If you are concerned about the meddling from Wirtz, I get it.....but for the all the money they spent with their "One goal" ads to lure in a new age of Hawks fans....do you think an owner is going to tolerate multiple years in a row with top 3 bottom finishes, no TV exposure, and burried in the news cycle? This isn't Florida but it's not Canada either.....if Bedard isn't putting up numbers what makes a casual fan want to go to a game? Watch Joey Anderson and the remains of Alec martinez?

Again, team wasn't making the playoffs...everyone knew that...but YOY improvement had to happen and for whatever reason they were taking a STEP backwards.......

Not all on Richardson, but it's not like he didn't have a lot of reasons to be sent packing. Was either happening NOW or this summer given the trajectory they were on.
- SteveRain

Who does he have to blame for no TV deal??

On the owner getting nervous, KD fail, etc. etc.

I think its crazy now to say the rebuild has failed.

You can't do this as a strategy and quit it halfway through. Not saying you can't sign good players, but keep building depth in the organization, develop players.

I know he's not getting enough out of the vets he's signed, but who should he have signed as a FA this past year?

Signing high end FA isn't how you build a winner, its how you finish your rebuild.

On the owner getting nervous, KD fail, etc. etc.

I think its crazy now to say the rebuild has failed.

You can't do this as a strategy and quit it halfway through. Not saying you can't sign good players, but keep building depth in the organization, develop players.

I know he's not getting enough out of the vets he's signed, but who should he have signed as a FA this past year?

Signing high end FA isn't how you build a winner, its how you finish your rebuild.
- vabeachbear

"Hossa" types don't sign with the worst teams in the league. They don't even get traded there because they have NMCs.

Second City Hockey still exists. lBR is one of the bloggers. There is some posters for games, not sure if you have to pay to post though.
- LAHawk

Forgot about that place
Haven't been there in a long time,used to be free from what I remember

Wicked was fantastic. I'd highly recommend going to check it out.
- fattybeef

My wife would agree with you. I did check it out but really the only musicals I've been to that I liked a lot were Jersey Boys and The Book of Mormon. The Carole King Story whatever that was called was ok...Carole?

My wife would agree with you. I did check it out but really the only musicals I've been to that I liked a lot were Jersey Boys and The Book of Mormon. The Carole King Story whatever that was called was ok...Carole?
- HawkintheD

Going back many years... Cats, Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

IF Barkov is one of the best defensive centers in the league and you have last change and PUT your BEST offensive asset against him by choice.....sorry......that isn't the game to make a point the kid needs to play a 2 way game.

Sat there and watched Bedard rarely touch the puck and have AHLer Joey Anderson chip it in non stop......

He should have been fired after the game, or had Davidson gone full Billy Beane and destroy his office and go down and close the door and rip Richardson a new one.

The ONLY thing that is important during this rebuild is developing young players. What young players has Richardson developed? the 3 young Fs all have regressed.....Korchinski is down in the A....Vlassic...sure......kaiser and Allan but I give more credit to Dean for that who pulled that off in Boston with similar young talent. That's the guy you hold on to...Dean.
- SteveRain

Vlasic, Kaiser, Allen. Soderblum.

Forgot about that place
Haven't been there in a long time,used to be free from what I remember
- captainserious

It apparently still is as I just signed up without any cost.

On the owner getting nervous, KD fail, etc. etc.

I think its crazy now to say the rebuild has failed.

You can't do this as a strategy and quit it halfway through. Not saying you can't sign good players, but keep building depth in the organization, develop players.

I know he's not getting enough out of the vets he's signed, but who should he have signed as a FA this past year?

Signing high end FA isn't how you build a winner, its how you finish your rebuild.
- vabeachbear

It is not crazy to say that Kyle's veteran player \ pro player evaluation may not be very great at this point.

Depth (or alleged depth) at the org level hasn't done a whole lot for Buffalo, Ottawa or the Ducks or Red Wings for that matter.

"Hossa" types don't sign with the worst teams in the league. They don't even get traded there because they have NMCs.
- rpeters01

This is an important point. I mentioned the Columbus disadvantage, that they probably lead the league for inclusion on players' no trade lists. Any GM who works there has a tougher hill to climb. Players grew up dreaming of scoring the winning goal in a game 7, not collecting a check on a perennial lottery team. Hammer went to AZ because he included them on his trade list as a favor to the Hawks. True warrior to the end.

As it stands, if the Hawks want a Marner to sign here next summer, they are going to have to show a marked improvement the rest of the way to even have a chance.

It apparently still is as I just signed up without any cost.
- Chunk

There are apparently some subscription tiers for advanced content, but it looks like most is free.

It is not crazy to say that Kyle's veteran player pro player evaluation may not be very great at this point.

Depth (or alleged depth) at the org level hasn't done a whole lot for Buffalo, Ottawa or the Ducks or Red Wings for that matter.
- fattybeef

He can thank Asst. GM Foligni for whispering "Tyler Bertuzzi" in his ear.

Is there a practice today?

He can thank Asst. GM Foligni for whispering "Tyler Bertuzzi" in his ear.
- boilermaker100

There were two signings this past offseason that were questionable to me, Brodie and Bertuzzi. All the others were one year contracts except for TT, and I’m good with TT, as a matter of fact, he needs to go back on Bedard’s line. Bertuzzi is slow and can’t stay on his feet, I suppose he’d be okay on the 3rd line of a good team, but he should not be a core player. Reichel was a PPG in the AHL under Sorensen, I wonder where he’ll slot going forward.

Who does he have to blame for no TV deal??
- vabeachbear

Went for our daily walk this morning and was explaining this tv mess to my wife, what was their thought process, they put the cart before the horse. Why get in bed with Reinsdorf on this deal, it’s not like the Sox are top tier in marketing. Say what you want about the management on the north side of town , but marketing is not one of their shortcomings.

He can thank Asst. GM Foligni for whispering "Tyler Bertuzzi" in his ear.
- boilermaker100

Yes, soon to be player coach.

This is excellent analysis IMO. Summary - beyond coaching, line up is just very bad and does not work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUpU78v7ie4

Going back many years... Cats, Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
- boilermaker100

A Chorus Line.

Went for our daily walk this morning and was explaining this tv mess to my wife, what was their thought process, they put the cart before the horse. Why get in bed with Reinsdorf on this deal, it’s not like the Sox are top tier in marketing. Say what you want about the management on the north side of town , but marketing is not one of their shortcomings.
- Angotti

Yet the business lady Faulkner is married to a Cubs executive.

Trouba to the Ducks for Defenseman Urho Vaakanainen and the Ducks 2025 4th Round Pick. I don't believe there was any money retained in the deal.

Everyone, use your intuitive skills on this one.


Why would Kyle fire the coach whose absence now puts his reign (rebuild strategy, drafts and assistant coaching control) front center to be judged?


Wirtz wants improvement, let Kyle spend big bucks hire a major league amount of middling players (who are less embarrassing than the ones on the squad last season) and the entire group hasn't moved the needle.

You think this was Kyle?

If so, he setting himself up for the next fall.

Wirtz wants wins to sell soda pop now.

Everyone, use your intuitive skills on this one.


Why would Kyle fire the coach whose absence now puts his reign (rebuild strategy, drafts and assistant coaching control) front center to be judged?


Wirtz wants improvement, let Kyle spend big bucks hire a major league amount of middling players (who are less embarrassing than the ones on the squad last season) and the entire group hasn't moved the needle.

You think this was Kyle?

If so, he setting himself up for the next fall.

Wirtz wanst wins to sell soda pop now.
- wiz1901

Signing Brodie makes zero sense under anybody's model, though. And if Wirtz wanted more asses in the seats, he could have overruled them on signing Kaner. I can understand the Wirtz fear of repeating what his grandpa did, though, even if he differs in having a long term goal of winning again.

Everyone, use your intuitive skills on this one.


Why would Kyle fire the coach whose absence now puts his reign (rebuild strategy, drafts and assistant coaching control) front center to be judged?


Wirtz wants improvement, let Kyle spend big bucks hire a major league amount of middling players (who are less embarrassing than the ones on the squad last season) and the entire group hasn't moved the needle.

You think this was Kyle?

If so, he setting himself up for the next fall.

Wirtz wanst wins to sell soda pop now.
- wiz1901

No reasonable person is going to pay for that service to watch a poop team.

I think they were embarrassed by the turnout for the TNT game.

I'd argue that they are just as embarrassing. These are professionals who should be able to drop into a 1-2-2 and get you decent results. Last year there was no expectations because they were awful. This year sure theyre awful but it looks bad because they kind of sort of tried and it's ugly.

Could have been a decree to do something. Still can't believe they didn't try the Nazar lever first.

On the owner getting nervous, KD fail, etc. etc.

I think its crazy now to say the rebuild has failed.

You can't do this as a strategy and quit it halfway through. Not saying you can't sign good players, but keep building depth in the organization, develop players.

I know he's not getting enough out of the vets he's signed, but who should he have signed as a FA this past year?

Signing high end FA isn't how you build a winner, its how you finish your rebuild.
- vabeachbear

I would agree to that except that the Hawks despite Bedard, their free agent signings and multiple high draft picks do not have someone to build around. I do not think Bedard is "the guy".

If you signed a Rantanen you would have "that guy" and with Bedard, Nazar, you might have three of a top 6. You have a decent bottom 6. You are stuck with Bert and TT for a few years. You hope one of the prospects is a top 6 player soon. Then you hope other prospects matriculate to be NHL caliber players fortifying the roster and pushing TT and Bert to the 3rd line. It could happen.

98 has 5 in 24 games? Reichel is on the 4th line?
- captainserious

When a guy is getting 2 SoG in a week, that tends to happen that way - somehow they gotta get 98 shooting more. I'm meaning this more from a mindset point of view. Richardson just wasn't able to do this.

When a guy is getting 2 SoG in a week, that tends to happen that way - somehow they gotta get 98 shooting more. I'm meaning this more from a mindset point of view. Richardson just wasn't able to do this.
- SC116

He sure did encourage Seth to shoot more, though.