Being at the bottom in suppressing and creating chances the other way is not a recipe for success.

The power play goes away in the playoffs typically and this team is abhorrent 5v5.

They need to lose to win at this point and get in the top 4.
- fattybeef

do you get tired of being wrong? The Hawks are in the top 10 in the league in scoring both 5v5 and PP

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

Ya, thats what I said at the time. I guess Stan couldn't do better than the great Michael Carcone that the Canucks offered the Leafs in return for Leivo.

Hawks and Leafs used to trade frequently, not so much anymore.

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

Is the cost of a 1st rounder for current year draft, or next year draft?

Is the cost of a 1st rounder for current year draft, or next year draft?
- HawksHype

next. I don't think we could do it till after july 1st when the new league year starts.

Be interesting to see if he’d sign a sheet for that.
- walleyeb1

Putting aside the draft pick compensation for an offer sheet - the question is what is Kapanen worth? My opinion is he is probably more than a $4M player now and almost certainly will be in a year or two or three. So if we think we would pay Kapanen more than $4M to sign him - would we be willing to spend our 1st round draft pick on him by signing him to a $5M offer sheet? Consider that as things stand right now the Hawks would probably pick in the 8-12 range with very long odds to move up into the top-3 picks. A player picked in the 8-12 range is most likely a year away from being ready to play in the NHL, if not a couple years. Kapanen is a former 1st round pick (#22), still young (22), decent size (6'1"), great speed, plays tenacious and is on pace for 20+ goals this season. Unless the Hawks hit a tail spin and are almost assured of a top-3 pick - I gladly spend our 1st rounder on an offer sheet to acquire Kapanen for $5M AAV.

Then sign Dzingel on July 1 for $5M and our top-9 is done.

Edit: correction - the 1st round pick would be from 2020 which would be even better because hopefully the Hawks are better next year and are picking even later than 8-12.

Hoping you just miss the playoffs but play well enough not to get a top 5 pick. So far so good.
- VopatsRash

As long as you have that Sieve of a Goalie Rinne you will never win. I told you last year that he would choke and not only did he choke.. He gagged along with your Trashville team getting donkey punched. Winning the Cup will never happen stay thirsty chump!

next. I don't think we could do it till after july 1st when the new league year starts.
- kmw4631

That makes sense...

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

They also would need to acquire Victor Stalberg because losing him in 2013 damn near caused an uproar in the room...………….

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

Its good to see you on here.....been a long time.

0... no Hossa, no cups.
- HawksHype

Uncle Dale wanted both....they had a 1 year offer on the table for Havlat which he turned down for Minnesota.

Hossa sought the Hawks out during the draft.....

This has all been discussed.

You could say no hossa, no seabrook, no keith, no kane, no toews, no cup(s).

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

False! He wanted Hossa, but he Also wanted to keep Havlat. He offered him a one year deal or a low ball multi year deal can’t remember which, but saying a GM actually didn’t want a guy he signed will require actual evidence before it should be considered remotely believable.

False! He wanted Hossa, but he Also wanted to keep Havlat. He offered him a one year deal or a low ball multi year deal can’t remember which, but saying a GM actually didn’t want a guy he signed will require actual evidence before it should be considered remotely believable.
- kwolf68

Correct

He may read too much Barry Rozner who took his ball and went home after the score failed (thank god) to make him a permanent host on one of the shows.

The Hawks will be great in 2-3 years. The Hawks have everything they need to contend in the system already and it would be a step in the wrong direction to be buyers at this TDL.. It's been really fun to see these guys finally click and have it pay off but at the same time the Hawks could use another top 10 or 5 pick -- then again the Hawks do have one of the best scouting staffs in the league and somehow manage to find outstanding talent and pure gems outside of the first round, but still - I hope the Hawks will land Jack Hughes somehow... That would be flipping nuts - that would be like having (2) Patrick Kane(s) on the same team.........And to be honest I think Hughes has potential to be even better than Kane, but I suppose I'm merely dreaming here, but one can dream.

Overall though I like the direction the Hawks are going, however one thing is certain the Hawks are going to need to cut some pork **cough** buyout Seabrooks contract, however that isn't going to be an easy thing to do with 5 years left and a ton of change on the table - however don't underestimate the intangibles he brings to this team - especially off the ice and honestly despite what some may believe or want to believe Seabrook is the real captain of this team, or certainly co-captain with Toews... But what can you do? ideally I would like to see him retire then hired as an assistant coach - for him to trade the Indian Head for a suit and tie and honestly I don't know why the NHL would forbid a player change his role from player to coach on the same contract.... Because in the next few years there will not be a roster spot for him... He will be a very expensive healthy scratch and the only time he will play is when the Hawks D is hampered by injury..

So I could see Seabrook and his contract being a potential problem in a few years.. Lets just hope the Hawks get an amnesty buyout, they use it on Seabrook, then Seabrook hangs up his skates and joins the Hawks as a coach where he can work with the new wave of Hawks defensemen such as Joker, Boqvist, Beaudin, Mitchell, Krys etc... Because those kids are indeed something to get exited about - they all have top 4 potential and a few have top pairing potential... Heck, if Gustafsson works on his defense a little he could be a legitimate top 4 defenseman.

So yea, the Hawks future on D is extremely bright if the Seabrook contract can be figured out..

On the forward side of the ice the Hawks have a ton of talent there as well. I don't think most Hawks fans understand just how much Bowman improved the future of this team over the last 2 years, and that 2018 draft will eventually be one of the best in Hawks history - not only that but several recent trades Bowman has pulled off will be "huge" down the road, the Schmaltz/Strome trade is already paying off - Caggiula will be an excellent role player, not to mention the Hawks also acquired Mackenzie Entwhistle who will play a similar role to what Byfuglien played when he was used as a forward.. Entwhistle is a big kid that goes hard to the net, muck it up and score dirty (and pretty) goals..... And in this past draft the Hawks got 5 amazing players with epic potential who are easily top pairing defenseman or top 6 forwards. Jake Wise has the talent to be a very good #2 center or an elite #3 center, I mean he was projected to be a mid-first round pick until he got injured and the Hawks stole him in the 3rd round and in a few years hockey pundits will be asking the same question they ask about Debrincat now: "how did every team in the league pass on this guy?" , then the Hawks draft Nordgren who has top 6 potential all day - then of course you have Phillipp Kurashev who is a natural goal scorer similar to DeBrincat, but much bigger and more aggressive, he's kinda similar to Panarin actually -he just likes to go to the net more often than not..

Of course I'm confident the Hawks have found their future #1 goalie in Delia, he's 24 which is the typical age for a goalie to transition into a #1 so he has a bright future ahead of him...Unfortunately Crawford's career is over, so don't count on him any longer - he's done and don't be shocked if he's LTIR (or traded to Arizona, lol) to finish off the last year of his contract.

So with that said - in 2-3 years this future Hawks team will be as good and as exciting as the 2009-10 Hawks, but this team will have more advantages than that 09-10 team did, they will still have guys in Toews, Kane and Keith who know how to win Cups and will be a real asset to this young up and coming talent in the locker room and on ice with Kane... I don't see Kane slowing down any time soon so Kane will certainly be part of this youth movement moving forward..

I know some Hawks fans are all bummed out - they're screaming for a full-blown rebuild, they want everyone traded and start from scratch etc.... When in reality there is no need for any of that.. Then they say "Toews, Kane, Keith and all the 'core' are aging and the Hawks don't have time" which is ridiculous considering that implies ONLY a youthful Toews, Kane, Keith and Seabrook can win the Hawks Cups.. Besides, Kane is better than ever and Toews is having a career year at the age of 30 (which is NOT old by any standards) so both Kane and Toews will be part of this "youth movement" - of course they will be "elders" but they will still have 3-4 years of legitimate involvement with this "new core"..... Sure Seabrook isn't even remotely close to the player he once was, but he's still useful for right now - he's still a legitimate NHL defenseman.. Of course Keith has seen better days but Keith is still an above average NHL defenseman that very well could find a spark like Toews has and take his game to another level and be the Keith he was 3-4 years ago... And it's not outrageous to believe any of this... It's not rare or uncommon for a player to have a couple of below average years (in their terms) then come back and be better than ever, I mean heck - Kane and Toews are doing it right now.

And I'm sure many are wondering why I'm so optimistic -- well I've been watching hockey and the Blackhawks since Murray Bannerman was the Hawks #1 and Doug Wilson, Keith Brown and Bob Murray were there top defenseman and Denis Savard was what Patrick Kane is today and Steve Larmer was what Toews is today.. My point is that I've seen many generations of hockey, I've seen truly terrible and pathetic teams with no future (many Hawks teams that had no future) and I must say - this Hawks team isn't even remotely close to a team with no future, they're not even remotely close to rebuilding .... This Hawks team is in a "transition" mode - not a rebuild mode... This team is merely waiting for the next wave of talent to be ready and takeover and become core members of this franchise, and several players presently on this roster are nothing more than "place holders" or pylons until the kids are ready to earn their core role.

If it matters the Hawks are 2/3rd's of the way though this "transition phase"... And to be honest I think the Hawks could be an excellent team as soon as next season if they sign a couple of the right UFA's this summer - more specifically a legitimate veteran top 4 defenseman to a short term deal, a legitimate meat and potatoes hard hitting physical 2-way bottom 6 forward and perhaps re-signing Panarin.. But re-signing Panarin would be a huge commitment, but at least we know what we're getting with Panarin.... I mean if Bowman plays his cards right and a few things go the Hawks way this team has potential to be a "super team" in the next year or two.. This team could run (3) legitimate scoring lines and 1 beast of a shutdown line while they destroy opponents at will..

Anyway, that's the projection I see this team on.. Of course I'm not going to be 100% correct and not all the kids will reach maximum potential and become superstars BUT many will and this team certainly will be a contender once again very soon (1-3 years) of course if you're 15 and reading this then that is forever for you but I suppose that's your problem, lol..

Correct

He may read too much Barry Rozner who took his ball and went home after the score failed (thank god) to make him a permanent host on one of the shows.
- SteveRain

I stand corrected, who is Barry Rozner?

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

I will take door zero, Alex.

So then the question is... Do Debrincat and Strome (frank)?
- BINGO!

They really need to get a Canes blogger.

I will take door zero, Alex.
- Spec41971

Made a mistake, guess it is time to go back into the penalty box for 3 years

Uncle Dale wanted both....they had a 1 year offer on the table for Havlat which he turned down for Minnesota.

Hossa sought the Hawks out during the draft.....

This has all been discussed.

You could say no hossa, no seabrook, no keith, no kane, no toews, no cup(s).
- SteveRain

Well... I could say that and I would. All of them together were needed for the cups. But that wasn't the question asked. Toews/Kane/Seabs/Keith were all here when Hossa came in. So it was Havlat or Hossa. I think if we kept Havlat and didn't get Hossa, there would be 0 cups. Then again, if you don't have Hossa, who knows the trajectory of every Hawks team after 2010.

I like the progression so far of Hawks who are more or less Rookies. Strome has been great since he arrived. He's 21 and had less than 50 games in the NHL when he arrived. Kahun has improved since day 1 and as a 23 year old in his first year in north america has been fine, there is still more room until he hits his ceiling. Kampf has shown he belongs and can be a 3C or an energy 4C. On the backed, the book on Koekkoek is still open, he was a high pick, has size and skills, time will tell. Jokiharju will see regular time on the top pair next season, he is in the Rock now most likely so they can get a look at the other D-men who they may move or because they are out of options.
- TheTrob

Only a small nit to pick. I agree about Kahun. However, he did play a couple of seasons with Sudbury in the OHL.

Uncle Dale wanted both....they had a 1 year offer on the table for Havlat which he turned down for Minnesota.

Hossa sought the Hawks out during the draft.....

This has all been discussed.

You could say no hossa, no seabrook, no keith, no kane, no toews, no cup(s).
- SteveRain

You're missing the point...

Anything good that's happened to this franchise is a direct result of Tallon's actions. Anything bad that's happened is a direct result of Stan's actions. Timeline doesn't matter. For example, trading away Chelios is Stan's fault.

They really need to get a Canes blogger.
- Elbows15

I volunteered with no response.

Probably burned that bridge about a decade ago when I got that year long ban.

Only a small nit to pick. I agree about Kahun. However, he did play a couple of seasons with Sudbury in the OHL.
- Elbows15

He did, as a 17-18 year old, followed by 4 years in Germany.

just saw Panarin parted ways with his agent
- MichaeLionheart

He's calling up Kaner to get Pat Brisson's number.

You're missing the point...

Anything good that's happened to this franchise is a direct result of Tallon's actions. Anything bad that's happened is a direct result of Stan's actions. Timeline doesn't matter. For example, trading away Chelios is Stan's fault.
- DarthKane

I think you're correct but you switched the names around....

Anything bad is result of Dale....see RFA, cap hell etc

Anything good is Stan.....see NMCs for everyone, etc

Fact is both were good and bad. Only 1 would play by McDonough's rules and the other is working on his short game as he tries to gear up to sign both Russians out of Columbus this summer.

I stand corrected, who is Barry Rozner?
- LAHawk

Barry.....

Believed Trent Yawney was a sure HOF coach
Hated Uncle Dale
Loves McDonough from back in his days as a Cubs executive

Barry knows all and is maybe the biggest d bag in this city's media outside of Dan Bernstein.....of course.