I am a bit shaky with him but i cannot blame....i understand the rationale behind his two big trades last summer.

Just to ensure you grasp the thinking behind the Murphy trade......Hjalmarsson traded at a time when now or soon his value might start decreasing due to his style of play and expected injuries. I thought Murphy skated better than he does. I hoped Samuelson could turn his career around and he could be a second or third pair. Get rid of bad habits, grow confidance, a few dirty tricks was whastt i thought the things Samuelson could help. Still think third pair but not as good ad i thought he could be. I know they were high on Dauphin. Stan looking for candidates to replace what Kreuger did, or a similar player.

The drafting has been ok. The refusal to address size and grit issue...i hoped he would see the light ...finally. Someone else might be a better GM going forward. But do you have someone in mind who would do better. Most GM's gamble and not every move is a win win.
- jhawk59

jhawk59 - I’m not as doom and gloom as many of the posters on here regarding the D. I believe the D has looked worse and slower than they actually are because of the “Reckless Aggression” D system the Hawks have employed this year. Also Q and Ulf made some fundemental mistakes that absolutely killed the team.

One - Keith needs an experienced partner who will always cover defensively so he can play his role of “Rover”. Instead he has been partnered with players who have been constantly out of position. He became a “babysitter” of these partners and it killed his season. Keith should have been paired with Murphy or Seabrook - NEVER anyone inexperienced. Keith simply can’t play the “babysitter” role that Seabrook is always forced to play.

Two - I get tired of the constant abuse that Seabrook receives. He has been forced to play “babysitter” for years now. I have pointed out in past seasons that Keith would have troubles too if he didn’t have Hammer protecting him. Until this season Keith was always protected and Seabrook was always a protector. You have to really watch to see what Seabrook is up against - of-times he feels responsible for BOTH sides of the ice. It is not easy to “babysit”. Look at what happened to Keith’s game when he had to do it too. This year was the test. In spite of Seabrook’s “babysitter” role he miraculously is +2. In his first year as a “babysitter” Keith is -19.

The Hawks’ D suddenly gets a lot better if Murphy is left with Keith and told to cheat towards actual defending. Or how about Seabrook with Keith. Actually the Hawks as a whole get instantly better on D by only cheating offensively when it is clearly safe to do so. It has been so bizarre to watch this year. Clueless offensive aggression by the D. It is not as if you can’t see it is a stupid approach with constant 2 on 1s, 3 on 1s, breakaways, 2 on 0s and even 3 on 0s. At the very least Ulf must go after this season.

The Hawks have always wanted D like Keith and Seabrook to try to chip in offensively when it made sense to do so. Hammer was looked to as more of a Defender. You can’t have both sides of a pair cheating at the same time. Use of D personnel has been awful. D System employed has also been awful. The good thing is what has happen to date this year is not fatal - arguably there is a quick fix - common-sense.

Not a good night for Scott Darling. 4 goals on only 21 shots. His saves % took a dive again after a good game against us.

Teravainen scores #20!

A couple nights ago K Hayes #20 as well.

Here is an interesting call: who gets more points next year between those two and Hinostroza
- jhawk59

Vinnie all the way!

I hope he enjoys Pittsburgh.

After leading the #HowlinHuskies back to the Hockey East semifinals, Dylan Sikura has been named the league's co-player of the week!

🔖: https://t.co/UOuVo2Cawk pic.twitter.com/8ARftAPTfh

— Northeastern MHKY (@GoNUmhockey) March 12, 2018

- DarthKane

The kid's got a big man crush on Mike Sullivan (as do I). I'll bet Stanley is eating Zantac by the handful these days.

The kid's got a big man crush on Mike Sullivan (as do I). I'll bet Stanley is eating Zantac by the handful these days.
- jmarducci

That's funny as hell.

[quote=EnzoD]I believe TuevoTime was talking about Edjsell.
- jhawk59[/quote

Correction in text omitted

It is still immaterial IF it took fve years for Edjsell to advance if he works out later in NHL
Late add: he probably had to overcome coordination issues in his earlier years.

Probably could have been an even-up trade as little as 3 years ago. Now you would have to thrown in Jane and retain 50% of their contract to make it work.

jhawk59 - I’m not as doom and gloom as many of the posters on here regarding the D. I believe the D has looked worse and slower than they actually are because of the “Reckless Aggression” D system the Hawks have employed this year. Also Q and Ulf made some fundemental mistakes that absolutely killed the team.

One - Keith needs an experienced partner who will always cover defensively so he can play his role of “Rover”. Instead he has been partnered with players who have been constantly out of position. He became a “babysitter” of these partners and it killed his season. Keith should have been paired with Murphy or Seabrook - NEVER anyone inexperienced. Keith simply can’t play the “babysitter” role that Seabrook is always forced to play.

Two - I get tired of the constant abuse that Seabrook receives. He has been forced to play “babysitter” for years now. I have pointed out in past seasons that Keith would have troubles too if he didn’t have Hammer protecting him. Until this season Keith was always protected and Seabrook was always a protector. You have to really watch to see what Seabrook is up against - of-times he feels responsible for BOTH sides of the ice. It is not easy to “babysit”. Look at what happened to Keith’s game when he had to do it too. This year was the test. In spite of Seabrook’s “babysitter” role he miraculously is +2. In his first year as a “babysitter” Keith is -19.

The Hawks’ D suddenly gets a lot better if Murphy is left with Keith and told to cheat towards actual defending. Or how about Seabrook with Keith. Actually the Hawks as a whole get instantly better on D by only cheating offensively when it is clearly safe to do so. It has been so bizarre to watch this year. Clueless offensive aggression by the D. It is not as if you can’t see it is a stupid approach with constant 2 on 1s, 3 on 1s, breakaways, 2 on 0s and even 3 on 0s. At the very least Ulf must go after this season.

The Hawks have always wanted D like Keith and Seabrook to try to chip in offensively when it made sense to do so. Hammer was looked to as more of a Defender. You can’t have both sides of a pair cheating at the same time. Use of D personnel has been awful. D System employed has also been awful. The good thing is what has happen to date this year is not fatal - arguably there is a quick fix - common-sense.
- Z3Hawk

Well that is as good an explanation anyone could not expound better. I do think Q has a method to the madness we all see - perhaps some of us see certain things that are particularly irksome. But Q is all about winning so he just tries different combo's. They often do not work, or not work for long. Rutta and Forsling worked well enough, i suppose, for a while.

But in reality you need or usually desire to have one offensive and one defensive knock em down, push away from goaltender duo. Samuelson's ideas pretty much a carbon copy as much as possible throughout NHL and juniors is really not full throttle embraced in the NHL but more and more teams look toward the quickness quick react which Forsling is best at - at speed. When he can improve in other areas, and should he have a correct partner, we might just be glad what he brings.

The best third pair guy would actually be Rutta if he was supported. Smart, experienced pro but he may want out of Chicago.

I say it bears watching: all these prospects on "D" is not so impressive. I would say it is fair to hope Forsling and the Finn could eventually have 2nd pair possibility. But Kyrs and Snuggerud are probably very good offensively yet third pair type. We have plenty of that type now. A couple of them actually might become experienced third pair depth and so it is all good if one dsy the defense could be like Arizona is brimming or Boston shows (albeit Chara is age 40).

Yeah know about Mitchell and maybe Hillman. A freshman and junior, respectively: let us wait on them and see how they might fit...could be a while if both stay in collegiate fifedom.

How might they draft. Got to be pissed if another offensive dman. But yeah a true qb rushing dman is nice..still i really wish for a move up for top power forward type....which is not likely to happen.

How might they draft. Got to be pissed if another offensive dman. But yeah a true qb rushing dman is nice..still i really wish for a move up for top power forward type....which is not likely to happen.
- jhawk59

My faith in Stan as GM will be renewed if he finds a way to get Tzchuck.

In the news or soon to be:

Could Evan Barrett sneak up on

* Notre Dame and D Gilbert
* Prospect prognosticators
* NHL signing AHL start next season

With the new owner in Carolina i sense that maybe Teravainen turns up in Florida or Ottawa

I truly do not know
I never saw him play
A late bloomer perhaps
J Holl ever a chance to
Have more than
Just a cup of (Tim Horton) coffee


* formerly Blackhawk choice
Was in their farm system

he is UFA...he wants to go to a contender (i don't think thats with the hawks); he will looking for 7 plus for 7 years at least...age 27...

sorry no...hawks have no business adding another one of those contracts...
- bogiedoc

So John Tavaras is looking for just a hair more than Seabrook?

My faith in Stan as GM will be renewed if he finds a way to get Tzchuck.
- EnzoD

More likely it will be moved in a package deal to get rid of one of the contracts he handed out.

So John Tavaras is looking for just a hair more than Seabrook?
- kwolf68

Taveras is going to get way more then $7mil. My guess is more like $9. Cap is going up $5mil this year roughly. Evander kane is going to get 7X7. I watched a few highlight's on darling he looked terrible. What about Hossa for Darling 50% retained?

My faith in Stan as GM will be renewed if he finds a way to get Tzchuck.
- EnzoD

I hope he’s still on the board when the Hawks draft. I’m just not sure that Bowman won’t try to outsmart himself and take someone else.

I hope he’s still on the board when the Hawks draft. I’m just not sure that Bowman won’t try to outsmart himself and take someone else.
- jhawk159

This

Taveras is going to get way more then $7mil. My guess is more like $9. Cap is going up $5mil this year roughly. Evander kane is going to get 7X7. I watched a few highlight's on darling he looked terrible. What about Hossa for Darling 50% retained?
- kmw4631

what ever GM does this with that guy is a complete fool...

what ever GM does this with that guy is a complete fool...
- bogiedoc

7 Mil this year is about the same as a guy getting 6 mil last year. he turns 27 right at the start of the season. so a 7 year deal would be done at 33. He Avgs about 22 5 on 5 goals for his career. Avgs 3.5 SOG for his career. He is young UFA's and everybody overpays for UFA's only Stan overpays for his own players.

Taveras is going to get way more then $7mil. My guess is more like $9. Cap is going up $5mil this year roughly. Evander kane is going to get 7X7. I watched a few highlight's on darling he looked terrible. What about Hossa for Darling 50% retained?
- kmw4631

Hasn't happened yet: this league (IMO) is notorious for completely missing on projecting where the cap is going.

Also: was the $80MM projection with or without the union agreeing to the escalator? At some point the union will refuse to an increase in the escrow that the escalator causes.

7 Mil this year is about the same as a guy getting 6 mil last year. he turns 27 right at the start of the season. so a 7 year deal would be done at 33. He Avgs about 22 5 on 5 goals for his career. Avgs 3.5 SOG for his career. He is young UFA's and everybody overpays for UFA's only Stan overpays for his own players.
- kmw4631

You've heard the expression, "better safe than sorry?" With Stan he overpays, locks up long term top dollar. That is the safe part. The sorry part has not totally come yet. Stan represents a twist to this phrase; it is : "better safe and sorry.

lets consider player performance and team performance after mega stars sign those huge 7-8 year contracts:

hawks with kane and toews: toews output is down and kanes is level or up; the team has gone nowhere

ducks with perry/getzlaf: performance for both is down; team has gone nowhere

wild with parise/sutter; meh and meh

weber with nashville: traded to canadians; with canadians meh and meh and injured

price with canadians: bad and bad and injured .

caps with ovie: ovie continue to fill the net but the team still can't get past the 2nd round

rangers and the king: ugh

on and on it goes; probably missed a few....

do ya see a pattern here

Hasn't happened yet: this league (IMO) is notorious for completely missing on projecting where the cap is going.

Also: was the $80MM projection with or without the union agreeing to the escalator? At some point the union will refuse to an increase in the escrow that the escalator causes.
- StLBravesFan

80 mil is best case...players will continue to approve the escalator...

the option to reopen the CBA will be taken and expect a lockout or player "work" stoppage after next year..

lets consider player performance and team performance after mega stars sign those huge 7-8 year contracts:

hawks with kane and toews: toews output is down and kanes is level or up; the team has gone nowhere

ducks with perry/getzlaf: performance for both is down; team has gone nowhere

wild with parise/sutter; meh and meh

weber with nashville: traded to canadians; with canadians meh and meh and injured

price with canadians: bad and bad and injured .

caps with ovie: ovie continue to fill the net but the team still can't get past the 2nd round

rangers and the king: ugh

on and on it goes; probably missed a few....

do ya see a pattern here
- bogiedoc

Not strictly true.

The contracts went into effect for the 2015-16 season - true, nothing since - but they were signed in July, 2014 - and they went on to win a Cup the next season (still under the old contracts).

Heading to Buffalo this weekend for the game. Anybody have any recommendations out there for bars/restaurants?

Not strictly true.

The contracts went into effect for the 2015-16 season - true, nothing since - but they were signed in July, 2014 - and they went on to win a Cup the next season (still under the old contracts).
- StLBravesFan

The roster bloodletting the last few seasons has occurred precisely because of those contracts' massive hits. They also set a precedent for the rest of the roster to be overpaid, relative to the rest of the league (see Seabrook, Brent). No hometown discounts here, in fact just the opposite.

Not strictly true.

The contracts went into effect for the 2015-16 season - true, nothing since - but they were signed in July, 2014 - and they went on to win a Cup the next season (still under the old contracts).
- StLBravesFan

fair enough...the extension were signed but the 10.5 over 8 (largest contracts in the nhl at the time) began in 2015-16; those cap hits meant goodbye eventually to saad, sharp, etc...