ha. Fair enough.

I just don't think Gustafsson is the Hawks biggest issue.

Also, I think the defence will settle in once Forsling and Murphy are back in the fold.

Double also, the Hawks GA being the worst in the West is a team defence problem IMO. Not just the 6 D dressed every night.

In those ANA and NYR wins, the forwards were helping out so much in terms of back checking and being in the right spots in the d zone to give the defence outlets.
- Justin Lowe

Those games were anomalies, especially in regards to Kane, throwing checks and laying down, taking the passing lane in a 2-1 situation. Everyone chipped in.
Schmaltz is nearly perfecting the art of the backcheck, that was on full display last night. He even set up Krugs a couple of times on the same shift.

As disappointing as the Hawks played this weekend, last year they come away with no points

Whoever thought Manning was a good signing was a huge swing and a miss. He's terrible why waste the money when you have Dahlstrom the gentle giant who is a better defender.

I could see how bad he was in the first preseason game

If Gus is so bad in the D zone (as some posters are saying), maybe Q should pair Gus and Keith. And have them follow this one simple rule - Keith cannot cross the Red line into the o zone (since he adds zero threat in the O zone) and Gus cannot cross the Red line into the d zone (since he adds no help in the D zone). Let each player handle their strongest position.
- powerenforcer

Heck maybe we should just turn him into a forward.

I love the way Jokiharu was shutting down McDavid all night!! What a stud this guy is going to be!

I love the way Jokiharu was shutting down McDavid all night!! What a stud this guy is going to be!


- ToewsdNKanefusd

The best part about the Forsling and Murphy injuries was allowing Jokiharju to get in and show the coaching staff how ready he truly was for show time.

Talbot made some good saves last night and got a W. Toews was occupied with McDavid most of the evening so that kind of killed whatever he was supposed to do production wise. Good thing they resigned Kruger and have a 'shutdown' guy.

Anyway, dropping a relatively event less 1 - 1 game in the gimmick as a result of the best skater in the world ending up in a 3v3 jail break isn't a big deal.

The Brandon's and Ruuta are kind of a problem though.

Schmaltz and AA are on pace for 45-50 points which is what to expect out of them so I don't think they're the problem. Kahun is as well though he has looked less effective the last few games. Saad looks engaged and is getting chances, you'd think they would start falling eventually. Will probably be an up and down season and this is definitely better than what I would have expected.

I think they clean up some of the shots against and they're in better shape. Forsling maybe helps but he also looked horrid at times last year. Murphy is a big man coming back from a back operation and I wouldn't necessarily count on him out of the gate.

They probably need to make a decision about kids they want to give a look to and start working some kind of rockford shuffle on the blueline.

The best part about the Forsling and Murphy injuries was allowing Jokiharju to get in and show the coaching staff how ready he truly was for show time.
- Justin Lowe

And him stepping up has enabled Stan to start entertaining the idea of trading some defensive depth to get some more forward depth.

I know it's a bit of a split opinion on Gustafsson but I've been watching him closely lately and he's a lot better defensively than he was last year.

That's to say, he was real bad last year.

You're right HawkintheD - he will make his mistakes but he's making much smarter plays IMO.
- Justin Lowe

Yes for sure and i'll say it again! If you are going to play Gus, Hawks are going have to live with the risk/reward ratio. His O talents are undeniably very good (just ask Kane) but his D zone work is "in progress". He should be put in a position to succeed such as PP, 4v4, 3v3, and when Kane is on the ice. When the game is tight and 5v5, then double shift Keith.

And on that OT goal, blame can both ways. Yes , he is jumping in (why because Kane has it). Remember, 3v3 is interchangeable parts with puck possession on the O end and rotation on the D end. In retrospect, Gus should have given Draisaital to Ward and Gus completely block to passing lane to CM as Draiasaital already declared he was passing by slowing down and opening up on his forehand for a nifty (saucer) pass.

Justin Lowe: What's Missing?

The Hawks finish up the weekend with a 0-1-1 record after a 7-3 thump to St. Louis on Saturday and a 2-1 OT loss to the McDavids.

The Blue loss was just bad. This was mostly highlighted by bad coverage in the defensive zone. This is a team that the Hawks had already beat twice, however, they just happened to run into a Blues team that was fighting for their (coach's) life.
- Justin Lowe

What's missing ??

The same thing that everybody's been saying since LAST SEASON.
A top 6 forward and a top 4 Dman.

It's up to Stan Bowman and MANAGEMENT to figure out how to add these pieces before the season gets out of control. Some signs are showing the trends of last year creeping back in... but thanks to the comebacks of Crawford and Toews, and the incredible start by Kane, they have gotten off to a good start. But any tail-off from any of these stars and last year will quickly become a mirrored season again.

The Blackhawks have a wealth of young dmen talent here and in the pipeline for the future that should be attractive pieces to acquire at least one of the above.

One possibility is looking at bottom 6 forwards from playoff teams that show potential for top 6 opportunities on a team like the Hawks. I'm sure they're out there and wouldn't cost too much from our buildup of defensemen ++.
And then there's the possibility of players like Duchene on Arizona or Lucic on Edmonton that could help our top 6 but be much more costly and create the CAP concerns. Obviously Panarin would be the dream comeback but I don't think that's even a remote possibility. I am not a fan of Lucic but his type is what is needed.

The question is how long will they wait to make a move to help get this team in contention for a playoff run this year ? Or are they content with burning another year of window opportunity with the resurgence of the key CORE players.

If this MANAGEMENT is as great as they claim it to be, they are on the clock to prove it right now. Waiting until the trade deadline just might be too late.

What's missing ??

The same thing that everybody's been saying since LAST SEASON.
A top 6 forward and a top 4 Dman.

It's up to Stan Bowman and MANAGEMENT to figure out how to add these pieces before the season gets out of control. Some signs are showing the trends of last year creeping back in... but thanks to the comebacks of Crawford and Toews, and the incredible start by Kane, they have gotten off to a good start. But any tail-off from any of these stars and last year will quickly become a mirrored season again.

The Blackhawks have a wealth of young dmen talent here and in the pipeline for the future that should be attractive pieces to acquire at least one of the above.

One possibility is looking at bottom 6 forwards from playoff teams that show potential for top 6 opportunities on a team like the Hawks. I'm sure they're out there and wouldn't cost too much from our buildup of defensemen ++.
And then there's the possibility of players like Duchene on Arizona or Lucic on Edmonton that could help our top 6 but be much more costly and create the CAP concerns. Obviously Panarin would be the dream comeback but I don't think that's even a remote possibility. I am not a fan of Lucic but his type is what is needed.

The question is how long will they wait to make a move to help get this team in contention for a playoff run this year ? Or are they content with burning another year of window opportunity with the resurgence of the key CORE players.

If this MANAGEMENT is as great as they claim it to be, they are on the clock to prove it right now. Waiting until the trade deadline just might be too late.
- Hawkytalk

Lucic’s contract is terrible. He has also become very slow. Also has some very deep personal issues that can’t help but get in his way. He is not a good get.

Lucic’s contract is terrible. He has also become very slow. Also has some very deep personal issues that can’t help but get in his way. He is not a good get.
- Z3Hawk

Lucic is one of those contracts people in Edmonton rag on all the time because of how ineffective he has been. I agree with you....stay away Stan.

>>>That last part is very troubling to me because, from all that I've read/heard, the Hawks viewed Brandon Manning as a solution to potentially step up and play top 4 minutes if needed.<<<

Where did they get that idea...he was no better in phylly...

I understand the Ward signing...but Kunitz, manning and davidson...my gosh

All in all last night, I think Ward, Seabrook, Schmaltz, Gustafsson, and Jokiharju all played pretty well last night. Ward has settled in. Seabrook was making plays left and right at times. Schmaltz had great speed and was a 2-way monster. Gustafsson was skating the puck up ice and making plays. Jokiharju was a solid shutdown guy and battled hard all night, still ended up putting a lot of pucks towards the net.

The best part about the Forsling and Murphy injuries was allowing Jokiharju to get in and show the coaching staff how ready he truly was for show time.
- Justin Lowe

Agreed, and it's not the first time for the Hawks either. Didn't Shaw and Saad get an opportunity due to a player injury?

Another good part is that because of Jokiharju's excellent performance the team doesn't have to rely on Forsling anf Murphy to be top pairing d-men when they return.

It will be interesting to see Stan make a hockey-related trade. Most of his trades lately have been influenced but the team's cap situation. This year it won't have to be.

NHL announces landmark sports betting partnership with MGM. https://t.co/UUuTy1DOyk

— NHL.com (@NHLdotcom) October 29, 2018

Well the problem with Gus is he would like to just stay in the O-Zone. Wait for the puck to come back. Unfortunately for him the most important role of a D-Man occurs in the D-Zone and Gus has no idea what to do in the D-Zone. Eventually Seabrook will lose it from babysitting Gus and will just lay down on the ice.
- Z3Hawk

we have had our disagreements about craw...but i am wth you on this...gus is to offensive minded (with good offensive instints and skill) but he is a trainwreck defensiviely...convert to a forward and be done with it...

Any news on how Sikura is playing. I know his stat line, which is just OK, but how is he playing?
- EbonyRaptor

Sikura is strong and noticeable on the forecheck, patient with the puck as he searches for options, makes nifty passes even in tight spaces, and isn't afraid to shoot. He has a nice snapshot from the circles. Also quite good on the PP playing in the same position as Kane.

Defense is fine. Not stellar but not horrible. Then again, it's not like forward defense on the Hawks is at an all time high. He doesn't have to clear a high bar.

ha. Fair enough.

I just don't think Gustafsson is the Hawks biggest issue.

Also, I think the defence will settle in once Forsling and Murphy are back in the fold.

Double also, the Hawks GA being the worst in the West is a team defence problem IMO. Not just the 6 D dressed every night.

In those ANA and NYR wins, the forwards were helping out so much in terms of back checking and being in the right spots in the d zone to give the defence outlets.
- Justin Lowe

It has been my view since he arrived that Ulf’s Offence First Defensive “System” is ridiculous. There are times 5 on 5 when both D pinch. The even crazier thing is the pinching can occur even when the Hawks do not have possession. This is an incredibly stressful “System” to play as the forwards should/must cover for wayward D-Men constantly. How can you expect to play a perfect gap when the D are not even D too much of the time. Any successful system must be defence first with pinching only occurring when it makes sense to do so.

Another difficulty is Ulf gets blinders on for certain D-Men no matter how poorly they are playing. Calling it as I see it European D-Men get a far longer leash. See: Rutta last year and this year, Forsling last year, Gus. Ulf may like the concept of an European D-Man but it does not mean it translates. The hypocrisy was seen last year when Forsling went from being treated as All World on one day and banished to Rockford the next. At the same time Rutta was not sent to Rockford but was sat out.

The NHL is challenging enough without fronting the other team red-letter odd-man breaks at an insane rate. There are times that the Hawks give up more odd-man breaks in a game than other teams give up in weeks.

Yes for sure and i'll say it again! If you are going to play Gus, Hawks are going have to live with the risk/reward ratio. His O talents are undeniably very good (just ask Kane) but his D zone work is "in progress". He should be put in a position to succeed such as PP, 4v4, 3v3, and when Kane is on the ice. When the game is tight and 5v5, then double shift Keith.

And on that OT goal, blame can both ways. Yes , he is jumping in (why because Kane has it). Remember, 3v3 is interchangeable parts with puck possession on the O end and rotation on the D end. In retrospect, Gus should have given Draisaital to Ward and Gus completely block to passing lane to CM as Draiasaital already declared he was passing by slowing down and opening up on his forehand for a nifty (saucer) pass.
- D2D

My point is the Hawks do not need his offence at all if his defence is so bad. An effective D-Man must play effective defence. Any offence is a bonus.

NHL announces landmark sports betting partnership with MGM. https://t.co/UUuTy1DOyk

— NHL.com (@NHLdotcom) October 29, 2018

- DarthKane

Can the lion be switched out with Debrincat? Is that negotiable?

Thanks, to you and paulr, I didn't know.
I worded my question poorly, does he become a ufa after ineligibility? I know he is an rfa, haha.
I don't want him for what he's asking either.
- I Am The Breadman

At Nylander's age and years of NHL service the only way he can become a UFA is if he could go to arbitration (which he can't currently) and be awarded a salary that the Leafs refuse to pay in which case he becomes a UFA. (It happened with Anti Niemi when he left the Hawks).

Otherwise, Nylander can hold out for 3 or 4 years and then become a UFA.

At Nylander's age and years of NHL service the only way he can become a UFA is if he could go to arbitration (which he can't currently) and be awarded a salary that the Leafs refuse to pay in which case he becomes a UFA. (It happened with Anti Niemi when he left the Hawks).

Otherwise, Nylander can hold out for 3 or 4 years and then become a UFA.
- RickJ

Wow, didn't know. Thanks. Really don't see that happening.

Henri Jokiharju....just wow. His play against McDavid + RNH last night was nothing short of spectacular for a 19yr old in his 10th NHL game. That is the first game I've ever watched McJesus play where he didn't have 5+ grade A chances either shooting or creating for teammates. Keith was solid, as well.

Toews' production has slipped, considerably, as Foley noted last night. I like the offensive pressure that Schmaltz-Fortin-Johnson have created on line 3, but I'm not opposed to trying Schmaltz with Cat+Toews if Line 1 continues to stagnate this week.

Lucic is one of those contracts people in Edmonton rag on all the time because of how ineffective he has been. I agree with you....stay away Stan.
- breadbag

I never cared for him, he's a dump in more way than one.

You might be on to something Rick.

I just don't know what a Jan Rutta is going to bring back. Maybe something like a Josh Leivo type at tops but most likely a late pick or an NHLer.

If it's not Rutta... Davidson and/or Manning would be the only others I would trade. Murphy could maybe be moved later on after he gets healthy, but I think they might want to hold on to him.
- Justin Lowe

I think Rutta is wearing out his welcome, performance in most games is pretty underwhelming. Finding a way to insert Forsling and Murphy into the lineup is what they are probably hoping for before the season gets away from them.

And they need some scoring from elsewhere in the lineup if Schmaltz/Fortin/Johnson can't provide it with any consistency. Guys like Kampf, Hayden and Kunitz aren't going to do it. Eventually they probably need to overlook Ejdsell's numerous weak points and hope he can come up and put some pucks in the net. PP is a running disaster most nights.