Of everyone, Keith was the most valuable Hawk during the Cup years. With all his TOI minutes, no one else was as important.
- RaleighHawk

There were four or five Hawks that were equally important to the run - can’t single out just one.

Yes, it would be very nice if this kid does honor commitment to sign with the Hawks

https://twitter.com/CRoum.../1216043649886302209?s=20

Taking off the home town glasses I don't think Crow has impressed many GM's he's more than a backup goalie THIS YEAR.
- rpeters01

That’s fair. I do think he’s still better than either of the goalies CAR is starting on any given night.

Well, we've got the definition of insanity here

Scott Powers
@ByScottPowers
Blackhawks lines in morning skate
Kubalik-Toews-Quenneville
DeBrincat-Dach-Kampf
Nylander-Carpenter-Kane
Highmore-Smith-Caggiula

Inexcusable, particularly for Kane, to not change these lines

Chris Boden
@BodenTweets

Lehner starts. All #Blackhawks a.m. skates now optional . Same lineup otherwise

Um...what?

I know there is a growing opinion that morning skates do not prepare the team for the games and it's just another thing putting wear and tear on the guys, but when do they practice otherwise? And, is this a team who appears to not need practice?

Edited to add:
@ByScottPowers
Colliton said the morning skates are optional now. He believes it’s helping them to start out better.


I might actually break something laughing too hard. Does this guy think that our team is starting games on time?

Trust me you never want to see James Reimer in a Hawk's uniform. He is a minor league goaltender who somehow has squeezed a lot of salary out of both Florida and Carolina.

To take him back in trade from Carolina for Lehner, Stan needs to get one of Haydn Fleury or Jake Bean back and a prime draft pick and cash to buy out Reimer with in June.

Carolina is a nice team with good playoff potential and an excellent coach. But with Mrazek and Reimer in goal they won't go far. Could in fact miss the playoffs because of their weakness between the pipes.
- RickJ

I agree with Reimer not being a top flight goalie and would hope to get something additional in return for a Lehner to Carolina trade. The Canes prospects you mentioned Fleury and Bean are D men. With the Hawks pipeline full of defenseman, I would hope to get a young forward prospect back.

Just spitballing in the event Stan trades Lehner if they are far apart in contract terms, but here are some possible goalie tandems for the Hawks next year.

Crawford (if re-signed to a team friendly 2 year deal) - Lankinen

Crawford - Reimer (if there is a Carolina trade)

Reimer - Lankinen (if Crow retires or goes elsewhere)

XXX free agent or via trade - Lankinen (if Crow is gone, Reimer not traded for, or Reimer bought out.

Unless Lankinen is the next Binnigton, all these combinations look worse than this year's Lehner/Crawford tandem.

Some good news - Saad has started skating.

Chris Boden
@BodenTweets

Lehner starts. All #Blackhawks a.m. skates now optional . Same lineup otherwise

Um...what?

I know there is a growing opinion that morning skates do not prepare the team for the games and it's just another thing putting wear and tear on the guys, but when do they practice otherwise? And, is this a team who appears to not need practice?

Edited to add:
@ByScottPowers
Colliton said the morning skates are optional now. He believes it’s helping them to start out better.


I might actually break something laughing too hard. Does this guy think that our team is starting games on time?
- pdx2ord

Obviously JC thinks the team is tuckered out from the morning skate and doesn't have the energy to come out playing hard in the 1st period. Ergo, optional morning skates.

Well, we've got the definition of insanity here

Scott Powers
@ByScottPowers
Blackhawks lines in morning skate
Kubalik-Toews-Quenneville
DeBrincat-Dach-Kampf
Nylander-Carpenter-Kane
Highmore-Smith-Caggiula

Inexcusable, particularly for Kane, to not change these lines
- pdx2ord

In all fairness, we don't know whether or not JC and Kane have had off ice discussions about Kane moving up and down the lines to help the younger players develop. If Toews is wearing the C, he's the one who should be playing that role while Kane is on the top line. Those lines will probably change by the 2nd period.

Some good news - Saad has started skating.
- DarthKane

Those Boston, Buffalo and Edmonton scouts probably can't wait til he gets back to playing.

Obviously JC thinks the team is tuckered out from the morning skate and doesn't have the energy to come out playing hard in the 1st period. Ergo, optional morning skates.
- boilermaker100

Liked:. "Tuckered Out"

Funny

Obviously JC thinks the team is tuckered out from the morning skate and doesn't have the energy to come out playing hard in the 1st period. Ergo, optional morning skates.
- boilermaker100

@BenPopeCST
Colliton on more intense morning skates: "I haven't been happy with the starts or home play, so we made an adjustment and I like it better."

"We want to move the puck around and get shots, but also some compete. We played some small-ice games just to get some stop-and-start."

@BenPopeCST
Colliton says Lehner will start tonight, even though he wasn't at morning skate. Rest of lineup the same.

He added that all the morning skates are optional now, but for those who do attend, they are more intense.

In all fairness, we don't know whether or not JC and Kane have had off ice discussions about Kane moving up and down the lines to help the younger players develop. If Toews is wearing the C, he's the one who should be playing that role while Kane is on the top line. Those lines will probably change by the 2nd period.
- Dieselhead

Yes, they probably have talked about it (or at least I hope so). However, doing this is a tacit admission that they are full on development v. trying to make the playoffs. If it was the latter, then he'd be using Kane very differently and not waiting until they are 2-3 goals behind before putting together a line that can actually consistently score.

If ever there is a time to pull back from our fed up, pissed off attitude derived from SOME mismanagement and paying a heavy price for trying to remain competitive, now is that time.

Steve Rain hits the nail on the head on several points. Some of those players or GM, a coach .....fans over react. You can place some blame but most of the time it is hit heads who refuse to change their mind and keep spewing

Yes when the time is right try to move Keith. He migjht be closer to his old form - just a bit slower - with better attitude. That happens with better players around him. The W and L is not so huge; play near .500 but with better support and real hiope from emerging prospects.

Unfortunately this might take a couple of years to unfold. The team needs Mitchell and.msybebCarlsdon to play steady and hope Boqvist steadily improved. Murphy stays because he is a good hockey player just wish he skated better.

Look if you cannot see about the other dmen:
Maate is a bottom pair we don't want once prospects can play well enough to take his job.
Gus is going to be headlights -.how soon.

Gilbert needs to show he can play coverage and not miss assignments first in the AHL like for at least half a season in the AHL. Then he can be considered for bottom pair

Seabrook will return but who knows how well he skates. His stride is not proper- never has been - and he has much wear and tear. Anyone want to claim he can play like L Murphy who was so good at playing angles that he survived although his skating was bad ....ok Seabrook will have to prove he can be like L Murphy and it skate not too bad

Nylander got some support from wiz. Go back and find it. Nylander needs good coaching he is not lacking hockey Iintelligence he just needs to catch up in playing responsible. He needs to be told to back check and be somewhat involved or you go to Rockford.

Eventually he is going to stop some of his dumb decisions. YOU LET HIM TRY TO OVERCOME because you do not have any forthcoming top end offensive players and Nylander has shown glimpse of his top end talent. You can move Nylander if he doesn't improve much after two years.

Colliton: Yeah you have someone whom would put their foot down and some of the veterans would not try to defuse him? You just need to bring in a lot of kids and phase out veterans. Keith should go but not until Mitchell is playing well. Toews is never leaving, ok. Although he is a problem early each season. Adjust your expectation. He has been good enough lately. He should play third line TOI at least sometimes if the team drafts a top six center in 2020

DeBrincat and or Strome need to get back into their scoring form. DeBrincat particularly. I bet he knows the coming off season he needs to train for a body that can do what he used to do. Long term your ideal roster may or may not include both. If The Penn State kid can improve his skating then Strome may leave. But Strome is a big size kid so that means The Penn State kid has to be good at a couple of things pus a yapper. Or the 2020 draft brings us a stud.

Colliton should go but with Crawford at his side and change in playing style the bad coaching is not as bad and the bad on ice performance is not as bad. He has term.on contract so Rocky would have to eat it.

Bowman I trust will draft ok. I do not have full faith in his bringing the team into conyention. However given his constraint to be competitive plus learning from trade and signing mistakes, I believe he is on less steady ground but retains McDonougjh Rocky's support.
- jhawk59

hope you are doing well.

I've been fortunate to witness the greatest decade of Hawks hockey in my lifetime - and I was around when they won the Cup in 1961. I also witnessed lots of bad hockey and bad management decisions along the way. I take the good with the bad and truck on.

I can accept losing as part of the cyclical process to getting good enough to win again - what I can't accept is management expecting the fans to deny the reality of the situation allowing them to delay taking the steps necessary to transition through the losing period before getting back to having a competitive team again. That seems to be what's happening right now. I don't believe it's an easy call for them to make - but at some point they need to make that decision and I would say we're either extremely close to that point or already past it.
- EbonyRaptor

Good chance McD has done focus groups to determine whether fans will tolerate a tear down. Fans who post on message boards is only a small slice of the fan base. A lot of us can handle a tear down, but a lot want them to compete every year. The big thing is what the less intense fans - who are far more numerous than us - think. Will they buy tickets and stuff during the purge? Biggest question is whether they will come back if they do leave.

There were four or five Hawks that were equally important to the run - can’t single out just one.
- StLBravesFan

Agreed 100%

This is where people VASTLY overlook the importance of Seabrook who was just as important and played almost as many hard minutes as Keith does. They all served a massive purpose and if you take 2/4/7/10/19/81/88 out of the equation not sure they win a cup. There is a pecking order there, but it's not like the NBA where 1 guy is THAT important to a team's success.

And I 100% get the sentimental thoughts regarding 2 retiring as a Hawk. However, he and 88 have the highest value and would fetch the best return of any current player on the roster...given cap hits, etc.

@BenPopeCST
Colliton on more intense morning skates: "I haven't been happy with the starts or home play, so we made an adjustment and I like it better."

"We want to move the puck around and get shots, but also some compete. We played some small-ice games just to get some stop-and-start."

@BenPopeCST
Colliton says Lehner will start tonight, even though he wasn't at morning skate. Rest of lineup the same.

He added that all the morning skates are optional now, but for those who do attend, they are more intense.
- pdx2ord

@BenPopeCST
Colliton on more intense morning skates: "I haven't been happy with the starts or home play, so we made an adjustment and I like it better

If it works go with it. Let's see last game we we thoroughly outplay P1. Was JC at the game

Good chance McD has done focus groups to determine whether fans will tolerate a tear down. Fans who post on message boards is only a small slice of the fan base. A lot of us can handle a tear down, but a lot want them to compete every year. The big thing is what the less intense fans - who are far more numerous than us - think. Will they buy tickets and stuff during the purge? Biggest question is whether they will come back if they do leave.
- mohel

If that's what you were referencing yesterday when saying I (and other posters) are different then 95% of the fan base....I would agree.

So lets think about this....we are seeing some "last shifts" that are a new way to dress up the ole "heritage nights" back in 2008-09, and 2009-10. WE also see 80s night.....cup ring replica night....these start to be tells to me they, Hawks, are cognizant to what the "casual" fan interest is.....The Hawks sunk MILLIONS into a very progressive ad campaign to capture that fan and compete for their discretionary dollar so I get their reluctance to NOT rip it down to the studs.....

That's where 1 would think their could be an internal struggle.....the business side needs them to be in the smallest of downturn they can and not do a fire sale, etc....where the hockey ops side may want to trade a big name and get a huge package of sexy prospects to start to build around.....

Bottom line we all want them to win as quickly as possible....some want the old guys to hang around and retire as Hawks and that may limit the ability to completely revamp their rosters....and nut jobs like me have a short memory for the old guys and respect the past but want that process expedited as quickly as possible.

This may floor the board....but the way Bowman navigated the post 2010 cap issue and got them back in the window to where they were realistically a cup favorite for 4 straight years (2013-2016) has earned him the right to tinker with this/grace period.

However, to me....at F.....I don't see a lot of young guys....yet....to get overly excited about. 12 will be fine. 17, still dont' know what he is......and Dach and Nylander need a TON more time to find their consistencies. In 2007-08 and 2008-09 you could see it coming together with Kane/Toews, and most importantly the secondary scoring/D with Buff, Versteeg, Ladd, Bolland, and Hammer.....that;s what I am looking for....guys to get excited about and watch them grow.

Well, we've got the definition of insanity here

Scott Powers
@ByScottPowers
Blackhawks lines in morning skate
Kubalik-Toews-Quenneville
DeBrincat-Dach-Kampf
Nylander-Carpenter-Kane
Highmore-Smith-Caggiula

Inexcusable, particularly for Kane, to not change these lines
- pdx2ord

Bit bizzare. Kane, for Kampf, Drake 3R, Kampf 4C, Smith 4R is where I'd go. Any way you slice it, it's a train wreck. I like the size on the top line, speed on the second the way I have it.

Yes, they probably have talked about it (or at least I hope so). However, doing this is a tacit admission that they are full on development v. trying to make the playoffs. If it was the latter, then he'd be using Kane very differently and not waiting until they are 2-3 goals behind before putting together a line that can actually consistently score.
- pdx2ord

IMO

They need to lock these 6 in stone...…

Kubalik_toews-Kane
DeBrincat-Dach-Nylander/Strome

When Strome is healthy, it gets a little dicey....and if Shaw was healthy you could have a Nylander/Shaw/Saad line.....

I am 100% against the idea of spreading talent around....load it up, let these guys form the on ice chemistry and start to solve your personnel issues moving up/down the lineup. Same on D.....

But scratching a Kubalik, Sikura, or Nylander to start some veteran 4th liner on a none playoff team is like when Art Howe wouldn't sit Pena in moneyball and Beane launched Pena. Bowman needs to do the same here....let these kids learn on the fly and accept they will make mistakes.

if I were Bowman....Smith would have been on waivers months ago to buy out...and Gus would have been launched as long as I got a 3rd round pick.

Well, we've got the definition of insanity here

Scott Powers
@ByScottPowers
Blackhawks lines in morning skate
Kubalik-Toews-Quenneville
DeBrincat-Dach-Kampf
Nylander-Carpenter-Kane
Highmore-Smith-Caggiula

Inexcusable, particularly for Kane, to not change these lines
- pdx2ord

Swicth dcat dach kane
Nylander kampf Caggulia
Highmore carpenter smith

Chris Boden
@BodenTweets

Lehner starts. All #Blackhawks a.m. skates now optional . Same lineup otherwise

Um...what?

I know there is a growing opinion that morning skates do not prepare the team for the games and it's just another thing putting wear and tear on the guys, but when do they practice otherwise? And, is this a team who appears to not need practice?

Edited to add:
@ByScottPowers
Colliton said the morning skates are optional now. He believes it’s helping them to start out better.


I might actually break something laughing too hard. Does this guy think that our team is starting games on time?
- pdx2ord

Wasn't Q know for going easy on practicing to keep the boys fresh? Even in the last year or so?

Some good news - Saad has started skating.
- DarthKane

That gets interesting....is his value this deadline higher with another year at 6 AAV, or is it this summer or next deadline?

I just don't see where Saad for 7+ AAV fits in on this team that isn't ready to push their chips to the center......

Wasn't Q know for going easy on practicing to keep the boys fresh? Even in the last year or so?
- mohel

At times....but then if they laid an egg the ole battle drills would come out.

Just spitballing in the event Stan trades Lehner if they are far apart in contract terms, but here are some possible goalie tandems for the Hawks next year.

Crawford (if re-signed to a team friendly 2 year deal) - Lankinen

Crawford - Reimer (if there is a Carolina trade)

Reimer - Lankinen (if Crow retires or goes elsewhere)

XXX free agent or via trade - Lankinen (if Crow is gone, Reimer not traded for, or Reimer bought out.

Unless Lankinen is the next Binnigton, all these combinations look worse than this year's Lehner/Crawford tandem.
- boilermaker100

Over the past few weeks, Lankinen and Delia have gone in opposite directions for the Hogs. Lankinen has been trending down while Delia has been trending up.

Very interested to see what the Hawks do with Lankinen as a pending RFA. Delia is in year one of a 3-year deal at $1MM. Tomkins is on an AHL contract so he's a wild card.

If either Crawford or Lehner is traded, that would be prime time to have the Rockford shuttle running to see what both Lankinen and Delia can bring (i.e. alternate call ups).