen, but they've been playing pretty great by eye test and statistically.

And just to note, the Rangers had not played the night before - they actually had 3 days off before that game.
- L_B_R

I was wrong on Rangers but they had won like 6 in a row...

More to hockey than possession #'s, but I agree they are playing better...I have found they have played better since Forsling returned.

...So lets recap since they lost to NJ at home.

Beat the Rangers who are no great shakes as they have played a bunch of home games without accumulating points.

Played well in Pitt and Crawford was big time.
TB-played well to start and then out played-Crawford was the hero and the reason for the point.
Good game in Florida but the Panthers are bad.
Beat up on an injured team last night and played well.

I had a casual conversation with someone in the Anaheim front office last night. They are just looking to get out this road trip alive and stay close to .500.
I would say losing Getzlaf matters at least as much to them, probably more so than the Hawks losing Toews to injury... Plus they had others injured.

I agree the Hawks have been better, they weren't as bad as they seemed before and now although winning are probably not as good as they seem. Right now they are what they are and have been-a playoff bubble team that needs to find consistency and they aren't alone.

Eddie O said last year he had the Hawks down for 18 goalies wins. That's a lot, and if the same thing happens this season don't be shocked if they are done early again.

I'm not writiing this season off but lets see how they stand come the first week in Jan. Hawks have hardly any home games in Dec. and are gone from Dec 18 to Jan 5. If they come out of this stretch in decent shape then there is cause for optimism.