Didn’t they used to say that defensemen (in particular) didn’t really learn how to play the position until 27-28? Why would that have changed.

How about almost no time in Rockford after his college play (only 53 games - not enough except for the superstars, IMO, but I’ve said that before)?

What the hard cap has done is put young players on rosters before they have learned how to be hockey players, not just skaters or shooters - not just one dimensional players who have no good idea of what to do without the puck, when the other team has the puck....

But then - I’m one who thinks that DeBrincat, Strome, Perlini could have benefitted from more substantial time in Rockford.
- StLBravesFan

I agree AHL time is imperative for almost all players and all you have mentioned could have benefitted from that time. Trouble was Leddy's defensive play in Chicago never improved and until this season hadn't improved. It would appear to me it took Trotz's coaching to finally get him playing defense like it mattered.

How can the Hawks acquire a top 4 defenseman for what you call an "odd man out forward who can't lock down a top 6 spot"?
- paulr

All it takes is the right trade partner who is looking for a winger and is willing to move a capable Dman. Saad is tied for 80th in forwards goal scoring in the NHL with 23 goals. In a 31 team league, that ain't terrible. Not elite, but it is production that puts him in the top 6 production wise on most teams. Personally, I'm not hoping they move him, but they could definitely do it.

Not sure there was a power struggle with Lamarello and Shanahan? Shanahan hired Lamarello to mentor his GMs and that's what happened. If there was a power struggle it was with Dubas and Hunter.

But to your point, I agree Lamarello has done a great job and part of that job, along with what you said, was hiring Trotz.
- paulr

Outwardly, he was kicked to a senior advisor, but decided to leave altogether although he had 4 more years on his contract.

Didn’t they used to say that defensemen (in particular) didn’t really learn how to play the position until 27-28? Why would that have changed.

How about almost no time in Rockford after his college play (only 53 games - not enough except for the superstars, IMO, but I’ve said that before)?

What the hard cap has done is put young players on rosters before they have learned how to be hockey players, not just skaters or shooters - not just one dimensional players who have no good idea of what to do without the puck, when the other team has the puck....

But then - I’m one who thinks that DeBrincat, Strome, Perlini could have benefitted from more substantial time in Rockford.
- StLBravesFan

I agree with you. I think the trends is that the game is getting younger and those inexperienced guys playing is part of the reason scoring is rising a bit lately. It is tough for teams to maintain depth, especially when they get locked into 8 year deals with guys who can fall off the map. I'm still really hoping they find a better solution than the currently buyout formula in the future.

#19's offensive rebound (and let's be honest, the shackles of being the only shutdown solution from Q were off him - that was a big reason) and trading out Schmaltz for Strome were the two biggest positives of this season.

There is lots of blame to go around for the last couple of years. As much as you could say the Hawks were the 2nd best in the division after Collison, you could also say when the chips were down the team could not win the big games AND they were not treated as Grade A competition by many teams until they suddenly were back in the race. The coaching move was needed, but not all the problems were coaching.

I would second the notion that the team does not have a first pairing defenseman . A lot of time has passed between 2009 and 2019 - not one defenseman since the first Cup has been brought up and made any kind of difference. That is on Stan Bowman. #19 has had to burn a lot of his horsepower being the lone shutdown guy, because there isn't another that can win faceoffs, among other things. That is on Stan Bowman. The contract circus that awarded Anisimov a big multi-year contract sight unseen is on Stan Bowman.

Stanbo needs to deliver another twelve months like the last twelve or contention is going to happen when Toews and Kane are on another team.

Toews, Kane, Cat and Strome are by far the highlights of the season for me. Watching Toews rediscover his Elite play is probably #1 of the 4 impressive seasons from the Hawks dynamic duos from 2 generations. Kane was on McDavid/Kucherov level for 1/2 the season, and that was a treat to watch.


Hawks win the #3 lottery ball next Tuesday
- EnzoD

Alex Turcotte

I agree AHL time is imperative for almost all players and all you have mentioned could have benefitted from that time. Trouble was Leddy's defensive play in Chicago never improved and until this season hadn't improved. It would appear to me it took Trotz's coaching to finally get him playing defense like it mattered.
- paulr

Realities of the hard cap. You have your "core" that gets the big bucks, they take up a tremendous amount of cap space, so you have to fill the rest with guys on minimum contracts and ELC's, squeezing the middle class players (sound familiar). It's not like the NBA with veteran exemptions, and exceptions for signing your own players. Look at how many RFA's there are this year, way more in previous years, because teams can't commit to signing them due to being up against the cap.

That is also why what Toronto did with Matthews and Marner will probably be the new trend, sign them after their RFA's for 5 years, and if you have to bite the bullet and pay them more in their prime then you deal with that then, you then do not end up with the Seabrook and Lucic contracts of paying for past service when they are at or past their prime.

Alex Turcotte
- EbonyRaptor

Even if the Hawks end up drafting at 10th, they should get another high end prospect for the future. Given the play of Kane and Toews this year, I imagine that Stan Bowman is under pressure to get this team back into the playoffs next year. They were not too far off, even with team defense being a complete trainwreck. Adding a Top 4 Defender via Trade, adding some better bottom 6 forwards, the emergence of Jokiharju as a Top 4 next year, and a healthy Crawford...they will be right there in the mix for the Wild Card.


I'm pretty excited for Tuesday's draft lottery as the Avs are my new home team so seeing them get Jack Hughes would be pretty sweet. Hughes-Mackinnon-Rantanen

Plus the Hawks are going to jump up to 2nd or 3rd in the lottery after they lose all 3 games this week. They could have as good as 7th/8th lottery odds, I can feel the lottery win coming!

https://www.nbcsports.com...2sFj1HQQZaf6DScNR30gJS2fs

"Blackhawks react to missing playoffs for second straight year"


Toews: "the guys that have been here for a while learning that no one really cares what you did years ago. We’ve gotta keep pushing ourselves to get better and better. The league’s getting better, our division’s getting better, so it’s tough. It’s a tough league. You’ve gotta give it everything you have and keep learning from some of your shortfalls.”

Please don't say that, it was an honest mistake that Ebony pointed out in a non-demeaning way. We all make mistakes, I probably do it more often than most.
- LAHawk

Haha I knew he was traded. For whatever reason I thought that Hawks had some cap implications still.

Why are you or anyone else so butt hurt over something an exec said? I swear some of you act like it was a personal promise he re-negged on.
- HawkintheD

It is about integrity, honesty and accountability.

Please don't say that, it was an honest mistake that Ebony pointed out in a non-demeaning way. We all make mistakes, I probably do it more often than most.
- LAHawk

Amen, LA. Was going to post a similar thought.

You're an idiot
- GPHawksfan

I happen to think he's wrong about the content of the post. Calling him an idiot because of his opinion ain't cool.

I happen to think he's wrong about the content of the post. Calling him an idiot because of his opinion ain't cool.
- mohel

Can you call someone an idiot who is an idiot?

With gilbert up could we actually see a big open ocean hit by a dman. Buff and hjlmasson were the last guys who could really light someone up with their head down. Hopefully he's a lesser version of marchment

Even if the Hawks end up drafting at 10th, they should get another high end prospect for the future. Given the play of Kane and Toews this year, I imagine that Stan Bowman is under pressure to get this team back into the playoffs next year. They were not too far off, even with team defense being a complete trainwreck. Adding a Top 4 Defender via Trade, adding some better bottom 6 forwards, the emergence of Jokiharju as a Top 4 next year, and a healthy Crawford...they will be right there in the mix for the Wild Card.


I'm pretty excited for Tuesday's draft lottery as the Avs are my new home team so seeing them get Jack Hughes would be pretty sweet. Hughes-Mackinnon-Rantanen

Plus the Hawks are going to jump up to 2nd or 3rd in the lottery after they lose all 3 games this week. They could have as good as 7th/8th lottery odds, I can feel the lottery win coming!
- EnzoD

This is BS. Don't you know you cannot have 2 teams that you follow and root for?

A real hockey fan picks one team to root for and one he/she hates and hopes it loses every game they play.

If you want verification of that code just ask PaulR to confirm.

Can you call someone an idiot who is an idiot?
- paulr

Waste of time.

Generally, everyone knows he/she is - including the idiot.

This is BS. Don't you know you cannot have 2 teams that you follow and root for?

A real hockey fan picks one team to root for and one he/she hates and hopes it loses every game they play.

If you want verification of that code just ask PaulR to confirm.
- RickJ

Oh yeah I forgot you are a closet Leaf fan.

Can you call someone an idiot who is an idiot?
- paulr

I believe it's Verboten in the HB COC. I remember Fife using loose interpretations of it to ban a number of people a while back.

Seeing that he has a history of concussions, and has missed a ton of time the last 2 years....yes....for his health. These last 3 games don't mean a thing.

Do we need him getting steam rolled by Ryan O'Reilly or Jamie Benn or Wayne Simmonds who are battling for playoff seeding still?

I don't think we do. Not to mention with our cup cake defense he's got zero protection out there.

Let him rest up, and get ready for next fall.
- SteveRain

ryan O'Reilly? the guy who averages 20pim a year and has 0 career fights?

You're an idiot
- GPHawksfan

Please enlighten us.....

So why even listen to what any player, coach, executive who is part of the organization says? Including announcers. Why buy into what a guy says about a prospect, etc.

Its called accountability. Something the real world revolves in. If you go on record saying that you think this is a playoff team and it doesn't make the playoffs then it failed to meet HIS, not mine, not yours, not any other posters, but McDonough's expectations.

That is a fact. Now what will come of it? I bet nothing.....they'll spin their way around it, and I think Bowman having made 2 nice trades in season bought himself a longer leash.

But yes, I care about what a team thinks about it's expectations because otherwise we can go back to 1999 and enjoy more dark days when it was all about making money and nothing on the ice mattered.

And btw....hes not an idiot. You're a joke for being a keyboard ninja.

ryan O'Reilly? the guy who averages 20pim a year and has 0 career fights?
- vandymeer23

Does he drive the net to try to score? Is he a big body?

yes.

Oh yeah I forgot you are a closet Leaf fan.
- paulr

It was another very pleasing game for me last night at Scotiabank Arena.

With gilbert up could we actually see a big open ocean hit by a dman. Buff and hjlmasson were the last guys who could really light someone up with their head down. Hopefully he's a lesser version of marchment
- vandymeer23

Hopefully he throws legal hits. Marchment was a scumbag.

I believe it's Verboten in the HB COC. I remember Fife using loose interpretations of it to ban a number of people a while back.
- HawkintheD

The question was rhetorical. And Fife also banned posters if you disagreed with the big cheese.