I think Sharp was underrated for how many board battles he won.
- rpeters01

That they could of kept Faber and traded Doughty. Doughty is not getting any younger

That they could of kept Faber and traded Doughty. Doughty is not getting any younger
- BetweenTheDots

Exactly the trap Bowman got into, trying to capture that one last championship, staying loyal to the main guys who won previous championships. You can argue Tampa fell into the same trap. Another thing Davidson has to be aware of and try not to follow the same mistake.

Exactly the trap Bowman got into, trying to capture that one last championship, staying loyal to the main guys who won previous championships. You can argue Tampa fell into the same trap. Another thing Davidson has to be aware of and try not to follow the same mistake.
- paulr

Faber, Spence, and Clarke would be a nice young group of dmen to rebuild with

That they could of kept Faber and traded Doughty. Doughty is not getting any younger
- BetweenTheDots

Doughty for Fiala, how would that have worked with Minnesota's cap issues ? The Kings wanted Fiala, and Minnesota needed to trade him to relieve their cap issue's.

Faber, Spence, and Clarke would be a nice young group of dmen to rebuild with
- BetweenTheDots

Absolutely, and imagine where the Hawks would be today if Bowman had started trading the core players in 2016 or 17? There’s no point reliving past mistakes, it’s important not to remake those mistakes.

That they could of kept Faber and traded Doughty. Doughty is not getting any younger
- BetweenTheDots

They still have depth behind the three RD's that played this year and can push Doughty out if need be. They dealt from a position of strength for a (almost) 30 goal scorer. Doughty's NMC just turned to a M-NTC this past year (year 5 of an 8 year deal). If he didn't want to go anywhere, he wouldn't.

Wiz's favorite group of Blackhawks fans - the CHGO guys - had Soupy on today.
Haven't watched yet,but in general I like Campbell, I always felt he would have been a good fit on the other 2 Cup teams
- captainserious

link it and i will watch....

Is he really? He's only had a little over one full season of experience and he's been up and down as a mid-1st round pick. He has this season to show progress and next to show he really belongs. As they say, development is rarely linear. I'd say he's right on track.

You look at a guy like Kakko, he was much more heralded in his draft year, but has "disappointed" thus far. The caveat here is that they've played him in a much more defensive role - where he's performed admirably (although scratched one game). He's not been given much chance at generating offense (very limited PP time), but maybe he blows up on a team with a top six opportunity.
- Chunk

If you said every rookie/young player is a riddle to some degree I'd agree and the cliche that development isn't linear will always stand the test of time. And, I'd add he just turned 22 this month and only has 99 NHL games.....

The riddle that Reichel presents to me is the gap between his 15 in 23 on the late callup 2 yrs ago and being completely lost for much of this whole yr, and that's with a whole offseason to prepare of of that 15 in 23.. No, development is not linear but his last 2 yrs are extreme opposites. Not talking about pts, we saw a lost player with our own eyes.

I'm a Reichel guy. I'm a sucker for quick twitch athletes as he showed exploding thru Dmen late in the yr for an in alone or a beauty drop pass to AA. 30 times I said to myself the light turned on for him last yr and 30 times I was wrong. A riddle.

If you said every rookie/young player is a riddle to some degree I'd agree and the cliche that development isn't linear will always stand the test of time. And, I'd add he just turned 22 this month and only has 99 NHL games.....

The riddle that Reichel presents to me is the gap between his 15 in 23 on the late callup 2 yrs ago and being completely lost for much of this whole yr, and that's with a whole offseason to prepare of of that 15 in 23.. No, development is not linear but his last 2 yrs are extreme opposites. Not talking about pts, we saw a lost player with our own eyes.

I'm a Reichel guy. I'm a sucker for quick twitch athletes as he showed exploding thru Dmen late in the yr for an in alone or a beauty drop pass to AA. 30 times I said to myself the light turned on for him last yr and 30 times I was wrong. A riddle.
- Mr Ricochet

Agreed, but there are so many subtle differences between the years. The Hawks didn't do him any favors by shifting him all around. I think the experiment with him at center was ill advised even though that is what he was drafted for. He did all of his damage last year at wing with AA playing center. Plenty of guys drafted to play center start on the wing and gradually slide to center. Injuries threw a wrench into a lot of his development as well as he was playing with a lot of plugs. At the end of the day, I think the biggest issue is that he was a young kid that got too far in his head and couldn't just turn the corner and play. The end of the year in the NHL, AHL playoffs and his showing in the WC looked promising. I think he's got it, but it will depend on how free he is able to play.

Exactly the trap Bowman got into, trying to capture that one last championship, staying loyal to the main guys who won previous championships. You can argue Tampa fell into the same trap. Another thing Davidson has to be aware of and try not to follow the same mistake.
- paulr

So Sakic should of traded MacKinnon because he is signed for $12.6M until age 35, and put Colorado in cap hell with Makar $9m, and Raantanen at $9.2 for next year and UFA the year after?

So Sakic should of traded MacKinnon because he is signed for $12.6M until age 35, and put Colorado in cap hell with Makar $9m, and Raantanen at $9.2 for next year and UFA the year after?
- LAHawk

None of them are 34 years old, 27, 28ish, if Doughty was 27 sure but he's not.

They still have depth behind the three RD's that played this year and can push Doughty out if need be. They dealt from a position of strength for a (almost) 30 goal scorer. Doughty's NMC just turned to a M-NTC this past year (year 5 of an 8 year deal). If he didn't want to go anywhere, he wouldn't.
- Chunk

Faber might be the best of them? I worry about the Blackhawks doing this, just think what the Kings could of gotten for Faber if they knew he was this good, so much more. Than again they would of never traded him if they knew he was going to be this good.

Absolutely, and imagine where the Hawks would be today if Bowman had started trading the core players in 2016 or 17? There’s no point reliving past mistakes, it’s important not to remake those mistakes.
- paulr

Easier said than done. When would you have broken up the Jordan Bulls?

Easier said than done. When would you have broken up the Jordan Bulls?
- rpeters01

Never, but they won 6. Hawks win 6 cups I'll live with whom they keep too long

Kaiser is 22 and just about the age he's ready to compete for an NHL job full time. The Hawks need to keep him and most of the other young ones that are down in Rockford and hope 1 or 2 of them continually push thru and make somebody on the NHL roster redundant or expendable in trade. Thats also a good way to manage the bottom end of the salary cap.
- RickJ

Yea man, you wanna have a couple guys on ELC's that can help in the Bigs... Ideally you'd have a conveyer belt of 1-2-3 prospects helping win that are on ELC's allowing you to pay the core of a top level squad.

But, if done correctly by drafting and developing well you're gonna run into times where you have to make decisions on which prospects stay and which you use as assets. ........ Either way IMO Kaiser will bring value to the organIzation. He may end up a guy moved for a 30 goal scorer when you are in full win now mode like LA did with Faber for Fiala or in a move for a Necas earlier in a rebuild.

The Hockey News has a piece on 4 fits for Kakko and the Hawks are listed. This guy thinks Kakko will only bring back a 2nd rounder. https://www.msn.com/en-us...4e088b1118b5a5e2473&ei=13

The Hockey News has a piece on 4 fits for Kakko and the Hawks are listed. This guy thinks Kakko will only bring back a 2nd rounder. https://www.msn.com/en-us...4e088b1118b5a5e2473&ei=13
- Mr Ricochet

I’d give Kakko a try for a second, either #50 in 2024 or a non-Chicago 2nd in 2025 or 2026. I’d even throw in Entwistle or R Johnson to close the deal.

Oilers making huge lineup changes tonight for game 4. LOL Nurse pulls the pout and run with the press this morning.

I’d give Kakko a try for a second, either #50 in 2024 or a non-Chicago 2nd in 2025 or 2026. I’d even throw in Entwistle or R Johnson to close the deal.
- DarthKane

Entwistle or R Johnson… you’re so generous. 🤣

Never, but they won 6. Hawks win 6 cups I'll live with whom they keep too long
- vabeachbear

Barkley said recently they would have won 8 in a row if MJ hadn't "retired" for a year and a half.

It would help if the Hawks determine that Reichel is a winger or a center, and leave him wherever instead of ping-ponging him around.
- LAHawk

Probably a good idea. And hopefully he gets some bounces early.

So Sakic should of traded MacKinnon because he is signed for $12.6M until age 35, and put Colorado in cap hell with Makar $9m, and Raantanen at $9.2 for next year and UFA the year after?
- LAHawk

Once Colorado is in a position where they’re giving away good prospects to try to get an overage core to try to win, then they have to re-evaluate. I think the Kings (frank)ed up big time.

The Hockey News has a piece on 4 fits for Kakko and the Hawks are listed. This guy thinks Kakko will only bring back a 2nd rounder. https://www.msn.com/en-us...4e088b1118b5a5e2473&ei=13
- Mr Ricochet

Rangers might want to think hard about giving up on Kakko, he's only 23 and they have a fairly old team among their forward group.

Adding him would certainly help the Hawks. I think worth more than a 2nd rounder.

Phillips just needs to learn how to bring his game from the AHL to the NHL. And its starts with confidence to me. He plays a completely different game in the A.

He was always going to be a long term prospect.
- Elbows15

The AHL is a completely different game from the NHL though. And I think that is part of the problem.

Even these guys who get a few AHL years still usually need 2 in the NHL to make that adjustment.

I think that contract Vlasic signed is going to look really really good in a year or two.

Oilers making huge lineup changes tonight for game 4. LOL Nurse pulls the pout and run with the press this morning.
- SaskHawkFan

Anyone still think the Oil are going to win this series?