2018-2019 Blackhawks Roster

[idontusethisanymore]

Watching the playoffs ............... Its amazing how many teams are able to play an up-tempo game and still have "truculence", "grit", "and snarl" ... all things lacking on the Hawks. You can play a puck possession game ... you can play at a high speed and ..... and ..... still be physical .... its not one or the other

Thats another reason why I want Tkaczuk ... a big kid who can create space for Kane

Saad - Toews - DCat
Tkaczuk - Schmaltz - Kane

Don’t tell JD that. He’ll have a tantrum as usual saying “Grit and Hitting shouldn’t be allowed in Hockey”

 

[BK]

Don’t tell JD that. He’ll have a tantrum as usual saying “Grit and Hitting shouldn’t be allowed in Hockey”

If anything I want the tenacity on the puck and retrieval. This is part of what made the Hawks great during their cup runs. Hossa, Toews, and Saad leading the way. Schmaltz, Hino, and Cat all showed they can be that way this year.

 

[LordKOTL]

I agree to an extent. Our roster, primarily the defense and goaltending depth, played a big role in our performance this season, but better systems and structure would've helped a hell of a lot.

IMHO the defense was the biggest factor. I expected it to be bad...but not as bad as it was.

I'm not going to say any of the depth goaltending was good in any stretch of the imagination, but depth is depth for a reason. If Forsberg, Berube, Glass, etc. were really any good they'd be fighting for a starting job and, like Raanta, eventually given a decent paycheck. We got spoiled with Darling in 2015 and 2017; he was playing better than a typical backup. But, with how many shots the team D allowed the netminders to see, (2683, more than 100 more than any time in the past decade, and more than 350 more than any time between 2008 and 2014), that's going to translate into more GA irrespective of the netminding.

The depth netminding was bad, the Team D was worse...by an imperial buttload. The only thing I can say about the team D in a positive sense about this year is that they weren't the Isles. The last time the 'hawks has this porous of a team D Members Only ™ jackets were still in style.

 

[BK]

IMHO the defense was the biggest factor. I expected it to be bad...but not as bad as it was.

I'm not going to say any of the depth goaltending was good in any stretch of the imagination, but depth is depth for a reason. If Forsberg, Berube, Glass, etc. were really any good they'd be fighting for a starting job and, like Raanta, eventually given a decent paycheck. We got spoiled with Darling in 2015 and 2017; he was playing better than a typical backup. But, with how many shots the team D allowed the netminders to see, (2683, more than 100 more than any time in the past decade, and more than 350 more than any time between 2008 and 2014), that's going to translate into more GA irrespective of the netminding.

The depth netminding was bad, the Team D was worse...by an imperial buttload. The only thing I can say about the team D in a positive sense about this year is that they weren't the Isles. The last time the 'hawks has this porous of a team D Members Only ™ jackets were still in style.

Wait...they are not in style anymore?

 

[LordKOTL]

Wait...they are not in style anymore?

For all I know they might be coming back into style.

Let me put it this way, the last time the 'hawks had this porous of a D, Die Hard was released.

 

[BK]

For all I know they might be coming back into style.

Let me put it this way, the last time the 'hawks had this porous of a D, Die Hard was released.

I was being sarcastic but I am not a fashion person as I have dress the same way my whole life with the same hair cut (except during hockey season).

 

[LordKOTL]

I was being sarcastic but I am not a fashion person as I have dress the same way my whole life with the same hair cut (except during hockey season).

Neither am I...but I see some kids in vaguely 80's clothes nowadays so you never know.

 

[Pez68]

Watching these playoffs has just reinforced how poorly coached, poorly conditioned, and poorly prepared the Hawks were this season. They are light years behind teams like Vegas, Nashville, Pittsburgh, Tampa, Boston, and Winnipeg. The pace of Hawks' games looks like f***ing house league in comparison. They need huge adjustments when it comes to spacing, puck support, breakouts, forecheck, power play, defensive zone coverage, and puck movement.

 

[BK]

Watching these playoffs has just reinforced how poorly coached, poorly conditioned, and poorly prepared the Hawks were this season. They are light years behind teams like Vegas, Nashville, Pittsburgh, Tampa, Boston, and Winnipeg. The pace of Hawks' games looks like ****ing house league in comparison. They need huge adjustments when it comes to spacing, puck support, breakouts, forecheck, power play, defensive zone coverage, and puck movement.

Systems are huge.

 

[Pez68]

It's amazing how Vegas plays. Their spacing is pretty much perfect. Every time they touch the puck, they immediately have a quick, easy passing option. They move up the ice in numbers, often as a 4 or 5 man unit, and make quick, short passes all up and down the ice. Same story in the offensive zone. Tons of movement, tons of quick passing. Their forecheck is relentless. First guy is always on the body, second guy is nearby cutting off passing lanes and ready to grab the loose puck. Defensive zone, the same. They out man you on every puck.

The least of the problems in Chicago is the personnel. Almost all of the Hawks' passes are of the 50-60 foot, low percentage variety. Their wingers leave the zone way too early. Their defensemen don't skate the puck up at all. Guys are constantly standing still at the opposing blue line. Nobody is in sync or moving up ice together. They don't get with the program, they are a lottery team next season too.

 

[Marotte Marauder]

It's amazing how Vegas plays. Their spacing is pretty much perfect. Every time they touch the puck, they immediately have a quick, easy passing option. They move up the ice in numbers, often as a 4 or 5 man unit, and make quick, short passes all up and down the ice. Same story in the offensive zone. Tons of movement, tons of quick passing. Their forecheck is relentless. First guy is always on the body, second guy is nearby cutting off passing lanes and ready to grab the loose puck. Defensive zone, the same. They out man you on every puck.

The least of the problems in Chicago is the personnel. Almost all of the Hawks' passes are of the 50-60 foot, low percentage variety. Their wingers leave the zone way too early. Their defensemen don't skate the puck up at all. Guys are constantly standing still at the opposing blue line. Nobody is in sync or moving up ice together. They don't get with the program, they are a lottery team next season too.

We don't even out man on the PP

 

[RememberTheRoar]

BTW, I am all for signing Ilya Kovalchuk if the price is right. He can still play and would really help our PP.

20-19-IK
12-8-88

This is a pretty solid top 6 IF 20/19 get their **** together.

If 20/19 get their shit together, that top 6 will be solid even with Hinostroza instead of IK.

 

[Pez68]

We don't even out man on the PP

Yes. I'm not even sure what I'm watching most of the time. It's like the Hawks take all the fundamentals and staples of how to be successful at hockey, and do the exact opposite... It's maddening.

 

[BK]

Yes. I'm not even sure what I'm watching most of the time. It's like the Hawks take all the fundamentals and staples of how to be successful at hockey, and do the exact opposite... It's maddening.

You have to wonder what Q is thinking with these systems.

 

[Pez68]

I think he's become lazy and complacent, to be perfectly honest. Coaching the Hawks the last 6-7 years was so easy, all he really had to do was put together a lineup and tap guys on the bench to send them out. Doesn't look like he's been paying much attention to the rest of the NHL, either. The same could be said for most of the core?

 

[Gargyn]

I thought Forsling looked good early. What happened after that? Guy hit a wall? Really expected him to do better. Hope he works out eventually for you guys.

 

[CallMeShaft]

I thought Forsling looked good early. What happened after that? Guy hit a wall? Really expected him to do better. Hope he works out eventually for you guys.

He was arguably our best defensmen for nearly a month starting around the 2nd week of November. He and Rutta were being used in a heavy shutdown role, and while their corsi numbers weren't great, they were getting the job done and creating decent chances in the offensive zone.

But Rutta wound up hurt and missed a decent amount of time. Forsling never found chemistry with any of the other players, nor Rutta once he returned. Eventually Forsling was sent to Rockford to try to gain his confidence back, but unfortunately he's been in and out of that lineup due to his own injuries.

I think he'll finally stick in the 18-19 season. I think he should've stayed up and been allowed to play through his issues, but the decision wasn't mine to make. Either way, if he plays this coming season like he did for that month long period, I think that would solve a hell of a lot of issues on the team.

 

[Toews2Bickell]

It's amazing how Vegas plays. Their spacing is pretty much perfect. Every time they touch the puck, they immediately have a quick, easy passing option. They move up the ice in numbers, often as a 4 or 5 man unit, and make quick, short passes all up and down the ice. Same story in the offensive zone. Tons of movement, tons of quick passing. Their forecheck is relentless. First guy is always on the body, second guy is nearby cutting off passing lanes and ready to grab the loose puck. Defensive zone, the same. They out man you on every puck.

The least of the problems in Chicago is the personnel. Almost all of the Hawks' passes are of the 50-60 foot, low percentage variety. Their wingers leave the zone way too early. Their defensemen don't skate the puck up at all. Guys are constantly standing still at the opposing blue line. Nobody is in sync or moving up ice together. They don't get with the program, they are a lottery team next season too.

Sounds a lot like the 2013 Hawks re:LV

 

[Bubba88]

I still can't believe Q is back

 

[CallMeShaft]

CapFriendly.com Armchair-GM User-Generated Roster

FORWARDS (13)
Right wing: A. Svechnikov ($1,000,000) - P. Kane ($10,500,000) - A. Duclair ($1,800,000) - J. Hayden ($1,000,000) - T. Wingels ($1,000,000)
Centre: J. Toews ($10,500,000) - V. Hinostroza ($2,800,000) - N. Schmaltz ($925,000) - D. Kämpf ($925,000)
Left wing: B. Saad ($6,000,000) - D. Sikura ($925,000) - A. DeBrincat ($778,333) - V. Ejdsell ($833,750)

DEFENSE (8)
Right: J. Rutta ($2,300,000) - C. Murphy ($3,850,000) - H. Jokiharju ($1,000,000) - B. Seabrook ($6,875,000)
Left: D. Keith ($5,538,462) - G. Forsling ($872,500) - J. Moore ($3,000,000) - E. Gustafsson ($1,200,000)

GOALTENDER (2)
C. Crawford ($6,000,000) - C. Johnson ($2,000,000)

DETAILS
Roster Size: 23
NHL Salary Cap: $80,000,000
Cap Hit: $71,623,045
Cap Space: $8,376,955

Saad-Toews-Svechnikov
Sikura-Hino-Kane
DeBrincat-Schmaltz-Duclair
Ejdsell-Kampf-Hayden
Wingels

Keith-Rutta
Forsling-Murphy
Moore-Seabrook/Jokiharju/Gustafsson

Crawford
Chad Johnson

Let the bottom line take the harder assignments, while the top line can play against opposing teams' second line. Middle lines are pure speed and offense. Put Brinksy with Schmaltz because they showed great chemistry this year. Put Hino, Sikura, and Kane together because that'd be some crazy fast, skilled hockey and Kane makes that line legit.

Keith played decent with Rutta this year, so let them stay together. Forsling can try it with Murphy, see what happens. Moore solidifies the third pair. 3RD is unofficially Seabrook's slot, but Gus gets time there for first half of season while Jokiharju gets experience in Rockford. HJ comes up second half, and splits the games with Seabrook.

Traded Anisimov for a 1st. Hossa and a 2nd for Arizona's 4th and 6th. Re-signed everyone who needed to be re-signed. Signed Wingels. Magically end up drafting Svechnikov.

Signed Chad Johnson because his stats aren't super impressive, but he played 36 games this season for Buffalo so.... Also, his previous two seasons were much better and we need a 1B.

 

[ColdSteel2]

/\ Pretty solid. With you on keeping what we have at forward and going after a D in FA. At this point with the D, we need to get as many candidates as possible and sift through them so if we could get a youngish D like Moore that will be around for awhile, why not. He’s just good enough to fill in on the second pair until, hopefully, the younger D we have coming up push him down to the third pair.

 

[TheDoorDoctor]

What of JT Miller? Think he's out of our price-range? Get his trade right via trade

Anisimov for jt miller rights and 2nd.

I have no idea tampa's needs or cap situation

 

[EbonyRaptor]

Sign John Moore (LD).
Draft Evan Bouchard (RD).

Keith-Bouchard
Moore-Seabrook
Gustafsson-Murphy
Rutta

 

[TLEH]

Asking a lot of Bouchard there. I’d say he goes back to London.

 

[ChiHawks10]

Sign John Moore (LD).
Draft Evan Bouchard (RD).

Keith-Bouchard
Moore-Seabrook
Gustafsson-Murphy
Rutta

No Forsling on the team, or what?