I would agree. Except that that rebuild requires a new culture and a new direction. Which means to be formally launched, we need a new coaching staff. To let Q go mid season is not appropriate for a man of his stature and his legacy of Cups at Chicago. He should be moved out after the season...
Q deserves a ton of credit for his time and accomplishments here, but if it's time to go, it's time to go. In the NHL, more than any other sport, you see in seasons coaching changes make a difference.
for the remainder of this season, I would love the Hawks playing Hino, Dauphin, Gus --- guys who may be part of the rebuild --- over Franson, Bouma and Wingels --- guys certain not to be part of the rebuild. Might this cost some wins now? Yes... it might. But irrelevant for now... the Hawks are going nowhere now anyway. I would play Forsberg much more than he was played (when Crow was healthy) to see what i have. If he fails... try Berube. That is --- the rest of this season is experimentation and field testing of the young players --- looking at who should be retained and developed and who is expendable. I would also try Cat in the top 6 --- with Kane and see how bad it will be defensively and how good it might be offensively.
The Hawks are 1 point out of a playoff spot, so the idea that the season is lost, 25% of the way through the year is really strange to me. I'm not too confident about the way things are going at the moment, but I don't get the rush to pull the plug on this season, much less this era.
I agree with getting Hino/Jurco whoever up here though.
So the rebuild has to be in stages. Slow now. After this season, an overhaul --- with Q out.
That said, major roster moves will be tough as we have huge contracts for players who cannot be moved. So... a true rebuild awaits the retirement of Seabs and Toews --- till then only minor changes can be made owing to $ limitations. Some options are to move Crow (which would hurt as he is our best or 2nd best player) --- if the return is good. Crow has value and so we might get something young and cheaper back and be worth it. Or, you can move Kane (which would hurt as he is our best or 2nd best player) --- he has a ton of value --- and we might get a ton back and that could help. But... each trade, were you to do it, would have to have sizable returns. What stinks is the only players we have with big salaries that can be moved are our best two guys. the other big salaries --- Toews, Seabs --- a staggering 17M for two players playing at less than 1/2 of their pay --- cannot be moved (no one will touch them). Duncs --- if we moved him now we would get something --- that too is an option. Again, he is still pretty good and his pay is not wacko out of line with performance.
But once more... you can trade only those who have value. To get something back, our better guys are the only real options. So... until Seabs and/or toews leave of their own volition, real progress of a meaningful sort is unlikely for the Hawks. I would guess that it will be 3-4 years after this season before the Hawks can again be a really competitive team. Incremental progress sure... wholesale progress is limited by those immense contracts. If kane can go (again ... ouch) then possible $ is freed up to accelerate things.
Comparing Toews and Seabrook is crazy. Seabrook could legitimately be out of the league in a year or two. Toews isn't producing at the level we would all want but 55 pt (his pace) centers who plays good defense don't grow on trees. Toews is overpaid, but he's not close to being in the Seabs ballpark.
It's interesting that you don't want to fire Q in season out of some form of respect but are willing to punt on Toews? How does that work?
Last point. meaningful competitiveness for the Hawks will not likely come during the remaining years of Toews, Seabs, Crow and Kane. It will come --- if it comes at all --- from those developed now or obtained now.
First things first... at seasons end replace Q.
Changing coaches is the first thing that should be done. That has to be tried before radically changing the roster. Look what a coaching change did in Pittsburgh. Look at LA this year. You have to see if a new voice/philosophy can lead to better results before you get rid of some of the best players this franchise has ever seen.
The grass isn't always greener on the other side. Look at Buffalo. They would kill to be fighting for a playoff spot right now. 7 years without the playoffs. The Hawks haven't even missed the post season yet and people want to blow it up?
I understand the frustration for the teams play. But to me the idea of blowing up the whole team is so premature to me.
(which would hurt as he is our best or 2nd best player)