Hubedreau +!
- Bjm84

The kind about him is

a) he should have NEVER been rushed into the NHL.
b) In junior was never asked taught disciplined to be defensievly responsible because of his skill.
c) is really a true centre and who has the time patience at the NHL level to let him grow into the role?


Boy, a week before the draft and I blew hours being a hawk fan instead of getting my stuff done.

Send all inquiries to me directly to PM as I gotta get out of here or i never will.

There is clearly another side to the argument.
The invested on dee, the think Holtby is the guy in net, and the past season back they were desperate enough to boast the PP by adding Mikhail GrabovskiThen last seaosn thought both Burakovsky and Kuznetsov could waltz in and be the guys.
Ovie is 29 and they pobably feel they gotta make noise or bigger changes pronto if they want to make the jump.
They play a style that has lost of thumpers but with them there have to be stronger mid roster scoring.

Hmmm they wouldn't give us 20 yr. old Andre Burakovsky, would they?

The hawks scouting also has the big ties to the USA program and Riley Barber is their property but he would be the second asset, not a primary, imo.
http://www.draftsite.com/...layer/riley-barber/17545/
- wiz1901

JJ has mentioned this already and logic follows that the Hawks are surely looking to add another Russian player to the lineup to ease the transition for Artemi. JJ through of Anton Volchenkov as a possibility and I would love him as our #6 D. Shot blocking machine that hits everything that he can get his hands on...slow to begin with and no spring chicken but a solid Russian NHL vet to show Panarin the ropes. I would have loved Kuznetsov from the Caps but after his playoff performance I doubt they part with Evgeny....

HI. Been reading for some time. Thought I would sign up and join the conversation.

Snap: Do you think an NFL guy, other than the guy at the NHL now, would help the NHL? Or does the NHL need a major overhaul in it strategy?

Personally, I think the NHL needs to do like the NFL has done over the past decade or so - tweak the rules so that skilled players can make exciting plays.
- KingB

They tried to tweak the rules after 2004 lockout and hasn't worked.
People in the US don't need 7-6 or 5-4 every night.
The flow of the game is most important...there is nothing to do with the rulebook for the most part.

Players are schooled to play defense at a much younger age, US college players as well as those that play up North.

Only quick fix that will make a little difference is to make the goalie's equipment smaller.

The video coach works more hours than anyone for a reason. Defensive schemes have improved because of better video usage and better advanced scouting. Most teams can learn to play effective defense....scoring suffers as a result.

I would hope the Hawks can get more for Sharp than Tom Wilson. Didn't he only score 4-5 goals playing with Backstrom and Ovechkin for most of the season. I have seen him run out of position for a hit.

I would hope the Hawks can get more for Sharp than Tom Wilson. Didn't he only score 4-5 goals playing with Backstrom and Ovechkin for most of the season. I have seen him run out of position for a hit.
- TTtime

He definitely has some discipline issues but he is a former 1st rounder and exactly what the Hawks are lacking...a big body with some skills that is willing to inflict punishment on the opponent. You also have to remember that he is 23 and has upside as a top 6 Power Forward on an ELC. Sharp is 33 with (presumably) his best days behind him....

Wouldnt Kesler be a good trade comparable for Sharp? Kesler trade to Ducks netted the Canucks a 1st round pick and a former 1st round prospect (Sbisa), plus a bit more.

Wouldnt Kesler be a good trade comparable for Sharp? Kesler trade to Ducks netted the Canucks a 1st round pick and a former 1st round prospect (Sbisa), plus a bit more.
- Cmonalready

Kesler was 29 at the time and Sharp is 33 which might lower the price a bit.....

They did that in 2004 with "enhanced focus" on clutching, grabbing, hooking, slashing and interference. NHL Referrees called it very tight for 5-years and recently there has been a regression to the '90s style of clutch and grab hockey. Refs need to call more of those penalties and it will open up the scoring a bit. Also, reducing the size of goalie pads a bit more should add a few more goals.
- EnzoD

I think you're right.

Wouldnt Kesler be a good trade comparable for Sharp? Kesler trade to Ducks netted the Canucks a 1st round pick and a former 1st round prospect (Sbisa), plus a bit more.
- Cmonalready

Sharp is a winner though

Chicago is gonna have to be ruthless if the cap is 67-68 million. The players are the ones who'll make the call on the accelerator, but the higher it is, the greater the escrow and cash clawed back from the players... players have had to pay back the owners when revenues have hit the accelerator targets...

Chicago is gonna have to be ruthless if the cap is 67-68 million. The players are the ones who'll make the call on the accelerator, but the higher it is, the greater the escrow and cash clawed back from the players... players have had to pay back the owners when revenues have hit the accelerator targets...
- kaptaan

....ruthless like trading away your Alternate Captain and 2x Stanley Cup winning goalie??

"At $71 million, he(Crawford) likely stays this season."

....ill ask as I've asked multiple times to multiple fans....

Please show me a realistic Hawks roster(that fits under 71ish mil, let alone 68ish) for next season INCLUDING Crawford that has any kind of chance at all of winning/competing for a Cup....IMO its impossible. Even at 71mil this guy needs to go. Gotta move big money. As JJ and others have stated even in moving Sharp, Bickell, Versteeg, Oduya, etc....they will have to take back roster players, make other moves....if u wanna keep Crawford amidst all of that then guess what, this will be a 2 line team next season. Jus sayin....

Crow has to go

He definitely has some discipline issues but he is a former 1st rounder and exactly what the Hawks are lacking...a big body with some skills that is willing to inflict punishment on the opponent. You also have to remember that he is 23 and has upside as a top 6 Power Forward on an ELC. Sharp is 33 with (presumably) his best days behind him....
- EnzoD

He's 21. I would worry about those projections if he only managed 17 pts playing with 2 world class players.

They just won their 3rd Cup in 6 seasons playing a certain style. So not sure about the whole lacking part. He would be fine as part of the return but him alone wouldn't be enough. IMO.

He's 21. I would worry about those projections if he only managed 17 pts playing with 2 world class players.

They just won their 3rd Cup in 6 seasons playing a certain style. So not sure about the whole lacking part. He would be fine as part of the return but him alone wouldn't be enough. IMO.
- TTtime

They won the Cup with Bryan Bickell delivering 8 PUNISHING hits per game. Bickell is gone and they have nobody else that can actually play NHL hockey and deliver punishment like that to grind down the oppositions Defenseman. Sharp for Wilson +2nd/3rd would be fine by me. And he played A LOT of 4th line minutes and was basically their enforcer to finish the season/playoffs...

This makes sense. Similar to what I posted yesterday.

There is GROWING concern with a weaker free agency that the top players won't vote in the escalator and that will have a major impact on teams hovering around the cap as it is. That is why Crawford IS the contingency plan. That number comes in lower then anticipated and you will see a lot of balls in motion. Especially if they feel Darling or Raanta, or another cheap veteran goalie can hold the fort and keeping 1-2 Fs vs dealing 1-2 additional fs, and keeping Crawford.

I bet Sharp goes to Washington or Montreal. Montreal could be a tougher sell, but Washington could be THE landing spot. Sharp wants to win probably has a few years left in him, and Washington is close. Florida is NOT close, and getting back to the east coast for Mrs. Sharp may also be a HUGE carrot. I also firmly believe in fairness to Sharp they won't drag this out. Bowman wont give him away but I bet Sharp is gone BEFORE the draft. That allows bowman time to work on dealing Bickell or a lower tiered guy.

I still can't comprehend trading Shaw OR Versteeg. Both are versatile and cheap and when you are front loaded, those guys are EXTREMELY valuable.

See how this all plays out.......
- SteveRain

Keep Crawford and both those guys are probably gone. If not Shaw then Kruger. Its senseless to decimate the forward depth like that when you have a couple solid backup goalies and a chance to maintain depth around them by moving Crawford.

They won the Cup with Bryan Bickell delivering 8 PUNISHING hits per game. Bickell is gone and they have nobody else that can actually play NHL hockey and deliver punishment like that to grind down the oppositions Defenseman. Sharp for Wilson +2nd/3rd would be fine by me. And he played A LOT of 4th line minutes and was basically their enforcer to finish the season/playoffs...
- EnzoD

Wow, you've crossed over to the darkside, buddy.
- MartiniMan

lol....i give in. I officially like Rangerdanger. Too funny. Welcome on board, where's that "greatest team ever" flow chart?

They tried to tweak the rules after 2004 lockout and hasn't worked.
People in the US don't need 7-6 or 5-4 every night.
The flow of the game is most important...there is nothing to do with the rulebook for the most part.

Players are schooled to play defense at a much younger age, US college players as well as those that play up North.

Only quick fix that will make a little difference is to make the goalie's equipment smaller.

The video coach works more hours than anyone for a reason. Defensive schemes have improved because of better video usage and better advanced scouting. Most teams can learn to play effective defense....scoring suffers as a result.
- Al

You're dead right about defensive innovation and video. But when the same thing happened in the NFL, they tweaked the rules to open up the game. The NHL has to do the same - and they have to call the penalties, especially the stick work.

If Bowman moves forward responsibly then Crawford (good goalie or not) simply cannot be afforded!

- MexicoHawk

This....over, and over, and over and over again....

Cool, the last entitled jack@ss to get drafted has 3 cups in 6 years...
- leonwaldo420

All by himself, right?

...And there is big money waiting for teams in Seattle and LV...Although I'm not a believer Vegas is the right spot.
- Al

The untapped markets out there are the African-American and Hispanic markets - which (although I have not seen specific numbers for this) I don't think are watching in numbers anywhere near approaching what the other sports get.

The number of "players of color" doesn't seem to be growing very much or very fast - not sure any team has more than two, not sure a good number of teams have any.

Need to get skates on the feet of minority kids - North and South - which means more facilities in inner-city areas, and getting expensive equipment to them.

Rocky seems to be doing at least some of that: are other owners spending money to grow the game in minority areas?

They won the Cup with Bryan Bickell delivering 8 PUNISHING hits per game. Bickell is gone and they have nobody else that can actually play NHL hockey and deliver punishment like that to grind down the oppositions Defenseman. Sharp for Wilson +2nd/3rd would be fine by me. And he played A LOT of 4th line minutes and was basically their enforcer to finish the season/playoffs...
- EnzoD

He was because he showed he either couldn't play or wasn't ready for a top 6 role. Bickell was useless in the Final and they still won without him. They won because they were committed to playing 200 ft hockey by everyone.

Its my opinion they can get a better player than Wilson for Sharp. We will find out soon enough I would venture to guess.

This....over, and over, and over and over again....
- SimpleJack

The choice is, essentially, the same this summer as it was in 2010...its either Crawford or Seabrook. It was Niemi or Hammer in 2010 and we all know StanBo made the right decision then. I have faith in Stan (how can we not at this point??) and I belive he will trade Crawford now, while his value is as high as it will ever be.

He was because he showed he either couldn't play or wasn't ready for a top 6 role. Bickell was useless in the Final and they still won without him. They won because they were committed to playing 200 ft hockey by everyone.

Its my opinion they can get a better player than Wilson for Sharp. We will find out soon enough I would venture to guess.
- TTtime

I hope you are right!