I get what you're saying, but I don't think it's that simple. How does that additional $3 million effect the Hawks ability to sign or re-sign other players and improve the team's overall depth. There's also the possibility that if the deal wasn't done the Hawks would have had neither Saad or Panarin after this season.

Not that it's a whole lot better, but I'd say Saad is a 50 point guy, not 30. Last year was well below his career average for points. Saad is off to a slow start, but that doesn't mean he won't turn it around. The reverse happened last season, Saad got off to a hot start but faded.

Let's keep in mind that many of us, including yourself, were in favour of the deal when it happened.
- DarthKane

We all thought Saad was going to be a 30G-30A player that drove play, played strong on the puck, was great defensively, and could be an asset 5v5, shorthanded, and on the PP. He has not even come close to that level of play. Hope he figures it out, the Hawks need him to be the guy he was from 2013-15.

Schmaltz is a 22 year old kid. He isn't a physical player but neither are several other Hawks. He is not one of the problems on this team. It isn't his job to take the offensive load off Kane either. These are the same things I heard about TT and now he is putting up solid numbers in Carolina.

Schmaltz also maintain possession very well. His lack of strength causes him to lose 1 on 1 battles along the boards and probably keeps him from engaging but again he is 22. Kane did put on serious muscle until he was in his mid 20s. Maybe wait till Schmaltz is 25-26 before writing him off as soft and not a 2C.

Edit: He is horrible at faceoffs though. Not sure what that is about.
- bhawks2241[/quote]

He's not mentally tough enough, i don't know for sure but i believe Kruger is about the same weight but he's so much tougher mentally, one time i saw Anisimov not even get his stick on the ice for a face off because he's not mentally tough enough either. I don't like Schmaltz he could be so so so so good but he's just not tough enough. These players don't have the imposing their will gene, they have the passive gene

We all thought Saad was going to be a 30G-30A player that drove play, played strong on the puck, was great defensively, and could be an asset 5v5, shorthanded, and on the PP. He has not even come close to that level of play. Hope he figures it out, the Hawks need him to be the guy he was from 2013-15.
- EnzoD

So true. All the Hawks need Saad to do is return to a level he's previous been at consistently. It's not like the expectations are 50 goals and 100 points. I think 25-25 is reasonable and a level he can attain.

https://www.nbcsports.com...gh-blackhawks-are-looking

Maybe he's putting a positive spin on it to save face, but sounds like Saad and Q are not on same page about why the line change.

I read this little bit and feel like Saad really doesn't think there is an issue. So hard to tell, though, when they are all media coached to within an inch of their lives:

For better or worse, Saad hasn't changed his mindset one way or the other and won't going forward, no matter what his role may be.

"Regardless of where you're at, you can't change your attitude or mindset," Saad said. "You've got to come to work every day and have that success.

"When we're winning, it's pretty easy to stay positive. But obviously with losing like last night, it's definitely tough and something you think about a little bit more. At the end of the day, it's just coming to work every day, improving every day and just keep doing what you're doing."

Just when I think I’ve seen it all from the Blackhawks, they trot out this dummy:

5-year, $2.5M AAV deal with a NMC for Manne Quinn.

https://twitter.com/johnd.../1050797742069571584?s=21
- walleyeb1

John Dietz
‏

@johndietzdh

"I thought he was just OK out there today."
-- Joel Quenneville on the mannequin.
#Blackhawks
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*New* Blog up: https://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=95274

... weekend reading for y'all.

Enjoy.

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