AV in presser reports Booth out 4-6 weeks, with Kesler out for unknown time, will they finally move LU?
- PFD_Hawks

They'll have to move Lou if they want a 2nd line.

Glad you guys liked that one. Hope the new Bears coach gets a better o'line to work with next year. BTW...just heard from Omiyale...he's currently the grill man on the 4-midnight shift at a Denny's in Des Plaines.
- philco28[/quote]

DP Love

>>>From 40,000 feet, let me start by saying this: the Hawks could be very good or very disappointing.<<<

What no other possibilities? Seems this could be true of about 28 of the 32 teams in the league.

Good god, there were so many things wrong with that defensive play. He should watch a lidstrom video

If youre going to play the active stick check route on a rush, you have to keep your spacing and your feet moving.

If youre going to step up on the puck carrier, you have to take the body and/or keep him to the outside and not give him the middle of the ice.

What does Leddy do? Plays stick check, steps up, stops, doesnt touch him, lets him right into the slot.

Nice
- FourFeathers773

Leddy plays professional hockey.

You talk hockey on a message board.

In Ty Anderson's blog he mentions there are 7 teams under the cap floor. Colorado will be fine once they sign O'Reilly and Dallas will be ok when they sign Benn. St. Louis and Florida are pretty close too and that leaves Ottawa, NYI and Phoenix that need to spend some money.

Ottawa and New York could be intriguing trade partners. Ottawa due to their abundance in goaltending and the Islanders may be willing to take a contract for a pick. Maybe we could get a 2nd and/or 3rd in this years draft from the Islanders. Frolik and Beach would help bring New York to the cap floor and we could take a pick or 2 back. I'd love to get Neilsen out of New York but I don't see that happening.

Edit: The cap floor is $44, so ignore everything I said (just like my wife does).

Aaaaaaaand...queue the groin injury tracker in 3....2....1....

Nice Al...as i said on page 1 of this thread....the 88-36-10 line is the most intriguing line to me.
- philco28

I always have liked Kane and Sharp together...

On the Blackhawks: The Art of Compromise - My Fox Chicago: http://bit.ly/VYoMzh

Anyone interested in offer sheeting Subban?

If the NHL was smart, why not give the Hawks the winter classic this year or market a little bit by the Hawks playing one of their games at the rink being put up at soldier field?
- nickmo2699

Not something the NHL would do on the fly...

But the Hawks could schedule a practice there, although there won't be many practices.

Anyone interested in offer sheeting Subban?
- scottak

I wouldn't be and I'm sure Bowman has no interest.

Hey Beav,

Is Carruth having such a strong season due to his play, or the defense in front of him? His numbers look very good, but numbers can be misleading. What's your take?
- nelli312

Being perhaps the only dual Hawk fan here, I've had more then my share of goalie heartache this last year.

Very good question concerning his improved numbers this year. I've been asking myself that all year. Till now, Ptown could have had me in net and still be in 1st. Let's see how far he and his team gets this year in the post season. He needs to backstop the Winterhawks to Saskatoon for me to say he has a future.

Jason Arnott still UFA, 17-17-34 +13 LY in STL. 38 YO possible 1 year insurance policy?

I always have liked Kane and Sharp together...

On the Blackhawks: The Art of Compromise - My Fox Chicago: http://bit.ly/VYoMzh
- Al

Interesting read Al.

My concern with the second line is, will it look like a one man or a two man advantage for the other team when Hawks don't have the puck. I can see it now, 10 & 88 skating little circles at the blue line waiting for the stretch pass.

Interesting read Al.

My concern with the second line is, will it look like a one man or a two man advantage for the other team when Hawks don't have the puck. I can see it now, 10 & 88 skating little circles at the blue line waiting for the stretch pass.
- Beaver-Warrior

There are question marks but Shaw's line raises more concerns for me.

John Jaeckel: How Good (Or Bad) Will The Hawks Be?
- John Jaeckel

Last Spring I put forth these same 13 forwards as what this team might look like this year and was kinda ridiculed on here. "No changes at forward? Are you insane?" The fact is I am slightly off center in many ways, but hit this one.

I look for this to be a big advantage for the Hawks early. All of their forwards are familiar with each other. There will be far less feeling out of linemates in order to reach a comfort zone than teams that moved many parts. With no preseason and a very abreviated camp, this could be a huge plus. I look for them to start strong offensively.

Now as for which Crawford we see and can Stan upgrade there...who knows?

Disagree with the first part. Agree with the last part. I think he is gunshy and always holding out for the sweetheart deal as opposed to value for value . . . because . . . he has a giant, meddlesome, finger-pointing ego above him.
- John Jaeckel

'Gunshy' is one way to describe his unwillingness / inability to pull off a team improving deal, I prefer to call it being inept in assessing the strengths and weaknesses of his team and then effectively doing something about it.

So if the Hawks really, really do want a top notch goalie, an effective G.M. would step up to the plate prepared to trade commensurate assets. If you want Robin Lehner badly enough (described by Coach Paul Maclean as the best player in the AHL), be prepared to deal Danault and/or Shaw and more than that if you think goaltending is your achilles heal on what would otherwise could be a championship team.

Sending a boy to do a man's job dealing with a guy like Bryan Murray is a waste of time. He aint taking Jimmy Hayes and Jeremy Morin and Shawn Lalonde back for a potential franchise goaltender.

You want Jonas Hiller from the Ducks? - step up and help re-stock them with some of the good forwards you have. They"ll listen, they've got a one line team with 2 star players who are pending UFA's.

Arguing trade-in value on your 10 year old Corolla doesn't getting much listening time with a guy selling Bentley's. He immediately sees Stanbow for what he is -a bean counter who likes rummaging thru garbage cans hoping to find an accidently discarded jackpot lottery ticket.

'Gunshy' is one way to describe his unwillingness / inability to pull off a team improving deal, I prefer to call it being inept in assessing the strengths and weaknesses of his team and then effectively doing something about it.

So if the Hawks really, really do want a top notch goalie, an effective G.M. would step up to the plate prepared to trade commensurate assets. If you want Robin Lehner badly enough (described by Coach Paul Maclean as the best player in the AHL), be prepared to deal Danault and/or Shaw and more than that if you think goaltending is your achilles heal on what would otherwise could be a championship team.

Sending a boy to do a man's job dealing with a guy like Bryan Murray is a waste of time. He aint taking Jimmy Hayes and Jeremy Morin and Shawn Lalonde back for a potential franchise goaltender.

You want Jonas Hiller from the Ducks? - step up and help re-stock them with some of the good forwards you have. They"ll listen, they've got a one line team with 2 star players who are pending UFA's.

Arguing trade-in value on your 10 year old Corolla doesn't getting much listening time with a guy selling Bentley's. He immediately sees Stanbow for what he is -a bean counter who likes rummaging thru garbage cans hoping to find an accidently discarded jackpot lottery ticket.
- RickJ

Well stated.

There are question marks but Shaw's line raises more concerns for me.
- Al

>http://blogs.suntimes.com...will_showcase_hawks_.html

>Al, have you heard if tomorrow's scrimmage is open to the public? Time?
>Nice read on your latest
>Think the lines could work if the Hawks play the ENTIRE game at a super-fast pace AND if they roll 4 lines most of the game, every game

'Gunshy' is one way to describe his unwillingness / inability to pull off a team improving deal, I prefer to call it being inept in assessing the strengths and weaknesses of his team and then effectively doing something about it.

So if the Hawks really, really do want a top notch goalie, an effective G.M. would step up to the plate prepared to trade commensurate assets. If you want Robin Lehner badly enough (described by Coach Paul Maclean as the best player in the AHL), be prepared to deal Danault and/or Shaw and more than that if you think goaltending is your achilles heal on what would otherwise could be a championship team.

Sending a boy to do a man's job dealing with a guy like Bryan Murray is a waste of time. He aint taking Jimmy Hayes and Jeremy Morin and Shawn Lalonde back for a potential franchise goaltender.

You want Jonas Hiller from the Ducks? - step up and help re-stock them with some of the good forwards you have. They"ll listen, they've got a one line team with 2 star players who are pending UFA's.

Arguing trade-in value on your 10 year old Corolla doesn't getting much listening time with a guy selling Bentley's. He immediately sees Stanbow for what he is -a bean counter who likes rummaging thru garbage cans hoping to find an accidently discarded jackpot lottery ticket.
- RickJ

You mean the Hawks aren't getting Henrik Lundqvist straight up for Shawn Lalonde ? Drats!

>http://blogs.suntimes.com...will_showcase_hawks_.html

>Al, have you heard if tomorrow's scrimmage is open to the public? Time?
>Nice read on your latest
>Think the lines could work if the Hawks play the ENTIRE game at a super-fast pace AND if they roll 4 lines most of the game, every game
- SnapitUpstairs

Today's Trib said that Kompon was in charge of the PP. Didn't Kings fans come over here the day Kompon was hired saying their PP took off once Kompon was removed from it?

I'm also assuming that means more of the same on the PK with Kitchen.

Well stated.
- NewToHockey

There is one other one that bugs my butt - Holmgren trade James Van Riemsdyk to Toronto for Luke 'Pylon' Schenn. WTF? Stan couldn't have come up with a better package to offer the Flyers? More likely, he even didn't know JVR was available.

You mean the Hawks aren't getting Henrik Lundqvist straight up for Shawn Lalonde ? Drats!
- Beaver-Warrior

I think Glen Sather is holding out to have Kyle Beach thrown into the deal but Stan fears throwing potential away.

There is one other one that bugs my butt - Holmgren trade James Van Riemsdyk to Toronto for Luke 'Pylon' Schenn. WTF? Stan couldn't have come up with a better package to offer the Flyers? More likely, he even didn't know JVR was available.
- RickJ

Say what you like about Burke, but he wasn't shy about pulling the trigger on a trade.

I think Glen Sather is holding out to have Kyle Beach thrown into the deal but Stan fears throwing potential away.
- RickJ

I can see how that would be a deal breaker.

Interesting read Al.

My concern with the second line is, will it look like a one man or a two man advantage for the other team when Hawks don't have the puck. I can see it now, 10 & 88 skating little circles at the blue line waiting for the stretch pass.
- Beaver-Warrior

Legit concern Beav....but since Kane and Sharp have been Hawks' they are +23 and +66 respectively, in the regular season...while Bolland is +40. They should be alright.