Zach Jarom: Who Stays and Who Goes

First.

I believe KFC will start adding real free agents. The premise "we have to wait and see what our young draft choices become" doesn't hold water for him. If too many fail, he won't get another shot. It will be somebody else running the Blackhawks.

I'd say Reichel is the only one with a better then 50/50 shot of coming back.

Including Hall and Reichel, they have 10 forwards. Add Anderson (who I believe is the "best of the rest", that's 11. Add one or two notable free agents and you are at 12-13. Maybe you bring back one of Raddysh and/or R. Johnson (just because LR seems to like him?) and that's your roster. Anyone else is going to be on a 2 way contract at best. With the number of prospects joining Rockford next year (Ludwinski, Hayes, Savoie, possibly Nazar and Slaggert), I don't think they will be retaining many of these guys.

I'd say Reichel is the only one with a better then 50/50 shot of coming back.

Including Hall and Reichel, they have 10 forwards. Add Anderson (who I believe is the "best of the rest", that's 11. Add one or two notable free agents and you are at 12-13. Maybe you bring back one of Raddysh and/or R. Johnson (just because LR seems to like him?) and that's your roster. Anyone else is going to be on a 2 way contract at best. With the number of prospects joining Rockford next year (Ludwinski, Hayes, Savoie, possibly Nazar and Slaggert), I don't think they will be retaining many of these guys.
- Chunk

A pivotal factor in the free-agent discussion is whether or not Nazar and/or Slaggert make the team next team. Does the organization feel their development is better served in Rockford or Chicago?

I would not even try to resign either of the forward UFAs at all.
On D I would maybe bring Megna into camp on a PTO if he doesn't sign elsewhere. He's a local kid who's big and can pass through waivers if the rookies warrant his displacement as the 7th Dman.
Of the forward RFAs, I bring back Joey Anderson for sure and tentatively plan for a 15-16-17 3rd line. The rest bring nothing that can't be improved upon with different bodies. If they are in KD's plan, fine, I just don't see how.

Can you spell P-u-r-g-e? Time to get rid of the dead weight. We have some dime-a-dozen players and we need better talent. Entwhistle, Jonhson, and Guttman you can toss. I would rather keep Blackwell over Anderson but either way their days are numbered. Slaggert and Nazar are here to stay. Add to what is left and let us see where that takes us. We need a forceful fourth line checking crew.

The Hawks need scoring

Team leaders in goals:

Bedard 22 (IMO he at least doubles that next year)
Richardinson 22 (best season by more than double his previous best of 9) does he revert to the mean
Kurashev 18 goals -does he continue to break-out )
Foligno 17 goals (2 in his last 20 at 37 yo)
johnson 17 (in the words of Hawk Harrelson He Gone)
Donato 12 (about what you would expect)
Nazer ? Slaggert? Slaggert is not going to be a big scorer in the NHL (IMO), and Nazer if you get 20 from him would be a great rookie season IMO.

Everyone else single digits. How much can you expect from Hall and AA ? Do they stay healthy?

Either htrough UFA or a trade, I think they really need a couple of forwards that will pot them 20-25 goals next season.

I would not even try to resign either of the forward UFAs at all.
On D I would maybe bring Megna into camp on a PTO if he doesn't sign elsewhere. He's a local kid who's big and can pass through waivers if the rookies warrant his displacement as the 7th Dman.
Of the forward RFAs, I bring back Joey Anderson for sure and tentatively plan for a 15-16-17 3rd line. The rest bring nothing that can't be improved upon with different bodies. If they are in KD's plan, fine, I just don't see how.
- GreenJeans

The Hawks need to improve and not finish in the bottom 3 again. They likely won't be a playoff team, but they need to be out of the bottom 5, preferably bottom 10. This will take some tough decisions which will lead to player departures.

UFAs - it was nice knowing you
- T Johnson
- C Blackwell
- N Zeitsev
- J Tinordi
- J Megna
- R Pitlick (it would great to keep him in Rockford)
- Z Sandford

UFAs - bring back
- none (at least none that would play in Chicago)

RFAs - it was nice knowing you
- T Raddysh (unless he was playing hurt this season)
- R Johnson (Rockford material?)
- M Entwistle (Rockford material?)
- F Roos

RFAs - bring back
- J Anderson (not 100% certain, but he could be a decent 13th forward)
- L Reichel
- M Teply (for Rockford)
- C Guttman (for Rockford)
- I Phillips (for Rockford)
- L Crevier (for Rockford)
- J Stauber (for Rockford)

Under Contract But Need to Go
- A Soderblom

The Hawks need scoring

Team leaders in goals:

Bedard 22 (IMO he at least doubles that next year)
Richardinson 22 (best season by more than double his previous best of 9) does he revert to the mean
Kurashev 18 goals -does he continue to break-out )
Foligno 17 goals (2 in his last 20 at 37 yo)
johnson 17 (in the words of Hawk Harrelson He Gone)
Donato 12 (about what you would expect)
Nazer ? Slaggert? Slaggert is not going to be a big scorer in the NHL (IMO), and Nazer if you get 20 from him would be a great rookie season IMO.

Everyone else single digits. How much can you expect from Hall and AA ? Do they stay healthy?

Either htrough UFA or a trade, I think they really need a couple of forwards that will pot them 20-25 goals next season.
- LAHawk

I don't think the Hawks will bring in any top tier UFAs this season, but that might happen in the summer of 2025. KD is more likely to have targets like Teravainen, Tarasenko, DeBrusk, and D Joshua.

I don't think the Hawks will bring in any top tier UFAs this season, but that might happen in the summer of 2025. KD is more likely to have targets like Teravainen, Tarasenko, DeBrusk, and D Joshua.
- DarthKane

Exactly, why I said 20-25 goal scorers, which are what the above can project well maybe not Joshua). They aren't getting Stamkos/Guentzel/Reinhart, or anyone of that ilk.

The Hawks need scoring

Team leaders in goals:

Bedard 22 (IMO he at least doubles that next year)
Richardinson 22 (best season by more than double his previous best of 9) does he revert to the mean
Kurashev 18 goals -does he continue to break-out )
Foligno 17 goals (2 in his last 20 at 37 yo)
johnson 17 (in the words of Hawk Harrelson He Gone)
Donato 12 (about what you would expect)
Nazer ? Slaggert? Slaggert is not going to be a big scorer in the NHL (IMO), and Nazer if you get 20 from him would be a great rookie season IMO.

Everyone else single digits. How much can you expect from Hall and AA ? Do they stay healthy?

Either htrough UFA or a trade, I think they really need a couple of forwards that will pot them 20-25 goals next season.
- LAHawk

Seems that there might be more teams willing to make some moves this offseason. OTT, PHI, PIT, CGY, BUF all have their own reasons to be in the market for change.

Not to mention teams at the top that are near the cap that need to move on from some guys. I'm hopeful. If Necas is available, I'd pursue that as much as possible.

Seems that there might be more teams willing to make some moves this offseason. OTT, PHI, PIT, CGY, BUF all have their own reasons to be in the market for change.

Not to mention teams at the top that are near the cap that need to move on from some guys. I'm hopeful. If Necas is available, I'd pursue that as much as possible.
- Chunk

If Pesce goes UFA, I hope KD would be all over that.

I just don't think my opinion of filling the bottom of the Blackhawk roster is in my co

Eventually I expect that Rockford becomes a hugely important part to the process, kinda of how the Syrancuse Crunch was used so successfully to develop Tampa Bay team leaduing to the two Cup era.
Sure, many were brought in, and later used as trade material (like Boris Kactouk and Radish) but they filled the Crunch with an entire team of guys to mix and mold a team system and work ethic.

I just not so sure the Hawks would be better w/o Nazar and Landon Slaggert, but I realize those decisions are sometimes based the amount of playrs you know need to saty in the NHL contract wide.

That is why the past drafts can be nicely complimented by grbbing a lot more forwards to eventually crowd the farm team.

I just think maybe now is the time to use the draft to start drafting Canadien hockey players who excel playing hard and gritty.

I say that not ignoring skill but they are still going to have several more years where guys with skill and grit can be had in that drafts in the next 4-6 years.

I am very confident it the top 19 prospects on the Hawk list are gone that they easily can go to the mike and take RD Adam Jiricek and stop the perseveration here that the hawks system is so weak because of it, despite University of Minnesota RD Sam Rinzel...

Raddysh is apparently Bedard’s best bud on the roster. Recalling how swimmingly it went when Edmonton traded Caggiula, I’d say re-up him 2 years at 1.125. Gives ya a chance to learn whether he was hurt, does he get gun shy in contract years, or was his big season the fluke. Some guys just play better with security. Some tune out. This achieves both in a way with minimal risk.
Re-Up Reichel, J. Anderson, bring as many to Rockford as will sign. You don’t want ELCs sitting around as 13-14 forwards or 7th D Men.
Get a real goalie pipeline cooking in the system before its an issue.
Bedard is gonna be RW1 next year, Foligno likely on his LW1, which means finding a playmaking Center who is good in the dot would be wise.
Brayden Schenn can likely be had in a buy low situation. Same with Schmaltz in Utah. Perhaps Strome in Anaheim? Any one of them could be had for a Mid Prospect and a 3rd…

I'm good with re-upping Reichel.
The rest? Blackhawks need to bring in new guys and bring up new guys.

I was on the same page as ZJ until I got to Cole Guttman, Reese Johnson, and Mackenzie Entwistle are welcome in Rockford, but none of them should be on an NHL roster even the bottom feeders like the Hawks. Plus, Hawks are going to have pay some guy to play for them next year, that should push a few 1 mil/year players out.

Raddysh is apparently Bedard’s best bud on the roster. Recalling how swimmingly it went when Edmonton traded Caggiula, I’d say re-up him 2 years at 1.125. Gives ya a chance to learn whether he was hurt, does he get gun shy in contract years, or was his big season the fluke. Some guys just play better with security. Some tune out. This achieves both in a way with minimal risk.
Re-Up Reichel, J. Anderson, bring as many to Rockford as will sign. You don’t want ELCs sitting around as 13-14 forwards or 7th D Men.
Get a real goalie pipeline cooking in the system before its an issue.
Bedard is gonna be RW1 next year, Foligno likely on his LW1, which means finding a playmaking Center who is good in the dot would be wise.
Brayden Schenn can likely be had in a buy low situation. Same with Schmaltz in Utah. Perhaps Strome in Anaheim? Any one of them could be had for a Mid Prospect and a 3rd…
- 13of39

Thanks for the outside perspective. I think if Foligno is LW1 next year, something will have gone horribly wrong again.

Regarding keeping Raddysh around, do you think that keeping Caggiula on the team would have changed their fortunes? He's not been able to stay in the bigs after multiple opportunities. Especially in today's game, I don't know if you can justify having a guy on the roster just because he's a star's best friend.

Exactly, why I said 20-25 goal scorers, which are what the above can project well maybe not Joshua). They aren't getting Stamkos/Guentzel/Reinhart, or anyone of that ilk.
- LAHawk

Joshua would be a great pick-up, but not a guy I would overpay for. For a reasonable AAV he'd be a great addition to the bottom 6. He's a guy that accepts his role, he averaged 2 mins / game of PK time while potting almost 20 goals. I think Joshua would be great on a line with D!ckinson and Slaggert.

Raddysh is apparently Bedard’s best bud on the roster. Recalling how swimmingly it went when Edmonton traded Caggiula, I’d say re-up him 2 years at 1.125. Gives ya a chance to learn whether he was hurt, does he get gun shy in contract years, or was his big season the fluke. Some guys just play better with security. Some tune out. This achieves both in a way with minimal risk.
Re-Up Reichel, J. Anderson, bring as many to Rockford as will sign. You don’t want ELCs sitting around as 13-14 forwards or 7th D Men.
Get a real goalie pipeline cooking in the system before its an issue.
Bedard is gonna be RW1 next year, Foligno likely on his LW1, which means finding a playmaking Center who is good in the dot would be wise.
Brayden Schenn can likely be had in a buy low situation. Same with Schmaltz in Utah. Perhaps Strome in Anaheim? Any one of them could be had for a Mid Prospect and a 3rd…
- 13of39

Anyone but Schmaltz. It's a catfight between him and Marner as far as who is the biggest chickenpoop in the Show. They could fight for hours and neither one would get hurt.

Joshua would be a great pick-up, but not a guy I would overpay for. For a reasonable AAV he'd be a great addition to the bottom 6. He's a guy that accepts his role, he averaged 2 mins / game of PK time while potting almost 20 goals. I think Joshua would be great on a line with D!ckinson and Slaggert.
- DarthKane

I loved watching Joshua play this year, the Hawks don't have anyone like him on the roster right now. Unfortunately it does not solve the Hawks lack of scorers.

Good question Darth - Id like to see both in the Rock until Jan 1 and evaluate to bring them up. Everyone needs to experience the Rock before coming to the show.

Exactly, why I said 20-25 goal scorers, which are what the above can project well maybe not Joshua). They aren't getting Stamkos/Guentzel/Reinhart, or anyone of that ilk.
- LAHawk

Taylor Hall was supposed to be one of those 25 goal guys, who knows if that will ever happen.

KD could fill the roster with UFA forwards looking for 1 last contract - Toffoli, Okposo, van Riemsdyk, Tarasenko, Duclair, Monahan etc. But they do nothing other than making the team look a little more competitive but still nowhere near a contender for a playoff spot.

KD likely has to dip into his collection of draft picks to get anything good via trade. Or take a grossly overpaid player in a cash dump.

Taylor Hall was supposed to be one of those 25 goal guys, who knows if that will ever happen.

KD could fill the roster with UFA forwards looking for 1 last contract - Toffoli, Okposo, van Riemsdyk, Tarasenko, Duclair, Monahan etc. But they do nothing other than making the team look a little more competitive but still nowhere near a contender for a playoff spot.

KD likely has to dip into his collection of draft picks to get anything good via trade. Or take a grossly overpaid player in a cash dump.
- RickJ

Hall and AA are the 2 flippable pending UFA's at next years trade deadline if they have decent seasons.

Hall and AA are the 2 flippable pending UFA's at next years trade deadline if they have decent seasons.
- LAHawk

Hall much more than AA, but yeah, not much to flip for sure