https://twitter.com/Sportsnet/status/1327384420408565763

Clip circulating on social media of Mattias Janmark doing a quick consolation of Jamie Benn after the Stars were eliminated in the Western Conference Finals.

Janmark may have to do that quite a lot this season.
- Theo Fox

I’m ok with that - after losing the SCF.

I probably wasn't clear, I don't necessarily mean anyone drafted in the last two years.

Just who would you say from the time they came up, after a year or two, you said, "Wow, that guy has really gotten better".

I just don't remember who I would say that about. Go back 10 years, 15 if you want.

If you are doing what you should, players improve. Seems to me, they get worse.

I'm sure I'm forgetting some and focusing on the negative.
- vabeachbear

Defenseman, i can't think of any unfortunately

The Hockey News came out recently with their fantasy guide. Keep in mind that the projections are based on a full season. Here's what they projected point-wise:

Kane, 100
DeBrincat, 68
Strome, 61
Kubalik, 56
Toews, 56
Dach, 54
Keith, 40
Nylander, 37
Wallmark, 34
Boqvist, 30
Mitchell, 30
Janmark, 26
Murphy, 26
Smith, 19
Zadorov, 19
Shaw, 18
Carpenter, 17
Kampf, 15
Seabrook, 14
de Haan, 14
Highmore, 13
Beaudin, 13

Delia, Subban, and Lankinen not projected in the goalies section but they are projected in that order on the depth chart

Notable ex-Hawks:

Saad, 50
Gustafsson, 30
Maatta, 21
Sikura, 16
Crawford, 17 wins, 2.65, .915
Lehner, 30 wins, 2.28, .917

Also in the THN fantasy guide is the top 10 prospects per team. Top 10 for the Blackhawks:

1. Reichel
2. Mitchell
3. Beaudin
4. Commesso
5. Carlsson
6. Quenneville
7. Krys
8. Demin
9. Soderlund
10. Hagel

THN had high praise for Mitchell with this description: "Could be Chicago's top defenseman in a couple of years, maybe even the next Duncan Keith."

Also in the THN fantasy guide is the top 10 prospects per team. Top 10 for the Blackhawks:

1. Reichel
2. Mitchell
3. Beaudin
4. Commesso
5. Carlsson
6. Quenneville
7. Krys
8. Demin
9. Soderlund
10. Hagel
- Theo Fox

I'm surprised Quenneville, Demin, Krys and Soderlund are on the list vs say Vlasic, Regula, Barratt and Kurashev.

Also, not sure if anyone's already posted this but Secondcity is doing their annual top 25 under 25 and L_B_R's listed as a community member contributor.

https://www.secondcityhoc...tti-saarela-matej-chalupa

They must be hoping for him to play like a different Gus. Which might catch us all a bit off guard since he will have the best team and fellow dmen support he has ever experienced. Hart is arguably to some, but in my book the best goaltender he has (will be) playing along side.

On PP if Philly has man in front of net MAYBE Gus pounds some shots for goals. Lots of talent up front to make PP work now ADD Gus but minus Ghost.

Meet the new Gus. Same as the old Gus. Probably for the most part. Don't be fooled again. Chi, Calgary, Philly.
- jhawk59

I've seen guys who all of a sudden play for a tougher than most team and play a little bigger thinking they are tougher too. And it usually doesn't go well when they eventually have to drop the gloves and wind up getting rag dolled. Perhaps Philly is looking for a boost on their PP. The acquisition does seem a bit odd.

I've seen guys who all of a sudden play for a tougher than most team and play a little bigger thinking they are tougher too. And it usually doesn't go well when they eventually have to drop the gloves and wind up getting rag dolled. Perhaps Philly is looking for a boost on their PP. The acquisition does seem a bit odd.
- 6628

I don’t think you can call the Flyers a tougher than most teams. At least not last year’s version. Of course most any team appears tougher compared to the Hawks.

Defenseman, i can't think of any unfortunately
- BetweenTheDots

Where I was going was that I think they had the wrong setup or people in Rockford for a long time. No one seemed to ever develop there.

I kind of think they finally fixed that, by hiring Colliton in Rockford. Seems to me he would be a good guy to have down there, working with players and developing them there. As Keith said last year, you don't develop players in the NHL.

Hopefully the new guy in Rockford is a developer. Hopefully they don't rush guys to the NHL going forward. Have to stop doing that and let them develop. You don't do a proper rebuild by rushing players, just ask Buffalo.

Listened to Edzo on a podcast yesterday, and he talked about his time in Pitt, how when he was coach, they had great player in the minors, and the GM wouldn't bring them up. He felt they could be better with them.

He didn't get what wanted, players didn't get rushed up, he got fired, and those core players went on to win 3 SC's.

Going to have to suck for a bit. Should've been honest about it after the Nash sweep. Everyone here knew there would not be another cup with that group. There probably was a way to rebuild with the 3 or 4 core guys, but things like Seabs contract wasn't the way to do it.

Where I was going was that I think they had the wrong setup or people in Rockford for a long time. No one seemed to ever develop there.

I kind of think they finally fixed that, by hiring Colliton in Rockford. Seems to me he would be a good guy to have down there, working with players and developing them there. As Keith said last year, you don't develop players in the NHL.

Hopefully the new guy in Rockford is a developer. Hopefully they don't rush guys to the NHL going forward. Have to stop doing that and let them develop. You don't do a proper rebuild by rushing players, just ask Buffalo.

Listened to Edzo on a podcast yesterday, and he talked about his time in Pitt, how when he was coach, they had great player in the minors, and the GM wouldn't bring them up. He felt they could be better with them.

He didn't get what wanted, players didn't get rushed up, he got fired, and those core players went on to win 3 SC's.

Going to have to suck for a bit. Should've been honest about it after the Nash sweep. Everyone here knew there would not be another cup with that group. There probably was a way to rebuild with the 3 or 4 core guys, but things like Seabs contract wasn't the way to do it.
- vabeachbear

The truth hurts. Can you handle the truth.

What I don't know for sure, is whether Bowman felt the team had to remain competitive. If McDonough had Rocky's ear up until recently, the attendance, the sales everything McDonough touched continued to be lucrative and maybe McDonough convinced Rocky to stay the course with a competitive team because it was financially prudent.

But recently Bowman got through to Rocky with a diminishing return and opportunity cost spelled out = rebuild. Rebuild on the fly because this rebuild so far does not have the earmark of a total rebuild.

Which I feel is the correct approach.

Now more than ever Bowman needs more players who will play a boards game. Recycling. But let's look at how the blueline crew interacts.

Colliton's defense can be three or four deep in new age type dmen although each may have a particular strength. Just as long as you have two dman within the six who will knock an opponent on their kiester. It helps too when a dman is willing to engage, to tie up the opponent even if it is not purely a body check. So for example Beaudin and Kris learning/applying the craft as we have seen & reported by Theo

It is all well and good should our bottom six become filled with youngsters who have a lot of compete in their game. I expect that will happen and that the bottom lines could become quite valuable. They may outplay their opponent and surely will be hungry to succeed and grow in their role.

So Stan has to get tougher in his top two lines. I foresee more toughness arriving with a top drafted forward and or one more dman - but this must be a dman whose game possesses snarl. The best way to obtain said players is through The Entry Draft.

I am always in favor of obtaining a first round selection. The 2021 draft is chok full of centers and dmen, top heavy according to wiz

I would offer something of value, something another team would have to seriously consider. I would offer Murphy and our 2nd for their first. You believe in drafting the best player available and hopefully they are a dman and center as befits the 2021 draft. It is a recipe for what we need. It is maybe a piece for another team to make a serious Cup run.

I'm surprised Quenneville, Demin, Krys and Soderlund are on the list vs say Vlasic, Regula, Barratt and Kurashev.

Also, not sure if anyone's already posted this but Secondcity is doing their annual top 25 under 25 and L_B_R's listed as a community member contributor.

https://www.secondcityhoc...tti-saarela-matej-chalupa
- HawkintheD

I agree with you, but THN tends to be more conservative and looks at games played/seniority for these lists, especially the lower end.

The truth hurts. Can you handle the truth.

What I don't know for sure, is whether Bowman felt the team had to remain competitive. If McDonough had Rocky's ear up until recently, the attendance, the sales everything McDonough touched continued to be lucrative and maybe McDonough convinced Rocky to stay the course with a competitive team because it was financially prudent.

But recently Bowman got through to Rocky with a diminishing return and opportunity cost spelled out = rebuild. Rebuild on the fly because this rebuild so far does not have the earmark of a total rebuild.

Which I feel is the correct approach.

Now more than ever Bowman needs more players who will play a boards game. Recycling. But let's look at how the blueline crew interacts.

Colliton's defense can be three or four deep in new age type dmen although each may have a particular strength. Just as long as you have two dman within the six who will knock an opponent on their kiester. It helps too when a dman is willing to engage, to tie up the opponent even if it is not purely a body check. So for example Beaudin and Kris learning/applying the craft as we have seen & reported by Theo

It is all well and good should our bottom six become filled with youngsters who have a lot of compete in their game. I expect that will happen and that the bottom lines could become quite valuable. They may outplay their opponent and surely will be hungry to succeed and grow in their role.

So Stan has to get tougher in his top two lines. I foresee more toughness arriving with a top drafted forward and or one more dman - but this must be a dman whose game possesses snarl. The best way to obtain said players is through The Entry Draft.

I am always in favor of obtaining a first round selection. The 2021 draft is chok full of centers and dmen, top heavy according to wiz

I would offer something of value, something another team would have to seriously consider. I would offer Murphy and our 2nd for their first. You believe in drafting the best player available and hopefully they are a dman and center as befits the 2021 draft. It is a recipe for what we need. It is maybe a piece for another team to make a serious Cup run.
- jhawk59

The entry draft is only one way to add to the team and it takes the most time to actually improve the team. European and college free agents are a decent option and Stan has done well there.

I wouldn’t trade Murphy and our 2nd to a contender for their 1st. The team needs to ice a minimum level of talent and Murphy has proven to be an integral part of the defense. Acquiring a pick in the #25-#31 range for Murphy and a pick in the #32-#36 range doesn’t seem worth it to me.

The entry draft is only one way to add to the team and it takes the most time to actually improve the team. European and college free agents are a decent option and Stan has done well there.

I wouldn’t trade Murphy and our 2nd to a contender for their 1st. The team needs to ice a minimum level of talent and Murphy has proven to be an integral part of the defense. Acquiring a pick in the #25-#31 range for Murphy and a pick in the #32-#36 range doesn’t seem worth it to me.
- DarthKane

I agree. To acquire a first round puck it needs to be my guess this draft top 20. The trade might be cometed around trade deadline. Possibly we include a Carpenter, Kamp or bottom line forward..Although we might have to take a contract for a player we have no plans for. That might be just a player with a higher salary not necessarily a dump. Which if it is a dump, as long as the contract ends this season

The Hockey News came out recently with their fantasy guide. Keep in mind that the projections are based on a full season. Here's what they projected point-wise:

Kane, 100
DeBrincat, 68
Strome, 61
Kubalik, 56
Toews, 56
Dach, 54
Keith, 40
Nylander, 37
Wallmark, 34
Boqvist, 30
Mitchell, 30
Janmark, 26
Murphy, 26
Smith, 19
Zadorov, 19
Shaw, 18
Carpenter, 17
Kampf, 15
Seabrook, 14
de Haan, 14
Highmore, 13
Beaudin, 13

Delia, Subban, and Lankinen not projected in the goalies section but they are projected in that order on the depth chart

Notable ex-Hawks:

Saad, 50
Gustafsson, 30
Maatta, 21
Sikura, 16
Crawford, 17 wins, 2.65, .915
Lehner, 30 wins, 2.28, .917
- Theo Fox

For the Hawks that is not a bad prediction. I think Kubalik could be higher and I think Strome is the big question mark. I would love to see Strome break 60 with the Cat but last year was a little troublesome for both. Hopefully they both bounce back to the year before. Toews could surprise and hit 65-70.

Where I was going was that I think they had the wrong setup or people in Rockford for a long time. No one seemed to ever develop there.

I kind of think they finally fixed that, by hiring Colliton in Rockford. Seems to me he would be a good guy to have down there, working with players and developing them there. As Keith said last year, you don't develop players in the NHL.

Hopefully the new guy in Rockford is a developer. Hopefully they don't rush guys to the NHL going forward. Have to stop doing that and let them develop. You don't do a proper rebuild by rushing players, just ask Buffalo.

Listened to Edzo on a podcast yesterday, and he talked about his time in Pitt, how when he was coach, they had great player in the minors, and the GM wouldn't bring them up. He felt they could be better with them.

He didn't get what wanted, players didn't get rushed up, he got fired, and those core players went on to win 3 SC's.

Going to have to suck for a bit. Should've been honest about it after the Nash sweep. Everyone here knew there would not be another cup with that group. There probably was a way to rebuild with the 3 or 4 core guys, but things like Seabs contract wasn't the way to do it.
- vabeachbear

I agree, Colliton was almost in a perfect spot as head coach of the Hogs due to his strengths in player development.

King is a pretty good replacement, actually, as he i also heavily invested in prospect development. Specifically, King focuses on ensuring the youngesters learn how to be a pro on and off the ice.

If the roles had been reversed where King was promoted to Hawks head coach keeping Colliton as Hogs head coach, would there have been a more favorable relationship with the veterans?

In contrast to Colliton's short playing and coaching career, King played 16 NHL seasons at a .75 PPG pace, several more years at a high level in the AHL to end his career, then has been coaching for close to 15 years starting as a player/assistant for a few seasons.

Many have said they wish Seabrook would be a player/assistant then hang up the skates to go full time into coaching. Perhaps. King may be a good model to follow if that's in the cards for Seabrook.

I'm surprised Quenneville, Demin, Krys and Soderlund are on the list vs say Vlasic, Regula, Barratt and Kurashev.

Also, not sure if anyone's already posted this but Secondcity is doing their annual top 25 under 25 and L_B_R's listed as a community member contributor.

https://www.secondcityhoc...tti-saarela-matej-chalupa
- HawkintheD

Yeah, I have Kalynuk, Regula, and Vlasic higher than Demin and Kurashev, Enwistle, and Barratt higher than Quenneville and Soderlund.

Yet, I don't mind Krys and Soderlund in the top 10.

Agree with Darth, though, that THN does tend to put stock in seniority and players who are just closer to the NHL even if just as injury fill-ins or short-term stop gaps despite other prospects in the system who have longer ETAs but greater potential of staying power and impact in the NHL.

The AHL has pushed back the start of their season a couple times already, and the start date in now February 1. It seems clear they are waiting until they can have fans. If - if - they don't play this season, will that alter the Hawks plans for some of the young players? Will some be played at the NHL level just to get them some experience? For example, will Mitchell play in Chicago (if they are playing) rather than have a wasted season on the Rock?

For the Hawks that is not a bad prediction. I think Kubalik could be higher and I think Strome is the big question mark. I would love to see Strome break 60 with the Cat but last year was a little troublesome for both. Hopefully they both bounce back to the year before. Toews could surprise and hit 65-70.
- joegreif17

These numbers are for a full schedule, that ain’t happening. I would guess that the NHL plays maybe 60 games in 2021, if that.

These numbers are for a full schedule, that ain’t happening. I would guess that the NHL plays maybe 60 games in 2021, if that.
- Angotti

Hi, Lou. If they were willing to play games without fans, the season could have started by now (or soon). They're quite a way from being able to play in front of a significant number of fans. I'd bet that there are some franchises that can't afford to play games without fans. I read today that the Tampa Rays lost MORE money by making the playoffs, and baseball has a much larger TV deal than does the NHL.

That's a long way to say I agree with your number, unless they play well into the summer again and delay the start of NEXT season.

We're also at the time of year when articles are written about the up and coming players in the system. How does a layoff of this length affect the development of the kids in the Hawks system who we are eagerly waiting to see in Chicago? I think of a guy like Shaw - 5th round pick in the 3rd (I think) chance at the draft. Does he get any chance if he misses a season and a half (if that occurs)?

Beaudin is my sleeper, I would not be surprised if he ends up being the most dependable of our D prospects. They’ll be some with better offense and maybe some with better defense, but he’ll be very consistent, time will tell.
- Angotti

For me it’s Kalynuk. If any of the D prospects surprise us I think it will be him.

For me it’s Kalynuk. If any of the D prospects surprise us I think it will be him.
- DarthKane

We do have a few to pick from, unlike the forward group, man do we need to upgrade our forward prospect group.

Some news on Owen Power hopefully the Hawks #1 pick in 2021.

1. Michigan has not released him to join Canada's world junior training camp.
2. Michigan's hockey game against Arizona State will be televised on the Big Ten Network Sunday evening at 6 central time, so we can get a look at the 6-5, 214 lb Freshman.

Hi, Lou. If they were willing to play games without fans, the season could have started by now (or soon). They're quite a way from being able to play in front of a significant number of fans. I'd bet that there are some franchises that can't afford to play games without fans. I read today that the Tampa Rays lost MORE money by making the playoffs, and baseball has a much larger TV deal than does the NHL.

That's a long way to say I agree with your number, unless they play well into the summer again and delay the start of NEXT season.

We're also at the time of year when articles are written about the up and coming players in the system. How does a layoff of this length affect the development of the kids in the Hawks system who we are eagerly waiting to see in Chicago? I think of a guy like Shaw - 5th round pick in the 3rd (I think) chance at the draft. Does he get any chance if he misses a season and a half (if that occurs)?
- mohel

Hi Mo, hope you’re doing well in these crazy times. I agree, if fans are not allowed in the arenas who knows what will happen next. Will there be franchise contractions? Will the Coyotes and Panthers relocate? Time will tell, all I know is that I miss hockey, and so does my wife, although for different reasons.

For the Hawks that is not a bad prediction. I think Kubalik could be higher and I think Strome is the big question mark. I would love to see Strome break 60 with the Cat but last year was a little troublesome for both. Hopefully they both bounce back to the year before. Toews could surprise and hit 65-70.
- joegreif17

Kind of scary Strome over Toews but he is a 3c.

Notre Dame-Wisconsin hockey currently on NHL network. Caufield #8 for the Badgers.