Is Brad Richards not considered a legitimate center?
- mkolchenkov

exactly what I thought....whether or not he is playing well is a whole other topic. He is definitely a legit center though for sure.

Love the kid, but Kane needs to get going.

He hasn't really had those flashes of dominance he showed last postseason at all this year. A lot of circling to the top of the zone and dumping deep, or stick handling on the half wall

His impending 10.5 mil cap hit demands he start being better
- FourFeathers773

some people wont admit this but thats a fact. We pay Toews 10.5 for exactly the player he is....great two way center, hard working, skilled and is the team Captain...so we are fine there.


However we pay Kane to be nothing but a goal scoring, play making machine. Which he is not right now. Certainly not Corey Perry type numbers. This kid should be in the top 5 or 10 in scoring every year. He is not. Heck right now he is 84th in scoring in the NHL....thats ridiculous. Well I will put some of the blame on Stan Bowman....you should have went all in for Kessler and you didnt.

some people wont admit this but thats a fact. We pay Toews 10.5 for exactly the player he is....great two way center, hard working, skilled and is the team Captain...so we are fine there.


However we pay Kane to be nothing but a goal scoring, play making machine. Which he is not right now. Certainly not Corey Perry type numbers. This kid should be in the top 5 or 10 in scoring every year. He is not. Heck right now he is 84th in scoring in the NHL....thats ridiculous. Well I will put some of the blame on Stan Bowman....you should have went all in for Kessler and you didnt.

- imissroenick

YESSSSSSSSSS. Let's make value judgments on the worth of a consistently high-performing player's long-term contract based on a sample size of ~15% of one NHL season.

Smith-Toews-Kane
Sharp-Shaw-Hossa
Saad-Richards-Morin
Bickell-Kruger-Versteeg

I can think of a few better Combos, I think you need to get Shaw out of the top 6 and back on wing in the bottom 6. How about this:

Smith-Toews-Kane
Sharp-Richards-Hossa
Saad-Kruger-Shaw
Bickell-Versteeg-Morin

You can also switch Smith/Morin/Bickell any way you see fit.

Putting line combos together you see how this team is flawed (as all teams are). Smith is a nice player, but don't really think he is a first line option, a gamer and gritty, but not really a scorer and not a big enough physical presence to create any space for Kane & Toews. Sharp/Bickell/Morin are more line one options as shooters/scorers. Bickell on line 4 is more I think Q sending a message (I guess the <10 minutes a game wasn't enough of one to Bick). Shaw is just not a line 2 center. Possession numbers for that line stink, and he is one of the reasons. Loses too many face-offs and Kane just cant go 1 on 5. Too many teams just wont let Kane dictate play. While he is the one guy on the team that can "do it by himself", it's just not a recipe for long term success as can be seen by his numbers so far. Versteeg is Versteeg, for every good thing he may do, he offsets it with something just as bad/stupid. I hate to use the term "pressing", but what else can explain Saad so far. It's not a lack of hustle or unwillingness to engage, but every pass is bouncing off or over his stick, every shot is at the crest, off the post, or an opponent and he is obviously frustrated, needs to just go back to the basics, a North/South game. I think once he pots one or two the floodgates open.

One thing I've learned following the Kings these last 3 years is that the regular season means crap. Just get to the playoffs. Forget about division titles or president trophies, those are for the Duck, Sharks and Blues teams of the NHL.

Richards had a goal the other night in Toronto, then the Hawks got shut out at home. How does that make him "hot as of late"??

Enjoying watching the IceHogs!!! Hope to see them dominate as the season moves along. They have the defense, that's for sure!

I assert that the Hawks have never recovered from the loss of Jamie Kompon, they haven't been the same since he left...Discuss

I can think of a few better Combos, I think you need to get Shaw out of the top 6 and back on wing in the bottom 6. How about this:

Smith-Toews-Kane
Sharp-Richards-Hossa
Saad-Kruger-Shaw
Bickell-Versteeg-Morin

You can also switch Smith/Morin/Bickell any way you see fit.

Putting line combos together you see how this team is flawed (as all teams are). Smith is a nice player, but don't really think he is a first line option, a gamer and gritty, but not really a scorer and not a big enough physical presence to create any space for Kane & Toews. Sharp/Bickell/Morin are more line one options as shooters/scorers. Bickell on line 4 is more I think Q sending a message (I guess the <10 minutes a game wasn't enough of one to Bick). Shaw is just not a line 2 center. Possession numbers for that line stink, and he is one of the reasons. Loses too many face-offs and Kane just cant go 1 on 5. Too many teams just wont let Kane dictate play. While he is the one guy on the team that can "do it by himself", it's just not a recipe for long term success as can be seen by his numbers so far. Versteeg is Versteeg, for every good thing he may do, he offsets it with something just as bad/stupid. I hate to use the term "pressing", but what else can explain Saad so far. It's not a lack of hustle or unwillingness to engage, but every pass is bouncing off or over his stick, every shot is at the crest, off the post, or an opponent and he is obviously frustrated, needs to just go back to the basics, a North/South game. I think once he pots one or two the floodgates open.
- TheTrob

That looks good you could go either way. However coach Q will have these lines upside down, and inside out. Before the end of the 1st period.

I assert that the Hawks have never recovered from the loss of Jamie Kompon, they haven't been the same since he left...Discuss
- Sundevil

Richards had a goal the other night in Toronto, then the Hawks got shut out at home. How does that make him "hot as of late"??
- BlazinMike

who knows...maybe he is running a fever...

That looks good you could go either way. However coach Q will have these lines upside down, and inside out. Before the end of the 1st period.
- BGKarras

Lotta truth to that. The only way to know what you have is to let these lines play together for an extended period to time. We have all seen lines tossed 10 mins into period 1.

Q could take the pressure off and tell them.. these are the lines tonight. No changes. Go make it happen and roll 4 lines all game long win/lose/draw

Always thought Shaw must be illegitimate, now it's confirmed. He also plays a bastardized style of hockey, the whack and hack.
Some guys I hate, but would want them on my team. Shaw is not that, he's more a Ryan Kesler type, more cheap shots than actual tough play.
- PlayerX

Got Dustin Brown?

Got Justin Williams?

Got Milk?

At least Kesler stood up and took his lumps from Ladd. Never seen Brown or Williams do that in a legitimate way.

Shaw has answered the bell far more than any of them. He plays on the edge but backs it up. Even when he shouldn't. This Hawks roster is so "low T" (as JJ says) I think Shaw has been pressing to get more hits since he is about the only one who will.

Another good write up, JJ--I'm right there with you on your points. I know a lot of people like to throw the SOG stat around, and to me, it can be a misleading stat as to who controlled the game.
Bickell...a guy who has all the size and strength you wish you had, and who never uses it. Unless it's the playoffs, he's just a well-paid ghost on the ice.

As in the words of bears killer aaron rodgers.... R-E-L-A-X!

Richards had a goal the other night in Toronto, then the Hawks got shut out at home. How does that make him "hot as of late"??
- BlazinMike

Playing better than before?

Thought he looked pretty average Sunday.... but that may be hot compared to 2 weeks ago.

Team has a lot of vets who look bored with the regular season. Kane leading the way. Saad and Bickell just look bewildered and this constant line juggling results in at least 2 or 3 instances a game where players do not know where others are - resulting in missed passes or bad defensive position. Q needs to find at least 2 lines and stick with them - he can shuffle the other 6 until he is comfy or bring up Nordstrom et al for a shot.

Still think this roster sees a roster player (thought Morin but maybe Bickell) plus another piece go by the deadline for a depth upgrade at forward.

Always thought Shaw must be illegitimate, now it's confirmed. He also plays a bastardized style of hockey, the whack and hack.
Some guys I hate, but would want them on my team. Shaw is not that, he's more a Ryan Kesler type, more cheap shots than actual tough play.
- PlayerX

Gotta' diasagree with you, my man. Shaw is probably the only guy willing to do the dirty work on this roster. Every team needs a balance of styles and temperment. Not many Hawks (none, actually) are willing to do what he does, especially get in front of the net and take the beatings that come with that territory. He's not a pretty player and that's fine. He's kind of a throwback to an era of chippier hockey, in my opinion. He provides a spark.

Gotta' diasagree with you, my man. Shaw is probably the only guy willing to do the dirty work on this roster. Every team needs a balance of styles and temperment. Not many Hawks (none, actually) are willing to do what he does, especially get in front of the net and take the beatings that come with that territory. He's not a pretty player and that's fine. He's kind of a throwback to an era of chippier hockey, in my opinion. He provides a spark.
- Hank3Henshaw

I love Shaw and your right. One of the few consistent red a$$ players we have. I think he's way more effective on the wing.

hwks never win up in Hab land...usually play ok...but the usual bad things happen: late goals or lose in OT

tough team and place to try to right the ship
- bogiedoc

Acccording to the Score they havent won in Montreal in 13 yrs..

Acccording to the Score they havent won in Montreal in 13 yrs..
- Glenman12

That sounds REALLY bad until you realize that's over a grand total of 7 games in those 13 years, maybe 2 of those actually involving current players on the team. Not too concerned about how Tyler Arnason and Adam Munro handled the rigors of playing a game in Montreal.

Lotta truth to that. The only way to know what you have is to let these lines play together for an extended period to time. We have all seen lines tossed 10 mins into period 1.

Q could take the pressure off and tell them.. these are the lines tonight. No changes. Go make it happen and roll 4 lines all game long win/lose/draw
- z1990z

Very true but if coach Q feels that the team isn't playing the way he wants or is capable of playing he is going to start the blender. Can you blame him? That's debatable. I just wish our HAWKS would wake up instead of sleepwalking. That's my GOAL!!!

Acccording to the Score they havent won in Montreal in 13 yrs..
- Glenman12

Talk about a house of horrors!

Talk about a house of horrors!
- BGKarras

7 games in 13 years. Not even remotely as bad as it sounds without that context.

7 games in 13 years. Not even remotely as bad as it sounds without that context.
- BreakoutHockey

It's still 13 years either way you slice it so yeah pretty much a house of horrors!

Crow will delight his hometown fans tonight.