Theo Fox: The Ones That Got Away My favorite team of former Blackhawks who either never got far in the NHL, was mediocre during their time in Chicago, or hit potential with another team.

First!

Welcome Theo - look forward to your posts and insight. I thought for sure you would have have Vorobiev on the list. For being a Russian (and Chicago does not have success with drafted Russians) I recall seeing him in his first cam (at the Edge in Bensenville) and he looked like a man among boys. I was rooting for him. Another draftee in the killer "B" days was Adam Berti. Another guy I was rooting for.

First!
- tvetter

The first of the first. Well done.

I'll tell you what Theo - I'm disappointed with your first article of YOUR blog. After the build down of the roster you promised - it wasn't even close to being puke worthy.

Anyway ... congrats (again), and after constructing that roster you have nowhere to go but up.

The first of the first. Well done.
- EbonyRaptor

I will admit to cheating...I posted before reading the blog just to be the first poster in the Theo era!

Great start, Theo! Loved it.

I will admit to cheating...I posted before reading the blog just to be the first poster in the Theo era!
- tvetter

Well technically, I am the first to post something of value to Theo's first blog, but I will not brag on myself.

A nice read. Thank you, congratulations and welcome!
Nice to see another blogger I can read to learn a little more about another team! An unfortunately rare occurrence.

Berti had bad knees which I think forced early retirement

I want to concentrate on some players whom were a tease with their talent. Each went on to experience success albeit not big time success. I get that prospects sometimes look good even produce points or solid performance in the AHL. You watch them for a season or two but ultimately most fade as prospects once they reached their AHL season or never got untracked in NHL or the training camps

Kontiola did go on to play well overseas and was in the last two Olympic teams - or two prestigious teams one was Olympics. He never was thought to be able to hack it in the NHL. I bet he could have scored some as a one way forward

Makarov dazzled as the star among the scrubs in the untra squad games. He was put in as an energy style bottom line AHL and received favorable review. He never amounted to much back in Russia


Kris Versteeg and Brouwer looked pretty good in their Rockford days. Versterg was crafty and Brouwer posted up and scored a lot - he posted up around the face off circle .

Among these players who disappointed you the most in terms of their NHL future or lack of future.

I believe you will add Dominick Kahoun to that roster in a year or two. Seems ready to succeed in Krueger's system.

Nicely done and great start Theo!

To the ones that got away, I might add Dan Cleary. Carved out a decent career with the Oil and Wings.

Nick Leddy
Dylan Sikura
Jack SKille
Kyle Beach
Michael Kempny
Viktor Stalberg
AKim ALiu
Carter Hutton
Anti Raanta

Oakland goaltender Gilles Meloche


Traded with a guy who the hawks 'owned" (eg., on their negotiation lists from teenage and a member of the Teepees of St. Catherine Ontario), Paul Shymr to the Seals for Gerry Desjardins...

all the present era Cap casualties are tedious : Buff, Sharp, Brouwer, Ladd etc.

PHIL ESPOSITO
KEN HODGE

I will admit to cheating...I posted before reading the blog just to be the first poster in the Theo era!
- tvetter

If you ain't cheatin, you ain't tryin.

Probably the greatest one who got away was a guy named Dominick Hasek!!!

Great 1st blog.

I was excited about Nabokov and love his 7 goals in his 1st 11 games. Then he was off to the Island in the Dumont trade, never to be heard of again. I met Ray LeBlanc when he was playing with the Indianapolis Ice. After his Olympic performance, I had high hopes for him.

Modern day? Danault, Darling both come to mind

Great 1st blog.

I was excited about Nabokov and love his 7 goals in his 1st 11 games. Then he was off to the Island in the Dumont trade, never to be heard of again. I met Ray LeBlanc when he was playing with the Indianapolis Ice. After his Olympic performance, I had high hopes for him.

Modern day? Danault, Darling both come to mind
- ikeane

Marko Dano is another one for me. He was the big piece in the Saad trade. Anisimov ended up being the best part of that trade......

Villa Pokka in the Leddy trade.

Might even put Bryan Bickell on the list. If he doesn't get MS does he turn into a close to a 20/20 power forward for the Hawks? He started to fall apart in 2014 if I remember correctly.

I believe you will add Dominick Kahoun to that roster in a year or two. Seems ready to succeed in Krueger's system.
- G - Man

I think you are right. I really liked him on the Hawks. Plays a pretty simple game, can pass and attacks the net. What is not to like. When he was in CHI, he just needed to clean up his work in his own end a bit, but it wasn't horrendous.

Nice start and look forward to reading your articles! Good luck !!!Have fun!!

"* I will be fair by sharing an honest analysis with you and being up front with what I know and don't know while actively learning more about a subject area where I am unfamiliar.
* I will be researched by taking time to review content before posting so that I am knowledgeable and trustworthy.
* I will be insightful by going the extra mile in my writing to bring depth and analysis rather than share stats and info that any fan could easily look up or read from daily news sources."

Overqualified for this circus

Excellent start to your Black Hawk coverage Theo, welcome and looking forward to your blogs. I can relate to all those names and your passion for Hawks hockey is obvious and that is the first good trait to have, haha. I can relate to you very easily as I have been running a fantasy league since 1979, that is 41 years of pretty much the same group of guys building through the amateur draft, ranking our teams by wins in interleague vs nhl competition. It is called the AHFO, Association of Hockey Franchise Owners. NO money in this one and just a hobby and members meet once a year in the summer for the annual AHFO draft and party. It is amazing with categories for bonus points, interleague vs each other and interleague vs nhl. Lot of work into this and all those Hawk players you mentioned have passed through our league. Anyway enough about that and welcome to HB.

Oakland goaltender Gilles Meloche


Traded with a guy who the hawks 'owned" (eg., on their negotiation lists from teenage and a member of the Teepees of St. Catherine Ontario), Paul Shymr to the Seals for Gerry Desjardins...

all the present era Cap casualties are tedious : Buff, Sharp, Brouwer, Ladd etc.

PHIL ESPOSITO
KEN HODGE
- wiz1901

Hey Wiz, I've posted before about my fascination with 2020 draftee Marat Khusnutdinov with the hope the Hawks select him. You have him going 29th so the Hawks selecting him at #17 would be a bit of a stretch but I'm still hopeful somehow, someway Stan calls his name and he puts on the IndianHead on draft day.

But here's why I'm bringing this up (again) - your analysis and the DobberProspects analysis on DraftSite state he is an elite skater. I just read the scouting report on him linked below and it is very high on him in all areas except skating - specifically saying he has a "heavy left foot" affecting his stride and crossovers from being better. What is your take on this.

https://smahtscouting.com...eport-marat-khusnutdinov/

The Lalonde reference has put Ogi in your corner forever.

Tho, he traded him a million times.

Good work, Theo.

Moreau and Dupont were 2 I always lamented getting away.

Hey Wiz, I've posted before about my fascination with 2020 draftee Marat Khusnutdinov with the hope the Hawks select him. You have him going 29th so the Hawks selecting him at #17 would be a bit of a stretch but I'm still hopeful somehow, someway Stan calls his name and he puts on the IndianHead on draft day.

But here's why I'm bringing this up (again) - your analysis and the DobberProspects analysis on DraftSite state he is an elite skater. I just read the scouting report on him linked below and it is very high on him in all areas except skating - specifically saying he has a "heavy left foot" affecting his stride and crossovers from being better. What is your take on this.

https://smahtscouting.com...eport-marat-khusnutdinov/
- EbonyRaptor

Skating issues is a copout in a lot of drafting analysis. I watched a lot of videos of the kid and I don't see any skating concerns. I mean, most players can improve a bit but I saw him getting by a lot of guys.