Isn’t KK coming up to replace Martinez?
- paulr

Martinez is not on IR, he’s like the rest of us, day to day.

They waived AA earlier to open one up as well
- fattybeef

That was a while ago, don’t remember if there was a corresponding move.

Edit- with Anderson roster is at 23, 13 forwards, 8 dmen and 2 goalies, so I guess there’s room for one w/o Anderson.

I don’t understand the rationale behind Anderson clearing waivers and Nazar coming up. Mrazek goes to IR, Commesso replaces his roster spot, Anderson clears and doesn’t KK take that roster spot? They would have to move someone else, no? I’m confused(there’s a shocker).
- Angotti

I thought they might put Martinez on IR

I guess wait and see

I thought they might put Martinez on IR

I guess wait and see
- BetweenTheDots

He's day to day. They probably figure he'll be back before the required 7 day minimum IR stint.

Jones back skating too. He's about a week away.
When he's back off IR, one of Crevier, Allan or KK go down to make space

Isn’t KK coming up to replace Martinez?
- paulr

Martinez I don't think was placed on IR

What are the thoughts on Alex Pharand? He seems to be off to a decent start to his season. Finding a bit more offensive game to go with his defensive game.

This season GP:25 G:12 A:14 P:26

Last year GP:68 G:17 A:13 P:30
- breadbag

Was surprised that Pharand has added that much scoring this year. That might be enough to get him an ELC next year. Read somewhere that they thought he was a good candidate for the bottom 6. Been meaning to watch a Sudbury game on CHLTV but haven't done it yet.

There is quite the forward prospect logjam shaping up next year, even assuming that Nazar, Dach and Slaggert move up to the NHL. There are 7 or more forwards coming in.

Savoie - Ludwinski - Hayes
Lardis - Greene - Moore
James - Thompson - Pharand
Misiak - Luypen - Guttman
Marcel
-- and I think as Spellacy is a US player, he can come in also

Where do guys like Pharand, James and Thompson get the ice time to develop?

I'm guessing Guttman, Luypen, and Marcel may not return, but that still leaves a lot of prospects there.

Was surprised that Pharand has added that much scoring this year. That might be enough to get him an ELC next year. Read somewhere that they thought he was a good candidate for the bottom 6. Been meaning to watch a Sudbury game on CHLTV but haven't done it yet.

There is quite the forward prospect logjam shaping up next year, even assuming that Nazar, Dach and Slaggert move up to the NHL. There are 7 or more forwards coming in.

Savoie - Ludwinski - Hayes
Lardis - Greene - Moore
James - Thompson - Pharand
Misiak - Luypen - Guttman
Marcel
-- and I think as Spellacy is a US player, he can come in also

Where do guys like Pharand, James and Thompson get the ice time to develop?

I'm guessing Guttman, Luypen, and Marcel may not return, but that still leaves a lot of prospects there.
- totem

As you said, Guttman Luypen, Seney and Sanford are all on the last years of their deals. Probably loaded up on KD's picks next year. Spellacy is still only 18 (Feb bday), so I believe he is either NHL or back to juniors?

This kind of highlights a previous point I've made in that they don't really have room for all of these kids, so I wouldn't be all that surprised to see one or two moved if the Hawks can get a good player out of it. This is probably where KD will have to make his money the most is determining which guys stay and which go.

As you said, Guttman Luypen, Seney and Sanford are all on the last years of their deals. Probably loaded up on KD's picks next year. Spellacy is still only 18 (Feb bday), so I believe he is either NHL or back to juniors?

This kind of highlights a previous point I've made in that they don't really have room for all of these kids, so I wouldn't be all that surprised to see one or two moved if the Hawks can get a good player out of it. This is probably where KD will have to make his money the most is determining which guys stay and which go.
- Chunk

Or else the Indy Fuel should be really good next year!

As you said, Guttman Luypen, Seney and Sanford are all on the last years of their deals. Probably loaded up on KD's picks next year. Spellacy is still only 18 (Feb bday), so I believe he is either NHL or back to juniors?

This kind of highlights a previous point I've made in that they don't really have room for all of these kids, so I wouldn't be all that surprised to see one or two moved if the Hawks can get a good player out of it. This is probably where KD will have to make his money the most is determining which guys stay and which go.
- Chunk

Re: Spellacy - these things still confuse me, is it all CHL players that have to stay to age 20 if they don't make the NHL, or is it only Canadian players? I guess I was assuming that if he was US born the rule might not apply.

Agree with your second point also, with so many prospects, they are likely to discard a couple of pretty good players who develop elsewhere. Guess that's the price for loading up on draft picks. Not sure how they figure out keeping most of the right ones.

Blackwood for Georgiev - does that solve COL goalie problems?

Were they playing the same 1-2-2 last year, or did they shift to that this year? I honestly can't remember.

Kurashev has actually played a decent amount with Bedard this year, so I'd lean on it just being the player.

I don't think you can just dismiss them asking a player to continue moving, and/or learn how to play faster by understanding what all of his responsibilities are. We all complain that the current Hawks are often out of position and are playing too slow all the time.

To have a guy that has been able to hone that in the AHL and then try to apply that in the NHL is exactly what you want to see. Like you, I think Nazar has shown that he is ready for that, but I don't think that his AHL time has been a waste at all.
- Chunk

Well said, Chunk. ... Hawks want a guy like Nazar, who might be able to take NHL minutes as 20 yr old who has 25 games pro, to develop good habits and do them enough where they take root. Then when you've got enough reps to achieve that you move up to the Bigs and are not thinking as much as you are playing.

No doubt the NHL is bringing up kids who are not ready so sure, Nazar could hang but allowing enough reps to properly develop as a pro in the AHL you've got a sound hockey player and with his IQ, enough skill and real speed you might have a difference maker.

Yeah the last thing we need to see is a repeat of the Korbustsky situation when some tall foreheads on this site were certain he should be promoted as an 19 year old when he clearly wasn’t ready for the NHL and struggled all season only to get demoted this season. I expect KD won’t be making the same mistake again.
- paulr

Tall foreheads?? Never heard that but it's clever and I like it............

My concern with the coaching change are the reasons for it and by who. Are they deviating from the processes they laid out when they drew up the plan? Are they tweaking the plan and are non-hockey ops sticking their nose in?

Seems to me they always bring up, and kinda chirp, how well Vlasic and Kaiser developed in RKF and they wanna use that model. My eyes say they're doing what they said. Sent KK to RKF and Nazar too. So far so good.

Well KK just got called up and to my eye, he's much more poised this yr and properly placed, he ain't ready. And they coulda called up Phillips or Del Mastro. .... Are they deviating and if so why?

Friedman is reporting Nazar is coming up. Sure, he's doing well down there but it's only 25 games. Are they deviating and if so why? Is the crap record making KD or Danny alter the plan?

That's my concern but others are the new guy wants to open it up, (is that why KK is up?) and KK is still weakish in his zone and that's without Hrabek in goal. ....... Giving KK a few NHL games and sending him down if fine but why fool with what's working in the AHL for KK?

Much less concerned about Nazar in the Bigs but again, why fool with what's working in the AHL for Nazar and are they deviating, and if they are what's the cause and who's all involved in that decision?

Blackwood for Georgiev - does that solve COL goalie problems?
- totem

Blackwood is kinda like Marazek last year. Not great on paper (team bad) but really doing a great job not letting things get too out of hand.

Anything is better than nothing at this point for Colorado.

Well said, Chunk. ... Hawks want a guy like Nazar, who might be able to take NHL minutes as 20 yr old who has 25 games pro, to develop good habits and do them enough where they take root. Then when you've got enough reps to achieve that you move up to the Bigs and are not thinking as much as you are playing.

No doubt the NHL is bringing up kids who are not ready so sure, Nazar could hang but allowing enough reps to properly develop as a pro in the AHL you've got a sound hockey player and with his IQ, enough skill and real speed you might have a difference maker.
- Mr Ricochet

Just like Lukas Reichel.

Tall foreheads?? Never heard that but it's clever and I like it............

My concern with the coaching change are the reasons for it and by who. Are they deviating from the processes they laid out when they drew up the plan? Are they tweaking the plan and are non-hockey ops sticking their nose in?

Seems to me they always bring up, and kinda chirp, how well Vlasic and Kaiser developed in RKF and they wanna use that model. My eyes say they're doing what they said. Sent KK to RKF and Nazar too. So far so good.

Well KK just got called up and to my eye, he's much more poised this yr and properly placed, he ain't ready. And they coulda called up Phillips or Del Mastro. .... Are they deviating and if so why?

Friedman is reporting Nazar is coming up. Sure, he's doing well down there but it's only 25 games. Are they deviating and if so why? Is the crap record making KD or Danny alter the plan?

That's my concern but others are the new guy wants to open it up, (is that why KK is up?) and KK is still weakish in his zone and that's without Hrabek in goal. ....... Giving KK a few NHL games and sending him down if fine but why fool with what's working in the AHL for KK?

Much less concerned about Nazar in the Bigs but again, why fool with what's working in the AHL for Nazar and are they deviating, and if they are what's the cause and who's all involved in that decision?
- Mr Ricochet

Paulie's talking Canadian again, eh?

Where's Darth?

Where's Darth?
- mohel

He left as soon as you came back. I’ve never seen you two together at the same time so I conclude Darth and Mo are one and the same.

He left as soon as you came back. I’ve never seen you two together at the same time so I conclude Darth and Mo are one and the same.
- paulr

That's a mean thing to say about him.....

Tall foreheads?? Never heard that but it's clever and I like it............

My concern with the coaching change are the reasons for it and by who. Are they deviating from the processes they laid out when they drew up the plan? Are they tweaking the plan and are non-hockey ops sticking their nose in?

Seems to me they always bring up, and kinda chirp, how well Vlasic and Kaiser developed in RKF and they wanna use that model. My eyes say they're doing what they said. Sent KK to RKF and Nazar too. So far so good.

Well KK just got called up and to my eye, he's much more poised this yr and properly placed, he ain't ready. And they coulda called up Phillips or Del Mastro. .... Are they deviating and if so why?

Friedman is reporting Nazar is coming up. Sure, he's doing well down there but it's only 25 games. Are they deviating and if so why? Is the crap record making KD or Danny alter the plan?

That's my concern but others are the new guy wants to open it up, (is that why KK is up?) and KK is still weakish in his zone and that's without Hrabek in goal. ....... Giving KK a few NHL games and sending him down if fine but why fool with what's working in the AHL for KK?

Much less concerned about Nazar in the Bigs but again, why fool with what's working in the AHL for Nazar and are they deviating, and if they are what's the cause and who's all involved in that decision?
- Mr Ricochet

Offense! If they play both Nazar and KK, then I think that's why they are making the change. I think the management of the team wants to push the offense of both Bedard and the team. A lot of media noise lately about Bedard slumping and he has been in the goal scoring dept, no question he isn't burying chances right now.

With him not making Canada's 4 nation roster and with the outdoor game coming, there is pressure to get him going and get the team playing a more exciting brand of hockey, even if they aren't winning. Too much bad press around Bedard not scoring enough. Of course they want to win more and I think the belief is they need to get over that 2 goal per game hump.

Make no mistake, KK could have been playing on this roster right now out of camp without a dramatic difference in the defense performance of the team. He improved over the course of last season in his end and the tale of him being overwhelmed at the NHL level was overblown. Nobody did great defensively last year when they played so much with Kurashev, an 18 year old Bedard and Megna as a partner. I'm not saying he won't make mistakes, but he has the skating to also add some dynamic elements to the play on the ice and helps create more options when he joins the rush.

LR had the team playing a defensive first mentality, and that's not a problem in general, however we haven't had enough individual firepower to breakthrough offensively enough to win those 3-2 games. If Bedard was a 25 year old and in his prime, probably it works out better, because he would be able to individually be an X-factor to influence the game more. As a 19 year old, it's tougher for him to play in that environment.

folks like to pile on and blame KD for not giving Bedard enough help, but I think that's only part of the equation. I think the Hawks are trying to solve 2 of the 3 things contributing to his slump. 1) provide him some more offensive minded players to be on the ice with. 2) Change up the game plan to be open up the offense a bit with the coaching change. 3) It's on Bedard to elevate his game a little bit, he hasn't been bad but some of it is him growing more into the player he will become.

I don’t understand the rationale behind Anderson clearing waivers and Nazar coming up. Mrazek goes to IR, Commesso replaces his roster spot, Anderson clears and doesn’t KK take that roster spot? They would have to move someone else, no? I’m confused(there’s a shocker).
- Angotti

You forgot Martinez, Lou. He's the 3rd guy that opens up a roster spot.

Joey Anderson out there tonight.

Korbustski good breakup on Panarin rush.

Teravainen has been a little more active tonight.

You forgot Martinez, Lou. He's the 3rd guy that opens up a roster spot.
- Mr Ricochet

I think with Martinez being only day to day, they would need to demote Crevier/Allan/Kaiser/KK (one of the D) to free up room to bring up a forward.

Joey Anderson out there tonight.

Korbustski good breakup on Panarin rush.

Teravainen has been a little more active tonight.
- totem

It was a good breakup by KK, but he does seems a little bit nervous in body language I think. If he stays up right now, I think might take a period or two, or maybe a game or two to get comfortable again.

I thought that was a heck of a good pass by Hall on the goal.

If the net was 4 feet higher Murphy would've had a goal there.

If the net was 4 feet higher Murphy would've had a goal there.
- HawkintheD

Seems like tonight the D have the green light to jump in so far.