Depending on where the Hawks are at by the end of the year and how well he plays the rest of the year, what chance does Boqvist have of getting a cup of coffee with the Hawks to end the year?

Just curious because I think next year we're gonna see something to the effect of...

Keith - Joki
TBD - Boqvist
Gus - Seabrook
TBD

As our defense going into the year with those to be determined a mix of Forsling, Manning, Dahlstrom, Carlsson, Hillman, etc. as options for those two spots (depending on trades that can/will be made this year and FA moves).
- Savetheembers33

There are so many options for the next couple pf years with the Hawks D. A lot of it hinges on the progression of guys in Jr, College and Rockford.

I could see Beudin or Mitchell sneaking in before Boqvist for next year.

I would need to see Boqvost reallt gain a lot more strength to make that jump - like Joki did this past season. The Hawks saw a big difference in his strength... said he went from a boy to a man in his physique.

That is not good to hear. Hoping for a quick recovery and great playing again. Really liked what I saw from the kid.
- I Am The Breadman

Me too. While I wanted the Hawks to grab Veleno in that spot... Beaudin could prove to be a hell of a pick.

Me too. While I wanted the Hawks to grab Veleno in that spot... Beaudin could prove to be a hell of a pick.
- Justin Lowe

Veleno, he went near the end of the first round, right? Red Wings? If so, then that would have been Vegas's pick.

Stan where are you...get on this...
- ToewsdNKanefusd

We had a Leddy like player in Oesterle. Not a lot of people clamoring to bring him back.

With the exception of Keith and Henri they haven't done that well this year and even Keith was inconsistent at that last year. Being able to do that, with the forward supporting, is how you create turnovers and flip the ice.

The last 3 years, as a group, they have been backing off the blue line and yielding space instead of closing it off and that strong side forward has not been in a good position to support. They also make 12 passes before exiting the zone instead of just pushing the puck forward.

If they were to get a little more aggressive at the blue line and start driving the puck more directly forward I think you would see improvements across all of the lines. Except maybe the 3rd cause Rutta and the Brandons are not especially good at any of those things or mobile enough to execute it.

Seabrook can, provided his partner is fast enough to cover for pucks sent deep like Keith did for so many years.
- fattybeef

Great post. The bolded part is very frustrating as a fan. I remember in the Blackhawks website video of Dylan Sikura's path from the NCAA to the NHL, there was a clip of the Northeastern coaches reviewing strategy for the game. On the whiteboard was the term "shrink the ice" which is something that Hawks have been terrible at doing. All 5 skaters play a role so the question is can they execute on a regular basis.

The incessant passing in the D zone before skating up ice is frustrating as well. It makes it easier for the other team to defend as it gives them time to read the play and react plus pounce on bad passes especially while still in that zone.

Make one quick pass out and start the rush from the neutral zone where you at least clear the D zone. Game 1 last year vs the Penguins showcased this quick first pass but then within a few games the Hawks reverted back to this merry-go-round passing in the D zone.

What you suggested as solutions sound good to me. Again, though, can the Hawks execute? Similarly, can the coaches integrate that into the X's and O's? It may be all on the players and not the coaches but my gut is it's a little bit of both.

I’ve read a few times from Powers and one other writer (can’t remember their name for the life of me) that said Schmaltz and his agent didn’t want to talk contract this offseason and we’re going to let the season play out. Not saying that is accurate, but it may be a reason for not having something in place now.
- Chunk

Or it might be the Hawks want to give him a deal that looks a lot like TT's? He signed a 2 year deal for 2.85 per i think, i imagine Hawks offered a 2 year deal for $3 mil per is my guess, and if this is him trying for a big contract I'm concerned

With the exception of Keith and Henri they haven't done that well this year and even Keith was inconsistent at that last year. Being able to do that, with the forward supporting, is how you create turnovers and flip the ice.

The last 3 years, as a group, they have been backing off the blue line and yielding space instead of closing it off and that strong side forward has not been in a good position to support. They also make 12 passes before exiting the zone instead of just pushing the puck forward.

If they were to get a little more aggressive at the blue line and start driving the puck more directly forward I think you would see improvements across all of the lines. Except maybe the 3rd cause Rutta and the Brandons are not especially good at any of those things or mobile enough to execute it.

Seabrook can, provided his partner is fast enough to cover for pucks sent deep like Keith did for so many years.
- fattybeef

These are great points. Another to consider is that the forwards as a group have not been coming back as hard on defense. When you have backpressure from a forward chasing the guy with the puck, it is much easier to have a tight gap than if he has oceans of room to make moves on you. Hossa was the king at this.

Veleno, he went near the end of the first round, right? Red Wings? If so, then that would have been Vegas's pick.
- I Am The Breadman

Yep - went 30th to Det. Beaudin was selected 27th.

Depending on where the Hawks are at by the end of the year and how well he plays the rest of the year, what chance does Boqvist have of getting a cup of coffee with the Hawks to end the year?

Just curious because I think next year we're gonna see something to the effect of...

Keith - Joki
TBD - Boqvist
Gus - Seabrook
TBD

As our defense going into the year with those to be determined a mix of Forsling, Manning, Dahlstrom, Carlsson, Hillman, etc. as options for those two spots (depending on trades that can/will be made this year and FA moves).
- Savetheembers33

Good ideas on a future defense. Agree with Justin that Beaudin and/or Mitchell may challenge next year for a spot. That doesn't necessarily mean they beat out Boqvist but I see those two in the mix as much as him.

I also like your other suggested options as far as prospects: Dahlstrom, Carlsson, and Hillman could be in the mix next fall as well. Possibly Gilbert but think he is one more year away.

Raddysh is having a pretty good season so far in Rockford. He could be a dark horse, too.

Nope. I have not.

I heard they want him back and playing as they see him as a piece to help solidify this D. They like his 2-way game a lot.
- Justin Lowe

I expect he will get PK minutes. It would not surprise me if Manning moves to the 7th Dman and Davidson is demoted to Rockford. I know Davidson has a 1-way deal, but they don't seem to want to play him.

Stan where are you...get on this...
- ToewsdNKanefusd

The great Leddy is on the market? If the isles move him Savvy will hate another team, coach, GM ...

Forsling has also really struggled with the mental side of the game. Some have attributed this to him graduating to the NHL too early.

So, be careful when you want "all young guys" because all of the "vets stink" because you might be creating a longer term issue in development.

While I'm not a fan of Kunitz's play, I also understand he could also have been brought in as a veteran voice and a stopgap until guys like Ejdsell, Highmore, Sikura are truly ready.
- Justin Lowe

I completely agree, but i think this org is good about doing that, was it last year or the year before, they brought up Gusto did well at first then began to struggle, went back down worked on some things and last year they didn't bring him up till later in the season. My 2 biggest gripes with him is the no look back hand pass to the blue line in the defensive zone and paying more attention to the checker than the puck otherwise je hasn't been horrible.

Don't know one way or the other about Bolland? Be good for him if he's trying to work his way into hockey at a coaching or management level.

I have been watching the Knights (Boqvist) and Bulldogs (Entwhistle) on Centre Ice and they both look good.

Boqvist is like Karlsson, Leddy, Gardner in that he's an offense first "rover" rather than a traditional defenseman, at least so far. He jumps into the offense as quickly as possible and is quick, fast and very dynamic with exceptional passing skills. The Hunter brothers run the best junior team in North America and teach smart two way hockey, professionalism but they don't coach the creativeness out. I expect by season's end Boqvist will pick his spots offensively and be better without the puck.

Entwhistle will drive some hawk fans crazy. He's a big guy with a big man skating stride, meaning he'll be criticized for being slow, lazy, disinterested when in fact he's got decent speed and can keep up with the play.. He's strong down low, along the boards and in front of the net. He has a nice shot and seems to pass well. Not sure about how he'll pan out because he seems to be the traditional North south winger and not a creative pure talent like Boqvist.
- paulr

I saw (on TV) Entwistle play a couple times for Canada this summer in the JR tourney in a bottom-6 role and his line was probably the best line for Canada, especially in their win against the Swedes. His play really made me sit up and notice. Like you say, he's a north/south player with probably not much in the way of puck handling skills - but he's fast enough, big enough and has a good shot so he has a chance to be an NHL player.

I'll tell you who is playing very well to start the season that is a guy to keep an eye on is Philipp Kurashev playing for QMJHL/Quebec. He's leading his team in scoring with 17 points in 14 games. I don't know if he's playing center or wing though - hopefully center.

I saw (on TV) Entwistle play a couple times for Canada this summer in the JR tourney in a bottom-6 role and his line was probably the best line for Canada, especially in their win against the Swedes. His play really made me sit up and notice. Like you say, he's a north/south player with probably not much in the way of puck handling skills - but he's fast enough, big enough and has a good shot so he has a chance to be an NHL player.

I'll tell you who is playing very well to start the season that is a guy to keep an eye on is Philipp Kurashev playing for QMJHL/Quebec. He's leading his team in scoring with 17 points in 14 games. I don't know if he's playing center or wing though - hopefully center.
- EbonyRaptor

Is Entwistle a physical-type rugged winger or more like a big Daze-mold skilled player? I'm not familiar with him other than getting him in the trade.

Murphy looked pretty good on the left side last year at times. Be interesting to see how he comes back from his injury.
- fattybeef

If he comes back and plays very well i.e. makes smart plays with the puck, doesn't get caught out of position regularly, brings a physical presence, I'd be all for him playing on the left side to protect Boqvist. I just got a feeling that with all the Defense prospects on the horizon that he could be moved to provide some salary cap relief to bring in an impact player

There are so many options for the next couple pf years with the Hawks D. A lot of it hinges on the progression of guys in Jr, College and Rockford.

I could see Beudin or Mitchell sneaking in before Boqvist for next year.

I would need to see Boqvost reallt gain a lot more strength to make that jump - like Joki did this past season. The Hawks saw a big difference in his strength... said he went from a boy to a man in his physique.
- Justin Lowe

Gotcha. I haven't got see much of him so I don't have a feel for how ready he could be, but I feel like he could definitely make a big jump like Joki did over the summer and make the team. I've had the feeling that the Hawks are really trying to gear up for one last big hoorah with this team and that will be next year which is why I think Boqvist will end up making the team sooner than later

Is Entwistle a physical-type rugged winger or more like a big Daze-mold skilled player? I'm not familiar with him other than getting him in the trade.
- Popsghostly

Good stuff by paulr and EbonyRaptor on Entwistle. From what I have viewed and read about him, he will be a bottom 6 player ideally 3C with size, strong work ethic, some offensive skill, and solid commitment to defense. He's been described as a coach's dream as he does the little things to help a team win and doesn't care to be the goal scorer or the star. Plus he's one of the few hockey prospects who might be better at center than wing (it seems to be the other way around for most, i.e. center in juniors or Europe but likely won't cut it as an NHL pivot so converted to wing).

Slavin has been described similarly. I have high hopes for both of them.

And to EbonyRaptor's comment on Kurashev, I also think he will be one to watch. The knock on him is his consistency but he's a solid two-way player and quite skilled offensively. One analyst projected his high-end comparable to be Kuznetsov which I think is too lofty. I think Kurashev could be a very good middle 6 forward likely at wing.

Good ideas on a future defense. Agree with Justin that Beaudin and/or Mitchell may challenge next year for a spot. That doesn't necessarily mean they beat out Boqvist but I see those two in the mix as much as him.

I also like your other suggested options as far as prospects: Dahlstrom, Carlsson, and Hillman could be in the mix next fall as well. Possibly Gilbert but think he is one more year away.

Raddysh is having a pretty good season so far in Rockford. He could be a dark horse, too.
- AEL_Fox

To be honest with all the depth they have when I made my post I forgot about Beaudin and wasn't sure if Mitchell would be ready but even still. They have A LOT of pieces on the backend that could/should be flipped at some point to bring some more depth to the forwards and fill this team out to be able to be a serious Playoff contender again.

It'll be interesting to see which one of Boqvist, Mitchell, and Beaudin make the next big jump and make the team next year. I think the Hawks really wanna see at least one of them make the jump so that the can ease in the others like they're doing with Joki now. Obivously Beaudin's injury will set him back a bit but from everything I've heard it won't be long before he makes an impact with the team

Good ideas on a future defense. Agree with Justin that Beaudin and/or Mitchell may challenge next year for a spot. That doesn't necessarily mean they beat out Boqvist but I see those two in the mix as much as him.

I also like your other suggested options as far as prospects: Dahlstrom, Carlsson, and Hillman could be in the mix next fall as well. Possibly Gilbert but think he is one more year away.

Raddysh is having a pretty good season so far in Rockford. He could be a dark horse, too.
- AEL_Fox

The good kind of defense logjam. Great to know there are plenty of options coming up quick. AA long as they ARE nhl ready.

To be honest with all the depth they have when I made my post I forgot about Beaudin and wasn't sure if Mitchell would be ready but even still. They have A LOT of pieces on the backend that could/should be flipped at some point to bring some more depth to the forwards and fill this team out to be able to be a serious Playoff contender again.

It'll be interesting to see which one of Boqvist, Mitchell, and Beaudin make the next big jump and make the team next year. I think the Hawks really wanna see at least one of them make the jump so that the can ease in the others like they're doing with Joki now. Obivously Beaudin's injury will set him back a bit but from everything I've heard it won't be long before he makes an impact with the team
- Savetheembers33

Agree. The depth in the blueline prospect pool gives the Hawks assets for potential trades to beef up other areas of need.

A key question is when to pull the trigger on such trades. I imagine the Hawks may want to wait and see what they have first with each prospect before trading any of them. The fear may be what if they make the wrong decision and trade the prospect who makes it big and retain the prospect who flops.

The great Leddy is on the market? If the isles move him Savvy will hate another team, coach, GM ...
- paulr

Oh hell no. Hi Paul.
Watched #2 last night.
Looks to me like he's lost all confidence over the last year.
My observation in general, most of the Isles are struggling with Trotz's system thus far, in particular the forwards aren't being defensively responsible carrying over previous bad habits.

Presuming he's not traded, I expect he will settle in and regain some level of confidence. He's still getting top pair minutes and still getting lots of D zone starts so clearly Trotz expects much. And still has a ability to skate the puck out of trouble and generate, his PP carry up the ice nicely set up the PP goal they scored.

We'll see. Lots of talent there. Has he reached his ceiling and on the way down? TWT. I happen to think if he stays Barry will be good for him.

If he comes back and plays very well i.e. makes smart plays with the puck, doesn't get caught out of position regularly, brings a physical presence, I'd be all for him playing on the left side to protect Boqvist. I just got a feeling that with all the Defense prospects on the horizon that he could be moved to provide some salary cap relief to bring in an impact player
- Savetheembers33

I lean on both sides of the fence with trading him. 1.he has to be healthy. If so what is the harm in keeping him? 2.keeping him can give the young kids a full year or more to develop.

I would like to keep him if healthy and he could be a useful top 4 d man, but if those pieces fall properly in place and the other young d develops and can be nhl ready (a lot of ifs at work) then definitely he can fetch a big piece in return.

Someone already mentioned Jones-Johansen trade, it could be like that. Trading from what we have a crap ton of and actually filling a need. It isn't too often when a trade is so equal and satisfactory for both teams. Just because we have a lot doesn't mean they will pan out, or we could just make a bad trade.

Just saw AEL already addressing this more effectively than me.

Is Entwistle a physical-type rugged winger or more like a big Daze-mold skilled player? I'm not familiar with him other than getting him in the trade.
- Popsghostly

No, he's definitely not a big softie like Daze. I don't think I would go so far as call him a rugged guy though either. To me, "rugged guy" implies a 6'3" 230lbs guy, whereas Entwistle is 6'3" but he's about 30lbs short of 230lbs. He plays hard though - takes the body and isn't afraid of the physical game.

Is Entwistle a physical-type rugged winger or more like a big Daze-mold skilled player? I'm not familiar with him other than getting him in the trade.
- Popsghostly

I seen him play in Owen Sound a couple weeks ago and he had two goals and a good scrap. He doesn't t shy away from any physical play.

I seen him play in Owen Sound a couple weeks ago and he had two goals and a good scrap. He doesn't t shy away from any physical play.
- scott.jackson

He has no future with the Blackhawks.