Couldn't handle watching the whole Hawks game, so I watched the 2nd and 3rd periods of the Hogs games.

I'm liking KK's game more and more. He's a lot more aggressive and not worried about making mistakes (which he still does). He's generating a lot of chances.

I'll keep saying the same thing about Lev. He's completely unbothered by pressure. His skating is so smooth and effective that it gets him out of harms way really well.

If you get the chance, watch the highlights. Slaggert scored the last goal and it was precisely what the Hawks are lacking. Tough unrelenting pressure around the net. It took him three shots to finally get it in, but he just never gave up on it, and all within about five feet of the goal.

Dach may actually be something. He was more connected for the whole game than what I saw at the start of the year.

Nazar is untouchable at the moment. You can definitely see the difference between him and 99% of the other players in the AHL.

Obligatory EDM mention: Solid, smart, kills plays effectively, and has the ability to add offense.

Even though they have a losing record at the moment, they are light years more entertaining to watch than the big club. They'll likely be about the same as they were last year (kinda middle of the pack, but get into the PO's), but still a much better watch.
- Chunk

Didn’t you get the memo, KK is a bust.

Didn’t you get the memo, KK is a bust.
- paulr

No, I got it. They're all busts. They're still more entertaining to watch than the big club. Is it better to be a 19 year old bust or a 35 year old has-been?

Yep, I alluded to this in a post a couple of weeks ago, back on page 35.

Games aren't exciting, the CSN rollout could have been handled better, and they have lost or are losing the casual fan. They have one less standings point at this point of the season than last year. So far KD's pledge to become a better team isn't happening.

I'm all for the rebuild, but at this pace it's going to be another long 2 or 3 years before the team has even a modicum of success.
- boilermaker100

The time, for me, isn't the issue. Just kind of throwing poop on the wall this year is a little irritating. It doesn't seem like they attempted to build a cohesive team, just put a bunch of guys together and said "well can't be worse than last year".

Still don't mind the TT deal. Craig Smith has been good. Richardinson is fine. Reichel fine.

Could do without captain talks a lot at this point. Maroon has been fine but is sooooo slowwwwww. Brodie has been better but that is still a head scratcher. Hall got injured but has been largely very bad this year. Bertuzzi might be ok if he could stay on his feet.

Kind of surprised they've stuck with Kurashev this long. Guess they couldn't have unloaded him after that season last year but I think they should have known that was smoke.

Donato is fine as a 4th line bum slayer who can slot up on occasion but overall - I don't think he is a very smart hockey player. Mikheyev is pretty useless at 4 million. At 800k maybe he's fine.

Anyway - how can you judge Kyle and Co if theyre just filling roster spots to fill roster spots, and does that even matter? How can you possibly judge Richardson with the dumpster fire that they put in his lap?

I guess reserving judgement until after the TDL is probably the more reasonable course. I'd think that things will move around. If they take bad money and move productive players while they can (Donato, for example would have some value) that sends a pretty clear message. If they bring in a more talented player or two then that also at least give some direction.

I think the biggest red flag at this point would be them doing absolutely nothing.

Blackhawks are missing Seth jones 20 minutes a night.
- BetweenTheDots

They are definitely. The guys are stepping up, but it's not like we are overflowing with 2-way talent on the back end. We don't have a replacement for him on the roster. We have guys who might make a nice play now and then, but in the end producing results is more important. Martinez, Brodie, Kaiser, Allan, Crevier, Philips don't add much offensive push at all. Murphy/Vlasic chipping a little with increased roles but the sum total on the blueline is diminished. There is a void of offensive talent from our backend which is magnified when our #1 D is on the shelf.

They are definitely. The guys are stepping up, but it's not like we are overflowing with 2-way talent on the back end. We don't have a replacement for him on the roster. We have guys who might make a nice play now and then, but in the end producing results is more important. Martinez, Brodie, Kaiser, Allan, Crevier, Philips don't add much offensive push at all. Murphy/Vlasic chipping a little with increased roles but the sum total on the blueline is diminished. There is a void of offensive talent from our backend which is magnified when our #1 D is on the shelf.
- breadbag

I don't think that there is any offensive talent missing on the blue line. If anything they have generated more and better shots from the blue line, and are disrupting plays better in the neutral zone then they were with him in the line up.

When the tear down occurred and the two years of intentional tanking began I was concerned it may cause attendance issues and make ownership lose their appetite for the rebuild. Hopefully next season the team can begin being allot more competitive before Wirtz joins the panic of the fans and has KD making moves that impact Davidson’s strategy.
- paulr

I don't think you'll see any panic from the org, all they have to do is look at their recent history and know if they build a winner the fans will be there. There's really no pressure from the casual fan because they can take it or leave it. They'll be back as soon as the Blackhawks will be a buzz word again.

I'm sure internally they have a time line and as i said before it's like baseball, 5 year mark, the funny thing is you do see improvement.

Reichel, Kaiser, Allan, Vlasic all part of the previous regime,

The first improvement is the farm system

2nd improvement the checkbook has been balanced.

3rd improvement the players you drafted are improving in their respected leagues.

4th improvement goes with 3, draft then develop. All but 1 of KDs picks are here.

The 5th improvement isn't here yet with KDs picks when your young draft picks start to play in the big show and have success.

We know 1 player is very close to joining Bedard.

Zibanejad supposedly on the market. Signed through 2029-30 at 8.5M.

Hmm. Jones signed through 2029-30 also, at 9.5M. Could the Rangers want a veteran RD especially if they move Trouba?

I don't think that there is any offensive talent missing on the blue line. If anything they have generated more and better shots from the blue line, and are disrupting plays better in the neutral zone then they were with him in the line up.
- fattybeef

I'm not seeing anything that really backs this up. In 9 more games Murphy and Vlasic are still behind the total that Seth has put on goal. I'd say the one thing that was most notable about Seth this year was that he was much more effective offensively. His passing seemed to have improved, he was more aggressive offensively and was certainly taking more shots and getting them on net.

We can rant all day on him not being a great defenseman and that he is certainly overpaid, but from the numbers that I'm seeing, he was notably better this season on offense.

Zibanejad supposedly on the market. Signed through 2029-30 at 8.5M.

Hmm. Jones signed through 2029-30 also, at 9.5M. Could the Rangers want a veteran RD especially if they move Trouba?
- boilermaker100

No no no, Jones is at least a quality dman for 20 minutes of the game. Zibanejad is at that magic age where his play is diminishing, this trade would be worse than when the Leafs singed Tavares. We have one Taylor Hall we don't need 2.

Nazar right now 2nd in scoring in the AHL.

Nazar right now 2nd in scoring in the AHL.
- BetweenTheDots

Here's some literature p0rn for Fatty.

https://www.bleachernatio...awks-to-call-frank-nazar/

Like many of you I want the Blackhawks to win. The logical side knows getting a top pick in the draft this year will really help the rebuild. It's bittersweet but in the long run this is best for the future of the franchise.

2-1-1-3-1

No no no, Jones is at least a quality dman for 20 minutes of the game. Zibanejad is at that magic age where his play is diminishing, this trade would be worse than when the Leafs singed Tavares. We have one Taylor Hall we don't need 2.
- BetweenTheDots

Just spitballing. You know I've been trying to trade Jones for a couple of years. LOL. I hope at least KD is open to moving him eventually and is gauging the market for him.

Yes he serves his purpose by playing 20+ minutes against the opponents' top lines thusly taking the pressure off the kids. But like you say about Zib, Jones' play will also decline in upcoming years.

Sooner or later, the Hawks will have to move a D especially if they wind up with Schaefer in the draft next June. Who else will bring a lot of value in return, Kaiser, Crevier, Phillips, Allan, EDM? Or do you trade one of the higher rated prospects Lev, KK or a young vet like Vlasic?

Everyone here wants a young 23-25 year old forward. Lots of names have been bandied about - Zegras, Norris, Pinto, Rossi, etc.. If Jones could be persuaded to move would you include him in that package?

Nazar right now 2nd in scoring in the AHL.
- BetweenTheDots

That’s a great thing, sometimes a prospect gets a reality check in the AHL and can’t find his game. Hopefully Nazar has improved everything the team is looking for and he’s ready to get his promotion.

Does anyone know what his two way game is like?

Vanacker scored his first goal last night on a shorty with a really nice area pass from his teammate.

Video is about halfway down on this article.

https://www.bleachernatio...other-blackhawks-bullets/

That’s a great thing, sometimes a prospect gets a reality check in the AHL and can’t find his game. Hopefully Nazar has improved everything the team is looking for and he’s ready to get his promotion.

Does anyone know what his two way game is like?
- paulr

From what I've seen it's been really good. I've seen about 2/3-3/4 of their games so far and he's all over the ice. A really good PKer (tied for 2nd in the league in shorties with two), and backchecks like a monster. I've only noticed him losing his man a few times, but it's not like it's a recurring issue. I swear, it looks like he's got Keith's legs from 2010. Has definitely reduced the amount of time that he's been standing still which is one of the main things coaches wanted to see from him.

I don't think that there is any offensive talent missing on the blue line. If anything they have generated more and better shots from the blue line, and are disrupting plays better in the neutral zone then they were with him in the line up.
- fattybeef

I really disagree. Before he was injured there were so many times Jones was the only one willing to take the shot and put it on goal and it was at times generating results, with forwards like Foligno making tips, scoring goals, making things happen around the net.

All too often, we have guys like Murphy who just shoot wide (either unintentionally or on purpose) and the play ends up dead. Jones is also better in the corners defensively than most of our other guys, just because of his physical size and ability to battle. He has generally been making good defensive plays this year.

Jones ain't perfect and he is overpaid, but he is still a ~40+ point dman on an NHL roster. There has been no actual evidence that subtracting a guy like that has improved the offense. Look no further than the Hawks record when he is out in the last 2 seasons, we are even worse at winning games without him, that's just a fact.

Finally, I would highlight that if Jones was so bad, why was he leading the NHL in minutes played when he got hurt? It's not just LR playing him. For several years his coaches have been giving him a tremendous amount of minutes and key situations. I refuse to buy into the premise that several NHL coaching staff are fooled and that Jones is bad.

I'm not saying he is the greatest dman around, but we don't get better by losing him when we have a lack of top 4 dman to take up the minutes he played. Jones is our most productive dman offensively, because he is better at producing results. Those results matter and are what actually move the needle a bit between winning and losing.

Just spitballing. You know I've been trying to trade Jones for a couple of years. LOL. I hope at least KD is open to moving him eventually and is gauging the market for him.

Yes he serves his purpose by playing 20+ minutes against the opponents' top lines thusly taking the pressure off the kids. But like you say about Zib, Jones' play will also decline in upcoming years.

Sooner or later, the Hawks will have to move a D especially if they wind up with Schaefer in the draft next June. Who else will bring a lot of value in return, Kaiser, Crevier, Phillips, Allan, EDM? Or do you trade one of the higher rated prospects Lev, KK or a young vet like Vlasic?

Everyone here wants a young 23-25 year old forward. Lots of names have been bandied about - Zegras, Norris, Pinto, Rossi, etc.. If Jones could be persuaded to move would you include him in that package?
- boilermaker100

As always, it just depends on the return. I really don't think it would be that difficult to move Jones. Regardless of his faults, he's still a large, big minute RHD with offensive instincts. Those are always interesting to others.

Looks like Zegras will be out for a while. Went down in a heap after a face-off. Not really non-contact as he was tripped a little bit, but the damage was not to the knee that was impacted. I'd be willing to bet ACL tear.

As always, it just depends on the return. I really don't think it would be that difficult to move Jones. Regardless of his faults, he's still a large, big minute RHD with offensive instincts. Those are always interesting to others.
- Chunk

Definitely I think he could be moved and some teams would want a guy like him in return for a forward. Possibly KD would need to retain 1-2 mil on the salary or take a bad contract in the transaction. I think those deals will become real possibilities if Jones can avoid decline and if some guys like Rinzel, Arty, etc start to look like legit NHL ready RHD.

Vanacker scored his first goal last night on a shorty with a really nice area pass from his teammate.

Video is about halfway down on this article.

https://www.bleachernatio...other-blackhawks-bullets/
- Chunk

Nice move by Vanacker too. I think this guy will be a lock to make the Hawks however he may be more middle six than top six. I said it when he was drafted, many things about his game reminds me of Hossa, strong two way game, strong defensively, very strong on the puck, he’s a bull on his skate, can play on the powerplay kill penalties, he is great at stripping the puck away on backchecks, strong forechecker. The one thing I’m not sure about is his offensive upside? A poor man’s Hossa.

I predict Hawks move Hall, they get a poor return, and Hall goes on to have a very respectable (or better) finish to his season with a contender.
- Ztra

Yeah agree with this. Even on the B's he was handling 3rd line duties and that is prior to his injury.

Nazar right now 2nd in scoring in the AHL.
- BetweenTheDots

One point behind Vinnie Hinnie.

I really disagree. Before he was injured there were so many times Jones was the only one willing to take the shot and put it on goal and it was at times generating results, with forwards like Foligno making tips, scoring goals, making things happen around the net.

All too often, we have guys like Murphy who just shoot wide (either unintentionally or on purpose) and the play ends up dead. Jones is also better in the corners defensively than most of our other guys, just because of his physical size and ability to battle. He has generally been making good defensive plays this year.

Jones ain't perfect and he is overpaid, but he is still a ~40+ point dman on an NHL roster. There has been no actual evidence that subtracting a guy like that has improved the offense. Look no further than the Hawks record when he is out in the last 2 seasons, we are even worse at winning games without him, that's just a fact.

Finally, I would highlight that if Jones was so bad, why was he leading the NHL in minutes played when he got hurt? It's not just LR playing him. For several years his coaches have been giving him a tremendous amount of minutes and key situations. I refuse to buy into the premise that several NHL coaching staff are fooled and that Jones is bad.

I'm not saying he is the greatest dman around, but we don't get better by losing him when we have a lack of top 4 dman to take up the minutes he played. Jones is our most productive dman offensively, because he is better at producing results. Those results matter and are what actually move the needle a bit between winning and losing.
- breadbag

Yep I agree with this too. Bread. Jones plays better than Brodie and Allan at this point. He eats minutes and while he does make boneheaded moves at times, he gets the shot on net and can drive the play. He's played much better this year than previous years.

Yep I agree with this too. Bread. Jones plays better than Brodie and Allan at this point. He eats minutes and while he does make boneheaded moves at times, he gets the shot on net and can drive the play. He's played much better this year than previous years.
- Popsghostly

I do think him playing better this year has more to do with more NHL talent on the roster. He's not playing in his own end all night anymore.