He’s proven he belongs in the top 9 of a playoff contending NHL roster?

Glad the kid tries hard on defense but he’s expendable and a fringe NHL guy until he consistently produces over an entire NHL season.
- bhawks2241

It’s not just that he tries hard, he succeeds. So far he’s done everything at a high level except score goals.

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

If both goalies play well, how bout:

Lehner 5 x 5mil
Craw 3x3mil

8 mil for goalies is not bad at all. I know this may push Delia and Lank farther into future, but crow marinated at the rock for a while and it turned out ok.

Sikura is awesome, he should be on the wing with Toews and Saad.
- DarthKane

Are Toews and Kane good enough? I would hate to weight down the kid with a pair of losers.

Are Toews and Kane good enough? I would hate to weight down the kid with a pair of losers.
- Beaver-Warrior

They aren't .... they couldn't even keep up with Panik ...

Are Toews and Kane good enough? I would hate to weight down the kid with a pair of losers.
- Beaver-Warrior

You are making a facetious statement here, but when I see Toews excluded from the latest list of top 20 centers in the NHL, I wonder if that is the feeling of hockey writers outside of Chicago. Or is it an anti-Blackhawks thing?
Toews finishes the season 11th in goal scoring among centers, 14th in points among centers, plays a leadership role, and plays a 2 way game but gets excluded while these same guys continue to kiss Crosby's behind.

He’s proven he belongs in the top 9 of a playoff contending NHL roster?

Glad the kid tries hard on defense but he’s expendable and a fringe NHL guy until he consistently produces over an entire NHL season.
- bhawks2241

By the same token, what has the guys he is competing with proven to show they belong in the top 9 of a contending team?

Perlini disappears for long stretches. Nylander is coming very close to being a bust. Smith plain sucks. Kubalik is an unknown in the NHL. Dach is a wildcard as to whether he is ready at this point. While I like a lot of what Caligula brings, is he good enough to be in a top 9 role consistently?

Sikura is already better defensively than all of those guys. His age is irrelevant in this context. He is going into his 2nd full pro season.

You are right. Sikura has not proven much yet, but with the top heavy construction of the roster, and the type of play the coaches are expecting he is a positive asset. You are going to need cheap players who can play on both ends of the ice.

He knows how and is willing to forecheck. Granted, he hasn’t been able to finish yet, but he has been able to create several chances. It’s not blind love, it is realizing that he can be a valuable, low cost player on a team that needs them.
- Chunk

The world is full of people who try hard with little talent and come in last, about what happened to the team Sikura played for last year and where he fits.

It’s not just that he tries hard, he succeeds. So far he’s done everything at a high level except score goals.
- Ogilthorpe2

Heck, he was better at the A level than a guy a lot of people are putting on the top line in Nylander.

What has Sikura proven? He can play 33 games at the NHL level on a bad team and produce minimal points? Nylander has played 19 NHL games. Neither has proven anything. This blind love for Sikura is a joke. He’s hasn’t even played an entire NHL season but he’s proven and should be in the starting lineup......
- bhawks2241

OMFG YES!!!

If both goalies play well, how bout:

Lehner 5 x 5mil
Craw 3x3mil

8 mil for goalies is not bad at all. I know this may push Delia and Lank farther into future, but crow marinated at the rock for a while and it turned out ok.
- ge1002

Why would Lehner accept half what the top goalies are getting? If he plays well he will have other options.

They aren't .... they couldn't even keep up with Panik ...
- SC116[/quote
I don't think Kane played with him he was with Panarin then. It was Toews who sucked and pulled Panik down all by himself LOL!

Why would Lehner accept half what the top goalies are getting? If he plays well he will have other options.
- rpeters01

Cause he just did?

Cause he just did?
- Elbows15

We keep having these "I hope we can sign a guy for x because we need too posts." If that worked we would have signed Toews and Kane for $8.5 like Stamkos. Lehner obviously took this deal to lead to a better deal. If he plays well at his age he's looking at $7.5+...

We keep having these "I hope we can sign a guy for x because we need too posts." If that worked we would have signed Toews and Kane for $8.5 like Stamkos. Lehner obviously took this deal to lead to a better deal. If he plays well at his age he's looking at $7.5+...
- rpeters01

I don't really care if Lehner signs here or not. If he wants that much, he can get it somewhere else. then again, he didn't find many suitors last off-season.

I don't really care if Lehner signs here or not. If he wants that much, he can get it somewhere else. then again, he didn't find many suitors last off-season.
- Elbows15

Yes because Crawford will play to 100, the kids in the minors are Vezina level goalies, and we can always get Cam Ward back, I agree.

Yes because Crawford will play to 100, the kids in the minors are Vezina level goalies, and we can always get Cam Ward back, I agree.
- rpeters01

yeah, cause those are the only options to play goalie in the league.

yeah, cause those are the only options to play goalie in the league.
- Elbows15

Yes, but any good goalie is going to cost a bundle, $7.5 is a discount to what happened this last year...

yeah, cause those are the only options to play goalie in the league.
- Elbows15

Maybe Sikura can play goal, since the only thing he’s good at is keeping the puck out of the net.

Maybe Sikura can play goal, since the only thing he’s good at is keeping the puck out of the net.
- StLBravesFan

Too short...

Why would Lehner accept half what the top goalies are getting? If he plays well he will have other options.
- rpeters01

I read he was asking for 6 from the isles, but they wouldn't offer more than 2 years. I agree its kind of a pipe dream, but he did take a bit of a discount to come to a contender. With that in mind, there are always teams looking for starting goaltenders so the market will drive his price up.

If they have a good year and work as a good tandem, why not back stop a good team for a few runs at a cup? they could go to philly to die instead.. I'm just saying

You are making a facetious statement here, but when I see Toews excluded from the latest list of top 20 centers in the NHL, I wonder if that is the feeling of hockey writers outside of Chicago. Or is it an anti-Blackhawks thing?
Toews finishes the season 11th in goal scoring among centers, 14th in points among centers, plays a leadership role, and plays a 2 way game but gets excluded while these same guys continue to kiss Crosby's behind.
- 67hawks

Inexplicable this year

Toews did refuse to play along in all the silly videos etc they made the stars do at media day this year. You want to think that wouldn’t matter, but maybe it does? are they also trying to bring in new fans by featuring the younger guys?

By Stan's comments at Dcamp I think Nylander is ahead of Sikura. "He's a 200 pound man playing against boys and it shows..."
- rpeters01

We can guess all day long whom has a leg up but it very well could come down to whom competes hardest. By this I mean for example it isn't about how many goals or great plays but how hard within the skill set does a Nylander commit to defense? At some point i really think that Colliton and Bowman want to see both Nilsson and Highmore get a few consecutive games. Who knows if at some point a minor transaction occurs. Maybe even a two for one swap.....one of our extra dmen plus one of those forwards for.....i "dk" maybe upgrade a dman? Or just move someone out for a draft pick.

This team doesn’t need him. They have significant forward depth. He’s fighting for one of the last forward spots.... which was my entire point. He’s not some lock to make the team or and established forward. He’s a 24 year old prospect that showed some solid all around play in 33 games last year.
- bhawks2241

And might have descent offensive upside even if he never moves into a regular top line role. Playing him is also a messagecto those whom sit....look what Sikura does....motivates a Nylander, a Perlini.

Maybe Sikura can play goal, since the only thing he’s good at is keeping the puck out of the net.
- StLBravesFan

I thought we were trying Magic Gus in goal after he declined being converted to the forward position.

What has Sikura proven? He can play 33 games at the NHL level on a bad team and produce minimal points? Nylander has played 19 NHL games. Neither has proven anything. This blind love for Sikura is a joke. He’s hasn’t even played an entire NHL season but he’s proven and should be in the starting lineup......
- bhawks2241

Idk if saying Sikura does many things well & consistently for a limited amount of games played, but waiting for the first goal is "blind love." I, like some others, are level headed about what he currently brings & like his defensive side. He's got competition to crack the roster, no doubt, but I think he's off to a good start.