I have a hard time blaming him when everybody else is standing around. Either find different players or implement a new system that has players moving their feet.
- 333inthe3rd

I did mention that but Kane needs to move the puck quicker at time. Its not that difficult. Movement is the key. The Hawks don't have it. Maddening is what it is.

Draft Evan Bouchard
- ifaughtthelaw

No.

Hartman played the Nashville series with a broken hand. Karlsson is going to command 12M and his play is declining. And you're looking to tie up close to 35M in players 30 or older? Crazy.
- TTtime

Whoever trades for Karlsson will probably seriously overpay him on a contract extension that will not kick in until his second year with the new club. This will be Carey Price all over again.
I hope it is a Central Division team (not us, of course)

I did mention that but Kane needs to move the puck quicker at time. Its not that difficult. Movement is the key. The Hawks don't have it. Maddening is what it is.
- TTtime

And inexplicably, when they have a 5 on 3, it seems the movement slows down even more. Maddening is a good word for it.

Some talk about the powerplay and blaming it on Q, but I don't think that is it. The Hawks PP is typically (statistically) a bit above average since Q has been in Chicago, but that includes some seasons where the Hawks really haven't had a typical offensive dman.

Keith while he has some offensive game, has never been your prototypical PP weapon from the point.

Seabrook has a good shot, but not really a PP specialist either, he had one really good season on the PP.

Cam Barker was good on the PP and no Hawks Dman has matched his 29 Powerplay points in 68 games that he had in 08/09. Too bad he sucked defensively.

Campbell and Leddy were good additions to the powerplay and fairly effective with the Hawks.

Guys like Sharp and Panarin had some success, but the Hawks haven't really had anyone shooting effectively from the left side. Keith/Seabrook slumped so you got dmen who were decent on the PP struggling to be effective and really not much else. Keith's 8 powerplay points put him 47th in the NHL this season...

So many of the Hawks issues come back to the blueline, but I think that is the biggest glaring issue. The teams with a good PP typically have a good PP QB on the point.

Example of some of the top PP teams and their Dmen.

Pittsburgh - Letang
Winnipeg - Byfluglien
Tampa - Hedman
Nashville - Subban
Washington - Carlson
San Jose - Burns

The Hawks could really use a solid offensive Dman to put some jam back into the PP. Right now, the PP is too much of Kane being held to the outside and shots that don't get on net.

And inexplicably, when they have a 5 on 3, it seems the movement slows down even more. Maddening is a good word for it.
- Ogilthorpe2

You know what was maddening, is the way they used to play a 5-3. I felt like it was always Hossa/Keith playing pass back and forth until it was over.

I am indifferent to Gustafsson. He can stay or go. Look around the league. You don't need great D-men. You need a system of a 5 man unit working. Yeah, it always be the case but its even more important now. Look at the D-men on Vegas and Pitts.
- TTtime

I'd argue that Vegas and Pittsburgh are more the exception than the rule. A lot more teams at the bottom of the league because they don't have great dmen than teams that are doing okay without them. Pittsburgh has a couple guys who are the top of the talent spectrum that help them overcome a lot of holes in their team. How many other teams have won the cup recently with out great dmen? Most teams that go the distance have solid top 2 pairs.

I am indifferent to Gustafsson. He can stay or go. Look around the league. You don't need great D-men. You need a system of a 5 man unit working. Yeah, it always be the case but its even more important now. Look at the D-men on Vegas and Pitts.
- TTtime

I'd argue differently. The Penguins are a complete aberration to typical Stanley Cup winning teams over the last decade. Blackhawks had Keith, Kings had Doughty, Bruins had Chara, Ducks had Neidermeir, ect. The Penguins have 2 of the Top 5 Players in the World in Crosby and Malkin. The Hawks have one Great Player in Kane moving forward. Toews isn't even a top 20 Center in the NHL anymore. Keith is barely a Top 20 Dman in the NHL moving forward. Seabrook is a 3rd pair Dman moving forward. The Penguins got those two Cups, yes by playing well as a 5 man unit, but mainly due to stellar goal-tending and high shooting % with Crosby, Malkin, Kessel and Guentzel.

Hawks have so many holes on this roster they aren't even close to sniffing a Cup. They are last in the division for a reason....they lack talent throughout the lineup and especially on Defense.

I am indifferent to Gustafsson. He can stay or go. Look around the league. You don't need great D-men. You need a system of a 5 man unit working. Yeah, it always be the case but its even more important now. Look at the D-men on Vegas and Pitts.
- TTtime

Gotta like Tampa's top 4, though. They will be tough. I get what you are saying, though. I think the loss of 81 didn't help our situation defensively. And trading away 4 certainly didn't help this year, either. I don't know what Murphy ultimately becomes. He's not there yet, if he ever is going to get there. Maybe we don't need the top four we had in 2013 and 2015, but we need something better than what we have now.

Teams need to be cap compliant opening day so if Crawford ends up on LTIR next year to start the season, all but $500K of your proposed $11.8M budget would be needed to get under the cap, at which point Hossa's $5.3M hit is usable. I doubt Raanta would wait around for the season to start to sign a one year deal. The process repeats every year, so while the hit becomes usable, it isn't useful for multi-year contracts.
- Davewn

If a player ends the year on LTIR, I'm pretty sure they can start the next season on LTIR. That's how Det and Tor got cap compliant this year IIRC. The Hawks had to squeeze in under the cap this year because Hossa couldn't go on LTIR until day 1.

I don't know why it hit me this way, but I can't stop laughing about that.

especially with the Dennis pictures attached. Hard to believe that's what a professional athlete looked like in the late 70s and 80s.

Although, that might explain the "life after baseball" section on Wikipedia

Life after baseball
Lamp has worked behind the seafood counter at Bristol Farms in Newport Beach, California since 2004.
- vabeachbear[2]

Had it coming to me -

point is if Smaltz- DB - Duclair work Kane could play with Toews and Saad

Looking at the Hawks, I'd hope they let the following UFA guys walk

Bouma
Franson
Svedberg
Tootoo
Martinsen
DiDomenico
Rozsival

Probably a safe bet that all these guys are gone. I think Dahlstrom may stick at least in a #6 or #7 role. I think Forsling will be back. Raddysh only had a 1 year AHL contract, so not sure if that means he will even be around. Snuggerud might get a look.

If I was the Hawks, I'd be considering some guys who might be affordable but are NHL Dmen. The big names will likely get way too much $$$.

Calvin De Haan
Thomas Hickey
Luca Sbisa
Greg Pateryn
John Moore
Brandon Manning
Casey Nelson
Mark Barberio

Looking at the Hawks, I'd hope they let the following UFA guys walk

Bouma
Franson
Svedberg
Tootoo
Martinsen
DiDomenico
Rozsival

Probably a safe bet that all these guys are gone. I think Dahlstrom may stick at least in a #6 or #7 role. I think Forsling will be back. Raddysh only had a 1 year AHL contract, so not sure if that means he will even be around. Snuggerud might get a look.

If I was the Hawks, I'd be considering some guys who might be affordable but are NHL Dmen. The big names will likely get way too much $$$.

Calvin De Haan
Thomas Hickey
Luca Sbisa
Greg Pateryn
John Moore
Brandon Manning
Casey Nelson
Mark Barberio
- breadbag

I was hoping Svedberg would get another look.

This much anticipated draft that we are all looking forward to this June, whom, out of the top 10 prospects is NHL ready?
As far as defenseman go, I think none of them even if we get either of the big two, are close to playing in the national hockey league next season. Which means we still have to address that in other means, which is why If Brady Tkachuk is there you take him because I think he is NHL ready for next season Like his brother was. But if he is not Available, what are the other options? Do you address the defense via trade, free agency or however. We allegedly have a plethora of young forwards that we possibly could flip for a high-end young defenseman via trade.

This much anticipated draft that we are all looking forward to this June, whom, out of the top 10 prospects is NHL ready?
As far as defenseman go, I think none of them even if we get either of the big two, are close to playing in the national hockey league next season. Which means we still have to address that in other means, which is why If Brady Tkachuk is there you take him because I think he is NHL ready for next season Like his brother was. But if he is not Available, what are the other options? Do you address the defense via trade, free agency or however. We allegedly have a plethora of young forwards that we possibly could flip for a high-end young defenseman via trade.
- wonthecup10

Dahlin is expected to play in the NHL next year but I'm not sure about the other top rated players....

Looking at the Hawks, I'd hope they let the following UFA guys walk

Bouma
Franson
Svedberg
Tootoo
Martinsen
DiDomenico
Rozsival

Probably a safe bet that all these guys are gone. I think Dahlstrom may stick at least in a #6 or #7 role. I think Forsling will be back. Raddysh only had a 1 year AHL contract, so not sure if that means he will even be around. Snuggerud might get a look.

If I was the Hawks, I'd be considering some guys who might be affordable but are NHL Dmen. The big names will likely get way too much $$$.

Calvin De Haan
Thomas Hickey
Luca Sbisa
Greg Pateryn
John Moore
Brandon Manning
Casey Nelson
Mark Barberio
- breadbag

John Moore would be a perfect addition. Big, mobile, 200ft player that can play PP if necessary. Also a Chicago kid.

Gotta like Tampa's top 4, though. They will be tough. I get what you are saying, though. I think the loss of 81 didn't help our situation defensively. And trading away 4 certainly didn't help this year, either. I don't know what Murphy ultimately becomes. He's not there yet, if he ever is going to get there. Maybe we don't need the top four we had in 2013 and 2015, but we need something better than what we have now.
- 333inthe3rd

Having 4 on the team this wouldn't have help. No one wants to admit this because he was such a huge part of 3 Cups but Hjalmarsson was terrible last season. Wasn't much better the season before either. If you think Seabrook has lost a step, Hjalmarsson has lost two. Watched him the other night and he was terrible.

Murphy has been fine this season. Oesterle makes twice as many mistakes and yet keeps getting put out there.

John Moore would be a perfect addition. Big, mobile, 200ft player that can play PP if necessary. Also a Chicago kid.
- EnzoD

Enzo, no one saw the Saad reacquisition coming, nor the Hjalmarsson trade, nor the Hartman trade to Nashville, even though his name was out there. My point is Stan Bowman and his guys probably are going to come out of left field with some options that no one even thought about when it comes to addressing the defense for next season. Probably the same goes with the draft.

John Moore would be a perfect addition. Big, mobile, 200ft player that can play PP if necessary Also a Chicago kid.
- EnzoD

Hawks have enough 6-7 D-men.

Looking at the Hawks, I'd hope they let the following UFA guys walk

Bouma
Franson
Svedberg
Tootoo
Martinsen
DiDomenico
Rozsival

Probably a safe bet that all these guys are gone. I think Dahlstrom may stick at least in a #6 or #7 role. I think Forsling will be back. Raddysh only had a 1 year AHL contract, so not sure if that means he will even be around. Snuggerud might get a look.

If I was the Hawks, I'd be considering some guys who might be affordable but are NHL Dmen. The big names will likely get way too much $$$.

Calvin De Haan
Thomas Hickey
Luca Sbisa
Greg Pateryn
John Moore
Brandon Manning
Casey Nelson
Mark Barberio
- breadbag

If that is the list of available, may as well run some young guys in the organization out there. Those guys are great big collection of meh.

Barbeirio, Manning, Pateryn are downright terrible. De Haan is probably the best of the bunch and even he isn't an upgrade of much.

Here is a question say hawks get 5th overall and dalin the russia bouchard merkley and tychach excuse the spelling and hughes is there which one do the hawks pick? Brady should be the pick. Knowing bowman he picks another smurf .

Hawks have enough 6-7 D-men.
- TTtime

Moore is playing Top 4 minutes (19:60 TOI avg in 61 GP) for a Playoff Bound New Jersey Devils team. 7G, 10A, +5, 96 SOG, 99 Hits. He is an upgrade over anyone the Hawks have playing behind Keith IMO.

"If they're young players, they've got to find a way to expand their arsenal. For the veteran players who were better in previous years, they've got to find a way to get back to that level. I'm looking at improvement from across the board."

-Stanley Bowman


In what reality do 30yr old athletes improve as they age another year? Unless 2, 7 + 19 get in touch with Sammy Sosa's "trainer" from the '90s, there is no reason to expect then to be anything other than WORSE than they are this year. It's good that he is calling out the Core, though...finally some accountability for this train-wreck of a season.

Having 4 on the team this wouldn't have help. No one wants to admit this because he was such a huge part of 3 Cups but Hjalmarsson was terrible last season. Wasn't much better the season before either. If you think Seabrook has lost a step, Hjalmarsson has lost two. Watched him the other night and he was terrible.

Murphy has been fine this season. Oesterle makes twice as many mistakes and yet keeps getting put out there.
- TTtime

How much of Hammer's underperformance was due to playing on his wrong side? I get why the trade was made, don't get me wrong. I believed that it would hurt short term, but had the chance to turn out better as time went on, and was a reasonable sell high proposition. I have said from the get go this season to enjoy the journey, that there would be growing pains. I just want to see guys getting better, and to believe that there is a future with this group.

"If they're young players, they've got to find a way to expand their arsenal. For the veteran players who were better in previous years, they've got to find a way to get back to that level. I'm looking at improvement from across the board."

-Stanley Bowman


In what reality do 30yr old athletes improve as they age another year? Unless 2, 7 + 19 get in touch with Sammy Sosa's "trainer" from the '90s, there is no reason to expect then to be anything other than WORSE than they are this year. It's good that he is calling out the Core, though...finally some accountability for this train-wreck of a season.
- EnzoD

Agree with that and while 30 yo athletes typically don't improve with age, but it's not impossible. Kopitar and Brown both had bounceback seasons for the Kings, Giroux after moving to wing...not banking on it but it does happen.