No worries, the site itself seems to be bogging down at times, so i don't think it's any of us
- BetweenTheDots

Thanks, I am pretty stoked for the team this year. Goaltending is rock solid, the D with the Jones addition will be stabilized. Up front with a healthy Toews and Dach the offense should be pretty dam good. Great job getting the pieces together.

Btw Theo i love the clip of the great Dougie Hamilton being so (frank)ing slow, dare i say Strome like slow. All that time and space for Cat, was it JFresh that said a weird stat is goalies save percentage kind of sucks when he's on the ice? Every year
- BetweenTheDots

Glad someone noticed that it was Hamilton trailing DeBrincat on that play.

Interesting topic Theo, and really good write up. I'm kind of on PE's side that players should be able to play "all over the ice", but I understand it is not always that simple. Thanks for the lead into the weekend.

Cheers everyone!
- Chunk

Thanks, Chunk.

It's a very slow news cycle for the Blackhawks and NHL in general so recent blogs have been random thoughts going on in my head that I do what I can to translate into a coherent blog.

Thought this topic would be more interesting than a tribute blog to Steve Konroyd and Jamal Mayers not being renewed by NBC Sports Chicago. I didn't mind Jammer, though.

Hopefully both can still secure other roles within the Blackhawks organization. I believe Mayers may be a community ambassador of some sort.

Excellent point on Kubalik. You need to isolate him on the right side just like we do for Debrincat on the left side. Kubalik has the best shot on the team and I do not mind him playing the right point but if he was set up down lower in the face off circle area his one times are goals. Not sure we have a Patrick Kane to get him the puck like Kaner does effortlessly for the Cat. Great blog as usual!
- joegreif17

Thanks, joe.

Agree on Kubalik setting up on the right side between the blueline and circles, then let him pop in and out as he's good at doing.

The key is movement on the PP by all players so they get the other team moving to isolate them to one side and open up passing and shooting lanes.

Lack of movement renders the PP futile or at least make it feel like a 5-on-5 even though the opponent has one less player.

Looks like things are happening in 3s on this board
- BetweenTheDots

Don't deaths usually come in 3s? Just asking.

Don't deaths usually come in 3s? Just asking.
- powerenforcer

As far as I know you can only die once.

Don't deaths usually come in 3s? Just asking.
- powerenforcer

Only when it is a dead trick not a hat trick

Thanks, joe.

Agree on Kubalik setting up on the right side between the blueline and circles, then let him pop in and out as he's good at doing.

The key is movement on the PP by all players so they get the other team moving to isolate them to one side and open up passing and shooting lanes.

Lack of movement renders the PP futile or at least make it feel like a 5-on-5 even though the opponent has one less player.
- Theo Fox

Imo once arbitration of certain players and some key signings are completed i think more movement will pick up. So Theo is left in arbitration? Plus could deals already in place just waiting for training camp and preseason to start.

Today @ 7:55 AM ET
Agree on Kubalik. IMO he has the best one timer, a little harder than the Cat. And I agree they don't deploy him like that enough.

6628

Since Kane is deployed on the half wall, and plays at least 1:30 of the 2 minute PP, that doesn't leave much PP time for Kubalik does it? The times they have tried Kane on the left boards, he has generally been less effective than the right.

So if Kane and Kubalik are considered most effective at the same area on the PP, who do you prefer? Then where do you put Kubalik? Does he replace ADB? Does he play the point? Does he play behind the net, or does he play bumper? Or does he play his :30 seconds on PP2?
- LAHawk

Maybe they leave Kane and DeBrincat on for 1:30 but after a minute they sub in Kubalik. Then could play Kane down low with Kubalik and Debrincat at the half boards. It would create a different look and not be as predictable.

Maybe they leave Kane and DeBrincat on for 1:30 but after a minute they sub in Kubalik. Then could play Kane down low with Kubalik and Debrincat at the half boards. It would create a different look and not be as predictable.
- -Doh-

Anything that makes them less predictable is a good thing.

Really hope the Hawks just figure it out 5v5. They leaned on the PP way too much last year. They were one of the top teams when it came on reliance on the PP for offense last season. Big change from 2010 when they were the team that relied on it the least. The less they rely on it, the less they differ to Kane the better.

Don't know if this was already posted but there's a good interview with Coach Q at Barstool sports. Good stuff on the championship winning years.

Imo once arbitration of certain players and some key signings are completed i think more movement will pick up. So Theo is left in arbitration? Plus could deals already in place just waiting for training camp and preseason to start.
- Scott1977

That all makes sense to me just not sure yet of how this may play out for the Blackhawks. There are PTOs as an option, too.

As for who is left in arbitration, not sure but I believe the list is 5 or less players now.

I know there's been interest by some fans for Josh Manson but he reportedly rejected a trade from the Ducks to the Jets. He has a 12-team no trade list.

I know there's been interest by some fans for Josh Manson but he reportedly rejected a trade from the Ducks to the Jets. He has a 12-team no trade list.
- Theo Fox

Manson is okay, I think that he has some deficiencies on defense, I’ll take Murphy over him.

I know there's been interest by some fans for Josh Manson but he reportedly rejected a trade from the Ducks to the Jets. He has a 12-team no trade list.
- Theo Fox

THEO: Manson is good, similar to McCabe, but maybe more snarl. Read in Ducks blog earlier this summer, they want a first round pick. Hawks gave those up in the Seth Jones trade. If he wants to come here next summer, via UFA, that would be good

As far as I know you can only die once.
- paulr

"A coward dies a thousand deaths, but a hero dies once." -William Shakespeare

Boston-Orr- (then Bourque)
New York - Howell- (replaced by Park)
Toronto exception, Horton and Baun
Hawks- Pilote (repaced by White)
Detroit - Bill Gadsby
Montreal-JC Tremblay.
- LAHawk

When I started going backward in time, the only prominent right shooter I could think of was Doug Barkley, who was initally a Blackhawk prospect later lost his vision as a red wing when Doug Mohns inadvertently rendered him blind in his right eye. On January 30, 1966, Barkley, playing for the Detroit Red Wings, was battling with Chicago's Doug Mohns for a puck at the blueline. Mohns attempted to lift Barkley's stick, but missed, and struck the bent-over Barkley directly in his right eye. Barkley would never play again.

Maybe they leave Kane and DeBrincat on for 1:30 but after a minute they sub in Kubalik. Then could play Kane down low with Kubalik and Debrincat at the half boards. It would create a different look and not be as predictable.
- -Doh-

If you play Kane down low, you are expecting him to win board battles/puck retrieval?

If you play Kane down low, you are expecting him to win board battles/puck retrieval?
- LAHawk

PP 1 kane dcat dach jones towes
Dach plays the bumper spot towes retrieves pucks dcat for one timers
Pp2 johnson kubalik hagel nylander McCabe
Kubalik for one timer nylander plays bumper spot hagel retrieves pucks. Imo could switch players out kurashev borgstrom even Harding could play in front of the net. JC need to fine the right combination of lines not only on power play but 5v5. Have set lines keep them together for 10 to 12 games see what works what doesn't and go from there.

"A coward dies a thousand deaths, but a hero dies once." -William Shakespeare
- I Am The Breadman

I see someone done some book learning’

I see someone done some book learning’
- paulr

I read a book about how to understand a play.

Clearing a puck on the forehand takes time to get set? Not sure I entirely understand that (talking about D playing what would be known as off-wing for a forward) ... it actually felt like the other way around, to be honest- moving the puck off the forehand was a lot easier than on the backhand, plus there'd be more control (stick curves on the backhand and all of that).

I mean, I do get the idea of LHD playing LD, and RHD playing RD - but that always seems more about gap control, and being able to use your stick and the boards at the same time. If you're reaching across your body, you don't do that as well (or as quickly).

If Hjarlmarsson would be more prone to turnovers playing on his off side - my guess would be because he'd have been playing far longer on LD as opposed to RHD .... granted the entire strongside, weakside thing is really all about shooting angles on the net - as opposed to anything else - and wingers end up getting away with it, mainly because that's about offense, and not defense.

Clearing a puck on the forehand takes time to get set? Not sure I entirely understand that (talking about D playing what would be known as off-wing for a forward) ... it actually felt like the other way around, to be honest- moving the puck off the forehand was a lot easier than on the backhand, plus there'd be more control (stick curves on the backhand and all of that).

I mean, I do get the idea of LHD playing LD, and RHD playing RD - but that always seems more about gap control, and being able to use your stick and the boards at the same time. If you're reaching across your body, you don't do that as well (or as quickly).

If Hjarlmarsson would be more prone to turnovers playing on his off side - my guess would be because he'd have been playing far longer on LD as opposed to RHD .... granted the entire strongside, weakside thing is really all about shooting angles on the net - as opposed to anything else - and wingers end up getting away with it, mainly because that's about offense, and not defense.
- SC116

I think he meant if you receive or win the puck against the boards in the defensive zone, your options are to either shovel it out on your backhand, or try to move it to your forehand. Moving it to your forehand takes extra time which allows the opponent to get in the way.

Westhead:
3:30 timestamp: The two Blackhawks players who were allegedly sexually assaulted by Brad Aldrich were two different incidents. The other Blackhawks player who did not file a lawsuit against the team wants "nothing to do with this". He is upset this became public.
9:15 timestamp: Nick Boynton heard about these allegations from Jake Dowell, "another Black Ace". Boynton and Dowell spoke to the two accusing Blackhawks players who then approached skills coach Paul Vincent. Dowell's memory is "foggy".

So, Brad Aldrich’s John Doe 1 :

Jordan Henry, Colin Fraser, Ben Eager, or Jake Dowell?

Jordan Henry played one more season in Chicago and two games with the Ducks the next season.

Fraser was gone the next season but continued playing parts of five seasons and is still currently playing in Germany.

Eager was gone in the Atlanta Thrasher cap giveaway and played four more seasons.

Dowell played one more season withe the parent and club and was traded and just played a little of two more seasons with Dallas and Minnesota. Could Boynton gone public and included foggy to help keep him anonymous?