Vlasic has been very good and such a welcomed surprise this season. He uses that long reach and big frame to win battles for the puck along the boards and defend a lot of area. I think he has really established himself as a solid defensive dman and added a little bit of offensive upside. He probably won't ever produce a ton of points, but I can think of 3 or 4 times he has surprised the opposition with his quick thinking and speed to get a breakaway chance, just like he did last game.

He has taken some load off Murphy when it comes to having to eat Dzone starts for the Hawks and ultimately helps allow Luke Richardson to give Korchinski a bit more sheltered zone starts. I really hope they can sign him to a reasonable contract that works for both sides. If Korchinski settles in to being a pro, then they probably have their top 4 for the next year or two while the rest of the Hawks D work on climbing the ranks. (barring any big trades or deals) I think it will help the Dmen if they can play together a bit longer and develop a little bit of chemistry and even better familiarity. There is obviously some of that, but it's been a little bit of a shuffle this season with some new faces.
- breadbag

I agree about Murphy just having to play his game this year. I also think it helps they brought the defensive coach in from Boston. I feel like they are rebuilding this team like the Preds with the blue line and goalies, those teams were tough to play against, Weber, Suter, Josi, Ellis, Ekholm, Rinne. Big difference is we got so lucky to draft Bedard so i really am excited about this year's draft if we win the lotto great if we don't or fall great, i can see Levshunov as a part of the team and you have Ethan Allan at the Rock, Rinzel in Minny, in a few years we may have one of the best, toughest blue lines to play against from top to bottom. Not to mention 2 prominent goalies in the system.

So the question is this, is Vlasic already better than Jones because Jones sucks or because Vlasic is that good? Both is not an option.
- Angotti

Damn close, if i was picking a team I'd choose Vlasic over Jones. I already believe Vlasic thinks the game better than Jones, the offense will be better in the future.

And i don't think Vlasic makes the terrible pass in the ozone at the end of the game after we pulled our goalie.

Hawks sign D!ckinson 2 x 4.25M.

https://twitter.com/BenPo...amp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

I agree about Murphy just having to play his game this year. I also think it helps they brought the defensive coach in from Boston. I feel like they are rebuilding this team like the Preds with the blue line and goalies, those teams were tough to play against, Weber, Suter, Josi, Ellis, Ekholm, Rinne. Big difference is we got so lucky to draft Bedard so i really am excited about this year's draft if we win the lotto great if we don't or fall great, i can see Levshunov as a part of the team and you have Ethan Allan at the Rock, Rinzel in Minny, in a few years we may have one of the best, toughest blue lines to play against from top to bottom. Not to mention 2 prominent goalies in the system.
- BetweenTheDots

Love that guy's furniture.

Love that guy's furniture.
- Chunk

Beat me to it.

Hawks sign D!ckinson 2 x 4.25M.

https://twitter.com/BenPo...amp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet
- boilermaker100

I like it. Keep the guy who plays a good 200' game and when everyone returns can be properly slotted and provide some depth scoring.

Could just be me reading into it what I want to see, but I think this signals a bit that KD isn't going to trade guys away just to get a mid-round pick. T. Johnson, and maybe a couple others, but the guys that show they are playing the way the Hawks want will be sticking around for a bit.

Hawks sign D!ckinson 2 x 4.25M.

https://twitter.com/BenPo...amp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet
- boilermaker100

This will be fun to watch.

Hawks sign D!ckinson 2 x 4.25M.

https://twitter.com/BenPo...amp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet
- boilermaker100

GREAT MOVE!!!

I like it. Keep the guy who plays a good 200' game and when everyone returns can be properly slotted and provide some depth scoring.

Could just be me reading into it what I want to see, but I think this signals a bit that KD isn't going to trade guys away just to get a mid-round pick. T. Johnson, and maybe a couple others, but the guys that show they are playing the way the Hawks want will be sticking around for a bit.
- Chunk

Two potential problems I see is at that contract he may be difficult to move if the need arises. And does overpaying D!ckinson and Foligno mean KD is going into a third season of tanking? Otherwise good signing and the team won’t impact the rebuild.

Two potential problems I see is at that contract he may be difficult to move if the need arises. And does overpaying D!ckinson and Foligno mean KD is going into a third season of tanking? Otherwise good signing and the team won’t impact the rebuild.
- paulr

no way they get to the cap ceiling in next 2 years....we need to get to the floor....I trust Kyle from Chicago. Pls have you seen a NMC yet on any deal he has completed? StanBo handed those out like candy

Two potential problems I see is at that contract he may be difficult to move if the need arises. And does overpaying D!ckinson and Foligno mean KD is going into a third season of tanking? Otherwise good signing and the team won’t impact the rebuild.
- paulr

Agree here if he reverts back to his Canucks days.

Now we sign Lafferty and have the one of best third lines in the NHL with Foligno and Richardson.

Two potential problems I see is at that contract he may be difficult to move if the need arises. And does overpaying D!ckinson and Foligno mean KD is going into a third season of tanking? Otherwise good signing and the team won’t impact the rebuild.
- paulr

I think this is a great move for the Hawks and D!ck!nson.

It should be a few years before the Hawks have to worry about money for players. They need to spend a lot to get to the cap floor for next year, and Foligno and D!ck!nson's contracts are short, and help the Hawks do that. The Hawks also aren't being tied down to anything long-term, and both of these players can be dealt to contenders over the next few seasons if the time calls for it. I like that they are keeping both D!ck!nson and Foligno. I think this team will still look a lot different and be significantly more competitive next year.

I like it. Keep the guy who plays a good 200' game and when everyone returns can be properly slotted and provide some depth scoring.

Could just be me reading into it what I want to see, but I think this signals a bit that KD isn't going to trade guys away just to get a mid-round pick. T. Johnson, and maybe a couple others, but the guys that show they are playing the way the Hawks want will be sticking around for a bit.
- Chunk

This signing makes sense, like you said it's the kind of hockey players he wants and the likelihood of us being able to sign him after we trade him are slim.

That's 2 less, just good solid hockey players they have to sign in Free agency, i expect at least 2 more in FA, maybe 3.

I think this is a great move for the Hawks and D!ck!nson.

It should be a few years before the Hawks have to worry about money for players. They need to spend a lot to get to the cap floor for next year, and Foligno and D!ck!nson's contracts are short, and help the Hawks do that. The Hawks also aren't being tied down to anything long-term, and both of these players can be dealt to contenders over the next few seasons if the time calls for it. I like that they are keeping both D!ck!nson and Foligno. I think this team will still look a lot different and be significantly more competitive next year.
- frafra

My biggest concern is tanking for a third season. I’m hoping KD picks up some decent UFAs on short term contracts to get the team to progress on the ice.

Two potential problems I see is at that contract he may be difficult to move if the need arises. And does overpaying D!ckinson and Foligno mean KD is going into a third season of tanking? Otherwise good signing and the team won’t impact the rebuild.
- paulr

McCabes contract will be up by then, KD will have 3 slots once again to retain salary, so no big deal.

Jones's middle name should be turnstyle.
- 6628

I don't have the link handy but they said his gap control is not ideal because his ability to skate backwards is not good so he keeps that space to deny the middle but the problem is it allows for a lot of controlled successful entries and his transition to going backwards to forwards slows him down getting to pucks thrown deep.

He's not a bad player he's just not exceptionally good at anything and there are some pretty big flaws that will be exacerbated when his legs start to go.

Richardinson re-signing aligns with Foligno's new deal, and runs till the Hawks have to re-up Bedard and KK.

This also reaffirms two more years of the slow rebuild.

Looking at a timeline of something like:
2023-2024: Bottom-3 finish
2024-2025: Bottom-10 finish
2025-2026: Middle of the league and ready to take that next step (equivalent to about the 2008-2009 Hawks where a clear nucleus of multiple players was intact).

Hopefully by that point, we can be looking at something like:
2023-2024 NHL nucleus: Bedard, KK, Vlasic, Jones, Reichel(hopefully bounces back big time in the second half)
2024-2025 NHL nucleus: Bedard, KK, Vlasic, Jones, Reichel, Nazar, Celebrini/Levshunov/Lindstrom
2025-2026 NHL nucleus: Bedard, KK, Vlasic, Jones, Reichel, Nazar, Celebrini/Levshunov/Lindstrom, Moore


That's also not taking into account guys like Ludwinski, Greene, Hayes, Savoie, and Dach as guys that could ascend as long-term keepers as role players well.

McCabes contract will be up by then, KD will have 3 slots once again to retain salary, so no big deal.
- BetweenTheDots

That’s all well and good but if KD doesn’t improve this team over the summer so the team starts showing improvement on the ice are theregoing to be some potential problems. With the excitement the of Bedard pick, ticket sales went crazy, that enthusiasm will die if the team doesn’t show its progressing. KD risks creating a toxic culture we’ve seen in other teams where the priority was collecting draft picks instead of progressing on the ice. And he runs the risk of alienating the younger players.

My biggest concern is tanking for a third season. I’m hoping KD picks up some decent UFAs on short term contracts to get the team to progress on the ice.
- paulr

We should have AA and Hall back as well.

Agree here if he reverts back to his Canucks days.

Now we sign Lafferty and have the one of best third lines in the NHL with Foligno and Richardson.
- Popsghostly

Lafferty is having a decent season in Vancouver. No idea if the Canucks will find a way to fit him into their plans next year, but if not, I could see the Hawks offering him 2 years at $2 mill per.

In other news, D*ckinson's +/- is plus 7, tied with Vlasic for best on the team. Not that anybody cares about that stat, but there it is.

We should have AA and Hall back as well.
- BetweenTheDots

Let’s hope both can help the team show better. And possibly another UFA or two on short term deals will make the team better on the ice.

My biggest concern is tanking for a third season. I’m hoping KD picks up some decent UFAs on short term contracts to get the team to progress on the ice.
- paulr

I'm less excited about signing #17 than I am #16. I understand the Foligno signing, but the second year irked me. That said, if both can maintain close to their current level of production, these are very reasonable contracts. Foligno has mostly been about 0.5PPG player most of his career. With the cap going up another $4M next year and projected to go up again the following, there is zero risk in my eyes.

KD has already acknowledged that he needs to get Bedard some help. It will be very interesting to see what that help is, but I don't see them putting another skeleton roster together. They'll likely leave a spot or two open for young guys to battle for, but I'm confident that KD finds a couple guys (I'm guessing via trade) to make the top 6 more NHL ready.

That’s all well and good but if KD doesn’t improve this team over the summer so the team starts showing improvement on the ice are theregoing to be some potential problems. With the excitement the of Bedard pick, ticket sales went crazy, that enthusiasm will die if the team doesn’t show its progressing. KD risks creating a toxic culture we’ve seen in other teams where the priority was collecting draft picks instead of progressing on the ice. And he runs the risk of alienating the younger players.
- paulr

Like i said he's going to sign FAs, he already has 2 guys who are good for the team, you'll have Hall and AA back, he'll probably sign 2 or 3 FAs out there as i said before just good solid hockey players and not overpay for 30 year old top 6 FAs.

You know what the worst thing is for a rebuild is? Being impatient and not drafting the right guys in the top 10. Most of these guys won't be here when the real fun begins. I hate the outcomes of these games but I'm really enjoying watching the kids play.

That’s all well and good but if KD doesn’t improve this team over the summer so the team starts showing improvement on the ice are theregoing to be some potential problems. With the excitement the of Bedard pick, ticket sales went crazy, that enthusiasm will die if the team doesn’t show its progressing. KD risks creating a toxic culture we’ve seen in other teams where the priority was collecting draft picks instead of progressing on the ice. And he runs the risk of alienating the younger players.
- paulr

I get this point, but I think it's a pessimistic way of looking at things. I have said this before, but the Hawks haven't been relevant since 2017, and now that they are on the path of a rebuild, add in those dead years of irrelevance, and it seems like this is taking forever.

I think Bedard is going to keep that stadium full as long as he is wearing a Hawks sweater. I don't think KD is creating a toxic culture at all; I think everybody knew this year was going to be difficult. KD did a great job, starting last year, in flipping a lot of players for future assets. He stripped this team, is building up their system, has gained a ton of future capital, and is creating an enormous amount of cap space for them to use when the time is right.

I love Foligno and am happy they brought him in. I love how vocal and honest he is when talking with the media; with that said, I think he knew what he was in for when he was traded here, and he especially knows now that he has extended for two more years. If the culture was so toxic, I wonder if him and D!ck!nson would have signed here for two more years (I know they are getting paid handsomely). I think that is a valid question worth asking.

I'm less excited about signing #17 than I am #16. I understand the Foligno signing, but the second year irked me. That said, if both can maintain close to their current level of production, these are very reasonable contracts. Foligno has mostly been about 0.5PPG player most of his career. With the cap going up another $4M next year and projected to go up again the following, there is zero risk in my eyes.

KD has already acknowledged that he needs to get Bedard some help. It will be very interesting to see what that help is, but I don't see them putting another skeleton roster together. They'll likely leave a spot or two open for young guys to battle for, but I'm confident that KD finds a couple guys (I'm guessing via trade) to make the top 6 more NHL ready.
- Chunk

I’m pretty confident KD will ice a better team next season, he has to.