Great to hear about Forsling's excellent return. His health and progression is key to Hawks making some move to help this team for this year and beyond. There are just to many defensemen in the system to keep them all, and moving a veteran will never happen. Murphy, Gus, and Forsling are young and have marketability now and with the youngsters coming, something hopefully happens to help out the top 6 or a bonified top 4 D. Just a thought.
- Hawkytalk

I don't get the general consensus to trade Forsling as long as he shows he is worth something. Last I checked our defense needs about 4 new good defensemen. Forsling is young, fast, cheap, and will get better over the next few years. He is exactly the kind of player this team should be keeping.

If enough young guys show they are better than him and can push him down to a 7/8 role, by all means trade him. But not until we know we have enough players better than him to make him irrelevant.

Taylor Hall on his diet interview:

You’re headed into your ninth year. Over the course of your career, have you altered your approach to dieting at all?

I’ve never really had to mess around with my diet—I never felt like any type of food really gave me a huge advantage. That said, my diet is heavy on carbs and protein, and I try and eat as many vegetables as possible. I stay away from fruit, and I’m not a big sweet tooth guy. I don’t really like chocolate or ice cream. If I’m going to cheat, it’s going to be a cheeseburger or a slice of pizza.

As you play more and get older, your metabolism can slow down a bit, but mine is still pretty good. I find that if I don’t eat as much, I get low on energy. So for me, after I exercise, it’s about getting as many carbs and proteins in me as possible, and having carbs throughout the day to make sure my energy level stays high. If I do that, usually I feel pretty good.

I don't get the general consensus to trade Forsling as long as he shows he is worth something. Last I checked our defense needs about 4 new good defensemen. Forsling is young, fast, cheap, and will get better over the next few years. He is exactly the kind of player this team should be keeping.

If enough young guys show they are better than him and can push him down to a 7/8 role, by all means trade him. But not until we know we have enough players better than him to make him irrelevant.
- hereismike1

Seems like forever Forsling has been with the team...what are his Pro's Con's to his game.

I don't get the general consensus to trade Forsling as long as he shows he is worth something. Last I checked our defense needs about 4 new good defensemen. Forsling is young, fast, cheap, and will get better over the next few years. He is exactly the kind of player this team should be keeping.

If enough young guys show they are better than him and can push him down to a 7/8 role, by all means trade him. But not until we know we have enough players better than him to make him irrelevant.
- hereismike1

I doubt the Hawks have any real interest in trading Forsling unless the return brings them back something that really plugs a significant hole up front. Forsling was the young prospect Stanbo got back from Vancouver when they unloaded that stiff Adam Clendening. And he was once Sweden's top junior player of the year. Great potential with this kid, just have to wait on him.

I doubt the Hawks have any real interest in trading Forsling unless the return brings them back something that really plugs a significant hole up front. Forsling was the young prospect Stanbo got back from Vancouver when they unloaded that stiff Adam Clendening. And he was once Sweden's top junior player of the year. Great potential with this kid, just have to wait on him.
- RickJ

Please tell me he is NOT contact averse, i am a little tired of guys with GREAT upside who dont like the contact part of hockey

I doubt the Hawks have any real interest in trading Forsling unless the return brings them back something that really plugs a significant hole up front. Forsling was the young prospect Stanbo got back from Vancouver when they unloaded that stiff Adam Clendening. And he was once Sweden's top junior player of the year. Great potential with this kid, just have to wait on him.
- RickJ

There was a 10-15 game stretch in November of last year where Forsling looked like a True Top Pairing NHL dman. He and Rutta played exceptionally well, then Forsling hit a wall, and Rutta got his head smashed into the wall and hasn't been the same since.

Please tell me he is NOT contact averse, i am a little tired of guys with GREAT upside who dont like the contact part of hockey
- glennjpawlak22

Forsling is in the mold of the new wave of defensemen the Hawks have been drafting. He is fast, not big, but can skate the puck out of danger, very mobile, and thinks the game well. The key for him is managing to stay effective defensively despite being outsized often, like Keith has learned in his career, and getting stronger.

At his best, he has shown he can be very effective and can read the play at a high level. When he is not effective, he seems to get physically out muscled and that affects his play. But at his age, he has the arrow pointed up and it makes sense to let him play a bit and see what he can develop into before making any decisions on him.

Seems like forever Forsling has been with the team...what are his Pro's Con's to his game.
- glennjpawlak22

Plus skater, heads up puck moving Dman that has Powerplay capability with good defensive stick. His upside is a 200ft complete Top 4 dman playing 22+minutes a game in all situations. See my post above...he fit the bill for this last year then his play fell of a cliff and he ended up injured/in Rockford.

There was a 10-15 game stretch in November of last year where Forsling looked like a True Top Pairing NHL dman. He and Rutta played exceptionally well, then Forsling hit a wall, and Rutta got his head smashed into the wall and hasn't been the same since.
- EnzoD

I like the kid and he has a real bomb from the point.

But after thinking about it a little more, they have Gustaffson, Boqvist, Mitchell and Forsling in the system plus about 10 other Dmen that Stanbo has collected. Maybe those scouts that were in Rockford wanted to check Forsling out. I would keep the kid unless a trade was very Hawks friendly. He was shoved into the job last year too soon and got pounded physically.

Plus skater, heads up puck moving Dman that has Powerplay capability with good defensive stick. His upside is a 200ft complete Top 4 dman playing 22+minutes a game in all situations. See my post above...he fit the bill for this last year then his play fell of a cliff and he ended up injured/in Rockford.
- EnzoD

I'd just add that the big issue for him that the Coaches have highlighted time and again...consistency. If he finds it...watch out!

I like the kid and he has a real bomb from the point.

But after thinking about it a little more, they have Gustaffson, Boqvist, Mitchell and Forsling in the system plus about 10 other Dmen that Stanbo has collected. Maybe those scouts that were in Rockford wanted to check Forsling out. I would keep the kid unless a trade was very Hawks friendly. He was shoved into the job last year too soon and got pounded physically.
- RickJ

thanks all...very good info - one can never have enough good D Men - i refer you to Seth Jones and Nashville traded him, got a great C and went to Cup Finals. Good D have incredible value

Not to nitpick, but I wouldn't lump Gustafsson in with Manning/Davidson/Rutta. To me, Gustafsson is a really promising dman. He's got solid moves escaping the zone and in the offensive zone. He still needs to work on board battles and shutting down lanes near the net, but I really like what we're starting to see from him. He's been somewhat around the last three years but now he's getting some full time chances. The analytics community is very high on him and I don't want to ship off a promising defenseman just because we have a lot of hope in Rockford and Juniors.


Also, to the guy who said 'new Jonathan Toews', I give you this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMoq3kmT26Q
- ObeseOprah

And eliminating bad turnovers and bad pinches (like the one he made on the only ANA goal).

Picked this off another message board. I can't confirm but if true sounds good.

Dave Bolland is volunteering w/London. Here's what he has to say about Boqvist: “He looks great. He’s got hands, he’s got a shot, he’s got a little bit of everything. He’s going to be a key part in the Blackhawks lineup for a long time.”

Boqvist has 0 goals and 10 assists in 10 games. He started pretty slow but has 6 points in his last 3 games.

I'd just add that the big issue for him that the Coaches have highlighted time and again...consistency. If he finds it...watch out!
- breadbag

Forsling has also really struggled with the mental side of the game. Some have attributed this to him graduating to the NHL too early.

So, be careful when you want "all young guys" because all of the "vets stink" because you might be creating a longer term issue in development.

While I'm not a fan of Kunitz's play, I also understand he could also have been brought in as a veteran voice and a stopgap until guys like Ejdsell, Highmore, Sikura are truly ready.

Picked this off another message board. I can't confirm but if true sounds good.

Dave Bolland is volunteering w/London. Here's what he has to say about Boqvist: “He looks great. He’s got hands, he’s got a shot, he’s got a little bit of everything. He’s going to be a key part in the Blackhawks lineup for a long time.”

Boqvist has 0 goals and 10 assists in 10 games. He started pretty slow but has 6 points in his last 3 games.
- EbonyRaptor

Nice pick up. Bolland is indeed helping the Knights out.

I've been watching and getting some reports from friends in London on Boqvist and it looks like the skills have been evident the entire time in London, but his late arrival to their season (missed training camp + 2 games) and his adjusting to the NA rink and style has him slowly ramping up.

The Knights and Hawks expected this and it looks like it's only a matter of time before he busts out.

Forsling has also really struggled with the mental side of the game. Some have attributed this to him graduating to the NHL too early.

So, be careful when you want "all young guys" because all of the "vets stink" because you might be creating a longer term issue in development.

While I'm not a fan of Kunitz's play, I also understand he could also have been brought in as a veteran voice and a stopgap until guys like Ejdsell, Highmore, Sikura are truly ready.
- Justin Lowe

THIS. If this were a team with no expectations to be a Playoff team, I would say sure go for it. Let Highmore and Sikura come up and play minutes and take their lumps up here to see how they do, but when a team is trying to win it's hard to count on several young guys to play key roles AND try and learn to be professionals at the same time. Not everyone can handle it right away. They're learning what it means to be a pro in the AHL and building confidence for when they do get called up they are truly ready to step in and play a meaningful role with the team going forward.

Nice pick up. Bolland is indeed helping the Knights out.

I've been watching and getting some reports from friends in London on Boqvist and it looks like the skills have been evident the entire time in London, but his late arrival to their season (missed training camp + 2 games) and his adjusting to the NA rink and style has him slowly ramping up.

The Knights and Hawks expected this and it looks like it's only a matter of time before he busts out.
- Justin Lowe

Depending on where the Hawks are at by the end of the year and how well he plays the rest of the year, what chance does Boqvist have of getting a cup of coffee with the Hawks to end the year?

Just curious because I think next year we're gonna see something to the effect of...

Keith - Joki
TBD - Boqvist
Gus - Seabrook
TBD

As our defense going into the year with those to be determined a mix of Forsling, Manning, Dahlstrom, Carlsson, Hillman, etc. as options for those two spots (depending on trades that can/will be made this year and FA moves).

#blackhawks prospect Nicolas Beaudin is out indefinitely with a wrist injury.

Tough break for the kid who was announced to represent Team Canada in the CAN/RUS Series.

Depending on how long he's out, he may not be able to try out (and potentially play) for Team Canada for the World Juniors.

That's how I interpreted Colliton's comment about Forsling's gap control. Well articulated on your part. Now if the Hawks defensemen could all do that and do it consistently, then the team would be cooking with grease.

Well, that and improving immensely on both special teams.
- AEL_Fox

With the exception of Keith and Henri they haven't done that well this year and even Keith was inconsistent at that last year. Being able to do that, with the forward supporting, is how you create turnovers and flip the ice.

The last 3 years, as a group, they have been backing off the blue line and yielding space instead of closing it off and that strong side forward has not been in a good position to support. They also make 12 passes before exiting the zone instead of just pushing the puck forward.

If they were to get a little more aggressive at the blue line and start driving the puck more directly forward I think you would see improvements across all of the lines. Except maybe the 3rd cause Rutta and the Brandons are not especially good at any of those things or mobile enough to execute it.

Seabrook can, provided his partner is fast enough to cover for pucks sent deep like Keith did for so many years.

Nice pick up. Bolland is indeed helping the Knights out.

I've been watching and getting some reports from friends in London on Boqvist and it looks like the skills have been evident the entire time in London, but his late arrival to their season (missed training camp + 2 games) and his adjusting to the NA rink and style has him slowly ramping up.

The Knights and Hawks expected this and it looks like it's only a matter of time before he busts out.
- Justin Lowe

10 assists in 10 games is pretty dope considering it took him a few to get going. The kid has a massive amount of talent. I think he could jump forward and make a difference fairly quickly.

They could have a lot of weapons on the blue line next year but I do think they need to settle on secondary players at forward and try to turn over as few bodies as possible next summer to make some waves.

Depending on where the Hawks are at by the end of the year and how well he plays the rest of the year, what chance does Boqvist have of getting a cup of coffee with the Hawks to end the year?

Just curious because I think next year we're gonna see something to the effect of...

Keith - Joki
TBD - Boqvist
Gus - Seabrook
TBD

As our defense going into the year with those to be determined a mix of Forsling, Manning, Dahlstrom, Carlsson, Hillman, etc. as options for those two spots (depending on trades that can/will be made this year and FA moves).
- Savetheembers33

Murphy looked pretty good on the left side last year at times. Be interesting to see how he comes back from his injury.

#blackhawks prospect Nicolas Beaudin is out indefinitely with a wrist injury.

Tough break for the kid who was announced to represent Team Canada in the CAN/RUS Series.

Depending on how long he's out, he may not be able to try out (and potentially play) for Team Canada for the World Juniors.
- Justin Lowe

That is not good to hear. Hoping for a quick recovery and great playing again. Really liked what I saw from the kid.

Picked this off another message board. I can't confirm but if true sounds good.

Dave Bolland is volunteering w/London. Here's what he has to say about Boqvist: “He looks great. He’s got hands, he’s got a shot, he’s got a little bit of everything. He’s going to be a key part in the Blackhawks lineup for a long time.”

Boqvist has 0 goals and 10 assists in 10 games. He started pretty slow but has 6 points in his last 3 games.
- EbonyRaptor

I'm unfamiliar with D. Bolland's situation, is he coaching in the OHL? His contract is still on Arizona's books, right?

That is awesome to hear about Boq picking up steam since his late arrival. Not too soon until the goal flood gates burst open. Thanks for the post.

Justin, have you heard which defender would get moved/demoted to make room for Forsling?
- BlackhawkDown

Nope. I have not.

I heard they want him back and playing as they see him as a piece to help solidify this D. They like his 2-way game a lot.

Picked this off another message board. I can't confirm but if true sounds good.

Dave Bolland is volunteering w/London. Here's what he has to say about Boqvist: “He looks great. He’s got hands, he’s got a shot, he’s got a little bit of everything. He’s going to be a key part in the Blackhawks lineup for a long time.”

Boqvist has 0 goals and 10 assists in 10 games. He started pretty slow but has 6 points in his last 3 games.
- EbonyRaptor

Don't know one way or the other about Bolland? Be good for him if he's trying to work his way into hockey at a coaching or management level.

I have been watching the Knights (Boqvist) and Bulldogs (Entwhistle) on Centre Ice and they both look good.

Boqvist is like Karlsson, Leddy, Gardner in that he's an offense first "rover" rather than a traditional defenseman, at least so far. He jumps into the offense as quickly as possible and is quick, fast and very dynamic with exceptional passing skills. The Hunter brothers run the best junior team in North America and teach smart two way hockey, professionalism but they don't coach the creativeness out. I expect by season's end Boqvist will pick his spots offensively and be better without the puck.

Entwhistle will drive some hawk fans crazy. He's a big guy with a big man skating stride, meaning he'll be criticized for being slow, lazy, disinterested when in fact he's got decent speed and can keep up with the play.. He's strong down low, along the boards and in front of the net. He has a nice shot and seems to pass well. Not sure about how he'll pan out because he seems to be the traditional North south winger and not a creative pure talent like Boqvist.