Theo....big applause for the great efforts you are bringing forward.

You are so on da ball, or puck, with your thought provoking blogs, that I almost feel silly requesting such a favor....as I am sure it is in your planner to do in the next couple of weeks.

But, I am beginning to get pumped for the upcoming World Juniors.

Obviously Dach being a key cog on Canada will be a treat to watch. I am also interested in Mercer, who I wanted the Hawks to nab....but they let slip away.

Would love the complete run down on Hawks at the Juniors....that upcoming in a future Theo blog....in not toooo long????
- hawk35

Thanks, 35.

Yes, I have a World Juniors Championship blog coming out in due course, just waiting for rosters to be finalized.

So far Dach made the Team Canada roster. No surprise.

Teply and Krutil are with the Team Czech Republic camp but don't think the roster has been finalized yet.

Slaggert is still in the running for Team USA but doubt he makes it as a college freshman unless something happens to preclude other hopefuls from being eligible, i.e. like Vlasic and Commesso not being able to participate due to Boston University restrictions.

Excellent blog again Theo, you cease to amaze me with your blogs being the best on HB and the insight you bring to us is off the charts. Thank you! I am really excited about Mitchell and Suter in particular and what they can provide. I have no doubt that Kubalik will keep sniping as to me he is a Patrick Sharp all over again. I would love to see the team pick up a Fleury or Varlamov as the starter but I realize that would be tricky as the cap will not allow it. If Sorokin proves he can play early on Varlamov could be available as well as Fleury. However with the condensed games those two teams may bite the bullet and be salary stacked in goal. Merry xmas and thanks for entertaining morning reads.
- joegreif17

Thanks, joe.

I, too, am excited to see Mitchell and Suter as I think they will impress.

Boqvist may also be ready to take it up a notch especially with Zadorov as his projected partner to open things up for him.

As for veteran goalies, don't think that's in the cards this season but agree with something Tyler has brought up before in that next year may be when we see Bowman pursue more experience in net.

Unless one of Subban, Delia, Lankinen, or Tomkins steals the show and proves to be a worthy #1 to build from.

Oh to have a Wayne Gretzky mint condition rookie card, very nice!

Yep, I suspect our guy Theo will be "graduated" to a higher league soon!

Yep, I suspect our guy Theo will be "graduated" to a higher league soon!
- mohel

Who here gets relegated?

Oh to have a Wayne Gretzky mint condition rookie card, very nice!
- BetweenTheDots

Oh, to have a Wayne Gretzky mint condition in his rookie year....

I know, 80s hockey was somewhat a different game - and he had excellent teammates for much of his career.

But no player in any sport dominated his contemporaries the way Gretzky did.

Who here gets relegated?
- StLBravesFan

We'll get JJ back.

We'll get JJ back.
- mohel

Dyno-Mite!
(the older posters like me might get this pun).

Yep, I suspect our guy Theo will be "graduated" to a higher league soon!
- mohel

Yes, to the Order of the Jedi.

Dyno-Mite!
(the older posters like me might get this pun).
- powerenforcer

Jimmie Walker ... but I'm not an older poster

- Rota's Rooter

A Russian goalie... I can think of at least one poster who would lose their mind if this happened.

We'll get JJ back.
- mohel

Read between the lines.

Oh, to have a Wayne Gretzky mint condition in his rookie year....

I know, 80s hockey was somewhat a different game - and he had excellent teammates for much of his career.

But no player in any sport dominated his contemporaries the way Gretzky did.
- StLBravesFan

Yup. It is ridiculously amazing that he had more assists than anybody else has had points. That is just crazy!!! Jagr...Messier....Howe...Lemieux. All hockey icons. All scored less points than Gretzky had assists, and all trailed him by OVER 900 POINTS at the end of their careers. Pure dominance!

Oh, to have a Wayne Gretzky mint condition in his rookie year....

I know, 80s hockey was somewhat a different game - and he had excellent teammates for much of his career.

But no player in any sport dominated his contemporaries the way Gretzky did.
- StLBravesFan

I understand his accomplishments at the same time the rarity of the card itself with his accomplishments and is a rookie card, to sell over a million, unbelievable

We'll get JJ back.
- mohel

Or Eli.

I feel bad that we never found out what happened to him.

Dyno-Mite!
(the older posters like me might get this pun).
- powerenforcer

Rumor has it that Theo might be "moving on up".

Or Eli.

I feel bad that we never found out what happened to him.
- StLBravesFan

I didn't discover blogs until 2008/2009 so I joined toward the end of the "old crew" with guys like Eli, Mikita's Helmut, and a bunch of guys I can't remember their names anymore. Within a year or so of me joining the blog world there was a split and a bunch of that old crew went to a different Hawks blog. It seems to me that was before JJ took over but I can't remember who was here before him ... or maybe I've got it all confused with a different Hawks blog site.

I didn't discover blogs until 2008/2009 so I joined toward the end of the "old crew" with guys like Eli, Mikita's Helmut, and a bunch of guys I can't remember their names anymore. Within a year or so of me joining the blog world there was a split and a bunch of that old crew went to a different Hawks blog. It seems to me that was before JJ took over but I can't remember who was here before him ... or maybe I've got it all confused with a different Hawks blog site.
- EbonyRaptor

I was thinking about your proposal regarding Pacioretty, makes sense, but i kind of agree with LA that whatever deal was made was in conjuction with a Seattle deal to move Pacioretty to the Kraken, 3 yrs at $7 mil would suffocate this team since the cap will be flat, jmho

Completely agree with you Lou, not like they are going to become NHL hockey players overnight.

I don't feel this way about Seabs though, I'm hoping the surgery/ injuries is what was keeping him from being a solid defenseman so he can be the leader he is and he and Keith can mentor these kids.
- BetweenTheDots

My fear is almost all of Rockford falls into that category.

Toews to the Panthers to join Q and let Barkov to focus on putting the puck in the net.
- Rota's Rooter

Do the Panthers need a $5.25M 3C ?

I didn't discover blogs until 2008/2009 so I joined toward the end of the "old crew" with guys like Eli, Mikita's Helmut, and a bunch of guys I can't remember their names anymore. Within a year or so of me joining the blog world there was a split and a bunch of that old crew went to a different Hawks blog. It seems to me that was before JJ took over but I can't remember who was here before him ... or maybe I've got it all confused with a different Hawks blog site.
- EbonyRaptor

Didn't join til 2012, but from reading here it sounded like Al Cimaglia preceded JJ. Also, damn you Mo for putting that out there, as you know it will happen now.

I mean that would be like the greatest thing ever and all, but still...dammit Mo!

Do the Panthers need a $5.25M 3C ?
- rpeters01

He'd be 4C on the Panthers.

Theo....big applause for the great efforts you are bringing forward.

You are so on da ball, or puck, with your thought provoking blogs, that I almost feel silly requesting such a favor....as I am sure it is in your planner to do in the next couple of weeks.

But, I am beginning to get pumped for the upcoming World Juniors.

Obviously Dach being a key cog on Canada will be a treat to watch. I am also interested in Mercer, who I wanted the Hawks to nab....but they let slip away.

Would love the complete run down on Hawks at the Juniors....that upcoming in a future Theo blog....in not toooo long????
- hawk35

I noticed Florida's #13th overall Jarvis, a center, was among last cuts. The reason for not making the squad more than anything else, has to be that the team is loaded up front. Everyone or nearly each forward was a #1.

Dach headlines one of two lines which reports say has been developing chemistry. In the one intra squad practice game saw Dach stood out. And he has yet to fully mature as the bruiser he can become.

Two very good center/forwards some of us were interested in selecting mid first round a couple drafts ago - under the provision of a trade down - are Newhouse and Krebs. Zary btw was complementary on a line in that scrimmage.

Remember how many wanted to choose Byram and not Dach. Well the very offensive involved Byram was busy making all kinds of plays from the point in that game. Still we do not know how much - if little - his game, defensively, has improved. He might be paired with Drysdale on the #1 defense pair. But for strategic reasons watch how Byram is employed in the WJC games. The Score app has the roster and the story with the cuts.

I noticed Florida's #13th overall Jarvis, a center, was among last cuts. The reason for not making the squad more than anything else, has to be that the team is loaded up front. Everyone or nearly each forward was a #1.

Dach headlines one of two lines which reports say has been developing chemistry. In the one intra squad practice game saw Dach stood out. And he has yet to fully mature as the bruiser he can become.

Two very good center/forwards some of us were interested in selecting mid first round a couple drafts ago - under the provision of a trade down - are Newhouse and Krebs. Zary btw was complementary on a line in that scrimmage.

Remember how many wanted to choose Byram and not Dach. Well the very offensive involved Byram was busy making all kinds of plays from the point in that game. Still we do not know how much - if little - his game, defensively, has improved. He might be paired with Drysdale on the #1 defense pair. But for strategic reasons watch how Byram is employed in the WJC games. The Score app has the roster and the story with the cuts.
- jhawk59

Do you mean Newhook?

Colorado will likely be pretty formidable for years given the current roster and having prospects still on the way.

It will be interesting to see a redraft of the '19 draft in a few years. So far it looks like the Hawks chose wisely and will be interesting to see if Dach is able to build on his playoff experience to where he's around a PPG performer this season...fingers crossed.

Do you mean Newhook?

Colorado will likely be pretty formidable for years given the current roster and having prospects still on the way.

It will be interesting to see a redraft of the '19 draft in a few years. So far it looks like the Hawks chose wisely and will be interesting to see if Dach is able to build on his playoff experience to where he's around a PPG performer this season...fingers crossed.
- HawkintheD

His PPG will depend on his line mates and powerplay ice time. If he has Kane on his right side, well we should see a decent point total. I’d love for them to get a good left wing with size to add to this line. Alex Tuch has been mentioned here and I believe that he plays the right side, but since he shoots right it should not be an issue for him to make that move. Get ir done Stan!