That's not my job to identify guys, but I find it oddly funny if a player or coach fails to perform they are quickly dismissed, but since 2016 Bowman has been a disaster. Does he hold any accountability AT ALL for the product decline in this time?

Also, the thing about GMs is they can be "good" and "bad", Bowman's good moves like Vermette, Frolik, a couple good draft picks are way overshadowed by the rest of the incompetence, capped off by his most recent, very bad, off-season.

Can he all of a sudden start doing stuff right? Dunno. Mike Smith, who is a hero on this board to many, and dare I say well earned since he really drafted the core group of our Cup teams (Tallon is way over-rated in my view) was a total disaster in Winnipeg. But Smith learned, he changed his MO from going for soft Russian floaters to complete hockey players, and those complete hockey players formed the foundation (along with our lotto players like 88 and 19) of a Cup team.
- kwolf68

Well, I guess that is progress.

The real KICK in the nuts will be the Hawks finish this year with the absolute worst record in the NHL, but finish 2nd in the lottery drawing, a pick that would be transferred to the Jackets.
- kwolf68

First 2 picks are lottery protected.

NEW YORK POST: Larry Brooks wonders when the talk begins about Chicago Blackhawks stars Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews becoming available at the March 21 trade deadline. The duo has two years remaining on their contracts with matching $10.5 million cap hits and full no-movement clauses.

Could Kane be traded for Eichel? Would he want to go home?
- HenryHockey

If 88 and/or 19 is traded it needs to be for difference making prospecs/youth + high draft picks. No more salary dump trades or getting pennies on the dollar deals. Either trade them for legitimate returns or they can play their final days in Chicago.

The real KICK in the nuts will be the Hawks finish this year with the absolute worst record in the NHL, but finish 2nd in the lottery drawing, a pick that would be transferred to the Jackets.
- kwolf68

I think you mean 3rd. But that would suck.

First 2 picks are lottery protected.
- LAHawk

Is it both 1st and 2nd overall? Is pick #3 going to be a good player? I don't know hockey prospects that well.

I think you mean 3rd. But that would suck.
- mohel

Yea LAHawk corrected me.

Is it both 1st and 2nd overall? Is pick #3 going to be a good player? I don't know hockey prospects that well.
- kwolf68

Supposedly next year the big 2 are Wright, and Bedard then everyone else.

First 2 picks are lottery protected.
- LAHawk

That's what I thought too. So at least we got that going for us.

Supposedly next year the big 2 are Wright, and Bedard then everyone else.
- LAHawk

Then that's pretty good foresight if true. I wouldn't know. I guess I should join a "dynasty hockey league" and I could learn prospects like I know them in baseball.

Then that's pretty good foresight if true. I wouldn't know. I guess I should join a "dynasty hockey league" and I could learn prospects like I know them in baseball.
- kwolf68

Do the Cubs have many real prospects on the way?

Who would you like to see as the GM to return the Hawks to contention?
- mohel

Jeff Gorton is a guy who I think did a good job with NYR. He ran the team from 2015-2020. He saw that the team wasn’t moving in the right direction with older players, announced a rebuild to the fans, and stuck to the plan. That drama last year got him canned, which I thought was pretty silly.

He managed to tank for Kakko and Lefreniere while still keeping Zibanejad, Kreider, and Trouba. He signed Panarin. Traded for last year’s Norris winner Adam Fox. The most important thing is he stuck to the plan. Yes the Panarin splash was a big ‘win now’ move, but it didn’t suddenly get them to trade their previous top pick and sell all the future first rounders.

He’s had some bonehead moves likes Brendan Smith, Kevin Shattenkirk, and not developing Anderson and Kravstov properly to the point of them requesting trades. But looking at their future with Panarin, Lefreniere, and Kakko up front supported by Fox, Trouba, and Shesterkin in back… they have the right pieces to contend.

Jeff Gorton is a guy who I think did a good job with NYR. He ran the team from 2015-2020. He saw that the team wasn’t moving in the right direction with older players, announced a rebuild to the fans, and stuck to the plan. That drama last year got him canned, which I thought was pretty silly.

He managed to tank for Kakko and Lefreniere while still keeping Zibanejad, Kreider, and Trouba. He signed Panarin. Traded for last year’s Norris winner Adam Fox. The most important thing is he stuck to the plan. Yes the Panarin splash was a big ‘win now’ move, but it didn’t suddenly get them to trade their previous top pick and sell all the future first rounders.

He’s had some bonehead moves likes Brendan Smith, Kevin Shattenkirk, and not developing Anderson and Kravstov properly to the point of them requesting trades. But looking at their future with Panarin, Lefreniere, and Kakko up front supported by Fox, Trouba, and Shesterkin in back… they have the right pieces to contend.
- ObeseOprah

i mentioned Quinn as the coach last blog. They all got washed away by Dolan because of the Wilson fiasco last year.

Do the Cubs have many real prospects on the way?
- mohel

Word has it they have their next Gary Scott and Ty Griffin in the fold.

Was trying to think of the 1st basemen they had that never panned out...Kevin something?

Jeff Gorton is a guy who I think did a good job with NYR. He ran the team from 2015-2020. He saw that the team wasn’t moving in the right direction with older players, announced a rebuild to the fans, and stuck to the plan. That drama last year got him canned, which I thought was pretty silly.

He managed to tank for Kakko and Lefreniere while still keeping Zibanejad, Kreider, and Trouba. He signed Panarin. Traded for last year’s Norris winner Adam Fox. The most important thing is he stuck to the plan. Yes the Panarin splash was a big ‘win now’ move, but it didn’t suddenly get them to trade their previous top pick and sell all the future first rounders.

He’s had some bonehead moves likes Brendan Smith, Kevin Shattenkirk, and not developing Anderson and Kravstov properly to the point of them requesting trades. But looking at their future with Panarin, Lefreniere, and Kakko up front supported by Fox, Trouba, and Shesterkin in back… they have the right pieces to contend.
- ObeseOprah

If they were Hawks this board would have been all over them at what wasted picks Kakko and LaFreniere were already and how it was another Stan Fail.

Jeff Gorton is a guy who I think did a good job with NYR. He ran the team from 2015-2020. He saw that the team wasn’t moving in the right direction with older players, announced a rebuild to the fans, and stuck to the plan. That drama last year got him canned, which I thought was pretty silly.

He managed to tank for Kakko and Lefreniere while still keeping Zibanejad, Kreider, and Trouba. He signed Panarin. Traded for last year’s Norris winner Adam Fox. The most important thing is he stuck to the plan. Yes the Panarin splash was a big ‘win now’ move, but it didn’t suddenly get them to trade their previous top pick and sell all the future first rounders.

He’s had some bonehead moves likes Brendan Smith, Kevin Shattenkirk, and not developing Anderson and Kravstov properly to the point of them requesting trades. But looking at their future with Panarin, Lefreniere, and Kakko up front supported by Fox, Trouba, and Shesterkin in back… they have the right pieces to contend.
- ObeseOprah

Thanks for the name. On the bolded, isn't that also an ownership level decision? I believe ownership has to sign off on a rebuild and to see it through. It looks to me that, around the time of McD's departure, the Hawks changed from rebuild to at least reload, and possibly win soon. The is the decision of Danny and Rocky. The GM implements that decision.

Word has it they have their next Gary Scott and Ty Griffin in the fold.

Was trying to think of the 1st basemen they had that never panned out...Kevin something?
- HawkintheD

Brooks Kieschnick?

Word has it they have their next Gary Scott and Ty Griffin in the fold.

Was trying to think of the 1st basemen they had that never panned out...Kevin something?
- HawkintheD

The great Hee Sop Choi springs to mind.

Word has it they have their next Gary Scott and Ty Griffin in the fold.

Was trying to think of the 1st basemen they had that never panned out...Kevin something?
- HawkintheD

So many failures to pick through.....Earl Cunningham, Tyler Colvin, Kevin Orie, Brooks Kiesschnick..........the list goes on.

So many failures to pick through.....Earl Cunningham, Tyler Colvin, Kevin Orie, Brooks Kiesschnick..........the list goes on.
- TheTrob

Jerome Walton?

The real KICK in the nuts will be the Hawks finish this year with the absolute worst record in the NHL, but finish 2nd in the lottery drawing, a pick that would be transferred to the Jackets.
- kwolf68

Yeah this is what bothers me the most actually. The pick is lottery protected but I'd rather end up the 10th or 12th worst team by the end of the season to spare us from losing out on a whopper on what I recall is a decent draft class in 2022.

Do the Cubs have many real prospects on the way?
- mohel

Their top guy is easily Brennan Davis. Marquez and Alzolay already made their debuts, solid arms but Marquez may eventually be a pen piece. Nico also there. Nico reminds me a little of David Fletcher, does everything well, but zero power. Howard is a good prospect, but will he ever get to any power.

Overall I am not too bullish on the Cubbys farm. They have a bunch of guys like Made, Roederer, Cassie and others that look like depth type role playing pieces.

They did land a couple international guys, Preciedo and Christian Hernandez, who are drawing some rave reviews, but those two are still very young.

- Ogilthorpe2

Yeah I remember feeling relieved when Q was removed in 2018 to shake things up and thinking about that now, I hope there is a decent plan in place if JC is removed. That was a tough losing streak and few games. I was actually at JC's first game against Carolina and I think we spotted them a 3 goal lead early, much a harbinger to come over the next few years.

Yeah I remember feeling relieved when Q was removed in 2018 to shake things up and thinking about that now, I hope there is a decent plan in place if JC is removed. That was a tough losing streak and few games. I was actually at JC's first game against Carolina and I think we spotted them a 3 goal lead early, much a harbinger to come over the next few years.
- Popsghostly

If the Hawks have proven anything, it’s that there is no plan. They are too cheap to pay for a new coach, so they’ll just promote Mark Crawford to interim. I’m not opposed to that, I’ll take his vanilla/white hot psycho coaching that’ll let these players play a standard zone D over this nonsense. Plus who doesn’t want to see Murphy get slammed into the dasher face first by Crawford when he misses another pass? The next time Strome dogs it he might just get strangled by a Gatorade towel from behind by ol’ loony mark.

Most importantly it would free the Hawks up to either wait til good coaches get fired at the end of the year, or possibly (tin foil hat equipped) let a new GM pick a coach. I have information that could lead to the firing of Stan Bo…………..

Word has it they have their next Gary Scott and Ty Griffin in the fold.

Was trying to think of the 1st basemen they had that never panned out...Kevin something?
- HawkintheD

I remember they had a big Korean 1st baseman prospect that never panned out.

Edit - Mohel's the man.