Reider is available? He's all of 5'10 or something right? Meets the height requirements of the team

Good call on Bozak and DeHann- however
The Hawks need to sign a 1A or 1B Goalie for all the obvious reasons
- Colbyboy

Both would improve the squad. is that enough to make a Cup contender?.....playoff contender...???

Maybe it's not one of those two guys....maybe it is,or maybe a prospect people on this board like. My point is.....I don't think this contract i srolling off the books for free. No 2018 picks were given up. It's either 2019 picks or some sweetener going with the Hossa contract. I can't see the team just eating it.
- phantasmo

Doesn't make sense to include anything worth losing.

Makes sense that it could be part of a bigger deal.

As someone stated to your first post, Stan includes anyone good, he should be fired tomorrow, or better have a couple moves after that justify it.

They had to dump Bicks to get under the cap, they don't here.

As I stated earlier, no loss. Duclair was useless. Better to cut bait and focus on the kids who showed more potential. That all said, this is another miss by Bowman. He's looking for a backup goalie right now it appears, trying to cover for the other miss last year on the Saad deal.
- kwolf68

A little early to call it a miss on a guy playing his first full year in the NHL, don't you think. Forsberg has put up good numbers in the AHL. I think there is talent there. Maybe he turnes out to be nothing but an AHL goalie. Just think its a little too quick to give up on him.

This is my "one trick pony" topic:

He went straight to the Rags after amateur hockey at 19 - he should have spent a year or two (more?) in the AHL to learn how to play the game, learn how to play the pro game, learn how to play both ends, learn how....
- StLBravesFan

Except the knock on Duclair was always a lack of hockey sense. Either you have it or you don't. IMO. You can learn some things in the A, but I don't feel that is one.

Maybe it's not one of those two guys....maybe it is,or maybe a prospect people on this board like. My point is.....I don't think this contract i srolling off the books for free. No 2018 picks were given up. It's either 2019 picks or some sweetener going with the Hossa contract. I can't see the team just eating it.
- phantasmo

I never said a team is just going to eat it. The Hawks aren't in dire cap trouble. The money can be used. Just takes a little more juggling. Sure, moving it would make things a lot easier. However, giving up a top prospect to move it at this point, would be foolhardy. IMO

Looks like I was wrong on Chaput... he, along with Duclair and Jurco all appear to be heading for UFA status.

It looks like the Hawks are going in a different direction and cleaning up a little bit.

At times, I was excited to see Duclair settle in here and attempt to get back to that 20-goal calibre.

Other times, in his brief stint with CHI he looked kind of lazy. I watched him take bad routes and didn't look like he knew what was up at times... below average hockey IQ I would say and maybe the Hawks saw the same.

It is now strange to see a player that young heading to his 4th NHL team.
- Justin Lowe

I was surprised they'd trade for him and let him go. I guess as some have mentioned, they did clear cap space. Seems likely to me, the Hawks value the cap space right now because they are going to spend a bit.

AGAIN I point out to you that I am not “selling” you or anyone else on anything ever. This is just hockey discussion. I made it very clear what I thought PRE-Draft. Didn’t want Tkachuk. This opinion was not at all popular by the way. Didn’t want Bouchard. Didn’t want Dobson. I said repeatedly you can teach lots of things but you can’t teach high-end skill. I wanted players with High-end Skill, High-end Skating and High-end Ceiling.

I talked a lot about Merkley. I thought it highly unlikely that the Hawks or any team for that matter would have the nads to take him in the top 10. However, I actually hoped the Hawks would move up somehow or do something after the pick at 8 to take him. I said PRE-Draft that whatever it takes draft Merkley. Alas Wilson took Merkley at 21.

Said I liked Hughes. I thought he had a chance to fall to 8 or that maybe the Hawks even move up a bit to grab him. I thought the Hawks would have him high. If both Hughes and Wahlstrom available to the Hawks I wanted Hughes. Thought it was a positive that he already had a relationship with Kane.

Boqvist was not championed by me pre-Draft - in part because he had been rated so high just a short time ago it seemed impossible that he would actually be there at 8. I’m very happy he was and I make no bones about. It is a Great Pick and I believe a very fortunate one - thanks Montreal and Arizona.
- Z3Hawk

I get that's your position, that as far as I know in a couple hundred pages pre-draft you never mentioned Bovquist's name (if I missed and you did you'll post) and that's cool.

What I did see you post is you're not a Tkachuk, Dobson or Bouchard guy. Count me as, and posted as such pre-draft, a Dobson, Tkachuk guy. Very very very intrigued by a Bouchard with average skating, a big shot put up a freakish 87 points.

Agree, you can't teach 4.3 speed, 100 MPH fastball, 7 ft or heart/compete. Tkachuk has heart/compete in spades, big league genes, and hands to finish that's why he was rated so high. Look great in a smallish Hawks top 6.

Joakim Nordstrom not tendered a qualifying offer. He'll be a UFA.

Only non-tendered RFA Canes are negotiating with is Di Giuseppe.

You guys want Nordy back?

Both would improve the squad. is that enough to make a Cup contender?.....playoff contender...???
- phantasmo

Good questions-
under a retool it makes sense - in a rebuild it doesn't

I think the Hawks will look at such moves or different moves to drag the final breaths from the existing core

Joakim Nordstrom not tendered a qualifying offer. He'll be a UFA.

Only non-tendered RFA Canes are negotiating with is Di Giuseppe.

You guys want Nordy back?
- BINGO!

Pass
Hey what is your opinion on the big trade you guys made?

Just because you say few, if any, had Boqvist ahead of Hughes doesn’t mean it was so. There was huge volitility. Who had Barratt Hayton at 5 ahead of Zadina? Struggling a bit in the Senior European leagues applies to many players. The great Zadina scored exactly 1 goal and 1 assist in 25 games and he was taken at 6. Hughes played the Worlds yes but he was watched and protected. Boqvist has an August 15, 2018 Birthday so he is very young as well and has already won Best D-Man at Hlicka and U-18s.
- Z3Hawk

That's not me saying so Z, that's fact. Nobody had the Swede ahead of Hughes a month out from the draft, or even after the World Championships.

Zadina 1 goal and 1 assist? Indeed it ain't easy for a 17/18 yr old kid to compete vs men, that's why what Hughes did vs them had him ranked waaaaay higher than Boqvist, by everyone.

Didn't know, or read, or hear Hughes was sheltered and watched(?). Take your word for that.

Did not know Boqvuist won the Best Dman at the Hlinka and WJC, that's good. Mentioned I liked what I saw from him at the Hlinka vs Canada and was horrified by what I saw at the WJC vs Canada, a series you say he won an award. And yes I know how old he is.

At the U-18s you might want to check who won Best D-Man.
- Z3Hawk

Hey man, if the guy with the most awards gets the Hawks a 60 point puck mover we're in wonderful shape.

That's not me saying so Z, that's fact. Nobody had the Swede ahead of Hughes a month out from the draft, or even after the World Championships.

Zadina 1 goal and 1 assist? Indeed it ain't easy for a 17/18 yr old kid to compete vs men, that's why what Hughes did vs them had him ranked waaaaay higher than Boqvist, by everyone.

Didn't know, or read, or hear Hughes was sheltered and watched(?). Take your word for that.

Did not know Boqvuist won the Best Dman at the Hlinka and WJC, that's good. Mentioned I liked what I saw from him at the Hlinka vs Canada and was horrified by what I saw at the WJC vs Canada, a series you say he won an award. And yes I know how old he is.
- Mr Ricochet

-

He's 17- Think about it !

Pass
Hey what is your opinion on the big trade you guys made?
- HamiltonHawk

I like it. Probably hurts a bit long term, but Hamilton alone produces more offense than Lindholm does.

Other thing is that there's no guarantee that Hanifin or Lindholm ever get any better.

Lindholm has almost 400 games under his belt now. Hanifin will break 300 this year.

They're young, and can still improve, but we're not talking about inexperienced guys here.

-

He's 17- Think about it !
- Colbyboy

I just got done watching 15-16 yr olds compete for a spot on a USHL 40 man protected list for 3 days. I'm familiar.

Boqvist did pretty good as a 17 yr old no doubt, but not good as Hughes did against 30 yr olds. None of them did save for Dahlin.

Dobson too as a 17 yr old for 1/2 the season, Merkley too. But as we all know it's not how good you are as a 17-18 yr old it's how good you are at 25. They all have a long way to go, let's hope Boqvist is near the top when they are all 25.

Pass
Hey what is your opinion on the big trade you guys made?
- HamiltonHawk

oh great. now he will never leave.

Gonna chime in here about the draft.

I was a sad Panda on Friday night when Bowman announced Boqvist. I expected to hear either Dobson or Wahlstrom. The Islanders did well I think picking them back to back... Hopefully, Boqvist will be a Karlson type and we won't care in the future.

Just really wanted someone who can help sooner than later. Also really wanted someone with snarl ala a Tom Wilson type.

oh great. now he will never leave.
- Elbows15

I get that's your position, that as far as I know in a couple hundred pages pre-draft you never mentioned Bovquist's name (if I missed and you did you'll post) and that's cool.

What I did see you post is you're not a Tkachuk, Dobson or Bouchard guy. Count me as, and posted as such pre-draft, a Dobson, Tkachuk guy. Very very very intrigued by a Bouchard with average skating, a big shot put up a freakish 87 points.

Agree, you can't teach 4.3 speed, 100 MPH fastball, 7 ft or heart/compete. Tkachuk has heart/compete in spades, big league genes, and hands to finish that's why he was rated so high. Look great in a smallish Hawks top 6.
- Mr Ricochet

If the pace of the NHL does not overwhelm any or all of Bouchard, Dobson or Tkachuk I will tip my hat to you and I will do this even though I don’t wear hats. I have made the same promise to wiz regarding Tkachuk.

How would we rank our top prospects now?

My first draft list would likely go:
1. Boqvist
2. Jokiharju
3. Beaudin
4. Sikura
5. Barratt
- ObeseOprah

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on top prospects now that the 2018 draft is in the books. In terms of top prospects as far as highest ceiling, I consider this to be a rough draft of the top 12. Ranking them is hard but I think the top 5 is fairly clear IMHO; spots 6-12 are cloudy in that you could rank order them a bunch of ways.

1) Boqvist
2) Sikura
3) Jokiharju
4) Forsling
5) Mitchell
6) Delia
7) Soderlund
8) Wise
9) Beaudin
10) Krys
11) Kayumov
12) Altybarmaykan

Then these prospects have high potential to make the team down the line, but more so as role players. Nothing wrong with that as role players are needed, too. In no particular order:

Johnson, Barratt, Carlsson, Hillman, Gilbert, Raddysh, Galvas, Shea

There are also European free agents Kahun, Nilsson, and Lankinen with good potential to make an impact.

Many of the above may not make it at all and be career minor leaguers or ply their trade in Europe instead to round out their careers. But I think they're the group that have the best chance of at least earning cups of coffee and extended looks. And some will be valuable trade chips to fill immediate needs.

That's my 2 cents and know that this list will evolve over time.

Both would improve the squad. is that enough to make a Cup contender?.....playoff contender...???
- phantasmo

Hawks dont have enough depth and physical players to be a contender maybe the playoffs.

Hawks dont have enough depth and physical players to be a contender maybe the playoffs.
- Scott1977

THat's kind of my point....I can't figure out what their MO is for '18-'19.....too early until free agency. If the roster isn't drastically improved before training camp, I think they are in no-man's-land or free fall again

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on top prospects now that the 2018 draft is in the books. In terms of top prospects as far as highest ceiling, I consider this to be a rough draft of the top 12. Ranking them is hard but I think the top 5 is fairly clear IMHO; spots 6-12 are cloudy in that you could rank order them a bunch of ways.

1) Boqvist
2) Sikura
3) Jokiharju
4) Forsling
5) Mitchell
6) Delia
7) Soderlund
8) Wise
9) Beaudin
10) Krys
11) Kayumov
12) Altybarmaykan

Then these prospects have high potential to make the team down the line, but more so as role players. Nothing wrong with that as role players are needed, too. In no particular order:

Johnson, Barratt, Carlsson, Hillman, Gilbert, Raddysh, Galvas, Shea

There are also European free agents Kahun, Nilsson, and Lankinen with good potential to make an impact.

Many of the above may not make it at all and be career minor leaguers or ply their trade in Europe instead to round out their careers. But I think they're the group that have the best chance of at least earning cups of coffee and extended looks. And some will be valuable trade chips to fill immediate needs.

That's my 2 cents and know that this list will evolve over time.
- AEL_Fox

Not too bad a prospect list is it? Gonna take some getting used to as a Hawks fan, no? However that shakes out it's great there will be competition for spots and choices for management.

I'm really hoping Soderland can crack the NHL lineup sometime. High energy high compete type, a fan favorite in a bottom 6 guy.

Gonna chime in here about the draft.

I was a sad Panda on Friday night when Bowman announced Boqvist. I expected to hear either Dobson or Wahlstrom. The Islanders did well I think picking them back to back... Hopefully, Boqvist will be a Karlson type and we won't care in the future.

Just really wanted someone who can help sooner than later. Also really wanted someone with snarl ala a Tom Wilson type.
- Popsghostly

The Hawks were never going to take Dobson - never. Same for Bouchard. Wahlstrom was an option at 8 only if there were no better options. At the end of the day Wahlstrom just wasn’t that highly rated and actually fell to 11. Bouchard actually fell too taken 10, Dobson at 12. Dobson at 6 and Bouchard at 7 on McKenzie’s List just seemed unsupportable to me and I just knew they’d fall. McKenzie might want to get some different Scouts next year.