Intentionally moving talent out and not bringing equal or better talent in should automatically mean that team loses all their picks for that coming draft. And obviously fill in all the other areas where teams could intentionally tank. The loophole is exposed, hopefully the NHL acts on it.
- paulr

Hahaha, keep projecting Paul

Get ready for many restless nights in the future

Intentionally moving talent out and not bringing equal or better talent in should automatically mean that team loses all their picks for that coming draft. And obviously fill in all the other areas where teams could intentionally tank. The loophole is exposed, hopefully the NHL acts on it.
- paulr

So who gets to determine what is equal or better talent? You? So teams can't trade NHL players for draft picks anymore?

So who gets to determine what is equal or better talent? You? So teams can't trade NHL players for draft picks anymore?
- MartiniMan

Welcome to baseball if you can't trade picks. Also, the worst examples of "to the studs" rebuilds are in baseball. The Astros (won multiple world series), the Cubs (won a world series), the Orioles. Could be why their draft lottery is 9 spots now.

Tanking has gone on for decades. There is nothing ethically wrong with it. The issue with tanking is how the fanbase will deal with it.

Intentionally moving talent out and not bringing equal or better talent in should automatically mean that team loses all their picks for that coming draft. And obviously fill in all the other areas where teams could intentionally tank. The loophole is exposed, hopefully the NHL acts on it.
- paulr

That would not and should not ever happen! You would have bubble teams throwing games to miss the cutoff and get the first overall pick when they know they have essentially no chance to win the cup if they make the playoffs. You would have the worst teams staying at the bottom a lot longer their fans not attend games and franchises struggling more. That would be absolutely awful.

It's not a loophole, it's just the reality of a league where only half the teams make the playoffs and the other half become sellers to the ones who are making the cut. Trading players for picks to build the future, isn't a loophole. It has nothing to do with ethics or integrity. They didn't throw games.

The Blackhawks tried to retool over and over and got nowhere. The needed to rebuild for the future and that's what they've been doing and there was no way they were going to replace the talent they traded away. Not in the real world with a 32 team league with the competition and price of established talent.

At the end of the day they are running a business and following a plan to build a product on the ice. KD faced the reality of the situation. They weren't in a position where they could retool over a 1-2 year period and become a contender, so they got aggressive with the rebuild.

We will see Kyle panicking if the first wave of prospects does pan out, and like Colorado, he starts over turning rocks and signing Euro playoff stars diminutive Jere Innala to help add more attackers, even if they are already 26 yrs. old.

We will see Kyle panicking if the first wave of prospects does pan out, and like Clorado, he starts over turning rocks and signing Euro playoff stars diminutive Jere Innala to help add more attackers, even if they are already 26 yrs. old.
- wiz1901

Nah..that is Stan kind of thinking.

Loopholes aside, you don’t believe what Chicago did was ethical, do you?
- paulr

I certainly don't think there was anything unethical to what KD did/is doing. He didn't lie to anyone, was very honest with the fan base.

I would argue most fans were in agreement with the direction. Not all, you can see that here just on this board, but i would say the vast majority would agree with the direction.

To answer your personal challenge if any of us who agree with the direction have any integrity; In my eyes, I've always felt i have tons of integrity, in business, family, and how i treat others. i guess you would have to interview others to get an unbiased opinion.

My issue a this moment time is how in 2006 with the 3rd pick, the Blackhawks took Jonathan Toews...
St. Louis first overall selected defenseman Erik Johnson.
No cups.
Was Johnson such an excellent backliner that there is talk he goes in the Hall?

After Celebrini, there is no Toews facsimle, but I certainly want huge impact guy with the pick.

and that is my worry...
- wiz1901

this comment was responding to a point about players not producing at the NHL level in the 1st, 2nd or 3rd years after they are drafted.

Was pointing out that its not really normal for most picks who make it to the NHL. Showing that a bunch of players from Hawks teams took a few years to get there.

Utah is supposed to be after Marchessault.
- rpeters01

I think Utah's priority is defense. They have exactly one d-man signed (Shea Weber) and 3 RFA'a on their current roster.

I certainly don't think there was anything unethical to what KD did/is doing. He didn't lie to anyone, was very honest with the fan base.

I would argue most fans were in agreement with the direction. Not all, you can see that here just on this board, but i would say the vast majority would agree with the direction.

To answer your personal challenge if any of us who agree with the direction have any integrity; In my eyes, I've always felt i have tons of integrity, in business, family, and how i treat others. i guess you would have to interview others to get an unbiased opinion.
- vabeachbear

So at what point is it unacceptable to intentionally set your team up to lose?

On the last game of the season St. Louis, the first place team in the Division was playing Nashville who were tied with Chicago and would advance if they beat St. Louis. St. Louis would prefer to play Nashville in the first round so don’t dress their top six players and top goalie and replace them with players from their Springfield team. Are you ok with that?

Would you be OK if another team did exactly what Chicago did. Move out your top players for assets not close to being ready to playing in the NHL, then do nothing to replace those players ensuring the team isn’t competitive? Then the following year do nothing to improve. Or is it OK for the team you follow but not another team?

I believe any time you set out to lose, to intentionally be uncompetitive, you affect the integrity of the sport.

I understand what Davidson did and why. I also know I wouldn’t like it if a rival team were to do the same. Obviously I want the rebuild to work, I just don’t agree with how it was done.

You’re not that obtuse. I specifically said KD dismantled the team and didn’t try to improve it so there was little to no chance the team could win. I also specifically said the coach and players didn’t try to throw games.

Come on Dots … I dare ya, tell me you don’t believe in integrity.
- paulr

This conversation sucks the life out of people. In a salary-capped sport, the GM playbook is the same. Get younger, cheaper and add talent. Theo, Jed, Poles and KFC follow the same playbook. This is what the sports leagues intended.

Screw going out and being “competitive” for the sake of any idea of “integrity”.
It’s all about the cup.
You do what it takes to win it within the rules of the league.

What the Flyers did shouldn’t be mocked, it should be applauded. That’s called integrity. Intentionally breaking down the team of all talent, while giving a team a great chance at the top draft picks isn’t very ethical. And yes the rules are there to be exploited, so what Chicago did wasn’t against the rules but you can understand why fans of other teams despise what Davidson did, as we would had another team did it. Even though the Hawks should benefit from Davidson’s strategy I’d like to see the NHL implement a rule where if it is obvious the team is trying to tank in anyway, be it by moving out all the team’s talent or coaching or playing to tank, which BTW I’ve never seen, then that team forfeits their first round pick that year.
- paulr

Yikes. How would a team ever rebuild?

Screw going out and being “competitive” for the sake of any idea of “integrity”.
It’s all about the cup.
You do what it takes to win it within the rules of the league.
- TheDrumonMadison

True, then there should be no whining about the use by certain teams (the Hawks did it too) about how teams manipulate the cap regarding LTIR, AND that there is no salary cap in the playoffs.

Nah..that is Stan kind of thinking.
- MjulQvist

I was trying to download a short cut off iTunes video from the song The Final Countdown by Europa. But I am not too good at getting the download as a cut off my cell phone. It is an old ‘80’s song.

Man it just seeems like the world we live in …. As well as a next piece for the lineup playing alongside Bedard

Is getting closer and closer About a week away
BTW I cannot believe Edmonton could win the Cup. But these events are close at hand, they are upon us

I think Utah's priority is defense. They have exactly one d-man signed (Shea Weber) and 3 RFA'a on their current roster.
- Rota's Rooter

They're using the Toronto model.

I was trying to download a short cut off iTunes video from the song The Final Countdown by Europa. But I am not too good at getting the download as a cut off my cell phone. It is an old ‘80’s song.

Man it just seeems like the world we live in …. As well as a next piece for the lineup playing alongside Bedard

Is getting closer and closer About a week away
BTW I cannot believe Edmonton could win the Cup. But these events are close at hand, they are upon us
- jhawk59

A preseason CLASH 2025 after one additional year of development/experience below features a lot of skill, good amount of speed and probably too many big men who don’t always play tough enough - but oh my look at the SIZE the speed the skill from this group:

Nazar, Greene, Moore,Hayes, Slaggert, Catton or Eiserman veterans Foligno, Hall
WITH this cast on defense…..Silayev, Vlasic, DelMastro, Kaiser, Phillips, Crevier

All plus Bedard

A preseason CLASH 2025 after one additional year of development/experience below features a lot of skill, good amount of speed and probably too many big men who don’t always play tough enough - but oh my look at the SIZE the speed the skill from this group:

Nazar, Greene, Moore,Hayes, Slaggert, Catton or Eiserman veterans Foligno, Hall
WITH this cast on defense…..Silayev, Vlasic, DelMastro, Kaiser, Phillips, Crevier

All plus Bedard
- jhawk59

Demidov.

I believe in a rebuild. I don’t like the way KD went about it.

You still haven’t answered, do you believe in integrity
- paulr

Playing by the rules is integrity.

Intentionally moving talent out and not bringing equal or better talent in should automatically mean that team loses all their picks for that coming draft. And obviously fill in all the other areas where teams could intentionally tank. The loophole is exposed, hopefully the NHL acts on it.
- paulr

You sound like a good communist. Leave it alone, nothing is perfect.

Seven days to go. Would be nice to have a poll on whom the Hawks select at #2. I’m still sticking with Bustshunov.

You sound like a good communist. Leave it alone, nothing is perfect.
- LFS

How the hell does that make me a communist?

Seven days to go. Would be nice to have a poll on whom the Hawks select at #2. I’m still sticking with Bustshunov.
- Angotti

Hope youre wrong. Best chance to get a stud to play with bedard.

The more I looked in to Lindstrom the more I really started to like this kid. type of player that will be needed to get added to this roster soon. I think Silayev is out since hes a lefty which isnt a need for the Hawks right now but that is purely speculation on my part
- Zach Jarom

Saw today that lindstrum said the disc is pressing on a nerve and he.has pain down his leg. Hes 18! Not gonna get better playing 82 games of hockey.

Yep, and Levshunov plays a premium position, is a right shot, has size and can skate. I think it really is this simple and near impossible to pass on.......This is why I thought all along they were going with the Belarusian although I have it ranked Celebrini, Demidov, Buium.

I have a feeling we're gonna see Buium go higher than most any thought. What this kid showed in the NCAA after coming outa The Program was simply spectacular in so many ways. .. Kid. Makes. Plays!!
- Mr Ricochet

What happenned to bpa?