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Post by LordKOTL on Aug 16, 2021 14:22:07 GMT -6
I threw some negativity. So now I’ll shed some light. While I whole heartedly agree with Lordy. I will say maybe if they get rid of Stromes contract, and Shaws LTIR opens up. They could get some extra depth. Whether that be a top line player, that slots Kubalik a little lower. Or if they can, add in a couple nice 3rd liners and move our 3rd liners to the 4th line and have actual depth. There are possibilities. Not sure if this is on the menu at the time. But……. I think there’s absolutely no point in allowing cap space to go unspent with all the recent moves. So I can see the Hawks adding a few pieces as the year goes on!!! Not disagreeing, but playing devil's advocate, come next season cap will be at a premium and we might lose Koob. Long story short we got 27M in unallocated cap next season, and 11 roster slots to be filled (2G, 4D, and 5F), that equates out to ~2.48M/player. Even if we assume the 7th D/13th FWD are making scraps, that doesn't leave a lot of a room for adequate fill-in slots. If Koob goes on a scoring tear (and playing for his paycheck, he might), we might not be able to justify his cost. Fleury, Lanks, Koob, Dach, Kurashev, Nylander, Gaudette, Carpenter, Strome, Nyuk, Caleb, DeHaan, & Murph all expire after this season. Not all of them will be resigned, but many of their slots will have to be taken over if they aren't...with someone who is likley making what they are worth (assuming no one isn't overpaid). The 'hawks could possibly get some depth via Shaw's LTIR if Stan plays it right (i.e. Shaw's on the books come opening day), but at ~4M remaining who could they sign, or who could they trade for and what assets would be going out or junk coming back? Further, would this be a multi-year asset that the 'hawks have to take into consideration moving forward? It would not help the 'hawks if they used Shaw's LTIR overage on players like Maata or DeHaan moving forward. The only way I see moving forward to progress well given the cap constraints moving forward is to shed some cap. Strome is a good one to move. The same goes for any player making a sizable chunk of cap but isn't producing. In my opinion the best bet now is to try and really see what we got in players and part ways with those that aren't cutting the mustard. That means everyone who's not nailed down. The 'hawks should spend their cap, but they have to be cautious about it. The problem with the 'hawks has been dead cap or guys who are useless the past few seasons. We shouldn't be acquiring more dead cap or useless players just to spend to the cap ceiling. There has to be a future purpose in mind that actually fits what the team is, not what Stan think it should be.
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Post by BigT on Aug 16, 2021 14:50:03 GMT -6
I threw some negativity. So now I’ll shed some light. While I whole heartedly agree with Lordy. I will say maybe if they get rid of Stromes contract, and Shaws LTIR opens up. They could get some extra depth. Whether that be a top line player, that slots Kubalik a little lower. Or if they can, add in a couple nice 3rd liners and move our 3rd liners to the 4th line and have actual depth. There are possibilities. Not sure if this is on the menu at the time. But……. I think there’s absolutely no point in allowing cap space to go unspent with all the recent moves. So I can see the Hawks adding a few pieces as the year goes on!!! Not disagreeing, but playing devil's advocate, come next season cap will be at a premium and we might lose Koob. Long story short we got 27M in unallocated cap next season, and 11 roster slots to be filled (2G, 4D, and 5F), that equates out to ~2.48M/player. Even if we assume the 7th D/13th FWD are making scraps, that doesn't leave a lot of a room for adequate fill-in slots. If Koob goes on a scoring tear (and playing for his paycheck, he might), we might not be able to justify his cost. Fleury, Lanks, Koob, Dach, Kurashev, Nylander, Gaudette, Carpenter, Strome, Nyuk, Caleb, DeHaan, & Murph all expire after this season. Not all of them will be resigned, but many of their slots will have to be taken over if they aren't...with someone who is likley making what they are worth (assuming no one isn't overpaid). The 'hawks could possibly get some depth via Shaw's LTIR if Stan plays it right (i.e. Shaw's on the books come opening day), but at ~4M remaining who could they sign, or who could they trade for and what assets would be going out or junk coming back? Further, would this be a multi-year asset that the 'hawks have to take into consideration moving forward? It would not help the 'hawks if they used Shaw's LTIR overage on players like Maata or DeHaan moving forward. The only way I see moving forward to progress well given the cap constraints moving forward is to shed some cap. Strome is a good one to move. The same goes for any player making a sizable chunk of cap but isn't producing. In my opinion the best bet now is to try and really see what we got in players and part ways with those that aren't cutting the mustard. That means everyone who's not nailed down. The 'hawks should spend their cap, but they have to be cautious about it. The problem with the 'hawks has been dead cap or guys who are useless the past few seasons. We shouldn't be acquiring more dead cap or useless players just to spend to the cap ceiling. There has to be a future purpose in mind that actually fits what the team is, not what Stan think it should be. I agree the plan is non existent. Scambo did say he wasn’t worried about the cap because in 2 years he only has a handful of guys signed and he’ll have probably 3/4 of the cap to spend. Not saying that’s any reason for the shape of the team now. But he has to get Toews and Kane signed. And I don’t think 10.5 is due for either of them. I’d think Kane gets 8 and Toews gets 5. But I wouldn’t sign either to very long as it could kill the cap if they retire. As you pointed out. There’s a lot of players due this coming season. This is where a healthy farm can help. If and I mean if Mitchell, Beaudin and Reichel can all step in for the 2022/23 season, then things are going to be ok. If they don’t, they’ll have to reach into the UFA bag and either get garbage or overpay. The team is gonna be awful in 2 years time. And still have cap problems. This is why I don’t think Jones is gonna help that much. He’s a short term solution for a looooooong term problem. In 4 years from now, there’s a very very good chance Jones won’t want to be in Chicago, and he’ll be super hard to move. Especially if his downward trend continues. But if Scambo uses his cap space this year to the fullest effect, he needs to get depth on the bottom lines. Or a top line player for the year. Then players can be moved around. Also, the coaching needs to be much much better. I thought it looked like a few of us from these boards got a team and went on a 2 week heater and tried to coach. JC doesn’t last the year!!!
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Post by LordKOTL on Aug 16, 2021 15:40:59 GMT -6
Not disagreeing, but playing devil's advocate, come next season cap will be at a premium and we might lose Koob. Long story short we got 27M in unallocated cap next season, and 11 roster slots to be filled (2G, 4D, and 5F), that equates out to ~2.48M/player. Even if we assume the 7th D/13th FWD are making scraps, that doesn't leave a lot of a room for adequate fill-in slots. If Koob goes on a scoring tear (and playing for his paycheck, he might), we might not be able to justify his cost. Fleury, Lanks, Koob, Dach, Kurashev, Nylander, Gaudette, Carpenter, Strome, Nyuk, Caleb, DeHaan, & Murph all expire after this season. Not all of them will be resigned, but many of their slots will have to be taken over if they aren't...with someone who is likley making what they are worth (assuming no one isn't overpaid). The 'hawks could possibly get some depth via Shaw's LTIR if Stan plays it right (i.e. Shaw's on the books come opening day), but at ~4M remaining who could they sign, or who could they trade for and what assets would be going out or junk coming back? Further, would this be a multi-year asset that the 'hawks have to take into consideration moving forward? It would not help the 'hawks if they used Shaw's LTIR overage on players like Maata or DeHaan moving forward. The only way I see moving forward to progress well given the cap constraints moving forward is to shed some cap. Strome is a good one to move. The same goes for any player making a sizable chunk of cap but isn't producing. In my opinion the best bet now is to try and really see what we got in players and part ways with those that aren't cutting the mustard. That means everyone who's not nailed down. The 'hawks should spend their cap, but they have to be cautious about it. The problem with the 'hawks has been dead cap or guys who are useless the past few seasons. We shouldn't be acquiring more dead cap or useless players just to spend to the cap ceiling. There has to be a future purpose in mind that actually fits what the team is, not what Stan think it should be. I agree the plan is non existent. Scambo did say he wasn’t worried about the cap because in 2 years he only has a handful of guys signed and he’ll have probably 3/4 of the cap to spend. Not saying that’s any reason for the shape of the team now. But he has to get Toews and Kane signed. And I don’t think 10.5 is due for either of them. I’d think Kane gets 8 and Toews gets 5. But I wouldn’t sign either to very long as it could kill the cap if they retire. As you pointed out. There’s a lot of players due this coming season. This is where a healthy farm can help. If and I mean if Mitchell, Beaudin and Reichel can all step in for the 2022/23 season, then things are going to be ok. If they don’t, they’ll have to reach into the UFA bag and either get garbage or overpay. The team is gonna be awful in 2 years time. And still have cap problems. This is why I don’t think Jones is gonna help that much. He’s a short term solution for a looooooong term problem. In 4 years from now, there’s a very very good chance Jones won’t want to be in Chicago, and he’ll be super hard to move. Especially if his downward trend continues. But if Scambo uses his cap space this year to the fullest effect, he needs to get depth on the bottom lines. Or a top line player for the year. Then players can be moved around. Also, the coaching needs to be much much better. I thought it looked like a few of us from these boards got a team and went on a 2 week heater and tried to coach. JC doesn’t last the year!!! Honestly, I think the place where a solid acquisition this year can help is on defense. Jones is still a #1 guy. McCabe if healthy is a middle pairing guy and Murph on a good team is a #5. Getting a real defenseman (and not the second coming of Danny Richmond) could enable at least 1 pairing to run without a vet babysitting someone, or give us 2 complete pairings and thus the 'hawks won't be exposed defensively as much, and thus won't require a .920+ year from MAF or Lankinen. I think ~4M (or more) will go a much longer way towards shoring up the D than it would go trying to plug the holes at FWD. But I do think if the 'hawks go on a losing bender JC is gone. Stan will have to do something to deflect the microscope from being on him, especially with the Aldrich fiasco.
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Post by shooter61 on Aug 16, 2021 16:13:21 GMT -6
Just throwing my 2 cents in here ,,, Big T said the teams prospects (mainly first rounders) rarely ever pan out., I think Big T meant to say,: the teams prospects (mainly first rounders) rarely ever pan out,( here) Because our dumb GM trades them away, Stan lost my support long before he lost both trades between the breadman and saad, and if you think it's a typo ,It's not, Most on here including me have watched him, change direction too many times, Now I wasn't always a Stan basher like some , but it didn't take me long to jump on that band wagon, after loosing Danault , a player i watched for 3 years in the Q, and was ecstatic when we drafted him, Oh almost forgot "Welcome to the boards, madhawksfan!!" You have to realize mad hawksfan, that some of these posters where Hawks fans before we had color tv, guys like GT, Tman vadarx and Big T , us young pups don't know the trouble they went through
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Post by galaxytrash on Aug 16, 2021 16:51:49 GMT -6
If he doesn't fit he can be waived to Rockford, if he's taken 🤷♂️ yeah, or he might be a decent "throw in" on a trade. a #8 overall with basically 1 season under his belt (84 games) on a cheap contract still might not be too hard to get rid of. hopefully he has a breakout season but i'm sure not betting the farm on it. at best it's a long shot. i've given up on the guy ages ago. prove me wrong "snipe show". i've found a nice slow cooker recipe for crow.
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Post by vadarx on Aug 16, 2021 16:59:45 GMT -6
Just throwing my 2 cents in here ,,, Big T said the teams prospects (mainly first rounders) rarely ever pan out., I think Big T meant to say,: the teams prospects (mainly first rounders) rarely ever pan out,( here) Because our dumb GM trades them away, Stan lost my support long before he lost both trades between the breadman and saad, and if you think it's a typo ,It's not, Most on here including me have watched him, change direction too many times, Now I wasn't always a Stan basher like some , but it didn't take me long to jump on that band wagon, after loosing Danault , a player i watched for 3 years in the Q, and was ecstatic when we drafted him, Oh almost forgot "Welcome to the boards, madhawksfan!!" You have to realize mad hawksfan, that some of these posters where Hawks fans before we had color tv, guys like GT, Tman vadarx and Big T , us young pups don't know the trouble they went through I'll just throw in here that both Big T and I are similar in the beginnings of our fandoms (I started following the team in the mid 80's) so we have a ways to go before we catch a couple others on that list! 🤣
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Post by BigT on Aug 16, 2021 17:21:21 GMT -6
Just throwing my 2 cents in here ,,, Big T said the teams prospects (mainly first rounders) rarely ever pan out., I think Big T meant to say,: the teams prospects (mainly first rounders) rarely ever pan out,( here) Because our dumb GM trades them away, Stan lost my support long before he lost both trades between the breadman and saad, and if you think it's a typo ,It's not, Most on here including me have watched him, change direction too many times, Now I wasn't always a Stan basher like some , but it didn't take me long to jump on that band wagon, after loosing Danault , a player i watched for 3 years in the Q, and was ecstatic when we drafted him, Oh almost forgot "Welcome to the boards, madhawksfan!!" You have to realize mad hawksfan, that some of these posters where Hawks fans before we had color tv, guys like GT, Tman vadarx and Big T , us young pups don't know the trouble they went through I'll just throw in here that both Big T and I are similar in the beginnings of our fandoms (I started following the team in the mid 80's) so we have a ways to go before we catch a couple others on that list! 🤣 I’m 44. I had a non colour TV back when I was like 5 at the beginning of the 80s. I think it was my parents way of getting me to F*** off when they wanted me to go to bed. I think it was an 18” at best. But that was the tough ol days where no other kid had a tv, so I guess I was lucky! I did start liking the Hawks around 87 when I was about 10. All my buddies liked either the Leaves or Wings. So I started thinking outside the box. So peeps like us have suffered through some tough times…… black and white!!!
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Post by hsbob on Aug 16, 2021 17:58:09 GMT -6
So some of you seem to be taking what I said the wrong way. I'm not saying we can't discuss mistakes of the FO, I apologized if it came off that way, what point I am trying to get across, is that lets get excited we actually have a shot to do something this year, so instead of being mad about the moves the last few years (which I agree, a lot of bad moves) let's be happy we have a chance this year. Whether we used trade/free agency to get here, oh well, I'm just hoping we surprise some ppl and make a deep run. And honestly I think Kane and Toews will finish there careers here, I think both would take a pay cut if they had to just to finish it off here,cuz Toews definitely will need to take a pay cut, but Kane should too IMO, even though he's still one of the best offensive players in the league, I still think he'll take a little less then he'd get if he went somewhere else to stay here.... We'll see though right, only time will tell. I do hope I'm right though. And thanks for the welcomes I'm glad to be here, I'm 36, been a die hard fan since I was 5, used to play with BUFF in Brandon back in the day and just love hockey. I don't, but if we do make a good wave I'll be happy to eat crow. As I've mentioned before I don't see the depth with this team in any area except goaltender. We have great pieces but not the complete package or even a critical mass of players like in 2015 who could mask the issues of the not-so-good ones. Being the team sport hockey that it is I see way too many holes which may only be covered by running key players roughshod (many of those players on the wrong side of 30)--and by the time the playoffs come about they'll likely be gassed like in 2016. There are a ton of things which need to go right for the 'hawks to do something other than be one-and-done. Fleury has to repeat his excellent previous season (something he hasn't done since 2015 and 2016). Lankinen needs to continue developing. Jones needs a bounceback season. McCabe needs to be healthy. Murph needs to be solid and soak up tough minutes--likely when pared with a scrub. DeHaan needs to not suck like Monica Lewinsky at a White House Christmas dinner. Mitchell/Beaudin/Nyuk need to keep their development on track even though they'll be asked to step up their games. Toews needs to come back healthy and at the level he was in the play-in and knock off the rust ASAFP. Debrincat needs to repeat his previous year. Kane needs to be Kane and can't have an off year in any aspect of his game (i.e. no repeat of 2018 where he didn't play defense at all). Kubalik needs to play for his next paycheck. Hagel needs to not be a flash in the pan and come back the same or better. Strome and Dach need to learn how to win a faceoff. Nylander needs to play like he wants to play and not be riding on Daddy's coattails, Johnson needs a bounceback season, and JC needs a defensive game plan that the players can actually execute, and the players need full buy-in on the system. I don't foresee all of that happening. It may be too easy to shut down a critical aspect of our game plan or exploit a weakness where the 'hawks will not be able to mitigate it, and in the end we may be nothing more than a one-and-done team. I'll be happy to eat crow too and all it'll take is winnin' two series.......maybe one depending who we beat and how we look in the 2nd round. There's no doubt just about every team would love to add a Seth Jones but could we have paid ANY more as far as term,$$$,clauses and the return in trade? There's also no doubt that Jones is a better D-man than Keith at this point in their careers but Keith's leadership could be missed and he was our best D-man last year. Who knows how JT returns,no bigger fan than me but he's been through some serious health issues and away from the game @33. I won't post Dach's numbers from his first 82 games again(I think that makes me a bad guy)but they'll have to improve markedly to be a 2LC. I don't mind a bigger,tougher D-man like McCabe either,but 16M is a big commitment for a guy comin' off major knee surgery. MAF won the Vezina and is quite the upgrade in net but he lost his net again in last year's PO's,the year before and in both the Pens last two cup runs as well(don't shoot the messenger)............let's hope he has another great year and finishes it off in style. Does adding a true #1 D-man,one of the league's best tenders and getting JT back result in a competitive PO team? Doesn't it kinda HAVE to? I'll still watch em all with very few exceptions and I'll enjoy a successful season as much as the next guy. I'll also wonder how things woulda looked if a few of those #1's we been dumpin' woulda been real good and if we got something for the last 20 million we spent.........only water under the bridge I'm told.
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Post by LordKOTL on Aug 16, 2021 21:32:29 GMT -6
I don't, but if we do make a good wave I'll be happy to eat crow. As I've mentioned before I don't see the depth with this team in any area except goaltender. We have great pieces but not the complete package or even a critical mass of players like in 2015 who could mask the issues of the not-so-good ones. Being the team sport hockey that it is I see way too many holes which may only be covered by running key players roughshod (many of those players on the wrong side of 30)--and by the time the playoffs come about they'll likely be gassed like in 2016. There are a ton of things which need to go right for the 'hawks to do something other than be one-and-done. Fleury has to repeat his excellent previous season (something he hasn't done since 2015 and 2016). Lankinen needs to continue developing. Jones needs a bounceback season. McCabe needs to be healthy. Murph needs to be solid and soak up tough minutes--likely when pared with a scrub. DeHaan needs to not suck like Monica Lewinsky at a White House Christmas dinner. Mitchell/Beaudin/Nyuk need to keep their development on track even though they'll be asked to step up their games. Toews needs to come back healthy and at the level he was in the play-in and knock off the rust ASAFP. Debrincat needs to repeat his previous year. Kane needs to be Kane and can't have an off year in any aspect of his game (i.e. no repeat of 2018 where he didn't play defense at all). Kubalik needs to play for his next paycheck. Hagel needs to not be a flash in the pan and come back the same or better. Strome and Dach need to learn how to win a faceoff. Nylander needs to play like he wants to play and not be riding on Daddy's coattails, Johnson needs a bounceback season, and JC needs a defensive game plan that the players can actually execute, and the players need full buy-in on the system. I don't foresee all of that happening. It may be too easy to shut down a critical aspect of our game plan or exploit a weakness where the 'hawks will not be able to mitigate it, and in the end we may be nothing more than a one-and-done team. I'll be happy to eat crow too and all it'll take is winnin' two series.......maybe one depending who we beat and how we look in the 2nd round. I will say that one-and done or missing the playoffs should be considered a fail and a reason to can Stan. If he's truly going for it and says as much, then WCF should be the minimum. There's no doubt just about every team would love to add a Seth Jones but could we have paid ANY more as far as term,$$$,clauses and the return in trade? There's also no doubt that Jones is a better D-man than Keith at this point in their careers but Keith's leadership could be missed and he was our best D-man last year. While I agree in terms of the term and duration, that might just be the bar for a true #1 d-man...even though we set the bar. IMHO there's a HUGE onus on Jones to perform, and I think if Stan survives this season, part of his test next year should be how he performs next year and through the duration where he's making ~11.65% of the cap. That level is *almost* as much as Toews and Kane were the 1st year of their current deals, and that is nearly franchise-player cap. If Jones isn't that level of defenseman, then it should reflect on Stan's ability to scout, or the ability of his scouts and not taking them to task.Who knows how JT returns,no bigger fan than me but he's been through some serious health issues and away from the game @33. Exactly, not just that but there might be some major rust. I'm hoping for the minimum, solid if not spectacular defensively, over 50% at the dot, and maybe a 15/30 player depending on his linemates. If he hits 20 it's gravy but the team is starving for defense from the forwards and a center who could win a faceoff.I won't post Dach's numbers from his first 82 games again(I think that makes me a bad guy)but they'll have to improve markedly to be a 2LC. I agree, or at least we have to figure out what he is and how to leverage him the best we can within his abilities. He has shown promise in the play-in, but if he can't win a faceoff, can we utilize him and his frame as a top-6 wing? Ultimately though as a 3oa pick the expectations are high, and that should also mreflect on Stan. He could very well turn into his Cam Barker.I don't mind a bigger,tougher D-man like McCabe either,but 16M is a big commitment for a guy comin' off major knee surgery. It is, but if he can stay healthy and play defense soundly it is a positive. If he gets injured again that's 4M for yet another mid-pairing guy who doesn't help.MAF won the Vezina and is quite the upgrade in net but he lost his net again in last year's PO's,the year before and in both the Pens last two cup runs as well(don't shoot the messenger)............let's hope he has another great year and finishes it off in style. MAF has a great shot at being a great tender for us this year, but there are some knocks--he's not as good as Crawford was on the career, and he's seen less shots/game. This can be concerning because he'll have to backstop a team on paper that likley will give up a ton of shots and he'll have to be on the ball. He also tends to be a hot/cold tender and he was hot last year. I'm hoping for the best from him and even if he's cold, he still will be a great mentor for Lanks.Does adding a true #1 D-man,one of the league's best tenders and getting JT back result in a competitive PO team? Doesn't it kinda HAVE to? I think so. I think if it's a rebuild-in-situ they have to go beyond one-and-done in the playoffs especially with the outlay of players this season--specifically MAF. If it's going for it the WCF has to be the goal.I'll still watch em all with very few exceptions and I'll enjoy a successful season as much as the next guy. I'll also wonder how things woulda looked if a few of those #1's we been dumpin' woulda been real good and if we got something for the last 20 million we spent.........only water under the bridge I'm told. See above for my comments:
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Post by Tater on Aug 16, 2021 23:12:49 GMT -6
I'll just throw in here that both Big T and I are similar in the beginnings of our fandoms (I started following the team in the mid 80's) so we have a ways to go before we catch a couple others on that list! 🤣 Similar start here too, mid eighties. But since then, I've only missed a handful of games. Me and friends would even drive from bar to bar at the start of home games to try to find a bar that could sneak the game on TV. We had regular bars that we called and knew us, but they usually wouldn't know until the puck dropped so we got there before the puck dropped. Carlos Murphy's in Schaumburg showed a lot of them.
Of course we listened on the radio while we drove around when needed.
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Post by BigT on Aug 17, 2021 1:43:54 GMT -6
I'll just throw in here that both Big T and I are similar in the beginnings of our fandoms (I started following the team in the mid 80's) so we have a ways to go before we catch a couple others on that list! 🤣 Similar start here too, mid eighties. But since then, I've only missed a handful of games. Me and friends would even drive from bar to bar at the start of home games to try to find a bar that could sneak the game on TV. We had regular bars that we called and knew us, but they usually wouldn't know until the puck dropped so we got there before the puck dropped. Carlos Murphy's in Schaumburg showed a lot of them.
Of course we listened on the radio while we drove around when needed. That’s awesome. I’ve always loved and respected people who listen on the radio. My dad won’t miss a single Spitfires game on the radio. Or Tigers game. I love that soooo much. That’s dedicated people. I’ve always respected you, now I’ve got a new special place for you! I met a dude in Columbus at the draft in 2007 when Kane was drafted. This guy had an old “Windsor Compuware Spitfires” jersey on. This was a jersey back from the 80’s when Peter Karmonos (owner of the Carolina Hurricanes) owned the Spitfires. Anyways. This dude was from Cleveland. And listened to every gawd dam game on the radio. Windsor is North right across Lake Erie. He’d get the games on AM800 with Steve Bell on the call. This guy is an absolute beauty. Bell that is. But for that guy to listen to every game on the radio was awesome. I bought him a couple beers and introduced him to a few people I knew that worked in the NHL. What cool dude he was. But I love hearing stories like yours. That’s just awesome. Good for you!!!
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Post by Tater on Aug 17, 2021 1:57:28 GMT -6
That’s awesome. I’ve always loved and respected people who listen on the radio. My dad won’t miss a single Spitfires game on the radio. Or Tigers game. I love that soooo much. That’s dedicated people. I’ve always respected you, now I’ve got a new special place for you! I met a dude in Columbus at the draft in 2007 when Kane was drafted. This guy had an old “Windsor Compuware Spitfires” jersey on. This was a jersey back from the 80’s when Peter Karmonos (owner of the Carolina Hurricanes) owned the Spitfires. Anyways. This dude was from Cleveland. And listened to every gawd dam game on the radio. Windsor is North right across Lake Erie. He’d get the games on AM800 with Steve Bell on the call. This guy is an absolute beauty. Bell that is. But for that guy to listen to every game on the radio was awesome. I bought him a couple beers and introduced him to a few people I knew that worked in the NHL. What cool dude he was. But I love hearing stories like yours. That’s just awesome. Good for you!!! Thanks T! It sucked not being able to watch the games sometimes, but Foley (and Talon) on the radio back then was awesome.
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Post by hsbob on Aug 17, 2021 8:36:58 GMT -6
I'll be happy to eat crow too and all it'll take is winnin' two series.......maybe one depending who we beat and how we look in the 2nd round. I will say that one-and done or missing the playoffs should be considered a fail and a reason to can Stan. If he's truly going for it and says as much, then WCF should be the minimum. There's no doubt just about every team would love to add a Seth Jones but could we have paid ANY more as far as term,$$$,clauses and the return in trade? There's also no doubt that Jones is a better D-man than Keith at this point in their careers but Keith's leadership could be missed and he was our best D-man last year. While I agree in terms of the term and duration, that might just be the bar for a true #1 d-man...even though we set the bar. IMHO there's a HUGE onus on Jones to perform, and I think if Stan survives this season, part of his test next year should be how he performs next year and through the duration where he's making ~11.65% of the cap. That level is *almost* as much as Toews and Kane were the 1st year of their current deals, and that is nearly franchise-player cap. If Jones isn't that level of defenseman, then it should reflect on Stan's ability to scout, or the ability of his scouts and not taking them to task.Who knows how JT returns,no bigger fan than me but he's been through some serious health issues and away from the game @33. Exactly, not just that but there might be some major rust. I'm hoping for the minimum, solid if not spectacular defensively, over 50% at the dot, and maybe a 15/30 player depending on his linemates. If he hits 20 it's gravy but the team is starving for defense from the forwards and a center who could win a faceoff.I won't post Dach's numbers from his first 82 games again(I think that makes me a bad guy)but they'll have to improve markedly to be a 2LC. I agree, or at least we have to figure out what he is and how to leverage him the best we can within his abilities. He has shown promise in the play-in, but if he can't win a faceoff, can we utilize him and his frame as a top-6 wing? Ultimately though as a 3oa pick the expectations are high, and that should also mreflect on Stan. He could very well turn into his Cam Barker.I don't mind a bigger,tougher D-man like McCabe either,but 16M is a big commitment for a guy comin' off major knee surgery. It is, but if he can stay healthy and play defense soundly it is a positive. If he gets injured again that's 4M for yet another mid-pairing guy who doesn't help.MAF won the Vezina and is quite the upgrade in net but he lost his net again in last year's PO's,the year before and in both the Pens last two cup runs as well(don't shoot the messenger)............let's hope he has another great year and finishes it off in style. MAF has a great shot at being a great tender for us this year, but there are some knocks--he's not as good as Crawford was on the career, and he's seen less shots/game. This can be concerning because he'll have to backstop a team on paper that likley will give up a ton of shots and he'll have to be on the ball. He also tends to be a hot/cold tender and he was hot last year. I'm hoping for the best from him and even if he's cold, he still will be a great mentor for Lanks.Does adding a true #1 D-man,one of the league's best tenders and getting JT back result in a competitive PO team? Doesn't it kinda HAVE to? I think so. I think if it's a rebuild-in-situ they have to go beyond one-and-done in the playoffs especially with the outlay of players this season--specifically MAF. If it's going for it the WCF has to be the goal.I'll still watch em all with very few exceptions and I'll enjoy a successful season as much as the next guy. I'll also wonder how things woulda looked if a few of those #1's we been dumpin' woulda been real good and if we got something for the last 20 million we spent.........only water under the bridge I'm told. See above for my comments: If JT can't do any better than 15/30 and win better than half his draws,I think we see him retire. His career average per 82gms is still 30/70 and his worst FO% ever is still 53.2% from his rookie season. Let's hope for a full recovery and a rusty BUT rested player,if he's healthy.he'll shake the rust off. He's two years remover from his best season ever and only one removed from his team leading 'bubble' play so who knows........I'd just hate to see him hang around as a defensive specialist or a lesser role player. We're payin' through the nose for Jones but I'd have to say SJ and LA set the bar with Karlsson 11.5M and Doughty with 11M. I see elite potential and flashes of brilliance from Dach at times and his FO% did improve,let's hope we have the right staff to help him along.
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Post by mvr on Aug 17, 2021 10:55:07 GMT -6
All of the elite teams (Tampa, Carolina, Toronto, Boston, Colorado etc with the possible exception of Florida) have taken a serious step back this year because of the salary cap. There are no great teams left. Each has holes and question marks.
The Hawks are no different.
Nevertheless, the pieces are there.
With Fleury on board, the goaltending is set.
Should Toews return and Dach progress just a little, the top two forward lines are headed by elite two-way centres. Kane, Debrincat and Kubalik certainly are top six wingers. This is certainly an above-average if not elite top six by today's diluted standards.
There are plenty of quality and diverse spare parts to fill the remaining bottom six. For the first time in ages (certainly since 2010), the coaching staff has depth and real competition at forward (especially with options like Hardman, Entwistle and Reichel likely not on the opening roster). There are alternatives this year, which means there will be no free rides.
The defence is not quite as strong, but it has some real potential. By any fair assessment, Seth Jones is a top ten defender in the game and a quality 1 defenceman. Murphy is certainly a better than average number 3 guy. The free agent acquired from Buffalo, McCabe, is a classic 4 defenceman. There are also plenty of options for the bottom pairing - Dehaan, Caleb Jones, Stillman, etc. The only question mark really is the number two guy. Will one of the rookies - Kalnyuk, Beaudin or Mitchell - be able to handle that job? If not, that slot can be upgraded at the trade deadline.
To my mind, this roster situation is very encouraging.
One other issue is the coaching. I am not as panicked as others. Mark Crawford is a proven guy with a championship pedigree.
I am certainly not planning a parade yet. But I just don't get the cynicism here about the team. Things are certainly looking up after a few down years.
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Post by BigT on Aug 17, 2021 10:59:55 GMT -6
One thing I’ll say that kinda helps is this. While many supported Kampf and tried to support whoever played for the Hawks is admirable. But Kampf is just awful. The little defense he brought, didn’t do much to help the team. He’s a dead spot in the lineup. He’s been a minus player every year of his career. Not because he’s bad defensively, because he creates absolutely nothing in the way of offense. He’s an AHL player or a Euro league player. Replacing him will help immensely. He played too much in his own end and “chased” the game.
I think sometimes addition by subtraction is the way to go. Losing Kampf is already an addition. I also believe losing Suter, Walmart, Highmore and Boqvist is gonna help a lot due to them not being very reliable players. I know Suter put up numbers, but he’s probably never gonna be a champion in the NHL. Too small and I doubt he does much in a playoff atmosphere.
So that’s some positive. Losing some of the dead weight is gonna really help. So on a positive it’s I’ll say this…… replacing Keith with Jones is a step ahead. Replacing Boqvist with anyone is a step a head, but let’s say McCabe. MAF is a step ahead. Johnson will be a step a head if he’s 3rd line center. So there’s some hope. I still believe a lot has to go right for this to work out. But as long as this so called plan is disbanded, I feel there could be something to build off of. I highly highly doubt the Hawks win a Cup this year. But if the Hawks can establish Dach as a new number 2 maybe a number 1, that’s what needs to be seen. Dcat can become the top winger we know he can be and win when it counts. This is what I’m looking for. If Dach and Dcat can be the next duo. That’ll be awesome. Once Toews and Kane’s deals are done. If they don’t come at a moderate price. That 21 million can be spent on some other good pieces to go along with Dach and Dcat. Maybe add in another top dman and another good forward.
So I’m looking at a bit bigger picture here. I wanna see the next wave of stars become just that!!!
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Post by Tater on Aug 17, 2021 11:36:45 GMT -6
I love your optimism mvr. What worries me most about the team is tJC's defensive "system". If Dmen are chasing wings out to the blueline again, or both D going behind the net I can't see the team D improving much.
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Post by mvr on Aug 17, 2021 11:43:42 GMT -6
It is all about slotting, Tater.
If a player is on the ice against players he isn't capable of defending, he gets exposed.
Murphy is a solid right-shot defender, but he is not someone who should be shutting down elite players. With Jones now onboard, Murphy can do what he does best.
If Toews returns as expected, he takes all the pressure off Dach. Now Dach plays against 2nd and 3rd pairing defenders and 2nd and 3rd line forwards.
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Post by LordKOTL on Aug 17, 2021 12:48:53 GMT -6
See above for my comments: If JT can't do any better than 15/30 and win better than half his draws,I think we see him retire. His career average per 82gms is still 30/70 and his worst FO% ever is still 53.2% from his rookie season. Let's hope for a full recovery and a rusty BUT rested player,if he's healthy.he'll shake the rust off. He's two years remover from his best season ever and only one removed from his team leading 'bubble' play so who knows........I'd just hate to see him hang around as a defensive specialist or a lesser role player. We're payin' through the nose for Jones but I'd have to say SJ and LA set the bar with Karlsson 11.5M and Doughty with 11M. I see elite potential and flashes of brilliance from Dach at times and his FO% did improve,let's hope we have the right staff to help him along. I agree on Toews; my comment was more of the "tempered expectations" type. I get the feeling that a lot of fans are hoping he'll come back, no rust, and hit something like 30/70. Even at 15/30, 50% at the dot and defensively responsible that still puts him as out #1 center so I've put the bar very low for him. I'm hoping he does well but missing that much time on the wrong side of 30? I think it would be unfair for anyone to expect him to be the Conn Smyth/Selke-winning Toews. As for Dach...he just has to put it together--either as a center or as a winger. He does have flashes of brilliance but he's far from being the next guy at this point, even though I think he was rushed.
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Post by hsbob on Aug 18, 2021 7:44:17 GMT -6
If JT can't do any better than 15/30 and win better than half his draws,I think we see him retire. His career average per 82gms is still 30/70 and his worst FO% ever is still 53.2% from his rookie season. Let's hope for a full recovery and a rusty BUT rested player,if he's healthy.he'll shake the rust off. He's two years remover from his best season ever and only one removed from his team leading 'bubble' play so who knows........I'd just hate to see him hang around as a defensive specialist or a lesser role player. We're payin' through the nose for Jones but I'd have to say SJ and LA set the bar with Karlsson 11.5M and Doughty with 11M. I see elite potential and flashes of brilliance from Dach at times and his FO% did improve,let's hope we have the right staff to help him along. I agree on Toews; my comment was more of the "tempered expectations" type. I get the feeling that a lot of fans are hoping he'll come back, no rust, and hit something like 30/70. Even at 15/30, 50% at the dot and defensively responsible that still puts him as out #1 center so I've put the bar very low for him. I'm hoping he does well but missing that much time on the wrong side of 30? I think it would be unfair for anyone to expect him to be the Conn Smyth/Selke-winning Toews. As for Dach...he just has to put it together--either as a center or as a winger. He does have flashes of brilliance but he's far from being the next guy at this point, even though I think he was rushed. JT's age alone should temper expectations but expectations seem sky high. If healthy,we know he's rested,can JT at least find the form that beat McJesus and Drystrudel in a series or is beatin' those guys in a series automatic? He's also only two summers away from his best ever season,I'd love to see him with Kane and whoever(doesn't matter),those two together make magic. Do we see line combos that make more sense now that we have this improved talent up and down the roster? Does D-Cat play with one of the team's best two setup guys(K&T by a mile)....he pots FIFTY if he does. Does the misguided quest for balanced scoring again result in the best not playing with the best and do we still see D-men chasing forwards out past the top of the circles?
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Post by hsbob on Aug 18, 2021 8:02:52 GMT -6
Just throwing my 2 cents in here ,,, Big T said the teams prospects (mainly first rounders) rarely ever pan out., I think Big T meant to say,: the teams prospects (mainly first rounders) rarely ever pan out,( here) Because our dumb GM trades them away, Stan lost my support long before he lost both trades between the breadman and saad, and if you think it's a typo ,It's not, Most on here including me have watched him, change direction too many times, Now I wasn't always a Stan basher like some , but it didn't take me long to jump on that band wagon, after loosing Danault , a player i watched for 3 years in the Q, and was ecstatic when we drafted him, Oh almost forgot "Welcome to the boards, madhawksfan!!" You have to realize mad hawksfan, that some of these posters where Hawks fans before we had color tv, guys like GT, Tman vadarx and Big T , us young pups don't know the trouble they went through I was 14 when I watched game seven on a snowy,closed-circuit,B&W feed at my Uncle's bar on Blue Island back in '71' .........IT WAS CRUSHING! Hawks lost in the conference finals in '70',SCF in '71',conference finals in '72' and the SCF again in '73' and the conference finals again in '74'..........how different does that five year stretch look if they didn't give the great Phil Esposito away? The big guy had SEVENTY SIX postseason points over that five year span!
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Post by LordKOTL on Aug 18, 2021 9:01:16 GMT -6
I agree on Toews; my comment was more of the "tempered expectations" type. I get the feeling that a lot of fans are hoping he'll come back, no rust, and hit something like 30/70. Even at 15/30, 50% at the dot and defensively responsible that still puts him as out #1 center so I've put the bar very low for him. I'm hoping he does well but missing that much time on the wrong side of 30? I think it would be unfair for anyone to expect him to be the Conn Smyth/Selke-winning Toews. As for Dach...he just has to put it together--either as a center or as a winger. He does have flashes of brilliance but he's far from being the next guy at this point, even though I think he was rushed. JT's age alone should temper expectations but expectations seem sky high. If healthy,we know he's rested,can JT at least find the form that beat McJesus and Drystrudel in a series or is beatin' those guys in a series automatic? He's also only two summers away from his best ever season,I'd love to see him with Kane and whoever(doesn't matter),those two together make magic. Do we see line combos that make more sense now that we have this improved talent up and down the roster? Does D-Cat play with one of the team's best two setup guys(K&T by a mile)....he pots FIFTY if he does. Does the misguided quest for balanced scoring again result in the best not playing with the best and do we still see D-men chasing forwards out past the top of the circles? For what it's worth, mine aren't sky high for Toews. If Toews does come back, knocks off the rust, and carries on like it was the play-in again, it's a bonus. I think it'll be easy for him to hit what I have as my "bar" for his expected play if he comes back. Part of my worry about this coming season is that there are definite holes in the lineup, and that JC/Stan might indeed try to balance things out as opposed to load things up. To wit: I'd love to see Debrincat/Toews/Kane, or Koob/Toews/Kane as the top line. In my opinion the potential offense from that combo would negate the change they are fully 100% contained in any given match and I think it would be much more effective at generating overall offense for the team as a whole, rather than trying to spread those players out with lesser talent in hopes that they sparkplug someone underacheiving. Same thing on defense: Loading up Seth Jones with whoever our 2nd best defenseman is (McCabe or Murph) in terms of what they actually do on ice (not on paper) will pay more dividends than making Jones, McCabe, and Murphy babysit a kid or DeHaan.
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Post by OldTimeHawky on Aug 18, 2021 10:26:55 GMT -6
McKenzie Entwistle signed a 2yr contract with the Hawks for 800k per.
Him and Hardman should start the season with the Hawks, if not, they'll be the first call ups.
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Post by BigT on Aug 18, 2021 16:29:11 GMT -6
McKenzie Entwistle signed a 2yr contract with the Hawks for 800k per. Him and Hardman should start the season with the Hawks, if not, they'll be the first call ups. I think they have to start the year with the Hawks. Just for cap purposes. We’ll see once training camp starts, if the Hawks bring in anyone else. There will definitely be PTO’s. So we’ll see who’s brought in around that time. They can always sign them after the season starts, kinda like how the Blues did with Hoffman!!!
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Post by hsbob on Aug 18, 2021 18:22:57 GMT -6
McKenzie Entwistle signed a 2yr contract with the Hawks for 800k per. Him and Hardman should start the season with the Hawks, if not, they'll be the first call ups. I think they have to start the year with the Hawks. Just for cap purposes. We’ll see once training camp starts, if the Hawks bring in anyone else. There will definitely be PTO’s. So we’ll see who’s brought in around that time. They can always sign them after the season starts, kinda like how the Blues did with Hoffman!!! Sixteen forwards on the roster without Borgstrom or Reichel,I'm sure both get a long look and there's always the usual suspects at Rockford.......it'll be crowded already. Ten D-men on the roster but McCabe's shown on IR,anybody know if he's ready to go at the start of camp?
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Post by T-man2010 on Aug 18, 2021 18:37:46 GMT -6
I think they have to start the year with the Hawks. Just for cap purposes. We’ll see once training camp starts, if the Hawks bring in anyone else. There will definitely be PTO’s. So we’ll see who’s brought in around that time. They can always sign them after the season starts, kinda like how the Blues did with Hoffman!!! Sixteen forwards on the roster without Borgstrom or Reichel,I'm sure both get a long look and there'salways the usual suspects at Rockford.......it'll be crowded already. Ten D-men on the roster but McCabe's shown on IR,anybody know if he's ready to go at the start of camp? www.nhl.com/news/buffalo-sabres-jake-mccabe-knee-injury-out-for-season/c-321687052Get the wheel chair ready.
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Post by galaxytrash on Aug 18, 2021 18:55:28 GMT -6
I think they have to start the year with the Hawks. Just for cap purposes. We’ll see once training camp starts, if the Hawks bring in anyone else. There will definitely be PTO’s. So we’ll see who’s brought in around that time. They can always sign them after the season starts, kinda like how the Blues did with Hoffman!!! Ten D-men on the roster but McCabe's shown on IR,anybody know if he's ready to go at the start of camp? the article t-man posted said the timeline for his injury healing up is 6-8 months. it happened 3 weeks into this last february so that puts him ready this month to mid october. a (very quick) google search has his status as (at worst) ready to go a month into the season to mccabe himself saying he's "confident" he'll be ready for camp to another saying he "should be" ready for camp. so i guess he remains on IR until they're sure he's ready. i hope he gets camp in. i really have hopes that he's going to be a player that everyone will be glad we signed.
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Post by hsbob on Aug 18, 2021 19:14:35 GMT -6
Sounds like the wheel chair is behind him T-man......let's hope an ACL,MCL and a meniscus at the same is nothing for today's ortho surgeons......they are dam good nowadays.
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Post by hsbob on Aug 18, 2021 19:16:18 GMT -6
Ten D-men on the roster but McCabe's shown on IR,anybody know if he's ready to go at the start of camp? the article t-man posted said the timeline for his injury healing up is 6-8 months. it happened 3 weeks into this last february so that puts him ready this month to mid october. a (very quick) google search has his status as (at worst) ready to go a month into the season to mccabe himself saying he's "confident" he'll be ready for camp to another saying he "should be" ready for camp. so i guess he remains on IR until they're sure he's ready. i hope he gets camp in. i really have hopes that he's going to be a player that everyone will be glad we signed. Big dude and a tough customer,let's hope he stays healthy cause we still need some of that.
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Post by BigT on Aug 18, 2021 20:29:51 GMT -6
I have a hunch. Nothing behind this but me speculating. I know the coaching has been bad. I think everyone knows this. There’s no way Ol Scambo doesn’t know or his old man hasn’t told him. So, I think JC has been told to “let them play”. I don’t think you’ll see an awful system in place. It’s very tough to do that with half a new roster again. If JC attempts this. He will be removed very quickly and I feel Crawford is there for a reason.
I think JC has already been forewarned that a bad year is not acceptable. I don’t think many guys would want to come to Chicago like Fleury, Jones and McCabe if there was gonna be a 3 ring circus sideshow going on.
So I’d have to think that Jones isn’t interested in playing in a stupid system that isn’t played in professional hockey at all. Now that there’s a much bigger vet presence, I think they’ll go upstairs and let Scambo know that this is unacceptable. JC is on a very short leash. This year cannot go sideways, and Ol Scambo knows this!!!
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Post by T-man2010 on Aug 19, 2021 4:47:45 GMT -6
I have a hunch. Nothing behind this but me speculating. I know the coaching has been bad. I think everyone knows this. There’s no way Ol Scambo doesn’t know or his old man hasn’t told him. So, I think JC has been told to “let them play”. I don’t think you’ll see an awful system in place. It’s very tough to do that with half a new roster again. If JC attempts this. He will be removed very quickly and I feel Crawford is there for a reason. I think JC has already been forewarned that a bad year is not acceptable. I don’t think many guys would want to come to Chicago like Fleury, Jones and McCabe if there was gonna be a 3 ring circus sideshow going on. So I’d have to think that Jones isn’t interested in playing in a stupid system that isn’t played in professional hockey at all. Now that there’s a much bigger vet presence, I think they’ll go upstairs and let Scambo know that this is unacceptable. JC is on a very short leash. This year cannot go sideways, and Ol Scambo knows this!!! Hope crawford is canned as well, he is a POS coach. And who and where do you think JC learned his coaching from?
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