People have thrown out the Panik comp and I just don't see that similarity with Kubalik.
- HawkintheD

Panik's game was heavier with less gun.

I think the reason for the comp is that they both has a smaller playing canvass as Hawks (both very successful) and got deals that they both need (ed) to prove they are worth.

And we all don't want Kubalik to be backsliding, as he isn't a guy with a strong over all game, but the shot gets the hawks on the scoreboard, and they need that as do most teams...

a lot of guys make they $ with a shot as their biggest and solo attribute...

I hate when GM's over stock a team with system players. Enevidably, the system does not hold up and your stuck with a team that does not fit the next system.
- riozzo

Not quite sure this is a "system" - but under any system, just good hockey.

pressure the puck everywhere, dump and retrieve, be tougher to play against.

I THOUGH WEWERE GOING TO GIVE THE GUYS IN ROCKFORD A TRY! I WAS THINKING THEY GIVE CAM MORRISON , AND Entwistle, A GOOD SHOT ON THE THIRD LINE. TWO BIG KIDS MAYBE PLAY THEM WITH DACH .

I THOUGH WEWERE GOING TO GIVE THE GUYS IN ROCKFORD A TRY! I WAS THINKING THEY GIVE CAM MORRISON , AND Entwistle, A GOOD SHOT ON THE THIRD LINE. TWO BIG KIDS MAYBE PLAY THEM WITH DACH .
- Ging72

Pretty sure neither guy is ready for the NHL. Other than a few guys the forwards in the system sounded to be at least another year away.

Pretty sure that's why guys like the two Swedes were picked up yesterday. Plus Dach is your second line center and pretty sure both those guys are projected bottom 6 players. Maybe Morrison has a bit more upside but not sure about Entwistle.

Everyone is making an assumption that Kubalik will start right off in year 2 like he did in year 1. Subtracting Saad from that line is going to allow less space and room for Kubalik, and even if Debrincat winds up on that line (and I think he will bounce back offensively), I doubt Kubalik will avoid the sophomore jinx.

Unless the Power Play somehow finds its footing, the Hawks will more than likely struggle to score goals this coming season. They may be better on the blue line. Don't be surprised if Ian Mitchell beats out our lord and savior Boqvist as the third right handed defenseman.
- jrsamu

Past performance is no guarantee of future results. But that cuts both ways. Some players will out perform last year's results. Others will under perform. Will ADB's and Dach's number be better? Dach did not really get going until the 2nd half of the year and the playoffs. Kubalik better or worse? Remember Kubalik spent a good portion of last year on the 3rd line and did not get on the PP until late in the year.

Whether it be Boqvist, Mitchell, Kalynuk is up for discussion. But I think we can agree they all could be better than Gus and Gilbert.

Also there is no accounting for health. Are Shaw, Seabs, DeHaan, Murphy Dach going to be healthy all year? Will some other regulars spend major time on the IR?

If you are looking for reasons to be pessimistic they are easy to find. It is a little harder to find reasons to be optimistic. But I gave it a shot.

What is that, like a bananas foster?
- cnatch

The nickname of the Chicago starting Goaltender, Scott Foster?

is it just me or the guy that signed for $950K seems younger and better then the guy for 2.25? so far Stans off season has been puzzling. does Zadoro play LD or RD I thought I heard right but he shoots left.

Nylander has already sunk, drowned, and is dead and buried. Anyone counting on Nylander to replace Saad in any way, shape, or form needs their head examined.
- Ogilthorpe2

Have to agree with you. I was ok with taking the gamble on trading for his potential but it's a fail. But I do think SB will be stubborn and give him more opportunities.

Y'all are gonna love Wallmark.

One of those "Not great at anything but okay at everything and gives you a good effort every night" type guys.

Y'all are gonna love Wallmark.

One of those "Not great at anything but okay at everything and gives you a good effort every night" type guys.
- BINGO!

Bingo, you are spot on. I would rather have him on a 4th line than anyone currently on it.

[quote=Ogilthorpe2]What has Nylander shown to prove he deserves to even be in the NHL, let alone garner top 6 minutes?

If the puck isn’t on his blade, he’s a ghost. If the puck is on his blade, he’s just as likely to turn it over as anything else.

Thought it was a bad acquisition at the time, and he’s done nothing since to change my mind. Complete waste of assets to get him, and a complete waste of a roster spot.

He played great for Vegas in the playoff series.

Clearly this is a team being designed to fit Coliton's original plan...

..... pressure the puck everywhere, dump and retrieve, be tougher to play against.
- Bjm84

This is a team designed to fit Rocky's budget.

I THOUGH WEWERE GOING TO GIVE THE GUYS IN ROCKFORD A TRY! I WAS THINKING THEY GIVE CAM MORRISON , AND Entwistle, A GOOD SHOT ON THE THIRD LINE. TWO BIG KIDS MAYBE PLAY THEM WITH DACH .
- Ging72

Because they won so many games in Rockford?

Agreed

lol I read on the HF FA and trade board someone said its hard to lose 3 trades with the same player. SAAD > AA PAN>>>> SAAD SAAD>Zadora I had a good laugh.

I wondered aloud after these deals if this was supposed to be two additional countrymen who would act as examples and instill more defensive aspects into his game. Yet another couple guys who have thrown into situations and buit their defensive sides.
Nylander clearly has skills as an attacker. But the clock is ticking for him. He has to be doing all the offset the periods where the offense isn't coming. Detail details details, and just maybe he improves enough to not be playing in Krackentown, or Modo, or AIK....
- wiz1901

Just a little reminder regarding Nylander.
He is only 23 years old and I see his skill set very similar to Patrick Sharp. Good speed and great hands. Sharp did not become a 20 goal scorer until the 2006/2007 season when he was 26 years old.

What Nylander needs in my eyes is an infusion of Patrick Sharp's tenacity, work ethic, and heart.
If he's got it in him, we'll see similar results. Give it time.

Just my take on why the Hawks are making these moves. I think we can see the Hawks trying to fix the biggest issue on the team, which has been defensive play and not enough physical play. The Hawks were way too easy to play against for a few years now. Saad was a good defensive player, but I think where the Hawks had issue justifying him was his lack of effectiveness on the Powerplay. I think they have plans for someone else to get PP minutes and they figure defensive players are a bit cheaper to sign.

I think adding Zadorov on the back end means the Hawks can have a player who can play physical on each pair. Murphy, Seabrook and Zadorov. It seems like Seabrook is likely to be able to play his style of game a bit more after surgery so I'd expect to see him playing the body more again.

I think the questions are...is Bowman going to make more trades? Maybe he will use a player as sweetener to move Smith? What will happen with Strome? I think he wants more $$$ than he is worth at the moment with the economic situation.

Who will rise as they guy in net? I think long term it will be Lankinen once he gets a real chance at the NHL level.

Andrew Shaw, likely to be back in the lineup IMO.

There are still some useful depth players out there that I could see ending up with the Hawks. I don't know the full story on them, but I could see them kicking the tires on Wilson, Hutton, Nieto, Kahun, Haula, Leivo, Bourque... Not saying much more than just a few names that they might check on, but depends on what other moves they are trying to make. i.e. I could see them moving Kampf, Nylander, Highmore, Strome etc..

I would like to see the Hawks add someone serviceable on D and force guys like Boqvist to earn their spot. We want to be in a situation where the young guys are playing too well to keep them off the roster, rather than bring them in just because they might be able to play "okay" because of their talent. No question guys like Boqvist would have gotten more seasoning in the AHL if the Hawks had the depth to allow it.

I think overall, the Hawks feel it is sink or swim time for the younger goalies. I assume the goalie coaches and scouts have their opinions on it that factor into the plan. I'm not saying the moves shouldn't be questioned or that I would have made these moves, but I think there is some reasoning behind it. May or may not work out, but with the cap tight, it might be the right time to fail and rebuild more through the draft. TDL, Bowman could gut the team more and really get those draft picks.

Just a little reminder regarding Nylander.
He is only 23 years old and I see his skill set very similar to Patrick Sharp. Good speed and great hands. Sharp did not become a 20 goal scorer until the 2006/2007 season when he was 26 years old.

What Nylander needs in my eyes is an infusion of Patrick Sharp's tenacity, work ethic, and heart.
If he's got it in him, we'll see similar results. Give it time.
- Hawkytalk

He definitely has skill, but I think just needs to work on his decision making IMO. I think the Hawks will decide soon if he will fit into their plans, since he is RFA. I think he needs a good mentor to help him solidify his game.

Just a little reminder regarding Nylander.
He is only 23 years old and I see his skill set very similar to Patrick Sharp. Good speed and great hands. Sharp did not become a 20 goal scorer until the 2006/2007 season when he was 26 years old.

What Nylander needs in my eyes is an infusion of Patrick Sharp's tenacity, work ethic, and heart.
If he's got it in him, we'll see similar results. Give it time.
- Hawkytalk

Ummmm where is he going to get tenacity, work ethic, and heart?? Can he buy that at Walmart?? I just don't see that fight in him.

I don't think Kubalik will be a problem to produce as long as he is healthy. He seems to be engaged and playing with confidence. I think he has something that the Hawks lack in general, which is his shot and release. He strikes me as the guy who will score as long as someone can set him up to shoot. He will get his goals just based on # of chances to let that shot go. If his line can't get setup and give him chances, his production will drop. If he has linemates that can really gel, he can probably score a really good amount.

He might not be the talent to make others around him better, but gotta have guys who can finish and that is what he seems to be.

Hey Theo, congrats on breaking the 1000 post barrier and another great blog this am as per usual.

I see Janmark and Wallmark supplanting some of the 4th line as things stand today.

While I like Kampf ok on the 4th line, if the two Marks are considered offensive desserts, Kampf and even more so Carpenter could be considered offensive black holes.

Nylander - Toews - Kubalik
DeBrincat - Dach - Kane
Suter - Strome - Shaw
Hagel - Wallmark - Janmark

I debated about flipping Nylander and Suter, but from what I've read about Suter, he may be a better fit on that third line. Hoping the light switch clicks permanently on for Nylander in the next few months is more than wishful thinking...but here's hoping.

He had his first fully healthy season last year and started to string some good games together with Strome and Kane before the playoffs started. When the games really started counting he became a non-factor again like a couple other young Hawks, but maybe he was starting to figure it out a bit before that. Fingers crossed. Or we could just flip him for a first at the TDL.
- HawkintheD

I just don't see Strome as a 3C. He's too slow to be in that checking role. Maybe another year of Dach at 3C because of his age and defensive abilities would help define both player's futures. Strome's for sure.
If he can't succeed at 2C with Kane then he shouldn't be signed, or signed and traded. Dach will grow into multiple roles advancing up to 1C eventually. His upside is just beginning.

Ummmm where is he going to get tenacity, work ethic, and heart?? Can he buy that at Walmart?? I just don't see that fight in him.
- Boisy12

Totally agree....some guys got it, some don't. My point was his age.

I don't think Kubalik will be a problem to produce as long as he is healthy. He seems to be engaged and playing with confidence. I think he has something that the Hawks lack in general, which is his shot and release. He strikes me as the guy who will score as long as someone can set him up to shoot. He will get his goals just based on # of chances to let that shot go. If his line can't get setup and give him chances, his production will drop. If he has linemates that can really gel, he can probably score a really good amount.

He might not be the talent to make others around him better, but gotta have guys who can finish and that is what he seems to be.
- breadbag

they did not overpay for him. Wish we did not extend CAT in retropsect. would have gotten a 3 year $4 mil deal instead of 6. Kubalik is probably going to come down. he shot almost 20%. CAT went from 14% to 5% if memory serves.

I just don't see Strome as a 3C. He's too slow to be in that checking role. Maybe another year of Dach at 3C because of his age and defensive abilities would help define both player's futures. Strome's for sure.
If he can't succeed at 2C with Kane then he shouldn't be signed, or signed and traded. Dach will grow into multiple roles advancing up to 1C eventually. His upside is just beginning.
- Hawkytalk

Just to note, 3rd lines are not often checking in the NHL anymore. The Hawks themselves haven't had a checking 3rd line since 2011. Kruger/Bolland for 2013-2015 were the checking line on 4th. The term bumslaying line was quite popular during the 2013 season because Bickell-Shaw-Stalberg faced the lowest QOC with high OZS.

There are teams that roll almost 2 checking lines in the bottom 6 which is practically what the Lightning and Stars both did. Vegas had a checking 3rd line but an energy 4th (lower QOC). Caps, Pens, and Blues before ran 3O-1D, though.

I just don't see Strome as a 3C. He's too slow to be in that checking role. Maybe another year of Dach at 3C because of his age and defensive abilities would help define both player's futures. Strome's for sure.
If he can't succeed at 2C with Kane then he shouldn't be signed, or signed and traded. Dach will grow into multiple roles advancing up to 1C eventually. His upside is just beginning.
- Hawkytalk

Who says he has to be a checking line? Toews still does a lot of that anyway.