Ok you move saad who replaces him in the line Perlini is he shown enough to be a top six forward. To fill one hawks create another hole to fill. I m not saying don't trade saad for defense help but better have a plan to replace him. If hawks do trade saad truboa pesce type d man and probably left defense would be more needed than right.
Plus I said this last night on the previous blog look at teams that are going to experience cap problems this offseason:

Calgary
Winnipeg
Tampa
Pitt
Washington
Edmonton
San Jose
Just to name a few, try and make smart creative trades if hawks can fleece a team than do so. Lets hope the lottery balls fall in are favor and get a top 5 pick.

Yeah you have to wonder if the Hunter's see more upside in Boqvist as a forward? I'd like to see the Hawks continue to develop him as a defenseman and if he is unable to become competant defensively he can always be moved up as a forward. There are cases of defensmen becoming good forwards once they are in the NHL.
- paulr

Good to know, especially if plan B ends up being the only option. I want him staying on defense too.

If Saad is the one to trade because he doesn't produce enough for the money, won't other teams realize this, too?
- mohel

SAAD's contract is fine when Stone is getting 9.5 mil for 8 years. DUCH 8.5 Pan probably 10mil and Dzingel 6, SAAD is paid fine for a 25 a year goal mostly 5X5.

I would say the only other CHips that make any sense is Murph and Keith. Any D is going to come back with a contract more then likely.

Boquist would be, but that trade would use up most of your cap space. probably need to add on both.

SAAD forsling for Trouba
Murph for Nylander (TOR would want to include Zaitsev)
Trade Arty to Caro or AZ only owed 5 Mil over 2 years. prospects or pick
Sign kubalik
Sign darling 3 years at league Min after he is bought out.

Saad and Smolett for Hedman and a third!!!

Good to know, especially if plan B ends up being the only option. I want him staying on defense too.
- I Am The Breadman

I was interested in the comments by Magic Gus about moving to forward. Said he'd like it but wouldn't be good at it. Maybe it isn't as easy as we think.

Saad and Smolett for Hedman and a third!!!
- TrueGrit

Big points for working in Smollett.

I was interested in the comments by Magic Gus about moving to forward. Said he'd like it but wouldn't be good at it. Maybe it isn't as easy as we think.
- mohel

Most of Boqvist's goals are from 15 feet or closer to the net. He's already playing forward for all intents and purposes. I expect he'll continue his career as a defenseman and I really hope he spends another year in London and continues to improve in his own end.

Most of Boqvist's goals are from 15 feet or closer to the net. He's already playing forward for all intents and purposes. I expect he'll continue his career as a defenseman and I really hope he spends another year in London and continues to improve in his own end.
- paulr

I think another year in London is in the cards. It's good for his development with the staff there, he's still young, and his contract can slide again (I think).

I was interested in the comments by Magic Gus about moving to forward. Said he'd like it but wouldn't be good at it. Maybe it isn't as easy as we think.
- mohel

There's an age difference to consider. One could learn or acclimate quicker/better than the other looking at where both are in their respective careers. Magic Gus said he likes skating backwards. To me, I took his comments more of I don't want to be a forward. But I won't argue about the difficulty of switching positions. It most likely is.

There's an age difference to consider. One could learn or acclimate quicker/better than the other looking at where both are in their respective careers. Magic Gus said he likes skating backwards. To me, I took his comments more of I don't want to be a forward. But I won't argue about the difficulty of switching positions. It most likely is.
- I Am The Breadman

I've thought Leddy and Gus could be forwards over the years. I was just struck that Gus didn't think he'd be good at it.

I've thought Leddy and Gus could be forwards over the years. I was just struck that Gus didn't think he'd be good at it.
- mohel

It's funny this year Leddy is finally playing a competant defensive game. Not great but sufficient. Too bad he hadn't bothered to learn when he was in Chicago it may have made the decision harder to keep an old Oduya with limited offensive skils over a young Leddy who is quite good offensively.

There's an age difference to consider. One could learn or acclimate quicker/better than the other looking at where both are in their respective careers. Magic Gus said he likes skating backwards. To me, I took his comments more of I don't want to be a forward. But I won't argue about the difficulty of switching positions. It most likely is.
- I Am The Breadman

It is totally different perspective, on Defense the play is coming towards you, and you have to read and react, while a forward you are initiating the play. In college, I played forward freshman and senior, and defense as a sophomore and junior. I hated defense, always played center in youth hockey, but looking back, I was better at defense because I was a read and react guy as opposed to an initiator.

If Saad is the one to trade because he doesn't produce enough for the money, won't other teams realize this, too?
- mohel

And his production what ever it is will need to be replaced. We have debated for years who goes and who stays. Unless you find a GM willing to give you a 2 for 1 or have a blue chipper ready to come up you just create a new hole.

It is totally different perspective, on Defense the play is coming towards you, and you have to read and react, while a forward you are initiating the play. In college, I played forward freshman and senior, and defense as a sophomore and junior. I hated defense, always played center in youth hockey, but looking back, I was better at defense because I was a read and react guy as opposed to an initiator.
- LAHawk

Good morning, LA. Do you see these new breed defensemen as initiators?

And his production what ever it is will need to be replaced. We have debated for years who goes and who stays. Unless you find a GM willing to give you a 2 for 1 or have a blue chipper ready to come up you just create a new hole.
- riozzo

Agree. Back in the day the Bulls traded power forward Charles Oakley for center Bill Cartwright. Oakley leaving did not create a hole because they had Grant to play power forward.

Yeah you have to wonder if the Hunter's see more upside in Boqvist as a forward? I'd like to see the Hawks continue to develop him as a defenseman and if he is unable to become competant defensively he can always be moved up as a forward. There are cases of defensmen becoming good forwards once they are in the NHL.
- paulr

So after Red Kelly what other Dmen became top NHL forwards?
Huge transition to make in the best league in the world. Brent Burns had to go the other way mainly because somebody thought his size and skill made him a more valuable asset to an NHL team where he could play 20-25 minutes a game.

So after Red Kelly what other Dmen became top NHL forwards?
Huge transition to make in the best league in the world. Brent Burns had to go the other way mainly because somebody thought his size and skill made him a more valuable asset to an NHL team where he could play 20-25 minutes a game.
- RickJ

As much as I hate him because Leaf fans think he belongs in the same sentence as Gretzky, Wendel Clark. He was a pretty good forward after playing most of his junior career at defense. It didn't happen much but it can happen.

Postmortem talk is a little too soon for my liking as we'll have months to do that soon enough. I hope the mathematical elimination doesn't drag out until the last game or two - get it over with already so the remaining games can be played without the false hope hanging over them.

Boqvist conversion to forward? I hope not. I think his upside as a d-man is greater than his upside as a forward - he might be a good forward but he might be a great d-man.

As much as I hate him because Leaf fans think he belongs in the same sentence as Gretzky, Wendel Clark. He was a pretty good forward after playing most of his junior career at defense. It didn't happen much but it can happen.
- paulr

Wendell is not one of the Leafs I dislike. He's just a farm boy from rural Saskatchewan. You may remember better than me but didn't the Leafs play him as a defenceman initially and he was terrible so they moved him up?

Good morning, LA. Do you see these new breed defensemen as initiators?
- mohel

Not necessarily, look at Gus, totally a read and react, he rarely leads the rush end to end, good first pass reads (sometimes wrong) and joins the play. That is why he is so good on the PP, he can read and make the play. Morgan Reilly is the same way. Even when Byfuglein played wing (he always said he preferred defense), he was a reader (either net front presence, or setting up for a shot).

Bvoquist could be different because of his apparent generational offensive talent and frame, I haven't seen enough of him to determine if he initiates on offense (Saad is a perfect example of an initiator), or reads and reacts.

Agree. Back in the day the Bulls traded power forward Charles Oakley for center Bill Cartwright. Oakley leaving did not create a hole because they had Grant to play power forward.
- mohel

Excellent example

Wendell is not one of the Leafs I dislike. He's just a farm boy from rural Saskatchewan. You may remember better than me but didn't the Leafs play him as a defenceman initially and he was terrible so they moved him up?
- RickJ

I hate how Leaf fans made him into a hockey Deity, I didn't hate him per se. I'm really not sure I thought he was drafted as a defenseman played on the WJC team as a forward and then the Leafs made him a forward right away? Byfuglien played forward in Chicago and the great John Scott was converted to forward ..... No I won't use that example.

So after Red Kelly what other Dmen became top NHL forwards?
Huge transition to make in the best league in the world. Brent Burns had to go the other way mainly because somebody thought his size and skill made him a more valuable asset to an NHL team where he could play 20-25 minutes a game.
- RickJ

Doug Mohns was a defenseman with Boston, when he was traded to the Hawks they eventually converted him to forward, John Scott (I kid, I kid), Phil Housley and Sergei Fedorov switched positions but very rarely in their long careers, Dandeneault of Montreal did, and Randy Holt of Blackhawks fame because it was easier for him to punch someones lights out

Not necessarily, look at Gus, totally a read and react, he rarely leads the rush end to end, good first pass reads (sometimes wrong) and joins the play. That is why he is so good on the PP, he can read and make the play. Morgan Reilly is the same way. Even when Byfuglein played wing (he always said he preferred defense), he was a reader (either net front presence, or setting up for a shot).

Bvoquist could be different because of his apparent generational offensive talent and frame, I haven't seen enough of him to determine if he initiates on offense (Saad is a perfect example of an initiator), or reads and reacts.
- LAHawk

Thanks for the response.

Hawks re-up Dahlstrom for 2 years, 850K AAV per capfriendly.