How's it going, Mexico Hawk?

Lots of interesting debate and discussion, but nobody is asking the obvious question. Does Breadman sleep?

Running an idea out of your job parameters (noted responsibilities) is one thing. However, when you want to sign a guy or trade for a guy and have to run it by a group of people as McDonough referred to......that's a pretty dicey situation.

Read the article...lots of good stuff in there.
- SteveRain

All the article states (the Athletic one I am assuming) is that Stan "is smart enough to get the opinions of his group, and that he makes the final decision".

McD also stated that he never has had to go to higher ups saying "if we don't have an answer by 5 or 6 o'clock this thing is going to blow up".

From my perspective (and if you ask my wife that is shaky to begin with) all this says is that he consults the people in the organization to get input.

Yes, I believe what they meant to say was Kane was the last #1 pick to win with his draft team.
- scottak

Some folks still didn't get the point of the comment. No player taken first overall since Kane in 2007 has won a cup. Up until last season, only Kane and Crosby, MAF were on that list for players drafted recently. Kane won because honestly the Hawks were stacked with depth all over the ice. Crosby has some really elite support. Ovie finally won after what 14 years since he was drafted?

Odds are, picking 1st overall doesn't mean you are winning a cup anytime soon. If the Hawks want to go that route and gut the team, they would need multiple high picks over the next few years and maybe in 2025 we'll see them win a cup. If they want to win while Kane/Toews are still here, tanking isn't the solution.

How's it going, Mexico Hawk?
- mohel

Brad Palmer is back?

Indeed. I wasn't thorough in my answer. My point was more about the timeline and the rest of the team around them. Granted there are different rules at play here, but lets go from 1990:

O. Nolan
R. Hamrlik
A. Daigle
E. Jovanovski
B. Berard
C. Phillips
J. Thornton
V. Lecavalier
P. Stefan
R. DiPietro
I. Kovalchuk
R. Nash
MAF
Ovi
Crosby
E. Johnson
Kane
Stamkos
Tavares
Hall
RNH
Yakupov
MacKinnon
Ekblad
McDavid
Matthews
Hischier
Dahlin

Lots of good players (with a couple stinkers), but only a handful were one of the main reasons for their team's cup. Several are still struggling to make the playoffs.
- Chunk

Agreed. And oilers having three in a row a few years back sort of proves that if you are bad enough to keep getting the first overall pick over and over and over, you’re probably bad enough in all phases of operating a team that you won’t be able to take advantage of the picks.

I would offer sheet Kapanen at $4 mil., can't see how Toronto could match, cost the Hawks a second round pick.
- LAHawk

would be a solid move. but teams just dont offer sheet. must be 5 or more years since the last one.

Lots of interesting debate and discussion, but nobody is asking the obvious question. Does Breadman sleep?
- mohel

LOL

would be a solid move. but team just dont offer sheet. must be 5 or more years since the last one.
- hawk35

Dubas said when signing Matthews, I don't care what others think, I have to do what's best for my team. There are a lot of interesting RFA's that could get offer sheets, all it takes is one to get the ball rolling

spot on...and McD is full throttle public propaganda mode about playoffs...

the issue is the WC is so bad it makes the hawks with this 6 game streak look good...

they have no business overpaying for help...which rarely works anyway even with legit cup contenders...

Uncle Dale wanted to keep Havlat and not sign Hossa, how many cups would the Hawks have in the past 10 years, especially with Havlat being injured more than on the ice?
- LAHawk

Great point. I can't believe I was upset when they got rid of Havlat. In hindsight, Hossa made Havlat an instant afterthought. Man I miss the flawless hockey player that was Marian Hossa.

Hoping you guys choke again...….love seeing it.

Always a bridesmaid. Enjoy that.
- SteveRain

David Poile has been a GM in the NHL for like 37 years and his SC record is 0 for 37. So now he's going for it again by acquiring Cody McLeod and Bryan Boyle. That should shore up their offence for sure.

Whats going to happen when the Preds take their annual dump in the playoffs this year - Poile will get frustrated and fire Laviolette, then immediately hire Q as the final piece of the puzzle. Q will insist on getting rid of PK and Pekka and demand Poile acquire Duncan Keith and Hammer.

And if the Preds then win the Cup, Oldduffman and True Grit will commit suicide on Eklund's podcast.

spot on...and McD is full throttle public propaganda mode about playoffs...

the issue is the WC is so bad it makes the hawks with this 6 game streak look good...

they have no business overpaying for help...which rarely works anyway even with legit cup contenders...
- bogiedoc

Just a thought, but does it rarely work for legit contenders because they are already good teams?

I get what you are saying and agree they should not overpay for anything, but the Hawks could still trade for help, if the contract they take is good, the player isn't over the hill and it isn't a rental. I don't think Stan is disillusioned and will go for giving away anything they value for a rental. I'd be okay if he trades away someone who doesn't really have a future here. Like Rutta, he was not going to be a part of the team. I think they will target young guys like Perlini or Koekkoek or Strome or Caggiula, who are cheap, need a change or scenery and maybe develop into more.

spot on...and McD is full throttle public propaganda mode about playoffs...

the issue is the WC is so bad it makes the hawks with this 6 game streak look good...

they have no business overpaying for help...which rarely works anyway even with legit cup contenders...
- bogiedoc

Reddit is an echo chamber of 'Hawks playoffs anything can happen'. McDonagh probably has Cambridge Analytics planting thousands of upvotes on 'pro-Hawks Playoffs' posts. I've been downvoted to hell for suggesting they're not a cup contender, and that a playoff berth just lessens our odds of drafting an impact player.

I don't see how Toronto can offer him that much, and they would have to match, trade Nylander, or lose him.
- LAHawk

That’s not my point, it that I’m not sure Kapanen would sign an offer from the Blackhawks for $4 mil.

Uncle Dale wanted to keep Havlat and not sign Hossa, how many cups would the Hawks have in the past 10 years, especially with Havlat being injured more than on the ice?
- LAHawk

0... no Hossa, no cups.

That’s not my point, it that I’m not sure Kapanen would sign an offer from the Blackhawks for $4 mil.
- walleyeb1

Agree with this, Kapanen might get a $5 mil offer from another team. Plus he might not sign any offer sheets.

Lots of interesting debate and discussion, but nobody is asking the obvious question. Does Breadman sleep?
- mohel

Yes, I do, hahahaha! What's up?

Agree with this, Kapanen might get a $5 mil offer from another team. Plus he might not sign any offer sheets.
- ObeseOprah

Anything over 4 million will cost them a 1st rounder.

Reddit is an echo chamber of 'Hawks playoffs anything can happen'. McDonagh probably has Cambridge Analytics planting thousands of upvotes on 'pro-Hawks Playoffs' posts. I've been downvoted to hell for suggesting they're not a cup contender, and that a playoff berth just lessens our odds of drafting an impact player.
- ObeseOprah

I've given up participating on that. Too many "fans" fretting about who gets to where the "A" and wondering if it's worth making a waiver claim on whatever player is on the wire that day. These are the folks that will get tickets to a game and sit there staring at their phone during play.

Agree with this, Kapanen might get a $5 mil offer from another team. Plus he might not sign any offer sheets.
- ObeseOprah

If he gets $5 from someone else fine, that costs a 1st rounder, to me is a no lose situation for the Hawks

David Poile has been a GM in the NHL for like 37 years and his SC record is 0 for 37. So now he's going for it again by acquiring Cody McLeod and Bryan Boyle. That should shore up their offence for sure.

Whats going to happen when the Preds take their annual dump in the playoffs this year - Poile will get frustrated and fire Laviolette, then immediately hire Q as the final piece of the puzzle. Q will insist on getting rid of PK and Pekka and demand Poile acquire Duncan Keith and Hammer.

And if the Preds then win the Cup, Oldduffman and True Grit will commit suicide on Eklund's podcast.
- RickJ

Agree with this, Kapanen might get a $5 mil offer from another team. Plus he might not sign any offer sheets.
- ObeseOprah

Kapanen has a total of 23 NHL goals, 15 of them this year. Very nice player but $5M on a multi year deal might be going a bit overboard.

The place to attack the Leafs is by going after their depth. They have plenty of good/should be ready players in their farm system. Andreas Johnsson now on the NHL squad is one of them who is RFA coming up; Andreas Borgman with the Marlies is another. Offer sheeting those 2 wouldn't be overly expensive. And Jeremy Bracco would probably be in the NHL with most other teams, his agent should be pushing for a move elsewhere soon.

Kapanen has a total of 23 NHL goals, 15 of them this year. Very nice player but $5M on a multi year deal might be going a bit overboard.

The place to attack the Leafs is by going after their depth. They have plenty of good/should be ready players in their farm system. Andreas Johnsson now on the NHL squad is one of them who is RFA coming up; Andreas Borgman with the Marlies is another. Offer sheeting those 2 wouldn't be overly expensive. And Jeremy Bracco would probably be in the NHL with most other teams, his agent should be pushing for a move elsewhere soon.
- RickJ

Good point, wished Stan could of got Josh Leivo before he went to Vancouver

Just a thought, but does it rarely work for legit contenders because they are already good teams?

I get what you are saying and agree they should not overpay for anything, but the Hawks could still trade for help, if the contract they take is good, the player isn't over the hill and it isn't a rental. I don't think Stan is disillusioned and will go for giving away anything they value for a rental. I'd be okay if he trades away someone who doesn't really have a future here. Like Rutta, he was not going to be a part of the team. I think they will target young guys like Perlini or Koekkoek or Strome or Caggiula, who are cheap, need a change or scenery and maybe develop into more.
- breadbag

i am onboard with that...i think if a GM comes a calling for someone and the hawks can leverage to their adv...let someone else over pay for once...