Why does Stan Bowman still have a job??....better yet, why did he get this job in the first place? Why did he think it was smart to trade Saad for Anisimov and save $1.3mil after 2015? Why did he think it was smart to trade Danault for Weise + Fleischmann? Why did he trade for Ladd instead of a dman in 2016? Why did he think David Rundblad was good enough to play in the NHL on 2 separate contracts?? Why does he build this team like its no-check Euro league hockey on the larger ice surface? Why did he think it was smart to trade Sharp and the only good dman he's drafted in Johns for Garbutt and Trevor Daley (also saving no virtually nothing on the cap)? Why did he trade Hjallmarsson for Murphy? Why did he sign Kunitz? Why did he sign Ward? Why did he sign Manning? Why did he trade Hossa's cap (with a useful player in Hinostroza)...only to not use the cap space? Why did Jan Rutta deserve a $2.3mil contract?

Questions aplenty!
- EnzoD

Ask Mcd for most of those maybe Q on the others

it was always a three headed monster with one head
above all others

Why trade Hartman, Duclair Vinnie if they had any idea the
first move in the "remodel" was firing Q

It seems as if the whole organization is dysfunctional

I like JC though, I think he has the "it" to be a pretty good
coach

It was mostly a joke, to be fair.

JUST LIKE BRENT SEABROOK.
- BINGO!

Damn so ruthless but so spot on.....

Ask Mcd for most of those maybe Q on the others

it was always a three headed monster with one head
above all others

Why trade Hartman, Duclair Vinnie if they had any idea the
first move in the "remodel" was firing Q

It seems as if the whole organization is dysfunctional

I like JC though, I think he has the "it" to be a pretty good
coach
- gazza53

JC is in a terrible spot. Plus he really needs to play certain guys a few games in high pressure situations and figure out what he has in guys. He has to do that in the middle of a bad losing streak too. Which means more loses given this teams overall talent.

Ask Mcd for most of those maybe Q on the others

it was always a three headed monster with one head
above all others

Why trade Hartman, Duclair Vinnie if they had any idea the
first move in the "remodel" was firing Q

It seems as if the whole organization is dysfunctional

I like JC though, I think he has the "it" to be a pretty good
coach
- gazza53

For all those wanting Duclair back.... he is Nick Schmaltz but with less D and less puck possession skills.

He is contact adverse and horrible at anything related to defense. At least Schmaltz back checks and can maintain perimeter possession.

All it takes is a few lucky bounces for that to change. If anything, isn't this what we wanted if the Hawks were gonna suck? Schmaltz to have a average season so we could sign him to a bridge deal (3x3, 3x2, etc.) and have better financial flexibility to add another Top 6 forward to the team. I don't think Schmaltz should go by any means. Does he make some plays that frustrate ya at times? Of course he does most players do. The kid is still young and learning the game and finally doesn't have to worry about being demoted on lines or being benched if he makes a mistake. Schmaltz is a piece that we NEED on this team if we wanna get back to the Playoffs anytime soon.
- Savetheembers33

So we have established he has potential if holes in his game get filled. OK.

Then we can conclude they should give him enough rope to fix some stuff. OK, but how long do you wait??

Therefore, they shouldn't sign him to ANY deal until after this season is over so they have an idea of what he is worth.

If after another whole season he has regressed, and is still Tinkerbell in the contact department, IN A CONTRACT PROVING YEAR, they not only must question a long term deal, but they must question, even on a $2-3MM AAV bridge deal, if other players give them better value for even that money.

Paying for potential is a fool's game, especially in a hard cap environment.

The performance of NS and Saad were key components in the FO's future composition of the team. If they both collapse/regress, that is $7MM in cap (not counting what they might re-up NS for) a smart GM needs to think about better spending elsewhere.

Until then this is a one line team that will be easy to beat on most nights.

And that's why I'm okay with Sikura getting seasoned in the AHL. He will be in the NHL in due time. It's best not to wreck his confidence, and instead, amp it up to the point where it's sky high once he does get recalled.

The Hawks have no top 6 prospects outside of him and Wise so it's best to bring them along at a smart pace. Several middle 6 and tons of bottom 6 prospects, though.

Speaking of which, Barratt is having a monster sophomore campaign so far at Penn State. Top 5 in NCAA scoring so far this early part of the season. He may prove to go from a 4th line grinder to someone like Shaw who can slot on any line and score while agitating the crap out of the other team. Reports say coaches love his attitude as he takes to feedback well and is actually quite humble off the ice.
- AEL_Fox

Love your prospect knowledge especially irt the Hogs
please keep bringing it

Any chance Barratt might be ready to leave early
and be ready for a cuppa?

I like JC have any thoughts on him, I cant believe 3 games
into it he's getting heat from the thread already, does he do
everything for a reason, maybe go along with a Barry suggestion
to show Barry maybe not again?

Ask Mcd for most of those maybe Q on the others

it was always a three headed monster with one head
above all others

Why trade Hartman, Duclair Vinnie if they had any idea the
first move in the "remodel" was firing Q

It seems as if the whole organization is dysfunctional

I like JC though, I think he has the "it" to be a pretty good
coach
- gazza53

Is this the It factor?



That would intimidate the other team. And the fans.

Love your prospect knowledge especially irt the Hogs
please keep bringing it

Any chance Barratt might be ready to leave early
and be ready for a cuppa?

I like JC have any thoughts on him, I cant believe 3 games
into it he's getting heat from the thread already, does he do
everything for a reason, maybe go along with a Barry suggestion
to show Barry maybe not again?
- gazza53

You're welcome. By no means am I an expert. I just share what I read, observe, view, etc. which isn't as extensive as I would like and not as extensive as what others have access to. I love reading what others have to share about prospects as well.

It would be best if Barratt stayed at least one more year after this current year (i.e. through junior year) so he can maximize his development at the NCAA. While he's playing lights out right now, not sure how sustainable that is in terms of being a potential Hobey Baker finalist and scoring leader in all of college. Happy to be wrong and he signs an ELC this spring.

Love your prospect knowledge especially irt the Hogs
please keep bringing it

Any chance Barratt might be ready to leave early
and be ready for a cuppa?

I like JC have any thoughts on him, I cant believe 3 games
into it he's getting heat from the thread already, does he do
everything for a reason, maybe go along with a Barry suggestion
to show Barry maybe not again?
- gazza53

Regarding thoughts on Colliton, I shared these thoughts back on the 1st page of these comments section. Here they are cut and pasted below:

As for Colliton, I really am rooting for him to develop into the head coach the Hawks need. Yet, I do fear that the team may have gone all in with a possibility that they could screw over the coaching situation for both the Hawks and Hogs. He was ideal for developing prospects in Rockford. That advantage is gone now and there still is a chance he won't succeed leading the big club. If that happens, Colliton gets screwed over and the parent club and farm club are both out of great head coaches.

Fingers crossed for Colliton in Chicago. i think he can do it. And hopefully King and Brookbank can continue prospect development in Rockford with favorable ROI.

ETA: I do think Colliton is the best fit for what the team needs moving forward but he walked into a land mine so he could be set up to fail. Not his fault, of course.

Since firing Q both Keith and Seabs haven't played well at
all
- gazza53

That’s because they’re too old and slow to play man to man D.

Regarding thoughts on Colliton, I shared these thoughts back on the 1st page of these comments section. Here they are cut and pasted below:

As for Colliton, I really am rooting for him to develop into the head coach the Hawks need. Yet, I do fear that the team may have gone all in with a possibility that they could screw over the coaching situation for both the Hawks and Hogs. He was ideal for developing prospects in Rockford. That advantage is gone now and there still is a chance he won't succeed leading the big club. If that happens, Colliton gets screwed over and the parent club and farm club are both out of great head coaches.

Fingers crossed for Colliton in Chicago. i think he can do it. And hopefully King and Brookbank can continue prospect development in Rockford with favorable ROI.

ETA: I do think Colliton is the best fit for what the team needs moving forward but he walked into a land mine so he could be set up to fail. Not his fault, of course.
- AEL_Fox

Thanks again!

JC best fit for the team yet set up to fail, scares the frank outta me.
All that just proves how dysfunctional the Hawks have become.

I agree with the other poster, Seabrook is still one tough SOB when need be he would’ve beat that kids ass if the referees would’ve ilike the old days “let them go “
- wonthecup10

Martinook would never fight seabs all he did was give him a lil shove and look for the referee to intervene which is what a lot of players do sadly nowadays. Nice seeing other hawks come to his aid. I thought Johnson and fleury would have a go as Johnson hot roughed up. To bad they didnt and martinsen and Hayden need to start mixing it up if they want to keep playing especially Hayden

Hawks had 27 hits? JC gonna turn them into a bunch of goons?

It worked for the Chiefs! Old time hockey is back in Chicago!

So we have established he has potential if holes in his game get filled. OK.

Then we can conclude they should give him enough rope to fix some stuff. OK, but how long do you wait??

Therefore, they shouldn't sign him to ANY deal until after this season is over so they have an idea of what he is worth.

If after another whole season he has regressed, and is still Tinkerbell in the contact department, IN A CONTRACT PROVING YEAR, they not only must question a long term deal, but they must question, even on a $2-3MM AAV bridge deal, if other players give them better value for even that money.

Paying for potential is a fool's game, especially in a hard cap environment.

The performance of NS and Saad were key components in the FO's future composition of the team. If they both collapse/regress, that is $7MM in cap (not counting what they might re-up NS for) a smart GM needs to think about better spending elsewhere.

Until then this is a one line team that will be easy to beat on most nights.
- Return of the Roar

I wouldn't offer a contract extension to him until the season is over and we get another full season body of work to go off of. Then based on that give him a 2-3 bridge deal. At least at hopefully around 3M it could be easier to move. If Schmaltz has a subpar season and wants a 6x6 deal then I'd let him go into RFA and let someone else max him out and take the draft picks for him then. Nit picking at his faults right now is pointless because he is not the problem on this team. Our poor Defense, lack of speed on D, and lack of scoring depth is what is causing this teams problems. Maybe next year we go in with some combination of Keith, Seabrook, Joki, Boqvist, Forsling, Beaudin, etc. on defense and let the kids grow so that we can try and get an impact scoring forward with the cap space this team will have.

For $hi!'s n giggles say they trade Murphy with the almost 4M they already have and the 9M in expiring deals and they have around 17M to work with. Say the bring back Panarin (don't care if you think it should be the right move or not, you can insert your guy of choice here) at 8M per and resign Schmaltz to a 3x3 deal ya still would have 5M to resign RFA and UFAs and can go with...

Panarin-AA-Kane
Schmaltz-Toews-Saad
Sikura-Kahun-Ejdsell
Any five of the plethora of depth guys we have

Keith-Joki
Forsling-Boqvist
Beaudin-Seabrook
Any one of the plethora of young guys we have

Crow
Delia/Forsberg/Nalimov/etc.

Team at least has youth, excitement, and potential to do something. The point being, we're a Top 6 guy and a miracle of a rebirth on defense (which isn't impossible with the talented prospects they have) from at least having a direction that this team can head for and see some light at the end of the tunnel to get back to being a LEGIT Playoff team. This season is gonna be rough and nit picking at guys like Schmaltz who can grow into something is pointless when we have clear glaring holes that are sinking this ship right now

I wouldn't offer a contract extension to him until the season is over and we get another full season body of work to go off of. Then based on that give him a 2-3 bridge deal. At least at hopefully around 3M it could be easier to move. If Schmaltz has a subpar season and wants a 6x6 deal then I'd let him go into RFA and let someone else max him out and take the draft picks for him then. Nit picking at his faults right now is pointless because he is not the problem on this team. Our poor Defense, lack of speed on D, and lack of scoring depth is what is causing this teams problems. Maybe next year we go in with some combination of Keith, Seabrook, Joki, Boqvist, Forsling, Beaudin, etc. on defense and let the kids grow so that we can try and get an impact scoring forward with the cap space this team will have.

For $hi!'s n giggles say they trade Murphy with the almost 4M they already have and the 9M in expiring deals and they have around 17M to work with. Say the bring back Panarin (don't care if you think it should be the right move or not, you can insert your guy of choice here) at 8M per and resign Schmaltz to a 3x3 deal ya still would have 5M to resign RFA and UFAs and can go with...

Panarin-AA-Kane
Schmaltz-Toews-Saad
Sikura-Kahun-Ejdsell
Any five of the plethora of depth guys we have

Keith-Joki
Forsling-Boqvist
Beaudin-Seabrook
Any one of the plethora of young guys we have

Crow
Delia/Forsberg/Nalimov/etc.

Team at least has youth, excitement, and potential to do something. The point being, we're a Top 6 guy and a miracle of a rebirth on defense (which isn't impossible with the talented prospects they have) from at least having a direction that this team can head for and see some light at the end of the tunnel to get back to being a LEGIT Playoff team. This season is gonna be rough and nit picking at guys like Schmaltz who can grow into something is pointless when we have clear glaring holes that are sinking this ship right now
- Savetheembers33

Where's the Dkat?

Where's the Dkat?
- Popsghostly

Rockford, he needs more seasoning.

I’m praying for additions to the lineup next year in...Anders Lee, Jack Hughes/Kaapo Kakko, and Tyler Myers. Boquist and Mitchell both make the team. Much better roster already.
- EnzoD

I do like the potential for defenseman, however with Keith, Seabrook, manning and murphy all with huge salaries and no movement clauses , the only chance to drastically improve/upgrade the defense would be to move at minimal 2 of them out ? I even think Hillman should have made the team this year over , manning and Davidson.

Rockford, he needs more seasoning.
- DarthKane

What kind?
McCormick's Montreal Steak?
simple cracked black pepper?

I wouldn't offer a contract extension to him until the season is over and we get another full season body of work to go off of. Then based on that give him a 2-3 bridge deal. At least at hopefully around 3M it could be easier to move. If Schmaltz has a subpar season and wants a 6x6 deal then I'd let him go into RFA and let someone else max him out and take the draft picks for him then. Nit picking at his faults right now is pointless because he is not the problem on this team. Our poor Defense, lack of speed on D, and lack of scoring depth is what is causing this teams problems. Maybe next year we go in with some combination of Keith, Seabrook, Joki, Boqvist, Forsling, Beaudin, etc. on defense and let the kids grow so that we can try and get an impact scoring forward with the cap space this team will have.

For $hi!'s n giggles say they trade Murphy with the almost 4M they already have and the 9M in expiring deals and they have around 17M to work with. Say the bring back Panarin (don't care if you think it should be the right move or not, you can insert your guy of choice here) at 8M per and resign Schmaltz to a 3x3 deal ya still would have 5M to resign RFA and UFAs and can go with...

Panarin-AA-Kane
Schmaltz-Toews-Saad
Sikura-Kahun-Ejdsell
Any five of the plethora of depth guys we have

Keith-Joki
Forsling-Boqvist
Beaudin-Seabrook
Any one of the plethora of young guys we have

Crow
Delia/Forsberg/Nalimov/etc.

Team at least has youth, excitement, and potential to do something. The point being, we're a Top 6 guy and a miracle of a rebirth on defense (which isn't impossible with the talented prospects they have) from at least having a direction that this team can head for and see some light at the end of the tunnel to get back to being a LEGIT Playoff team. This season is gonna be rough and nit picking at guys like Schmaltz who can grow into something is pointless when we have clear glaring holes that are sinking this ship right now
- Savetheembers33

Excellent post.

But yes, as Popsghostly said, where's DeBrincat?

Maybe something like this for forwards:

Panarin - Anisimov - Kane
Schmaltz - Toews - Saad
DeBrincat - Kahun - Sikura
Hayden - Johnson - Kampf
Highmore

This way, skill and scoring is spread across 3 lines.

Honestly, I'd upgrade over Kahun if possible this off season. He's not bad but feel the Hawks can do much better at 3C (wouldn't be upset, though, if Kahun was on the team again next year), and hopefully not one of many 4Cs the team has in Chicago and Rockford who get miscast as 3rd liners.

What kind?
McCormick's Montreal Steak?
simple cracked black pepper?
- savvyone-1

If we're talking about the youth, they just like ketchup with everything and hate pepper ("that black stuff") or any other seasoning. Salt is okay.

Priceless. So obvious. He is a hockey guy and can play corporate in Holywood with looks and stach
- holyJumpin_NL

Yep, who would be better? He is a players coach and would be a players gm means he could attract anybody to sign with the Hawks. He knows the absolute value and has a book on every player in the league right at on the ice level. Hire a capologist and let Q focus on building the team. Paired with our excellent scouting dept Q would be magic and unstoppable as gm. Just what is so badly needed.

Yep, who would be better? He is a players coach and would be a players gm means he could attract anybody to sign with the Hawks. He knows the absolute value and has a book on every player in the league right at on the ice level. Hire a capologist and let Q focus on building the team. Paired with our excellent scouting dept Q would be magic and unstoppable as gm. Just what is so badly needed.
- Savoy

If they have such an excellent scouting department, how come the free agent signings have been so miserable?

If they have such an excellent scouting department, how come the free agent signings have been so miserable?
- StLBravesFan

I can answer that in three words.....Bowman...Bowman and lastly Bowman.

I can answer that in three words.....Bowman...Bowman and lastly Bowman.
- Savoy

Mgt wasn't satisfied with just doing bad trades so mgt sought to replicate those with bad signings.

General Manager Q's first order of business should be to hire a special assistant in charge of cost certainty. That man will be John Scott. Any fool in the building stupid enough to utter the words cost and certainty in the same sentence or even in the same paragraph, why Special Assistant John Scott will be right there promptly to beat the hell out of him.