Agreed. Sabre’s have Peterka and Benson although actually to be a more rounded team they should consider retaining Middlestadt over even one of those two. Actually best move for them is to part ways with veteran Skinner because they will be needing to pay young players much more and in one year or sooner.

As much as Granoti is called a good coach for young kids, that team wasn’t and won’t click and the reason in part is the coach. Need a system and a strong leader in their coach

Maybe Queeniville?
- jhawk59

Peterka, a 2nd round pick in 2020. Looks like Stan may have selected the wrong German that year.

No way Vlasic signs a $5M deal for 8 years. Kid could end up double that with inflation.
- rpeters01

Double would be insane. We might see a short term deal for Vlasic if they are too far apart on a long term number. Trying to see who might be comparable age D who signed long term deals. Looking at active dmen who signed their current deal between age 21 and 23 and signed for 6-8 years, there are 12 guys.

C Maker 6x9AAV
M Heiskanen 8x8.45AAV
Chabot 8x8 AAV
Q Hughes 6x7.85
I Provorov 6x6.75 AAV
S Theodore 7x5.2 AAV
S Girard 7x5AAV
N Hanifin 6x4.9AAV
J Chychrun 6x4.6AAV
R Andersson 6x.455AAV
M Samuelson 7x4.285AAV
B Pesce 6x4AAV


Vlasic has played well, but I don't think he has demonstrated the offensive upside to justify a huge payday. He isn't in the same class offensively as most of these guys who got long term contracts at that age. I know he is a defenseman and he has been generally solid in the defensive end, is that enough to get him an 8 year deal where he isn't trading away money for term?

Probably but I don't know who would be willing to eat that one and he has a NMC. He's on pace for 30ish goals.

Guess if anything thats a cautionary tale about signing the wrong 25 year old to big money to anchor a rebuild or being wrong about your window of opportunity depending on how you want to look at it.
- fattybeef

Right but that's more of a deal i would do Skinner and Middlestadt, so you can continue to build, the asset here is salary cap space, and we will be able to afford both of them for the remainder of Skinners contract.

Sam Reinhart is 28 and Unrestricted. Maybe a $9-10 million player. Probably a top 50 type NHL player. Great passer. Real smart. Do you think it would kill the rebuild to go sign him for 7 years at $13 million and put him next to Bedard? Just like my friend from Toyota, they are going to have to "over pay" him to leave a beach for the Midwest.



- stevefrmglencoeThe Hawks can always choose to passively build internally and keep Kurashev on Bedard's wing.

I totally understand where your coming from with this. If you want Bedard optimized you have to add to what I mentioned a blog back as an already in place eight of 12 forwards that they are keeping as their transitional team.
Bedard's and what ever Korchinski's on the job training gets him in his second deal is still aways off.
Taylor Hall was who was going to help Bedard's offensive game, as someone to be a gun, and get him the puck as a board player and set him up. I hasn't worked out, and I know if I was Kyle i wouldn't stand pat with that solution and early I said if you want to add even a Jordan Eberle has the hands to aid in the what will be mounting frustration in Bedsy, but if Reinhart wants to come North form Sunrise, FL., you can afford that move, and both being signed certainly fills the line up in what if needs most:
Hands
Quickness
Vision and
more leadership.

When we were kids, after the Hawks thought they got Frank Mahovlich,
for no players, just cash, I have concocted trades for Tkachuk's daddy, Forsberg and assortment of saviors, but then the harsh reality of my grown-uo life saw they were clearly day dreams, one offs, and not common occurences in the NHL trade spectrum especially since the Cap set in.

I just don't think they can questionably exist w/o additions like them.

And if we imagine these Reinhardt/Eberle moves two years down the road, you now know you added Nazar and maybe another couple of your prospects to where all hope is nit gone like now.
I am really pleased with the reports the current team is so happy and bonded and willing to continue to lunch pail to work.

But no one can convince the current injured guys and the "Youthfull vets already here" are capable of
a) being the wingers for Bedard, and
b) ever reaching high levels of NHL scoring, assisting, or even PASSING.


Steve, I put Kurashev in RED, because you were being sarcastic, right?
(or as my daughter would say at five in your case, Sour-castic?)

Double would be insane. We might see a short term deal for Vlasic if they are too far apart on a long term number. Trying to see who might be comparable age D who signed long term deals. Looking at active dmen who signed their current deal between age 21 and 23 and signed for 6-8 years, there are 12 guys.

C Maker 6x9AAV
M Heiskanen 8x8.45AAV
Chabot 8x8 AAV
Q Hughes 6x7.85
I Provorov 6x6.75 AAV
S Theodore 7x5.2 AAV
S Girard 7x5AAV
N Hanifin 6x4.9AAV
J Chychrun 6x4.6AAV
R Andersson 6x.455AAV
M Samuelson 7x4.285AAV
B Pesce 6x4AAV


Vlasic has played well, but I don't think he has demonstrated the offensive upside to justify a huge payday. He isn't in the same class offensively as most of these guys who got long term contracts at that age. I know he is a defenseman and he has been generally solid in the defensive end, is that enough to get him an 8 year deal where he isn't trading away money for term?
- breadbag

8 years is a big stretch just because he is so young, but most of the comps I've seen for him are in the 4X4 range. YOu have to look at the most recent contracts signed to comparable players. The 2-3-4 year old contracts are weighted less.

Double would be insane. We might see a short term deal for Vlasic if they are too far apart on a long term number. Trying to see who might be comparable age D who signed long term deals. Looking at active dmen who signed their current deal between age 21 and 23 and signed for 6-8 years, there are 12 guys.

C Maker 6x9AAV
M Heiskanen 8x8.45AAV
Chabot 8x8 AAV
Q Hughes 6x7.85
I Provorov 6x6.75 AAV
S Theodore 7x5.2 AAV
S Girard 7x5AAV
N Hanifin 6x4.9AAV
J Chychrun 6x4.6AAV
R Andersson 6x.455AAV
M Samuelson 7x4.285AAV
B Pesce 6x4AAV


Vlasic has played well, but I don't think he has demonstrated the offensive upside to justify a huge payday. He isn't in the same class offensively as most of these guys who got long term contracts at that age. I know he is a defenseman and he has been generally solid in the defensive end, is that enough to get him an 8 year deal where he isn't trading away money for term?
- breadbag

I'm thinking 3x something $, then 6-8 x who knows what $, but much higher than $5M.

I just re-watched the first two periods from last nights game. Holy crap. Almost no one can complete a pass. Most of the guys making passes are wildly off the mark, and a lot of the good passes are flubbed by the receiver. The main thing that stuck out was there looked to be a lot of indecision. D-men with time and space (not at the end of a shift) just giving up the puck on a dump-in. Poor spatial awareness of the forwards, etc.

It will be great to see when the young guys start to mature a bit.

Right but that's more of a deal i would do Skinner and Middlestadt, so you can continue to build, the asset here is salary cap space, and we will be able to afford both of them for the remainder of Skinners contract.
- BetweenTheDots

Unfortunately for us, Buffalo wants help now in return. Cap space is nice for them to get, but according to Friedman they want guys who can contribute right now. I don’t think we have anyone who checks that box for them.

Unfortunately for us, Buffalo wants help now in return. Cap space is nice for them to get, but according to Friedman they want guys who can contribute right now. I don’t think we have anyone who checks that box for them.
- ObeseOprah

That's why KD needs to stay patient, i believe a deal like the one i suggested will come along.

Right but that's more of a deal i would do Skinner and Middlestadt, so you can continue to build, the asset here is salary cap space, and we will be able to afford both of them for the remainder of Skinners contract.
- BetweenTheDots

Gotcha. That could be an option too.

Unfortunately for us, Buffalo wants help now in return. Cap space is nice for them to get, but according to Friedman they want guys who can contribute right now. I don’t think we have anyone who checks that box for them.
- ObeseOprah

Good point. Probably the same issue in trying to get anyone from Ottawa.

That's why KD needs to stay patient, i believe a deal like the one i suggested will come along.
- BetweenTheDots

A GM will panic and make a move based on the panic. I can’t see KD panicking this early but let’s hope that when another GM makes a bad move it’s what Davidson is looking for. Maybe a team like Edmonton, the Rangers or Toronto are one of the teams where their GM panics at the TDL?

What are you talking about?
- paulr

Ok, thank you. It was early and I had a few for last night's game but that post was undecodable. Would've made Wiz proud.

1-2-1-1-3
Good to see Bedard back on the ice.
Vlasic looked way better last night than his previous game.
KK coming along nicely.
Saw Raddysh, Richardinson and Entwhistle all get dinged. Hope none of them are serious.

I think they should spend close to the cap either through free agency or taking on bad contracts for more picks. They saved themselves over $16 million by not doing it this year and they have no Cap issues upcoming for 4 years. Signing free agent NHL players will slot the prospects so they can develop and aren't rushed. They tanked for Bedard and were rewarded. Enough tanking. Put a couple of high end players on Bedard's wings next season.
- stevefrmglencoe

Good to see you post, Steve. Always good to read an objective counterweight. .... Who has KD rushed and therefore not slotted properly? He has shown with Vlasic and Reichel getting another yr in RKF last yr that he's patient and will slot players properly, no?

My #1 priority going into the yr with the prospects is do no harm. Let the player decide where he belongs by his play not what some arbitrary timeline. If they are overwhelmed in the Bigs send em back to where they belong for development's sake. ...... Do you have an example where you see any of the rostered rookies being overwhelmed?

No keep Reichel and get Holloway if KD wants him but let's not quit on kids.
- BetweenTheDots

You did read that I'm not necessarily advocating this trade, right? ..... I'm a Reichel guy admitting the kid is a riddle right now. BUT, with a possible top 6 containing Reichel, Nazar, Moore, Kurashev, Reichel, Kancerov, Lardis you think they are smallish?

Possible KD decides to swap out a skill/speed guy for a bigger power player like a Holloway type in a hockey trade?

Last couple of games it looks to me like Korchinski is getting better in the offensive end. Hope this continues
- BetweenTheDots

Yep, IMO the reps he's gotten shows up in some poise out of KK's game. Thought that showed maybe 5 games ago when he teed up two 1 timers from the point in the same shift. Until then we saw a lotta KK just feeding a guy on the flank.

If KD thinks Reichel is a bust that's one thing but i still think Reichel even with all his warts is playing better hockey then Kurashev was around the same amount of games played with less talent around him.
- BetweenTheDots

I hope so, Dots, Kurashev is a 4th rd pick, Reichel went in rd 1.

I know, I expected him to be at the top of his game his first game back after an injury too.
- paulr

The top of his game was poor defense. Kid lost his man coming back and his man scored. Nothing new and a fair observation by Dots.

What was new with Bedard for me is after a poor 1st period I thought he and his line was as dangerous as I've seen him/it in the 2nd period. Every shift it seemed they created danger consistently. Kid looked like a 2-3 yr NHLer not just cuz of the danger they created but did it consistently.

Which made me think it just might be the best thing to happen to Bedard was to be forced out of the lineup for 5 weeks to simply watch and learn from the stands and film... Sure looked that way to me in the 2nd and 3rd periods.

I wonder if KD will be in on any of the upcoming college free agents.

Jacob Quillan and Collin Graf, both playing with Quinnipac, would be solid additions up front.

Colton Huard could be an option as a RHD. He plays for UNH and was previously with the Chicago Steel.

I love Vlasic. He does a lot of things well but that second Crosby goal was on him. He moved to the right side of the net and left Crosby all alone. He was wide open and there was no one there to stop him. Hope Vlasic took a lesson from this.

I love Vlasic. He does a lot of things well but that second Crosby goal was on him. He moved to the right side of the net and left Crosby all alone. He was wide open and there was no one there to stop him. Hope Vlasic took a lesson from this.
- bjphawkfan

It’s going to happen again… and that’s ok.

There are more than 80 profiles up on top three round players on my Mock, ad should be close to finishing round three soon.

. ...... Do you have an example where you see any of the rostered rookies being overwhelmed?
- Mr Ricochet

You mean like the blind leading the Blind, because every mishandle, or lack of a quick strike hurts the team's development...oh, it might not damage pysche s but the more 5 man groups can string passes in their breakouts and continue to pass good passes and teammates are handling them, that build a player's game and probably the confidence of the 5 man uint.

I just don't see a cohesive unit(s) and that's why I am with Steve that you bring in a vet or two especially so Bedard isn't continually embarrassed by the play around him.

I try to stay positive and do expect improvement offensively as the entire team defense has risen to be solid in their "unit play."

I am less confident the current cast including the injured are enough to improve next year's standing, and you know I love me some early draft picks but not sure Bedsy will see that way.

I wonder if KD will be in on any of the upcoming college free agents.

Jacob Quillan and Collin Graf, both playing with Quinnipac, would be solid additions up front.

Colton Huard could be an option as a RHD. He plays for UNH and was previously with the Chicago Steel.
- DarthKane

The Frozen Four was in Tampa so I got to see the two Quinnipac forwards up close and Graf would be 22 before the 2024 season started and Quillan 23 next February.

It certainly would be a decision if they play in the bigs soon, in roles that are offensive as opposed to bottom end ones. if they need seasoning you better understand that there eventual big league graduations may be more beneficial earlier so it doesn't crowd the competition as the Kyle drafts start common up.

Also have the Hawks had any look with most college signing so far? Not really.