Kyle Davidson as G.M.

[OldTimeHawky]

Nov 20, 2024 13:45:50 GMT -6 nighbor said:

Nov 19, 2024 14:27:03 GMT -6 mvr said:

I think the comparison is valid though Nazar might have at this point a slightly higher floor. Both were small framed college kids drafted as centres .... although Pirri was a couple of inches taller.

By age 20, Pirri is producing close to a point a game in the AHL (56 points in 66 games). By 21, he is a point a game player (75 points in 76 games) which led the entire league that year.

My point is - What plays well in college and the AHL might not work in the AHL. Let's hope Nazar overcomes the odds and makes it. So many of these smaller prospects don't. If the offence does not translate to the NHL, small forwards without an exceptional checking game have very limited value.

Call me crazy, I would prefer to take my chances with 6'4" 220 plus pound skilled project like Dach every time even if he does not improve on his present floor. My feeling is that he needs a few more years to get fully acclimatized (like Dylan Strome). At worst, he can develop into an effective third line two way checker. He is already a half point/game forward (and we all know he is still struggling to get back into form after missing most of last year).

Davidson has made some highly questionable moves, but this is one of the big ones. We will see.... For this trade to work out, Nazar needs to be a second line centre who drives his line.

Pirri was and is one dimentional and not elite.  In year one Nazar so far is over a point a game.  He plays on both the PP and PK.  One podcaster has dubbed him Frank the Tank because he may be short but solid.  The men on CHGO post game show thought that Nazar was ready to come up to provide offense.  Nazar is not a perimeter player as he is not afraid to drive to the net and go  to the dirty areas. 

Exactly, that's why I don't get the Pirri comparison MV used. The guy works his ass off in every zone and against a Stars team last night him and Slaggert hemmed in the Stars while on the PK and forced them to ice it, it's rare a team on the PP ices it.

Pirri hated playing D and going to the net, Frank is the opposite.

And Frank the Tank is appropriate, he's very solid and big dmen have trouble against him. He was listed at 5'10" 185lbs by Sportsnet when he was drafted, they even said he looks solid when walking to the podium. He added a lot of muscle since then and looks closer to 6', especially with 5'9" wingers.

Dach is bigger but very fragile and seems mentally weak as well. I'd rather have Nazar and Hayes.

[mvr]

I really hope you're right.

But until he plays, we won't know. A prospect is not a player. Pirri was the next big thing until he wasn't. So was Dylan Sikura.

I must admit to being a bit scarred by the constant parade of hugely hyped small scoring scoring phenoms through the organization over the past dozen years. So many disappointments. So frustrating.

It is true that Nazar could be different. A team is bound to hit once if they shoot enough darts at the same board. Who knows? We might score big also with Moore, Kantserov, Lardis, etc. etc. Clearly, Davidson took notes from his groomer Stan Bowman.

I was excited not so long ago to see the team change gears and finally select a big forward - a centre no less - with an early pick. It seemed we were going to get some legit size after all these years for the top six.

And then they trade him away and draft more of the same type that put them in this position. I am bitter about it. But I will get over it some day.

[shooter61]

Don't believe Dach will ever be a player, he's to soft,
at best a 3rd line grinder, that doesn't hit ,
If they did a redraft , I doubt he would be a top 10 pick

[nighbor]

Nov 17, 2024 14:02:18 GMT -6 T-man2010 said:

The plan is sound, the execution of the plan is not working.....yet?

Unfortunately such a plan takes time and the next GM and HC more often than not reap the benefits.

[ukhawk]

Nov 20, 2024 18:56:33 GMT -6 shooter61 said:

Don't believe Dach will ever be a player, he's to soft,
at best a 3rd line grinder, that doesn't hit ,
If they did a redraft , I doubt he would be a top 10 pick

Agree fully. The only good thing that Kirby Dach has to his advantage as an nhl player is size. He doesn't look like he knows how to use his frame and size, and when he does he comes off second best and with a lengthy time on the treatment table.
I'm glad we moved him on, good luck to him.
I hope the younger Dach is a bit more robust.

[mvr]

If Nazar is far from a finished product, then so is Dach.

Bowman misguidedly chose to rush the player to the pros at age 18. He is now only 23 and really a couple of years behind developmentally because of some unfortunate injuries. Still, he had 107 points already in just over 230 games.

It certainly will take him some time to find his game again after missing so much time. We are seeing the same thing here with Taylor Hall.

Dylan Strome was called soft and lazy my many here not so long ago. He is now 27 and is an emerging star. Big players take years to figure out what to do with their size advantage. Dach is a better checker and defensive player than Strome.

To my mind, the only real issue moving forward is his health. Of course, we can't predict whether or not a player can stay in the lineup. This is more about luck and circumstance than anything else. Nazar has missed a full year already at age 20.

[mvr]

Davidson told us the team needed to move on from Kane and Toews to allow the team's young leadership culture to grow from within.

Then a year later he overloads with veteran outsiders to fill an obvious void.

Is the team culture better now than before? Are the young kids developing leadership skills? Or is the real issue that Davidson did not want his agenda challenged publicly by established fan favourites with several Hawks Stanley Cups between them?

To my mind, the main "value" the present roster of overpaid veterans has been "teaching" the kids is how to be mercenaries. Winning is secondary. Who really cares about team performance? It's always best to take the most money you can get as a UFA wherever you play.

Is this the message Toews or Kane would be sending?

[bigbarn27]

Honeymoon over!!

[Granada]

Nov 21, 2024 9:00:03 GMT -6 bigbarn27 said:

Honeymoon over!!

Yeah, I'd say it mostly is for me. I was a defender of Davidson, mostly because I was relieved that Bowman was replaced by him. Honestly, I'd still rather have Davidson over Bowman, but Davidson's misses are starting to add up.

I know this will still piss some people off, but I still will never blame Davidson for walking away from Toews and Kane. It was the right move then and it's the right move now. Ask Pittsburgh (said it then, and it's even truer now). And I still don't really blame him for Hagel; hindsight is always 20/20 and for a rebuilding GM, that was a deal he couldn't refuse. The jury is still out on the first round picks (Moore and Boisvert, was it?) he got in the Hagel trade.

What I do blame Davidson for, is his strategy this last off-season -- it was very Bowman-esque. TT, Marroon -- these were terrible moves in my view. There needs to be a significant focus on size in the top 6 and top 4, and TT is contradictory to that strategy.

I thought Hall could be that power-forward that Bedard needs on his line, but he isn't. Now it seems like Bertuzzi has been called to be that guy, but so far -- at least from what I've heard, because I can't watch the fucking games anymore -- he hasn't been. Whether that's Davidson's fault or Richardson's is up for debate, but either way, the GM deserves some blame there.

It's still a very small sample size for Davidson. I don't hate him as much as others have always and still do, not yet anyway. But I certainly can't say I feel as good about his hire now than I did a year or two ago. The team should be farther along than it is now, and the GM is to blame for that.

[Granada]

On an unrelated note (mod question), why is my post count suddenly super high? I know I don't have that many posts, I sort of just started posting here a year or so ago.

[T-man2010]

Nov 21, 2024 12:36:00 GMT -6 Granada said:

On an unrelated note (mod question), why is my post count suddenly super high? I know I don't have that many posts, I sort of just started posting here a year or so ago.

When we started the forum I tried to find how many posts guys had on the Hawks old forum.

I added those totals here. A few guys I was late to get to the old forum to get all of them.

As I saw a few more familiar faces, I added 1K to their new numbers here.

EDIT: I couldn't add "likes" to the totals here.

[mvr]

Nov 21, 2024 12:33:07 GMT -6 Granada said:

Nov 21, 2024 9:00:03 GMT -6 bigbarn27 said:

Honeymoon over!!

Yeah, I'd say it mostly is for me. I was a defender of Davidson, mostly because I was relieved that Bowman was replaced by him. Honestly, I'd still rather have Davidson over Bowman, but Davidson's misses are starting to add up.

I know this will still piss some people off, but I still will never blame Davidson for walking away from Toews and Kane. It was the right move then and it's the right move now. Ask Pittsburgh (said it then, and it's even truer now). And I still don't really blame him for Hagel; hindsight is always 20/20 and for a rebuilding GM, that was a deal he couldn't refuse. The jury is still out on the first round picks (Moore and Boisvert, was it?) he got in the Hagel trade.

What I do blame Davidson for, is his strategy this last off-season -- it was very Bowman-esque. TT, Marroon -- these were terrible moves in my view. There needs to be a significant focus on size in the top 6 and top 4, and TT is contradictory to that strategy.

I thought Hall could be that power-forward that Bedard needs on his line, but he isn't. Now it seems like Bertuzzi has been called to be that guy, but so far -- at least from what I've heard, because I can't watch the fucking games anymore -- he hasn't been. Whether that's Davidson's fault or Richardson's is up for debate, but either way, the GM deserves some blame there.

It's still a very small sample size for Davidson. I don't hate him as much as others have always and still do, not yet anyway. But I certainly can't say I feel as good about his hire now than I did a year or two ago. The team should be farther along than it is now, and the GM is to blame for that.

I totally agree that the team needed a clean break from Bowman.

But this guy was never really it.

Davidson worked under Bowman for years and learned all his tricks.   He was a core part of the decision-making team for the entire post cup disaster.    To my mind, his approach has been very Bowman-like: turning over a good half of the roster each off-season as if he is playing SAGA in his parent's basement; drafting a series of a small scoring forwards in the high rounds; relying on inexperienced non-hockey outsiders as his main advisors.    Both Bowman and Davidson are shifty climbers whose understanding of office politics supersedes their skills as builders.

The one good move Davidson did make was replacing the young coach.   But my feeling is that Bowman would have made a similar decision if given the time.  Colliton's days were numbered well before the change. 

The Hawks need an experienced and self-confident hockey lifer who understands team chemistry and basic psychology.   Dale Tallon was many things, but he knew talent, and he had a great feel for the dressing room.

[mvr]

At the very least, I would like to see an older veteran executive (Marshall Johnson, Rick Dudley etc.) brought in to provide some much needed perspective.

I would prefer someone with general managerial experience who doesn't necessarily want the job again but would like to keep a foot in the door. Understandably, Davidson would resist to having someone he does not trust looking over his shoulder. But management does need a counter balance to ask questions and provide guidance. What is Dean Lombardi doing right now?

[BigT]

Nov 21, 2024 13:52:32 GMT -6 mvr said:

At the very least, I would like to see an older veteran executive (Marshall Johnson, Rick Dudley etc.) brought in to provide some much needed perspective.

I would prefer someone with general managerial experience who doesn't necessarily want the job again but would like to keep a foot in the door. Understandably, Davidson would resist to having someone he does not trust looking over his shoulder. But management does need a counter balance to ask questions and provide guidance. What is Dean Lombardi doing right now?

Maybe even Doug Wilson? Don’t need him for much, but his character and experience could really lead the charge toward being a competitive team!!!

[Granada]

Nov 21, 2024 13:02:53 GMT -6 T-man2010 said:

Nov 21, 2024 12:36:00 GMT -6 Granada said:

On an unrelated note (mod question), why is my post count suddenly super high? I know I don't have that many posts, I sort of just started posting here a year or so ago.

When we started the forum I tried to find how many posts guys had on the Hawks old forum.

I added those totals here. A few guys I was late to get to the old forum to get all of them.

As I saw a few more familiar faces, I added 1K to their new numbers here.

EDIT: I couldn't add "likes" to the totals here.

Bummer, I kind of liked starting fresh, lol. 

[Granada]

Nov 21, 2024 13:04:00 GMT -6 mvr said:

Nov 21, 2024 12:33:07 GMT -6 Granada said:

Yeah, I'd say it mostly is for me. I was a defender of Davidson, mostly because I was relieved that Bowman was replaced by him. Honestly, I'd still rather have Davidson over Bowman, but Davidson's misses are starting to add up.

I know this will still piss some people off, but I still will never blame Davidson for walking away from Toews and Kane. It was the right move then and it's the right move now. Ask Pittsburgh (said it then, and it's even truer now). And I still don't really blame him for Hagel; hindsight is always 20/20 and for a rebuilding GM, that was a deal he couldn't refuse. The jury is still out on the first round picks (Moore and Boisvert, was it?) he got in the Hagel trade.

What I do blame Davidson for, is his strategy this last off-season -- it was very Bowman-esque. TT, Marroon -- these were terrible moves in my view. There needs to be a significant focus on size in the top 6 and top 4, and TT is contradictory to that strategy.

I thought Hall could be that power-forward that Bedard needs on his line, but he isn't. Now it seems like Bertuzzi has been called to be that guy, but so far -- at least from what I've heard, because I can't watch the fucking games anymore -- he hasn't been. Whether that's Davidson's fault or Richardson's is up for debate, but either way, the GM deserves some blame there.

It's still a very small sample size for Davidson. I don't hate him as much as others have always and still do, not yet anyway. But I certainly can't say I feel as good about his hire now than I did a year or two ago. The team should be farther along than it is now, and the GM is to blame for that.

I totally agree that the team needed a clean break from Bowman.

But this guy was never really it.

Davidson worked under Bowman for years and learned all his tricks.   He was a core part of the decision-making team for the entire post cup disaster.    To my mind, his approach has been very Bowman-like: turning over a good half of the roster each off-season as if he is playing SAGA in his parent's basement; drafting a series of a small scoring forwards in the high rounds; relying on inexperienced non-hockey outsiders as his main advisors.    Both Bowman and Davidson are shifty climbers whose understanding of office politics supersedes their skills as builders.

The one good move Davidson did make was replacing the young coach.   But my feeling is that Bowman would have made a similar decision if given the time.  Colliton's days were numbered well before the change. 

The Hawks need an experienced and self-confident hockey lifer who understands team chemistry and basic psychology.   Dale Tallon was many things, but he knew talent, and he had a great feel for the dressing room.

Was there another alternative at the time though?

[mvr]

I would have called Lombardi for sure. He's presently employed in an upper managerial role in Philadelphia which might make him unavailable. He has a wonderful track record building both the Kings and the Sharks.

Wilson would be an option for sure. So might Bob Murray. I wonder if Coach Quenneville would have any interest in rejoining the organization in an executive role. He might be my first choice.

[mvr]

What is Ray Shero up to these days? He won a cup in Pittsburgh, and then rebuilt the Devils. At the very least, he would be a strong sounding board.

[nighbor]

Nov 21, 2024 6:52:04 GMT -6 mvr said:

Davidson told us the team needed to move on from Kane and Toews to allow the team's young leadership culture to grow from within.

Then a year later he overloads with veteran outsiders to fill an obvious void.

Is the team culture better now than before? Are the young kids developing leadership skills? Or is the real issue that Davidson did not want his agenda challenged publicly by established fan favourites with several Hawks Stanley Cups between them?

To my mind, the main "value" the present roster of overpaid veterans has been "teaching" the kids is how to be mercenaries. Winning is secondary. Who really cares about team performance? It's always best to take the most money you can get as a UFA wherever you play.

Is this the message Toews or Kane would be sending?

Bowman was always accused of having to show off his shiny new toys and not giving them time to develop.  Davidson on the other hand is taking the opposite approach and giving them all the time needed to develop and people are giving him flack for that.

[BigT]

Nov 21, 2024 15:15:21 GMT -6 nighbor said:

Nov 21, 2024 6:52:04 GMT -6 mvr said:

Davidson told us the team needed to move on from Kane and Toews to allow the team's young leadership culture to grow from within.

Then a year later he overloads with veteran outsiders to fill an obvious void.

Is the team culture better now than before? Are the young kids developing leadership skills? Or is the real issue that Davidson did not want his agenda challenged publicly by established fan favourites with several Hawks Stanley Cups between them?

To my mind, the main "value" the present roster of overpaid veterans has been "teaching" the kids is how to be mercenaries. Winning is secondary. Who really cares about team performance? It's always best to take the most money you can get as a UFA wherever you play.

Is this the message Toews or Kane would be sending?

Bowman was always accused of having to show off his shiny new toys and not giving them time to develop.  Davidson on the other hand is taking the opposite approach and giving them all the time needed to develop and people are giving him flack for that.

Honest question. Why didn’t he do that with Bedard?

I agree that some players are ready. MVR has been the one to preach patience. Bedard was ready. I feel Nazar and Slaggert are both ready. Bedard could really use some youthful energy on this team. Someone to hang with off the ice. He and KK were best buds last year. Now he has Maroon. Now, I’d love to hang with the Big Rig. But Bedard needs someone closer to his age. Now is the time to bring up Nazar. It won’t ruin him!!!

[T-man2010]

Nov 21, 2024 16:35:15 GMT -6 BigT said:

Nov 21, 2024 15:15:21 GMT -6 nighbor said:

Bowman was always accused of having to show off his shiny new toys and not giving them time to develop.  Davidson on the other hand is taking the opposite approach and giving them all the time needed to develop and people are giving him flack for that.

Honest question. Why didn’t he do that with Bedard?

I agree that some players are ready. MVR has been the one to preach patience. Bedard was ready. I feel Nazar and Slaggert are both ready. Bedard could really use some youthful energy on this team. Someone to hang with off the ice. He and KK were best buds last year. Now he has Maroon. Now, I’d love to hang with the Big Rig. But Bedard needs someone closer to his age. Now is the time to bring up Nazar. It won’t ruin him!!!

It's called money $$$. Have to keep fans in the seats.
Got to show off the "new" keystone.

[OldTimeHawky]

Nov 21, 2024 16:47:19 GMT -6 T-man2010 said:

Nov 21, 2024 16:35:15 GMT -6 BigT said:

Honest question. Why didn’t he do that with Bedard?

I agree that some players are ready. MVR has been the one to preach patience. Bedard was ready. I feel Nazar and Slaggert are both ready. Bedard could really use some youthful energy on this team. Someone to hang with off the ice. He and KK were best buds last year. Now he has Maroon. Now, I’d love to hang with the Big Rig. But Bedard needs someone closer to his age. Now is the time to bring up Nazar. It won’t ruin him!!!

It's called money $$$. Have to keep fans in the seats.
Got to show off the "new" keystone.

You honestly think any team would've sent Bedard back to juniors after drafting him?

[BigT]

Nov 21, 2024 16:47:19 GMT -6 T-man2010 said:

Nov 21, 2024 16:35:15 GMT -6 BigT said:

Honest question. Why didn’t he do that with Bedard?

I agree that some players are ready. MVR has been the one to preach patience. Bedard was ready. I feel Nazar and Slaggert are both ready. Bedard could really use some youthful energy on this team. Someone to hang with off the ice. He and KK were best buds last year. Now he has Maroon. Now, I’d love to hang with the Big Rig. But Bedard needs someone closer to his age. Now is the time to bring up Nazar. It won’t ruin him!!!

It's called money $$$. Have to keep fans in the seats.
Got to show off the "new" keystone.

So was KD impatient with him?

I just feel that to keep fans interested, they desperately need to bring up some youthful energy. The guys here have basically mailed it in and are just cheque collectors. KD cannot allow this to go on, and this is why he should never ever allow the players to pick a team. It seems he listened to Foligno and Dicky to see where they should look.

My point is, some players are ready and some aren’t. Nazar with 15 points in 12 games is as ready as he’ll be. So is Slaggert. Slags is a 3rd liner and will do that better than what is currently being rolled out!!!

[BigT]

Nov 21, 2024 16:56:54 GMT -6 OldTimeHawky said:

Nov 21, 2024 16:47:19 GMT -6 T-man2010 said:

It's called money $$$. Have to keep fans in the seats.
Got to show off the "new" keystone.

You honestly think any team would've sent Bedard back to juniors after drafting him?

Did you read the next line? I said some players are ready some aren’t. Right now Nazar and Slaggert are probably ready. They’ll inject life into the team. Right now, the Hawks look like they just don’t give a F*** if they win another game this year!!!

[Hockey is great]

Rebuilds take time. Don’t half ass it. Do not rush anything.

[mvr]

Nov 21, 2024 15:15:21 GMT -6 nighbor said:

Nov 21, 2024 6:52:04 GMT -6 mvr said:

Davidson told us the team needed to move on from Kane and Toews to allow the team's young leadership culture to grow from within.

Then a year later he overloads with veteran outsiders to fill an obvious void.

Is the team culture better now than before? Are the young kids developing leadership skills? Or is the real issue that Davidson did not want his agenda challenged publicly by established fan favourites with several Hawks Stanley Cups between them?

To my mind, the main "value" the present roster of overpaid veterans has been "teaching" the kids is how to be mercenaries. Winning is secondary. Who really cares about team performance? It's always best to take the most money you can get as a UFA wherever you play.

Is this the message Toews or Kane would be sending?

Bowman was always accused of having to show off his shiny new toys and not giving them time to develop.  Davidson on the other hand is taking the opposite approach and giving them all the time needed to develop and people are giving him flack for that.

Bowman and staff ruined Dach by promoting him too early and handing him responsibilities he was not ready to do.   Davidson last year did the same thing with Korchinski.   He handed Reichel the second line centre job (when he should have started on the third or fourth line), and he set up Soderblom for failure. 

I disagree with Big T on this issue.   My feeling is that Nazar, Slaggart and the others should all stay in Rockford at least until next March.   In truth, I would prefer Crevrier and Allan be in Rockford as well.   The present culture in Chicago is not good for their development.  

[T-man2010]

Nov 21, 2024 19:17:52 GMT -6 mvr said:

Nov 21, 2024 15:15:21 GMT -6 nighbor said:

Bowman was always accused of having to show off his shiny new toys and not giving them time to develop.  Davidson on the other hand is taking the opposite approach and giving them all the time needed to develop and people are giving him flack for that.

Bowman and staff ruined Dach by promoting him too early and handing him responsibilities he was not ready to do.   Davidson last year did the same thing with Korchinski.   He handed Reichel the second line centre job (when he should have started on the third or fourth line), and he set up Soderblom for failure. 

I disagree with Big T on this issue.   My feeling is that Nazar, Slaggart and the others should all stay in Rockford at least until next March.   In truth, I would prefer Crevrier and Allan be in Rockford as well.   The present culture in Chicago is not good for their development.  

What? Hookers and drugs is not a good culture?

[OldTimeHawky]

Nov 21, 2024 17:04:23 GMT -6 BigT said:

Nov 21, 2024 16:56:54 GMT -6 OldTimeHawky said:

You honestly think any team would've sent Bedard back to juniors after drafting him?

Did you read the next line? I said some players are ready some aren’t. Right now Nazar and Slaggert are probably ready. They’ll inject life into the team. Right now, the Hawks look like they just don’t give a F*** if they win another game this year!!!

I wasn't replying to you, the comment I quoted said Bedard played last season because of money and keeping fans in seats and showing off the new toy.

[hsbob]

Nov 21, 2024 14:05:00 GMT -6 Granada said:

Nov 21, 2024 13:04:00 GMT -6 mvr said:

I totally agree that the team needed a clean break from Bowman.

But this guy was never really it.

Davidson worked under Bowman for years and learned all his tricks.   He was a core part of the decision-making team for the entire post cup disaster.    To my mind, his approach has been very Bowman-like: turning over a good half of the roster each off-season as if he is playing SAGA in his parent's basement; drafting a series of a small scoring forwards in the high rounds; relying on inexperienced non-hockey outsiders as his main advisors.    Both Bowman and Davidson are shifty climbers whose understanding of office politics supersedes their skills as builders.

The one good move Davidson did make was replacing the young coach.   But my feeling is that Bowman would have made a similar decision if given the time.  Colliton's days were numbered well before the change. 

The Hawks need an experienced and self-confident hockey lifer who understands team chemistry and basic psychology.   Dale Tallon was many things, but he knew talent, and he had a great feel for the dressing room.

Was there another alternative at the time though?

Sure there was,they interviewed quite the collection of 'outside the box' candidates. MLB lifer Greenberg came close too, accepting an AGM position......for a HOCKEY team! Elliotte Friedman reported that the team also "had interest in Toronto Raptors' Vice President of Basketball Operations Teresa Resch".......for a HOCKEY team!

There were also conventional 'hockey lifers' Chiarelli,Mellanby,Tulsky and Darche who got interviewed but it seemed conventional 'hockey lifers' need not apply back then and there seems to be little need for em since.

ontapsportsnet.com/nhl/chicago-blackhawks-general-manager-candidates-gm-search-update

Jr had to be the cheapest of the bunch......you get what you pay for.

     

[hsbob]

Nov 21, 2024 15:15:21 GMT -6 nighbor said:

Nov 21, 2024 6:52:04 GMT -6 mvr said:

Davidson told us the team needed to move on from Kane and Toews to allow the team's young leadership culture to grow from within.

Then a year later he overloads with veteran outsiders to fill an obvious void.

Is the team culture better now than before? Are the young kids developing leadership skills? Or is the real issue that Davidson did not want his agenda challenged publicly by established fan favourites with several Hawks Stanley Cups between them?

To my mind, the main "value" the present roster of overpaid veterans has been "teaching" the kids is how to be mercenaries. Winning is secondary. Who really cares about team performance? It's always best to take the most money you can get as a UFA wherever you play.

Is this the message Toews or Kane would be sending?

Bowman was always accused of having to show off his shiny new toys and not giving them time to develop.  Davidson on the other hand is taking the opposite approach and giving them all the time needed to develop and people are giving him flack for that.

I've criticized the 14M given to Hall,Perry and AA last year, we'll have to see how the big money paid to this summer's acquisitions pays-off.....we get to see Bertuzzi leavin' it all out there every night for five more years @5.5M. It's just still 'play money'' for Jr but it won't be in 2-3yrs. Signing the PROPER support players in that 4-6M range HAS to be done carefully and that player HAS to be a fit.

Myself and a few others have questioned the wisdom of a rebuilding team moving-on from so many talented players in their early-mid 20's but time will tell....eventually.

As far as time needed to develop the new FO's picks,I haven't had a single negative thing to say about any of em or the way they've been developed. My only disagreement with the kids has been KK,I just think a former NHL D-man with over 1,000 games played as his HC would have more to offer him than whatever's goin' on at Rockford does.

Next summer will see THREE 1st round and two 2nd round picks three years removed from their draft year and another 1st and three 2nd's from the following year(not counting Bedard)....is it all that uncommon to see 20&21yro players taken in the early rounds make contributions at the big league level these days?