Theo Fox: Game 17: Hawks 3, Wings 2
A recap of the Blackhawks 3-2 OT win over the Red Wings in a tight yet sloppy matchup. Subban kept the team in it with a steady performance while Kubalik provided enough offensive spark.

First. It will be interesting to see how the Hawks do when Florida rolls around. They seem like a tough tean to play against.

You gotta be impressed by the contributions and development of our "under 25" crew. Is there a team in the league with any better under 25 talent. There surely can't be many!

Kubrick, D-Cat, Boqvist, Beaudin, Mitchell, Suter....and so many others have been so impressive. Even the 2 goalies are playing way better than I ever would have imagined.

So far, no complaints by the effort or results of our boys so far. They have been a pleasant surprise!

Keep it up fellas!!!

Not a great game but not bad and they get the win. Would love to see them clean up the passing tomorrow.

I think I'd rather see Highmore in for Johnson. I know he hits guys but not sure he really helped push the pace or extend zone time.

I suppose things aren't so bad if I'm only female doging about a 4th line guy.

When this season started, couldn't have imagined so many rookies panning out, but so far so good.

Someone posted about it here the other day too that the Hawks look pretty well set up for the expansion draft.

From the Sun Times Ben Pope...

Kirby Dach, Dominik Kubalik, Pius Suter and Philipp Kurashev, defensemen Ian Mitchell, Adam Boqvist and Nicolas Beaudin and all their other first- and second-year players are automatically exempt. That’s a huge portion of their young core that won’t count against the protection limit.

The Hawks almost certainly will protect forwards Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Strome, plus Kevin Lankinen as their one goalie.

The players Bowman really will have to make decisions about are forwards Alex Nylander and Brandon Hagel and defensemen Connor Murphy, Calvin de Haan and Nikita Zadorov.

If the Hawks protect two of those three defensemen, they can’t protect either forward.

Or the Hawks could protect only one of the three defensemen (likely Murphy) and protect Nylander, Hagel and another forward — probably David Kampf, Andrew Shaw (if he recovers from his latest concussion) or Mattias Janmark (if the Hawks plan to re-sign him as an unrestricted free agent this summer).

Depending on the route they take, the Hawks might end up exposing several decent players. But other teams are in far worse situations, and Bowman quickly emphasized the Hawks only can lose one player, no matter what.

I hope last night was an outlier but #74 looked very much like the former #56 in the defensive zone last night.

Not a great game but not bad and they get the win. Would love to see them clean up the passing tomorrow.

I think I'd rather see Highmore in for Johnson. I know he hits guys but not sure he really helped push the pace or extend zone time.

I suppose things aren't so bad if I'm only female doging about a 4th line guy.

When this season started, couldn't have imagined so many rookies panning out, but so far so good.

Someone posted about it here the other day too that the Hawks look pretty well set up for the expansion draft.

From the Sun Times Ben Pope...

Kirby Dach, Dominik Kubalik, Pius Suter and Philipp Kurashev, defensemen Ian Mitchell, Adam Boqvist and Nicolas Beaudin and all their other first- and second-year players are automatically exempt. That’s a huge portion of their young core that won’t count against the protection limit.

The Hawks almost certainly will protect forwards Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Strome, plus Kevin Lankinen as their one goalie.

The players Bowman really will have to make decisions about are forwards Alex Nylander and Brandon Hagel and defensemen Connor Murphy, Calvin de Haan and Nikita Zadorov.

If the Hawks protect two of those three defensemen, they can’t protect either forward.

Or the Hawks could protect only one of the three defensemen (likely Murphy) and protect Nylander, Hagel and another forward — probably David Kampf, Andrew Shaw (if he recovers from his latest concussion) or Mattias Janmark (if the Hawks plan to re-sign him as an unrestricted free agent this summer).

Depending on the route they take, the Hawks might end up exposing several decent players. But other teams are in far worse situations, and Bowman quickly emphasized the Hawks only can lose one player, no matter what.

- HawkintheD

When is the expansion draft? Is it before free agency? Before QOs have to be made?

I hope last night was an outlier but #74 looked very much like the former #56 in the defensive zone last night.
- LAHawk

Beaudin looked like Dano?

Not a great game but not bad and they get the win. Would love to see them clean up the passing tomorrow.

I think I'd rather see Highmore in for Johnson. I know he hits guys but not sure he really helped push the pace or extend zone time.

I suppose things aren't so bad if I'm only female doging about a 4th line guy.

When this season started, couldn't have imagined so many rookies panning out, but so far so good.

Someone posted about it here the other day too that the Hawks look pretty well set up for the expansion draft.

From the Sun Times Ben Pope...

Kirby Dach, Dominik Kubalik, Pius Suter and Philipp Kurashev, defensemen Ian Mitchell, Adam Boqvist and Nicolas Beaudin and all their other first- and second-year players are automatically exempt. That’s a huge portion of their young core that won’t count against the protection limit.

The Hawks almost certainly will protect forwards Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Strome, plus Kevin Lankinen as their one goalie.

The players Bowman really will have to make decisions about are forwards Alex Nylander and Brandon Hagel and defensemen Connor Murphy, Calvin de Haan and Nikita Zadorov.

If the Hawks protect two of those three defensemen, they can’t protect either forward.

Or the Hawks could protect only one of the three defensemen (likely Murphy) and protect Nylander, Hagel and another forward — probably David Kampf, Andrew Shaw (if he recovers from his latest concussion) or Mattias Janmark (if the Hawks plan to re-sign him as an unrestricted free agent this summer).

Depending on the route they take, the Hawks might end up exposing several decent players. But other teams are in far worse situations, and Bowman quickly emphasized the Hawks only can lose one player, no matter what.

- HawkintheD

I feel good about the Hawks position for the expansion draft. I think they’ll lose a defenseman which is fine considering the young d-men they have on the roster. I think the Hawks will protect Murphy and lose de Haan.

There are a lot of playoff teams looking for a #3 (maybe #2 goalie as insurance). Wonder if Stan is starting to dangle Subban’s name out there. A second rounder would be nice. We still have the wanderer to offer up for expansion.

There are a lot of playoff teams looking for a #3 (maybe #2 goalie as insurance). Wonder if Stan is starting to dangle Subban’s name out there. A second rounder would be nice. We still have the wanderer to offer up for expansion.
- LAHawk

I was thinking the same thing. It would be a little risky. But some teams with cap issues may pay mightily for a goalie at an $850,000 cap hit cost controlled for another year. I would like to keep giving Subban more starts. Maybe 25% to 33% of the games.

But I also would have no problem keeping him and Lankinen for a couple of years (or more)
- -Doh-

Strome - Poor at the dot. Slow. Poor defensively. Needs to play with higher end wingers. Avoids contact. Low energy. 6 of 8 points on PP. 2 points in 17 games 5v5. Loses board battles. Does not spend much time in front of either net. Only 23, but he has played 180 NHL games. I would rather extend Janmark and move Strome or lose him in the expansion draft.

Carlsson - I liked him more last year. It seems like he is trying to do too much. Takes unnecessary chances/pinches. Often out of position. I also like him much better on the left side than the right.

Johnson - Kind of one dimensional.

Soderberg and Wallmark - I would not mind seeing more of them.

Not a great game but not bad and they get the win. Would love to see them clean up the passing tomorrow.

I think I'd rather see Highmore in for Johnson. I know he hits guys but not sure he really helped push the pace or extend zone time.

I suppose things aren't so bad if I'm only female doging about a 4th line guy.

When this season started, couldn't have imagined so many rookies panning out, but so far so good.

Someone posted about it here the other day too that the Hawks look pretty well set up for the expansion draft.

From the Sun Times Ben Pope...

Kirby Dach, Dominik Kubalik, Pius Suter and Philipp Kurashev, defensemen Ian Mitchell, Adam Boqvist and Nicolas Beaudin and all their other first- and second-year players are automatically exempt. That’s a huge portion of their young core that won’t count against the protection limit.

The Hawks almost certainly will protect forwards Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Strome, plus Kevin Lankinen as their one goalie.

The players Bowman really will have to make decisions about are forwards Alex Nylander and Brandon Hagel and defensemen Connor Murphy, Calvin de Haan and Nikita Zadorov.

If the Hawks protect two of those three defensemen, they can’t protect either forward.

Or the Hawks could protect only one of the three defensemen (likely Murphy) and protect Nylander, Hagel and another forward — probably David Kampf, Andrew Shaw (if he recovers from his latest concussion) or Mattias Janmark (if the Hawks plan to re-sign him as an unrestricted free agent this summer).

Depending on the route they take, the Hawks might end up exposing several decent players. But other teams are in far worse situations, and Bowman quickly emphasized the Hawks only can lose one player, no matter what.

- HawkintheD

At the start of the year, it seemed the Hawks were bad enough that they would just protect nobody in the draft! Now it seems they will lose a useful player. Times change! Hopefully they lose Nylavendar or de Haan. Nothing against CDH, but he's getting up a bit in age, is almost as slow as Strome, and has a shoulder held together by duct tape.

I do not want to lose Sikura II, aka Hagel. (This nickname is not a shot at Hagel).

Seabs could help a lot by waiving, if that is allowed in his situation.

I feel good about the Hawks position for the expansion draft. I think they’ll lose a defenseman which is fine considering the young d-men they have on the roster. I think the Hawks will protect Murphy and lose de Haan.
- DarthKane

I saw in an article somewhere that Stan said it is hard to predict because the list of available options from other teams has to be considered. If The Krack is happy with the D selections available throughout the league, they may take a forward.

Let Strome watch a game.

ADB Suter Kane
Janmark Soderberg Kubalik
Hagel Wallmark Kurashev
Highmore Kampf Carpenter

Strome - Poor at the dot. Slow. Poor defensively. Needs to play with higher end wingers. Avoids contact. Low energy. 6 of 8 points on PP. 2 points in 17 games 5v5. Loses board battles. Does not spend much time in front of either net. Only 23, but he has played 180 NHL games. I would rather extend Janmark and move Strome or lose him in the expansion draft.

Carlsson - I liked him more last year. It seems like he is trying to do too much. Takes unnecessary chances/pinches. Often out of position. I also like him much better on the left side than the right.

Johnson - Kind of one dimensional.

Soderberg and Wallmark - I would not mind seeing more of them.
- -Doh-

I wonder if Carlsson is trying to emulate Beaudin and Mitchell. Those guys are getting all the love and ice time; he might be concerned that he's going to get aced out playing like he did last year. Just a guess.

I would rather extend Janmark
- -Doh-

Count me in on that. What will it take? 2-3 year? 2.5mm aav?

Count me in on that. What will it take? 2-3 year? 2.5mm aav?
- Fat_Tony_Amonte

Hard to tell in the flat cap era, but I'd guess 3/4 X $4M/$4.5M. Much depends on how well he plays the rest of the year.

Strome - Poor at the dot. Slow. Poor defensively. Needs to play with higher end wingers. Avoids contact. Low energy. 6 of 8 points on PP. 2 points in 17 games 5v5. Loses board battles. Does not spend much time in front of either net. Only 23, but he has played 180 NHL games. I would rather extend Janmark and move Strome or lose him in the expansion draft.

Carlsson - I liked him more last year. It seems like he is trying to do too much. Takes unnecessary chances/pinches. Often out of position. I also like him much better on the left side than the right.

Johnson - Kind of one dimensional.

Soderberg and Wallmark - I would not mind seeing more of them.
- -Doh-

I'm not a big Strome fan but, he was the only regular center to be above 50% last night going 5 & 3 for 62.5%.

Soderburg got killed going 5 & 10, Kampf 5 & 6, Suter 4 & 4.

We are posting a lot about the expansion draft. It is premature and not as important as we are making it out to be. We only lose one player and that was the "great" TVR in the last expansion draft. Most of the younger players are protected. There will be some trades between now and the draft. There could be injuries. So our roster will be a little different by the time of the draft. There are some question marks too. Seabs (injury/nmc)? Shaw? Things have a way of working themselves out. Let's revisit this after the TDL (and give it a rest until then). There is plenty to talk about with the way this team is playing.

I'm not a big Strome fan but, he was the only regular center to be above 50% last night going 5 & 3 for 62.5%.

Soderburg got killed going 5 & 10, Kampf 5 & 6, Suter 4 & 4.
- Rota's Rooter

Let's look at a little bigger sample size.

Strome - Poor at the dot. Slow. Poor defensively. Needs to play with higher end wingers. Avoids contact. Low energy. 6 of 8 points on PP. 2 points in 17 games 5v5. Loses board battles. Does not spend much time in front of either net. Only 23, but he has played 180 NHL games. I would rather extend Janmark and move Strome or lose him in the expansion draft.

Carlsson - I liked him more last year. It seems like he is trying to do too much. Takes unnecessary chances/pinches. Often out of position. I also like him much better on the left side than the right.

Johnson - Kind of one dimensional.

Soderberg and Wallmark - I would not mind seeing more of them.
- -Doh-

What no mention of Kubalik, last night was the 1st 5 on 5 goal he scored?

I wonder if Carlsson is trying to emulate Beaudin and Mitchell. Those guys are getting all the love and ice time; he might be concerned that he's going to get aced out playing like he did last year. Just a guess.
- mohel

That is the feeling I get too. Last year he was content playing a solid, semi-physical, fairly conservative D. This year he is trying to do too much. Also flipping from left side to right side has to be tough on a young dman.

Four OT wins.

Two of them on goals by AdB on excellent setups from Kane. You’d expect that.

But two on goals by young skaters (Suter and Kubalik) with rookies all over the ice (all four on the ice on Suter’s, two rookies and a sophomore, plus a backup goalie, on Kybelik’s). You wouldn’t expect that.

Credit due to Colliton for turning the ice over to inexperience (to get them experience) in pressure situations like OT, instead of playing it safe.

I still have questions and doubts, but a lot of good decisions by Colliton this season.

I'm not a big Strome fan but, he was the only regular center to be above 50% last night going 5 & 3 for 62.5%.

Soderburg got killed going 5 & 10, Kampf 5 & 6, Suter 4 & 4.
- Rota's Rooter

Strome’s last two games - good at the dot. The three games before that - 30%.

Season - 45%. You could live with that.

I guess you could say good teams find a way. I'm still trying to convince myself the Hawks are good, but since that 0-3-1 start, they have gone 8-2-3 with a +10 goal differential. They haven't played Florida or Tampa Bay since then, so that's something to consider too. The kids have come a long way since then. Delia was also in net for those first 2 losses and has not seen the ice since then.

It's amazing to think about where we are with the expansion draft now. I thought for sure de Haan would get traded this year, now Bowman may keep him around for expansion bait. Hard telling who will get protected and picked now.