Stan Bowman is in this job for 1 reason and 1 reason alone...his Daddy is Scotty Bowman. The guy never played hockey at a high level and apparently his math skills aren't so great either given his contracts. Way too many sub 180lb guys that love the fancy play but don't get their noses dirty.

When you look at the amount of money Bowman has spent/acquired in the last 12 months on bottom of the roster or AHL talent....just wow.


Rutta $2.3mil, Ward $3mil, Kunitz $1mil, Manning $2.25 mil, Murphy $3.8mil, Gustafson $1.2 = $13.55 mil
- EnzoD

Championship rosters need to be build from the top down. As "the core" became fewer and fewer players as each year went by, there hasn't been replacements for what guys like Hossa, Sharp, Hammer, Oduya, and others brought to the team in championship years.

On defense they still have Keith and Seabrook, and now they have Joki. Then there are five or seven guys who should be competing for the 6th and 7th slots - where are the middle two or three guys?

On offense, the hole left by Hossa in the top six has not been close to being filled. ADB seems capable of filling the 60 to 75 points that Sharp delivered for so many yeas. AA is better than Handzus or Richards. Then there is the secondary scoring provided by guys like Shaw, Versteeg, Bickell, TT, etc. for which there is no equivalent now. There's just a bunch of guys who could play around those kind of guys but none of them stepping up into playing those roles.

There are some D prospects in the pipeline, but they need a couple major upgrades now. The top six forward pipeline is only trickling in. Maybe Sikura? They need one or two players who are better than Saad and Schmaltz and AA. An upgrade of the middle six centers would be good.

They won't get there this season but could next or the year after, with a little luck. The core bounced back extending the window by a year or two. But they're going to need a significant amount of help.

Championship rosters need to be build from the top down. As "the core" became fewer and fewer players as each year went by, there hasn't been replacements for what guys like Hossa, Sharp, Hammer, Oduya, and others brought to the team in championship years.

On defense they still have Keith and Seabrook, and now they have Joki. Then there are five or seven guys who should be competing for the 6th and 7th slots - where are the middle two or three guys?

On offense, the hole left by Hossa in the top six has not been close to being filled. ADB seems capable of filling the 60 to 75 points that Sharp delivered for so many yeas. AA is better than Handzus or Richards. Then there is the secondary scoring provided by guys like Shaw, Versteeg, Bickell, TT, etc. for which there is no equivalent now. There's just a bunch of guys who could play around those kind of guys but none of them stepping up into playing those roles.

There are some D prospects in the pipeline, but they need a couple major upgrades now. The top six forward pipeline is only trickling in. Maybe Sikura? They need one or two players who are better than Saad and Schmaltz and AA. An upgrade of the middle six centers would be good.

They won't get there this season but could next or the year after, with a little luck. The core bounced back extending the window by a year or two. But they're going to need a significant amount of help.
- matt_ahrens

Saad-Toews-Cat
Anders Lee-Anisimov-Kane
Kahun-Schmaltz-??
Hayden-Kampf-??


Joki-Keith
Boquist-Seabs
Mitchell/Forsling-Joel Edmunsson


Crow
Delia/Forsberg

Actually, the word out of Philly was that he had a great year and took major steps as a Dman for a 4-5-6 spot. What happened to his game now I have no idea.

Also, I have noticed that when players move from conference to conference, sometimes the speed is different. The Western Conference has serious speed up and down where the East plays a bit more physical brand game. Just something I noticed as we look for answers in Manning and Kunitz even though he is just old.
- nickmo2699

That is what I meant...He has taken a wrong turn since joining the Hawks. He wasn't a superstar but he wasn't this bad in Philly. Part of it is that the goalie aren't stopping anything when he is on the ice either...but mostly it is because Manning is giving up too many good chances against the goalies.

That is what I meant...He has taken a wrong turn since joining the Hawks. He wasn't a superstar but he wasn't this bad in Philly. Part of it is that the goalie aren't stopping anything when he is on the ice either...but mostly it is because Manning is giving up too many good chances against the goalies.
- breadbag

Do you think he is having the same issues that Oduya, Daley, Murphy, and others who came in from other teams had in learning and applying Q/Ulf’s system. Why is it so damn hard for experienced D-men to learn?

Saad-Toews-Cat
Anders Lee-Anisimov-Kane
Kahun-Schmaltz-??
Hayden-Kampf-??


Joki-Keith
Boquist-Seabs
Mitchell/Forsling-Joel Edmunsson


Crow
Delia/Forsberg
- EnzoD

Who did you move to get Lee and Edmunsson?

I'd guess something like Beaudin for Edmunsson, but who for Lee?

Who did you move to get Lee and Edmunsson?

I'd guess something like Beaudin for Edmunsson, but who for Lee?
- StLBravesFan

Anders Lee is a UFA next summer.. I thought Edmunsson was UFA too but CapFriendly shows him as an RFA.

Do you think he is having the same issues that Oduya, Daley, Murphy, and others who came in from other teams had in learning and applying Q/Ulf’s system. Why is it so damn hard for experienced D-men to learn?
- pdx2ord

I don't know what his issue is, but I do recall in those interviews between period 2 and 3, the coaches mentioned him specifically and working on integrating him into the Hawks system. Maybe they hoped he would make more progress by now. It's like his block of the pass against Calgary, where he kinda made the most awkward block ever with his leg kicked out. He got the job done there, but it didn't look textbook at all to me.

Stan Bowman is in this job for 1 reason and 1 reason alone...his Daddy is Scotty Bowman. The guy never played hockey at a high level and apparently his math skills aren't so great either given his contracts. Way too many sub 180lb guys that love the fancy play but don't get their noses dirty.

When you look at the amount of money Bowman has spent/acquired in the last 12 months on bottom of the roster or AHL talent....just wow.


Rutta $2.3mil, Ward $3mil, Kunitz $1mil, Manning $2.25 mil, Murphy $3.8mil, Gustafson $1.2 = $13.55 mil
- EnzoD

POST OF THE DAY !Yes !!!

1. Fire Scotty Bowman, thanks for helping change the Blackhawks culture.
2. Fire McD, same as above.
3. Convince Yzerman that the commute to Chicago from Detroit is better than Tampa. Hire him as President.
4. Fire Stan Bowman
5. Elevate Maciver to GM.
6. Destroy the Chelsea Dagger file.

Looks like Q is lasting through Xmas...

https://www.nhl.com/black...ks/fans/lexus-sweepstakes

Stan Bowman is in this job for 1 reason and 1 reason alone...his Daddy is Scotty Bowman. The guy never played hockey at a high level and apparently his math skills aren't so great either given his contracts. Way too many sub 180lb guys that love the fancy play but don't get their noses dirty.

When you look at the amount of money Bowman has spent/acquired in the last 12 months on bottom of the roster or AHL talent....just wow.


Rutta $2.3mil, Ward $3mil, Kunitz $1mil, Manning $2.25 mil, Murphy $3.8mil, Gustafson $1.2 = $13.55 mil
- EnzoD

I give him a break on the ward and murphy contracts...the others were unforced errors...kunutz was not needed, rutta and gust were complete overpays..

a vet goalie was needed and only way ward would sign for a 1 yr deal was the money and NTC. hawks were not going to give a multi year to a guy like bernier. Murphy was hybrid trade: hockey and cap...

hammer had to go and they got younger and contract control...

I give him a break on the ward and murphy contracts...the others were unforced errors...kunutz was not needed, rutta and gust were complete overpays..

a vet goalie was needed and only way ward would sign for a 1 yr deal was the money and NTC. hawks were not going to give a multi year to a guy like bernier. Murphy was hybrid trade: hockey and cap...

hammer had to go and they got younger and contract control...
- bogiedoc

I strongly disagree with that statement. Hammer makes $4.1mil this year, signed a 2 year team friendly contract (with AZ!) for $5mil each year in 2019/20 + 20/21. For $1.19mil difference, I'd take Hammer over Murphy every day of the week. Is Hammer the same guy he was in 2015? No. But he's still a much more effective player than Murphy.

I strongly disagree with that statement. Hammer makes $4.1mil this year, signed a 2 year team friendly contract (with AZ!) for $5mil each year in 2019/20 + 20/21. For $1.19mil difference, I'd take Hammer over Murphy every day of the week. Is Hammer the same guy he was in 2015? No. But he's still a much more effective player than Murphy.
- EnzoD

See both sides but....THIS!!!

Anders Lee is a UFA next summer.. I thought Edmunsson was UFA too but CapFriendly shows him as an RFA.
- EnzoD

OK

I strongly disagree with that statement. Hammer makes $4.1mil this year, signed a 2 year team friendly contract (with AZ!) for $5mil each year in 2019/20 + 20/21. For $1.19mil difference, I'd take Hammer over Murphy every day of the week. Is Hammer the same guy he was in 2015? No. But he's still a much more effective player than Murphy.
- EnzoD

Totally agree Enzo.

Can't believe that Ulf and Dineen still have jobs. 27th on PP. 22nd on PK. Allowed the 2nd most goals in the league. They're still somehow 6th in Goals per Game, likely due to the beginning of the season... again.

How do you not change up the PP? It's insanity.

I blame the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey for the Hawks not having the circus trip anymore. They used to dominate those. 0-3 against those 3 teams is bad but 3 games in 4 nights and then 5 days off? That makes no sense.

Justin, We better be scared. Just wait until they start playing the Preds and Jets. We saw what happened when they played Tampa.

More reasons to be scared:
When a 19 year old defenseman leads the team in hits, you have a big problem.
When Seabrook leads the team in blocked shots, you have a bigger problem.
Duncan Keith should not be on the power play. Play 4 forwards on both units!
JOKI Gus and Seabs should be the 3 D on the PP. It may lead to a few more SH goals, but should also improve the PP.

Kids need more Rockford development before they get to the NHL. Let them learn the game there for a few years before they come up here and only play 8-10 minutes a night. Unfortunately the call ups seem to be out of necessity and not luxury. Only a few should be able to make the transition. That may be the only reason I liked the FA signings, how bad they've been. It gives some of the kids more learning. I still think Sharp wants to play after watching the pregame on Saturday.


Take your lumps until the Holiday break to get them going then if they still stink let Stan and/or Q go as they may have had their last hurrah with the Hawks. Get in someone who will not be afraid to make some necessary moves.

Stan has too much company loyalty and/or is being dictated by the upper heads so he cannot make decisions on his own, his no trades clauses, terms and $$$ for players are hurting them a lot. He seems to overpay by a minimum of $500 to $1mm for his signings.

Practice more!!!!
Forwards need to be able to get back and cover as well. Defense need to clear the crease!
They must be quicker and not stand around on the Powerplay unless a guy is parked in front of the goalie.

6-6-3 is very misleading I think at this point in the season.

Go Hawks!

I think we can all agree the horses are their like they used to be. Clearly Stan has done a pretty poor job the last few years managing salaries and talent. However, why does Q keep running out guys like Kunitz and Manning? BC Q likes those type of guys.

Q's system worked for many years. He had the players to play it while the rest of the league was slow and heavy still.

Now the NHL has adjusted. It is all about speed speed and more speed.

What adjustments has Q made to his overall system? None. The Hawks are trying to play a system that just doesn't work anymore. Q has failed to adapt. For 3 years now it has been then same issues over and over and over again. Q just keeps doing the same thing thinking it will eventually work. It won't. He needs to go.

Will it solve the big issues salary and player wise? No, but Q has shown he cannot adapt to the new modern game. What is the point in keeping him around?

Edit: He has made a few changes a passive box PK and a 1-3-1 crap PP.

- bhawks2241

I could not agree more.

I'm on the outside looking in and took a glance at the Hawks stats. Kane is among the league leaders in points with 19. That looks great until you see his +/- is 0. I don't get to see many Hawks games so I ask, is he a player that scores on the Power Play and comes up short 5 on 5? He had 76 points last season and ended up with a +/- of -20.

I'm on the outside looking in and took a glance at the Hawks stats. Kane is among the league leaders in points with 19. That looks great until you see his +/- is 0. I don't get to see many Hawks games so I ask, is he a player that scores on the Power Play and comes up short 5 on 5? He had 76 points last season and ended up with a +/- of -20.
- PredManDan

The Hawks team defense is horrible....2nd most goals allowed in the league. Hawks PP is also poor so most of Kane's points come 5v5.

Looks like Q is lasting through Xmas...

https://www.nhl.com/black...ks/fans/lexus-sweepstakes
- riozzo

Now that’s funny!

Looks like Q is lasting through Xmas...

https://www.nhl.com/black...ks/fans/lexus-sweepstakes
- riozzo

More broken promises by the front office.

i see csn is trotting out the call for sikura as a solution for secondary scoring..

well to be clear the secondary scoring the hawks need is not on the current roster nor in rockford...

once upon a time they had a guy named Shaw who provided 15-20 goals per year, net front presence, huge energy guy all in that mightymite frame of his...

hawks have no one even close to a shaw type player...

they got a bunch bottom 6 guys who mostly try hard, once in awhile make play but can't get the puck in the net

i see csn is trotting out the call for sikura as a solution for secondary scoring..

well to be clear the secondary scoring the hawks need is not on the current roster nor in rockford...

once upon a time they had a guy named Shaw who provided 15-20 goals per year, net front presence, huge energy guy all in that mightymite frame of his...

hawks have no one even close to a shaw type player...

they got a bunch bottom 6 guys who mostly try hard, once in awhile make play but can't get the puck in the net
- bogiedoc

We could really use a Frolik, Shaw, Danault, or even Versteeg right now. You can't have 12 guys who are completely averse to contact. Gods I miss Hossa.

i see csn is trotting out the call for sikura as a solution for secondary scoring..

well to be clear the secondary scoring the hawks need is not on the current roster nor in rockford...

once upon a time they had a guy named Shaw who provided 15-20 goals per year, net front presence, huge energy guy all in that mightymite frame of his...

hawks have no one even close to a shaw type player...

they got a bunch bottom 6 guys who mostly try hard, once in awhile make play but can't get the puck in the net
- bogiedoc

Once upon a time they had a guy named Anisimov, who scored 20+ for 3 years with this team.

Once upon a time they had a guy named Schmaltz, who scored 21 goals for them one season.

Once upon a time they had a guy named Saad, who scored as many as 30 in a season for CBJ and 28 and 29 for Chicago.

Once upon a time they had guys like Seabrook and Keith, who would combine for 15 goals per season.

If they still had those guys, maybe they wouldn't be 6 wins 9 losses and on a five game losing streak.

Whatever happened to them?

i see csn is trotting out the call for sikura as a solution for secondary scoring..

well to be clear the secondary scoring the hawks need is not on the current roster nor in rockford...

once upon a time they had a guy named Shaw who provided 15-20 goals per year, net front presence, huge energy guy all in that mightymite frame of his...

hawks have no one even close to a shaw type player...

they got a bunch bottom 6 guys who mostly try hard, once in awhile make play but can't get the puck in the net
- bogiedoc

Hawks have 0 30-40pt guys who can skate a bit and provide some grit and depth scoring. Shaw, Versteeg, Bickell, Laad, Brouwer, Bolland, and Vermette (in his short stint).

Add in the loss of one of the best 2 way wingers in Hossa who played a physical puck possession style.

I would say Sharp and Dcat could be a wash but in his prime Sharp was pretty tough to play against.

Add all that up and the answer why the Hawks are at currently is pretty clear. Mix in Q refusing to change his ways and bingo! Middling to mediocre Hawks team. Looks a lot like the dying Dead Wings of a few years ago.

The Hawks bottom six lacks the right mix of skill, skating, and grit. You have slow and physical with little skill or you have fast with little skill or soft fast with skill.

The game plan is so easy. Contain the top 2 lines. Score against the Hawks bottom 6 and take risks bc the bottom 6 won't make you pay for high risk hockey.

The oilers 4th line was running circles around us.