Justin for that matter too.
- HawkintheD

Yeah both of them!

Any of you guys remember when the Hawks were still practicing at "The Edge," over Bensenville? The team was still pretty awful and on the fringe of trending up words as an organization. Even though the team's weren't very good,, it was still such a cool experience as a kid, since the The Edge was only a few blocks down from my house! The players would even participate in fish fries and activities with the community at the park across thw street from the edge, called Redmond. I remember meeting Havlat, Adrian Acoin, Lapointe, Vrbata, Ruutu.I think it was right before they drafted Keith and Seabs. Anyways, really cool experience!
- SoftServe

The Hawks at The Edge were awesome. They still stunk and you could see a practice with 50 people in attendance and get autographs with ease afterwards if that's your thing. Saw camp in 2010 with 75 people in the joint that had Crawford at one end and Niemi the other battling for a roster spot, Niemi won and he and the Hawks won the cup that yr.

Hawks won the cup and then moved from The Edge that seated 2,000 to Johnny's that seated 67. Place sucked.

Did you ever see USHL Steel games at the Edge? John Moore, Jacob Slavin, Oleksiak, Freddy Olofsson, Dvorak played for the Steel at The Edge.

1: Jesperi Kotkaniemi
2: John Moore
3: Jurco
4: Forsberg
5: Dylan Sikura

The Hawks at The Edge were awesome. They still stunk and you could see a practice with 50 people in attendance and get autographs with ease afterwards if that's your thing. Saw camp in 2010 with 75 people in the joint that had Crawford at one end and Niemi the other battling for a roster spot, Niemi won and he and the Hawks won the cup that yr.

Hawks won the cup and then moved from The Edge that seated 2,000 to Johnny's that seated 67. Place sucked.

Did you ever see USHL Steel games at the Edge? John Moore, Jacob Slavin, Oleksiak, Freddy Olofsson, Dvorak played for the Steel at The Edge.
- Mr Ricochet

Didn't Niemi "win" as much because of waiver rules (I think Crawford could be sent down, Niemi couldn't without clearing waivers) as much as demonstrated NHL readiness?

Didn't Niemi "win" as much because of waiver rules (I think Crawford could be sent down, Niemi couldn't without clearing waivers) as much as demonstrated NHL readiness?
- StLBravesFan

I seem to recall something about that as well.

The Hawks at The Edge were awesome. They still stunk and you could see a practice with 50 people in attendance and get autographs with ease afterwards if that's your thing. Saw camp in 2010 with 75 people in the joint that had Crawford at one end and Niemi the other battling for a roster spot, Niemi won and he and the Hawks won the cup that yr.

Hawks won the cup and then moved from The Edge that seated 2,000 to Johnny's that seated 67. Place sucked.

Did you ever see USHL Steel games at the Edge? John Moore, Jacob Slavin, Oleksiak, Freddy Olofsson, Dvorak played for the Steel at The Edge.
- Mr Ricochet

Hell ya, Steel games were awesome! Got to watch a game in the penalty box for my 12th birthday...such a cool experience! Robert Morris plays there now I believe.

Didn't Niemi "win" as much because of waiver rules (I think Crawford could be sent down, Niemi couldn't without clearing waivers) as much as demonstrated NHL readiness?
- StLBravesFan

I think you are right about the waivers. I seem to recall both guys showed really well in camp, but Niemi would have had to clear waivers so he got the spot.

Anyone get Kane and Toews autographs when they signed at York Town mall in Lombard? They were both like 19 at the time. It cost $50 to get both of their autographs -- waited like 5 hours in line. Still a much simpler time back then when both guys weren't the stars they are now haha. Man, that 2010 cup and everything leading up to it was such a special time, I have goosebumps just talking about it. Def miss it it! Haha sorry about the little reminisce sesh I've got going on right now boys!

Kotkaniemi is an intriguing prospect, but this draft seems fairly deep with developmental picks. Tkachuk, among others have already indicated he'll return to college for another year..

Should we draft:
The best available?
The most ready to make an immediate impact?
The best long term prospect?

What do y'all think? Justin?

Q never playing a guy seems to be a recipe for becoming a top 4 D on Stanley Cup team. #therink #blackhawks #kempny #StanleyCupFinals pic.twitter.com/3av5Cy4hkg

— Derek(Lilmookie) (@Siavelis2490) June 5, 2018

- lilmookie630

If that's the formula how about trading Murphy to Toronto

Kotkaniemi is an intriguing prospect, but this draft seems fairly deep with developmental picks. Tkachuk, among others have already indicated he'll return to college for another year..

Should we draft:
The best available?
The most ready to make an immediate impact?
The best long term prospect?

What do y'all think? Justin?
- Q-stache

Best available. Drafting for need or short term impact is never looked favorably upon by history.

It's the difference between an Eric Johnson or Jordan Staal and Jonathan Toews. The difference between Nail Yakupov... well everyone who was taken after him.

It really should be the best available player, as much as we want to keep our window wide open the next couple years. We need to be drafting the Datsyuk/Zetterberg heirs to our Kane/Toews (Yzerman/Lidstrom/Federov).

Kotkaniemi is an intriguing prospect, but this draft seems fairly deep with developmental picks. Tkachuk, among others have already indicated he'll return to college for another year..

Should we draft:
The best available?
The most ready to make an immediate impact?
The best long term prospect?

What do y'all think? Justin?
- Q-stache

Here might be a better question how many of these draftees are ready to play on the nhl this coming season or next besides dahlin?

Any of you guys remember when the Hawks were still practicing at "The Edge," over Bensenville? The team was still pretty awful and on the fringe of trending up words as an organization. Even though the team's weren't very good,, it was still such a cool experience as a kid, since the The Edge was only a few blocks down from my house! The players would even participate in fish fries and activities with the community at the park across thw street from the edge, called Redmond. I remember meeting Havlat, Adrian Acoin, Lapointe, Vrbata, Ruutu.I think it was right before they drafted Keith and Seabs. Anyways, really cool experience!
- SoftServe

I work 2 blocks from there. I would cut out of work and go see them play. Place was EMPTY and it was awesome to sit up close and watch them practice.

Stats have their place, but not to the exclusion of the eye test, or the only stat that matters - W/L.

You can possess the puck all night, but if your possession time consists of a lot of shifts circling around in the d zone to find and make stretch passes to forwards who get it into the O zone, then play perimeter pass keep away for a minute, and then lose a board battle, or make a bad cross ice pass through four defenders, just in time for an ill timed pinch by a D man, the result all too often last year was a 25 second odd man break that resulted in a goal.

1. They don't have the horses to execute playoff level hockey (on SB)
2. The coaching style is static and not dynamic (on Q)
3. They are too cap constrained (on McD)
4. They draft non-physical and undersized players (on SB)
5. They have one too many layers of management - read: McD (on Rocky)

What are the real holes to fill?

1. Four solid centers - now, they have none. Maybe one if 19 sacks up
2. Two more top four D guys - not in the system now
3. Two power forwards to own the boards - not in the system now
4. A real checking line that can shut down and score - not in the system now
5. Goaltending - 50 still uncertain, and none of the backups are NHL caliber

That is more than ten guys.

How do you do all of that with less than $10MM in cap space, five untradeable contracts, a front office hell bent on drafting and signing undersized guys who shy away from contact, a stubborn coach who fails to adapt, and a team president who knows nothing about hockey?

Sorry, but guys like Hayden, Hino, Gus, Oesterle, Rutta, Kampf...... bottom six/bottom pairing guys at best.

The rebuild is going to take much longer than any of us might imagine. Best to tank, draft high again, and wait for the new CBA before going forward with much else.

1. Kotkaniemi
2. Neal (Top Line Debrincat, AA, Kane. 2nd line Saad, Toews, Neal)
3. Hayden need. Jurco no. Hino, Duclair, Martinsen, DiDomenico if the price is right.
4. Forsberg
5. Ejdsell
- -Doh-

James Neal - ew. If youre gonna spend money on a forward spend it on Tavares or JVR before that guy.

Vegas embarrassed themselves tonight. I sick of them and hope the Caps send that frog back to the mud puddle.
- kwolf68

That's called regression to the mean. Vegas is nothing with out outstanding goaltending and getting literally all of the bounces. Finally they had some posts bounce the wrong way and less than stellar MAF and bam they lose.

Some of the CF stat in that game is score influenced but that result better fits the narrative of what a team of misfit toys should look like with out incredible goal tending.

You can possess the puck all night, but if your possession time consists of a lot of shifts circling around in the d zone to find and make stretch passes to forwards who get it into the O zone, then play perimeter pass keep away for a minute, and then lose a board battle, or make a bad cross ice pass through four defenders, just in time for an ill timed pinch by a D man, the result all too often last year was a 25 second odd man break that resulted in a goal.

1. They don't have the horses to execute playoff level hockey (on SB)
2. The coaching style is static and not dynamic (on Q)
3. They are too cap constrained (on McD)
4. They draft non-physical and undersized players (on SB)
5. They have one too many layers of management - read: McD (on Rocky)

Sorry, but guys like Hayden, Hino, Gus, Oesterle, Rutta, Kampf...... bottom six/bottom pairing guys at best.

The rebuild is going to take much longer than any of us might imagine. Best to tank, draft high again, and wait for the new CBA before going forward with much else.
- Return of the Roar

Agreed with all of this except for the tank. The retool is already happening. Toews is a bad first line center and great second line center. Schmaltz is a good second line center, AA is a good third line center.

I have some hope that Jokiharju, Sikura, Krys, Hillman, Mitchell, and the 2nd-5th rounders from the last 3 years will turn into something. The survivors from that pool plus the 8th and 27th pick of this year will help restock our cupboards. We also have some wildcards in Edjsell, Duclair, Forsling, and Hayden. Not all of these four will make it to full-time NHL status, but they're solid pieces to hope for.

The one thing we're missing right now on the Hawks is a top flight prospect, a Brayden Point... a Casey Mittelstadt... a guy who we're watching junior and AHL games of and counting the days until he arrives in the big leagues. We don't have one of those yet... hopefully #8 changes that.

It makes sense inevitably that is the productive factory producing parts in the Vegas workoholic blueprint to reality would not always keep winning.

I mean that is one way to look at this efficient Vegas team - as a factory efficient operation that kept getting good output or results with hardly a hiccup throughout the season and to the final round of the playoffs.

Thoroughly outplayed last two games and the execution was from Washington. With hockey it is all players performing, not machines even if some machinery is human operated. The extraordinary Knights almost pulled it off, to win The Holy Grail! I am not going to say with a bit more rest near season end, with a break here or there - like the empty net where Neal could not deposit the biscuit - or anything would have turned the tide in this series.

The Vegas team is set for improvement due to shrewd management in their creation and maiden voyage. Somehow I would not be surprised at not quite as good a regular season in year two, but a sophomoric campaign could be remarkable should they experience another deep playoff run.

Although with expansion not far away even the latest expansion team will have to loose a significant part. The other Subben, the one you don't hate

Boy did I have it wrong, thinking players would be too focused on the Vegas glitter and not hockey.
- jhawk59

No - 100% wrong.

Once Karlsson's shooting percentage normalizes. I promise you he wont shoot 24% next year. That removes 20 goals.

With MAF in all probability falling back to earth and having a more normal regular season will also contribute to a falling goal differential.

There is literally nothing special about this team except for a few guys having outlier years (that they wont do again next year) and getting exceptional goaltending.

They will be a borderline playoff team at best next year unless they make some major acquisitions this summer.

Nothing different between this team and the Phoenix team in 2012 that went to the conference finals on a hot goalie that both the Hawks and Preds came up short against.

One note if you do draft Kotkaniemi:

DON'T let this be TT 2.0.

He's a very good player, and he'll be able to play in the NHL in the next 2 years, but he probably isn't going to be the difference maker the team is going to hype him up to be right away.

Be patient. Don't buy into the team generated hype right away, and don't get upset when he doesn't hit those marks immediately.

They will be a borderline playoff team at best next year unless they make some major acquisitions this summer.

Nothing different between this team and the Phoenix team in 2012 that went to the conference finals on a hot goalie that both the Hawks and Preds came up short against.
- fattybeef

I'm tempted to agree with you. I think this will still be a good team next year, but they are definitely punching above their weight at the moment..

The "Golden Misfits" mentality only last for so long.

One note if you do draft Kotkaniemi:

DON'T let this be TT 2.0.

He's a very good player, and he'll be able to play in the NHL in the next 2 years, but he probably isn't going to be the difference maker the team is going to hype him up to be right away.

Be patient. Don't buy into the team generated hype right away, and don't get upset when he doesn't hit those marks immediately.
- BINGO!

He seems like a different player, at least physically, 6'2 190lbs is solid.. TT's biggest criticism was his hesitancy to go to the corners and play "tough."

BINGO!, what do you think of JJ's rumor about Faulk being in play for the Hawks 27th pick? Fair value? Is the firesale on?

He seems like a different player, at least physically, 6'2 190lbs is solid.. TT's biggest criticism was his hesitancy to go to the corners and play "tough."

BINGO!, what do you think of JJ's rumor about Faulk being in play for the Hawks 27th pick? Fair value? Is the firesale on?
- Q-stache

Wonder if Faulk is the link to moving Darling. If Darling were to come back, I can see him back in shape and motivated. Some of the comments made by the Canes GM throw the vibe they want to move on from Darling.

He seems like a different player, at least physically, 6'2 190lbs is solid.. TT's biggest criticism was his hesitancy to go to the corners and play "tough."

BINGO!, what do you think of JJ's rumor about Faulk being in play for the Hawks 27th pick? Fair value? Is the firesale on?
- Q-stache

It'd take more than the 27th.

I do think Faulk will be moved, and he should be, but no there's no firesale. More just trying to build a better forward core.

It'd take more than the 27th.

I do think Faulk will be moved, and he should be, but no there's no firesale. More just trying to build a better forward core.
- BINGO!

#27 and Forsberg for Faulk and Darling? Add an additional lower level prospect for 1-2 million retained?

#27 and Forsberg for Faulk and Darling? Add an additional lower level prospect for 1-2 million retained?
- tvetter

Great idea on Forsberg. Would let Delia to be the #1 guy in Rockford and allow the new netminder we just signed to back him up.