Uncle Lou Lamiorello watched Lehner all of last year and didn't think he was worth a huge long term commitment. Neither did Buffalo before that. So after 15 or 20 games the Hawks should dive into the deep end with him?

I suggest they fix the defence in front of the goaltender properly first - that always makes puck stoppers look great.
- RickJ

That's because Sorokin is the Isle's goalie of the future, his contract in Russia expires this year. Why they signed Valmarlov, to be his support system when he comes over.
Hawks goalie of the future might be Gravel, I do not think Delia is an NHL goalie, let alone a #1.

I'd actually like to see DBC try to mirror Sharp's game...think it is best suited to his skillset and instincts. Seemed earlier this year, he was trying to be more like a power forward/grinder and was not succeeding at any aspect of the game.
- pdx2ord

The timing of Sharp’s final season was critical in that it allowed DeBrincat to have a suitable mentor for his rookie year. Scoring winger who can shoot out the lights and play tenaciously. IIRC, they were linemates for a good part of that season.

That's because Sorokin is the Isle's goalie of the future, his contract in Russia expires this year. Why they signed Valmarlov, to be his support system when he comes over.
Hawks goalie of the future might be Gravel, I do not think Delia is an NHL goalie, let alone a #1.
- LAHawk

The ol' domestic abuser support system....

Excellent post by rpeters. Sharp also brought some snarl to the Hawks, and played well defensively. Sharp was better than all the kids on the Hawks, with the possible exception of Cat (too early to tell on Dach).
- mohel

Much deserved love for Sharp. The dude was a really really good 2 way player in his prime. People just think of him as some one dimensional pretty boy sniper.

He also was one of the fittest guys on the team next to Keith. Fans soured on him because of his cap hit. He is one of the main reasons we won the cup in 2010. Dude was a pt per game player during that run.

Now if we could only find a way to dump Seabs and Toews.

The ol' domestic abuser support system....
- mohel

They should bring back Voynov, he is eligible to play this year.

To go off of your point even more, having more pieces in the system allows for a better chance at finding pieces to the puzzle that can stick. The more you have to throw at the wall, the better chance you have at finding something that sticks. Instead of banking on two or three guys to change your Franchise. Having more guys creates competition among them to fight to prove they deserve the opportunities to make the NHL roster and prove they belong. The key to winning isn't always having tons of star elite players. It's have elite DEPTH with good role players all around.

If Dach and Cat can be those elite level guys and you have guys like Strome, Nylander, Sikura, Kurashev, Entwistle, Barratt, Wise, Soderlund, etc. providing that secondary and third level scoring that takes you from being a competitive team to a Playoff contending team.

That's what made the Hawks elite during their run. They had three elite forwards: Kane, Hossa, and Toews. Surrounded by a MASSIVE amount of secondary scoring and role players that played their roles to perfection like Saad, Sharp, Buff, Bolland, Shaw, Ladd, Bickell, Versteeg, Frolik, Madden, Kopecky, Kruger, etc. none of them were really expected to be that great but they were put in position to succeed and thrive based on their skill sets.

This is what they need to be working for going forward and I think they've done a very good job at re-stocking the cupboard to find out what can stick.
- Savetheembers33

Excellent post. Agree 100%.

Much deserved love for Sharp. The dude was a really really good 2 way player in his prime. People just think of him as some one dimensional pretty boy sniper.

He also was one of the fittest guys on the team next to Keith. Fans soured on him because of his cap hit. He is one of the main reasons we won the cup in 2010. Dude was a pt per game player during that run.
- bhawks2241

The arguments were keep Crawford or Sharp, and trade the other. Appears Stan waited too long to make his decision.

Building a new core is tempting and would be a fun exercise to see who management views as that new core.

Another perspective is being solid at every position with a few elite talents sprinkled in here and there. Not all of these prospects will make it but the potential is there to be impact players up and down the lineup.

Forward:
Dach, DeBrincat, Strome, Nylander, Sikura, Kurashev, Entwistle, Barratt, Wise, Soderlund

Defense:
Boqvist, Beaudin, Mitchell, Vlasic, Krys, Galvas, Regula, Carlsson, Gilbert, Moberg

Goalie:
Delia, Lankinen, Gravel
- AEL_Fox

You forgot that we're going to miss the playoffs and win the draft lottery and draft Alexis Lafreniere ... and that (unlike Toews) Kane will continue to play at an elite level until his late 30's.

Our "new core" top-6 would be:

Lafreniere-Dach-Nylander
DeBrincat-Strome-Kane

That's because Sorokin is the Isle's goalie of the future, his contract in Russia expires this year. Why they signed Valmarlov, to be his support system when he comes over.
Hawks goalie of the future might be Gravel, I do not think Delia is an NHL goalie, let alone a #1.
- LAHawk

Agree on Delia...

The arguments were keep Crawford or Sharp, and trade the other. Appears Stan waited too long to make his decision.
- LAHawk

I think they tried to trade Crawford his list of agreeable teams did not line up.

The arguments were keep Crawford or Sharp, and trade the other. Appears Stan waited too long to make his decision.
- LAHawk

Would have been Darling in net, then. Who's to say he wouldn't have been better here, but that might have been disastrous.

Lehner gets start

The arguments were keep Crawford or Sharp, and trade the other. Appears Stan waited too long to make his decision.
- LAHawk

I agree. Sharp's legs started to run out of juice at the end. He became a one dimensional scorer from the wing.

For the record I think Dcat has a better shot (one timer and wrister) than Sharp.

Lehner gets start
- pdx2ord

And at some point during the game the Pred fans will still start the CRAW-FORD, CRAW-FORD chant.

And at some point during the game the Pred fans will still start the CRAW-FORD, CRAW-FORD chant.
- Rota's Rooter

And at some point during the game the Pred fans will still start the CRAW-FORD, CRAW-FORD chant.
- Rota's Rooter

No doubt.

No doubt.
- mohel

So what time do we get that troll Volpat Rash?

Charlie Roumeliotis
@CRoumeliotis

Corey Crawford with the rare goalie win in “Two Puck.” #Blackhawks

https://twitter.com/CRoum.../1189224777325666307?s=20

So what time do we get that troll Volpat Rash?
- LAHawk

Within moments of feeling a win is assured.

Thanks for the scouting report - good stuff

I'm curious as to whether the Hawks are trying to capture lightning in a bottle again by hoping to recreate the Keith/Seabs (Boqvist/Beaudin) and Toews/Kane (Dach/Kitty) dynamic within a team built like the championship ones or if they are building for the future trying to predict where the league is going to be in a couple of years (in terms of what will win). Maybe what wins is actually not really changing year-over-year with exception of 1) youth (due to salary cap constraints) and 2) high speed.

Side note - I mentioned Toews had been complaining about the schedule vocally for a couple of years now. Looks like he put his money where his mouth is in trying to come up with a solution:

https://theathletic.com/1...on/?source=shared-article
- pdx2ord

since the end of the fall and spring western road swings; the hawks have had very heavy travel schedule...for example after 7 strt at home they are now at the beginning of 12 game travel streak...that is nutz.

then another 12 of 13 games were they travel...including this aves home, aves away BTB then blues at home = kinda dumb...3 travels days with 2 home game??

in february they have a heavy road shcedule and will travel for 13 of 14 games..

and finish the season with BTB rroad games vs isles and rangers...

central teams really have tough travel schedules because of both east and west trips..

most of the eastern teams play each other up and down the coast...

Sharp was one of the best trades this Franchise ever made. At the time he was a fringe 4th line player who wasn't even getting a chance in Philly and when he came here they gave him the chance to play top minutes and develop and he became an absolute sniper for them and provided that huge secondary punch this team or any team needs to win (sound familiar to a situation going on now?). It is a real shame that things went the way they did before he got traded to Dallas. Should have ended better for him. That was part of the reason why I was glad they brought him back for that one year deal so he could walk away on better terms.
- Savetheembers33

Sounds a lot like Perlini ?? … 4th line player who wasn't even getting a chance in Chicago

So what time do we get that troll Volpat Rash?
- LAHawk

have this on hand

That's because Sorokin is the Isle's goalie of the future, his contract in Russia expires this year. Why they signed Valmarlov, to be his support system when he comes over.
Hawks goalie of the future might be Gravel, I do not think Delia is an NHL goalie, let alone a #1.
- LAHawk

You are probably right, but thats $20 million worth of support payments over 4 years. Just seems like a big number for a guy who is destined to be the backup to Sorokin.

Sounds a lot like Perlini ?? … 4th line player who wasn't even getting a chance in Chicago
- StutzBlackhawk

I don't think Sharp was ever accused of being lazy, unattentive w/o the puck. Also the Hawks are now the second team that traded him, so it is not just them that doesn't think he fits.