Being bad and getting young guys NHL experience seems like a red herring argument, what happened last season is it got some young guys NHL experience, but it was -bad- NHL experience.

I think they are trying (or wanting - I guess whether they pull it off is another question) is a better pro team experience in the AHL as a base, before introducing guys into the NHL, meaning in order to do that you need to have different guys up in the NHL. It is what it is.

I thought the same about Mrazek and Soderblum -swapping the starts out, however what Richardson also said was if Mrazek did real well, he might also start him in Dallas as well.

Soderblom is ill, Commesso called up and Phillips sent down.

Some fireworks are expected in the game tonight courtesy Nashville call up L'Heroux, a first round #27,overall a couple or so years ago.

L'Heroux has 48 points in 66 gp for their Milwaukee AHL as a rookie last season. He has skill but likes to get in the opponents grill often. An AHL story today mentioned how Nashville had allowed him to.play to his strengths so expect an out of whack (alignment) Nashville team to insert him into the lineup..

He is the kind of player you love to have but hate to play against

Under 6' and just shy if 200 pd he gave Rockford Dach a cross check from behind last season, resulting in Dach missing a big chunk of games.

Nashville was looking much better in their last game which was a victory against Boston.. Nashville may still be adjusting to two new big scorers fitting in but L Heroux will possibly become a bigger issue

Preds 2C is Colton Sissons. It ain't easy finding NHL caliber centerman.

Anderson was sick, now Soderblom. I hope it's not something going through the team here.

Preds 2C is Colton Sissons. It ain't easy finding NHL caliber centerman.
- Mr Ricochet

No it’s not, it ain’t easy finding right shot defensemen either. Let’s hope that Arty and Rinzel become long term answers, with the LD’s in the system, that will bode well for the Hawks.

Well what are we doing here? Reichel is part of the developmental program isn't he? I haven't watched Broberg play all that much except for the playoffs and i thought he was okay and the Oilers obviously didn't think he was that good. Will Broberg continue? Who knows but go ddamit play at least a kid that you can't send to the Rock who can get minutes there. He's the only one who actually can flash talent out of all the hockey players on this team except for 2 guys who are playing on line 1.

It's as if they don't walk out on the ice and be stars there's no point in playing them. Since you have a man crush on Sharp

Sharp 115 Games at 24 years old 19G 19A
Reichel 102 games at 22 years old 12G 22A
2 years younger
- BetweenTheDots

I wasn't commenting about Reichel...

Just three names off the top of my head if you or someone else can other centers that would make sense for the Hawks then by all means chime in.
- Scott1977

Barzal if only because Bedard has mentioned him by name before and the Islanders may need a shake up. Though he does not win a lot of draws and started playing more wing since they acquired Horvat.

I think that would be one where you'd need to come off Nazar or Moore and also figure out how to move around some monies.

Reichel pitching for more time.

How do you not get shots for Bedard on the PP

Soderblom is ill, Commesso called up and Phillips sent down.
- Angotti

Ok great info Angotti - in that case - in m above remove Soda insert random backup goalie. I wouldn't expect them to use Commesso except in a really big emergency.

...Ah yeh that feeling you get when you realise the coach of the other team used to be one of your own team's whipping boys.... Brunette --- he's still slow :D

Murphy has been bad tonight

Murphy has been bad tonight
- vabeachbear

To be fair -- he couldn't even hook correctly (and still got called for it)...

Good period. Bedard, Reichel, and Vlasic, the three stars of the first period. If Reichel keeps playing like that, he’s going to find himself on the 2nd line.

Mario Tirabassi

"Sam Rinzel had just 2 goals all of last season for @GopherHockey

He has 2 goals tonight and his season total is at 4 through 5 games
#Blackhawks    #HOTR"

I wasn't commenting about Reichel...
- rpeters01

You did reference him in what you said, i guess I'm confused

I have a lot to say about this.

Sharp maintained that quality though, was a reliable penalty killer and somehow on a team that had less talent than this one.

It's not really an apples to apples comparison and Sharp's production increased year over year. He didn't have the same setback and there weren't the same questions as to if he was even a NHL player that you have with Reichel.

its not about the player being a star immediately and more about how they move around the ice and the plays they try to make.

What I like about Nazar is he attempts to make the correct hockey play most of the time and is usually in the correct position defensively to disrupt a pass or prevent a shot. Bedard obviously cheated a lot last year but generally speaking when he decided to play D he was about in the right spot but in a lot of cases a little late in getting where he needed to be. Korchinski made a lot of very good plays but just did not get into position early enough to cut a play off or make the right one many times as well. Since we keep going back to Forsling it was the same with him. The AHL won't fix those deficiencies.

Those three think the game the right way and in my opinion should be hit over the head in the NHL until their speed of play picks up which obviously Bedard is getting and then the other two would be in really good spots in 2 years rather than pushing back their development.

Perhaps in the case of Korch it'll give him confidence attacking the D zone with the puck on his blade but not sure how playing in a slower less skilled league is going to help him process the game faster.

Reichel (and I'll throw Kurashev in that mix) is constantly not in the right spot away from the puck. He chases defensively, doesn't seem to know who his guy is, is poor on the boards and doesn't cover the back side well in transition. It's not that he's getting there late, it's that he just isn't in the right spot or on his way there (Kurashev does the same poop which is why he drives me nuts).

Reichel also makes poor decisions with the puck. Not trying to do too much, not being too fancy, not making the play late but making a bad decision in general. Maybe some of that is adjusting from the AHL to NHL which is a big jump and why I don't think guys who are good enough should spend a lot of time down there developing bad habits - which is what happens when a player like Reichel can compensate for every deficiency with his feet.

Maybe the light goes off at some point. I think, since they are poop anyway, there is more value to playing him 17 minutes a night vs Kurashev because the latter is pretty much a finished product at this stage. BUT since these clowns have decided to set some weird unattainable standard, that doesn't seem possible.

He made two nice plays that led to assists the other night when he had time and space to carry the puck forward, look up and make a play without a lot of pressure. Maybe he figures out how to play fundamentally better hockey or gets out of his own head if that's the issue but if he didn't learn it over the last 3 years not sure if \ when a light will go off since there isn't any indication that tactically he knows what to do on the ice when his speed and skill are less of a factor.
- fattybeef

I don't believe Sharp played PK until 25 26 years old before then he was not reliable in his own end or along the boards he was a floater a lot like Reichel was last year. And you're right it's not apples to apples because Reichel is 2 years younger.

Man these ESPN announcers are, frankly, geniuses .... gushing about putting Reichel with Bedard and Teuvo .... as if it was a really super deliberate tactic - and ignoring the fact that Foligno just had been on a shift killing the penalty to start the period - therefore was ... not available.

Wow --- just wow ... they actually pay those people -- unreal.

Man these ESPN announcers are, frankly, geniuses .... gushing about putting Reichel with Bedard and Teuvo .... as if it was a really super deliberate tactic - and ignoring the fact that Foligno just had been on a shift killing the penalty to start the period - therefore was ... not available.

Wow --- just wow ... they actually pay those people -- unreal.
- SC116

At least I can watch a game! Didn’t get an antenna yet. Not sure why it’s not blacked out in Chicago but happy it’s not.

I know it's early and the recent rumors of Hawks wanting a impact 2nd line center would traded either Kaiser or Allen be included in trade for that 2nd line center.

Bedard looked pumped getting a goal finally. Little weight off his shoulders. Prob going on a goal tear now.

Mario Tirabassi

"Sam Rinzel had just 2 goals all of last season for @GopherHockey

He has 2 goals tonight and his season total is at 4 through 5 games
#Blackhawks    #HOTR"
- breadbag

That's going to end up a sneaky good pick. He looked like a completely different player at the World Jrs.

Leshunov activated and sent to Rockford, assuming he'll play tomorrow night.

That's going to end up a sneaky good pick. He looked like a completely different player at the World Jrs.

Leshunov activated and sent to Rockford, assuming he'll play tomorrow night.
- vabeachbear

Big fan of Rinzel. I think he’s going to be a stud. If he is, Hawks will have some D prospects they can use to get a top young fw/c

I know it's early and the recent rumors of Hawks wanting a impact 2nd line center would traded either Kaiser or Allen be included in trade for that 2nd line center.
- Scott1977

Aren't making playoffs this season. Our #1 '25 plus let us see Nazar and Moore playing NHL. Maybe then we could exa.ine whether there is a long term #2 center tradeable and what is the renumeration..it will take much more than either Allen or Kaiser even if both those dmen are playing well

I am a fan of Lardis, Greene, Hayes too

At least I can watch a game! Didn’t get an antenna yet. Not sure why it’s not blacked out in Chicago but happy it’s not.
- bhawks2241

Unfortunately that does not make their announcers any good -which was more to the point.

As for the other - I guess grab a transistor radio and a 9 volt --- it can be the 80's again - that's all I had ... it did actually work. You do what ya gotta. It's all you can do.

---

Ok well that was an 'interesting' play. Great- we got a lag -- I guess you will know before me if it was offside or not.

But what was more interesting is that they have done some work on breakouts on the PP from the push 'em back entry, and I don't know - they need to go back to the drawing board, because while I get the reasoning - this one needs more work, because all of the passing ends up confusing the hell out of the defenders ---true (and good) -but it draws the puck right to the slot - where all of the confused defenders actually are - which means - running into people and losing control of the puck ...

Passing good, work out where the puck is designed to end up -all of the passing is actually looking more like a set up to get the puck into the zone on the periphery -not the centre of the ice -at least not skating it there.