Just wanted to kick off everyone's weekend on a good note.

You're welcome.
- Tyler Cameron

Actually - seeing how things actually worked out - Cup the next season, Final Four after that, then Cup in 2015 - yeah, I'd use your column as a good note for the weekend.

You can't get to up or too down from one season to the next in the NHL. Just a year later, Crawford was elite, Saad and Shaw became contributors, Oduya became the shut-down guy with Hjalmarsson, Bickell found his game (at least in the playoffs - and at least as much as he ever did), they picked up Handzus....

A few interesting late selections in 2012: http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/draft/nhl2012e.html

Slavin at the end of Round 4
Gus at the beginning of Round 4
Ghost one pick before the Hawks in Round 3
Parayko later in Round 3

If you look at the defensemen taken in the 1st round, those that have played a significant amount of games, most are still with the original team that drafted them.

It makes me realize that the idea of trading for a top 4 defenseman is very remote. Teams just don't give them up.

Hawks will have to look hard at Byram to see if he really projects to be a top 4.

Please no Dzingel at any cost.
- RickJ

Agree, I said about a week and a half ago I didn't want him. Especially if he's asking for more money, then that is a double no.

The Hawks lost that series on merit.

Crawford was really terrible mostly throughout - so much that the questions about his "elite" status - or even NHL status - were not hyperbole.

I remember Foley and Olczyk - as game 6 was winding down into an obvious series-ending loss - talking about how the team needed a major restructuring - that there were only 4 top-6 skaters (Toews, Sharp, Hossa, Kane)....

Oh - and a terrible play by Leddy on Boedker's game winning goal in the video, not to mention a terrible let-in by Crawford - how did he not stop that? But that was typical of that series, IIRC.
- StLBravesFan

That was the Mike Smith series. Not only did he take out Shaw with his ballerina move but he stood on his head to the tune of like a .95% save percentage and saw twice as much rubber as Crawford did - the Hawks were getting 40+ shots per game and simply couldn't put it past him. Big time suckage watching that series.

Besides Caufield, Bowen is the best option.
- DarthKane

Sorry Darth but Caufield is not the pick buddy. Bowen or Cozens and I'm a happy camper

Capfriendly updated. Hawks with the 9th most cap space.

https://www.capfriendly.com/

NOTE: I knew Toronto was heading for cap hell, but as you can see it's very very bad for them

Capfriendly updated. Hawks with the 9th most cap space.

https://www.capfriendly.com/

NOTE: I knew Toronto was heading for cap hell, but as you can see it's very very bad for them
- RedRevenge

They have the upper limit of the cap at $79.5, thought it is to be around $83M ??

Well if they could package it with Ritchie ( cost controlled hammer, whose young and can play) for a D man - Because Jones and Comtois are making him expendable- that would be optimum- sans that -

I’ll take in order of availability-

D - Cam York
W- Caufield - cat clone -
C- Newhook
C- Zegras -
- dozerD10

When it looked like we were selecting 12th or so. I was hoping for Newhook,

They have the upper limit of the cap at $79.5, thought it is to be around $83M ??
- LAHawk

Yes, I believe the board hasn't voted on it, but it's expected to raise to 83M. I believe they do this after the playoffs in early June.

Yes, I believe the board hasn't voted on it, but it's expected to raise to 83M. I believe they do this after the playoffs in early June.
- RedRevenge

What amazes me is that the expansion Golden Knights, besides the cap hell that they are in, have 49 out of 50 contracts already accounted for.

Sorry Darth but Caufield is not the pick buddy. Bowen or Cozens and I'm a happy camper
- BGKarras

When do teams protect players for the Seattle expansion draft???

What amazes me is that the expansion Golden Knights, besides the cap hell that they are in, have 49 out of 50 contracts already accounted for.
- LAHawk

It says 33/50 when I looked? I believe Capfriendly is slowly updating the website because when I checked 10 minutes earlier, it showed the Hawks having the 9th most cap space and now it shows them having 12th most.

When do teams protect players for the Seattle expansion draft???
- BlackhawkMike

2021 Expansion draft

https://www.nhl.com/news/...ghts-followed/c-302586918

He didn't look too good in the playoffs eh, Rick?

He's been a scoring machine in the regular season though.

Will be interesting to see if he looks to re-sign in CLB or looks to test the open market.
- Tyler Cameron

Scoring machine? He scores about the same rate as Saad or slightly less and Saad isn't considered a scoring machine he's loathed because he was traded fo Panarin.

Kuablik will have the honour of having his own blog once this tournament is over.

I've been watching him closely.

I think he slides into the 3RW spot with Kahun possibly on his LW.

Depending on how Bowman, Kelley and the rest of the staff see him, it could allow them to spend more on a guy like Dzingel, Duchene, etc. if they see Kubalik as a top 9 player.
- Tyler Cameron

I really hope the Hawks stay away from ANY high cost, long term signing. We have too many question marks at this time.
Net - Crawford's health...
Defense - In need of a couple of Top 4 guys
Forward - Another Top 6 guy. An upgrade in the bottom 6.

If a true STUD is out there and it makes sense, maybe. But, I would rather not throw big money at a contract that will put us back up against the Cap when we are still several tweaks away from truly contending.
Patience...it is difficult...but we will be much better off by exercising patience.

Capfriendly updated. Hawks with the 9th most cap space.

https://www.capfriendly.com/

NOTE: I knew Toronto was heading for cap hell, but as you can see it's very very bad for them
- RedRevenge

I'm back here to beat this dead horse some more ... trade Gustafsson to Toronto for RFA rights to Kapanen and the last year of the $5.3M Horton contract.

Toronto is simply not going to sign RFA's Marner, Kapanen and Johnsson and replace Hainsey and Gardiner on defense with the available cap space. They will need to lose players - probably more than one.

Gustafsson would be a cheap replacement for Gardiner, albeit for only one season. Horton's contract can almost be looked at as a placeholder for the additional cap space needed to re-sign Cat, Strome and Kahun next summer - or at lease $5.3M toward the cap space needed. The Hawks will need that cap space next summer so it really can't be used this summer anyway.

- DarthKane

Man I miss that guy. There are some great Q gifs.

Kuablik will have the honour of having his own blog once this tournament is over.

I've been watching him closely.

I think he slides into the 3RW spot with Kahun possibly on his LW.

Depending on how Bowman, Kelley and the rest of the staff see him, it could allow them to spend more on a guy like Dzingel, Duchene, etc. if they see Kubalik as a top 9 player.
- Tyler Cameron

Interesting Hockey Futures, Hockey DB, and elite prospects list Kubalik as a LW?

Please no Dzingel at any cost.

I totally agree, don't play with cap that looks to be burning a hole in your pocket by overpaying him...[color=r]was he on the ice for the playoffs?[/color=r]

I said a little while back, you could see the look on Stan's face when Caps took Wilson

Dillion Fournier's back just got worse and worse so he could not progress progress.

Colton Parayko was a raw uncoordinated tough defender with a cannon who made himself a NHLer from a prospect.

I said at the time their was drop off after the top ten and Koekkoek wasn't in the top ten Forsberg was.

It says 33/50 when I looked? I believe Capfriendly is slowly updating the website because when I checked 10 minutes earlier, it showed the Hawks having the 9th most cap space and now it shows them having 12th most.
- RedRevenge

Yup, I see 33/50 now too.

Agree, I said about a week and a half ago I didn't want him. Especially if he's asking for more money, then that is a double no.
- I Am The Breadman

I do remember, and as you posted it... he scored a goal. So if for some horrible reason Stan does sign Dzingel, you better be on here every game of the season dogging his ass so he keeps scoring.

Interesting Hockey Futures, Hockey DB, and elite prospects list Kubalik as a LW?
- -Doh-

Because HockeysFuture sucks, and Hockey DB tends to be old school and still errors on the side of caution, because so many Euros are asked to return to the traditional "shoot left = LW) and don't (didn't) get that luxury to walk in and be an off-handed winger.