CapFriendly.com Armchair-GM User-Generated Roster

FORWARDS (12)
Right wing: Patrick Kane ($10,500,000) - Andrew Shaw ($3,900,000) - Dylan Sikura ($750,000) - David Kämpf ($1,000,000)
Centre: Jonathan Toews ($10,500,000) - Dylan Strome ($863,333) - Artem Anisimov ($4,550,000) - Ryan Carpenter ($1,000,000)
Left wing: Brandon Saad ($6,000,000) - Alex DeBrincat ($778,333) - Dominik Kubalik ($925,000) - Drake Caggiula ($1,500,000)

DEFENSE (6)
Right: Erik Gustafsson ($1,200,000) - Connor Murphy ($3,850,000) - Brent Seabrook ($6,875,000)
Left: Duncan Keith ($5,538,462) - Calvin De Haan ($4,550,000) - Olli Määttä ($4,083,333)

GOALTENDER (2)
Corey Crawford ($6,000,000) - Robin Lehner ($5,000,000)

DETAILS
Roster Size: 22
Salary Cap: $81,500,000
Cap Hit: $81,038,461
Cap Space: $461,539
- DarthKane

Who would ever think the Hawks would spend $11 mil. in a year on goaltending and be cap compliant?

Stan has had a run of good transaction activity starting with last fall and continuing up to this point. Though I'm not that enthusiastic about the last two moves, he's been way more on than off lately.

But let's be brutally honest - the Hjalmarsson trade was brutal unless Murphy becomes and NHL-caliber legitimate top 4 defender this season, right now (at a minimum, they received damaged goods and the 2nd guy was trash). The Danault trade was awful, not because Danault has turned into Bergeron, but because the return was trash - it added zero to that playoff run plus they gave up a draft choice and then they had to scramble looking for depth down the middle. Seabrook's deal has been beaten to death. I think we can say that the Anisimov deal was also foolish. The team has to date not drafted or developed a single solid d-man since Hjalmarsson.

In my mind Stan gave himself the opportunity to continue with the moves last fall. That has to continue if they don't want to waste the last three or four years of Toews/Kane.

My favorite is Peaky Blinders, despite the fact that the Boston Bruins love the show too.
- walleyeb1

Gosh I must be getting old. You have a kid with immense talent, who doesn't make the show, and instead of going back and working his butt off with a chip on his shoulder he pouts?

Now he gets traded to a new team and he reads he is slated to be lined up with 88?

Wow...if he doesn't come out guns blazing...

If that's the correct story. SMH
- hockey nut 28

Has to be true, I read it on the internet and on this board

Saad is not overpaid and will still be in his prime. The way salaries are going will probably be a 5x7 guy next contract.
- rpeters01

But will the Hawks extend Saad after the 20/21 season or move on from him and free up those $$$$$$M for younger players?

Tyler, this could be a subject for a future blog after the first of the year. IF (with capital letters) for whatever reason (injuries to key players, the overall strength of the Central division/Western conference, players not adapting to the system or the system sucks etc) the Hawks are out of playoff contention at the TDL, what deals do they make?

Move Gus?
Move Anismov if still on the team at that time?
Move Saad before his NTC kicks in? (Yeah, I know... Saad good power forward, plays a 200 foot game, valuable on the PK, don't have anyone to replace him, reasonable contract, just the player you need in the playoffs, except if this scenario occurs the Hawks would be missing the post season for the 3rd year in a row with Saad back on the team.)

Winning Games?
- Ogilthorpe2

Well that would be a bonus.

No I liked Tevo , don't confuse that please. You make some valid points, but in a hard salary cap era, sometimes tough choices have to be made for the Future of the team, and with a hard cap it is important to draft, develop young up and coming players to offset salaries and be the next future generational stars.
A 20 year old future star with a high ceiling over a 29 year old topped out 4th line player.
- Taylorst1

You should apply to be the Hawk's General manager. Your ability to know what to do with 20/20 hindsight is sure to get them to fire Bowman in favour of you.

- HawkintheD

Oh that's good.

Was thinking about that the other day and that what I've read about Alex and seen of Willie, kind of reminds me of how Michael used to play and also disappear for stretches at a time.
- HawkintheD

Wasn't that frustrating to those of us who think they face in sync with the NHL action the is being played live in front of them.
Specifically that Eric Daze - Michael Nylander - JP Dumont line...
they would on many nights especially when the Blackhawks team was ahead, seemed to thrive as a dominant scoring line and I am sure if the Athletic had been around along then, with the hungry fan base wanting so and to see the hawks become a top club again, all would be buzzing about their play.

BUT...in my reality, there were a high amount of what I thought were big competitive games where I was so hopeful (with the rest) that they would go out and out-finese, and out score the opposition.
What seems to happen, was the opposing teams would lay the lumber (remember how "legal" that used to be?) and check the bejezus out of. them...and the line always seemed to fade into the background...like wussycats.

Different time, and actually a different game from now.

I came out jung ho on what I liked about the trade and acquisition, and won't back down from it...this was a chance to add a REALLY high skilled skater, attacker, thinker with incredible hands (I watched on him since the trade and I had to watch it three times to see the shot, it was so fast!) ... because prospects like this are not in our prospects pool...and by virtue on an 18 yr old draft that is what they are, even three years later...kids you hope can put together all the parts and start adding NHL hockey IQ to their junior level hockey IQ...that was DeBrincat's biggest attribute, GREAT HOCKEY SENSE,that quick recognition and replacement of himself as an attacker, and the touch when he gets the biscuit.
So no matter if Alex Nylander gets his feeling hurt having to work at improvement w/o the gimme and subsequent quick success and FAT $$$ deal his older brother did, there isn't going to be a gimme in Chicago either.
Not trying to compare the players, but DuClair was given adequate chances in many organizations to round out his game.
Apples top Oranges...because I think you ALL are going to recognize that Nylander may not have the cats "hockey sense" but, he is a natural scorer.
In the draft class what 2016, the consensus (including me)had natural scorers ranked
Alex DeBrincat
Patrik Laine
Jesse Puljujarvi
Keiffer Bellows
Alex Nylander
Tyson Jost
and then
Auston Matthews
This is natural scorers, no thinking---not their pre-Mock ranks....
and surely there are a boatload on other things that fill the prospect and his toolbox is what he uses to improve from that junior level to attempt to suceed as a pro player.

So the positives (followed by the negatives) on Alex Nylander
Not as good a skater as his brother but still displays east-west elusiveness.
Has an entire video of highlight reel goals from junior, and a few from pro, but not many.
He still has elusive East-West moves and is not only agile, he can dangle through tight traffic even in the "A."
He has soft hands and his puck handling in flight are too-notch, and passes equally well with both sides of his blade, and he fits as a high end generator when he isn't taking the shots.
(I read that mess Corey Pronman video with a North-South entry poping off his blade...I guess if I wanted to nitpick I would look at five vids and think some is what it is, because although this kid is more of a touch and go attacker, he has no trouble getting in high space no matter what Corey thinks, grrrrr.)

I think his signature deceptive move is lurking on the edges in motion, and seeing a crack while his teammate has possession and jumping in for the look.
Some see this marking him as a perimeter player, I don't. The game is presently about trying to not get tied or slowed but able to area fill.
let's get to the negatives...remember, 20 minutes ago above, I mention Michael and Daze and what I "thought" I saw happen?
well, prior to HIS draft, there was the same concern with Alex that he lacked heart...this was based on the fact against weaker opposition he thrived, and in games where the competition checking got tigher, he disappeared.
And there was a already an opinion that folks would like to see a three-zone committment. That is wasn't enough to be the game-breaker home-run hitter, but that your team might like to see you initiate contact once and awhile...
(Could you very well have said this about a Patrick Kane when he was 21 in 2008 his second pro season after being a minus five even strength and putting up 72 points in the rookie season before?)
Also adding this; Scouts were making comparison of Alexander Nylander to Phil Kesell on both levels...

And I see nothing wrong with expecting the Sikura's, and developing "top 4 defenders to have to taste the AHL, where the skill around you doesn't match a younsters skill set...but the idea is to get improved so you can go pro, not expect a job before you take advantage of the opportunity.

I have no insight yet on why both players were exchanged but I still think they both asked for it.

But I can't wait to see how it turns out....

I think if we are being honest here , we all agree Stan has made some awful decisions, seabrooks contract, signing Bickell to a 4million dollar contract based on his playoff series only to turn around the following summer and have to give up t evo just to move Bickell,

Denault

All of these new acquisitions whom we haven't had the chance to watch and or play in the nhl either enough or at all it will be interesting to see how things may or may not work out.

Sure on paper they have improved from last year, but until they hit the ice and start playing we won't know how things will workout.
- Taylorst1

I wish everyone would stop criticzing the Bickell contract. Watch that '13 playoff and cup win.

Every GM worth his salt would have paid Bickell.

Think everyone by now knows my feeling on the Danault trade. But even I need to admit, its not like Phillip Danault is an all star year in and year out.

Something that is a very positive right now in Blackhswks-land.. the GM and Coach talk (a lot!) and from what I've heard are on the same page.

This means Colliton has been instrumental in having a voice in these moves.

It doesn't all fall on the coach and these moves are a group effort (Stan, coaching staff, scouts, etcs) and what I'm happy about is that there is a gameplan on where these additions fit on the team.

It was obvious and well-documented that Stan and Q didn't see eye-to-eye on all moves. I would wager that Joel lost a bit of a seat at the table in that regard the last few years.

Evidence of the Hammer and Panarin trades. Daley being misused, and the list goes on.

If given the right pieces, I'm confident that Colliton will put these guys in the right position to succeed based on how closely he and Stan have been working together this offseason.
- Tyler Cameron

Maybe Colliton saw young Nylander play in Sweden a few years ago, was impressed and suggested to Stan to go out and get him.

To call Danault equal to Bergeron is a stretch.

No, THIS!


- HawkintheD

They have descent prospects, really they do
Some may not make it
Curious how Kyrs turns out. And how good might Carlsson become? Some forwards could be very good #2-#4 line role players. Ability to roll four strong lines would help push the team to greater success. Now we can wait and see which dmen pan out. A skilled mobile crew with four or more good puck handlers means puck possession increases. Maybe less body checks too.

No you are not alone seeing the farm system nicely filling up. But Steve Rain has said you can have all the prospects but until they are bona fide nhl players you have nothing. That is a paraphrase btw.

So i do expect we will be seeing a lot of young talent filtering in during next three seasons. Rebuild on the fly!

CapFriendly.com Armchair-GM User-Generated Roster

FORWARDS (12)
Right wing: Patrick Kane ($10,500,000) - Andrew Shaw ($3,900,000) - Dylan Sikura ($750,000) - David Kämpf ($1,000,000)
Centre: Jonathan Toews ($10,500,000) - Dylan Strome ($863,333) - Artem Anisimov ($4,550,000) - Ryan Carpenter ($1,000,000)
Left wing: Brandon Saad ($6,000,000) - Alex DeBrincat ($778,333) - Dominik Kubalik ($925,000) - Drake Caggiula ($1,500,000)

DEFENSE (6)
Right: Erik Gustafsson ($1,200,000) - Connor Murphy ($3,850,000) - Brent Seabrook ($6,875,000)
Left: Duncan Keith ($5,538,462) - Calvin De Haan ($4,550,000) - Olli Määttä ($4,083,333)

GOALTENDER (2)
Corey Crawford ($6,000,000) - Robin Lehner ($5,000,000)

DETAILS
Roster Size: 22
Salary Cap: $81,500,000
Cap Hit: $81,038,461
Cap Space: $461,539
- DarthKane

12+6+2 = 20

12+6+2 = 20
- boilermaker100

For some reason the two scratches (Koekkoek and Quenneville) are counted in the overall cap hit but they're not listed.

3

To call Danault equal to Bergeron is a stretch.
- LAHawk

Ya think?

For some reason the two scratches (Koekkoek and Quenneville) are counted in the overall cap hit but they're not listed.

3
- DarthKane

Looking at that line-up, it seems to me the Hawks are going to be more a north-south team than a east-west team. At any rate more difficult to play against than in recent memory

For some reason the two scratches (Koekkoek and Quenneville) are counted in the overall cap hit but they're not listed.

3
- DarthKane

Okay got it.

I never thought the Hawks would get this close to the cap this summer. I thought that Stan would have banked several million this year to pay for next year's RFA's. Stan is using every dollar available to improve this team and get back to the playoffs and hopefully a deep run.

Okay got it.

I never thought the Hawks would get this close to the cap this summer. I thought that Stan would have banked several million this year to pay for next year's RFA's. Stan is using every dollar available to improve this team and get back to the playoffs and hopefully a deep run.
- boilermaker100

Don't forget you have $11 mil. in goaltending alone coming off the books next year.

Eh, that's a weak excuse imo. Q was never going to play Manning over Jokiharju no matter how much he was being paid - he had Manning playing bottom pair from game 1 and rotated him in the press box by like game 7. And it's highly doubtful he would have played Murphy over him either. People seem to forget that Q did not care for Murphy - played him bottom pair minutes and crap assignments the season before. He liked Oesterle on his offside better ffs.

Anyway, they had a lot of other options in Rockford if they just wanted to fill a spot due to injury. If Q didn't genuinely like the kid, they would have sent him back to juniors rather than burn an ELC year. Q not only played the kid, but gave him top pairing minutes and raved about him in a way Q is not wont to do. He made the roster because Q thought he was better than everyone but Keith pretty much. JC didn't agree obviously but that doesn't change how Q viewed him.
- L_B_R

Stan has had a run of good transaction activity starting with last fall and continuing up to this point. Though I'm not that enthusiastic about the last two moves, he's been way more on than off lately.

But let's be brutally honest - the Hjalmarsson trade was brutal unless Murphy becomes and NHL-caliber legitimate top 4 defender this season, right now (at a minimum, they received damaged goods and the 2nd guy was trash). The Danault trade was awful, not because Danault has turned into Bergeron, but because the return was trash - it added zero to that playoff run plus they gave up a draft choice and then they had to scramble looking for depth down the middle. Seabrook's deal has been beaten to death. I think we can say that the Anisimov deal was also foolish. The team has to date not drafted or developed a single solid d-man since Hjalmarsson.

In my mind Stan gave himself the opportunity to continue with the moves last fall. That has to continue if they don't want to waste the last three or four years of Toews/Kane.
- jrsamu

I have to disagree. Although HJalmarsson was a great player, he was showing signs of decline. I think it was a good move by Stan to trade a declining player for a younger player. Sometimes we need to remember it is a business, and players are assets only.

There are actually a lot of similarities to the Strome situation from the mental/emotional side of the game.....when you consider that Nylander grew up playing AAA youth hockey in Chicago and his Dad played for the Hawks, it’s comparable to Strome who was excited to play with BFF and former Erie otter lineman DeBrincat. Nylander should be extremely motivated to earn a spot on Kane’s off wing....Time will tell.
- EnzoD

They're both weak in character if they need that motivation to make a career
playing a sport one loves. these are guys that might end up being good but
not the type to get you to the top of the mountain, they'll quit once it becomes
a struggle.

They're both weak in character if they need that motivation to make a career
playing a sport one loves. these are guys that might end up being good but
not the type to get you to the top of the mountain, they'll quit once it becomes
a struggle.
- gazza53

Did you gather this information on him being weak in character when you were playing with him, coaching him or when you had your long interview with him and people associated with him through his teams?

Looking at that line-up, it seems to me the Hawks are going to be more a north-south team than a east-west team. At any rate more difficult to play against than in recent memory
- LAHawk

Assuming that would be the Hawks opening night roster, it's a significant improvement over last season:

Anisimov
Debrincat
Hayden
Johnson
Kahun
Kampf
Kane
Kruger
Kunitz
Martinsen
Saad
Schmaltz
Toews

Davidson
Gustafsson
Jokiharju
Keith
Manning
Rutta
Seabrook

Ward
Forsberg

IR - Crawford, Murphy, Forsling

I have to disagree. Although HJalmarsson was a great player, he was showing signs of decline. I think it was a good move by Stan to trade a declining player for a younger player. Sometimes we need to remember it is a business, and players are assets only.
- powerenforcer

Hjalmarsson was declining and his contract was coming up. It was the right move to trade him but just ended up with Murphy, unfortunately, who is as good as he'll ever be...which was a #6 on a bad AZ team