Conjecture is so much fun when trying to make a point about how poor little Stan is so mis-understood by the fanatical Hawks fan base.
- kwolf68

Right.

Anyway the point is more about hypocritical fans than the identity of the current GM. They are positive Nylander is a bust and think the team should cut bait now. If they do - and if the kid becomes good later - the team would be called stoopid for trading him too early.

No they are playing no better or worse than when those guys were healthy.
- kwolf68

I don't think it is knowable what the team's record would be if injuries hadn't occurred. That would be conjecture.

Question for everyone--If this team had no injuries, is it a possible playoff team? The answer makes a difference as to possible trades, movement, etc.
- RaleighHawk

No. Team is still upside down in how its built. No longer a possession style team and cannot stand up to the heavy dump/chase game. Its hard to watch this team now. And JC has no business being behind that bench. The time is now to start and look into long term moves to rebuild this team. Ownership can enjoy the 3 Cups, but it is time to make deep needed changes. Starting with the GM and HC.

No. Team is still upside down in how its built. No longer a possession style team and cannot stand up to the heavy dump/chase game. Its hard to watch this team now. And JC has no business being behind that bench. The time is now to start and look into long term moves to rebuild this team. Ownership can enjoy the 3 Cups, but it is time to make deep needed changes. Starting with the GM and HC.
- z1990z

Who is deciding on the replacements?

Who would you bring in?

Tyler you summed up the state of Chicago. I like you thought Chicago on paper improved , however the teams issues, holes , salary cap constraints with an aging core and a head coach IMO hasn't earned or shown he is the right person for the job based on the teams miserable preseason and regular season record.

Nylander has shown flashes of raw skill , but has also been to inconsistent maybe IMO he should have been put in Rockford to earn his confidence and develop more.

Lehner if he isn't signed before the trade deadline IMO he gets moved only because his age current play stats bring in more value in any trade over Crawford.

Chicago should face reality that the hole the dug themselves in is too deep and they haven't shown any consistency,

Stan should approach the core and see if they are willing to waive their NMC and make some moves for the future

Maybe. But Kubalik, Boqvist, Dach, have come a long way since the beginning of the year, before those guys were injured. So if the young guys developed and the veterans stayed healthy I think it would have made a difference.

This is not a horrible roster.
Saad, Toews Kubalik
ADB Strome Kane
Dach Kampf Shaw
Caggiula Carp Highmore
Nylander, Sikura, Smith Quenneville

Keith Boqvist
deHaan, Murphy
Maata, Seabs
K4, Gus

Lehner
Crow
- -Doh-

On paper this looks like a middle of the pack team. On the ice it is a different story. ADB is playing horribly. Last night's goal aside, he looks lost in the NZ and his own zone. He also is having a hard time receiving passes and stickhandling. The line of ADB-Strome-Kane is a disaster. The first line you put up there would easily be their best. The bottom six would be a crap shoot. I like Carpenter, and Dach for what is expected of them thus far.

While the D as you wrote it is not bad ad would likely be above average, we all know that there is no way in hell that Gus sits on this team as long as JC is coach. I've defended JC a lot, but trotting 56 out there and giving him the minutes he is getting is inexcusable after seeing the results on the ice.

Philly phans said the same thing about Sharp back in the day.
- mohel

Every time Hawks lose it's Nylander's fault.

If I had to handicap it right now, I think Stan gets through next year. That will rid e JC through the end of his contract and they can dump them both at the same time. I believe Stan has two years left on his current contract, so they let him finish hanging himself on the last year of JC's contract and start fresh.

The main concern there is Stan's propensity for trading guys that he drafted in the 1st round, but who knows. Maybe they pull out another top 5 pick.
- Chunk

Rumor is (from the guy that dumps the garbage in Blowman's office at the UC), Blowman has already been re-signed but because of the team's continuing failures on the ice (and likely, no playoff games and the STH fallout that is sure to happen), they are not going to be announcing anything.

If true (and I wouldn't put it past this Org-an-I-zation), we can expect more of the same in the next several years.

Tyler you summed up the state of Chicago. I like you thought Chicago on paper improved , however the teams issues, holes , salary cap constraints with an aging core and a head coach IMO hasn't earned or shown he is the right person for the job based on the teams miserable preseason and regular season record.

Nylander has shown flashes of raw skill , but has also been to inconsistent maybe IMO he should have been put in Rockford to earn his confidence and develop more.

Lehner if he isn't signed before the trade deadline IMO he gets moved only because his age current play stats bring in more value in any trade over Crawford.

Chicago should face reality that the hole the dug themselves in is too deep and they haven't shown any consistency,

Stan should approach the core and see if they are willing to waive their NMC and make some moves for the future
- Taylorst1

I'd be willing to bet this was done at the beginning of the year.

The only point I have an issue with is the "Kubalik makes Saad expendable" one. I may be simplifying what Ty said here, but You need more guys like these two, not less. Saad's best assets are strength and speed. Kubalik is similar, but to me seems like he is closer to how Sharp played (speed, really good/hard/accurate shot, can find the holes in the D and will occasionally lay a good hit).

My biggest issue with this team is that way too often, they look completely confused and end up standing around watching the puck. It's like our forwards totally forgot how to help defend.
- Chunk

I haven't heard speed in any scouting reports on Kubalik?

Who is deciding on the replacements?

Who would you bring in?
- mohel

Again there is another problem. The offices down the hall from Bowman need a house cleaning as well. Who to bring in? Cant really answer that. What does Keith bring back in a trade? Crow? I think you first look at a HC who will bring in a true identity and kick start this. Need some emotion. Fire and brim stone back there behind the bench. As long as Bowman remains, JC isnt going anywhere.

I'd be willing to bet this was done at the beginning of the year.
- Chunk

And I would be willing to bet they said no-way.

I'd be willing to bet this was done at the beginning of the year.
- Chunk

You don't do that until you have a potential deal.

And I would be willing to bet they said no-way.
- LAHawk

Right, who's going to say yes before they play a game...

Again there is another problem. The offices down the hall from Bowman need a house cleaning as well. Who to bring in? Cant really answer that. What does Keith bring back in a trade? Crow? I think you first look at a HC who will bring in a true identity and kick start this. Need some emotion. Fire and brim stone back there behind the bench. As long as Bowman remains, JC isnt going anywhere.
- z1990z

Except for Berube, what coach/GM has been hired in the past year that has sginificantly altered the direction of the team?

If ifs and buts were candy and nuts we would all have a merry Christmas.

Every team has injuries. But if deHaan, Shaw, Caggiula, Seabrook are healthy all year I believe this team is much better and realistically in the playoff hunt.
- -Doh-

If I had bought Apple at $3...

Who is deciding on the replacements?

Who would you bring in?
- mohel

You getting Nihilistic on us? Are you basically saying that it does not matter who the GM is as long as McD and Rocky are in charge?

While I can appreciate that those two likely can make it difficult at some point changes need to be made (ideally smoother than when Q was dumped).

I'm normally not one to like the "recycle" method, but Laviolette being available makes things interesting.

Except for Berube, what coach/GM has been hired in the past year that has sginificantly altered the direction of the team?
- LAHawk

One example is Trotz. Odd how his teams always play incredible D. Have to start somewhere. Either way, we can call enjoy the win 2, lose 3 vibe to finish this year out. .500 team and back into the draft lottery.

Sharp's age 21 season he played 3 games with no points. Age 22 season was 41 games with seven points. Age 23 season was 72 games, 31 points. Age 24 season was 80 games, 35 points. Age 25 season was 80 games with 62 points.

Not saying Nylander will be Sharp, but wetting the bed because a 21 year old is not producing is risky.
- mohel

But, you’re missing the difference. Sharp competed and engaged. Nylander doesn’t compete and is not engaged.

You don't do that until you have a potential deal.
- rpeters01

I thought they did that at the beginning of every year, or is that just the 10-team NTC? I could just as easily be talking out of a different orifice...

I'd be willing to bet this was done at the beginning of the year.
- Chunk

It's possible, but looking at how this season has turned out and sometimes people change their minds after having time to rethink their situation.

But IMO it should be a fire sale and the front office should face reality that this team can no longer compete ,

Maybe. But Kubalik, Boqvist, Dach, have come a long way since the beginning of the year, before those guys were injured. So if the young guys developed and the veterans stayed healthy I think it would have made a difference.

This is not a horrible roster.
Saad, Toews Kubalik
ADB Strome Kane
Dach Kampf Shaw
Caggiula Carp Highmore
Nylander, Sikura, Smith Quenneville

Keith Boqvist
deHaan, Murphy
Maata, Seabs
K4, Gus

Lehner
Crow
- -Doh-

On paper it's a solid team. Probably a bubble Playoff team like we thought they might be going into the season and quite frankly have been to this point. However, the product on the ice healthy or not, they are clearly not a playoff team because they can only ever show flashes of their talent.

I said awhile back that they look more like a collection of talents more than the look like a good team which is why on paper they look really good. You see the names and you think that's a team that should be pretty good. However, the chemistry just isn't there. It could be a mix of the players, the Coach and his scheme, or a combination of both. We can sit here and all argue til we're blue in the face, but it's not gonna change the fact that as long as this team is good enough to be close in contention for the Playoffs they will continue to sell this to fans and they'll get away with it for a bit longer because of the cache they built up with 3 Cup wins.

More than likely by the time fans are sick of it we'll be right when Toews, Kane, Keith's contracts are all about to expire and they can either retire, move on, or sign on the cheap and a new GM can retool the team.

In the meantime, they will continue to patch and plug and hope that they can find that right combination to be a Playoff team again.

You getting Nihilistic on us? Are you basically saying that it does not matter who the GM is as long as McD and Rocky are in charge?

While I can appreciate that those two likely can make it difficult at some point changes need to be made (ideally smoother than when Q was dumped).

I'm normally not one to like the "recycle" method, but Laviolette being available makes things interesting.
- Chunk

I would look at that option long/hard considering the JC experiment is... well not working.

But, you’re missing the difference. Sharp competed and engaged. Nylander doesn’t compete and is not engaged.
- scottak

This.

My criticism of Nylander is not because of the Joki trade but just watching him in his small sample size. I do hope he does better.

I've seen Roenick, Hudson, JP Dumont, Ruutu, Sharpie, Dach, etc. as young players like Nylander and this is just based on observation.

I haven't heard speed in any scouting reports on Kubalik?
- rpeters01

https://thehockeywriters....ackhawks-dominik-kubalik/

“Immediately when he arrived in the National League (Switzerland) during last season, we could see that he’s got something special,” Swiss blogger Damiano Cansani recently told Blackhawk Up. “He’s very fast, an excellent skater, and he can score a lot. I mean, he’s a real sniper!”

Yes, its a blogger, but there are a few other ones out there that have said he skates very well and has some speed. He's not MacKinnon, but he isn't Seabs either.