Panthers Pounce On Mistakes, Beat Blackhawks in Florida
After splitting in Dallas to open the road trip, the Blackhawks headed to the east side of Florida for a couple games against the Panthers. Kevin Lankinen was back in net and Ian Mitchell returned to the lineup after watching both games against the Stars from the taxi squad.
For about 25 minutes, it looked like the Hawks had their act together.
Chicago out-shot Florida 12-6 in the first period and the Hawks did a nice job of limited the Panthers’ chances. Neither team scored in the opening 20 but the Blackhawks had to feel pretty good about their performance in the first.
The Hawks opened the second period with a bang. Brandon Hagel and Dominik Kubalik executed a perfect give-and-go that ended with Hagel’s second goal of the season.
Kubalik and David Kampf picked up the assists on the play.
Moments later, Radko Gudas absolutely unloaded on Carl Soderberg in the neutral zone. It was a good, clean, heavy hit and it appeared to wake up the Panthers as much as it planted Soderberg.
Aleksander Barkov was having a terrific night and he tied the game at 7:46 into the second period.
Three minutes later, Carter Verhaeghe gave the Panthers a 2-1 lead. Verhaeghe had three points in the two games played in Florida between these two teams earlier in the year and was effective throughout this game as well.
Frank Vatrano made the score 3-1 only 79 seconds after the Verhaeghe goal and the Blackhawks were now chasing it badly.
The Panthers shut the Blackhawks down over the final 15 minutes of the second period and took the two-goal lead to the room for the second intermission. Florida out-shot the Hawks 13-7 in the second period with three of those 13 finding the back of the net.
The Hawks desperately needed to score first in the third period to get back into the game. Florida didn’t care, and the Hawks didn’t handle the puck well enough to do much with it. It took ten minutes for the next goal to be scored and it came off the stick of Barkov again.
Joel Quenneville changed his lines in the second period and one line took over the game. Anthony Duclair was credited with his third assist of the night on Barkov’s second goal. Verhaeghe was also credited with an assist for his second point of the night. Barkov assisted on Verhaeghe’s goal, giving him three points as well.
This felt a lot like the game against Tampa one week ago when the Blackhawks went up three and then got trashed. Unfortunately in this one, the Hawks had a one-goal advantage when the offensive well went dry and Florida is simply too talented and well coached (ahem) to not take advantage of the mistakes Chicago was making.
Down three and desperate, Adam Boqvist unloaded from the point and slipped the puck through Sergei Bobrovsky somehow. Chicago was within two with 92 seconds left in regulation.
Of course the Blackhawks called their timeout after the goal and lost the following faceoffs. Lankinen went to the bench for an extra attacker with 70 seconds left.
The Hawks didn’t get another one past Bobrovsky and the Blackhawks dropped the first game in Florida by a 4-2 score.
After putting 12 shots on net in the first 20 minutes, Chicago was held to 14 shots over the following 37 minutes. The Hawks finished the night with 27 shots on net. Lankinen stopped 33 of 37.
Patrick Kane was credited with a team-leading six shots on net. He picked up an assist on the Boqvist goal.
The faceoff circle continues to be a huge problem. Florida won 66 percent of the draws in this game, making any comeback attempt nearly impossible.
Chicago had four power plays in the game that were all failures.
Well 4 games in a row that they had no right getting a point. Is reality setting in?
One thing for sure the power play (and in particular the entries) looks like a heaping mess of crap.
These big talented teams are causing some pain for the Hawks. Not too many bright spots-other than the work ethic of Hagel.
I’m not sure if it’s intentional or not but Pat and Eddie rarely call out Keith for a poor play. The commentary on Barkov’s goal was that Kurashev couldn’t handle the bigger and stronger Barkov but just prior to that Keith had the puck on his stick and failed to clear the puck. Keith still makes good plays but he makes a lot of poor plays too, pretty much every game. They’re not shy about giving him praise when he makes a good play but it bugs me it only works in one direction.
Don’t look now but Columbus is only 5 points behind the Hawks with the Hawks having to play Florida 3 times and Tampa twice in the next 5 games while Columbus has 1 more against Dallas and 4 in a row against Carolina. Be a lot of scoreboard watching over these next couple weeks.
Oh by the way, as long as I’m picking on Keith tonight – while I was happy for him getting a goal last game because I’m sure it’s been weighing on him to not have scored … but … my initial thought was “oh no, now he’s going to think they will start going in so he will shoot even more than he was”. Keith’s shot is terrible and most times he shoots it’s not the best play he has available to him. It’s like he honestly believes he has a good shot and should use it – he doesn’t and he shouldn’t. Most time it amounts to giving the puck to the opponent because his shot is so weak and slow that the goalie either easily catches it or easily redirects the rebound away from potential 2nd chance shots. I suggested a couple years ago that Keith should be fined by the Hawks every time he shoots the puck that doesn’t go in. Obviously there are times in a game where it’s the right play for him to shoot but those are a small percentage of the total shots he takes.
/end Keith rant. :-)
well, let’s see..
1. Couldn’t convert on our power play opportunities.
2. Couldn’t win a faceoff in either zone so we were puck chasing all night.
3. Couldn’t find any line combination that could neutralize Barkov.
4. Couldn’t match their physicality along the boards so 50/50 pucks went to them most of the night.
Probably not going to win. Without Toews and Dach, we were no match for Barkov..and Q knew it, so anytime the Cat-Wallmark-Kane line were on the ice, the Barkov line followed. PS-not sure why Suter wasn’t centering the Cat/Kane line, but Wallmark and Kurashev weren’t the answer. Maybe leave the one scoring line we have alone. No need to tinker with their chemistry.
Now for the few positives..we did get some nice looks against Florida..Kane will be dreaming about the wide open net he had and Cat had a breakaway chance as well. So the game could have been a bit closer if we had converted on one or two grade a looks. Hagel and Kubalik continue to enjoy playing together and it shows. They both looked good tonight. And I thought, except for an unacceptable turnover at our blueline, Boqvist looked good tonight too. He’s also on a 50 point pace if this was a full hockey season. Not bad for a 20 year old who’s only playing 16 and 1/2 min a night.
Wonder if DAL CLB NAS can gain 4 6 10 games on us if we go .500/split every games rest of way.
It should get tight in last 10 games.
If you could have said befire the 55 games started we would be doing this good getting experience and have this many good rookies/young wavers. We would has said yes.
Mo, excuse me while I pick a nit – it’s a 56 game season, not 55.
Flordia has the best record in the league when giving up the first goal. Thier announcers seemed to think it was a sign they were going to win. Will delia ever be seen again or is he that bad in practice? Sign someone else for god sakes if hes that bad. I was hoping to see more rotation with the taxi squad. Take advantage….i thought this was a development year…..
Definitely a game where a healthy Dach with Kane and Cat, plus a healthy Toews with Kubalik and Hagel woulda made a huge difference, especially in the 2nd half of the game and on fos. PP can’t do it every night, gotta find some more offense 5 on 5. Boqvist looking more promising both ends of the ice, he has been on the ice for all the Blackhawks goals last 2 games. Good record in 2nd game against same opponent, see if they can keep it up. Wonder if Delia gets a start next game,
Slayer – have to agree on Suter between Cat and Kane – I get why JC would try Kurashev/Wallmark both bigger going up against Barkov but it didn’t work
Kurashev didn’t have a good game
Boquist definitely did and ER I’m on board with the Keith criticism – he’s been all over the place lately and usually not in a good way- Boquist was doing his best to cover for him tonight
Mitchell also not a strong game – Beaudin looked better so let’s see who plays next game even though Beaudin would need to play his off side
Can’t blame Lank – start him on Monday – go back to Suter Cat Kane and get a split
Welcome aboard ER. The “Keith is perfect” talk got old a few years back from Ed and Pat. Can’t argue with your critique. Turn off the volume and you see the game for real instead of hearing what Ed and Pat want us to see. More odd man breaks against us tonight, and against the apparently easiest pairing to do it against too. At least the Keith for the Norris talk has calmed. Oh – national games are generally called differently by Ed. He can’t lie and expect the entire hockey audience to just shrug it off like he does Hawks fans. He wouldn’t be able to sell books and hair replacement.
Shit is way past old. 1 more year.
With no size or strength up the middle – except for 34 – we can’t play against Barkov. Q using matchups like the HOF coach he is. That team looked like a Q coached team. Bob seemed to be the old version of a goalie. FLA looks to have made big strides this year.
A very easy night for the Panthers as they took the game over after the Hawks 1st goal.The Panthers physically overwhelmed the Hawks all the way around and of course horsed them in the faceoff circle as they absolutely controlled the game.Playing without any viable Centers to create offense and control the game has exposed the Hawks for what they are.A small perimeter 1 and done team that does not cycle the puck or drive the net.Kane and DeBrincat were shutdown and pushed to the outside.Eckblad purposely kneed Kane after a shot and of course no response except from Kane himself.Zadorov must feel awfully lonely out there being the only one to step up physically.The plain truth is the Hawks are outclassed and physically overwhelmed and dominated most of the time by the top 3 teams in their division.Use the trade deadline to move out Soderberg,Janmark,Walmark,DeHaan,and try to find a couple of young and hungry physical forwards.Get Johnson,Entwhistle,Barratt,and anyone else with a pulse into the lineup.Put Kalynuk and Beaudin out there and let them play the last 20 games of the season without interruption.Stop with this playoff foolishness and develop these young guys.
Just a shout out to Tab for the great theme summaries and video clips! With the league realignment and living north of the 49th, with no game package on TV, we might get 3 games to watch! So the summaries are such a great highlight reel!
Thanks
Mitchell has been very noticeable and not in a good way for a while now and he seems to get a break from most on he site. Why isn’t he getting some farm time? This isn’t a criticism of him and rookie play, it happens-just don’t know why certain players (over the years) get the bulk of the negative comments.
(is there anyway he got a you will play in Chicago, not Rockford this year as part of his signing out of college?-just curious. Again not a criticism if that is the reality of today’s signing situations. Beaudin deserves to play as well, but they do have a lot of ‘D’ bodies)
The Islanders talk got me thinking. If we take Boychuk I would want Bellows with him. If we take Ladd I would want Wahlstrom with him. They show that they have 7 centers suited counting both of them.
If they don’t want to give up bodies then probably a 2 with Boychuk. If they give us Ladd I would go Lawrence Welk on them and take “a one an a two”
Noonan …you are right about Mitchell…the kid should be in Rockford and get less pressure off him ..I said that at the beginning of the year but the Hawks want to play him and it’s ok but there is a time when you need to give the kid time in Rockford to see what he can do there and get experience somewhere else to make him grow without the Big NHL pressure .
Going to Rockford will not hurt him but it can help him for his future .
And it can help other kids to play A few games in NHL ..to see the speed and the intensity at the next level.
From the couch Adam Boqvist had a solid game on the defensive end of the pond. We know he has some talent on the offensive end but a good two way performance against a fast, strong Panther team. See if he can maybe string three more of these performances together in a row? The Hawks fore check has to be at 110% to be effective, reckless even, when they play 10% below that level this is what we’ll get. They depend on generating turnovers and forcing bad passes, Panthers seemed to handle it all night long. Without a dominate – go-to -scorer on the offensive end, the Hawks need to grind it out and force mistakes. 0 out of 4 on the power play hurt obviously but the penalty kill did it’s job. Panthers looked good and seem to like our OLD Hawks in the hey day to be able to flip a switch and turn it on.
Plenty of days in between games for Hawks should provide a break to tune up and adjust.
I wonder who has the advantage in this new limited schedule where we face the same teams night in and night night out. The under dog who has to adjust or the favorites like the Panthers who play the same every night? Does the condensed and repetitive schedule favor one or the other?
go hawks
I expect Foley to start trying to pronounce player’s names spelled backwards. He sounds more and more like the Harry Carey towards the end of his career.
When Edzo is on air with him it usually turns into a ticklefest. I nearly throw up on my shoes when I hear ‘tree turdy tree left in the turd’ followed by them giggling like 8 year olds.
As for the Blackhawks: They are what they are, and doing much better than anyone ever expected. Although, I have no idea why.
Perhaps they learned how to ‘keep their sticks on the ice’, not do a ‘flyby’, move the puck / move yourself, create time and space for yourself, etc….
loved boquist last night. a huge step in the right direction.
thought keith was terrible. love to see him moved at the tdl. would give him away for the cap space and the twenty minutes a game to spread among the rookies. i am a big fan of his, but all good things must end. he is plenty good enough to help a contending team, but won’t be a factor for the hawks when they are ready to compete again.
every night hagel brings the same game. if he can find a way to 15 goals and 20 assists a year he will be a third line monster. if not, a great fourth liner. a keeper for a very long time.
Blackhawks 10-1-2 in 2nd consecutive game against same opponents this year. Obviously Bolts and Florida to start year were rgulation and 2 ot loss. The other was a Jan. 27th 2-1 shootout loss to Preds. Since then 9-0 in game 2 of seried.
Regardless of how season ends for them, ove4all it will be a success in alot of ways. Lankinen looks like a no. 1 or at least a solid half of a good tandem in nets. Defense trending in right direction, coaching has done a good job with youngsters and will continue to do what is right for each player.
Agree next year the younger players need to be the load bearers on blueline and vets (Keith notably) need to be more of a support role at this point. Good healthy competition on defense and up front with youngsters pushing for spots with a solid pipeline in the wings coming up, will help maintain a competitive roster. Oc course getting healthy in the middle makes a huge difference in look of the roster next year as well.
I heard an encouraging word last night and it was the word “no”. It was from Boqvist in a post-game interview when he was asked if he liked his own game last night. He answered no and cited a play he didn’t do well and that he has to get better. That doesn’t mean he will get better but it’s encouraging to hear he’s honest with himself and has the proper attitude, especially when he scored a goal and played arguably his best defensive game. His improvement since coming back from Covid may not be by leaps and bounds but it has been on a noticeable upward trajectory and as tired as we are of hearing this – he’s still only 20 and not even close to having his “man strength” fully developed.
So yeah – encouraging.
Agree with most here-
Mitchell – looking really weak -overmatched recently
Keith- really starting to show his age–finally
Boqvist- might of been best game of year.
Someone in Rock- gotta be better than Walmark and Highmore –
Eakin,Huala,Glendening or Eric Staal STAT !!! Need a Face off specialist today or its over.
Had some opportunities early but Bob is playing better this year for sure, and he was strong in the net this game.
Hagel and Boqvist looked good.
Let’s see how they bounce back on Monday after this physical game against a good team that they can have a day to study.
Go Blackhawks!
open question to the knowledgeable commenters about worst case scenario.
assume toews doesn’t comeback and strome remains a loser. right now is there potential in the system for a solid 2c & 3c?
Stop with the Mitchell going to Rockford. It’s not going to happen nor with Boqvist. They are RIGHT SIDE DEFENSEMEN. The only Right side defensemen they have are Murphy,Mitchell, Boqvist and Bowey who? When any of them sit or are out they are replaced by a LEFT SIDE DEFENSEMEN. That would be Zadorov, Beaudin and Carlsson. Zadorov looks good when playing the left side but when paired with Beaudin and both of them are criss crossing or not sure who should be on the right side they look lost. Beaudin looks good when on the left side but as with Carlsson rarely gets a chance to play it.
Mitchell and Boqvist need to shore up their defensive skills and are allowed to play their natural position. So before knocking Beaudin,Carlsson or Zadorov for not meeting your expectations try imagining Mitchell or Boqvist playing the left side of the defense to start their careers.
And yeah I’m also tired of Edzo not pointing out all the mistakes made by not just Keith but a lot of his favorite players. Hell just a nice poke check from any of them and it was like the greatest poke check ever. A bad play and he’s not just putting lipstick on the pig but adding blush and false eyelashes then putting it in an evening gown ready for prom.
Larmer Fan – “Need a Face off specialist today or its over.” – what’s over? Certainly not player development – that isn’t over, and that is the primary objective for the season. I’ve come around from wanting a full tank-job to hoping they make the playoffs but making the playoffs is a secondary objective and only if it doesn’t interfere with the primary objective.
I agree a good faceoff guy would help and it would help with player development too because the team would spend more time with the puck and less time chasing it thereby providing the young players a better balance of getting experience playing on both sides of the puck. But I would not want young players or picks used to acquire a veteran faceoff guy.
ER, thats cool man I always say 1st 40 games and 2nd 40 games even though theres 82. I am usually precise on things like saying we tied the game not lost it when we get one point in standing/and because we didnt get beat in 5 on 5 hockey. Just tech of things. I am not a fan of the number 56 so I say 55/really its like me just saying things like 2nd 40 games the yong wavers are really going to kick start there all around games or that when some of the prospects will be ready for fulltime.
Keep each other honest/with respect of course.
Agree Grand Pa, the dot must be worked on. Don’t think anything is over for this year the blueprint is on schedule. To start next years improvement maybe Brandon Sutter you like to wear an Indian Head sweater. Others to be next year’s Soderberg at a cost effective price, Huala Eakins Spezza Glendening. Wouldn’t mind prying Steel away from Ana. Maybe taking Henrique or Manson with him. ……get it “prying Steel”…..
@ER. Agree. They are not a cup team yet have 2 very good centers on the sidelines. Why give up the future for playoff failure this year? One also needs to understand they are not only good at faceoff but play a very good 200 ft game that is going to help with puck possession and the young defensemen when they come back to help them.
Top 3 gem or top 5 or top 10 skill draft player. Yes yes. We need more good players before were ready to play win against bigger teams/FLR STL COL others.
This.
TIM W.
March 14, 2021 at 12:55 am
Put Kalynuk and Beaudin out there and let them play the last 20 games of the season without interruption.Stop with this playoff foolishness and develop these young guys.
Hawks29, I disagree with your assessment of Strome as a loser. I don’t know what’s going on with him but he has shown he can play and produce points in the NHL and that is far from a loser.
As to do the Hawks have any #2/#3 centers after Toews/Dach/Strome – I would say no. They have some guys who can be a placeholder (Suter) or maybe develop (Kurashev) or maybe surprise (Barratt) but even with them it would be more of a #3 that a true top-6 center with everything that job requires.
So yeah, the Hawks are missing a legit top-6 if Toews never returns or Strome never figures it out or Dach doesn’t come back and pick up where he left off. And by the way, Dach was growing into becoming a top-6 center – he wasn’t actually there yet because he wasn’t producing offense at the level of a top-6 center.
I would say most times when you play two games ina row againt any team top teams and bottom teams in a normal 82 game season they end up in splits a lot. So might eb whats going on here.
It seemed that way for long time to me/last 25 yrs.
KNUCKLE HEAD
March 14, 2021 at 9:29 am
I wonder who has the advantage in this new limited schedule where we face the same teams night in and night night out. The under dog who has to adjust or the favorites like the Panthers who play the same every night? Does the condensed and repetitive schedule favor one or the other?
Knuckle, i ll look it up of top of head I would say were at 12 splits and 4 sweeps so far.
Mo, I was just giving you crap. Gotta keep it light, right? Anyway, you should never take me too seriously and to paraphrase Groucho – I would never accept criticism from someone like me. ;-)
TB 0-2 sweep
FLR 0-1-1 split
DET 2-0 sweep
NAS 0-0-2 split
CLB 1-1 split
CAR 1-0-1 split
DAL 2-0 sweep
CLB 2-0 sweep
DET 2-0 sweep
CAR 0-1 cancelled/lloked like at time we would get blown
CLB 2-0 sweep
DET 1-1 split
TB 1-1-1 split
DAL 1-1 split
FLR 0-1/we win another split
Wow I was WAY off its basically the same amount of sweeps splits.
splits 7
sweeps 6
Now our section were we went 11-2-5 that really made the ‘stats’ misleading because we sort of split most two game stunts.
DOesnt matter if we playe DET 6 times in 17 games to win that good was the highlight of the 55 games/56 for ER.
11-2-5
Good job first yr/rookie/greyhorn/first 20 games ever played in league young wavers.
Now keep doing good and bad and learn and get better experience in this division/whoch has more good teams in it then others. We wouldnt leanr as good in wets or north divisions. Good for us to be in this division teams for devleopemtn yr. A+
Load young wave!
Well this was advertised as a development year. They got handled by a big and fast team. If they make the playoffs, good! It would be a learning experience. If there isn’t an awful regression in the second half, but no playoffs, that is ok too. It’s a young team that is showing progress. At the beginning of the season, that was all we could hope for.
Game 30 tomorrow.
Team is overachieving.
That is good.
Team defense is a mess and goaltending is getting shaky (25 goals in last 6 games).
That is bad.
If this trend continues, team will finish out of playoffs.
Game 29 saw a young coach get thoroughly schooled by a HOF veteran.
23 is not the complete player 24 is and has no business between 12 and 88.
Q saw that, mixed up his top line, and went head to head with 23, 12 , 88.
Result?
Huge performance by Panthers top line once the mix up took place midway thru 2nd period, while Jr coach kept 24, 12, 88 intact.
Wonder if Jr coach learned from this?
Strome’s concussion seems worse than it initially appeared. Does he have a concussion history?
Hawks are very thin with regards to center prospects in the organization. It seems pretty clear that at some point we will trade one or more d prospects for a solid center or prospect.
“Game 29 saw a young coach get thoroughly schooled by a HOF veteran” – you got to be joking. Q is certainly a great HOF coach but he played Barkov 25 minutes against a team with no centers. He has a much more experienced and deeper team that isn’t playing 6 rookies a night. Man your schtick gets old.
PP, not saying Q isn’t good at matchups because he absolutely is but it’s hard to win a horse race when you don’t have the best horse and Colliton has no one on his roster capable of matching Barkov when Q has the last change. You can be critical of JC but be fair about it.
PP – It is always hard to determine whether a goalie has done all he can in a game. Which goals last night do you specifically blame on Lankinen? I do agree the quantity of goals being given up is not what we want, but you admit team defense is a mess, and that alone can be the biggest part of goaltending. I was not a proponent and stated such of turning over our defense and our goaltending at the same time because I think that is very unfair to the goaltenders. I believe a veteran goalie can handle the bad defense better than a kid fighting for his career. Fortunately for the Hawks, they didn’t go with my plan and instead have found someone who appears to be a capable NHL netminder, despite the porous defense. Lankinen is in my opinion the biggest find of this season (especially if his game continues to improve).
HOF coach Q did his job last night. He got last change and made use of it – after the first period. What do you suggest the unqualified JC do to match against Barkov without last change? It’s easy to criticize, so please help JC understand what to do. Of all the centers dressed last night, who was going to be competitive at the dot with Barkov, handle him physically and keep up with him on the ice? 34 could try, but can’t keep up with Barkov’s speed. Kampf maybe can do the speed thing but still isn’t physical enough to slow Barkov without getting called for penalties. The rest of our dressed centers aren’t even a match physically or at the dot. Q used to do the win-a-draw-get-off-the-ice thing with Krueger, but we don’t have that ability right now, and I still don’t know who can match against Barkov. Without trying to sound like I’m crapping on JT’s head, he had enough trouble last year staying to his man and not playing rover as soon as a dman got in trouble in the corner. Then it was off to the rescue for Johnny and a quick pass to the guy he left in the slot. I don’t need to explain the rest of that play, though we can always blame it on the goalie. Eddie O would. Suter did it earlier this year behind the net to help out KEith and Mitchell and the board (as directed by Ed) chewed him up. Suter was simply following his man behind the net! It wasn’t his guy who scored. While I agree that Suter shouldn’t have left the front open to Mitchell’s guy, he was put in a lose-lose situation.
This is an undermanned team who, by most impressions left, are overachieving right now (including you). We have warts. Size up the middle is one of them. Dach is hopefully a part of that fix, but he needs considerable work at the dot. Strome, well, the jury is definitely out, and his foot speed appears to be a restricting issue unless he learns like 34 or Hanzus how to make up for it. Can he get consistently better at the dot?
Ian said it best earlier this season (and often since) that a hot PP and strong goaltending can be a winning formula for this team. We didn’t get the PP last night.
Who do you want shadowing Barkov Monday?
MS and ER – you did it in fewer words!! My hat’s off to you both.
Think what playing those Pacific teams with the huge centers they used to have would be like for this team. JT handled it well, but got beaten up doing it.
Agree #2 & #3 C’s answers aren’t there yet. Giving the ones mentioned Strome, time running short, Suter more a winger playing C but could become a long term answer in time, same withKurashev a natural C getting more time there now. Maybe Barrett or someone else. Disagree on Dach after playoff performance, he is a top 6 C now until he proves he isn’t capable of being one when he returns.
If a replacement for Toews is needed, would like to see them make a Strome for Danault trade to give both players a fresh start. I know some diasgree with Danault but although no Toews, he checks more of the boxes his void leaves than these other guys at present do. A capable two way guy behind Dach who can take a ton of fos and win over half. Ideally a 3rd C but can play 2 C competently and capably until one us developed or addressed through the draft. Johnson too, who could be more of a winger who is a rightshot fo specialist should help too.
Keith is an old man at 37 with a lot of “miles” on him including playoffs and cups and every power play PLUS every penalty kill. Think about it? 1,167 games – how many games did he miss? IMO this is his last year, he’s doing what he can do while losing a step or two or three. He’s on the ice going against the top lines in the NHL, taking a lot big hits in the corners etc. He has to be worn out and worn down, it is his Competitive Spirit that earns him time. He’s used his quickness in the past to close out on defense, that quickness, reactions and adjustment on the fly is the first thing to go. He can read the play with the best of them but getting old is a bitch. Technically he’s still pretty sound and if he is helping the younger d-men in practice then he’s a big benefit, his stick and body positioning is sort of a clinic. Boqvist is 20 and if any of that Keith MOJO can rub off on him then maybe ( longshot) Boqvist has a future in the NHL they share have similar size and style. Even something as simple ( not really simple) as keeping the puck in on a power play is a skill he has that can be taught.
There is not much up side for home announcers to trash a veteran like Keith or call him out.
Anyway Keith is a rock star, his lack of consistency is not from lack of heart, intensity or IQ . . . it’s his knees, his age and the miles.
go hawks
Game 30 tomorrow.
The team is overachieving, exceeding expectations.
That is good.
The team is still a mess with team defense and goaltending is getting shaky, allowing 25 goals in last 6 games.
That is bad.
If the latter trend continues, the team will finish out of playoffs.
Game 29 last night:
The junior coach got schooled by the HOF veteran.
How?
24 appears to be a complete player.
For some reason, junior took him out of the middle of 12 and 88, inserting 23, who is nowhere near the 200 ft player 24 is.
Q saw this and by mid 2nd period, switched up his top line and matched them against 23, 12, and 88.
Result?
Huge night for Q’s top line while junior kept 23, 12 and 88 intact, getting smoked in the process.
Hope junior learned from this.
Test
Knuckle Head, it’s not really about criticizing for the sake of criticizing him – it’s to appropriate place praise and criticism everywhere. The Barkov goal I cited earlier is a good case in point – blame was placed on Kurashev for not doing a better job defending against Barkov where he wouldn’t have been put into that position had Keith made a better play. So Keith gets no blame so the blame falls on Kurashev. Eddie is very good at analyzing plays but there’s a definite difference in where he “starts” his analysis based on the players involved. I’m not looking to throw under the bus but I don’t think it’s right for other players to be thrown under the bus because Eddie doesn’t want to criticize Keith.
Just another quick case in point – remember the play when Suter followed a player behind the net when Mitchell and Keith were already behind the net. Eddie commented that Suter can’t go back there and leave the front open when Mitchell and Keith were already back there, and while that is true, what Eddie didn’t say was that Keith shouldn’t have been behind the net. The play happened when Mitchell was checking the opposing player who skated behind the net. Keith didn’t need to go back there and he should have stayed on his side of the net so he could guard against Mitchell’s guy popping out on his side and to guard against a pass coming out. But instead of doing that, he went back to engage behind the net. Then Suter’s guy went behind the net and Suter followed him. So Eddie pointed out that Suter should have been more aware of not leaving the net front unguarded but he said nothing about Keith’s misplay.
I don’t like ranting on the veterans who were instrumental in winning three cups as Keith was, but I think part of the challenge is that he hasn’t realized that he just isn’t as good as he was in his prime so he still tries to do things that would have worked a few years ago but now they don’t
He needs to realize his limitations and adjust his play accordingly
With regards to how the Hawks can try to neutralize Barkov on Monday, here’s what I what do if I was Colliton-anytime I have the Cat-Suter-Kane line on the ice, I would pair them with Zadorov-Murphy..use the size we have on the blueline to reinforce our top line since we all know Q is going to send the Barkov line out against them. It seems counter intuitive, since you would usually have Zadorov-Murphy primarily taking dzone draws, but what the Hawks need is some sustained time in Florida’s zone with our top line while at the same time ensuring that the Barkov line spends their shift checking..I think Zadorov-Murphy can help..then use DeHaan-Boqvist for dzone draws (I’m not sure why this pairing was ever broken up, they seemed to have a nice easy chemistry)
As multiple commenters have correctly pointed it, it appears that whoever is paired with Keith, that is essentially our ”third” pairing right now. Keith has really had a bad stretch of games lately..glass half full though, Boqvist is getting a lot of practice breaking up 2 on 1 odd man shifts heading the other way lol..granted, Boqvist will once in awhile cause said odd man rush lol, but I chalk those up to the inevitable growing pains of a 20 year old defenseman.. but lately it’s been Keith leaving whoever he’s partnered with in no man’s land to fend for themselves..unfortunately, there’s no answer for Keith getting older..just have to continue to develop our young defensemen..
@hawks29..go back to the post for the last game recap, and I have a long comment breaking down roster options and options at center for next year if Toews isn’t ready to play..the quick version, this team down the middle isn’t pretty without Toews lol..but a competitive roster can still be put on the ice..
@ian, keep in mind that Danault is ufa, so there isn’t any reason to trade for him. Plus, if we trade for him mid season, we would have to protect him in the expansion draft. I’d wait until after the expansion draft, and then see if he would take a one year deal. He’s having an awful year for Montreal this year offensively, but defensively, his metrics still look good. Maybe he would take a one year deal to boost his own stock..you could then go Cat-Dach-Kane and maybe Suter-Danault-Kubalik..that would work well as a second line.
Lets be realistic, this team doesn’ t have the horses right now, nor should we realistically expect with Dach and Toews on ltir, Strome who was expected to help fill that void on ir, Shaw who was contributing every night, plus Nylander also expected to contribute this year, to compete on level field with top teams 5 on 5. What they still need or don’t to go all the way, after they are healthy is another conversation.
If Q couldn’t find combos that work 5 on 5 against the depleted group that they are, then his standing as one of the best coaches ever should be reconsidered. Goaltending was suspect heading into season, but for most part has been pretty darn good considering the odds against them in expectations heading in and depleted roster in front of them. A defensive core with the younger players trending up while the veterans are trending down is about what it should be right now. If somebody has a better idea how a youth movement is supposed to work, please share. This year has been entertaining and alot 0f fun, lets just enjoy it for what it is, an overall ptetty successful year, not dumpster fire after every loss.
Slayer forgot Danault was a ufa, that works for me.
ebony
we have quite opposite opinions of strome, but i have great hopes you are right and i am wrong. having him find his way and becoming a hockey player in addition to being a scorer would be wonderful for the team. especially if he could break even at the dot.
my concern is that hockey is a young man’s game and strome just turned 24. i am a numbers guy and my opinion of the likelihood of strome becoming a top six center is just very low. the odds say he is past the trending up period in his development of being a better skater, winning faceoffs, and playing the game like a man. doesn’t mean it can’t happen, but just that it isn’t likely. like i said…..hope i am dead wrong and you are spot on.
Columbus is within 4 points so the battle lines are drawn. The Hawks are in this one win, one loss pattern and unfortunately there is too much racetrack left to get caught.
Some of these younger guys are just hitting the natural, proverbial wall. Roughly 30 games in they are a bit gassed.
On the rumor front. Keep an eye on Strome and his return. Do not buy the narrative that the beat writers are selling that “ he’s a points producer “. The organization does not feel that way at all. At this point, they would take a 2nd rounder for him in a trade.
Craig, Strome had 51 points in 58 games a couple years ago. Are the Hawks convinced that Strome is gone and not coming back? He’s 24 so it’s not like he’s over the hill. How does this work into the Toews equation? Assuming the best that Dach comes back 100% recovered – that would make 1 and leave 1 more top-6 center needed. If not Toews and not Strome – than who? Hopefully they don’t see Suter as a long-term top-6 center. But who?
ebony
the center you speak of……..perhaps next year another “let’s see what we have year” and then a free agent for 22-23?
DCat RNH Kane
Hagel Dach Kubalik
Kurashev Strome Suter
Johnson Kampf Barrett
Craig,YIKES! Lookout my friend, the be patient with Strome crowd will be coming after you.They swear he is going to skate faster,play harder,win faceoffs,and actually check someone anyday now.Just put him with his buddy DeBrincat and Kane.That will coverup his shortcomings.I would take a bag of pucks for him at this point.If Stan could fleece the Sabres out of Cody Eakin I would be impressed.
I don’t believe the Hawks move Strome unless they are certain that Toews and Dach are healthy and ready to play 82 games next year..whether they’ve soured on Strome as a player or not, replacing Strome means finding a 24 year old center who is only making $3 mil or less next year and that won’t be easy if they move him..plus, we don’t have any cap concerns for next year, so unless the Hawks are really blown away by an offer (Jake Debrusk plus Boston’s first, for example), I don’t envision him being traded. Certainly not for a second round pick ..there are a lot of rental centers that will be available at the tdl..why would we sell low in a crowded market when we have Strome under contract and aren’t pressed for cap space??
@jrroman, we don’t have the cap space for RNH plus he’s better on the wing..hasn’t played center in a couple of years..
@ebonyraptor..unfortunately, if Toews isn’t ready next year + the Hawks move on from Strome before the start of next year, then I have no idea who plays 2c..I feel Suter is going to eventually be best at LW and Kurashev is probably best at 3c or RW on a third line..the answer isn’t on the roster currently nor is the answer in Rockford. What I would do (and I suggested it somewhere on this site awhile ago lol) is give the Kings a call and see what they would want for Turcotte and/or Kupari..we have a ton of young defensemen..so maybe a trade of Beaudin+ could pry a center like Turcotte away..then you could go Dach-Turcotte-Kurashev/Suter-Kampf down the middle..not great but if you’re rebuilding, then you’d certainly be young down the middle..for me personally, this type of lineup has too many youngsters and not enough vets, but it’s a possible solution if the Hawks don’t have Toews or Strome..
Cat-Dach-Kane
Suter-Turcotte/Kupari-Kubalik
Reichel-Kurashev-Nylander
Highmore-Kampf-Carpenter/Entwhistle
@timw..no on Cody Eakin..he literally isn’t even a bag of pucks..he’s just one dusty puck lol..this will be his 9th straight season of negative corsi for and fenwick for..you know how last year Strome only put up 38 points and everyone was saying how he had such an awful year? Well, that’s Cody Eakin’s best year..literally, 41 points is the most he’s ever scored in 1o nhl seasons..I’m not saying Strome is the answer but I don’t want to know the question that Cody Eakin is the answer to..
slayer
you left hagel out of your lineup. oversight?
I just wanted to mention that Gustav Forsling is playing 20 minutes a night for the FLA Panthers! I have always liked GF, but we gave up on him way too soon! The same goes for Jordan Oesterle! When we could have trade Gustafson after his 60 point season, I knew then that Stan traded that wrong LH defensemen! Forsling and Oesterle should remind us that we need to be patient with Boqvist, Beaudin, Mitchell, Carlsson, and Kalynuk! They will grow in to their roles!
I will not suggest that Boqvist move to RW! :)
One of my worries are for next year or the year that the normal divisions and schedules return. We do not have any muscle up front. We start playing STL MN WIN not worried much of AZ. Instead of TB Caro Colum and FL, which I bet will play us heavier and harder tonight, it will be a rough season. Also playing the Smythe will be an adventure. Not knowing if our young forwards Entwistle Alby Barrett big enough or sandpaper enough to protect yet.
DCat Dach Kane
Zadorov Beau
Suter Lowry Kubalik
Keith Boq
Kurashev Strome Hagel
Murphy Mitchell
Johnson Kampf Carp
Nylander Barrett Entwistle Carlsson Kalynuk
Lank Nav
To PP
Buffalo is so bad that they put the Joker on the taxi squad to save him. You know just like Detroit does with Veleno.
Joker 87 games 17 pts
Boq 59 games 26 puts
MOM! THE MEATLOAF! GET THE MEATLOAF!
@JR.
No Beaudin with Zadorov. It’s a disaster. Beaudin would be better in Rockford playing the left side and developing. Playing out of position is not going to help him nor build his confidence.
Here’s the problem with the defense. You have 2 rookies playing the right side along with Murphy. Every team knows that and will go at that side because it’s weak. Boqvist and Mitchell are at least RHD albeit learning. Beaudin and Carlsson are LHD also learning. Putting a rookie LHD to play the right side to replace a RHD? Teams chomp at the bit for that type of mismatch. To get a game or 2 against weaker teams yeah. Not with the 3 above us.
Now about Keith. He may have lost a step but that’s not the big issue it’s the loss of Seabrook. Keith was always the active D man in the O zone while Seabs stayed back. Seabs wasn’t always pinching in. Now with Mitchell or Boqvist..Keith does not stay back. Instead both D men are pinching in and getting caught out of position a lot. Defensemens best asset is skating backwards yet when we watch the games more times than not they are skating forward to catch up to the play because they pinched. This is not just Keith now it’s getting to be most of them.
They are pinching in and most of the time along the boards leaving the middle of the ice open. One broken up pass or deflection and the opponent is off to the races with a breakaway or odd man rush. Is it the end of the world? NO just being aware and communication will help a lot. Someone needs to stay back. But in this world of offensive defenseman it might be a tougher task than we think.
JR – “MOM! THE MEATLOAF! GET THE MEATLOAF!” – I don’t know what that means but I find it strangely funny and plan to spring it on people out of the blue just to get a reaction. :-)
Here’s a classic Keith move that results in a 2 on 1
Opposition player coming through the neutral zone with the puck skating towards our right side D man – say Boquist for example – Keith then leaves his LD position careening into Boquist’s lane (basically trying to do Boq’s job) and attempts to poke check the puck carrier and misses leaving Boquist to defend a 2 on 1 as Keith frantically tries to get back in time
This usually happens multiple times a game – I haved loved Keith’s play in the past but now he’s a a step or so slower and he rarely breaks up the play outlined above because the timing is not there like it used to be
He needs to adjust his approach for this new reality and so far he seems unwilling to do that – hopefully that changes
This is it right here for people who need to relax after every loss these 55 games.
IAN
March 14, 2021 at 5:22 pm
Lets be realistic, this team doesn’ t have the horses right now, nor should we realistically expect with Dach and Toews on ltir, Strome who was expected to help fill that void on ir, Shaw who was contributing every night, plus Nylander also expected to contribute this year, to compete on level field with top teams 5 on 5. What they still need or don’t to go all the way, after they are healthy is another conversation.
If Q couldn’t find combos that work 5 on 5 against the depleted group that they are, then his standing as one of the best coaches ever should be reconsidered. Goaltending was suspect heading into season, but for most part has been pretty darn good considering the odds against them in expectations heading in and depleted roster in front of them. A defensive core with the younger players trending up while the veterans are trending down is about what it should be right now. If somebody has a better idea how a youth movement is supposed to work, please share. This year has been entertaining and alot 0f fun, lets just enjoy it for what it is, an overall ptetty successful year, not dumpster fire after every loss.
If Strome is your 2nd Line Center you are dead in the water and not going anywhere.He CANT SKATE and is soft!It is who he is.Move on.Johndon,Suter,Kurashev,Barratt are better options.
ER/Craig, I go by games over .500 and we have been around +4/I mean we were at 5 area for awhile and CLB DAL have been around -1 for awhile to so the gap has been the same/basically for wks. Been the same since we did our 11-2-5 stertch and those teams balacned themselves.
Point is if we start going 0-2 against any of the top teams/others and thos teams keep balance or win some 2-0 then its tight. I think it will get tight not because of us but because CLB is a ok team about where we are/being this shorthanded but DAL should be a top 10 or top 10 boarderline team with hangovers so once they start ‘playing’ they should run off a 15-5 stretch and be ahead.
Who knows but I would say its more them then us.
JR,Come on.You are my guy.Tell me you don’t have Strome in your future lineup.I like RNH at #2 Center behind Dach.If Toews came back,and I really don’t think he will,he would be your defensive/Faceoff specialist 3rd Line Center.
Craig, I ll drive him to NY for a 2nd. Want to trade the 2nds we get from tradeline players tradeup to 1st half of 2nd rounds!
And I to want to see these centers for the coming yrs.
77
24/Danault
19
4th
We talked about adding Danault this fall as a ufa I am for that.
Or have 19 on wing like Hoss was for 1st line. Theres your faceoffs.
Roman, can you imagine a line with Hagel Dach. Thats like two groomers on the trail. Two guys who break trail.
JR ROMAN
March 14, 2021 at 11:06 pm
DCat RNH Kane
Hagel Dach Kubalik
Kurashev Strome Suter
Johnson Kampf Barrett
Tim, thats the thing the best 23man roster we can load. That means HHNL quality deep or take off eh.
Roamn, thats why I thought this was the perfect yr for greyhorn rookies young wavers that are starting this yr to get experience and play 55 games agasint fast skilled teams TB/CAR and one big team FLR then three bug teams STL/COL/MIN/other so get feet wet and not decapitated. Then next yr and on we have some of those gys coming in and have 77 19 back.
One full yr/well 55 games under belt helps big time for taht. We prob are even a lot better next yr and prob have a worse record then this yr/due to different kind of teams and being 82 games not 55 longer and first time for that long season for young wavers. Baby steps. Which could net us two/this drfat and net yrs draft a 8-12 picks and my ideal 2nd round picks in the 35-45 area.
Thats what I am talking about. Then that way were loading the young wave as much as possible. The more the merryier of prospects. Get some from any round in draft and the more % of that first 45 picks which is where more % wise come from and like someone else said other day you know were ading another gem from euro to.
Just get pumped about Hagel Barratt Kurachev.
ebonyraptor – yes the critics needs to reveal all the so called errors that lead up to a goal or turnovers that lead to a 3 on 1. For every goal their are 3 or 4 miscues, slow reaction and confusion that lead to it. I agree that Keith can be at least pointed out but EDDIE is so over rated I learn nothing from him, he’s fun and does good color, but I always turn to the opponents broadcast, they often have more insights. But hockey is a game of miscues, mistakes not obvious like a turnover in NBA that leads to a DUNK. Not like a fumble or interception in NFL. Not like a dropped fly ball or wild pitch in MLB. Nope it’s a simple weak Boquist outlet pass just four inches behind Kane, off his skate, a bad back check by Kane to recover, a slow transition back on D by Sutter and slow for Boquist to recover and an odd man rush etc etc. that is what makes hockey great a majority of goals go off a defense men or we screen your own goalie. On every play a player has 4 or 5 chance to make a mistake, think of it, they’re on the ice for 90 seconds and they each have 5 chances to muck it up. Crazy . . . no other sport has that.
Go hawks
I don’t think RNH is the answer for top-6 center. Obviously a talented player but he plays wing these days and isn’t a good faceoff guy. I wouldn’t be against signing him but he will probably want more than the Hawks should pay for what is essentially a top-6 winger.
Colliton wants players who are relentless in their puck pursuit. Strome is simply not that. It’s why JC loves Kampf, Carpenter and Hagel. Dach will make this team even stronger up the middle especially with the veteran leadership and net front presence Soderberg has shown.
Strome will have a tough time finding a role in Colliton’s system. I doubt they keep him and protect him. They would be glad to move him and pretty much move on.
Knuckle Head, good post. Absolutely spot on regarding all the moving parts and little things that compound and lead to bigger things.
I think Eddie is the best analyst on the national stage but he gets too cutesy with Pat and biased for/against certain Hawks players when he does Hawks games. He has an amazing ability to see plays in real time and notice all the things that are only seen by the rest of us in slo-mo replay. If he would call Hawks games the same way and lose the Pat&Eddie shtick it would be a lot better.
From Pierre LeBrun twitter:
Top three points percentage records for entire league all from the Central Division right now:
1 – Tampa, .769
2 – Carolina, .759
3 – Florida, .741
The problem with league wide comparisons is that the intra-division schedules render them meaningless other than for intra-division comparisons. There is no common denominator between divisions upon which to base comparisons. The stat from LeBrun (above) doesn’t mean TB/CAR/FLA are the 3 best teams in the league – it only means the division is more top heavy than the other divisions. That’s as much of an indictment on the other teams in the division as it is praise for the top-3 teams – AND – it has no relevance to the other three divisions at all.
The 2021 season is so weird.
tim w
my brother from another mother regarding strome.
knuckle
great post regarding hockey room for error, but guessing your “on the ice for 90 seconds” is a typo.
ebony
spot on with eddie. so much better on the national broadcasts. have loved foley, but time for him to move on.
did pierre add a disclaimer to his twitter, which you so ably did?
Keith style has always been a risk reward type of defense, taking chances is his game. Obviously at 37 being able to find the magic to make it happen after all he has been through is not what it used to be. Still bottom line he has forgot more about playing defense than most of us here will ever know. If he can pass the knowledge of how be smarter to these young guys he is playing with even if his body doesn’t allow him to do it 25mins a night like he used to, that is still a major contribution. When these young guys are ready to play his role they will, like Murphy now and his partner are the pair out against opponents top lines as much as possible, not Keith anymore. Having the right shot youngsters playing and learning from him and gaining experience should make transition to young left shot guys a little smoother.
Agree, have doubts Strome is really a long term project now, still think he may have a short term role for another year until Toews back and a little more development of the younger players gets to happen.
Hawks29, The Lebrun tweet was posted on Pat Boyle’s twitter so I don’t know if LeBrun had subsequent tweets to qualify.
I’ve seen debates on which division is stronger … and I’m like … based on what? Yes, you can make assumptions based on last season and prior history but things change from season to season so any kind of league wide comparisons are much more shaky than past seasons.
I’m not opposed to moving Strome for a reasonable offer – I don’t think a 2nd rounder is a good return though
Maybe I’ve got my Strome coloured lenses on but if that’s all he gets at TDL I would hang on to him and hope plays better and trade him in summer or TDL 2022 – I would want a NHL player for Strome
Yeah, Keith isn’t the player he was 10 years ago or even 5 years ago but I don’t expect him to be. My criticism of him is not so much about the regression of his play but that he doesn’t seem able or willing to accept it and adjust his game. But the holding on by elite athletes like Keith isn’t unique to him and in a way admirably shows the never give up attitude that made him elite. His play on the ice is fine, all things considered. The one area where I critically threw him under the bus was his outspoken resistance to the Q/Colliton transition. But – he has come around on that and in fact is leading the charge of buying-in and that is playing a big part of the young players buying in so for that he gets huge kudos from me.
Roman, meatloaf.
I almost numb chucked you you dont even realize.
Ha – that’s hilarious. Never saw Wedding Crashers. Love Will Ferrell.
Tim and Craig-Strongly agree- Strome is NOT a Colliton/guy- Puck chaser– PERIOD
Hagel is!!!
Altybarmakyan-is
Lukas Reichel IS!!! w/ some skillz!!!
Strome- Only stays as place holder- if no good deals are there- he is OK for the $$$
does have some skills- BUT doesn’t play Colliton’s style
STOP trying to play for this year- not enough skill and strength to go anyywhere in PO’s- as is.
Nameless how about we do the unthinkable
Keith Mitchell
Zadorov Murphy
Boqvist Beaudin/Carlsson
They can grow together. Maybe become the next Keith Seabrook.
EbRap, PP once referred me as living in mommy’s basement for just looking up stats. so I threw in the Will Ferrel’s Wedding Crashers line.
Looks like the Blackhawks have decided to make Hagel eligible for exposure to Seattle. Brandon Hagel could have been sent to Rockford waiver free, but nahhh lets expose him to Seattle. One more game for eligibility….that game would be tonight.
Or does it work such that the Blackhawks get to choose X number of players who meet eligibility. I thiught it was choose who to protect and everyone else is exposed. Can anyone clarify?
I think this is my only question regarding seattle draft.
Its tough for me to rag on keith without hearing coaches comments on him regarding what duncan is actually being asked to do. He does some things wrong, some repetitively which may mean hes being asked to do just that. Without knowing what happens behind closed doors it is tough to comment. For every one thing keith does wrong he does about five “right “.
Injuries no doubt impacted the team, but many teams have to deal with such.
Okay dream free agent time…sorry kubalik or lankinen you may need to change your number. Unless he want to refer to fluery. Ovechkin is coming to the Blackhawks…….or probably not.
Honest Guy games played has nothing to do with eligibilty, anybody with 2 years or less in Ahl ir Nhl is exempt. Hagel in 3rd year is eligible along with everybody with more than 2years Ahl-Nhl experience, nmc players have to be protected or agree to wave them. Games played is a compliancy to ensure teams leave a forward, defenseman and Goalie with certain amount of experience available for Deatyle in their pool.
@hawks29..yes, just an oversight as I was typing..I don’t think Hagel has the offense to be in our top six(but I’m also a big believer in Suter which is why I have him on the second line) but I do like him on the third line, possibly in place of Nylander..so Reichel-Kurashev-Hagel..that would be a nice third line to take advantage of another team’s third pairing..and if Reichel quickly graduates to the top six, then a third line of Suter-Kurashev-Hagel would work as well..
Tim W not a big believer in Strome. Has offensive talent but missing heart. Would rather have Laughton from Philly. Wennberg from Fla, Ingalls from LA as UFAs for 3yrs. N Foligno and Cintas as 1yr fillers.
For the RFAs here are my questions.
Can Khaira be had for 1.44 so as not too lose a pick or is he worth 2.18 and a 3rd?
Are the following worth 4.36 and a second?
Bennett Donato or Copper. These are all centers I belive. Sanford at LW is worth the 4.36 and a second. My thinking is that these picks will be replaced with what we get at TDL.
Iafallo from LA. Damn spell check
Cintas meant to be Cizkas and Copper Copp alresdy.