Its pretty wild how much better Bedard is at even strength than Norris is.

- BetweenTheDots

What have you read or heard that Bedard is far better than Norris at 5 on 5.

If Chicago win the lottery can you imagine how sour the fans in rest of the NHL will get? Can’t wait to hear all the conspiracy theories.
- paulr

No doubt

What have you read or heard that Bedard is far better than Norris at 5 on 5.
- Mr Ricochet

I'm just looking at his even strength stats compared to Norris

1-2-3-3-3

I'm just looking at his even strength stats compared to Norris
- BetweenTheDots

What's everyone's take on Batherson, if we're talking Ottawa players? Contract is manageble, and with less term. He's only one year older than Norris.

Also, Ottawa will have $13 mill for 7 roster spots next season. How desperate are they to create cap space?

What's everyone's take on Batherson, if we're talking Ottawa players? Contract is manageble, and with less term. He's only one year older than Norris.

Also, Ottawa will have $13 mill for 7 roster spots next season. How desperate are they to create cap space?
- 333inthe3rd

Yep, somehow OTT is up against the cap next yr, their pipeline is near the bottom, making the playoffs seems a long way away and they have a new owner and GM. .....

An interesting franchise to follow right now and someone who is probably open to making some deals..

IMO Batherson is a top 6 NHLer something the Hawks are way short on. But, being greedy I'm always looking for centers but any old top 6 guy would do right about now.

I'm just looking at his even strength stats compared to Norris
- BetweenTheDots

OK, I'm not gonna press you on this but Norris a pretty good top 6 NHL center and the 18 yr old Bedard is still figuring it out.

Yep, somehow OTT is up against the cap next yr, their pipeline is near the bottom, making the playoffs seems a long way away and they have a new owner and GM. .....

An interesting franchise to follow right now and someone who is probably open to making some deals..

IMO Batherson is a top 6 NHLer something the Hawks are way short on. But, being greedy I'm always looking for centers but any old top 6 guy would do right about now.
- Mr Ricochet

Norris has all that salary and term, though. Ultimately, it depends on what the Hawks have to give up for any available Sen. And it would help to know which players, if any, want out of there. I'm guessing that if someone like me can highlight Batherson, every front office in the NHL is fully aware of what a bargain he would be at that cap hit.

I don't see the Hawks doing a big splash either in free agency or by trade, for a max contract. Not yet. They have to know what they have in their system, and what needs to be filled from outside. But if they did, they have to know that they hold all the cards. Many teams need cap space, and the Hawks have a ton of it. We all remember how the Hawks had to walk the plank when they were in cap hell. I'd say cap space has an even greater premium attached to it today.

If Chicago win the lottery can you imagine how sour the fans in rest of the NHL will get? Can’t wait to hear all the conspiracy theories.
- paulr

are you really considered to have won the lottery if you have the worst record in the league? semantics I guess

are you really considered to have won the lottery if you have the worst record in the league? semantics I guess
- glennjpawlak22

According to NHL rules you didn't, i believe. So the Blackhawks could win the lottery the following year

I believe your draft position has to move up to be considered winning the lottery. It doesn't matter how many positions. If you go from 2 to 1 then you've won but if you stay at 1 then...

I pine for the day we would win championships and some posters were complaining.
- paulr

For the Hawks it was a Golden Era of winning while for some here it was the Golden Era of whining.

are you really considered to have won the lottery if you have the worst record in the league? semantics I guess
- glennjpawlak22

You do understand that the lottery refers to the draft lottery?

Norris has all that salary and term, though. Ultimately, it depends on what the Hawks have to give up for any available Sen. And it would help to know which players, if any, want out of there. I'm guessing that if someone like me can highlight Batherson, every front office in the NHL is fully aware of what a bargain he would be at that cap hit.

I don't see the Hawks doing a big splash either in free agency or by trade, for a max contract. Not yet. They have to know what they have in their system, and what needs to be filled from outside. But if they did, they have to know that they hold all the cards. Many teams need cap space, and the Hawks have a ton of it. We all remember how the Hawks had to walk the plank when they were in cap hell. I'd say cap space has an even greater premium attached to it today.
- 333inthe3rd

Lotta good points in your post, tree, tree, tree. I'm not advocating the Hawks do anything except they gotta have some legit top/middle 6 talent on the big club next yr...... But, keep your head up, ask around and if you see some value go get it even if the timing isn't perfect at this stage of the rebuild..

A club like OTT seems like a franchise to talk to to see what they're thinking. Bunch of indicators say they'll be making at least a few personnel moves thru puck drop 24/25 and they may be a fit for KD.

According to NHL rules you didn't, i believe. So the Blackhawks could win the lottery the following year
- BetweenTheDots

We will not we cannot get lucky and draft Celebrini right? Not allowed to win lottery first overall two consecutive years. No chance he slips to second or third in the draft!

About all I can see rest of the way is Del Mastro probably gets a cup of coffee but Dach just hopefully returns his AHL season. Murphy is not getting dealt - yet. And I doubt that Comesso is ready for NHL after one AHL season.

We will not we cannot get lucky and draft Celebrini right? Not allowed to win lottery first overall two consecutive years. No chance he slips to second or third in the draft!

About all I can see rest of the way is Del Mastro probably gets a cup of coffee but Dach just hopefully returns his AHL season. Murphy is not getting dealt - yet. And I doubt that Comesso is ready for NHL after one AHL season.
- jhawk59

Someone on twit mentioned that you cannot move up and draft 1st.
If the Blackhawks have the worst record and land #1 it isn't moving up. Technically they could draft the 1st pick 3 years in a row,but I hope they aren't going to be that bad.

Celebrini to Chicago is a done deal. The Blackhawks are getting the winter classic next year because the NHL has already rigged it so they get the #1 pick this year

Showcase Macklin and Bedard next year at Wrigley and then they will host another winter classic in 4 years when both are hitting their prime at the new stadium the crappy bears are going to build

Game on tonight, versus MN Wild.
Let's go 'Hawks!

Game on tonight, versus MN Wild.
Let's go 'Hawks!
- 35Tony0

Imagine the angst if you believe your team is pretty darn good but maybe just not going to beat the very best teams in their Conference in the playoffs.
Your GM/ scouts have and will continue to filter in young players

Sure makes a case for trying to select the best pure talent with your first choice in round one

Yes I know although a few months away and talk on who do we select in the ‘24 Entry Draft is ad museum

So while I love the projection of Lindstrom I am sure he is not comparable to another ballyhooed big man - remember Lindros rumor going to Chicago!

Now I am not attempting comparisons to previous would could maybe you would have or not made a big trade back then. My gosh that is a heck of a sentence from a grammatical structure but it gets the point across

I am not saying at all whether KD entertains a huge trade to secure the player he wants

But it is always better when you get a pretty agreed upon top skill player in the draft So yeah I would love Celebrini and Eiserman then tough decision between Lindstrom or the top dman

When you look back at teams that were good but just couldn’t get to the Cup, think Minnesota Wild. As applies past few years and foreseeable path

This is the team I led off talking about. Lots of nice talent. Good young talent too

Oh maybe they hope the goalie who is going to replace Fluery, is the next Ottinger or even better. Try to ride a goaltender to the Cup. If they got a great kid in net maybe they could dream he leads them to The Cuo final

Of course you can have three very solid lines with top line scorers but that cast might loose to a slightly lesser team as compared to how good they are on paper Having the very best difference makers like Bedard can be the difference

Sure would be nice if we draft Celebrini even Eiserman. I won’t be too disappointed if KD grabs Lindstrom but wow Celebrini would be a difference maker. I won’t say taking Lindstrom before Eiserman is wrong because maybe the GM has a plan for the type of players he wants to win with….i take Eiserman/you take Lindstrom

Both could become difference makers although we can imagine it more presently with Eiserman than Lindstrom.

Imagine the angst if you believe your team is pretty darn good but maybe just not going to beat the very best teams in their Conference in the playoffs.
Your GM/ scouts have and will continue to filter in young players

Sure makes a case for trying to select the best pure talent with your first choice in round one

Yes I know although a few months away and talk on who do we select in the ‘24 Entry Draft is ad museum

So while I love the projection of Lindstrom I am sure he is not comparable to another ballyhooed big man - remember Lindros rumor going to Chicago!

Now I am not attempting comparisons to previous would could maybe you would have or not made a big trade back then. My gosh that is a heck of a sentence from a grammatical structure but it gets the point across

I am not saying at all whether KD entertains a huge trade to secure the player he wants

But it is always better when you get a pretty agreed upon top skill player in the draft So yeah I would love Celebrini and Eiserman then tough decision between Lindstrom or the top dman

When you look back at teams that were good but just couldn’t get to the Cup, think Minnesota Wild. As applies past few years and foreseeable path

This is the team I led off talking about. Lots of nice talent. Good young talent too

Oh maybe they hope the goalie who is going to replace Fluery, is the next Ottinger or even better. Try to ride a goaltender to the Cup. If they got a great kid in net maybe they could dream he leads them to The Cuo final

Of course you can have three very solid lines with top line scorers but that cast might loose to a slightly lesser team as compared to how good they are on paper Having the very best difference makers like Bedard can be the difference

Sure would be nice if we draft Celebrini even Eiserman. I won’t be too disappointed if KD grabs Lindstrom but wow Celebrini would be a difference maker. I won’t say taking Lindstrom before Eiserman is wrong because maybe the GM has a plan for the type of players he wants to win with….i take Eiserman/you take Lindstrom

Both could become difference makers although we can imagine it more presently with Eiserman than Lindstrom.
- jhawk59

The reality of it is there are 32 teams and not all are gonna win even though there are probably 6 teams that have comparable talent and "should win".

Extremely difficult league to win a championship in with the hard cap unless you get exactly the right core and pick up exactly the right 'guys' that out kick their coverage when players rotate in and out and get just the right bounces.

San Jose had an excellent team when the Hawks were good. Unfortunately so did the Kings, Red Wings (maybe a little before), Canucks (even though they sucked), Ducks, Nashville was always annoying then.

For all the good Washington Capitals teams they only won one. Boston the same recently.

IF a team like the Wild got in they could certainly do a lot of damage everything else went right. Thats kind tough though.

1-2-3-3-3
- 35Tony0

3-2-3-2-3

What's everyone's take on Batherson, if we're talking Ottawa players? Contract is manageble, and with less term. He's only one year older than Norris.

Also, Ottawa will have $13 mill for 7 roster spots next season. How desperate are they to create cap space?
- 333inthe3rd

If the price is right, I'm in.

If the price is right, I'm in.
- wiz1901

You KNOW Zach is going to add a new blog as the Blackhawks start to play their next game against the Wild, so this nice long blog we had is going to end.

It was nice that we were able to extend various topics as folks game in at different points and were able to "jump in late."

It was fun, all the opinions together...

2-1-3-2-2

I might be flipping back to taking Cayden Lindstrom, after a scout said he is like watching a football running back playing hockey that he is continually moving at traffic through players and inside to the paint.

And is so, why not his winger Andrew Basha too, whom is ranked 23-late first round range...
Lots of time before the lottery balls to solidify our mock thoughts, all

If the price is right, I'm in.
- wiz1901

Since we are in fantasy trade land, i would rather have Tkachuk line up with Bedard. Screw the 2nd line center.

Since we are in fantasy trade land, i would rather have Tkachuk line up with Bedard. Screw the 2nd line center.
- BetweenTheDots

How about Bedard as 2C? McJesus as 1C....

How about Bedard as 2C? McJesus as 1C....
- mohel

This puts McJesus closer to a Cup than his current position...