The Hawks aren't in cap hell like they used to be. Please remember that when posting. The cap is going to continue going up, even in $3- $4 million dollar increments. One or two of the bigger contracts will get moved out in the next year or two...maybe a buyout with the new CBA or to Seattle with a sweetener.

Also, all this talk of what a player is worth...not just from you, but from everyone...is madness.

A player is worth whatever they are traded for at the time. Manning and Norell were worth Caggiula and Garrison to Chiarelli. That was Manning and Norell's worth on that day. Schmaltz was worth Strome and Perlini...on that day. Vermette was worth a 1st and Dahlbeck...on that day.

If AA is traded...then he will be worth whatever the other team is willing to give Stan or what Stan accepts on that day.
- CanOCorn

I agree with alotmof your points. However Chicago can not rebuild depth based on the draft alone. Also the number of issues isn't just one area. Their forward group can barely put together 1 solid offensive line. They realistically need depth that will compete and contribute . Toews , kane and debrincat cant carry this team alone.

Strome is a nice pickup and I do believe his future looks bright . Kahun is filling a top 6 role but is best suited in the bottom 6.

Moving out saad anisomov help this team for depth , future cap space which they can use to make a more significant splash in free agency to address those issues while building depth in Rockford.

2020 season your looking at salary increases for strome and Debrincat, Crawford salary coming off the books is 6 million that won't be enough to pay for both of these guys.

Also until the new CBA comes out don't plan on any buyouts into any conversation regarding Seabrook.

That's like saying I'll play the lottery and I'm buying my new house.

Well you have to play and you have to win in order to accomplish your pie in the sky plan.

I agree with alotmof your points. However Chicago can not rebuild depth based on the draft alone. Also the number of issues isn't just one area. Their forward group can barely put together 1 solid offensive line. They realistically need depth that will compete and contribute . Toews , kane and debrincat cant carry this team alone.

Strome is a nice pickup and I do believe his future looks bright . Kahun is filling a top 6 role but is best suited in the bottom 6.

Moving out saad anisomov help this team for depth , future cap space which they can use to make a more significant splash in free agency to address those issues while building depth in Rockford.

2020 season your looking at salary increases for strome and Debrincat, Crawford salary coming off the books is 6 million that won't be enough to pay for both of these guys.

Also until the new CBA comes out don't plan on any buyouts into any conversation regarding Seabrook.

That's like saying I'll play the lottery and I'm buying my new house.

Well you have to play and you have to win in order to accomplish your pie in the sky plan.
- Taylorst1

Actually depth is in fact built through the draft. Any holes on the team, and yes depth holes as well, can be augmented by trades and free agency.

Joki would be better off learning in the AHL where he takes a regular shift and isn't benched for mistakes or is a healthy scratch. Keith learned how to play in the AHL and it paid off for him in a big way in the NHL. With the exceptiion of the real elite players the AHL is vital to develop talent.
- paulr

I'm not arguing that Joki or Boqvist or any of our other prospects shouldn't be given time in the AHL to continue to develop their game more so that they are put in a better position physically and emotionally once they get called up. However, as much as the Hawks realize that this is probably the best course of action for most of their prospects (not all), they also realize that they do not have the luxury to wait and give them a few years to develop fully before being called up with Toews and Kane hitting 30 and Keith and Seabrook in their mid 30s right now and having missed the Playoffs last year and are likely to do the same once again this year. They need guys who can help them win now. Unfortunately because of the circumstances they're in now and really have been being tight up agains the cap you see guys who had a lot of potential, not live up to due to being put in a spot they are ready for (i.e. Schmaltz, Teuvo, etc.). The hope is that IF Boqvist makes the team out of camp next year that after playing a full season together and having a full Training Camp with Keith, Seabrook, Murphy, Joki, etc. that the team overall will play better D and grow together and allow for Boqvist to step in and not have to take such a heavy work load on right away. We'll see though.

I agree with alotmof your points. However Chicago can not rebuild depth based on the draft alone. Also the number of issues isn't just one area. Their forward group can barely put together 1 solid offensive line. They realistically need depth that will compete and contribute . Toews , kane and debrincat cant carry this team alone.

Strome is a nice pickup and I do believe his future looks bright . Kahun is filling a top 6 role but is best suited in the bottom 6.

Moving out saad anisomov help this team for depth , future cap space which they can use to make a more significant splash in free agency to address those issues while building depth in Rockford.

2020 season your looking at salary increases for strome and Debrincat, Crawford salary coming off the books is 6 million that won't be enough to pay for both of these guys.

Also until the new CBA comes out don't plan on any buyouts into any conversation regarding Seabrook.

That's like saying I'll play the lottery and I'm buying my new house.

Well you have to play and you have to win in order to accomplish your pie in the sky plan.
- Taylorst1

Am I the only one who doesn't think Saad's cap hit is that insane? I think it's comparable around the league, and with the contracts continuing to rise, it's not bad. Yes... Panarin makes the same, this year. But we know he's not a $6M player. Saad fits that category to me. He may well be under performing, but I still think he fits the mold. He's a top 6. He hasn't been playing top 6, but that's because the Hawks have a complete fall off and you need to spread guys around to have competent lines.

Powers at The Athletic had a nice piece about the pros and cons of trading Gus. Indeed a tough call. Couple snippets:

Gustafsson has been one of the better offensive defensemen in the league this season.

In all strengths per 60 minutes, he’s 13th among defensemen in goals, 23rd in total assists, tied for 16th in primary assists and 17th in total points. He’s especially been effective on the power play. Over the last 13 games, he’s had two goals and seven assists on the power play.

The fact the Blackhawks are finally getting their power play going shouldn’t be downplayed. It’s struggled more often than it’s worked in recent years, and it’s now keeping them in games. Gustafsson has played a major role in that. Plus, no other Blackhawks defenseman has had as much success in that area.

It’s not by chance Gustafsson has the second worst on-ice rate of scoring chances against and high-danger chances against per 60 minutes among defensemen in the league (minimum 300 minutes). It’s often his decision-making in the defensive zone that puts the Blackhawks in those predicaments.

Another team might be able to hide a player like Gustafsson. For the Blackhawks, they have too many defensive liabilities among their forwards and defensemen to cover up already. As a team, they’re among the three worst teams in goals against, shots against, scoring chances against and high-danger chances against per 60 minutes in 5-on-5 play. Gustafsson’s play factors into that, but there are other issues as well.

Powers goes on to say that the Hawks would look at Boqvist to run the PP when he gets here and that Beaudin and Mitchell add the same offensive skills as Gus, Joki probably too, but they won't be ready to do that next yr. If the Hawks look to win next yr Gus on the PP will help that.
- Mr Ricochet

as myself and others have pointed out:

the metrics support his defensive liabilities
he needs to be hidden on a better defensive team
a nice 4-5-6 guy and pp for 15 TOI per game
he is 27...not going to all of a sudden raise his defensive IQ

Stan should have drafted Raddysh (6'3") instead of DeBrincat (smurf) or Krys (college bust). I'd be all for acquiring Raddysh, but I don't if Tampa would want Forsling. They dealt Koekkoek because they had too many d-men, I doubt they want another.
- DarthKane

They dealt Koekkoek because he would have had to go through waivers if sent down and being the 8th guy on their depth chart at the time they didn't wanna lose him for nothing (which they kinda did but got Rutta's expiring deal which helps them out).

Forsling can be sent down to the AHL right now without having to go through waivers, and while he is a RFA and will require a modest pay increase, would work extremely well for them considering they're set to lose three of their current Top 6 right now (Stralman, Girardi, and Coburn) and will likely need to replace at the very least one of them. Gives them a guy who can step into their Top 6 next year and clear 6M off their books to either resign Stralman or Girardi or another D-man in FA or resign Brayden Point who's an RFA and gonna want a big deal. Also opens the door for a big FA rental as well.

Not saying they would do it before the deadline or at all but its a deal that makes sense for both sides

The Hawks aren't in cap hell like they used to be. Please remember that when posting. The cap is going to continue going up, even in $3- $4 million dollar increments. One or two of the bigger contracts will get moved out in the next year or two...maybe a buyout with the new CBA or to Seattle with a sweetener.

Also, all this talk of what a player is worth...not just from you, but from everyone...is madness.

A player is worth whatever they are traded for at the time. Manning and Norell were worth Caggiula and Garrison to Chiarelli. That was Manning and Norell's worth on that day. Schmaltz was worth Strome and Perlini...on that day. Vermette was worth a 1st and Dahlbeck...on that day.

If AA is traded...then he will be worth whatever the other team is willing to give Stan or what Stan accepts on that day.
- CanOCorn

Stop yourself with this adherence to basic economic principles such as supply and demand; no place for such nonsense here!

Indeed,indeed. You ever think they gave the C to wrong guy? As in Seabs should have been the Captain of the Hawks...
- Beaver-Warrior

And what has Toews done to not be deserving of the C? Has won 3 Stanley Cups wearing the C, works his ass off every shift, and you never hear about him doing stupid crap off of the ice as well. Seabrook is a terrific leader as well, but Johnny has been pretty awesome wearing the C for a long time. Yes, Seabs cooled him down the Detroit series when Toews was having a meltdown against the Wings, but name me any other time where Toews has not been deserving of being the captain, and Seabrook should have been named captain. We should be lucky that we have had such great leadership here for a long time from guys like 19 and 7.

Am I the only one who doesn't think Saad's cap hit is that insane? I think it's comparable around the league, and with the contracts continuing to rise, it's not bad. Yes... Panarin makes the same, this year. But we know he's not a $6M player. Saad fits that category to me. He may well be under performing, but I still think he fits the mold. He's a top 6. He hasn't been playing top 6, but that's because the Hawks have a complete fall off and you need to spread guys around to have competent lines.
- HawksHype

No I'm right there with you. Saad's deal is more than fair for where the league is going. 4-6M is about what you're gonna see as the average for a middle six forward in this league with the "elite" type guys making at least 7M+.

Some point may point to guys who are better than Saad making less money than him, but those guys signed those deals before they got to the level of play they're at now and those teams took a chance at signing them in hopes it works out for them.

The problem is the fact that the NHL and owners continue to keep the Salary Cap at a ridiculously low level while the NHLPA wants the players to continue to ask for more and more money. Two things need to happen to balance that problem out. One, salarly cap needs to continue to go up a few million every year to account for the inflation of salaries. Two, they need to negotiate in the new CBA buyouts for teams being allowed (with every last penny agreed to going to the player) without it hurting the teams cap number. You want it prevent teams from just buying out guys left and right? Add in a punishment scale for each time you buy someone out. First time you pay X fine, second time you pay 2x the original amount, third time you pay 4x the dollar amount and lose a draft pick based on the amount of money the player is owed, and so on.

Am I the only one who doesn't think Saad's cap hit is that insane? I think it's comparable around the league, and with the contracts continuing to rise, it's not bad. Yes... Panarin makes the same, this year. But we know he's not a $6M player. Saad fits that category to me. He may well be under performing, but I still think he fits the mold. He's a top 6. He hasn't been playing top 6, but that's because the Hawks have a complete fall off and you need to spread guys around to have competent lines.
- HawksHype

Saad fell off last year and for most of this season has been mia , and not living up to the hawks expectations . Saad would be the only one who can be traded anywhere and it's believed Chicago is looking for nhl prospects depth.

Stan should have drafted Raddysh (6'3") instead of DeBrincat (smurf) or Krys (college bust). I'd be all for acquiring Raddysh, but I don't if Tampa would want Forsling. They dealt Koekkoek because they had too many d-men, I doubt they want another.
- DarthKane

They were scouting Alec Martinez for the longest time so it seems they’re looking for a Dman.

Wait ... why stop at only signing free agents Panarin, Stone, Dzingel and Kadri? I say we don't do half measures and also sign Skinner, Duchene, Karlsson, Stralman, Hainsey, Lehner and Bobrovsky.

Panarin-Toews-Kane
DeBrincat-Strome-Stone
Dzingel-Duchene-Hughes
Saad-Kadri-Skinner

Keith-Karlsson
Hainsey-Stralman
Murphy-Jokiharju

Lehner
Bobrovsky



- EbonyRaptor

If you add trading Toews for McDavid, I’m down with this lineup.

Which is your preferred platform? x-box or playstation?
- Beaver-Warrior

I don't know how to use red font ... let alone how I would play x-box on my Commodore-64.

I must admit I did enjoy the participation banner trolling in Vegas.
https://www.12up.com/post...HZsLMGjU60FCvbuc1H2kz5J-g

I must admit I did enjoy the participation banner trolling in Vegas.
https://www.12up.com/post...HZsLMGjU60FCvbuc1H2kz5J-g
- riozzo

Ohh man I love Vegas. So glad that Franchise was set up to succeed from the get go to help the NHL grow more instead of making the take half a decade or more before being able to compete.

Paradoxically, what will make Anisimov harder to move at the deadline is the two years remaining on his contract after this year.
- 333inthe3rd

A trade like that would more likely happen in the offseason than the trade deadline.

Interesting little tidbit in Elliotte Friedman’s 31 Thoughts this morning: there were rumblings out there that the Hawks were apparently working on something “bigger” with the Oilers, who are working on moving Tobias Rieder to open up some cap room.

Will be interesting to monitor in the coming weeks and seeing if anything else comes of it.

No I'm right there with you. Saad's deal is more than fair for where the league is going. 4-6M is about what you're gonna see as the average for a middle six forward in this league with the "elite" type guys making at least 7M+.

Some point may point to guys who are better than Saad making less money than him, but those guys signed those deals before they got to the level of play they're at now and those teams took a chance at signing them in hopes it works out for them.

The problem is the fact that the NHL and owners continue to keep the Salary Cap at a ridiculously low level while the NHLPA wants the players to continue to ask for more and more money. Two things need to happen to balance that problem out. One, salarly cap needs to continue to go up a few million every year to account for the inflation of salaries. Two, they need to negotiate in the new CBA buyouts for teams being allowed (with every last penny agreed to going gto the player) without it hurting the teams cap number. You want it prevent teams from just buying out guys left and right? Add in a punishment scale for each time you buy someone out. First time you pay X fine, second time you pay 2x the original amount, third time you pay 4x the dollar amount and lose a draft pick based on the amount of money the player is owed, and so on.
- Savetheembers33

It's being reported that Colorado is shopping nikita zadorov . I wouldn't mind seeing Stan go after that kid the upside is great 23 years old 6ft3 or 6ft5 235 pounds just what chicago could use on the backend.

Maybe a Gustafson straight up

Ten days between Blackhawks games seems really long. Stupidly long.

Verdi does an in-depth on Kane, our hockey-obsessed prodigy.

https://www.nhl.com/black...-for-the-game/c-304178652

So we have making him wear skates that were too small to learn to play through pain (per convention panel a few years ago), ignoring doctor’s orders and making him play with a healing broken wrist/in a cast, and still attending coming to every game and a lot of practices. Stage parenting at its finest.

Whatever works for them as a family (it obviously produced a superstar extraordinaire who I love watching play hockey), but I no longer wonder why Kane acted out publicly a few times in his late teens early 20’s.

Ten days between Blackhawks games seems really long. Stupidly long.
- matt_ahrens

Sucks for us, but the players seem to really like having a break.

Re: the TC's original blog. I'm a little confused. It sounds like JC is saying he's going to implement a rotation scheme. I take that to mean that there aren't going to be six guys who play and one who sits until someone screws up, but more like everyone is going to play an everyone is going to sit so don't get too worked up on who is sitting and who is playing. (I wonder if that includes Duncan Keith or Murphy? I can't imagine sitting either of those guys. But everyone else? Why not?)

Ohh man I love Vegas. So glad that Franchise was set up to succeed from the get go to help the NHL grow more instead of making the take half a decade or more before being able to compete.
- Savetheembers33

are the Raiders going to Vegas or not?

And what has Toews done to not be deserving of the C? Has won 3 Stanley Cups wearing the C, works his ass off every shift, and you never hear about him doing stupid crap off of the ice as well. Seabrook is a terrific leader as well, but Johnny has been pretty awesome wearing the C for a long time. Yes, Seabs cooled him down the Detroit series when Toews was having a meltdown against the Wings, but name me any other time where Toews has not been deserving of being the captain, and Seabrook should have been named captain. We should be lucky that we have had such great leadership here for a long time from guys like 19 and 7.
- ChicagoHope

Ok Wrap your head around this...I didn't say Johnny Toes was a bad Captain. What I did say was Seabs might have been better.

hmm the vermette vs arte comparison

both centers
age: 32 vs 30
contract: UFA vs 2 yrs left
$$ per year: 3.75 vs 4.5
vermette had 13 goials and 22 assists (63 gmes); currently arte has 8 goals, 14 assists (47 games)

stanbow paid a steep price for a cup run: 2015 first-round draft pick and defense prospect Klas Dahlbeck (currently playing in russia)

i would not rule out a #1 pick for arte but salary retention might be required unless the hawks athrow in another player
- bogiedoc

All depends how desperate a team thinks it needs a center and are willing to pay. I just suggested AA might be able to geta first if bowman wAits buffalo owner is tried of not making the playoffs so buffalo has 3 1st round picks will it happen probably not maybe a 2nd or 3rd for AA.