Murphy was my pick for best all round on D last year. He added a bit of everything IMO.
- breadbag

Murphy is, at best, a 3rd pair defenseman on a good team. Keith is still the best D on the team, and he’d be even better if not paired with Gus.

I'm pretty sure that any prospect on an ELC and slated to be in Rockford will be at training camp so Hagel should be there. Then players who are not under contract or are on AHL contracts only (i.e. Versteeg) will not be there.

It's always interesting to see who may get PTOs. With the improved depth in Rockford, I'm guessing there won't be many if any PTOs this September.
- AEL_Fox

Versteeg will get invited to main camp and probably get at least 1 preseason game.

Versteeg will get invited to main camp and probably get at least 1 preseason game.
- vandymeer23

Pretty sure Versteeg cannot play any pre-season games as he is signed to an AHL only contract.

Another Urban legend. Look TT isn't a bad player or anything and I'm not saying that.

But I'd have a problem with him on the Hawks right now and getting 5.5 mil for 5.

He's kind of good (almost a PPG this past season), not great or anything. He's also not turned into some work out warrior, rough, tough guy who throws his body around, works the boards relentlessly, and beating out guys for pucks.

He's OK, he's not great.

Trust me, if TT was still here, making 5.5 for 5, Stan would be getting ripped for it.
- vabeachbear

If he plays like he did in the playoffs I'd take him with that contract easy.

My point is let's be patient with our young players and work with them, especially the talented ones.

I really hope they have not become its my way or the highway organization

Isn't this turbulance about Jokiharju so ridiculous. Maybe he has an issue getting hit. Good bet he is a high end talent and will learn how to deal with physical aspect of the game. He is not probably grown into a man's body and beside that, he is still very young and is going to get stronger from summer training over the years.

I don't know that if the training thing with his dad is true, but if it is this is something you expect a wise GM smoothes out. You shouldn't loose or feel pressured to trade him. I am not going to hang anything on anyone, though, since we may never know the whole story or if both parties want to ever divulge the circumstance.

We came out on the worse end but we can salvage good out of this trade once Nylander accepts that he has to be responsible defensively. Not great defensively, just don't be invisible and one way only. He will learn this through hard knocks - translated to mean not receiving quality nhl linemates until he plays the way Colliton wants him to. We have to take the outlook wiz mentioned. Which is we can hardly wait to see all that Nylander can be. He has ability unlike any skill guys in our pipeline if we can only harness it
- jhawk59

What Chicago has solely missed is hossa. Hossa what he brought to this team can't even be summed up in words.

Chicago once they acquired hossa he was the glue , the calming force of this team .

He was a true mentor to a young talented group of young men.
He was able to help teach a lot of those kids how to back check and so many other great techniques , and his leadership .

Who can anyone truly in a current hawks uniform has that true ability like hossa did to standout and assume that role.

Sure Kane is a electrifying player, but I don't see the same leadership qualities IMO in toews, he is a great player , but that alone doesn't make or mean he is that kind of mentor to a lot of these young kids.

Look at saad he admired hossa and worked with him to mirror his game after hossa.

That IMO is something Chicago deeply misses and needs.

Yeah, 4 games into the season... then he received his first real good hit.

Can you provide additional super positive comments from anybody after he started getting hit????
- DontKnowNutin

Which hit was that?

Oh this is January 2019

https://www.acmesports.co...-thrives-with-blackhawks/

The Blackhawks control 53.94 percent of all shots attempted when Jokiharju is on the ice, higher than Keith (49.69), Jonathan Toews (49.43) and Patrick Kane (47.44). Chicago has directed 95 more shots on goal (SAT) than against with him the ice, also highest on the team.

“Last year offensively he had a great season, but he really learned how to be a two-way defenseman,” Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman said. “The biggest jump for him (in the NHL) is going to be can he defend. I think his offensive skills are elite.”

Your saying you “happen to think there was disharmony” (even if you have prof - do you?) is not the same as “Jokiharju became a bad apple and was not worth the bother” (for which I also question whether you have proof or not).
- StLBravesFan

i'm just guessing

We don't have proof or any answers really. We are venting

I could have a wrong angle on this. I do expect spin control from Kuc, newly hired by the Blackhawks as team writer.

Btw if you attend any Icehogs games home or at Wolves, i would like to say hello between periods. Whenever. I would even wish Eli well if he popped uo.

Food for thought. Trading Jokiharju was nothing more than Stan attempting to flip defensive assets for offensive assets. No analysis paralysis... For everyone saying he was worth more, if you are an opposing GM, what are you going to give up for an undersized 20 year old 29th pick defenseman with a handful of NHL and AHL games. Keep in mind you have your own scouting report on him.

Food for thought. Trading Jokiharju was nothing more than Stan attempting to flip defensive assets for offensive assets. No analysis paralysis... For everyone saying he was worth more, if you are an opposing GM, what are you going to give up for an undersized 20 year old 29th pick defenseman with a handful of NHL and AHL games. Keep in mind you have your own scouting report on him.
- rpeters01

I saw on Capfriendly that Nylander is waiver exempt. How much longer will it be before he's not? I really don't understand how waivers works.

If he plays more than 9 games, can he still go back to Jrs? I know that would burn a year off his ELC, but if he does well in camp, and for the first 15 games, but then starts to show that he's in over his head, do the Hawks have any options other than the press box?
- tvetter

I asked this a few pages ago, but didn't get a response. I would really like to know. I don't understand how the NHL to Jrs works. If he has to stay in the NHL, I think he should go back to Jrs. I don't want to see him turn into Nylander.

I saw on Capfriendly that Nylander is waiver exempt. How much longer will it be before he's not? I really don't understand how waivers works.
- tvetter

He's waivers exempt for 2 more seasons or until he's played in 141 more games.

There is a waivers calculator on CapFriendly: https://www.capfriendly.com/waivers-calculator

I asked this a few pages ago, but didn't get a response. I would really like to know. I don't understand how the NHL to Jrs works. If he has to stay in the NHL, I think he should go back to Jrs. I don't want to see him turn into Nylander.
- tvetter

He would have to go back to Juniors if he's not playing in the NHL, no matter how many games he gets as his taste. The rule is really strict for those who have been drafted by and played for a CHL team - they either play in the NHL or they play in the CHL.

The only exception to the NHL-CHL age rule is if a player was on loan to a CHL team (like Boqvist), but that is not the case with Dach so it's NHL or Juniors.

Murphy is, at best, a 3rd pair defenseman on a good team. Keith is still the best D on the team, and he’d be even better if not paired with Gus.
- scottak

Murphy is a top 4 d-man, realistically a second pairing defenseman. There’s nothing wrong with that, Hjalmarsson in his prime was a 2nd pairing d-man.

I don’t get the dislike (and in some cases) hate of Murphy. He’s 26, which is still on the younger side of defensemen and he’ll keep getting better.

He would have to go back to Juniors if he's not playing in the NHL, no matter how many games he gets as his taste. The rule is really strict for those who have been drafted by and played for a CHL team - they either play in the NHL or they play in the CHL.

The only exception to the NHL-CHL age rule is if a player was on loan to a CHL team (like Boqvist), but that is not the case with Dach so it's NHL or Juniors.
- L_B_R

Thank you for both answers. I know it would burn a year of his ELC, but I wouldn't mind Dach getting 20-25 games if he does well in preseason. If after 25 games, he shows that he's ready, he can stay up, if not...back to Jrs.

Murphy is a top 4 d-man, realistically a second pairing defenseman. There’s nothing wrong with that, Hjalmarsson in his prime was a 2nd pairing d-man.

I don’t get the dislike (and in some cases) hate of Murphy. He’s 26, which is still on the younger side of defensemen and he’ll keep getting better.
- DarthKane

This.

Plus, he should get an actual NHL quality dman for a partner this year!

What Chicago has solely missed is hossa. Hossa what he brought to this team can't even be summed up in words.

Chicago once they acquired hossa he was the glue , the calming force of this team .

He was a true mentor to a young talented group of young men.
He was able to help teach a lot of those kids how to back check and so many other great techniques , and his leadership .

Who can anyone truly in a current hawks uniform has that true ability like hossa did to standout and assume that role.

Sure Kane is a electrifying player, but I don't see the same leadership qualities IMO in toews, he is a great player , but that alone doesn't make or mean he is that kind of mentor to a lot of these young kids.

Look at saad he admired hossa and worked with him to mirror his game after hossa.

That IMO is something Chicago deeply misses and needs.
- Taylorst1

I totally agree, Somehow, there just doesn't seem to be the caliber of player combination leader like Hossa. He was head and shoulders above the average. It isn't that he was so much more skilled than a lot of other players, it's just that there was all out effort from him. Talk about hockey sense! I think the mold was broken with him. He just inspired trust, confidence, and teamwork along with being all in. He was an essential part of our cup runs. I know different players bring strengths, Hossa just seemed to have it all.

I totally agree, Somehow, there just doesn't seem to be the caliber of player combination leader like Hossa. He was head and shoulders above the average. It isn't that he was so much more skilled than a lot of other players, it's just that there was all out effort from him. Talk about hockey sense! I think the mold was broken with him. He just inspired trust, confidence, and teamwork along with being all in. He was an essential part of our cup runs. I know different players bring strengths, Hossa just seemed to have it all.
- Googlyeyes

I also totally agree and right behind him a Patrick Sharp in his prime has not been replaced either. Sharp was basically a 200 lb. fast 4 time 30+ goal scorer who played all over the ice, could win a corner battle, played 2nd line center when needed.

Murphy is, at best, a 3rd pair defenseman on a good team. Keith is still the best D on the team, and he’d be even better if not paired with Gus.
- scottak

For this last season, Murphy's Corsica's Star Rating put him at 136th among NHL defensemen. That would put him as a 3rd pair (5th ranked guy of 6).

However, during 2018-19, he:
1) Had back surgery and missed the first 30 games last year
2) Paired up with Carl Dahlstrom virtually the whole year
3) Had zone starts that were primarily in his own end
3) Is big and physical (which was absent from the hawks last year)
4) Is willing to block shots
5) By all accounts is a team player and seemingly liked by teammates

When factoring in the above, it's easy to see him mature into a 2nd pairing guy (at least a 4th guy) next year.

Which hit was that?

Oh this is January 2019

https://www.acmesports.co...-thrives-with-blackhawks/

The Blackhawks control 53.94 percent of all shots attempted when Jokiharju is on the ice, higher than Keith (49.69), Jonathan Toews (49.43) and Patrick Kane (47.44). Chicago has directed 95 more shots on goal (SAT) than against with him the ice, also highest on the team.

“Last year offensively he had a great season, but he really learned how to be a two-way defenseman,” Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman said. “The biggest jump for him (in the NHL) is going to be can he defend. I think his offensive skills are elite.”

- gazza53

You do remember that Henri played less than half a season last year right? Teams do scout and try to find weaknesses and attack that soon enough.

You quote Stan's comments from January... here's the same guys comments on July 9th (after having an additional 6 months of evaluation and feedback): "SVP/GM Bowman says acquiring a high-skill, talented player like Nylander for Jokiharju was made possible by the development of Boqvist and Beaudin this season."

In other words (in at least Stan's mind), Henri wasn't as good as the guys coming in and wasn't value add enough to rank higher than Nylander. That's the most updated statements we have, so they supersede what you wrote above.

This.

Plus, he should get an actual NHL quality dman for a partner this year!
- tvetter

Shouldn't everyone be better this year with a full NHL caliber squad plus a full camp with JT

Pretty sure Versteeg cannot play any pre-season games as he is signed to an AHL only contract.
- L_B_R

They can sign him to a PTO. Teams do it all the time for preseason

Here are the players that the Blackhawks have under AHL contract:

(F) Coughlin, McLaughlin, Moutrey, Ramsey, Thompson, Versteeg
(D) McArdle, Osipov, Ryzcek
(G) Tomkins, Marchand

Not much to get excited about which is fine considering how deep this year's Hogs roster will be otherwise with the prospects who are under NHL contract.

Starrett is the only past draft pick that I know of who isn't accounted for in terms of whether he is under NHL or AHL contract, still on college or juniors, overseas, or officially no longer in the organization.

He did graduate from Cornell and I believe is still property of the Blackhawks. Underwhelming numbers in the NCAA and didn't stand out much in prospect camps (wasn't at camp this week).

Food for thought. Trading Jokiharju was nothing more than Stan attempting to flip defensive assets for offensive assets. No analysis paralysis... For everyone saying he was worth more, if you are an opposing GM, what are you going to give up for an undersized 20 year old 29th pick defenseman with a handful of NHL and AHL games. Keep in mind you have your own scouting report on him.
- rpeters01

A few years ago there was John Slaney , low first round, slight, In the American League Hall of Fame, Canadian Jr star but about 20 no show minutes in NHL. Star in AHL for years, but knocked off puck with ease in the Show

What Chicago has solely missed is hossa. Hossa what he brought to this team can't even be summed up in words.

Chicago once they acquired hossa he was the glue , the calming force of this team .

He was a true mentor to a young talented group of young men.
He was able to help teach a lot of those kids how to back check and so many other great techniques , and his leadership .

Who can anyone truly in a current hawks uniform has that true ability like hossa did to standout and assume that role.

Sure Kane is a electrifying player, but I don't see the same leadership qualities IMO in toews, he is a great player , but that alone doesn't make or mean he is that kind of mentor to a lot of these young kids.

Look at saad he admired hossa and worked with him to mirror his game after hossa.

That IMO is something Chicago deeply misses and needs.
- Taylorst1

my thoughts exactly on Hossa, in history of game, Hawks hit solid gold with him, no wonder the fans loved him. Knowledgeable season ticket holders get to know who plays with intensity night in, night out. He was the glue