Blackhawks Recall Mike Hardman, Send Ian Mitchell To Rockford
The Blackhawks open their home schedule on Tuesday night against the New York Islanders. On Monday morning, the team made a couple roster moves.
Forward Mike Hardman has been recalled from Rockford. Defenseman Ian Mitchell was sent to Rockford to make space on the NHL roster.
Hardman showed flashes last year and brings toughness to the NHL roster. Whether or not Jeremy Colliton will put him in the lineup and skate him enough minutes to make an impact is still to be seen.
For Mitchell, the demotion creates an opportunity to skate more minutes than Colliton would let him in Chicago. He might get to play in a system that works with the IceHogs, too.
Interesting that Mitchell sent down, keeping 15 fwds., almost looks like a forward will be on the move soon. Probably better for Mitchell playing in Rfd., then sitting presbox. Kalynuk out until at least Nov. 5th, so need another D before then likely, but homestand for next bit will make shuffling back and forth much easier too i guess.
Hoping Ian gets all the knowledge & playing time he can while he’s with his fellow 51. :)
And then maybe next time Ian gets called up he’ll bring Soupy with him to replace that sh*tshow behind the bench.
Carry on, fellas & have a good Monday.
Good to see Hardman back. Wish Reese Johnson was coming with him. Also nice to see Ian Mitchell go down where he can play heavy minutes. Hopefully he never has to play for Colliton and Brookbank again. I would anticipate the return of Nylander next at the expense of Entwistle or Kurashev. I hope both of them make it very difficult to be sent down.
Hopefully in some remote location Rocky is talking to Lane Lambert, Kirk Muller, or Torts/Babs.
Play him 20+ minutes per night and in all situations. Leave him there for at least 40 games. With any luck he’ll return much-improved and to a new coach in place ready to give him a proper look.
Give Hardman regular forward minutes and not the obligatory Colliton 6 minutes for anyone over 200 ibs that lands body checks.
Can you imagine Torts coaching Chicago?
Patrick Kane would be stapled to the bench after one period for lack of hustle.
After one game Kane would be asking to be traded.
There would be no one floating around if Torts was the coach….star players included.
Everyone would be held accountable.
Kane’s Back checking effort has been lacking of late… kinda like 19’s battle on boards- these 2 HOF’ers starting to really age. 88 age? or Injury?
I really like Hardman last year in small sample. Needs to be the Banger/shooter – like Brouwer- and play w/ more talent. Cuz like Brouwer – skills are not his strength- but good battle/size/effort- w understanding of where to attack/go.
Skating w/ Dach Kane combo
might look good
Stape, For the most part Seth Jones understood how to stay on Tort,s good side racking up tons of ice time. He could enlighten the younger guys. I think these players realize that a disciplinarian is destined to take over hence today’s Athletic article about the players all buying in to Colliton,s system. Whatever that is.
This has turned into that country club team that darkened our ice before Q took over.
@Bluto
you got it! Hardamn played w/Boldy and Rossi I believe before signing w/the Hawks. He played well w/talented linemates and I have him down to be the next Bickell or Wilson lite.
So I would love to see him Kane/Dach or Cat/Dach also
Kane played for Torts for the USA World Cup team. Kane loved playing for Torts, said so to the press. He likes guys that A – hold others accountable and B – recognize he is one of the greatest players ever. Torts checks both those boxes.
Hardman lined up in practice with Borg and DCat so he’ll get his chance – he has a little more skill than a one dimensional banger – hope he shows well
Gotta think there’s a Strome trade getting close because he’s not getting a sniff despite the disastrous on ice results so far
TW – the players coming out for JC does seem a bit of the kiss of death and I would also guess like you that they’d rather avoid having someone like Babcock take over
Glad to se Mitchell is where he belongs and can play under less stress and many more minutes
I remember when Mike Keenan took over back in 1988 and shook the Beer League Hawks up. Oh some of those legendary bag skates and the stapling of soft players to the bench. Fast forward to when Q arrived to instill discipline to the Cocky Hawks. The days of Versteeg,Kane,and Sharp fixed to the bench for periods at a time for dumb penalties and lazy soft play. Even the Captain initially bitched and moaned about Q,s bag skates and line drills stating that he didn’t like being treated like a child and he thought those types of practices weren’t necessary. Oh for those good old days. I think the current group sees that on the horizon.
Why not send Colliton to Rockford or better yet Moose Jaw
If the players coming out in support of Colliton is for real, then we should see alot different team and expect better results on the homestand. Time to put up if they mean it.
I thought i saw Toews laying some pretty good body out there. Is he picking his spots, for sure, just played back to back games, probably still working his way to a 100% and little older and smarter. Has he gone to front of net, yes check late game scrambles, but his pp role now is down low like Strome used to play and Johnson in his old bumper role with more of the net front. The only real scoring anybody has done so far is on pp and he has been a big part of that, no he hasn’t been lucky enough to be 2nd last guy to touch the puck before it went in yet. His line never let any 5 on 5 goals in 1st 2 games. Last game on ice for a puck that deflected off Jones skate and in, plus also on when Fleury misplayed puck behind the net, both certainly goals he is to blame for. One goal yes a few players were caught up ice, is he to blame. If Dach handles 1C and Toews plays 2C taking important fos things be fine there.
Hagel with Dach and Kane, plus Cat with Borgstrom and Hardman, hope it gets them going. Hardmans minutes, not likely plays special teams, would hope there in the 12 minute range tomorrow night, 10 at least. Divide it up 4 lines of 12 mins each thats 48 mins and 12 special teams make 60.
Over 52 minutes of ice time over 3 Games and Toews is a -4 with 3 shots on goal. His man outmuscled and outskated him on the 1st goal saturday night. He does not enter any of the danger areas on the rush or even lead rushes up ice. I know he has been gone for a year but he has been tossing hand grenade passes at the feet of his line mates 5 on 5. He shook off Colliton when tapped to get on the ice to kill a penalty Friday night and then asked off of the ice in the last minute of the game as Tyler Johnson came on for a key offensive zone faceoff. He avoids the slot areas 5 on 5 and on the rush. Currently he is a 3rd to 4th line faceoff specialist . I am a Hawks fan and the last thing that I want to see is this from Toews. If he is truly feeling OK I would take the pressure off of him and play him at a forward spot and have him take key defensive zone faceoffs. If he is not healthy everyone has some tough decisions to make. Hopefully this homestand will cure what ails everyone. I have been wrong before.
1. REMINDER: plus-minus is not a stat that indicates individual quality of play. Stop using it. Please.
2. I’m not sure what games Tim W has watched, but Toews hasn’t backed away from anything. In fact, he’s pulled guys out of scrums more than anyone.
3. Saying 19 is a 3rd or 4th line specialist is hilarious.
The entire offense has yet to arrive. The defense is broken. Laying it all on one guy is naive at best. Unless that guy is the coach putting the lines out there or is responsible for the “defensive system” the team is employing.
Wow….pulling guys out of scrums proves what ? Maybe we need a team full of Ryan Reeves ?? Whatever Tab….just admit it, this team sucks from top to bottom. Toews is a shell of his former self, Kane likes accountability ?? How about looking at yourself and your lack luster play so far….as for the coaching staff, I really do not see a viable coaching staff, it’s pathetic…. bringing up players from Rockford to play 4th line will do nothing. I will continue to watch this shot show because I am a Hawks fan….heck I did it through the early 2000’s. I can certainly do it now.
Tim if you look at possession stats Toews at 63.4 corsi is well above the 50 considered to be good for a player. Look at corsi rel, which measures % of shots a players line generates compared to rest of team, he is 20.2, above rest of team. Compare that to Connor Mcdavid who is 18.3 corsi and 16.6 rel which is lower, shows the Toews line is generating shots at an elite level numbers. Probably why that line is only constant through first 3 games. Indicates for that line, its seems to be just a matter of time before they breakout on scoresheet and one area 5 on 5 they are holding their own. Hopefully splitting up Cat and Kane for now at least can jump start them 5 on 5 as well.
Offense will happen, i want to see Jones, Murphy and McCabe start earning their newly signed contracts alot more than than what needs to be worried about 19 and 88.
Beer League comes in with the emotional response… Ian responds with facts. Good discussion boys.
The PLAYERS on this team are good enough.
TAB, I never know what game that you watch when it comes to the Chicago Blackhawks. For the most part you are an apologist for declining play by certain players. Ian, I respect your stats and Corsi etc but my eyes tell me that Toews has been no offensive threat. My eyes also clearly saw Toews vehemently shake his head no when asked to go on the ice and after that hop off in the last minute when a key offensive faceoff was happening. Then in O.T. drift aimlessly for 25 seconds before skating to the bench. I know what I have seen. Time will tell what the real story is. I just wonder if Toews continues to post zeroes will we still be pointing at his corsi as a life preserver.
Obviously a big game (already) for the Hawks tonight and I expect them to be uptight so with some bad bounces things could go south in a hurry
On the flip side if something goes right in the first maybe they’ll relax a bit and play more to their capabilities
It feels like anything could happen but when you don’t play with any structure that’s what you get – a whole lot of uncertainty
What I’d really like to see is Colliton keeping lines together for at least one game if not three or four. Using the blender after just one period is ridiculous. It takes time for players to get to know each other’s tendencies. Seven minutes of ice time doesn’t do it.