I can't stand that picture ... that ass bucket converted and took a dragon!
- I Am The Breadman

I'm so rooting for the White Walkers to win

Where does Saad fit in the top 6 if you're keeping Schmaltz on wing? Do you bump Kahun down to the third line? Or Kahun down to second line center?
- SoftServe

If the line blender came up with:

Saad - Toews - Schamltz
Debrincat - Anisimov - Kane
Fortin - Kampf - Kahun
Kunitz - Kruger - Hayden/Martinsen

I wouldn't mind giving that a try for a couple of games and seeing where it went.

If the line blender came up with:

Saad - Toews - Schamltz
Debrincat - Anisimov - Kane
Fortin - Kampf - Kahun
Kunitz - Kruger - Hayden/Martinsen

I wouldn't mind giving that a try for a couple of games and seeing where it went.
- totem

That might be the worst bottom 6 in NHL history

Scott Powers seems to think he's staying down there for now and going to have to really play well to steal a spot or wait for an injury... Steal a spot? Manning, Rutta and Davidson shouldn't even sniff the ice!
- SoftServe

WTF????

"really play well to steal a spot"???

That should be what the deal is for me to play for the Hawks not Forsling. We'll see if true, but if so, the craziness is coming back again, and it needs to end. Rocky needs to clean up this mess.

More than halfway through the Forsberg waiver wire watch.
- I Am The Breadman

We sbould now by noon of he passes.

Also, will there be a subsequent move to call anyone up like Highmore or Sikura or do the Hawks sit with 22 until they head on their road trip at the end of the month?

WTF????

"really play well to steal a spot"???

That should be what the deal is for me to play for the Hawks not Forsling. We'll see if true, but if so, the craziness is coming back again, and it needs to end. Rocky needs to clean up this mess.
- vabeachbear

I'd interpret "really play well to steal a spot" to mean he gets the spot when he's earned it and is ready to play in the NHL. It's better he learns in the AHL than in the NHL where a mistake means fans and media jump all over him.

As for the "mess that Rocky needs to clean up", are you referring to the fact a team who has just gone through nearly a decade of being a top contender is now bottoming out? Did you not expect there would be a time when the Hawks would struggle after rewarding their fans with the best and most successful hockey in the history of the franchise? It's a shame more fans, many who post here, didn't appreciate what the Hawks delivered from 2008 to 2015 because they'd now understand how difficult it will be to get the team to be a contender again.

I'd interpret "really play well to steal a spot" to mean he gets the spot when he's earned it and is ready to play in the NHL. It's better he learns in the AHL than in the NHL where a mistake means fans and media jump all over him.

As for the "mess that Rocky needs to clean up", are you referring to the fact a team who has just gone through nearly a decade of being a top contender is now bottoming out? Did you not expect there would be a time when the Hawks would struggle after rewarding their fans with the best and most successful hockey in the history of the franchise? It's a shame more fans, many who post here, didn't appreciate what the Hawks delivered from 2008 to 2015 because they'd now understand how difficult it will be to get the team to be a contender again.
- paulr

Boy, you read a lot into that comment......................

We sbould now by noon of he passes.

Also, will there be a subsequent move to call anyone up like Highmore or Sikura or do the Hawks sit with 22 until they head on their road trip at the end of the month?
- Justin Lowe

Forsberg, Delia, Laikenan (sp?) - if the first passes thru waivers, where do they all go? Each needs to play a lot - only two starting spots open (Rockfish and Indy).

Unless, of course, they’ve determined that Forsberg ain’t it.

Which seems very possible, considering how many games he got into here this season.

Rutta takes a lot of lumps around here, but have to give him credit for that pass he made Fortin to spring him on a breakaway. It was pretty much perfect.

And where did that physical play get them? Contending President's Award winner, maybe first and second round of palyoffs? Their best players were Tarasenko and Petrangelo, two skill guys who weren't physical. Yes, I get a proper mix is best but skill and brains will beat brawn any day.
- D2D

The point was they had a great mix of skill with nasty. Winning is a fine line. Look at the stud Hawks teams of the early 90's. Could not win a Cup, but were still great teams. This current Hawks team is upside down in terms of any balance on the lines. I really think they need a scheme change.

I don't disagree, but my spidey senses tell me he's going to get a great deal from the Hawks which will make him untradeable and I'll be able to watch him become the next Alexander Semin
- BetweenTheDots

Ah Alexander the Great, NOT! Not a fair comparison with many different factors with the biggest being the Russian Factor; he was homesick and over-hyped. About a little 5 years ago, the league had Russian defections back to Russia ie, Radulov, Nachusin (Dallas), big D guy in Edmonton

Now for every Semin you can get a Panarin!

So if you are the GM, do you sign Schmaltz to 6 years at $6 million?
- BetweenTheDots

Absolutely without hesitation! Tie him up now when there is adequate cap room. The
6 X 6 is about right but no more. Hell, he might even take a hometown discount as his family is in the Madison area and youth hockey with the Chicago Mission.

This deal would be akin the Keith's deal way back albeit less expensive to the going rate going up each year.

For all you Schmaltz bashers which you are certainly entitled to your own opinion...no matter what you or I think. The people the matter most is the organIzation from top on down to the players. Let's ask Kaner what he thinks and he already has publicly stated that he wants to play on a line with Schmaltz and envisions greatness out of him. I will GUARANTEE you that it would be a resounding and unequivocal YES.

Rutta takes a lot of lumps around here, but have to give him credit for that pass he made Fortin to spring him on a breakaway. It was pretty much perfect.
- breadbag

It was flashback to the glory days of this core.. Remember when the Hawks sprung somebody with a great stretch pass almost on a nightly basis?

WTF????

"really play well to steal a spot"???

That should be what the deal is for me to play for the Hawks not Forsling. We'll see if true, but if so, the craziness is coming back again, and it needs to end. Rocky needs to clean up this mess.
- vabeachbear

To Powers, I say, "How about you don't, ladies and gentlemen, Scotty-Doo."

Absolutely without hesitation! Tie him up now when there is adequate cap room. The
6 X 6 is about right but no more. Hell, he might even take a hometown discount as his family is in the Madison area and youth hockey with the Chicago Mission.

This deal would be akin the Keith's deal way back albeit less expensive to the going rate going up each year.
- D2D

I'd lock him up in a heartbeat if he took 5.5 or less on a 6 year deal. Who do we have to replace him? It's been discussed ad nauseam that Chicago isn't a top destination for FAs anymore, so don't tell me that we can sign someone this off season. Who or what could we trade to get someone better? We don't have the pieces to get a difference maker unless we mortgage the future by trading first round picks, Boqvist, Joki or Beaudin. Duchenne would probably cost us 3 of the above plus Schmaltz.

Forsberg, Delia, Laikenan (sp?) - if the first passes thru waivers, where do they all go? Each needs to play a lot - only two starting spots open (Rockfish and Indy).

Unless, of course, they’ve determined that Forsberg ain’t it.

Which seems very possible, considering how many games he got into here this season.
- StLBravesFan

There was an article on CSN Chicago yesterday that said there are 3 options for Forsberg: he gets claimed by another team, he clears waivers and gets sent to Rockford, or he clears and gets loaned to another AHL team.

That last option is rare but would allow both him and Delia to be starters and Lankinen to remain as Hogs backup. That would be ideal IMHO.

It was flashback to the glory days of this core.. Remember when the Hawks sprung somebody with a great stretch pass almost on a nightly basis?
- Beaver-Warrior

You know what else was a flashback...someone attacking while shorthanded. I know it might not be a big thing, but in the best years of this team, we scored a lot of shorthanded goals by being aggressive. In recent years it seems to have been only dump it out and change over and over. Seeing Saad and Toews storm up the ice to attack while shorthanded was something we haven't been seeing. Schmaltz did it a bit last year, but just rare to see them push to make a play while outnumbered.

I'd lock him up in a heartbeat if he took 5.5 or less on a 6 year deal. Who do we have to replace him? It's been discussed ad nauseam that Chicago isn't a top destination for FAs anymore, so don't tell me that we can sign someone this off season. Who or what could we trade to get someone better? We don't have the pieces to get a difference maker unless we mortgage the future by trading first round picks, Boqvist, Joki or Beaudin. Duchenne would probably cost us 3 of the above plus Schmaltz.
- tvetter

I'd sign him too. The guy will probably put up 60+ points and wins more battles than people give him credit for. For comparison, look at Jonathan Drouin, he is signed for 6 years at 5.5 per year. Schmaltz to me, is every bit as valuable as Drouin.

You know what else was a flashback...someone attacking while shorthanded. I know it might not be a big thing, but in the best years of this team, we scored a lot of shorthanded goals by being aggressive. In recent years it seems to have been only dump it out and change over and over. Seeing Saad and Toews storm up the ice to attack while shorthanded was something we haven't been seeing. Schmaltz did it a bit last year, but just rare to see them push to make a play while outnumbered.
- breadbag

Remember when our PK was one of the best in the league year after year? Aggressively closing out the points and looking for shorties.

Now we play the dumb passive box and watch teams just tee it up against us from the point or play tick tack toe until some gets out of position. I've hated the PK scheme the last 3 years or so.

For all you Schmaltz bashers which you are certainly entitled to your own opinion...no matter what you or I think. The people the matter most is the organIzation from top on down to the players. Let's ask Kaner what he thinks and he already has publicly stated that he wants to play on a line with Schmaltz and envisions greatness out of him. I will GUARANTEE you that it would be a resounding and unequivocal YES.
- D2D

Like Kane would come out and say, no i don't want to play with, insert name here, he sucks. Common man

Absolutely without hesitation! Tie him up now when there is adequate cap room. The
6 X 6 is about right but no more. Hell, he might even take a hometown discount as his family is in the Madison area and youth hockey with the Chicago Mission.

This deal would be akin the Keith's deal way back albeit less expensive to the going rate going up each year.
- D2D

Yea but Keith played with courage, we have not seen that from Schmaltz yet. This whole thing about settling for a player is disturbing as well.

Yea but Keith played with courage, we have not seen that from Schmaltz yet. This whole thing about settling for a player is disturbing as well.
- BetweenTheDots

This notion that he lacks courage don't hold water to me. We have seen Schmaltz at times take a hit to make a play and drive the net. He is just more like Kane than Andrew Shaw and that isn't an issue when you have speed/skill. He still usually comes away on the right side of the puck and generates a lot of offense.

Blackhawks lines:
DeBrincat-Toews-Kahun
Saad-Anisimov-Kane
Fortin-Kampf-Schmaltz
Kunitz-Kruger-Hayden/Martinsen

#Blackhawks lines:
DeBrincat-Toews-Kahun
Saad-Anisimov-Kane
Fortin-Kampf-Schmaltz
Kunitz-Kruger-Martinsen/Hayden

— Tracey Myers (@Tramyers_NHL) October 23, 2018