Theo Fox: Walk the Walk
A deeper look at what the NHL’s plans for the long-awaited season mean for the Blackhawks. Management has talked the talk so time is coming for the team to finally walk the walk.

Long time reader. First time FIRST!

Long time reader. First time FIRST!
- larkster

Thanks for your readership, larkster!

Tally one up for you as the first to post on a new blog. Hope to hear more of your thoughts!

It will be good to see hockey again. It will also be good to say good riddance to 2020.

The WJC starting this week is a nice appetizer to the 2021 NHL season.

Boqvist has(d) basicly Sept - Dec (four months) to work out with strength gained ostensibly through weight training and diet. I believe for a noticable impact in his game his body should put that strength and muscle gain actually over two off seasons. Nonetheless I am excited to see Boqvist step up his game.

Boqvist and Dach improvrment plus Suter are going to be refreshing since it won't be the same old veterans we depend upon to score.

Carlsson could become a solid contributor too. Mitchell just not sure how good how soon. But I think you will see a lot of promising things from Mitchell and Hagel, too, if he gets in. I am willing to go out on a limb and guess that Seabrook will be just fine. Maybe a bit like Rozival but Seabrook will skate better.

There won’t really be Conference Finals this season - teams will be reseeded 1 plays 4, 2 plays 3. Playoff semi-finals or final-4.

You said: As much as eyes will be on Stan Bowman to see how he manages player personnel over the course of the season, eyes will also be on Jaime Faulkner to see how she engages the fanbase if the United Center must remain empty during games.

In terms of ads on helmets, it's a source of revenue while the league and teams are hurting financially. It's good to know that the ads are reportedly temporary.

But you never know, this could be a financial boon for corporate partnerships. Give them an inch and next thing it turns into a mile with ads on other parts of the uniform.

I reply: “Temporary”? Not a chance. Like Jay’s potato chips (or me with Werther caramels) - can’t eat just one.

I am not liking the ad thing, but I just hope it is only ads and not social movements also. It would be sickening if a BLM (or some other cause) appears on a helmet.

Thanks for the summary Theo.

It all looks good on paper and hopefully they can work out whatever snags crop up. It'll be nice to have some NHL hockey to watch in a month.

My xmas wish is that:

1 - StanBo stays clear of any of the last available FAs. I can't see any of them making a difference with this team this year. A shortened season with increased rosters to see what the Hawks have in the pipeline is really ideal for this team right now.

2 - Sign Strome to a reasonable extension. Something south of 2.5m for a max of 2 years or launch him for some picks. The moving of Saad and Maata returned no high picks.

I'm too lazy to look it up but where does Seattle sit in the entry draft?

Thanks for the summary Theo.

It all looks good on paper and hopefully they can work out whatever snags crop up. It'll be nice to have some NHL hockey to watch in a month.

My xmas wish is that:

1 - StanBo stays clear of any of the last available FAs. I can't see any of them making a difference with this team this year. A shortened season with increased rosters to see what the Hawks have in the pipeline is really ideal for this team right now.

2 - Sign Strome to a reasonable extension. Something south of 2.5m for a max of 2 years or launch him for some picks. The moving of Saad and Maata returned no high picks.

I'm too lazy to look it up but where does Seattle sit in the entry draft?
- Rota's Rooter

I have a feeling you will be disappointed with the Strome contract. His agent will laugh at that offer, i know people don't want to hear this but i see him getting close to double that.

I am not liking the ad thing, but I just hope it is only ads and not social movements also. It would be sickening if a BLM (or some other cause) appears on a helmet.
- powerenforcer

Really makes no difference to me, it's their product they can pretty much do whatever they want, if the Canucks logo is getting scrutiny, Blackhawks logo doesn't have a chance

I have a feeling you will be disappointed with the Strome contract. His agent will laugh at that offer, i know people don't want to hear this but i see him getting close to double that.
- BetweenTheDots

His agent can laugh all he wants. Strome has no leverage since he is not arbitration eligible and IMO showed little desire to increase his value with his play last season going into the final year of his contract.

If he still balks, then he'll sit out the season or get traded. At least the Hawks will know where they stand with him then.

Looking forward to Juniors and NHL. I expect that Covid will rear its ugly head and cause some disruption or roster juggling at least until the vaccines are widely administered.

Hawks might not be good. But there are a lot of things that will make them interesting to watch.
- Will one of the goalies have a Niemi or Darling like year?
- Is Seabs healthy and rejuvenated or just a year older?
- Are the Marx Bros (Janmark/Wallmark) serious actors or comic relief?
- Shaw?
- Nylander and Boqvist boom or bust?
- Are Suter and Zadorov legit or are they the reason Bowman is fired?
- Can Colliton coach? Can he exceed expectations? (.500 is the expectation?)
- Which of the young players progress, which stagnate, and which regress?
- Can ADB regain his scoring touch and Kubalik maintain his?

I am with Theo on expecting one more move by Bowman. It could involve moving Strome.

Surprised and disappointed they are playing Dach on a wing in Juniors.

Good summary, Theo.

About the taxi squad makeup..... it may depend on whether the AHL is playing. If not, I imagine that the top prospects will be on the taxi squad in order to get the work in.

His agent can laugh all he wants. Strome has no leverage since he is not arbitration eligible and IMO showed little desire to increase his value with his play last season going into the final year of his contract.

If he still balks, then he'll sit out the season or get traded. At least the Hawks will know where they stand with him then.
- Rota's Rooter

I will just say this, when have the Hawks low balled anyone? Kubalik got close to $4 mil. Players who can produce over .5 points a game are valuable and everyone who thinks they have no leverage really isn't accurate There's a thing called market value, even when it comes to restricted free agent bridge deals. They all have agents. The kid is 22 years old 5 years away from his best hockey. Toews is 32 5 years away from being retired.

Thanks for the summary Theo.

It all looks good on paper and hopefully they can work out whatever snags crop up. It'll be nice to have some NHL hockey to watch in a month.

My xmas wish is that:

1 - StanBo stays clear of any of the last available FAs. I can't see any of them making a difference with this team this year. A shortened season with increased rosters to see what the Hawks have in the pipeline is really ideal for this team right now.

2 - Sign Strome to a reasonable extension. Something south of 2.5m for a max of 2 years or launch him for some picks. The moving of Saad and Maata returned no high picks.

I'm too lazy to look it up but where does Seattle sit in the entry draft?
- Rota's Rooter

That's on my wish list too. The last thing we need is for Stan to abandon the "youth movement" plan in its infancy. Stay the course.

I think I like Strome more than most of the posters here but not enough to sign him to a deal that will be regrettable shortly after the ink dries. I think $2.5M is too low but 2 years is just right for term - he needs to show improvement before he gets paid like a key piece of the future.

I will just say this, when have the Hawks low balled anyone? Kubalik got close to $4 mil. Players who can produce over .5 points a game are valuable and everyone who thinks they have no leverage really isn't accurate There's a thing called market value, even when it comes to restricted free agent bridge deals. They all have agents. The kid is 22 years old 5 years away from his best hockey. Toews is 32 5 years away from being retired.
- BetweenTheDots

Cory Crawford

Cory Crawford
- Rota's Rooter

That's a reach, player with injury history and getting old

Be careful what you wish for the last time someone didn't agree with contract terms went to Columbus for a 3rd line center and a never was.

That's a reach, player with injury history and getting old

Be careful what you wish for the last time someone didn't agree with contract terms went to Columbus for a 3rd line center and a never was.
- BetweenTheDots

I kind of like the idea that we might in time have 2 big centers on the top 2 lines in a couple years who might be actually difficult to play against

I am not liking the ad thing, but I just hope it is only ads and not social movements also. It would be sickening if a BLM (or some other cause) appears on a helmet.
- powerenforcer

I’d rather see BLM than Lemon Heads or some other corporate nonsense.

Re: BLM or Lemon Heads.

How about neither.

Without fans, they are going to have to create revenue somehow, I would not be surprised if they add ads to helmets/unis, I just hope that they don’t over do it and keep it simple. As we all know, money talks....

That's a reach, player with injury history and getting old

Be careful what you wish for the last time someone didn't agree with contract terms went to Columbus for a 3rd line center and a never was.
- BetweenTheDots

Not really. Crawford wanted more then a year and the Hawks stood fast only offering one. Of course that kind of screwed the team from a goalie standpoint.

Look, I would love to have Strome prove me wrong and be all that he can be but, you've seen in all pro sports players going into the last year of a contract have really good seasons to maximize their next payday.

I just didn't see that from Strome last year. I don't think he elevated his game. Even with a majority of O-zone starts he and his line mates were chasing the puck most of the time.

Hopefully he gets paid to the satisfaction of everyone and he can maximize his talents and all will be right with the world.

Without fans, they are going to have to create revenue somehow, I would not be surprised if they add ads to helmets/unis, I just hope that they don’t over do it and keep it simple. As we all know, money talks....
- Angotti

Even with fans, they are going to want to add revenue: they are business people.

They will see how easy it is to do this, how little push back they get after a short period of time, and how it's basically free money.

This will be permanent and the beginning of more.

Did Strome find a new agent yet, as the one he had chose a different career path.

Thanks for the summary Theo.

It all looks good on paper and hopefully they can work out whatever snags crop up. It'll be nice to have some NHL hockey to watch in a month.

My xmas wish is that:

1 - StanBo stays clear of any of the last available FAs. I can't see any of them making a difference with this team this year. A shortened season with increased rosters to see what the Hawks have in the pipeline is really ideal for this team right now.

2 - Sign Strome to a reasonable extension. Something south of 2.5m for a max of 2 years or launch him for some picks. The moving of Saad and Maata returned no high picks.

I'm too lazy to look it up but where does Seattle sit in the entry draft?
- Rota's Rooter

I like how you phrased the bolded part. On point with how to approach this season.

On where the Kraken are slotted for the entry draft, I found this doing a web search:

"It’s not known what slot the Kraken will get to pick in the first round next summer. Seattle will be in the Draft Lottery as the ‘third position’ team. That means there is a 10-percent chance that the Kraken will have their lottery ball land on the top pick. They’ll end up with at least the sixth pick – the Vegas Golden Knights had the sixth overall pick during their first draft and took Portland Winterhawks star Cody Glass."