If Stan does decide to go with Delia & Lankinen, the Hawks will have a sum total of $1.8M invested in the goaltender position.
- scottak

Don't think Rocky isn't watching every penny.

do you think the curious timing of McDonuts departure might have something to do with the change in focus. Remember Rocky thinking about the future during the pause, and didn't think Mcdonough was right to lead them into the future?
- LAHawk

I think there's definitely a strong correlation here.

If this is the direction the team is opting to go in, hopefully this is just the start of a teardown and not a "re-tooling". Foot on the gas Stan, don't stop now.

Today's the last day for buyouts does stan make any moves with smith?
- Taylorst1

No, Smith is still injured so cannot be bought out

When the trade deadline was around, there was no COVID, Lehner was looking at at least $7 mil. per.
- LAHawk

I heard 5 million but either way chicago knowing their issues in the net where not going to be solved by delia , my assumption is stan was being cheap and figured crow would take a hometown discount . That's my opion

I am excited, no more pretending, rebuild.
- LAHawk

Stan: I've got a slightly used Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and Duncan Keith available, anyone interested?

If they get off to a slow start next season, it could get really ugly in the locker room. It's not a developmental league, if I remember correctly.

A year too late to commit to this.

Why trade for Shaw, de Haan, Maatta, and Smith last offseason then? Why sign Lehner?

Why did you think you could compete when you replaced a HOF coach with a rookie coach who had no prior coaching experience in NA? Would that not have signaled that an immediate rebuild was necessary?

I'm all for building this organization back up, but Stan continuing to teeter and mis-time the state of the organization, which is head-scratching.
- TommyHawk

I wonder if they are figuring, if no fans next season, maybe now is the time to blow it up and go rebuild. It could be easier to do it with no "eyes" on them.

And to be really honest, wasn't a day like this expected at some time, when a key player is not going to be back on this team? It's not the end of the world.
Thank you Crow. you have been a great teammate and a great representative of the Chicago Blackhawks. Best of luck with your new team. but most of all, stay healthy. We will enjoy the "One more shift" event some day.

No, Smith is still injured so cannot be bought out
- ikeane

I did not know he was still injured. What about shaw and his status

Your right, stan failed in 5hat regard to lock in a proven young goalie. Lehner is 28 yes old and signed for 5x5 that shows imo that stan is utterly useless.


I'll miss crow , but the writing was on the wall he was never coming back for various reasons and chicago never had any intention of going higher that 3.5 for 1 year.


That was a smart move by stan but stan should have went with lehner
- Taylorst1

As has been said about 7 million times now, Lehner wasn't taking $5x5 at the TDL.

Next season could be really rough.
- z1990z

Will be another "not a real season" when you think about it, best time to do a complete blow up rebuild

A year too late to commit to this.

Why trade for Shaw, de Haan, Maatta, and Smith last offseason then? Why sign Lehner?

Why did you think you could compete when you replaced a HOF coach with a rookie coach who had no prior coaching experience in NA? Would that not have signaled that an immediate rebuild was necessary?

I'm all for building this organization back up, but Stan continuing to teeter and mis-time the state of the organization, which is head-scratching.
- TommyHawk

McD was running the show then and Covid19 has changed everything.

Stan: I've got a slightly used Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and Duncan Keith available, anyone interested?

If they get off to a slow start next season, it could get really ugly in the locker room. It's not a developmental league, if I remember correctly.
- scottak

I am wondering if Stans's next call(s) are to the core, "If you are not comitted to this, let me know where you would like to land and lets see what we can do"

A year too late to commit to this.

Why trade for Shaw, de Haan, Maatta, and Smith last offseason then? Why sign Lehner?

Why did you think you could compete when you replaced a HOF coach with a rookie coach who had no prior coaching experience in NA? Would that not have signaled that an immediate rebuild was necessary?

I'm all for building this organization back up, but Stan continuing to teeter and mis-time the state of the organization, which is head-scratching.
- TommyHawk

Maybe bowman wanted to do rebuild earlier and Mcego wanted to stay relevant and pushed bowman to stay committed to that plan when its been clear for awhile hawks needed this 2 years ago.

I am excited, no more pretending, rebuild.
- LAHawk

Same here.

Kane is still one of the best so unless we get something of tremendous value, I'd hate to see him moved.

If Stan does decide to go with Delia & Lankinen, the Hawks will have a sum total of $1.8M invested in the goaltender position.
- scottak

That's fantastic. Heck, Binnington was on a $650K contract with not much expected out of him when the Blues won the cup. Afterwards he signed for 2 @ $4.4mil and there are questions whether he is a one year wonder.

Matt Murray was on a $630K cap hit when the Pens won back to back cups, then got a 3 @ $3.75mil, and was trade fodder this season.

Maybe Delia or Lankinen can surprise, who knows.

I am wondering if Stans's next call(s) are to the core, "If you are not comitted to this, let me know where you would like to land and lets see what we can do"
- LAHawk

I really don't think they're movable Kane and Toews. Half retained is still $5.25 who has that laying around? Their actual $'s are less.

I wonder if they are figuring, if no fans next season, maybe now is the time to blow it up and go rebuild. It could be easier to do it with no "eyes" on them.

And to be really honest, wasn't a day like this expected at some time, when a key player is not going to be back on this team? It's not the end of the world.
Thank you Crow. you have been a great teammate and a great representative of the Chicago Blackhawks. Best of luck with your new team. but most of all, stay healthy. We will enjoy the "One more shift" event some day.
- powerenforcer

I've been a staunch supporter of a rebuild for a while now.

After they lucked into Dach last season, I openly pined for using the cap space we had to acquire other team's dead-weight in order to accumulate more draft capital/prospects while tanking.

I'm hopeful that this is just a start. Anyone with two eyes can tell you this team isn't going anywhere the way the roster is currently constructed. The QUALITY of talent we have is a very good start, but it's certainly not there.

By next season you could be looking at an 08-09 Hawks situation with Dach, Kubalik, DeBrincat, Boqvist, and Mitchell leading the next wave.

I just want the team to pick this direction and stick with it. Hopefully with McD out the door there's no pressure to immediately win.

Smith is still injured per Puckin Hostle on Twitter so cannot buy out
- ikeane

Ah - that makes sense. Thanks for the info.

I am wondering if Stans's next call(s) are to the core, "If you are not comitted to this, let me know where you would like to land and lets see what we can do"
- LAHawk

If they aren't having that discussion, Stan is derelict in his duties.

The guys like Mikita that stay with one organization their entire career are rare. Bobby Orr finished in CHI. Bobby Hull in WPG. Gordie Howe, Hartford.

As I said, this could get ugly early.

I really don't think they're movable Kane and Toews. Half retained is still $5.25 who has that laying around? Their actual $'s are less.
- rpeters01

Kane, Toews and Keith are not going anywhere unless they ask for it, and even then the Hawks are not going to retain salary to make it happen. Someone is gonna have to come up with a good package of young prospects/high picks, especially for Kane & Toews. Keith is older so will command less.

I just realized..

Why the F did Bowman try to acquire Matt Murray and give him that 5x5 if the team wants to go young in net by giving the kids a shot?

As to Shaw, de Haan, Maatta, and Smith, maybe the influence of McD?
- Popsghostly

Yeah...something tells me McD was meddling in the hockeyside of things and wanted to keep the idea that the Hawks could win and compete in place.

He's gone and suddenly its youth movement time.....

I just realized..

Why the F did Bowman try to acquire Matt Murray and give him that 5x5 if the team wants to go young in net by giving the kids a shot?
- TommyHawk

Are we sure he did, or was that just chatter to prop up Murray's value? I do not trust anything from any media anymore.

Regarding ticket sales:

I live in Mass and have only been to the United Center once in 2014. I bought the tickets through the hawks website or Ticketmaster (forget). I have gotten no less then 5 emails this week to sign up for Season tickets, they seem overly desperate and no wonder why.

I just realized..

Why the F did Bowman try to acquire Matt Murray and give him that 5x5 if the team wants to go young in net by giving the kids a shot?
- TommyHawk

Who knows. With all this chaos today, do you now trade Saad and try to acquire MAF or sign Markstrom??

As has been said about 7 million times now, Lehner wasn't taking $5x5 at the TDL.
- rpeters01

Lehner signed for 5x5 the whole point here is stan assumed crow would take a hometown discount and that backfired. Regarding the reporting I wouldn't put much stock into whats being said . At times it was mixed signals