Blackhawks Celebrate Marian Hossa, Lose To One of the Worst Teams in the NHL
The Blackhawks hosted the Seattle Kraken on Thursday night. Lukas Reichel returned to the NHL lineup and Alex Vlasic actually got to dress.
Seattle entered the game 17 points behind San Jose in dead last place in the Pacific Division. And they lost in St. Louis on Wednesday night.
Of course Seattle out-shot the Blackhawks 17-3 in the first period.
Yeah, there was a lot of excitement around Marian Hossa’s retirement and the announcement in the middle of the first period that the Hawks will retire his number next season, but the Blackhawks absolutely crapped the bed in the opening 20 minutes. It was absolutely pathetic.
One would assume head coach Derek King chewed out everyone but Kevin Lankinen after their “effort” in the first period. How did the Blackhawks answer the bell to start the second period?
Alex Wennberg scored 47 seconds into the second period to give the Kraken a 1-0 lead.
After the Wennberg goal the Hawks started to settle down and show more offensive push (“more” is easy to say when they didn’t generate a damn thing in the first period). Unfortunately for Seattle, Vince Dunn’s skates got twisted with Sam Lafferty’s and he went into the boards hard and awkwardly in the middle of the period. He left the ice with assistance and without putting any weight on his right leg.
The Blackhawks got a golden chance late in the second. With four minutes left, Ryan Donato went to the box for interfering with Taylor Raddysh. Immediately off the faceoff to start the power play, Carson Soucy caught Raddysh with a high stick and picked up a double-minor, giving the Hawks 1:55 of 5-on-3 action with two more minutes of advantage to follow.
So how did the trailing Blackhawks use their two-man advantage? Mostly watching Patrick Kane and Seth Jones pass the puck back and forth and then chasing the cleared puck on the other end of the rink. They did nothing with a two-man advantage. Zero. Nada. Zilch.
The 1:55 of power play time the Blackhawks had after the 5-on-3 expired was also an ugly waste of time that saw no shots on net and the second period ended with a thud.
Chicago out-shot Seattle 15-6 in the second period, but the shot volume covered up an otherwise mediocre period. The power play(s) at the end of the period were about as bad as possible; at least they didn’t give up a short-handed goal. And they heard it from the fans in attendance.
Blackhawks not-named Jonathan Toews won five of 17 faceoffs in the first two periods; Toews won eight of 12.
Dunn returned to start the third period for Seattle. And the Kraken went to work again. Dominik Kubalik went to the box less than 50 seconds into the third period, giving the visitors their first power play of the night. Seattle’s special teams are bad, so they didn’t score.
The Hawks were apparently waiting for the skaters who had failed to complete a short pass all night to successfully keep the puck in the offensive zone to pull Lankinen for an extra attacker. But those grenades ultimately went the other way and Jordan Eberle scored with 99 seconds left in regulation to give the Kraken a 2-0 lead.
Lankinen was able to get off the ice after the following faceoff, but the damage was done. The Blackhawks didn’t generate anything consistently the entire night, so thinking they could overcome a two-goal deficit inside the final minute would require a hefty bar tab to justify.
The Blackhawks got nothing done with the extra attacker and the game ended.
This was a frustrating, insomnia-curing effort from the Blackhawks against a terrible team.
Lankinen was terrific. He got nothing from his offense.
Reichel was credited with two shots on net, one blocked shot and one takeaway in 15 minutes of ice time. He showed some flashes of the offensive (and defensive) game that excites the organization. He was also on the ice for both of Seattle’s goals. It’s a learning curve.
Vlasic was credited with two hits in 10:16. He looked really good at times. But he skated 11 fewer minutes than Erik “won’t be here next year and he’s wasting a roster spot for the future right now” Gustafsson.
Which begs the question: what are we doing?
If Derek King wants this job longer than this season, it might be time to help Marc Crawford pick the pairs on the blue line and hand out ice time with the future in mind. Gustafsson has been a wasted roster spot the entire season; the fact he’s getting 21 minutes in a worthless game like Thursday night when you could get a better look at a top prospect who’s already burning a year of his contract is not only bad coaching, it’s bad business.
I watched only enough of this game to realize from the Hawks POV it was one of the worst displays of NHL hockey I have ever seen
A video of this game should appear beside the dictionary definition of ‘lack of compete’
And two players whose photos wouldn’t show up in a dictionary definition of NHL Defenseman are McCabe and Gus
A pylon would have put up more resistance than McCabe did on the first SEA goal- seriously I don’t think I have ever seen a more pathetic attempt at playing a forward one on one
I really don’t know if I can continue to watch this level of hockey
Right now they are the worst team in the NHL bar none
Somebody called the defense pylons, well he was dead on. If I ever see McCabe play another game it’ll be to soon. The guy is a human pylon. Fire the coaching staff tonight and let the trainers call the shots or better yet have Foley take over to finish the season, couldn’t be any worse. Three damn shots in the first period, unacceptable!!
Lank had another good game but he can’t score goal from that distance. .
Should play more kids for the rest off the season and rest Gust( or Disgust ) and a few others who won’t be with the team next year.
Looking good for the lottery.
Well the upside to these nightly embarrassments are that this entire thing,whatever it is,will be blown up. None of this great effort and winning a few meaningless games with fake hustle and concern to keep your job and roster spot nonsense we usually see. This by far is the worst hockey team in the NHL with the most incompetent and inept coaching staff. Let it all end.
What an underperforming and underwhelming game. Hossa gets a gigantic honor and the team barely showed up to play. The 1st shift, at the beginning of the game, for all 4 lines was promising. That’s where the effort ended. Except for Lankinen. He showed up for 3 periods. All four lines were just bad. Did something happen to T. Johnson? He was the 3rd line center then he was on the 4th line. He only had 7:08 TOI. Did he upset HC King? King must have a thin skin for certain players. While giving playing time to guys who shouldn’t even be there. Hello Gustafsson. Vlasic was given a paltry 10:16 TOI. King then grinded S. Jones into the ice with 29:02 TOI. That S. Jones only had 2 SOG is pretty pathetic.
I have real questions about HC King. Why break up Raddysh and Toews? Dach should have been on that 3rd line. He was, later, as the center. But he should have started at 3RW. The line combinations and players designated to play and scratch are just puzzling. I don’t see any real intelligence with this HC. I truly hope he, and the rest of the coaching staff, are let go. Bu-bye.
Reichel is 19 y/o and skinny as a rail. He’ll put on weight, but I am not expecting a world beater, as of yet. He has obvious skill. My thoughts on the next game line combos? Not that they’ll happen. I’m just imagining them for my own benefit.
DeBrincat-Strome-Raddysh
Kubalik-Toews-Kane
Reichel-Dach-Entwistle
Kachouk-R. Johnson-Lafferty
S. Jones-C. Jones
Vlasic-de Haan
Stillman-McCabe
I really don’t want Dach at 3C but T. Johnson is just too small and is a very brittle, right now. He should not see too many games because of his physical issues. I just don’t think that’s good for his overall well being.
Defensively, I’d rather call up Ian Mitchell and play him instead of McCabe. But…that’s not gonna happen. So…this is what I have to offer. Goalie? I think Lankinen earned another start…but…the organ-I-zation is looking at both goalies. So…Delia it is. NEXT GAME!!!
Just for information
The worst team in past 10 games are in order Ducks -Sens-coyotes- Hawks is the fourth worst
The best in order are Avalanche- Wild-Panthers-Oilers-leafs – Rangers.
Lightning And Penguins Have only 4 wins in last 10 games .
First you lose to Phoenix for Toews’ 1000 game. Now you lose to Seattle for Hossa’s retirement. What’s next?
I lost count of how many times Gus turned over the puck. This team has no heart, no system, no coach.
When’s the last time the Hawks truly developed a young D man?
Somebody should ask Seth Jones what’s it like to play defense by himself when he’s paired up with Gus. Ouch!! This team needs a big shakeup in the offseason. Some guys were loafing tonight. Almost over.
Couldn’t believe that THN has the Hawks 25th in the power rankings after losses to Buffalo and Arizona. With one of the worst pipelines in the league, A+ for the Hagel trade. Lots of rebuilding to do.
King said too many passengers, looks like the biggest one could be behind the bench. Eventually it will get better.
What a turd-burger of a game. At least Vlasic looked good, and it shows that King is a moron for benching him the last few games. I can’t wait not to be able to watch Kirby Dach suck! Also, why do guys get on one knee when they shoot, don’t they understand that takes power off their shot. I’ve never seen Bobby Hull get on one knee when he was delivering that slap-shot!
Here’s a bold thought…sarcasm inserted. Why not Bring up Wyatt Kalynuk? He’s a FA at the end of the year. Put him in the lineup and see if you want to keep him. Why is that so difficult? Are the Blackhawks thinking about keeping Beaudin? Rockford has no coaching. HC King is not a coach…AT ALL!!! So…where does Davidson start? Clean out the Blackhawks and Rockford “coaching” and get this team on solid footing. I listen to Wiedeman and Murray and you can hear the frustration in their voices. They know what they’re seeing and they don’t sugar coat it like all these other “fill ins” that are totally, ear bleedingly BAD!!! What a way for Pat Foley to retire. He deserves so much better.
TJ shouldn’t be playing – he’s either not fully recovered or time has caught up with him – play Entwhistle or Kurashev or Borgstrom instead
Watch what happens when to the puck when any of our D men not named Seth get it – most often the play dies – either a bad pass or a random airlift or the other team simply takes it away
Compare that with when Seth gets the puck – usually there’s a completed pass or he skates out of trouble – there’s the opportunity for a play to develop – he’s the only one of the regular D men who does that
And most of the forwards can’t complete a pass out of the D zone either
I’ve said it before – he’s playing D by himself most nights – if he weren’t out there the Hawks may never get the puck past centre
To complain about the number of SOG he has in one game is to miss the point – he already has a career high in assists and has hands down been the Hawks best two way player all year
Talk about irony. On the night that they honour one of the best two way players ever, a guy that always gave 100 percent, the team on the ice mails it in.
WELCOME BACK TO THE 1999-2006 SEASONS!!!
Please remember this is not rock bottom yet!
Just can’t wait for Dale pick apart this team on sunday, but he will not because he is classy. hope he does the wee-knee act again!
as for a armchair GM, trade dach, let kane and toews play out their contract and see what they want to do. would not be surprise Toews will retire. BTW no girlfriend for him? she prob got tired of the vegan meat hahaha.
as for FA, don’t overpay for players now, no one will be interested right now. get a couple of strong leaders(not toews) to develop these young guys.
for all the armchair GMs on here, how does the Pens keep doing it? Sid and Ginny have not been there due to injuries, new coaches, new gm, great trades, great/solid draft picks, ownership knows what it takes to keep winning.
yet we have a weak captain, wasting the best USA talent ever(KANE), overpaying FAs soon.
Really hard to watch
King out coached
Crackin- looked liked they had 6 D skaters on ?… Hawks couldn’t even get to Center ice on 1st PP… let alone into the O zone!!! AWFUL
Crack- were in Neutral zone taking away all of Hawk’s skating/passing in 1st period… completely Outcoached
Team needs to lose as much as possible next 2 years… and Revamp BOTH scouting and Coaching systems… SCOUTING first …. grab as many Picks in next 2-3 years… change Systems… then in 2-3 years grab Best Coach on the market… NO good coach is gonna want to coach what the Hawks will dress in next 2 years…. because Hawks- want/need to suck as bad as possible- to stock away as many picks as possible.
Hey Bluto I’m in that’s what needs to be done but will they do it? Send dach packing he’s clueless any other team would have worked with him they should have sent him down wake up call no response ship him out plays with zero energy if you want to keep him same pay or 100,000 more take it or leave it
Wow.
Getting shut out by a dead last expansion team, that played the night before, is bad.
Doing it on home ice, in front of #81, who busted his ass every night, is the ultimate coup de grace.
No wonder #19 wants out.
New GM has huge, and I mean huge, task to make this outfit a contender again.
Those of you who sat in an empty Chicago Stadium in the late 1970s, or the younger set that sat in an empty UC in the mid 2000s can draw similarities to the bad product on the ice now, in red sweaters.
It is too bad frontier justice is a thing of the past in the current woke, weenie society that is modern day.
We could have a public tarring and feathering of Stan Bowman for leaving such a disaster as he sniveled out the door, pointing fingers.
The ultimate woke exit, if there ever was one.
I find it funny you all pick on Gus for a turn over, and yet seem to forget the turn overs of the so called SUPERSTARS…..very interesting.
Not that I am protecting him, even though he does have one of the best if not best +/- on the team…..but just sayin.
And oh ya…. didn’t he stop a couple 2 on 1 rushes ?? Ya…..again, just sayin.
@Wrap if you watched the game you would have seen Vlasic pass the puck like
shades of Seabs, maybe that’s why he doesn’t play?
How is it that both Gus and TJ are seeing icetime? How is it King is still the coach
and KD hasn’t been shopping for one all along?
Why haven’t we put Raddysh with Cat/Strome to see if both Cat/Strome can
play without the Kane?
Put Borg in between Dach/Reichel
Kane Toews Kubs
Laff/Whistle/Kurashev
and let them play regardless of the score
Sorry guys, it’s all trhetorical, we know why, don’t we
No matter what occurs I want Seabs as the HC in 2-3 years
Hawks29 agree, King put the 4 scratches back in next game, then take out the same ones that pretty much just got back in and say they aren’t good enough, keep repeating next game, playing a handful of shifts when they get in. That isn’t coaching that is definition of insanity. I like those lines you mention and see what they can do. Vlassic you could easily argue was the 2nd best dman for Blackhawks last night. He still needs some time in Rfd., think about that.
Wrap something wrong with TJ, he wasn’t just a 4th line castoff in Tampa. He played top 6 in bubble for their cup run when Stamkos was injured. He played top 6 last year until Kucherov came back, his injuries and surgery this year have to be hampering him. That said he definitely isn’t engaged in the play. You think a taker could be found for McCabe with retained salary for next 3 years this summer.
Sorry meant Dollar Bill not Hawks29.
Looks like Dach has Velcro on him every time he gets close to the boards he gets stuck and loses possession. Maybe try giving Toews Raddish and Kachuk instead of Dach and stone hands Kubilik. Getting shutout by Seattle it’s time to shake it up everywhere
Hopefully the Hawks fall out of the top 2 draft spots and burn the Columbus pick this year. Stink it up another year, which is all but guaranteed, and hit the draft lotto next year. Build from there. Off-season, think about moving anything with value even if that means taking dead wood back.
I hope the hockey gods were watching that game and grant us the 2nd overall pick. We need it so badly. Unless of course they were instead watching the whole Kyle Beach fiasko play out, in which case we will likely get number three and hand it over to columbus…i guess that would also feel deserved.
Agreeing with the posts above.
Definitely wouldn’t mind eating half for a taker on McCabe. Gus has his positive and negatives bit I think we find that in someone else younger. deHaan thank you see ya later. That clears 3 d positions Murphy could be 4. Possibly get assets in return for him.
Would eat half of TJ $$ too. Possible a Shaw scenario TJ gives us some caproom in season. Like Kub but probably does better elsewhere. Kurashev = Krivokrasov. Get assets for both opens up 3 spots for offense.
Can Seabs coach even if he’s on the books with TB?
That game put me in a bad mood. Was hoping for a nice distraction, instead got the hockey equivalent of root canal.
Kubalik played like a guy waiting to be excused from the principals office.
Passes kept going to where guys should have been only to find a Kraken player there instead.
The Hawks looked like a “I’d rather be golfing” meme.
The only line that looked like it was trying to play actual hockey was the top line and the Kraken did a nice job of keeping them to the outside and making their chances difficult.
Honestly I wasn’t that mad about McCabe, the entire Hawks roster looked like they were recovering from a hangover. Lankinen was the reason it wasn’t a blow out. The only player who showed up.
Sigh
@All
Great posts all around! Agree on everything, including that Gus was not the problem last night. He did some good things. It’s just the entire vibe of the team that is terrible. I’ve been on those teams, and sometimes no matter how well you play, something happens and you always end up losing. But it starts with the guy behind the bench! He brings the game plan, energy, confidence, and must be prepared for every scenario. King is the court-jester! We need a serious hockey person who is fully prepared to coach the team and understands what it takes to game plan, motivate, develop, hold accountable, and win!
When we needed a Hossa effort for #81, we gave Marian and Kimmo Timmonen effort, we could barely get back! At least Kimmo had blood-clots to use as an excuse, our guys have no heart!
Hey J R., I think it’s time for a revised Win prediction chart. These guys have already trashed your 1st one. I can’t find a Win the rest of the way. Maybe the Stars outshoot our beloved 50 to 15 again Sunday?
One thing missing is somebody when the team needs a spark, is somebody to stir up a hornets nest like Andrew Shaw could be counted on to do. Lafferty is the guy who could make that kind of impact, because he deservedly so earned to play bigger minutes, gets credit for 1 hit for and 7 hits against him is not what you need from a player who is expected to play spark plug role. Does he deserve the blame no, but he needs to be player who can make a difference in that area of the game if he wants a big role with the team.
The worst part of the whole thing is that i just got my STH renewal notice.
No worries Ian
Believe it or not but McCabe has a 7 team NTC contract, another
shiite Bowman legacy
Everyone should be on the table to be traded, but does KD value
his assets too highly?
DollarBill, yeah 4got that but ntc in off season be alot easier to work around than at tdl, could get it done if he wants. KD maybe just trying to send a message he is no pushover rather than over valuing assets, but undoubtrdly he still has alot to learn as well.
@gander unless we land the #1 I’d prefer to burn the pick this year. I believe it is too 2 protected, keep me honest here. Gut says they will have a lot of balls in the ping pong lottery next year so would rather have a higher pick for the 23 class.
JR no Seabs can’t be hired to coach until his contract actually expires.
Read an article that said moving de Haan likely wasn’t done because it would have to be done retaining salary, our 3rd and last spot. That would shut the door on moving Kane or Toews before next season start. Ian CA confirm that true or not. That would hold for any other contract with retention like McCabe, Murphy or Johnson. Also KD can’t make a trade without a partner. It takes 2.
Gus is inconsistent more than just bad. Best point shot except maybe Seth. Makes a lot of decent plays but a lot of bad turnovers. He fits in here, sadly.
Clearing the roster for next year to dress 20 kids is silly. As a large group, they learn better at AHL or Juniors. We need some vets dressed to appear as an NHL product and not be destroying kids by giving them no chance to succeed (including the kid goalies). There is a balance that likely won’t be agreed to on this board as there is an emotional response here rather than a professionally realistic one, which I hope we will see with KD.
Tim W you are correct:
Dal L
LA L
SJ. W
Nas L
Cal L
AZ. W maybe return the favor
LA. L
SJ. L
Phl W
VGK L
Buf L
That will put us at 65 pts. Probably 5th or 6th from the bottom. If we get a ping pong ball falling correct it’s either at #1Wright or 6’4 218 Juraj Slafkovsy(?) at #2. Wound rather have a North American Cutter Gauthier 6’2″ 190 or Connor Geekie 6’4″ 205..
How about trading our #2 if we get it back to Columbus for their and our #1s.
Dollar – my comment about the D (other than Seth) being unable to make a play referred to the regular D which I did on purpose because I didn’t want to include Vlasic who has looked like he has potential in limited viewing
Gus admittedly can occasionally make a play but it’s so random when he does or doesn’t I think it’s just luck when he does more than anything else – his defensive IQ is near the very bottom rivaled on the Hawks only by McCabe’s
There is no reason to have either of these two on next year’s team – Gus of course won’t be as his contract is up but somehow McCabe has to go as well
I like Murphy but if you can get some good assets in return then he has to go as well
Silent – that explanation about not moving deHaan makes a lot of sense – I knew about the 3 contracts retained rule but perhaps thought it ended with the season then restarted
I couldn’t figure out why KD didn’t take what he could for 44 – that is a good explanation – no one wanted him at full salary and KD didn’t want to retain any salary
If the 3 contract retention rule extends into the off season then keeping a spot open to move Kane is smart – Toews is untradeable right now IMO – maybe next TDL if he has a decent year next year so Kane is the big chip that KD could turn into assets this off season
So Gus lays down and blocks a few 2 on 1s? Watch his terrible decision making when in the O-zone. He’s butterfinger ways in turning over the puck. Hell, he just tosses it around like it’s a hot potato when under pressure. He’s not a smart hockey player. Loses the battles in the D-zone. He passes when he should shoot. And when he does shoot, he misses the net almost every time. He couldn’t hit the side of a barn.
@Trip……who do you blame for the -33 plus minus of S.Jones ? That would be the fault of Gus or his D partner as well right ? Just admit that the SUPERSTARS get a pass on crappy play, and y’all pick on a few players….heck I remember when y’all said Strome was a worthless POS…..AAnd he should have been sent away for a bag of pucks. Come on man !
@Beer league, Hagel was -12 and Strome wa onlys -4 at the time of the trade but Strome is considered the weaker defender. +/- is a stat that means nothing when looked at in a vacuum…
It seems as though no one wants to “commit to the Indian” coaches included. It’s as if their going through the motions to just get through the remainder of the season. So sad. I certainly hope that Davidson and company have a plan which doesn’t take five more years to materialize or we will be going back to the days of empty seats at the UC. I’m a Hawks fan for life but at this rate I just can’t continue to watch these lackluster performances. I just wonder if these players put their burglar masks on when they collect their paychecks! Because they’re robbing the organization blind! Frustration set in a long time ago when coach Q was released!
SS, July 1st is when off season officially begins and signing bonuses paid for next year and ending this years pay period. Any trades wouldn’t be made now prior to draft/ after finals at the earliest anyways. Teams have a grace period to file trades officially with league, so that would cover the few days draft is before July 1st. I believe all salary is paid just after playoffs begin and no salary cap after seasons end until off season begins, so seems unlikely saving a retained salary spot is would be necessary after tdl.
I really liked the way Seattle played last night. Relentless forecheck and played cohesively. No excuse by the hawks players to give such a poor effort when Seattle had nothing more to play for than the hawks. They were completely outclassed for most of the game. Even Kane, Debrincat and Strome struggled with enough time to make plays in the offensive zone and wanted no part of the corners against a big well skating Seattle defense including Oleksiak and Adam Larrson. Speaking of Larsson, Seattle did select him in the expansion draft as he was exposed by Edmonton but I believe he was a UFA at the time. I remembering wishing the hawks would have found a way to sign him but they ended up with McCabe at the same price for the same term. Larsson is the much better Dman, not to mention he`s bigger, stronger, and faster. I also liked Kole Lind last night for Seattle. Thought he was noticeable. Seattle picked him up from Vancouver in the expansion draft but at one point this season was on waivers but no one picked him up. Only 23 years old. Hawks should have taken a flyer on him.
My thoughts only on the future is to try and develop every 23 old and younger we have in the system for now. We`re going no where for the next few years so we shouldn`t be throwing away any assets anymore unless or until we get new coaching and proper development in place. Too many hawks castaways right now finding their game with other organizations. I liked what Edzo brought up about a missed opportunity by Kubalik last night, essentially calling him out for fumbling a good pass right on the blade of his stick with the play dying right there. It`s like he`s spooked when the puck comes close to him. So many plays have died on his wing and his stick this season it`s concerning. He hasn`t made a play along the boards this whole season. Any puck in his direction along the boards is a turnover and can`t happen anymore. At his pay and age you have to cut bait there after this season. Vinnie Hinostroza at a quarter of the pay will give you more effort and results than Kubalik. Save the money for elsewhere. Buy out TJ Johnson after this season as well.
Thanks Ian. I was simply relating info I had read, and I admit to my ignorance on the topic. I appreciate your clarification. If I come across the article again, I will pull out the reasoning given in the article for you.
Beer+league you are absolutely correct. Gus has been hit with a bad rap. He has actually one of the better d-men consistently . For most of the season I have focused on Gus’s play and he has been pretty good. Only d-man that attempts to clear the net front. It’s a bandwagon to blame Gus. He stopped the 2 two on 1’s plus saved an empty netter after Lank made the save and the puck was just sitting in front of a wide open net.
Too much over analyzing and pointing to one or two players. It’s all about recognizing talent and then finding a way to get it here. The fact of the matter is that management has been a mammoth failure since 2015. Perhaps worst in the NHL. It seems they have been so mesmerized by Kane and DeBrincat they lost all sense of reality.
The problem is not as the coach says “lack of a sense of urgency”, it’s “just not good enough”.
Gus does not get a bad rap – there’s a reason no other team other than the Hawks wanted him
Lankinen playing the bulk down the stretch and Soderblom playing the bulk down the stretch in Rfd., quite possibly a preview of the goalie tandem next season. Soderbloms jitters aside in his Nhl small sample has potential and likely gets a shot as half the tandem next season. Keeping Delia around to work with Stauber as he has with Lankinen and Soderblom, plus Commesso may take his development to Rfd. in another year, if he is helping as much as it would appear with the younger goalies would be a solid move. Delia also provides needed call up depth which at this point of his career is where he likely fits and working with Bkackhawks younger goalies could maybe land him a coaching spot when he wants to stop playing.
Not routing for us to lose or suck want to play good right way get younger players important experience and gain progress along the way.
The most important thing we do record wise is suck top 5 or bottom 5 is what’s it’s all about. Only way to be a top 5 team again is to reset and draft top 5 players that’s were/most of the elites come from. Sure we can add an elite with trade like jones/basically Keith’s spot and we still need to get elites for Seabsyboy and hammer for D.
Also need a fleet of the right kind of fw like we had in 2009/where only half were ready and then in 2010 the other half was ready to go. We already had the top pair in place and got lucky in top 3 generational superstars. We need at least the same amount and prob one more because no team is getting two superstars and have that deep a roster again. Blackhawks dynasty will prob be the last 4 cups in 6 yrs 5 conf finals in 7 yrs. for a long time.
So let’s get one cup at a time now since that’s reality with no team having a dynasty again. Bookends nj spaced out over 15 yrs three times none of those count and corona all Canadian division yr does not count/when it comes to dynasty’s.
Load young wave.
Three teams are untouchable for top 3 draft picks were at 4 5 6 we get past some of those teams right near us. I see Ana sj are tanking there garbage if they good all yr then go 0-20 last 20 games when they realize they can’t make it. That’s wrong. How is la that good that fast/that division much suck now.
Cheers. Got to load young wave and draft top 5 elites if we want to win again. So do it. Do it do it do it do it.