Theo Fox: Extra Spicy A few more semi-hot takes on the Blackhawks as rosters for the prospect exhibition vs the Wild and for training camp are expected to be announced any time now.

Takes on Kane, DeBrincat, Borgstrom, Gaudette, Khaira, C Jones, Stillman, Fleury, Lankinen, and a rasher of IceHogs prospects.

Fun write ups Theo. I'm really excited to see what Gaudette does this year. It just seems that he's got a ton more confidence and momentum.

I think Galvas and Krys will be footnotes at the end of the year.

Is this pic the Gay Pride alternate jerseys the NHK will be displaying this season? Bad joke if it is.

@theo over under on debrincat short handed goals this season - let's set it at 3.5 what are you taking?

Sure the team is better in several ways

But how will Colliton's system work out? To be sure, other teams use hybrid or similar to Colliton's.system. Carolina seemed to be able to derive lots of good scoring opportunities, but were also giving good chances against.

Is this pic the Gay Pride alternate jerseys the NHK will be displaying this season? Bad joke if it is.
- powerenforcer

The image of the colorized carbon copies of Kane is a play off of the new Drake album cover Certified Lover Boy.

@theo over under on debrincat short handed goals this season - let's set it at 3.5 what are you taking?
- michaelmurphyhimself

I'll take the over.

The Hawks give up the first goal 5 minutes into game one, and panic sets in to the hockeybuzz Hawk community. Unfortunately the ledge has a waiting list due to COVID restrictions.

Jurjah is going to be a little better than you think actually
If he's used correctly he is make up as a player is perfect for todays NHL
Going to be smart, mean, and effective for shut down.

Is that when the JFresh twitter posts on Seth Jones start parading in?

The Hawks give up the first goal 5 minutes into game one, and panic sets in to the hockeybuzz Hawk community. Unfortunately the ledge has a waiting list due to COVID restrictions.
- LAHawk

Maybe instead of a ledge waiting list, do you think there may actually be jumpers? I can think of two or three posters who will lose their collective poop if/when the Hawks get down a goal or lose a game.

Jurjah is going to be a little better than you think actually
If he's used correctly he is make up as a player is perfect for todays NHL
Going to be smart, mean, and effective for shut down.
- Tom Dusome

The eternal guarded optimist thinks you may be right on Khaira's outlook. If he plays within his means and deployed correctly, he could be just as you described.

Is this pic the Gay Pride alternate jerseys the NHK will be displaying this season? Bad joke if it is.
- powerenforcer

We all know they won’t be the alternate jerseys and if they were to be, who cares?

The Hawks give up the first goal 5 minutes into game one, and panic sets in to the hockeybuzz Hawk community. Unfortunately the ledge has a waiting list due to COVID restrictions.
- LAHawk

Absolutely, it's better than a collective few people on this board that don't care if they win or lose.

Maybe instead of a ledge waiting list, do you think there may actually be jumpers? I can think of two or three posters who will lose their collective poop if/when the Hawks get down a goal or lose a game.
- paulr

Slowish start is inevitable. New faces...New room....will take some time for them to gel. Fully expect playoffs and baring a major run of impactful injuries....

It'll be fun to watch.

Depending upon playoff matchup, I think they can win a round....so my personal expectations for the year are to make the playoffs and if they play Dallas, Winnipeg, STL, Nashville, Minnesota I expect them to win that series. IF they play Colorado, I'll be thrilled if they win a game.

Slowish start is inevitable. New faces...New room....will take some time for them to gel. Fully expect playoffs and baring a major run of impactful injuries....

It'll be fun to watch.

Depending upon playoff matchup, I think they can win a round....so my personal expectations for the year are to make the playoffs and if they play Dallas, Winnipeg, STL, Nashville, Minnesota I expect them to win that series. IF they play Colorado, I'll be thrilled if they win a game.
- SteveRain

I fully anticipate the team will start slow and have a rocky road all season. I also anticipate they will get a playoff spot. And like you I think it will be fun to watch especially if ADB and Kubalik continue to improve their overall play, if Jones has a big year, if Toews comes back and plays close to how he did in 2019, if MAF plays solidly in net and if Kane continues to defy his age.

Sure the team is better in several ways

But how will Colliton's system work out? To be sure, other teams use hybrid or similar to Colliton's.system. Carolina seemed to be able to derive lots of good scoring opportunities, but were also giving good chances against.
- jhawk59

Hope you are well....

This is a question.....is it the GMs job to supply a coach with assets who best fit his/her system to win? Or is it a coaches job to pivot and tweak their system to support what they have in players?

Q had a young team in 2008-09 and won....so the exhaustive narrative of how he didn't like young kids is hilarious to me. NO, he didn't like hockey stupid players.

JC....does his system actually win over the long haul in the NHL?

I'd love to see a chart from the JFresh crowd of how many guys are WIDE open in the hash marks or slightly above or below because the Hawks blow the coverage...not just year 1...but every year....it's remarkable to me.

I fully anticipate the team will start slow and have a rocky road all season. I also anticipate they will get a playoff spot. And like you I think it will be fun to watch especially if ADB and Kubalik continue to improve their overall play, if Jones has a big year, if Toews comes back and plays close to how he did in 2019, if MAF plays solidly in net and if Kane continues to defy his age.
- paulr

I try to be somewhat logical.....somewhat.

ADB=100%.....Kane and him have magic and if Dach improves at all....it won't stop. If Dach goes to the net to provide screens it will free up more room for ADB to sit back door at the dot to fire away when Kane sets him up.

Kubalik=95%....Playing with Toews alone will help him. Plus, he's paying for money this year.

Jones=100%....made it clear I have ZERO qualms about the trade. He will be what Brian Campbell shoudl have been offensively.....massive point shot, vision, offensively gifted and imagine walk in goals he'll get playing with 88 who will see the same holes in coverage? Defensively...IMO, the JFresh charts have made far too much of his inadequacies on defense. Think he will be reborn getting away from Columbus and watching all his old guys be sold off for the highest bidder.

Toews=call me crazy....zero concerns here. 50-60 points here.

MAF=Like Theo I think his numbers won't do how justice on how he plays. Hawks d zone coverage is horrific under JC and until I see otherwise, he will see FAR TOO MANY grade A chances....like Lehner and CC, he will stop far more than he misses vs Lankinen/Suban/Delia. Motivation to start for team canada is a bonus.

Kane=that sound you hear is the 1000 lb weight lifted off his shoulders. He actually has some depth and hawks should have 3 good lines to produce night in and night out, baring injuries....Kubalik-Toews-x, Debrincat-Dach-Kane, Kurashev-Johnson-hagel......I don't even strome on my radar.....If Hawks keep him you could slide Hagel up with 8/19 and put 17 with Johnson/Kurashev or give Nylander a try there.

Again, hope we see the 4th line a total of 5 minutes a night.....I get the hype for Gaudette and Borgstrom but whatever they can show or give is a bonus....not expecting a lot otherwise they would still be in Van and Fla respectively.

I'll take the over.
- Theo Fox

DeBrincat continues to amaze and actually earn his salary. Not too shabby for a 2nd round pick, I wonder who convince Stan to draft him.

Toews - I think he’ll play 70+ games and get 55 points
Kane - 30 goals and 95 points
DeBrincat - 40 goals and 75 points
Borgstrom - 15 goals and 35 points (plays 75+ games)
Dach - plays his first “full” season netting 60 points
Gaudette - slow start but comes around by the end of the season earning regular bottom 6 minutes
Hagel - will play well but regress a bit
Kubalik - another solid season, 35 goals, re-signs for 4 years @ $5 millions AAV
Nylander - surprises everyone with 20 goals and 20 assists
Kurashev - plays mostly in the bottom 6, but fills-in with the top 6 as needed including PP2 time
Johnson - I think he’ll have a disappointing season, 20 points and will end the season as 4RW
Strome - will be traded (with Connolly) before the Olympics

deHaan - will be traded
S. Jones - 60 points, 25+ minutes TOI
Stillman - solid 3rd pairing d-man who fills in on the 2nd pairing occasionally
McCabe - has the biggest impact of all the new faces
Kalynuk - emerges as a top pairing d-man and runs the 2nd PP units
Murphy - continues to get better
Beaudin - fills in for deHaan when he’s traded
C Jones - spends most of the season as the 7D

Fleury - good season, not as good as last year. Doesn’t return.
Lankinen - reclaims the #1 role for the playoffs

The Hawks make the playoff and lose in the 2nd round.

When has JC not had a big turnover in personnel at the beginning of each season? There is something to be said for familiarity with the coach, your teammates, etc.

Hope you are well....

This is a question.....is it the GMs job to supply a coach with assets who best fit his/her system to win? Or is it a coaches job to pivot and tweak their system to support what they have in players?

Q had a young team in 2008-09 and won....so the exhaustive narrative of how he didn't like young kids is hilarious to me. NO, he didn't like hockey stupid players.

JC....does his system actually win over the long haul in the NHL?

I'd love to see a chart from the JFresh crowd of how many guys are WIDE open in the hash marks or slightly above or below because the Hawks blow the coverage...not just year 1...but every year....it's remarkable to me.
- SteveRain

I’m sure a GM should work with his coach when acquiring players through a trade. Drafting is another story, you draft best available regardless if he fits the coaching scheme. Obviously a team may rate best available differently. That trade with Montreal was a prime example of a GM and coach not only on different pages, but different books altogether.

Does JC’s system win over the long haul? His system or similar systems are used on a number of NHL teams including Tampa. But a coach and system in of themselves don’t win. Talent does. And the Hawks are low on talent to be anything more than a team looking to make the playoffs.

Analytics aren’t, or shouldn’t, be the be all and end all on assessing talent or the trajectory of a player. Analytics should be used to get a feel of a player backed up by actual observation. And, observation should be measured against that player’s analytical assessment.

Slowish start is inevitable. New faces...New room....will take some time for them to gel. Fully expect playoffs and baring a major run of impactful injuries....

It'll be fun to watch.

Depending upon playoff matchup, I think they can win a round....so my personal expectations for the year are to make the playoffs and if they play Dallas, Winnipeg, STL, Nashville, Minnesota I expect them to win that series. IF they play Colorado, I'll be thrilled if they win a game.
- SteveRain

- Rota's Rooter

I'll give you Colorado finishing above them....

Find me 3 more teams that are trending in that division.

Dallas....sure
Winnipeg.....eh......not sold
STL....just as many question marks as here
Arizona...may finish last in the league
Nashville...trending in wrong direction
Minnesota....not only are they trending in the wrong direction but Guerin just nuked their cap for years.....

Hawks are right there....BTW...I can HEAR this GIF.

Slowish start is inevitable. New faces...New room....will take some time for them to gel. Fully expect playoffs and baring a major run of impactful injuries....

It'll be fun to watch.

Depending upon playoff matchup, I think they can win a round....so my personal expectations for the year are to make the playoffs and if they play Dallas, Winnipeg, STL, Nashville, Minnesota I expect them to win that series. IF they play Colorado, I'll be thrilled if they win a game.
- SteveRain

Sure, but traditionally, last seed plays top seed...

When has JC not had a big turnover in personnel at the beginning of each season? There is something to be said for familiarity with the coach, your teammates, etc.
- LAHawk

Going out on a limb they won't be so bad from the start. I would like to be a "buyer" come TDL.