He has coached, what, 30 games in the NHL and you've written him off?

He has a team with a no top pairing defensemen, arguably only one second pairing defenseman, three defensemen who are probably really AHLers, only 3 maybe four top six forwards, minimal forward depth, a rookie goalie and a goalie who's best days were 6 years ago, a team with no physicality and yet they play hard for him and compete. Other than suiting up and going out on the ice what do you expect Coliton to do?

Your assessment may prove to be right but judging him has to be tempered with the talent he has in the dressing room. Right now the Hawks don't need a tactical or strategic coach to guide them through the playoffs. They need a coach who can work with the team during a rebuild or retool to guide them towards being a playoff contender. Right now the focus should be on building a roster to be competative not on a coach who in my eyes has done a decent job with the players he has at his disposal.
- paulr

Good post actually, though I think the Hawks have 5 top 6 guys----Strome, Kane, Toews, Saad and Cat are legit top 6 players. And w/ Drake or AA or Kahun filling in I actually like our Top 6 quite a bit. Would like more depth scoring for sure, and the Defense is abysmal. I think Keith and Murphy are borderline top 4 guys. The rest are really bottom pairing guys, although Gus is a "niche'" D-man in that in the offensive zone he is a legit guy, but in the defensive zone he's pretty rough.

Didn't get a chance to watch the game last night. From reading the board sounds like i saved myself from having an aggravated evening.

It's too bad, 1 game away from evening out their record, not including their 1 point losses.

I'll bet JC will have a lot to say when they review the tape of the game. It's all part of the process, this is still a young team.

Just no rentals, please.

This team isn’t going anywhere with Jeremey Colliton as coach. This is the NHL, not a Tier 2 Swedish league.

He doesn’t have the personnel to play man to man, yet that’s the system he installs. Every night we see slow defenseman chasing forwards behind the net, up the sidewall and out to the blue line. The other defenseman gets exposed down low, and most of the Hawk forward aren’t smart enough to drop down to take the D man’s low spot.

And how the hell do you run Forsling and Gustafsson out as a pair against one of the stronger fore checking teams in the league? If there was ever a night to play Koekkoek, it was last night.

Colliton will not be the HC when the Hawks again are Cup contenders. He’ll be back in some 2nd level Euro league, where he belongs.
- scottak

It's hard to accurate gauge JC, the roster he has isn't that talented. The bottom 5 forwards don't cut it. The top D pair (2 and 7) should be the bottom pairing and there's only on decent shutdown pair (Dahlstrom and Murphy). Plus the team's #1 goalie has been out most of the season.

You may be correct, but I think we can't judge JC just yet.

He has coached, what, 30 games in the NHL and you've written him off?

He has a team with a no top pairing defensemen, arguably only one second pairing defenseman, three defensemen who are probably really AHLers, only 3 maybe four top six forwards, minimal forward depth, a rookie goalie and a goalie who's best days were 6 years ago, a team with no physicality and yet they play hard for him and compete. Other than suiting up and going out on the ice what do you expect Coliton to do?

Your assessment may prove to be right but judging him has to be tempered with the talent he has in the dressing room. Right now the Hawks don't need a tactical or strategic coach to guide them through the playoffs. They need a coach who can work with the team during a rebuild or retool to guide them towards being a playoff contender. Right now the focus should be on building a roster to be competative not on a coach who in my eyes has done a decent job with the players he has at his disposal.
- paulr

They do play hard for him and compete, as slow and as a shell of his former self, I though Seabrook was a warrior last night, especially on that 5 on 3 PK. Also some push back when the Bruin hit Kane, unlike last year especially when the team just hid in a corner.

The moves in the these last 2 seasons Stan has been unwilling to mortgage the future. I don't think that changes now with the Hawks in striking distance of a wild card spot.

In short TC, yes. If you can get a good deal for any of the more expendable players on the team, you improve the squad for the future. Guys like AA, Hayden, Kruger, Forsling are not contributing much of anything towards the Hawks mid-season improvement.

I've noticed this season Stab Bowman talked a lot about the young D in the system and seems to suggest he expects them to be here next year or the year after. Gotta make room even if it means signing another guy like Davidson as a just in case.

Similar story up front with a few guys who aren't pulling their weight. AA, Kruger, Hayden, Perlini, Kunitz, all disappointing this season.

Caggiula has given the Hawks some flexibility but he still isn't gonna be a prototypical top 6 guy. If we look at what is probably considered our top 6.

Saad - Toews - Kane
DeBrincat - Strome - Kahun

Those guys have all been pretty much good enough or better.

After that, very few bright spots on the roster. Kampf has had some good moments, but his skill seems to be fringe NHL talent, so 4th line is pretty much his ceiling. I'm not saying trade everyone, but I don't see anyone in the bottom 6 that has played so well that they are a "must keep" individually.
- breadbag

As inconsistent as his play has been Hayden won some respect from me last night when he went after Acciari. At least someone stands up to those running our stars.

Was watching the NBCSN feed last night, and in between the first and second period, Anson Carter showed 3 times (Gustafson, Forsling, Perlini) where the puck was on their stick in the defensive zone, and they tried stick handling, instead of just getting it out of the zone.

He has coached, what, 30 games in the NHL and you've written him off?

He has a team with a no top pairing defensemen, arguably only one second pairing defenseman, three defensemen who are probably really AHLers, only 3 maybe four top six forwards, minimal forward depth, a rookie goalie and a goalie who's best days were 6 years ago, a team with no physicality and yet they play hard for him and compete. Other than suiting up and going out on the ice what do you expect Coliton to do?

Your assessment may prove to be right but judging him has to be tempered with the talent he has in the dressing room. Right now the Hawks don't need a tactical or strategic coach to guide them through the playoffs. They need a coach who can work with the team during a rebuild or retool to guide them towards being a playoff contender. Right now the focus should be on building a roster to be competative not on a coach who in my eyes has done a decent job with the players he has at his disposal.
- paulr

Not to blast Colliton - as you say, only 30 games in the Show, only one previous season coaching pros in North America - maybe he'll make it, maybe he won't....

But if the defensemen on the squad are as limited as you say - and the forwards don't provide much defensive help - why is he using a defensive system (man to man) that I would think requires some pretty good skills and hockey sense from all five skaters on the ice?

As inconsistent as his play has been Hayden won some respect from me last night when he went after Acciari. At least someone stands up to those running our stars.
- Popsghostly

Yeah. I'm not in the crowd that says just trade him for next to nothing, but if he was part of a deal, the Hawks would be okay. I don't think Hayden is a hidden gem at this point. I like that at times he can protect the puck well with his body and create space, but I just don't know if he will put it all together to be effective. It's okay if they keep him around, just like you say more consistency and I wish he had more pace to his game.

They do play hard for him and compete, as slow and as a shell of his former self, I though Seabrook was a warrior last night, especially on that 5 on 3 PK. Also some push back when the Bruin hit Kane, unlike last year especially when the team just hid in a corner.
- LAHawk

I agree, Seabrook was good last night. He was about the only one on Defense. So that's very encouraging.

He has coached, what, 30 games in the NHL and you've written him off?

He has a team with a no top pairing defensemen, arguably only one second pairing defenseman, three defensemen who are probably really AHLers, only 3 maybe four top six forwards, minimal forward depth, a rookie goalie and a goalie who's best days were 6 years ago, a team with no physicality and yet they play hard for him and compete. Other than suiting up and going out on the ice what do you expect Coliton to do?

Your assessment may prove to be right but judging him has to be tempered with the talent he has in the dressing room. Right now the Hawks don't need a tactical or strategic coach to guide them through the playoffs. They need a coach who can work with the team during a rebuild or retool to guide them towards being a playoff contender. Right now the focus should be on building a roster to be competative not on a coach who in my eyes has done a decent job with the players he has at his disposal.
- paulr

Stop yourself, Pallie. You looking for a ban?

Cup run. LOL.

Daley to Pitt--Cup
Kempny to Wash --Cup
Rutta to TB--Cup???

If that happens it will be kinda hilarious. Totally coincidental, but still interesting.
- kwolf68

Indeed a coincidence... they just happened to have the team strength to absorb that defenseman... see: Timonen 2015. (Although those guys were a little more useful than ol' Kimmo.)

Was watching the NBCSN feed last night, and in between the first and second period, Anson Carter showed 3 times (Gustafson, Forsling, Perlini) where the puck was on their stick in the defensive zone, and they tried stick handling, instead of just getting it out of the zone.
- LAHawk

Perlini is just dreadful.

Yeah. I'm not in the crowd that says just trade him for next to nothing, but if he was part of a deal, the Hawks would be okay. I don't think Hayden is a hidden gem at this point. I like that at times he can protect the puck well with his body and create space, but I just don't know if he will put it all together to be effective. It's okay if they keep him around, just like you say more consistency and I wish he had more pace to his game.
- breadbag

I know that one guy who rag me for defending Hayden, but he has been excellent the last few games and it's really hard to judge a guy when he's getting 5 minutes a night. He brings a unique skillset to this team. Does he have "top 6 skill"? Probably not, but Hawks won Cups in 2010 and 2013 (more so than 2015) with a plethora of legit bottom 6 guys, the Eagers, Burish, Bollys, Maddens of the world who lacked elite skill, but brought necessary elements to those teams to help us win.

You do not win Cups JUST because of a core group, but you win Cups because the core group doesn't have to do it all. Guys like Hayden with his size, strength and enough offensive ability to create some chances, his toughness and willingness to actually throw a body check is a welcomed addition to the team.

Lets also note the kid is 23 years old. No I don't think if he were to get traded he'd become the next Cam Neely, but the potential replacements for him (Martinson, Johnson) are about as inspiring as a Maroon 5 concert.

Stop yourself, Pallie. You looking for a ban?
- mohel

Is that you Eli? First Mexico Hawk and now Eli .... it's been a special New Year.

Is that you Eli? First Mexico Hawk and now Eli .... it's been a special New Year.
- paulr

what name is Mexico Hawk now blogging under?

I agree, Seabrook was good last night. He was about the only one on Defense. So that's very encouraging.
- kwolf68

There will be good days and bad days with the old farts. I can relate to that.

There will be good days and bad days with the old farts. I can relate to that.
- mohel

I know. Seabrook has had a rough year, but so has Keith. Both have looked like shells of their former self. Hell, I've watched guys skate around Keith this year, totally unheard of.

That said and all the negativity in mind, those two guys are champions, warriors. If they even have a sniff of fuel in the tank left I trust they'll leave it out there. Seabs took a nice step last night, if the rest of the group will jump on the train with him and sure up this defense, they can be a pretty good hockey team.

what name is Mexico Hawk now blogging under?
- glennjpawlak22

Elbows15.

Elbows15.
- mohel

are you outing him or is he ok that he is known

The reality of the NHL is that most bottom six forwards in the league don't stay on their team for very long. They either get bumped out of the league by better talent or move on to another team.

The Hawks bottom 6 two years ago was:
Hartman, Schmaltz, Hinostroza
Motte, Kruger, Rasmussen
Extra: Tootoo, Kero, Desjardins


Our bottom six right now is:
Saad-Anisimov-Sikura
Perlini-Kruger-Hayden

I'd expect only one or two besides Saad to still be here in two years, it's just the nature of the league at this point.

Perlini is just dreadful.
- RickJ

Ugghhhh... Agree here. He pretty much lost us a point in the Vancouver game with that careless penalty. In his limited time, he took a penalty against the Wings and he was a puck possession disaster last night.

He needs to hit with his big frame and just make simple plays. He holds on to the puck too long and ends up losing it or waits a split second too long to shoot.

Maybe with this 1st round pedigree and size, he can be used as a sweetner to take one of our big contracts off of our hands.

Both he and Hayden with terrible icing plays on the same shift last night. Tons of open ice in front of both of them and they both panicked by icing the puck....next thing you know boom faceoff win and the puck is in the back of the net....both are not smart hockey players.

Q: Are You Sure You Want the Blackhawks to Make the Playoffs?

A: Yes, always. As a fan, I always want to Blackhawks to be a playoff team. The alternative is a bottom dwelling team, the sky is falling, etc. The message board are made that much more unbearable when the team is crap, you are stuck watching loss after loss. The past run of 7 wins was fun, competitive hockey. So of course, I want to see the Hawks make the playoffs, even if a first round sweep is the outcome. That, I think, is the nature of being a fan.

Now, if you want to talk about the direction of the "rebuild," then that brings up another discussion. As of right now, the Hawks won't be drafting in the top 3, or even top 5. Regardless of how bad we all may think they are, they are not a bottom 5 team. They are more likely a bottom 8-12 team. Right in the middle of last place and last in. Agreed, that drafting in the top 10 is better than drafting in the mid teens. But if we are hoping to move up only a few spots, whats the point? I don't think anyone there is going to change the face of the franchise in the next 2-3 years. I think showing some competitiveness the last half of the season could be enticing to some FA's out there, could open the door to potentially make some meaningful trades. There is not a set way in rebuilding a team, it can come from different avenues.

Getting to the playoffs could be a huge stepping stone for this team. Vets with experience looking to taste success again, young guys who you want to build around getting a shot. Carry that over to the next season could be more impactful for a team than a #8-10 pick.

Long post, but I'm a fan, not management. I have no control over what is done on the ice. The thought of players tanking is the dumbest concept I've ever heard. A flash of 7 wins and then a bad loss... enjoy the roller coaster. Root for the team to win and succeed, and don't be locked into thinking success is achieved only one way.

are you outing him or is he ok that he is known
- glennjpawlak22

I'm sure he's fine with it. I'm not positive it's Mex, but the writing styles and posts are similar. Although, Mex's posts were more intelligent than those by Elbows....

It's hard to accurate gauge JC, the roster he has isn't that talented. The bottom 5 forwards don't cut it. The top D pair (2 and 7) should be the bottom pairing and there's only on decent shutdown pair (Dahlstrom and Murphy). Plus the team's #1 goalie has been out most of the season.

You may be correct, but I think we can't judge JC just yet.
- DarthKane

He needs to have at least one camp under his belt where he can put his mark on the team before throwing him to the wolfs.