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 to know. Thanks for the post and personal account.

Hawks re-up Dahlstrom for 2 years, 850K AAV per capfriendly.
- boilermaker100

Not bad. Good to know he'll be around.

Not bad. Good to know he'll be around.
- I Am The Breadman

Total salary can be buried if he is sent down.

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

only if the bolts eat half his contract...

Hawks re-up Dahlstrom for 2 years, 850K AAV per capfriendly.
- boilermaker100

I'm kinda happy about this. Unless my eyes lied to me, I saw him, at least once or twice, move someone out of the crease/slot area.

only if the bolts eat half his contract...
- bogiedoc

And the contract is sealed!!

only if the bolts eat half his contract...
- bogiedoc

Smollet or Hedman?

Total salary can be buried if he is sent down.
- LAHawk

Thought the same thing.

I'm kinda happy about this. Unless my eyes lied to me, I saw him, at least once or twice, move someone out of the crease/slot area.
- 35Tony0

Good deal. Not the be all, end all, but okay. He gets abuse here, but he'd have been just fine on the 3rd pair in the 2015 playoffs.

Hawks re-up Dahlstrom for 2 years, 850K AAV per capfriendly.
- boilermaker100

That's great. An affordable deal for a guy who was playing some tough minutes for us at times. He can be buried without issue if needed.

That's great. An affordable deal for a guy who was playing some tough minutes for us at times. He can be buried without issue if needed.
- breadbag

Could also be used as an addition on a trade to a cap strapped team (hmm looking at you Toronto).

Good to know. Thanks for the post and personal account.
- I Am The Breadman

Having never really played, I don't have the best perspective on this. That said, most of us keep lamenting the fact that we don't have enough guys going to the net and playing hard in the corners in our forward group. While extremely skilled, I fear that if they tried to turn Boqvist into a forward we would hear the same complaints as we did with TT and Schmaltz while they were here.

He's shown to be very effective offensively as a D-man. Like Gus, that seems to be a much different skillset than being a good forward. I'm in the camp that says we should help him develop in his own zone and hopefully we have a game changer on the back end in about 4-5 years.

Having never really played, I don't have the best perspective on this. That said, most of us keep lamenting the fact that we don't have enough guys going to the net and playing hard in the corners in our forward group. While extremely skilled, I fear that if they tried to turn Boqvist into a forward we would hear the same complaints as we did with TT and Schmaltz while they were here.

He's shown to be very effective offensively as a D-man. Like Gus, that seems to be a much different skillset than being a good forward. I'm in the camp that says we should help him develop in his own zone and hopefully we have a game changer on the back end in about 4-5 years.
- Chunk

Agree with you. I think the whole Boqvist at forward thing is overblown. He is what he is, an offensive minded dman who has the nose to roam down and score goals. Nothing wrong with it. Brian Campbell was much the same in terms of how much time he spent sneaking down low or carrying the puck in deep.

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.
- Scott1977

Perlini has shown enough? I would take Saad over Perlini every day of the week even with the salary difference.

Agree with you. I think the whole Boqvist at forward thing is overblown. He is what he is, an offensive minded dman who has the nose to roam down and score goals. Nothing wrong with it. Brian Campbell was much the same in terms of how much time he spent sneaking down low or carrying the puck in deep.
- breadbag

No team drafts a player in the top 10 and then decides to change his position from D to forward. If the team wants a winger or a center they just draft one at #8.

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

I'm not sure what you mean about Saad. He is a perfect example of a guy who doesn't have a high hockey IQ. Perhaps becaue he's big, strong, fast. Growing up he probably didn't have to share the puck much and normal kids couldn't stop him.

Agree with you. I think the whole Boqvist at forward thing is overblown. He is what he is, an offensive minded dman who has the nose to roam down and score goals. Nothing wrong with it. Brian Campbell was much the same in terms of how much time he spent sneaking down low or carrying the puck in deep.
- breadbag

Screw the Hunters. Last time I checked, one of them made a mess of Team Canada at the WJC. They do a good job in London because they have the money. They're good but they aren't infallible.

No team drafts a player in the top 10 and then decides to change his position from D to forward. If the team wants a winger or a center they just draft one at #8.
- RickJ

I checked into it. The Leafs selected Clark 1st overall in 1985 and did convert him to the wing after he came out of the WHL as a defenseman

I'm not sure what you mean about Saad. He is a perfect example of a guy who doesn't have a high hockey IQ. Perhaps becaue he's big, strong, fast. Growing up he probably didn't have to share the puck much and normal kids couldn't stop him.
- 6628

A synonym for an initiator would be commonly referred to as a "North/South" player, his first reaction is to use his speed and power when carrying the puck (not that they do not have a hockey IQ, but their first reaction is to go forward as fast as they can) than "see the whole rink"

Mikita - reader, Bobby Hull - initiator
Gretzky - reader, Messier - initiator

Thoughts about trading for Trouba? Is he worth trading our 1st + ?

Thoughts on signing Duchene? I'd much rather have us move Anisimov and sign him over Panarin.

Remember he wont have bouchard in chicago. Bouchard stirs the knights drink.

Remember he wont have bouchard in chicago. Bouchard stirs the knights drink.
- oil90

When do you think McDavid is going to demand a trade out of that mess in Edmonton?

Remember he wont have bouchard in chicago. Bouchard stirs the knights drink.
- oil90

Bouchard is a fine player - be happy you got him and we'll be happy we got Boqvist.

Thoughts about trading for Trouba? Is he worth trading our 1st + ?

Thoughts on signing Duchene? I'd much rather have us move Anisimov and sign him over Panarin.
- RedRevenge

No to Trouba. Mainly because the salary he would command isn't worth it to me. Not to mention he has only played one full season. The plus would be giving up asset a rebuilding team shouldn't be spending.

And you want to pay Duchene 7M+? I sure don't.

Having never really played, I don't have the best perspective on this. That said, most of us keep lamenting the fact that we don't have enough guys going to the net and playing hard in the corners in our forward group. While extremely skilled, I fear that if they tried to turn Boqvist into a forward we would hear the same complaints as we did with TT and Schmaltz while they were here.

He's shown to be very effective offensively as a D-man. Like Gus, that seems to be a much different skillset than being a good forward. I'm in the camp that says we should help him develop in his own zone and hopefully we have a game changer on the back end in about 4-5 years.
- Chunk

I want him to stay on defense too. I'm willing to wait to see if he pans out. I was only discussing an "if" situation, not a "want" situation.

In regards to complaining ... if not him, then there's always someone else, right?