he is starting his 6 year since his draft year and really has not excelled in a major way at any level. He is a PMD who is 5-11 180 LBS if he has not started to work his way up to top pair at the AHL level (which he will probably be 2nd or 3rd pair then he is more then likely not a NHL level player. Vlasic is 20 years old if in 3 more years he is in the same spot as Chad is right now I will say the same thing and he is a 6-6 Def Dman who due to his size tend to take a little more time.
- kmw4631

Yes………..3 years in college so only 2 years with Hawks. 1 of which he was out for all but 6 games with an injury and the prior year was a shortened season of only 41 games played for a grand total of 56 GP in AHL. Not even one full season of Gp technically, yet you’re writing him off based on being 23 omg he’s 23 and subsequently attacking Theo The Great’s rankings? Do your homework before posting scooter

Yes………..3 years in college so only 2 years with Hawks. 1 of which he was out for all but 6 games with an injury and the prior year was a shortened season of only 41 games played for a grand total of 56 GP in AHL. Not even one full season of Gp technically, yet you’re writing him off based on being 23 omg he’s 23 and subsequently attacking Theo The Great’s rankings? Do your homework before posting scooter
- Assman22

Why not write-off Krys, everyone is ready to launch Nylander at 23 yo.

Another nice write up Theo. I really like Beaudin, Kalynuk, and Mitchell, but I don’t see how they could ever be dressed at same time with the Blackhawks, just not enough size to be all part of top six. There’s no doubt that at least one of these guys will be traded in the next year or so, I just hope that we get a decent return, maybe part of a bigger package. Since Mitchell is the only RD of this group, he probably stays, I could see one of them going with Strome to get better value coming back. I really like Beaudin, but he’s probably the odd man out.
- Angotti

Yes, at some point the Hawks will need to move out some of their young D-men in either a Jokiharju/Nylander type of trade or like one you suggested, i.e. packaged with Strome or even Nylander or de Haan.

In yesterday's message boards, Tyler alluded to and I suggested sending Strome + Beaudin to a few possible teams:

* To the Senators for Erik Brannstrom, Jacob Bernard-Docker, or Ridly Greig + draft pick

* To the Wild for Calen Addison, Ryan O'Rourke, or Adam Beckman + draft pick

* To the Sabres for Ryan Johnson, Mattias Samuelsson, or J.J. Peterka + draft pick

Thanks for another detailed write up Theo. Let's face reality, if two of these guys become full time NHL players who are not simply place holders that is great and three would be out of this world fantastic!

Every team has a Mitchell and Beaudin in their minor leagues Mitchell wasn't even a first round pick which says "if you are not one of the top players you probably aren't NHL material." Even more likely if you have been around a while.
- rpeters01

Agree, it would be great if just a few make the Hawks as impact players with staying power. More is great but also not the end all be all. Of the current top 10, the keepers could be something like Kalynuk, Mitchell, Kaiser, and Vlasic.

With the top 10 forwards or top 10 defensemen (or whatever number you want in the top lists), the goal isn't to keep all of them. Instead, develop each of them as far as you can take them, then flip the excess for assets to fill other needs.

EXCELLENT WRITE UP THEO !

When the Hawks won their last cup in 2015, they did it with basically four defensemen, struggling to find pair of bottom pair defensemen. It would be really good if Hawks can build a defensive core of six dependable defensemen. Offensively flashy is nice, but rather have guys that are dependable in their own end first and foremost. Offensively they have to be able to head man the puck out of their own end effectively and capable of hard and accurate shot from point and pinch in when safe to do so. Hopefully, they can find a bunch like that from this crop of young players
- chuckdahammer

I know the predominant perspective is every contender needs a true #1. While I would love to have that bonafide #1 (is that you, Seth Jones?) and definitely don't advocate against this perspective, the next best thing in lieu of having that elite player is having a solid starting 6 who are reliable and effective in all zones.

You want the 3rd pair to be able to eat a lot of minutes and not be a liability when on the ice no matter the quality of competition. Especially in the playoffs where it's a war of attrition, depth is crucial so relying on only a top 4 or top 3 isn't sustainable.

Lightning in a bottle for one year, sure, but not something to rely on annually.

The Hawks re-signed Mackenzie Entwistle to a 2 year, 1 way, deal at $800,000 AAV. Entwistle had 1 year left on his current deal at ~ $812,000.
- DarthKane

Cap Friendly is showing it as a two way, with a $ 800,000 minor league salary in a year, so, yeah, this is a major upward deal and chance for a good hard working kid to contribute as a major league centre or wing...

Why not write-off Krys, everyone is ready to launch Nylander at 23 yo.
- LAHawk

Every good message board needs a whipping boy. Idk what to tell you besides LA sucks lol Let’s Go Giants!

The need for an elite top pair is debatable, if the other 4 are good enough. 6 really solid guys playing well together works. Pitt won without an upper echelon top pair. I’d be happy with three workman like Hjalmarsson/Oduya type pairings.
- Ogilthorpe2

"Top pair" gets lost in semantics. Every team has their two best defensemen. At the end of the day the team with the 6 best defensemen is in better shape. When Roszival was our worst defenseman we were pretty good.

I really think that game continues to get faster and more skilled.
In the last three years it has gotten faster, and the player’s just are getting more able to move the puck, and understand things and it slows down for them, but not me.

Before I enter the Chad Krys discussion, It think you are going to start to see 5 man units where even the Noah Allen / Harding / Vlasic / Krutil types are going to be taking their chances down low.
I mean they will be taking what they are given and not going to be shy about moving in as outlets.
(Did Riley Stillman look in anyway shy to jumping ups and down into the action?)

It will be common place. Big league players will all skate that well or not be big league players.

And the lighterweight defenseman or the bigger fluid more finesse types we have will do the same and be able to defend when the big guys jump in.

The idea with Beaudin Mitchell Kaiser Kalynuk Regula and Krys is that to be big leaguers they have to defend with their skills.
But even more so, to be NHLers they have to handle the quickness and recognition in their end, and handle it with quickness and decisions.
The hawks have accumulated a large stable of smaller stallions whose up-ice smarts on the attack has to pay benefits in the long term.
I think we have seen what both Beaudin have to offer as wise activators who don’t have to think about their attack skills.
The rest are still working on the different parts of their games.
I just don’t see any delineation between the big guys and the smurfs in terms of attack skills.
You start to matching big/small pairs up with hopes they “take.”
There is room for both, but a new “both.”

Re: Chad Krys. They guy has jump, smarts and can aid the attack. It is just the errors in transition that seem to follow him, imo.
That doesn’t mean he is a lost sheep. Just easily lost in the log jam.
His value IS in his potential but the organization only starts changing their opinions to negatives when the player starts to be one you could lose prior to the season because he is no longer a player protected by time in the pro league(s) status.

I know I am coming from an earlier era than a lot of you, but when defenseman only started showing their potential when the league expanded tells me the time never hurts potential in most NHL’s older rookies.

Yes, at some point the Hawks will need to move out some of their young D-men in either a Jokiharju/Nylander type of trade or like one you suggested, i.e. packaged with Strome or even Nylander or de Haan.

In yesterday's message boards, Tyler alluded to and I suggested sending Strome + Beaudin to a few possible teams:

* To the Senators for Erik Brannstrom, Jacob Bernard-Docker, or Ridly Greig + draft pick
- Theo Fox

Wanna know why only Erik Brannstrom is really being offered? His play in his own end. isn't going to improve much.

* To the Wild for Calen Addison, Ryan O'Rourke, or Adam Beckman + draft pick
- Theo Fox

I truly doubt Ryan O'Rourke, or Adam Beckman are on the trade market, and Calen Addison is little.

* To the Sabres for Ryan Johnson, Mattias Samuelsson, or J.J. Peterka + draft pick
- Theo Fox

As much as I like J.J. Peterka, these other guys aren't changing us and are basically in the same boat the Blackhawks are in that all three teams need to make decisions as they age.

I would prefer to wait and see who else is out there than these "names."

to be fair. I said I thought Krys was to high at #5 I would at this point put Kaiser, Vlasic. phillips, Regula and probably Allen ahead of him. when you factor in the production compared to age, The skillset and the physical makeup. Maybe he blooms really late. I actually thought in his draft year -1 he was considered at first rounder.

Wanna know why only Erik Brannstrom is really being offered? His play in his own end. isn't going to improve much.


I truly doubt Ryan O'Rourke, or Adam Beckman are on the trade market, and Calen Addison is little.



As much as I like J.J. Peterka, these other guys aren't changing us and are basically in the same boat the Blackhawks are in that all three teams need to make decisions as they age.

I would prefer to wait and see who else is out there than these "names."
- wiz1901

What other players would you wiz wait for? Just as a example strome + beaudin for?

Why not write-off Krys, everyone is ready to launch Nylander at 23 yo.
- LAHawk

Right!!!

I've already written off Reichel, Allan the Hawks 1st selection (currently in the 2nd round) in next year's draft.

What other players would you wiz wait for? Just as a example strome + beaudin for?
- Scott1977

I guess I don't want to play "trade our surplus for your surplus of potential."

If a kid already playing in the league wants a salary bump and team is Capping out, then I trade surplus for now asset, IF the player is one...that was my point.

Heck, I seem to think there are o=more than one team out there that feels their eons away and the cupboards are fairly empty.

Can you get me a rostered guy w/o a big Cap hit for a trade that gives them more time in their "get better?"


I think the hawks want to load up on close guys and will continue to until the close guy is one of THE guys...but I just don't see any of our extras getting us some Jake DeBrusk...

Since he still is young at 24, I went on the Edmonton Oiler blogger on hockeybuzz, and asked about scouting report from the Oiler fan perspective. He can skate well, likes to take chances, can make passes that you will question, still learning how to defend. One fan said by the end of the year, he would be a solid third man pairing. Another said that he should top out as a fifth, possibly fourth defenseman. One guy went out on the limb, and was quickly shot down, claiming he would be like Jeff Petry
Yeah, I think that's a bit of a reach

Thanks for another detailed write up Theo. Let's face reality, if two of these guys become full time NHL players who are not simply place holders that is great and three would be out of this world fantastic!

Every team has a Mitchell and Beaudin in their minor leagues Mitchell wasn't even a first round pick which says "if you are not one of the top players you probably aren't NHL material." Even more likely if you have been around a while.
- rpeters01

Neither was Keith

to be fair. I said I thought Krys was to high at #5 I would at this point put Kaiser, Vlasic. phillips, Regula and probably Allen ahead of him. when you factor in the production compared to age, The skillset and the physical makeup. Maybe he blooms really late. I actually thought in his draft year -1 he was considered at first rounder.
- kmw4631

That's a fair comment about Krys. I have prospects like Galvas and Krys higher than Kaiser and Vlasic because they are closer to the NHL.

If we are going strictly on potential to be an impact NHLer and slot higher than 3rd pair, then Kaiser and Vlasic would definitely be ranked higher than Galvas and Krys.

On Krys, I think he will be a late bloomer as you guessed where he may actually get better with age rather than burst onto the scene as a rookie, hit a lucrative prime period, then decline in the back nine.

That isn't to say Krys will grow into a top pair defender by age 30 but he may be grow to become a reliable 4/5/6 defender that will be in demand by teams but won't be expensive either because of his modest productivity.

I guess I don't want to play "trade our surplus for your surplus of potential."

If a kid already playing in the league wants a salary bump and team is Capping out, then I trade surplus for now asset, IF the player is one...that was my point.

Heck, I seem to think there are o=more than one team out there that feels their eons away and the cupboards are fairly empty.

Can you get me a rostered guy w/o a big Cap hit for a trade that gives them more time in their "get better?"

I think the hawks want to load up on close guys and will continue to until the close guy is one of THE guys
- wiz1901

To be clear, the trade proposals I suggested aren't the surplus-for-surplus variety but part of a larger conversation about moving out a Strome, Nylander, or de Haan but try to get something of value in return by expanding the exchange.

I like Beaudin's potential so I'm not a fan of trading him unless a prospect with at least 2nd pair (D) or middle 6 (F) potential is coming back in the deal.

On a related note, I'm also not a fan of trading Strome for just a 3rd rounder or later. He has much more value than that even if fans perceive him to have very little if any. That's hyperbole, IMO.

Right!!!

I've already written off Reichel, Allan the Hawks 1st selection (currently in the 2nd round) in next year's draft.
- DarthKane

So you should. It’s a well established fact that anyone Stan has drafted, or will in the future, will amount to much.

Hakkarainen on unconditional wavers:

Unconditional waivers are for mutual contract termination, so looks like Hakkarainen — unwanted by Vegas after they took his contract in the Fleury trade — will likely head back to Europe or a minor-league contract somewhere.

So you should. It’s a well established fact that anyone Stan has drafted, or will in the future, will amount to much.
- paulr

or be first ballot hall of famers. Including ANY and ALL 1st round picks....those are the facts.

Kaiser is at worst the 4th best d prospect in the system. His ceiling is higher than Beaudin and Kalynuk for sure. I don't believe Allan will ever sniff the NHL.

I guess you had to put someone at 10 but, imo, Crevier is far more intriguing as a prospect than Allan.

How many Stanley Cup champions since 2010 have not had an elite, clear-cut #1 defenseman?

Hakkarainen on unconditional wavers:

Unconditional waivers are for mutual contract termination, so looks like Hakkarainen — unwanted by Vegas after they took his contract in the Fleury trade — will likely head back to Europe or a minor-league contract somewhere.
- Chunk

Good for the kid. His situation was pretty poopty. Maybe he can latch on with another club or go back to Finland to play.

How many Stanley Cup champions since 2010 have not had an elite, clear-cut #1 defenseman?
- mohel

How many weren't drafted by Stanley Cup winners?

The answer is one to each. Chara for Boston and while Carlson is a true #1 D-man, I hesitate to call him elite. He did have a Norris winning season, tho. Maybe I just have a different definition of elite. I think it is earned over multiple seasons. I also bellieve it is possible for a player to have an elite type season without being an elite player.