Yeah, with both Taveres and Marner unsigned and the possibility that both go to the UFA market, there may be a lot of money to retain Knies.
- breadbag

Marner or taverns will be resigned but not both imo
I still would put in a offersheet for knies 6x6 force their hand.

Marner or taverns will be resigned but not both imo
I still would put in a offersheet for knies 6x6 force their hand.
- Scott1977

So are you expecting the Hawks to be vastly improved next year? Because the draft choices you are giving up (a first and a third) have to be the club's own draft choices. Is Knies worth a possible top 5 pick?

Pipe dreaming I'd say. They'll happily let Tavares walk if needed to re-sign Knies and continue their reload. Matthews loves playing with Knies also.
- Assman22

With the cap going up $9M, most of these teams that were feeling crunched have more wiggle room than they thought. I’m afraid it’ll be another round of few great players actually reaching UFA, with way more 33/34 names of yesteryear getting overpaid to satiate a team’s know-nothing base (Nashville).

Did anybody hear about the 1901 project? It is a seven billion dollar project surrounding the United Center. Could take up to ten years to complete adding a thousand jobs to the area. Retail, parking and residential as well as a park. The area, it is a changing. I used to pay a kid a dollar to watch my car on the street. Promised him another one if he was there when I got back. The good old days at 1800 W. Madison. I miss the old gray lady!
- bjphawkfan

Ya the area has definitely changed the last decade. Had some developer clients start building new construction condos and apartment around there in 2015/2016. It is really hot over there now.

I was looking over the Hawks roster (no idea why), and noticed that Kurashev and Donato are both listed at 6' 190 lbs. It's amazing the same package can produce such vastly different results.

Just a reminder that any picks given away due to an offer sheet signing are the following year's. So if Knies or anyone else is signed this summer, the Hawks give up 2026 picks. Yes, 2026 could be a top 5 pick too! That's the Gavin McKenna draft BTW.

In the Blackhawks desert that is Springfield, IL, I do not even know when they play next. It's like 1967 here.
Thanks CHSN.
Thanks Comcast.
Thanks Blackhawks.

Edit:
Also, another new blog available for Ek's use, free of charge, above.
You're welcome.

Did anybody hear about the 1901 project? It is a seven billion dollar project surrounding the United Center. Could take up to ten years to complete adding a thousand jobs to the area. Retail, parking and residential as well as a park. The area, it is a changing. I used to pay a kid a dollar to watch my car on the street. Promised him another one if he was there when I got back. The good old days at 1800 W. Madison. I miss the old gray lady!
- bjphawkfan

Igrew up at 1901 W. Superior and that neighborhood keeps adding new $800,00o singke family homes and itbwas always easy transportation by bus, when I was a kid the the Ogden EL/Subway, or walking to Wicker Park on Damen to North where the Hawk's capatin lives. The garnd ave bus helped go NW to the cities outskirts, and now to the lively downtown renovations.

Did anybody hear about the 1901 project? It is a seven billion dollar project surrounding the United Center. Could take up to ten years to complete adding a thousand jobs to the area. Retail, parking and residential as well as a park. The area, it is a changing. I used to pay a kid a dollar to watch my car on the street. Promised him another one if he was there when I got back. The good old days at 1800 W. Madison. I miss the old gray lady!
- bjphawkfan

Igrew up at 1901 W. Superior and that neighborhood keeps adding new $800,00o singke family homes and itbwas always easy transportation by bus, when I was a kid the the Ogden EL/Subway, or walking to Wicker Park on Damen to North where the Hawk's capatin lives. The garnd ave bus helped go NW to the cities outskirts, and now to the lively downtown renovations.

Marner or taverns will be resigned but not both imo
I still would put in a offersheet for knies 6x6 force their hand.
- Scott1977

Marner will sign for an increase. Tavares will take a hometown discount. And Knies will be re-signed and the leafs will sign a bunch of low cost guys for depth. And they’ll be in cap hell.

So are you expecting the Hawks to be vastly improved next year? Because the draft choices you are giving up (a first and a third) have to be the club's own draft choices. Is Knies worth a possible top 5 pick?
- LAHawk

You can put the offersheet in after the draft. Then it would be 2026 1st

Igrew up at 1901 W. Superior and that neighborhood keeps adding new $800,00o singke family homes and itbwas always easy transportation by bus, when I was a kid the the Ogden EL/Subway, or walking to Wicker Park on Damen to North where the Hawk's capatin lives. The garnd ave bus helped go NW to the cities outskirts, and now to the lively downtown renovations.
- wiz1901

What years? Was there a bank in the Home Bank and Trust Company building on the northwest corner of Ashland and Division? Beautiful building, home to a CVS and other businesses these days.

I have been attempting to start working on my 2025 Mock past the 6 rounds of names so I haven't been around, but I ready all the last pages so that I come in knowing what you al have commented.

I didn't know the traded Phillips for Dmitry Kuzmin until I read it here!

I gotta think the older Phillips (and a guy who you won't be able to shuttle back & forth to Rckfrd w/o possible wavier claims) probably wanted more chances to play in the bigs.
The Jets added more toughness and depths for their playoff run...a good move for them.
If Kuzmin is much smaller but has been a proficient puck handler and shooter since he played in the OHL Flint Firebirds.
The fact he played with lev and is also Belarus, means he has a blow up bed at Ludzinski and Lev's apartment so they can all be late together and sit out.
It is simply one of those moves where you might have upgraded you bottom back-end in the future.

No more no less.

he Athletic today had a lightweight piece by powers on "would the Blackhawks select defenseman Schaefer if the selcted first?"

It seems like a bit premature, since a team can finish last overall and select third, if 2 other teams get lucky.

My answer is Yes, YOU SELECT HIM, since he is faster and better both oofensively and defensively than Lev & KK, and not a small guy either. You don't trade out. (that rarely happends anyway.)

Assets are assets. If KK doesn't get together his complete game defnsively ala Forsling, and you cannot get him to feel secure enough to gamble on jumping up offensively, you CAN trade him for youngster at forward, because it will not be difficult to trade him (or any of the defenders, even the point here is you cannot PAY four defensivemen top salaries, and Bedard, and the rest of the roster.
(That is a fact for every team.)

Phillips and the entire group in Rockford has value in trades. But Crevier seems to have really taken a step to ensure he is one of you low cap salaried "others" on the team, as Nolan Allen is...I am sure they will not tell there agents to hold out b/c they know their role their cp hit, etc.
(AS I see Crevier gain more confidence, I keep thinking how the Hawks got an extra last round pick for MONTREAL (for a Hawk 7th rounder in the enxt draft)).

Granted, you start getting into unprotected waters with the lower parts of the dee's backend, but that is exactly what you want: lower Cap hit call-ups.


Hall might get you a 2nd, but after Mrazek and his team poop the bed in the last game, not so sure teams are going be ringing the hawk phone off the hooks.

I am more curious if Kyle lasts through the draft, since the results of his vet-spend has been so awful.

And that brings up another wrinkle, IF THEY GET a NEW GM does the new GM (w/o not enough to access the Hawks scouting team) take Schaefer the best fastest top defender, because the ownership says we have a lot of defenseman?

New bosses tend to be hard in the infancy of new general manager-ships, and that would be a mistake not truly taking best player available, especially when the 4th best player Misa seems like the best fit at centre, giving them wiggle room on who their top top centres are with all three Bedsy, Frankie, and Misa fine on the flank.

Note: After I typed that off the phone off the hooks remark, I wondered how I dated my 74 yr old ass.
But my cable phoes (and office phones are still cradled in Hooks, correct?)

Just checked how our prospects are doing in Rockford and the point totals look concerning. Slaggert is ok at 21 points in 35 games, he’s a bottom 6 guy and we know that. Savoie has only 8 points in 35 games. Gavin Hayes (3rd round 2022) has 5 points in 29 games. Marcel Marcel 4 in 18. Ludwinski 2 in 28. Levshunov 11 in 31.
To be fair, the call ups like Nazar and Dach did well. I’m just concerned that outside of our first round picks nothing has worked so far.

You can put the offersheet in after the draft. Then it would be 2026 1st
- Scott1977

The draft is before free agency every year, so yes.

I have been attempting to start working on my 2025 Mock past the 6 rounds of names so I haven't been around, but I ready all the last pages so that I come in knowing what you al have commented.

I didn't know the traded Phillips for Dmitry Kuzmin until I read it here!

I gotta think the older, (and a guy who you won't be able to shuttle back & forth to Rckfrd w/o possible wavier claims) Phillips probably wanted more chances to play in the bigs.
The Jets added more toughness and depths for their playoff run...a good move for them.
If Kuzmin is much smaller but has been a proficient puck handler and shooter since he played in the OHL Flint Firebirds.
The fact he played with lev and is also Belarus, means he has a blow up bed at Ludzinski and Lev's apartment so they can all be late together and sit out.
It is simply one of those moves where you might have upgraded you bottom back-end in the future.

No more no less.
- wiz1901

I'm pretty sure that this was just KD doing Phillips a solid and getting Levshunov someone he can speak with comfortably.

it was pretty clear that Phillips was not in their plans after they allowed him to chance waivers and sent him down.

Just checked how our prospects are doing in Rockford and the point totals look concerning. Slaggert is ok at 21 points in 35 games, he’s a bottom 6 guy and we know that. Savoie has only 8 points in 35 games. Gavin Hayes (3rd round 2022) has 5 points in 29 games. Marcel Marcel 4 in 18. Ludwinski 2 in 28. Levshunov 11 in 31.
To be fair, the call ups like Nazar and Dach did well. I’m just concerned that outside of our first round picks nothing has worked so far.
- ObeseOprah

It has got to be an upward hill to climb to life some where else, tons of things you have to work on to improv eon the ice, and as much as you probably aren't asked to become anything more than smarter when you hit the ice, and you know what areas of yourseld can make you better...since the staff is telling you, game in and out...

I'm pretty sure that this was just KD doing Phillips a solid and getting Levshunov someone he can speak with comfortably.

it was pretty clear that Phillips was not in their plans after they allowed him to chance waivers and sent him down.
- Chunk

I agree on the Phillip's part of asking.

BUT....your farm team over the next decade is how you maintain Cap on the lower Cap adds, so you try and replenish it, prove it can help with ready economical call ups, but as you said, Phillips woudn't be afforded a easy demotion to Rockford if he didn't make the 2025-26 back-end.

Just checked how our prospects are doing in Rockford and the point totals look concerning. Slaggert is ok at 21 points in 35 games, he’s a bottom 6 guy and we know that. Savoie has only 8 points in 35 games. Gavin Hayes (3rd round 2022) has 5 points in 29 games. Marcel Marcel 4 in 18. Ludwinski 2 in 28. Levshunov 11 in 31.
To be fair, the call ups like Nazar and Dach did well. I’m just concerned that outside of our first round picks nothing has worked so far.
- ObeseOprah

The Hogs are kind of a Chinese fire drill right now (not dissimilar to the Hawks). They have really good games and really poor ones. Ludwinski is being used in a ver defensive role (a la Kruger). He's pretty good at that, but for sure he could be a bit more aggressive offensively. If history is any indication, he'll be better next year.

I'll maintain that Slaggert could play with the big club in place of almost the entire bottom six and you either wouldn't know the difference, or it would be a notable upgrade. He may not have the hands/skill of Hagel, but he hounds the puck just like him.

Marcel is big.... and that's it. I wouldn't lose any sleep over him.

Hayes got injured just as he was starting to go on a bit of a roll with his play (if not his stats). He was generating a lot of really dangerous chances his last 3-5 games. I still have my questions about his chances about making the big club. He just seems like a classic tweener.

I wouldn't worry at all about Lev. He's started to play better defensively, and he gets tons of shots on net. He'll be fine. I really expect his numbers to balloon in the second half.

Savoie is interesting. To me, he screams someone who's game is better in the NHL vs the AHL. Another puck hound who has learned how to walk the fine line of agitator without taking PIM's. He's only got 15 on the year. He gets a lot of tip/deflection chances in front of the net.

Since Nazar and Dach are up, they are relying on Guttman, Mayhew, and Seney to do most of the scoring. It's really funny actually. If you look at the players individually, most of the forwards are 5'7" - 5'10" and around 170-180. Lots of smaller guys. In my opinion, this is why they aren't that good. The AHL has a lot of guys who just kind of maul you, and the Hogs don't have much that can counter that. Nazar had enough talent to negate that. Dach has enough strength to do so. Not much else there to help.

On the back end. KK still looks good. I still really like Lev's game and expect it to pop in the 2nd half. EDM is just solid. He is a true crease clearer and makes a good first pass. He is a bit of a slower skater, but still very effective.

Commesso is very hot and cold. Like most goalies, he needs to learn consistency. Good thing the Hawks have at least two years before they really need to see what he is.

I agree on the Phillip's part of asking.

BUT....your farm team over the next decade is how you maintain Cap on the lower Cap adds, so you try and replenish it, prove it can help with ready economical call ups, but as you said, Phillips woudn't be afforded a easy demotion to Rockford if he didn't make the 2025-26 back-end.
- wiz1901

I agree completely. However, the Hogs only have three Hawks picks on the roster. They are backfilling with guys like Felix, King, Pietroniro (just acquired), and Kuzmin. Wouldn't surprise me at all if most of those names were gone next year. The Hawks have Rinzel, Harding, and Kelley as possible prospect additions next year.

Kelley I don't have a lot of faith in, but Harding (apparently the Hawks like big defenders) is possible and Rinzel for sure.

I was looking over the Hawks roster (no idea why), and noticed that Kurashev and Donato are both listed at 6' 190 lbs. It's amazing the same package can produce such vastly different results.
- Chunk

Marcel Dionne was 5'-6".

Marcel Dionne was 5'-6".
- rpeters01

Yeah but he was just as wide as he was tall.

I find it interesting that the Hawks and Bulls can spend 7 Billion dollars to gentrify the area surrounding the outside of the United center but they can't come to an agreement with Comcast for what's going on inside the United Center. By the way, there have been a lot of articles about Toews lately. What GM in their right mind wouldn't take a chance on him? Wait, I know one!

So who coaches next year? Here are the coaches employed under Davidson

Colliton
King
Richardson
Sorenson

Is he going to continue with Sorenson, or hire a coach that has had some NHL experience?