That would say we really weren't planning to be much better this year.
- rpeters01

You guys have short memories, i said before the season started, if it was this easy to be better all the teams would spend money on FAs, we did the samething the last year Bowman was here and yes i drank the koolaid that season and we really weren't any better standings wise.

I meant someone is ready when they are 20 and another player needs time to develop and isn't a contributor until he's 24/25.

I know X isn't the be all end all of hockey,but I like to read NhL stuff there and when I see comments that Nazar (or insert any prospect name) needs to spend a year in the Ahl to learn what it takes to play in the NHL....well, I get pissed.
HBuzz is my venting channel

No call up for Frank yet :D

https://chicago.suntimes....-ahl-dominance-nhl-callup
- captainserious

I get it, it's my venting channel as well, just to let you know Stanky played 47 games in the A last season.

Considering a top 5 pick is in sight i want it. SC teams even if they are assembled later via FA usually they have at least 2 top 5 picks on the team

Watching Nazar play at the rock i think he's going to be a better all around hockey player than Stanky. I see now what Robinson saw before his injury.

Why would you break up your very good shut down line, move D!ckinson to the top line with Bedard and then put a zero offense guy like Anderson on their wing. It makes no sense. I like Anderson on the 3rd line. He fits there. I have not given up on Hall. I would try Hall on the top line with D!ckinson centering and Bedard on the other wing for maybe 10 games. Then reevaluate.
- Ztra

Anderson is very good defensively and wins a lot of pucks. Having someone who is going to cover defensively and not need to have the puck on their blade is probably a good thing at this stage.

Anderson is very good defensively and wins a lot of pucks. Having someone who is going to cover defensively and not need to have the puck on their blade is probably a good thing at this stage.
- fattybeef

I actually think a Nazar Di ckinson Bedard line would be very very good.

Anderson is very good defensively and wins a lot of pucks. Having someone who is going to cover defensively and not need to have the puck on their blade is probably a good thing at this stage.
- fattybeef

Fatty, I’m going to agree to disagree, I don’t see the guy winning a lot of pucks, maybe I’m missing those moments, but I keep watching to see if he comes up with the puck in board battles and I don’t see it, maybe it’s just me, or maybe he wins puck battles in practice. I’ll try and keep an eye on him tonight, although it’s more challenging not seeing him live.

Update from Jonathan Toews himself via Ben Pope Xwitter.

https://x.com/BenPopeCST/...amp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet
- boilermaker100

More comments from Jonathan Toews here.

https://www.bleachernatio...pdate-on-healing-journey/

Whatever it takes, I guess. Good luck to him.

Missed all the rebuild talk the last few pages.

My lecture;

It was never going to be done in a year or two, need to adjust expectations

It was always going to be tough to watch at times, especially the first couple years.
I wouldn't shift direction at this point.

You can watch players develop in Rockford and that helps, but that line up really only has a few players that are part of the rebuild, in two years, it will be full of them and a true pipleline, again patience.

My only complaint so far is they haven't drafted not enough goal scorers, or power forwards. However, there is still two years of top picks, so i'll continue to be patient.

KD has moved ahead of Poles in the rebuild contest. Poles losing all cred by keeping Flus around, I know many here calling for LR head, just find it interesting how much both rebuilds are similar to each other. I've always been a LR fan, but i'm not a coaching expert. We'll see if KD can learn from Poles mistakes.
- vabeachbear

Yes Flus should have been gone when they know they were getting 1OA.

I keep going back to the Maciver comment "where are the goals going to come from" and when your head scout is telling you that - and little is done to address it - not sure how much better we can expect.

And regardless of how poopty you think you are going to be if a public facing comment is made that exposes a glaring weakness and you do jack and poop to improve it --- then what is this other than another tank?

They're losing closer games so that's an improvement I guess (not including empty netters).

Getting more shots is neat.

Tough to say that it would be any worse and less beneficial to let Nazar, Slaggart and Dach have a go.

I'd like to see Richardson implement the system he wants with players that can execute it. They haven't set him up for a lot of success. If it's a mutual option, maybe he doesn't even exercise it at the end of the season.

Based on how the org is valuing their internal prospects and not aggressively pursuing players to appropriately fill out the line up - I'd compare their rebuild more to the Sox than the Cubs - especially when you throw the network debacle and internal management hires in there. Spending stupid money on the wrong players.

You've got Hall taking shots at Richardson and Richardson taking shots at Davidson so at this point not sure how that impacts them working together moving forward. Plus the guy who doesn't talk at all (TT) saying that their confidence is deteriorating by the period. Can't imagine dealing with Foligno on a daily basis is fun.

The Cubs threw money at Lester once he was available and grabbed Madden and the rest is kind of history. Took them 3 years.

https://outfieldflyrule.c...tudy-part-4-chicago-cubs/

Ben Pope
@BenPopeCST
Nick Foligno: "
- LAHawk[I'm] making sure we're not OK with moral victories. I don't want to be creeping into our [minds]. That's a losing atmosphere, and that's something we need to change drastically here, and it's starting to turn that way. We're expecting more out of ourselves because we realize we're a good team."
1:44 PM · Oct 31, 2024

Probably cause he can't say we don't have enough talent to score goals and compete every night in public. Which LR certainly implied after the Vancouver game.

Why not just trade all the prospects for a bunch of journeymen to make the team a .500 club. That oughta make the impatient ledge dwellers happy.
- paulr

They have a bunch of journeymen already?

r/hawks
•
7 mo. ago

Kyle Davidson believes it’s time for the rebuild to take a step forward and does not intend to finish near the bottom of the standings again.

So was KD just gaslighting?
- LAHawk

either that or he's not good at his job.

Can’t complain about the defense, big time improvement over last year. As much as people complain about Brodie, he’s definitely an upgrade over Tinordi and Megna. Kaiser looks better with each game and Vlasic is Vlasic. Now for the elephant in the room, how do they create more offense? First I’m going to beat the dead horse, start by getting Anderson off Bedard’s line, immediately. This is probably the team that we’ll see until the TDL, so make it more watchable for us fans.
- Angotti

They scored 2 goals with Anderson on the ice. That is more or equal to the number of goals in the last 6 games.

Anderson probably isn't the problem...

Believe what you want. Unlike some I see improvement, Reichel who many wanted to see gassed has improved and continues to improve. Vlasic, who one poster felt was overpaid, has improved to the point he is the second best defenseman on the team and a case can be made he’s the best. Bedard’s overall positioning and defense has improved from last season. Lots of grief about Taylor Hall but it seems the same posters forget he’s just come off major surgery that a twenty something year old needs 20 to 30 games to get his groove back, and he’s not twenty something. The moves made by Davidson has dramatically improved the defensive game of the club. And the guy who can’t coach has the team playing good solid defensive hockey. Many forget the coach’s first job isn’t to have the team scoring or to have the best power play, but to have the whole team playing strong defensively.

There is something called process, which is a methodical approach, in this case to building the team. The process is about making the smart moves to try to make a winning club. Sometimes results don’t follow the process early in the rebuild. But so long as smart analytical moves are made while drafting, if there’s a solid development path implemented, so long as the GM understands the value of the players and that good cap management is established and followed the results will follow.

The past two seasons Davidson INTENDED to finish at the bottom. This season he didn’t INTEND to fall to the bottom but sometimes results don’t follow the process as it’s not a linear progression.
- paulr

Other than looking more active, how exactly has Reichel improved?

He still sucks defensively, is terrible off the puck if it isn't on his blade in the offensive zone and only appears to be effective when they play a box and one and let him buzz around the ice without any purpose.

If Smith and Maroon need to constantly stroke him off to keep his confidence up and continue to be unproductive with style - what does that say about the player's mental toughness or awareness?

Like Edmonton last season or St. Louis in their cup winning season? Relax and enjoy the ride, it’s still going to be a while.
- paulr

Those teams had talent...

They have a bunch of journeymen already?
- fattybeef

Moar overpaid mercenaries, KD loves em.

I'm out i can see the instant gratification crowd is out today, vent away

Not sure if it was mentioned on here yet, but AA is out 4 to 6 weeks with a wrist injury. In case anybody was wondering if/when he was going to get called up.

I'm out i can see the instant gratification crowd is out today, vent away
- BetweenTheDots

It's not instant gratification. Its looking for some semblance of team building, understanding the talent they have in Bedard and putting pieces in place that will help the team improve long term as well as help make who should be one of the more exciting players in the league be an exciting player in the league.

Right now its rubbish across the board except for a couple of stay at home defensemen and maybe a goaler and that isn't acceptable.

They scored 2 goals with Anderson on the ice. That is more or equal to the number of goals in the last 6 games.

Anderson probably isn't the problem...
- fattybeef

Actually TT was on the ice for one of them and he’s the one that retrieved the puck.

I'm out i can see the instant gratification crowd is out today, vent away
- BetweenTheDots

That’s why it’s called the BOD

Kyle is learning a valuable lesson here, you just can't buy wins.

And yet that's what everyone wants him to do.
- BetweenTheDots

I thought that had been the Rangers' strategy since like 1995-6 or something (ok sometimes bigger wins, and sometimes SC wins), but it never worked for them either.

Why would you break up your very good shut down line, move D!ckinson to the top line with Bedard and then put a zero offense guy like Anderson on their wing. It makes no sense. I like Anderson on the 3rd line. He fits there. I have not given up on Hall. I would try Hall on the top line with D!ckinson centering and Bedard on the other wing for maybe 10 games. Then reevaluate.
- Ztra

Exactly, Z. Why weaken L3 and not give D!ckenson 2 offensive players on L1? I'm ok with moving D!ckenson to 1C, I guess, but give him the top 2 offensive wingers the squad has ...... The move might be ok but having Anderson a 1RW defeats the purpose, especially as it weakens L3 as a kinda elite shutdown line.
[url]

Not sure if it was mentioned on here yet, but AA is out 4 to 6 weeks with a wrist injury. In case anybody was wondering if/when he was going to get called up.
- 333inthe3rd

Last year it was his groin when things weren't going well for him.

And I don’t even trust Button’s opinion about Canadian and Eastern teams.
- paulr

Anytime I even hear Button's name I'm amazed all over again he was an NHL GM....

Misa’s game is very similar to Celebrini, a good sized two way centerman. Martone is this year’s Cayden Lindstrom a big strong physically dominant guy with great skating ability and lots of skill, he can go around or through you. But if he’s available it would be hard to pass on Schaefer, I think he’s that number one do it all defenseman who’s offensive and defensive games are already strong.
- paulr

Assuming Hagens is gone I don't see the Hawks passing on Misa for any player in this draft. This is a kid it's ok to get excited about. Simply said, a hockey player who can score goals at 6ft 1in.

It's not instant gratification. Its looking for some semblance of team building, understanding the talent they have in Bedard and putting pieces in place that will help the team improve long term as well as help make who should be one of the more exciting players in the league be an exciting player in the league.

Right now its rubbish across the board except for a couple of stay at home defensemen and maybe a goaler and that isn't acceptable.
- fattybeef

Before the season started I think most agreed that the guys they signed other than say maybe Brodie, Smith, and/or Maroon represented a step in the right direction. Possibly other than Brodie even Smith and Maroon are providing some value as legit NHL players vs the AHL players the team filled out it's bottom 6 with last year.

Overall though I think everyone felt they were icing an NHL team, maybe not a great one but one that was going to be competitive and not get completely overwhelmed in more games than not.

Done and done.

Just because the results haven't found their way into the win column doesn't mean KFC completely punted on trying to move the needle forward this season.