Chicago Blackhawks IGT: Preseason edition

DMelt36

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DMelt has departed these lands.

His tyranny is never to be seen here henceforth

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Probie2429

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If it weren't for Ottawa and Detroit, I would have to think the Hawks would be looking at the worst record in the league. I guess they can still get there with one injury to Kane, Toews (would still be huge loss), or Keith.
 

Hammer

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They lack Panarin type of forward, Hjalmarsson type of shutdown defender, plus a healthy Crawford, to be able to contend for Playoffs.

Bottom line, Toews and Seabrook contracts (plus diminish in play level, Keith also took a step back), Hossa retirement, and couple of dumb trades (Panarin, Hjalmarsson) basically killed Blackhawks team, from title contender perspective.
 

anotheridiot

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So, fed up with the cubs, went over to watch the season preview, they had the fourth line listed as Krueger at forward, Luke Johnson at center and Martinson at the other wing. Kane is stuck with Saad while Toews gets Kahun and Cat.
Lumber line of Kunitz, and anisimov might get 10 minutes a night.
 

LordKOTL

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They lack Panarin type of forward, Hjalmarsson type of shutdown defender, plus a healthy Crawford, to be able to contend for Playoffs.

Bottom line, Toews and Seabrook contracts (plus diminish in play level, Keith also took a step back), Hossa retirement, and couple of dumb trades (Panarin, Hjalmarsson) basically killed Blackhawks team, from title contender perspective.
Understatement of the decade.
 

Hammer

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Keith took a step back, but he's more or less still worth $5M per year he's getting.

On the other hand $10M Toews, projected to be a team leader, plays like $5M 2nd liner at best, and $7M Seabrook plays like $2M, 3rd defensive pairing veteran.
And with those $10M extra spent on quality players, Blackhawks would now have adequate roster quality.

For example, that's why Patriots dynasty in NFL is lasting so long, "what have you done for me lately" mentality, and if you don't perform up to high standards, you get traded or cut, not rewarded with big contract (like Seabrook did, plus they also traded away Hjalmarsson and Panarin to clear room for his absurd contract).
 

anotheridiot

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I think we will be OK as long as they dont put Keith and Seabrook together anymore.

Joker should be able to get more of the pucks that Keith would have to chase down. Seabrook has Manning so I dont think thats as good as a matchup unless Seabrook decides to start hitting again. If Forsling comes back strong and works with Seabs like he worked with Ruuta early maybe that would fix the D. But for now its giving Keith and Seabs someone to blame other than eachother.
 

RacerX

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I took a closer look at the Opening Lineup/Roster. Conclusion: bottom-feeder level talent. Just......small, slow, and bad.

I have never been a gloom & doom type fan, more so a realist - prepare to get shellacked this season which will lead to a top-5 draft pick.
 

Hammer

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Yeah, this will be a tough season.

On defense, Joker and Forsling need some seasoning, offense need another high quality Top line talent (possibly acquired in next year Draft), plus Craw needs to get healthy.


On offense you only have Kane as a sure thing.
Will Toews decline even more, can Saad rebound from last season, can Schmalz and Debrincat keep trending up, who plays along them on Top 2 lines, what about talent barren bottom lines.

Defense, Keith and Seabrook are on serious decline, Rutta is just an average player, Manning as a stopgap, and there are still questionmarks about young and unproven Joker and Forsling.

Goalies, if Craw keeps having concussion related issues, Ward is just a terrible option to start.


In the end, this team is more likely to contend for Top 5 Draft pick than Playoffs.
 

Probie2429

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The key for the team right now is to stay the course. In the next 2 years, the Hawks will clear about 20 million in cap space. In 3 years, nearly 30 million. Some of the treading water Stan did this summer is clearly in response to the upcoming CBA expiration. Plus, there might be another expansion team.
 

LordKOTL

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Keith took a step back, but he's more or less still worth $5M per year he's getting.

On the other hand $10M Toews, projected to be a team leader, plays like $5M 2nd liner at best, and $7M Seabrook plays like $2M, 3rd defensive pairing veteran.
And with those $10M extra spent on quality players, Blackhawks would now have adequate roster quality.

For example, that's why Patriots dynasty in NFL is lasting so long, "what have you done for me lately" mentality, and if you don't perform up to high standards, you get traded or cut, not rewarded with big contract (like Seabrook did, plus they also traded away Hjalmarsson and Panarin to clear room for his absurd contract).

Not last year he wasn't. Keith played defense uglier than an open autopsy and had no offense to speak of. We could have iced David Fucking Runblad and had the same outcome. He sucked in his gap, sucked in his positioning, sucked in his coverage, sucked in his decision making, sucked at shooting, sucked at passing, and sucked on the powerplay. Had it not been for Crawford bailing him (and everyone else) out last year he would have been a big reason for te 'hawks being a bottom feeder.

Granted, Q's to blame for a lot of that--especially icing Keith and others in roles they weren't willing or able to handle and leaving those that did in the pressbox, but still, last year Keith was not even in smelling distance of 5M. He played worse than he did in 2011 *and* in his rookie campaign of 2006. The only thing I'm hoping for is, like Hossa between 2016 and 2017, he knows he distilled goatloads last year and fixes it.
 

anotheridiot

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The only thing Q is to blame for is having this idea that pucks should be cleared thru the middle of the ice, between the dots, in the blue paint. Every team in this league keeps men in the middle because the hawks dont want to do the ugly work along the boards. They need to clear up the boards for two years before teams start leaving the middle open for the easy clears. Last game I swear Keith purposely put one right in the blue paint.

It was even mentioned by some ex hawks as they do pre or post games on CSN, that its by design. Sure seems like the design needs to change.
 

RacerX

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Q should move on, he was instrumental in providing us with the ride of a lifetime (in hockey fandom context).

But this roster has no chance of competing this year or the next couple, it's going to get worse before it gets better. Q's system has been exposed and we lack the personnel regardless.

His work here is finished, I thank him immensely for his contributions but he's not going to add any further value.
 

LordKOTL

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The only thing Q is to blame for is having this idea that pucks should be cleared thru the middle of the ice, between the dots, in the blue paint. Every team in this league keeps men in the middle because the hawks dont want to do the ugly work along the boards. They need to clear up the boards for two years before teams start leaving the middle open for the easy clears. Last game I swear Keith purposely put one right in the blue paint.

It was even mentioned by some ex hawks as they do pre or post games on CSN, that its by design. Sure seems like the design needs to change.

He's also to blame for overusing players in roles they aren't suited for: See also: Keith on the Powerplay. It hasn't worked in years...yet Q still does it.

The problem I see with Q is that he's trying to run out a gameplan that has been figured out by the rest of the league and as of now, doesn't have the personnel to properly execute it anymore. They all got old, traded, or are medically unable to play. If Q would be working his gameplan around the players he had this wouldn't be an issue. Right now it's just an exercise in futility not unlike a roadrunner-catching endeavor by Wile E. Coyote.
 

anotheridiot

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well, keith is on the powerplay more because he is on the line with 4 forwards. The second line, without keith has 2 d men, so the trade off is having the better talent on the ice with the first unit and your best d man to handle the break away steals and let 4 shooters shoot.
 

LordKOTL

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well, keith is on the powerplay more because he is on the line with 4 forwards. The second line, without keith has 2 d men, so the trade off is having the better talent on the ice with the first unit and your best d man to handle the break away steals and let 4 shooters shoot.

That would be fine...if he could handle the breakaway--which he didn't last year.
 

Raskolnikov

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Well...I believe only the Maple Leafs are scoring at a higher clip.

Tough to keep us out if the big guns keep firing like a gatling. Saad and Smaltz haven't even gone off yet. Kunitz hasn't shown anything yet. They are holding Sikura back, another playmaker.

First 5 games we found out we can still score. Tonight we find out a little about Crow...and I think the next 5 games will see this team tested.

Rough stretch coming, better fight hard and grab this one. I think we will know in 3 weeks what we are and how good/bad it will be.

I am staying positive until there is reason not to be.
2 points brings us back to first place. Rest of division after Hawks/Preds in a slow start. That helps.
 

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