We need SOMEONE who can hit in that group, win board battles, clear pucks and clear a crease once in a while. Stand up for your rag dolled teammates. Right now, I would suspect not one NHL forward group feels one bit intimidated by contact in the Hawk D zone. That has to change.

Every D guy on the Rockford IPass shuffle last year had no business playing NHL hockey yet. None of them pass the NHL eye test even for next season. At best, Rutta was marginal and getting better until he got hurt. Gus might just be better served by playing LW, since he lacks the defensive chromosome altogether. Oesterle is just another one of many undersized “puck movers” who get separated from the puck by the wind of a passing player and fold in the corners. And the newer choices are just too young to even be in the NHL pipeline for a couple of years.
- Return of the Roar

Defensemen do not need to have large quantities of hits though - they need to be smart hitters, of which Seabrook is and Murphy has shown could be. Tougher to play against is something I'm not opposed to, do not get me wrong, but it's not my primary concern. Look at the Pens group during their cup runs - who was all that intimidated by them outside of maybe one guy? Who was that intimidating during the Hawks 2013/15 runs outside of Seabrook? Also, the whole clear the crease thing seemed to be a team directive, not an individual player issue. Crawford has even spoken about that - he prefers no battling in front of him. So your issue there may not be a personnel thing at all. Don't know that for sure but it felt like it was that way since 2013-ish.

I also don't agree with your assessment on Gus - like for sure he has some deficiencies, but he was objectively good in his role last season and could be a solid offensive #6. There are no options in UFA that would be better at that type of offensive bottom pair at as cheap a price either. Rutta was a weird case to me - started good, then sunk a bit, injured, and I do think he was used wrong. Idk how he'll be and I'm not saying Gus should be anything more than b2 but that is why I'm more focused on getting top 4 help than more b2 guys. I don't care for Oesterle, which is why I did not mention him in my last post. He's meh for sure.

And as for the younger guys, there are several that are a good age to be transitioning: Forsling (22), Dahlström (23), Hillman (22), and Gilbert (22 soon) are the most obvious. Maybe the latter two need some time in Rockford, but they could compete for spots. Carlsson (21 soon) is the wild card imo. And many of those kids are defense-first and some have good size. You never know until the get up there - no one expected Hjammer in 2010 to be as good as he was in a top 4 role. No idea if they will be fully ready but it seems inaccurate to say they're all a few years away from potentially impacting the NHL.

We need SOMEONE who can hit in that group, win board battles, clear pucks and clear a crease once in a while. Stand up for your rag dolled teammates. Right now, I would suspect not one NHL forward group feels one bit intimidated by contact in the Hawk D zone. That has to change.

Every D guy on the Rockford IPass shuffle last year had no business playing NHL hockey yet. None of them pass the NHL eye test even for next season. At best, Rutta was marginal and getting better until he got hurt. Gus might just be better served by playing LW, since he lacks the defensive chromosome altogether. Oesterle is just another one of many undersized “puck movers” who get separated from the puck by the wind of a passing player and fold in the corners. And the newer choices are just too young to even be in the NHL pipeline for a couple of years.
- Return of the Roar

Ya but in 2022 Boquist and Beaudin can be those undersized puck movers who are bodied along the boards and let opposing forwards establish residence in front of the Hawks net. But they can dangle, skate and make a nice first pass....like Gustaffson.

Check some stats on Derek Grant ... he is 55 percent on faceoffs .... over 6 feet 200 lbs and had a "break out" year last year with the Ducks with 12 goals. Size - face off capability and some secondary scoring ........... sounds like a good 4th line center to me. Made 650 last year
- chuckdahammer

Kampf is 5 years younger, had a FO% of 53%, and contributed almost the same amount of offense and is still on an entry-level contract. It’s a no-brainer to me.

Unless the team adds a 3C (meaning Anisimov is moved), doesn’t make much sense to add a 4C.

Is the guy Stan signed from the German national team expected to make the roster?

Is the guy Stan signed expected to make the roster?
- z1990z

Fixed and NO!

Is the guy Stan signed from the German national team expected to make the roster?
- z1990z

It's hard to know without seeing him play at all, but Kahun does have a euro-out clause like Panarin and Kempny had where he could opt to go back to Germany if he doesn't make the NHL team.

Fixed and NO!
- DarthKane

Well that makes the choices in camp easy. Nobody makes the team!

waiting for the announcement that stan signed sbisa

seems like an afterthought move he might make with the explanation he is a top 4 puck moving dman that skates well.

waiting for the announcement that stan signed sbisa

seems like an afterthought move he might make with the explanation he is a top 4 puck moving dman that skates well.
- ikeane

Oh gosh, I hope the (frank) not. He slow, his passing is sub-par, and he hasn't been top 4 in at least 4-5 years - he definitely wasn't top 4 for Vegas at all, esp not in the playoffs where he was their #6, when he did play (was healthy scratches 8 games).

Oh gosh, I hope the (frank) not. He slow, his passing is sub-par, and he was top 4 for Vegas at all - he was their #6 in the playoffs, when he did play (was healthy scratches 8 games).
- L_B_R

Don't want it to happen, but seems to be Stan's MO after he misses on everyone else. Trying to think of an impactful FA he has signed

So with Beagle gone, expect Grant signed on Sunday?

Don't want it to happen, but seems to be Stan's MO after he misses on everyone else. Trying to think of an impactful FA he has signed
- ikeane

Rozsival, Brad Richards, Darling come to mind in terms of helping with the cups. Panarin obvs. Campbell was a good get too, really, that team just was lacking in the end.

None of the ones that impacted the cup wins were huge but that was because Bowman built more through trades (Oduya, Leddy, Stalberg, Vermette, Desjardins) and promotion from within (Shaw, Saad, Shaw, Bickell, Teravainen, Kruger). More core to work with then, though.

Keeping my fingers crossed but also bracing myself for Monday morning headlines “Stan Bowman close, instead nothing materializes, and blows a fart, can only agree to terms with Vrobiev,Yakupov,Marha”. Bring back memories boys? Of the Mike Smith era? Hopefully not. Keeping our fingers crossed. And I would love Antoine Roussell among others.

waiting for the announcement that stan signed sbisa

seems like an afterthought move he might make with the explanation he is a top 4 puck moving dman that skates well.
- ikeane

Sbisa is a turnover machine. We already have enough of those.

Keeping my fingers crossed but also bracing myself for Monday morning headlines “Stan Bowman close, instead nothing materializes, and blows a fart, can only agree to terms with Vrobiev,Yakupov,Marha”. Bring back memories boys? Of the Mike Smith era? Hopefully not. Keeping our fingers crossed. And I would love Antoine Roussell among others.
- wonthecup10

That would illicit the same reaction as headlines Bowman signing what scrubs are available to inflated or longer-term contracts. The FA class this year, beyond a few names, is not full of impactful players, which means most will be over-paid in $ and/or years. Would rather enter the season with what we have than Ian Cole at $4m x 4 contract.

If there is any doubt about Crawford's health I would sign Cam Ward and not much else. Play the younger players and hope the core plays a liittle better. Early in the season you will have Hossa's LTIR cap space and any extra cap space that you do not spend this summer. IF Crow is healthy and the core and kids keep them in contention you have plenty of room to make trades after the season starts. If it turns out awful you have a very high draft pick next year and you will have caps space.

Teams with all this cap space and a shallow free agent pool are going to wildly overspend on some very marginal free agents. By the trade deadline teams will be looking to dump contracts.

There are always a few pretty decent free agents that do not have a chair when the music stops that you can sign for cheap on a short term deal. If Bowman cannot find a real value FA I have no problem with him sitting back and waiting until the other lunatic GM's spend (overspend) their wad.

The worst thing is that Bowman overspends on marginal players with long term or NMC NTC clauses and we still have a crappy record and little flexibility in coming years.

Although people on this site have a lot of hate for Bowman, I think he is very smart and hockey smart. (Having said that the Seabs and Toews contract do not look good in retrospect.)
- -Doh-

Haha that's funny......hopefully Stan has learned to stay away from the Andrew Brunette/Sean O'Donnell/Fernando Pisani types. YIKES !!

Penguins healthy scratch often last year, then got to play some and was traded. Penguins felt he was too slow and they wanted quick think react at speed. Just the previous year he had fit into their scheme in #5 slot defense as they win the Cup. Goes to show the desire by some GM's to get faster at speed. I had inquired, too, but this reply comes from wiz...I am passing along his thoughts.
- jhawk59

Cole is a blood and guts kind of player. Fearless at blocking shots. He was a fan favorite too. Def a bottom pairing guy although he's capable of stepping up if needed. He's an average player. I never thought of him as too slow for the Penguins.

A couple reasons for being scratched.... He bumped heads with Sullivan. Nobody is really sure of the reasons for the friction. Plus, Rutherford signed Hunwick and they wanted to give him a chance (which he failed miserably). Hunwick was just awful for the Pens and nobody could understand why he would play over Cole.

You could do a lot worse than signing Cole.....although the reports of 4mil sound steep.

Kampf is 5 years younger, had a FO% of 53%, and contributed almost the same amount of offense and is still on an entry-level contract. It’s a no-brainer to me.

Unless the team adds a 3C (meaning Anisimov is moved), doesn’t make much sense to add a 4C.
- TommyHawk

I concur Kampf is the most likely 4C. We should be looking for a 2C, but more realistically a 3C because the money wont be there. Keep AA unless/until you can upgrade including him in a deal. Just adding competent depth in the middle will reap rewards. Let any new add platoon 2/3 with AA.

Ya but in 2022 Boquist and Beaudin can be those undersized puck movers who are bodied along the boards and let opposing forwards establish residence in front of the Hawks net. But they can dangle, skate and make a nice first pass....like Gustaffson.



- EnzoD

Bang on. Have to have the puck to move it.

Cole is a blood and guts kind of player. Fearless at blocking shots. He was a fan favorite too. Def a bottom pairing guy although he's capable of stepping up if needed. He's an average player. I never thought of him as too slow for the Penguins.

A couple reasons for being scratched.... He bumped heads with Sullivan. Nobody is really sure of the reasons for the friction. Plus, Rutherford signed Hunwick and they wanted to give him a chance (which he failed miserably). Hunwick was just awful for the Pens and nobody could understand why he would play over Cole.

You could do a lot worse than signing Cole.....although the reports of 4mil sound steep.
- madmike71

Much thanks for additional information. My interest was if Cole provided some muscle on a third pair.

waiting for the announcement that stan signed sbisa

seems like an afterthought move he might make with the explanation he is a top 4 puck moving dman that skates well.
- ikeane

Don't forget that Stan's been trying to acquire Sbisa for months and he's alway sbeen on the Hawks radar.

Check some stats on Derek Grant ... he is 55 percent on faceoffs .... over 6 feet 200 lbs and had a "break out" year last year with the Ducks with 12 goals. Size - face off capability and some secondary scoring ........... sounds like a good 4th line center to me. Made 650 last year
- chuckdahammer

That's where I was going with that one.

Has a history of scoring goals in the minors as well.

The more I read break down of the impact certain players would have on this roster, the more it seems obviously like the new car commercial stereotype of kicking tires, slamming doors. It sounds ok, maybe even good initially. But no one is close to jumping for joy like the actors do in Toyota commercials. The money shelled out is going to be more in line with a BMW though than what should be the price point for an older Ford or Chevrolet.

That's where I was going with that one.

Has a history of scoring goals in the minors as well.
- Justin Lowe

Grant thee a mighty duck wanders over and is signed up and that he works as hard as a Mighty Duck?

Ya, imo I don't think Stan grabs another center if AA isn't moved. He'll try and grab top 6 left winger, and top 4 D man and maybe a number 5 if they can trade Hossa's contract... They'll prob go in house with a 4th line center.