Justin Lowe: Predicting Blackhawks Goals - Forwards
If the Hawks have any hope in improving from last year's 76-point season and make the playoffs next spring they will have to score more goals than their opponents on most night.

This obvious statement leads us to the fun prediction of how many goals the Blackhawks will score (by player). This blog is dedicated to the forwards. Then, part 2 (later this week) will be focused on the how many times the defence will find the back of the twine.

first

I predict Kane will score all 229 goals this year. Keith will have 1 but I'll wait for y he defenceman blog.

Go Hocks! Go Kaner!

Interesting projections JL. I mostly agree with your projections but I have a sneaky feeling Kunitz will be more around 12-15 goals as I have a feeling he will see some time on the PP and some shifts on LW with Toews based on Q's preference for proven veterans.

I predict Kane will score all 229 goals this year. Keith will have 1 but I'll wait for y he defenceman blog.

Go Hocks! Go Kaner!
- hocktock

Ha. Wouldn't that be nice.

I have Keith higher than 1... but not by much.

Interesting projections JL. I mostly agree with your projections but I have a sneaky feeling Kunitz will be more around 12-15 goals as I have a feeling he will see some time on the PP and some shifts on LW with Toews based on Q's preference for proven veterans.
- FourOrr

I wanted to put Kunitz higher but it's hard to wager too much on a 39-year old.

The track record of older players coming here and exceeding the year before on the scoresheet isn't very strong.

Great premise!

I think for the Hawks to get back to the playoffs, Toews needs to have a better bounceback season than 24 goals. I'm hoping for 28-30.

I could see Kane and Saad hitting the goal totals you mention. Interesting you have DeBrincat getting fewer. I could see him getting more with more playing time this year on one of the top 2 lines and some PP time.

I could also see Schmaltz hitting 30 if he does one thing...shoot more.

Great premise!

I think for the Hawks to get back to the playoffs, Toews needs to have a better bounceback season than 24 goals. I'm hoping for 28-30.

I could see Kane and Saad hitting the goal totals you mention. Interesting you have DeBrincat getting fewer. I could see him getting more with more playing time this year on one of the top 2 lines and some PP time.

I could also see Schmaltz hitting 30 if he does one thing...shoot more.
- HawkintheD

AdB had 3 hatties last season - he scored in bunches, but scored in really only 22 games. I'd settle for 25 from him.

Schmaltz has never been a goal scorer - in his amateur career, he had 75 goals in 247 games - a rate of 25 over an 82 game season. 27 from him would be good.

Acceptable numbers for Kane and Toews, I think - 24 for the Captain (if Saad goes for 29) would be welcome.

Teamwise - how about somehow 10 more goals on the PP (only 40 last season, 25th in the league) and more than just 1 with a two-man advantage. And only 6 last season in the extra five minutes - a 7-10 record after regulation. About a quarter of all games go to overtime - need to make hay there.

Awfully ambitious for Saad. He's only passed the 25 goal mark once in his career and it wasn't in a Blackhawks uniform. With declining numbers the past two seasons it isn't out of the realm of possibility but not likely.

Not sure where I read it....but I think I heard somewhere that the HAWKS somehow generated the SECOND most quality scoring chances 5 x 5 with only the "Young Gun" Leafs better.

Not sure exactly what those stats mean, but it would seem our shooting pct must have been horrid. So, maybe even with a little "Puck-Luck" we might be able to score 20 more goals than last year on that alone.

That stat jumped out at me as a real indication that guys like Saad, Toews, Keith and a few others may well be able to substancially improve on last year...let's hope so anyway...

AdB had 3 hatties last season - he scored in bunches, but scored in really only 22 games. I'd settle for 25 from him.

Schmaltz has never been a goal scorer - in his amateur career, he had 75 goals in 247 games - a rate of 25 over an 82 game season. 27 from him would be good.

Acceptable numbers for Kane and Toews, I think - 24 for the Captain (if Saad goes for 29) would be welcome.

Teamwise - how about somehow 10 more goals on the PP (only 40 last season, 25th in the league) and more than just 1 with a two-man advantage. And only 6 last season in the extra five minutes - a 7-10 record after regulation. About a quarter of all games go to overtime - need to make hay there.
- StLBravesFan

True on the 3 hatties but I could also see ADB eclipse 25 with more consistency as he had a big November and then fell off a bit in December. He has a nose for the net and where to find the soft spot in seams. Twenty five is reasonable but I see him netting 30.

Schmaltz has a pretty good shot and 27 would be great this season. I think he also has potential to eclipse that if he shoots more. I didn't follow his career in juniors but my guess is he's always been more of a distributor than shooter so it doesn't surprise me in regard to his goal totals.

Not sure where I read it....but I think I heard somewhere that the HAWKS somehow generated the SECOND most quality scoring chances 5 x 5 with only the "Young Gun" Leafs better.

Not sure exactly what those stats mean, but it would seem our shooting pct must have been horrid. So, maybe even with a little "Puck-Luck" we might be able to score 20 more goals than last year on that alone.

That stat jumped out at me as a real indication that guys like Saad, Toews, Keith and a few others may well be able to substancially improve on last year...let's hope so anyway...


- hawk35

They were second or third in the league in SAT (5X5) - but 17th in goals scored (5X5).

Yes - bad percentage - but "puck luck" isn't the main reason, I don't think - anecdotally, they had a lot of SATs with no one at the net, no one going TO the net, perimeter shots, etc. (I don't have the stats for any of this - just my eyes watching games).

Better shots would help more than better puck luck, I think.

Great premise!

I think for the Hawks to get back to the playoffs, Toews needs to have a better bounceback season than 24 goals. I'm hoping for 28-30.

I could see Kane and Saad hitting the goal totals you mention. Interesting you have DeBrincat getting fewer. I could see him getting more with more playing time this year on one of the top 2 lines and some PP time.

I could also see Schmaltz hitting 30 if he does one thing...shoot more.
- HawkintheD

Put the Kool-Aid down. Everyone knows this team is in a free fall to the #1 overall pick.

Put the Kool-Aid down. Everyone knows this team is in a free fall to the #1 overall pick.
- Ogilthorpe2

Incorrect. The Hawks will finish 31st overall but continue their losing ways into the draft lottery and not pick first overall.

Put the Kool-Aid down. Everyone knows this team is in a free fall to the #1 overall pick.
- Ogilthorpe2

30 goals from Toews would be shocking at this point. There is nothing to indicate Toews will pot 25 ever again.

My Predictions

Patrick Kane – 39
Brandon Saad – 32
Nick Schmaltz – 22
Alex Debrincat – 30
Jonathan Toews – 19
Artem Anisimov – 23
Dylan Sikura – 15
John Hayden – 7
Chris Kunitz – 2
Domnik Kahun – 16
Victor Ejdsell – 8
Matthew Highmore – 2
Andreas Martinsen – 0
Marcus Kruger – 4
David Kampf – 6
Luke Johnson – 2
Alex Fortin – 0
Jacob Nilsson – 0
Jordan Schroeder – 0

Forward Goals = 227

Anyone else want some Kool Aid?

My Predictions

Patrick Kane – 39
Brandon Saad – 32
Nick Schmaltz – 22
Alex Debrincat – 30
Jonathan Toews – 19
Artem Anisimov – 23
Dylan Sikura – 15
John Hayden – 7
Chris Kunitz – 2
Domnik Kahun – 16
Victor Ejdsell – 8
Matthew Highmore – 2
Andreas Martinsen – 0
Marcus Kruger – 4
David Kampf – 6
Luke Johnson – 2
Alex Fortin – 0
Jacob Nilsson – 0
Jordan Schroeder – 0

Forward Goals = 227

Anyone else want some Kool Aid?


- DarthKane

All of those would be nice

If Saad socres 30+ you'd have to think Toews is playing a lot better than the past 3 seasons. That would be super

I just think Toews would not have the reputation that he has if Hossa wasn't on his line for so long. Hossa carried Toews.

Well, I am officially finished with Hlinka Gretzky tourney and I can confidently say teams selecting in the top 15 next April don't have to worry about the player they select not making an impact in some way on their roster.

And the top five or six, well are really exciting I impact kids.

Sure, Hughes is in a class by himself, but the next tier is pretty special in it's own right as a long term high end valued group, and the the guys into the mid round are really high end too.
(Not as many defenders there that have stepped into that first couple tiers except the big Swede, and , but a whole lot more promising ones we will Strat to get better reads on as they seasons begin.)

I have decided to throw up seven rounds of players NOW, for 2019, but don't start calling me on the ranks after the first two.

I am very confident I have the best tom 30 anywhere you can find one, so let them copy away.

I also started a 2020 mock draft but don't hold me past the top three kids, ok?

and you can squarely place me on the side that the #1 2020 pick, Alexis , is going to be a better player bigger star that jack Hughes. He's just so strong fluid and unhesitatingly insightful with his motions after reading things. He's good in all phases, and his frame gives back as much push as they attempt to give him. He is simply a future star.


Anyway, the reason, I posted was I gave the the Blackhawks Goalie Spencer Knight with their first rounder instead of a centre or big man forward, because he is in the categories of Gibson and Tampa's Andrei Vasilevskiy.

So go look at the ranks on DraftSite...I will start filling in the player strengths as time goes by....

All of those would be nice

If Saad socres 30+ you'd have to think Toews is playing a lot better than the past 3 seasons. That would be super

I just think Toews would not have the reputation that he has if Hossa wasn't on his line for so long. Hossa carried Toews.
- mrpaulish

I can see why people think this, but I disagree. Toews had lots of success in his career before playing with Hossa. I'm sure playing with Hossa made Toews better (Hossa makes everyone and everything better) but I wouldn't say he carried Toews.

Like JL I think Saad will play with Schmaltz and Kane so his success won't be related to Toews.

Most of AA's goals will be on the PP and I think he'll split his time centring the 3rd line and playing LW with Toews and DeBrincat.

Toews 50 goals 50 assists +35, 65% Corsi and Hart Trophy.....if Kane is on his line all season

Toews 50 goals 50 assists +35, 65% Corsi and Hart Trophy.....if Kane is on his line all season
- EnzoD

I'd be ok with that

Toews 50 goals 50 assists +35, 65% Corsi and Hart Trophy.....if Kane is on his line all season
- EnzoD

LOL. Ya, we wish EnzoD!!! Actually, at this point in Toews career, He might not even hit those numbers if he Had McDavid and Crosby playing on a line with him!!!

IMO sikura should be in rockford developing unless he has and unbelievable training camp. So bowman needs to add at least one more forward whether its a pto trade or free agent signing. Lets not rush these kids keep them down in Rockford and get them overseasoned so when they do come up they are ready to contribute and now not saying sikura but other young players.

My Predictions

Patrick Kane – 39
Brandon Saad – 32
Nick Schmaltz – 22
Alex Debrincat – 30
Jonathan Toews – 19
Artem Anisimov – 23
Dylan Sikura – 15
John Hayden – 7
Chris Kunitz – 2
Domnik Kahun – 16
Victor Ejdsell – 8
Matthew Highmore – 2
Andreas Martinsen – 0
Marcus Kruger – 4
David Kampf – 6
Luke Johnson – 2
Alex Fortin – 0
Jacob Nilsson – 0
Jordan Schroeder – 0

Forward Goals = 227

Anyone else want some Kool Aid?


- DarthKane

Jesus will be lucky to pot 15.

Eklund is REALLY committing to his Panarin to Chicago "rumor".......