On your last point, I did wonder if a) there are any important euro players to sign & b) if they would come here. Is that a burned bridge? We still should focus on signing Hagel, I don't care about Nylander one way or the other. I still suspect moves will be made.
- I Am The Breadman

I don' think it is an issue:

Hawks did sign Arvid Soderblom, they drafted Reichel #1, and we traded for Borgstrom.

Assuming Toews or Dach plays center. Some here have the opinion that Dach may be better on the wing.

Toews moving to the wing similar to Giroux could be helpful in terms of keeping him fresher and getting less beat up.
- fattybeef

Perhaps but only if he still takes draws.

If you google hawks 1st round picks and start at toews and get to current day….you’ll feel better. Regardless of what the mob says 1sts aren’t any more of a lock to be a bonafide building piece under the bowman regime than a 2nd or lower. He either trades them for a cup run (100% in favor of that) makes cute picks that are way too early or just flat out misses. It’s early on dach and reichel but outside of them since 2007….the only 2 1sts here are the wonder twins.

All for building through the draft but it’s not like hawks are some draft gurus. That part of calling out bowman to me is 100% warranted then him realizing all his young d men may never sniff 1st pairing material so he goes outside the organization to acquire one.

Outside of that the workout nugget was gold. Forgot about that and I myself love to hit the iron. Lol
- SteveRain

TT was a first round pick and doing well in Carolina.

But yeah otherwise their drafting hasn't been especially good.

With all the latest moves I’m guessing there won’t be as much patience with Nylander. If he doesn’t begin the season strongly it might not be long for him in Chicago. I’m hoping he can live up to his potential for the sake of the team. Additional scoring would be a nice thing.
- paulr

I had a thought last night about this upcoming season...maybe I'm wrong/right or somewhere in between. I think this upcoming season is a bridge year and a chance to give the younger players a chance to get a full or mostly full season in RFD. There are still a lot of open slots after this year. Maybe there is something to "giving Toews/Kane" another chance at the cup while their prospect get more development. Jones & McCabe are both still you. Toews will be in his last year after this season and very could retire after his contract expires or do a series of 1 year contracts.
Kane, who I anticipate still playing at a top level will either be traded or extended after this year. You will have Tyler Johnson for two more years, hopefully he is still serviceable but in the end not a bad thing. I think we may be thinking to much about next year and not the big picture. After this season we have 1 long term contract.

Good morning. Did you know the hawks traded away their 1st round pick next year? It hasn’t been said in 10 minutes so I wanted to make sure everyone knew. 😉

I’m curious to see what nylander can do. Still hoping he can hit a poor mans versteeg level.
- SteveRain

Nylander is 2 inches taller and 20 pounds heavier than Versteeg. Now if he only used it... I don't see them as comparable, Nylander is a long strider who doesn't mix it up. Versteeg was shifty and willing to get into most anything. If Nylander could reach Versteeg's stats that would be nice.

I had a thought last night about this upcoming season...maybe I'm wrong/right or somewhere in between. I think this upcoming season is a bridge year and a chance to give the younger players a chance to get a full or mostly full season in RFD. There are still a lot of open slots after this year. Maybe there is something to "giving Toews/Kane" another chance at the cup while their prospect get more development. Jones & McCabe are both still you. Toews will be in his last year after this season and very could retire after his contract expires or do a series of 1 year contracts.
Kane, who I anticipate still playing at a top level will either be traded or extended after this year. You will have Tyler Johnson for two more years, hopefully he is still serviceable but in the end not a bad thing. I think we may be thinking to much about next year and not the big picture. After this season we have 1 long term contract.
- NamedSources

It’s easy to get in that mindset but you’re right a GM has to be thinking long term. However in the long term there is also an immediate plan and with certain players there will be more or less patience based on tenure. I think of anyone on the roster who has to show what he’s capable of Nylander would be that guy.

I have read some of that garbage from Pens fans. They think they can do all of the above with no retention on the part of the Hawks so in essence Jarry becomes a $10M goalie for the Hawks. Hawk fans have a tendency to down value their players whereas some fan bases are totally delusional when it comes to determining the value of their players.
- 67hawks

Only a few of us the rest here are just as delusional.

Murphy is a UFA next year just like daHaan. do you talk extension with him, or look to trade him at the deadline also?

Good morning.

Maybe I was drunk during the bubble, likely so, but I thought Kane dach debrincat looked good together. Dach was far better than 4-5 months since we last saw him in March. I’m hopeful he can show that form and progress vs last years injury riddled season.

If he doesn’t well….everyone bemoaning the lost of that pick for Jones can add dach to the list of recent misses. I am dach fan. I think he can park his ass in front of the net and create room for Kane and pick up garbage goals off debrincat rebounds and set screens

Strome…..he’s so damn slow that he’s usually half a zone away entering or leaving to play center. Like the older guy trying to hang on and play under 30 men’s league. No chance. Doesn’t finish enough for me to warrant top 6 minutes. Think he exerted whatever he had left to get this contract and I’ll be shocked if he’s still in the league in 3-5 years.

Toews…..I go by the player and what he says. Fact toews came out and made that little montage tells me he feels as good as he can and bowman is doing to cya maybe until toews is done or retired. I just don’t want cya in strome. Toews may be the new hossa where he’ll miss a random game and have numerous “‘maintenance” days off.
- SteveRain

Drunk and watching hockey are never "mutually exclusive."

Hi, Bread. I think the opposite of the bolded. The Hawks didn't try to play hardball with Suter; they didn't value him as highly as he saw his own value, and they made him a UFA to allow him to get the best deal for himself. If I'm a Euro FA, I like that.
- mohel

Hi Mo. I honestly wasn't sure what to make of it. I just saw a lot of names leave & I thought I'd ask. You made a good point & LA brought up good names as well.

To Paul, I can see that as well. I guess you can only bench a guy so much. I don't display Ogi's feelings towards him, I'm just indifferent towards him.

TT was a first round pick and doing well in Carolina.

But yeah otherwise their drafting hasn't been especially good.
- fattybeef

To be fair, until the last three/four years or so, the Hawks were contending for a cup and were either trading their first round pick, or picking late in the first round. This makes it challenging to acquire top end talent in the draft. Although we don’t know how Dach, Reichel, and Boqvist will turn out and are not finished products yet, they seem to be good picks, time will tell. How have the Penguins drafted lately? And now Tampa, there’s a price that you pay for success, and it’s well worth it.

Murphy is a UFA next year just like daHaan. do you talk extension with him, or look to trade him at the deadline also?
- LAHawk

I would look to extend Murphy at about the same as he is currently making.

It’s easy to get in that mindset but you’re right a GM has to be thinking long term. However in the long term there is also an immediate plan and with certain players there will be more or less patience based on tenure. I think of anyone on the roster who has to show what he’s capable of Nylander would be that guy.
- paulr

I agree and if you're Bowman you have to be mindful of a few things.
- What is better for the young players still developing? Playing in the NHL next year or playing in RFD...it's RFD
- What is the long term assessment for Toews & Kane?
- Does loading up next year hurt the development of the younger players long term? I don't think so.

Would like to see Nylander resigned on a Show Me 1 year deal. Earn your next contract for around the same deal Gaudette got you little spoiled female dog!
- Assman22

Actually a "cheap two year deal" is to our advantage and Nylander likely won't sign. If he has a good year you get another year cheap without having to wonder/guess if it's an aberration. If he sucks year two so what? But he's more likely to take the qualifier than sign for that. I'm thinking 2@$1.1 ish.

Nylander is 2 inches taller and 20 pounds heavier than Versteeg. Now if he only used it... I don't see them as comparable, Nylander is a long strider who doesn't mix it up. Versteeg was shifty and willing to get into most anything. If Nylander could reach Versteeg's stats that would be nice.
- rpeters01

Or even, get to Versteeg's compete level....

I agree and if you're Bowman you have to be mindful of a few things.
- What is better for the young players still developing? Playing in the NHL next year or playing in RFD...it's RFD
- What is the long term assessment for Toews & Kane?
- Does loading up next year hurt the development of the younger players long term? I don't think so.
- NamedSources

True, but I could see the reason they kept the youngsters on the NHL roster/taxi squad. They weren't even sure that they were going to have a season in the A, how many teams didn't even play and the NHL team had to find a place for their farmhands to play?

The upside/downside also was the Canadian jrs./ some leagues played some didn't, and the Hawks tried to squeeze some of the juniors on the rock to see how Tepley/Phillips/Chytl played against men. Looks like we found Phillips could be a good D prospect out of it. The downside is I think the Rockford roster had too many players on it to give enough playing time to the prospects.

About Strome, I am trying to say don't give him away yet, till you know Toews status, you can always give him away later.
- LAHawk

I think Stan has reached the point he would like to use the 3 million bucks for something else?

Theo, thanks for continuing to keep the content rolling and writing up with solid details.

I've been wondering if may be the will now just keep De Haan, since they moved Zadorov. I was thinking it was maybe trade De Haan and keep Z or the opposite depending on the return for each.

Feels like the team is at a point where they won't be signing anyone else unless they do trade more assets.

I think on the blueline we are going to see Stillman/C Jones/Kalynuk/Mitchell battle out for the the 5D, 6D and 7D spots with Jones probably a lock IMO.

To be fair, until the last three/four years or so, the Hawks were contending for a cup and were either trading their first round pick, or picking late in the first round. This makes it challenging to acquire top end talent in the draft. Although we don’t know how Dach, Reichel, and Boqvist will turn out and are not finished products yet, they seem to be good picks, time will tell. How have the Penguins drafted lately? And now Tampa, there’s a price that you pay for success, and it’s well worth it.
- Angotti

To take it even a step further. Look at who they drafted each year, and then look who was drafted after them, i.e. still available when the Hawks picked. If you compare who they picked v. anyone after, they actually did a fairly decent job. There are obvious homeruns with DeBrincat, but even comparing guys like Schmaltz, Hartmann, Jokiharju, etc. its not like there are a ton of guys selected after who are tearing up the league. Look at '15, and say what you will about the Schmaltz pick, but he has performed better than guys picked above him, and only Pastarnak stands out as a miss. Point and Arvidsson were picked in the 3rd and 4th rounds ion that draft, so they weren't even on the radar for 1st round consideration back then.

For sure, de Haan has value. But if the Hawks plan to make more moves they'll need to free up cap space and he's an easy target.

Without de Haan the Hawks still have Jones, McCabe and Murphy as the veterans. Stillman is a tweener in that regarding but he's a few steps ahead of the young guys. C Jones will likely get a shot, but I see him as a #7D. I think Kalynuk deserves to play and he can now be eased into the lineup playing 3rd pairing and PP2 minutes.
- DarthKane

JC has proven he likes to play 7 D-men at a time.

Murphy is a UFA next year just like daHaan. do you talk extension with him, or look to trade him at the deadline also?
- LAHawk

If the season goes bad hawks should try and trade Murphy at the tdl same with dehann if he stays and healthy when tdl comes around. Could always revisite contract talks with Murphy when season is over if he shows he wants to come back.

I would look to extend Murphy at about the same as he is currently making.
- TheTrob

I would too, but I am also thinking he can possibly bring back that #1 pick, if David Savard can command that at the trade deadline, I would think Murphy can

If the season goes bad hawks should try and trade Murphy at the tdl same with dehann if he stays and healthy when tdl comes around. Could always revisite contract talks with Murphy when season is over if he shows he wants to come back.
- Scott1977

If this team doesn't reach 95 points I think somebody else will be making the trades.

To take it even a step further. Look at who they drafted each year, and then look who was drafted after them, i.e. still available when the Hawks picked. If you compare who they picked v. anyone after, they actually did a fairly decent job. There are obvious homeruns with DeBrincat, but even comparing guys like Schmaltz, Hartmann, Jokiharju, etc. its not like there are a ton of guys selected after who are tearing up the league. Look at '15, and say what you will about the Schmaltz pick, but he has performed better than guys picked above him, and only Pastarnak stands out as a miss. Point and Arvidsson were picked in the 3rd and 4th rounds ion that draft, so they weren't even on the radar for 1st round consideration back then.
- TheTrob

Just be judging 1 round picks, the only 1st round pick made since Bowman has been GM except McNeill is still in the league. Danault was drafted the same year as McNeil.
The highest pick was 18th until you get to Boqvist at 8. You can find em but getting stars that late not easy.

I would too, but I am also thinking he can possibly bring back that #1 pick, if David Savard can command that at the trade deadline, I would think Murphy can
- LAHawk

Doubtful. Savard was traded for a pick that was going to be the bottom of the first round, and TB got him at 25% of his cap hit because he technically was traded from CLB->DET->TB. Trading him in "normal" circumstances doesn't net you a first for him.

Murphy is what he is at this point. Probably considered by most to be a solid 4. I'm not sure anyone at this point thinks he is ever going to be more than that. His current salary slots him exactly there, as a middle pairing D-man. You might be able to get a late first or a couple of seconds for him at the TDL, but that may have to include retaining salary also.