Agree, the impact of Shaw, on and off the ice, cannot be overstated. His presence has been sorely missed, but I can't complain too much as the trade landed DeBrincat. Now the Hawks have both.

I also agree that it will be an exciting camp and think there could be a few positive surprises with the rookies.

Nylander will certainly push for a roster spot.... in Rockford.
- DarthKane

HA!! I see you're drinking Bowman's Koolaid. Uncle Dale would never have brought him back!

Wait, what?
2012-13 wasn't part of this decade?
President's Cup winner.
Stanley Cup winner.
Longest unbeaten streak in NHL history.
This team is going to be hard pressed to make the playoffs. How can you compare them, talent, or in any other way, to the SC teams in this decade?
- scottak

I said from a talent on paper perspective. And for as good as that 2012-2013 team was, it was a sum of all parts team. Phenomenal chemistry, defense, hard-work.

Thanks Tyler.

Figuring that Toews, Kane, Saad, Shaw, DCat, Strome, Kubalik, and likely Smith are locks, who is left in the mix for the last 4-5 spots?

Perlini (if signed), Kurashev, Dach, Sikura, Quennville, Kampf, Carpenter, Caggiula, Nylander, maybe Saarela, Wedin, and Highmore as darkhorses?

Some strong competition...
- RaleighHawk

Another darkhorse: Kurashev, had just as good a worlds as Kubalik did, and can play some center. Had a couple of games in Rockford last year and impressed with his understanding of a 200 foot game.

I said from a talent on paper perspective. And for as good as that 2012-2013 team was, it was a sum of all parts team. Phenomenal chemistry, defense, hard-work.
- TommyHawk

Um 2010 team....

Toews, Kane, Hossa, Sharp, Laad, Brouwer, Byfuglien, Bolland, Versteeg, and Maddon.

Keith, Seabrook, Campbell, Hjalmarsson

I said from a talent on paper perspective. And for as good as that 2012-2013 team was, it was a sum of all parts team. Phenomenal chemistry, defense, hard-work.
- TommyHawk

IMO, the Hawks in 2010 and 2013-14 were probably the most talented we'll see for a long time. I don't see how the current group will match them. The 2010 team was head and shoulders ahead of the rest of the league by a margin and then they built up again in 2013 with the talent to overwhelm the opposition. Right now, the team will be fighting to get back into the playoffs. That's just my position and I wouldn't be sad if you ended up being right, I just think it is too optimistic.

Um 2010 team....

Toews, Kane, Hossa, Sharp, Laad, Brouwer, Byfuglien, Bolland, Versteeg, and Maddon.

Keith, Seabrook, Campbell, Hjalmarsson
- bhawks2241

That team was extraordinarily deep. Byfuglien, Ladd, Bolland, Madden, Brouwer were all the muscle and toughness that you needed for the postseason.

But again - I’m talking about on paper talent. The Hawks obviously don’t have Hossa, and they no longer have top pairing Keith and Seabs, but DeBrincat, Strome, Dach (?), Boqvist (?), and Gus all have the skill sets to surpass what we’ve had in the past.

PURELY talking about potential here. Not what WILL be because it’s not fair to use hindsight to compare what teams of the past were able to accomplish. I’m simply alluding to the fact that what we COULD have on our hands is as TALENTED a team as we’ve had. But talent and results are two different animals.

IMO, the Hawks in 2010 and 2013-14 were probably the most talented we'll see for a long time. I don't see how the current group will match them. The 2010 team was head and shoulders ahead of the rest of the league by a margin and then they built up again in 2013 with the talent to overwhelm the opposition. Right now, the team will be fighting to get back into the playoffs. That's just my position and I wouldn't be sad if you ended up being right, I just think it is too optimistic.
- breadbag

The current team will be fighting to get back into the playoffs - no doubt.

But if all goes well - and that’s a big if - I think the high-end talent we have is certainly as good as we’ve ever had. The key will be having the bottom six step up big time, and the defense being shored up.

The current team will be fighting to get back into the playoffs - no doubt.

But if all goes well - and that’s a big if - I think the high-end talent we have is certainly as good as we’ve ever had. The key will be having the bottom six step up big time, and the defense being shored up.
- TommyHawk

Quick question to the group...what is the best/cheapest way to watch Hawks games if you live in Chicago and don't want to pay Comcast for CSN/NBCSN? Roku or something along those lines?

I think we have to be cautiously optimistic about Lehner.

We signed him after he had a career year but he played for one of the best defensive coaches in front of a team that really bought in to playing defense. He has had his share of mediocre seasons with less defensively strong teams in front of him.

I don't know what JC has up his sleeve but so far the Hawks have played a bit of a run and gun style with him as the coach, so I wouldn't expect another 0.930% -2.13 GAA. This is not a knock on Lehner just that it is probably more likely his performance will be closer to his career average. That might be fine with the make up the Hawks team and Lehner's expected role as 1B.

I said from a talent on paper perspective. And for as good as that 2012-2013 team was, it was a sum of all parts team. Phenomenal chemistry, defense, hard-work.
- TommyHawk

The talent level between the 2 isn't even close.

Hell, there were a few non-SC Hawk teams that were much more talented than the current group. The team that lost to PIT in the SCF would overwhelm the current group.

The current team will be fighting to get back into the playoffs - no doubt.

But if all goes well - and that’s a big if - I think the high-end talent we have is certainly as good as we’ve ever had. The key will be having the bottom six step up big time, and the defense being shored up.
- TommyHawk

And WAY better goaltending than we had in 2010.

I think we have to be cautiously optimistic about Lehner.

We signed him after he had a career year but he played for one of the best defensive coaches in front of a team that really bought in to playing defense. He has had his share of mediocre seasons with less defensively strong teams in front of him.

I don't know what JC has up his sleeve but so far the Hawks have played a bit of a run and gun style with him as the coach, so I wouldn't expect another 0.930% -2.13 GAA. This is not a knock on Lehner just that it is probably more likely his performance will be closer to his career average. That might be fine with the make up the Hawks team and Lehner's expected role as 1B.
- breadbag

I am hoping that Lehner has figured it out, like it took Dubnyk and Bishop a few years and a few teams to figure it out.

The current team will be fighting to get back into the playoffs - no doubt.

But if all goes well - and that’s a big if - I think the high-end talent we have is certainly as good as we’ve ever had. The key will be having the bottom six step up big time, and the defense being shored up.
- TommyHawk

Consider that the Hawks used to have on the back end, a Norris candidate in Keith along with another top 10-15 D in Seabrook, followed up by a very good Brian Campbell and an extremely under-rated Hjalmarsson. The situation on the back end has a lot of bodies at the moment, but the high end talent isn't even close right now.

I am hoping that Lehner has figured it out, like it took Dubnyk and Bishop a few years and a few teams to figure it out.
- LAHawk

He could really take off considering his age at 28, he should have some good years to go. I just take the whole Vezina finalist tagline with a grain of salt. He was good last year, but he needs to show what he can do again this year IMO.

He could really take off considering his age at 28, he should have some good years to go. I just take the whole Vezina finalist tagline with a grain of salt. He was good last year, but he needs to show what he can do again this year IMO.
- breadbag

The only think I'd be cautious with is how long to sign Lehner for if they decide he's the future. I'd think 4-5 years would be long enough.

Thanks for another good blog from cottage.

BTW - does every Canadian have a cottage? And how much “cottage time” do you North-of-the-border types get? Seems like you’ve been there since free agent signing day. (And I don’t begrudge you a minute of that time).

Playing in Boston on Saturday afternoon, then having to fly to Berlin for a Sunday afternoon (Chicago time) game - how’s that going to work?
- StLBravesFan

Maybe that is how they are evening out the playing field?

Have a tired hawks team so that the Hawks don't blow out the opposition?

The only think I'd be cautious with is how long to sign Lehner for if they decide he's the future. I'd think 4-5 years would be long enough.
- DarthKane

I'm def in the camp of folks that prefers shorter term for goalies based on how quickly things can change. I think if the Hawks go the route of signing him 4-5 seasons, they can save a bit on the AAV. It is one of the positions in the game where performance can swing so much based on team, situation, confidence and focus.

I said from a talent on paper perspective. And for as good as that 2012-2013 team was, it was a sum of all parts team. Phenomenal chemistry, defense, hard-work.
- TommyHawk

The 2012/13 had a phenomenal lineup that the 2019/20 version won't come close to.

On defense - they had the 2012/13 versions of Keith, Seabrook, Hjalmarsson, Oduya, Leddy, Rozsival and Brookbank. This years's d-corps isn't even close to that.

On the forward side of the puck - the only 2 players on the 2019/20 roster that would be able to make the 2012/13 team roster are Cat and Strome. The 2012/13 team had Toews, Kane, Saad and Shaw, but also had the 2012/13 versions of Hossa, Sharp, Bolland, Frolik, Kruger and Bickell.

Goaltending was the 2012/13 version of Crawford and Emery which is at least on par with the 2019/20 Crawford/Lehner duo.

Many Canadians have cottages. I remember growing up we spent July to August 31 at the cottage with my Mom. My Dad would come up Friday night and leave for a 3 hour drive for work at 6:00 AM Monday morning. We also would go up every weekend in May, June, September and October when we would close the cottage for the winter. Then in the winter we'd go up to snowmobile and skate and play hockey on the lake where if you missed the net you could skate what seemed like a mile to retrieve the puck. No game boys, ipads or message boards to kill time in those days. We gave up the cottage when my parents died, the drawback to us was we wanted to travel and cottages demand time and money.
- paulr

True...MANY do. But in Newfoundland we don't. All we have are cabins!!!

True...MANY do. But in Newfoundland we don't. All we have are cabins!!!
- hawk35

I thought all you Newfies lived in yurts?

Joe Murphy, Red Wings' No. 1 pick, is homeless again — and refusing help
Efforts to get the No. 1 pick in the 1986 NHL draft off the streets have failed. And now some say he's using drugs.

https://www.freep.com/in-...oit-red-wings/1878370001/

Joe Murphy, Red Wings' No. 1 pick, is homeless again — and refusing help
Efforts to get the No. 1 pick in the 1986 NHL draft off the streets have failed. And now some say he's using drugs.

https://www.freep.com/in-...oit-red-wings/1878370001/
- glennjpawlak22

Murphy is a sad story. It can be frustrating and heartbreaking when somebody in desperate need of assistance continues to refuse. Whether or not it's substance abuse or mental health (the two often go hand-in-hand) Murphy needs help, but if he's unwilling to accept it there's not much that can be done unless be poses imminent danger to himself or others.

Quick question to the group...what is the best/cheapest way to watch Hawks games if you live in Chicago and don't want to pay Comcast for CSN/NBCSN? Roku or something along those lines?
- Murph76

You can get a Roku stick for your TV maybe $40, then sign up with a streaming company like Hulu for $30 or so a month. Just make sure the streaming company and package you select offers CSN and NBCSN. Several streamers available. Check out "cord cutting" on the google machine.

Edit - having a high speed internet connection is a plus

Edit 2 - or find a neighborhood bar that shows the games. But that's probably a more expensive option.

I said from a talent on paper perspective. And for as good as that 2012-2013 team was, it was a sum of all parts team. Phenomenal chemistry, defense, hard-work.
- TommyHawk

Coaching