2014-15 Offseason Roster Discussion Thread - Part VI - Oh hey, look at that... a 2C

[BobbyJet]

Wow! If by perfect you mean we finally have (on paper) a full roster of players that can play their proper positions. That said, Richards has been under a lot of scrutiny the past few seasons by 2 different coaches, so he has a lot of improving to do on the ice. We also need to move some players to make up for the recent signings of our _______ superstars. It won't be easy to keep the core together without bringing in some young blood. As for the core itself: K/T are a year wiser and healthy, and that's good news. Saad should be better still, and I look for Keith, Seabs and Hammer to maintain their level of play. Not so sure about Sharp, who I reckon had his best regular season in the NHL. It will be tough for him to duplicate that. Hossa is a year older and has played a lot of grueling hockey. Fingers crossed that he has a few good seasons left in him. With the likelihood that at least 2 youngsters, maybe 3 will be starting the season as Hawks, there will be more of a reliance on players like Shaw and the new guy Richards to be solid. If they can come through, our chances of being a legit contender increase. Perfect team? Hardly, but we can always hope.

As I have said in previous posts this summer, a lot of onus will be on Q this season and going forward - the need for him to be patient and give the young players a chance to play. Perhaps Dineen's acquisition will pay dividends when it comes to coaching the youth movement that seems inevitable.

 

[ColdSteel2]

As I have said in previous posts this summer, a lot of onus will be on Q this season and going forward - the need for him to be patient and give the young players a chance to play. Perhaps Dineen's acquisition will pay dividends when it comes to coaching the youth movement that seems inevitable.

Hopefully these guys coming up are as good as advertised. You're right, all those picks we made, that's your Chicago Blackhawks team after this season. Dineen probably will help in that area. You take a look at the Florida roster and their young players performed better under him than they have since he left.

 

[Taze em]

Question for anyone that knows... Have teams in the NHL started the season with less than 23 roster players? Is it allowed?

If the Hawks went with 22, Teravainen in the A, traded Roszival and brought up Dahlbeck, you have 13 forwards (Regin can play all spots) 7 D (Rundblad and Dahlbeck compete for 6 spot) and 2 goalies.

I find that solution much more palatable. By mid season you you have decent cap room to bring Teravainen or Johns in to make it 23. You get screwed only if 2 forwards or 2 D are out at the same time for non IR injuries in the first half of the season.

The regular season doesn't matter for the Hawks anyways, id rather keep everyone (but Roszival) and roll the dice that you won't have 2 simultaneously dinged forwards or D in the first 40ish games (while also suffering no long injuries... Very unlikely). Heck, they could even use the Roster Emergencies clause in the CBA to fill the spots even if it does happen. http://www.capgeek.com/faq/how-can-teams-receive-cap-relief-during-roster-emergencies

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

Question for anyone that knows... Have teams in the NHL started the season with less than 23 roster players? Is it allowed?

If the Hawks went with 22, Teravainen in the A, traded Roszival and brought up Dahlbeck, you have 13 forwards (Regin can play all spots) 7 D (Rundblad and Dahlbeck compete for 6 spot) and 2 goalies.

I find that solution much more palatable. By mid season you you have decent cap room to bring Teravainen or Johns in to make it 23. You get screwed only if 2 forwards or 2 D are out at the same time for non IR injuries in the first half of the season.

The regular season doesn't matter for the Hawks anyways, id rather keep everyone (but Roszival) and roll the dice that you won't have 2 simultaneously dinged forwards or D in the first 40ish games (while also suffering no long injuries... Very unlikely). Heck, they could even use the Roster Emergencies clause in the CBA to fill the spots even if it does happen. http://www.capgeek.com/faq/how-can-teams-receive-cap-relief-during-roster-emergencies

You absolutely can play with less than 23 men on the roster. Hell, the Calgary Flames played the last couple weeks of a season with like 18 players due to cap issues several years back.

 

[Cullksinikers]

Of course DHF beats me to the punch and steals my example. Mod status: displayed.

But it's just a limit. For example, the cap is at a certain number. As long as you are at the floor bare minimum, you don't have to spend $69 million on your team in AAV value.

You want 23 guys for flexibility purposes, but sometimes things don't go perfect as an elite club. Won't even be the first time the Hawks don't potentially have 23 guys at the NHL level. It fluctuates. They have had over with injuries and under with a Rockford shuttle in place.

 

[Cullksinikers]

I want to say Calgary played at least one game with 15 guys. IIRC, their problem was being too close to the cap and having injuries.

That's why it's good to leave at least enough room for an ELC in cap space if you can. Injuries happen. Depth can get tested if a guy goes down for a few weeks but there's no room for a replacement. I think seeing what happened to Sutter and his shortened roster was a good lesson for GMs across the league.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

15? Man that'd be tight.

 

[EbonyRaptor]

Under "normal" circumstances (unlike the Calgary situation mentioned), the minimum number of players is 20 and the maximum is 23 (until it expands after the TDL).

 

[Taze em]

I would absolutely 100% go this route rather than trading someone valuable.

 

[hockeydoug]

I want to say Calgary played at least one game with 15 guys. IIRC, their problem was being too close to the cap and having injuries.

That's why it's good to leave at least enough room for an ELC in cap space if you can. Injuries happen. Depth can get tested if a guy goes down for a few weeks but there's no room for a replacement. I think seeing what happened to Sutter and his shortened roster was a good lesson for GMs across the league.

NJ did it in 2010. They had 15 skaters. Rolston, Volchenkov and another one or two players were out with injuries. The PA kicked the tires on an investigation if I recall, but nothing came of it.

 

[Taze em]

The rules are set up pretty well for the Hawks to pull a stunt like this.

If Hossa and Bickell got injured, for example, and the injury isn't bad enough to put them in LTIR, the Hawks could play Regin and bring someone up from the AHL under the roster emergencies clause.

I MUST be missing something because it seems like a blatantly simple solution to the Hawks cap issues.

 

[ColdSteel2]

The rules are set up pretty well for the Hawks to pull a stunt like this.

If Hossa and Bickell got injured, for example, and the injury isn't bad enough to put them in LTIR, the Hawks could play Regin and bring someone up from the AHL under the roster emergencies clause.

I MUST be missing something because it seems like a blatantly simple solution to the Hawks cap issues.

It's the solution I've wanted all along but every time I have brought it up as an option in years passed, everyone crapped all over it. And I just don't see Bowman being the guy to do something high risk, high reward like that. Nice to talk about but not happening.

 

[hockeydoug]

The rules are set up pretty well for the Hawks to pull a stunt like this.

If Hossa and Bickell got injured, for example, and the injury isn't bad enough to put them in LTIR, the Hawks could play Regin and bring someone up from the AHL under the roster emergencies clause.

I MUST be missing something because it seems like a blatantly simple solution to the Hawks cap issues.

The PA wouldn't stand for it for any length of time in my opinion. Then I think the agents start to get ticked off at Chicago for holding back minutes, callups, etc.

 

[Taze em]

The PA wouldn't stand for it for any length of time in my opinion. Then I think the agents start to get ticked off at Chicago for holding back minutes, callups, etc.

What recourse does the PA have? The rule is you start the season with a maximum of 23 players. It doesn't say you have to have 23.

Understand your point on the agents being angry but we aren't even screwing anyone in our system. Teravainen, Clendening or Johns could come up in season with ANY LTIR injury or late season when the cap allows. If anything we are doing our roster players a solid by limiting the number of healthy scratches and keeping as many of our players without trades.

I doubt an agent will play hardball with the Hawks in the future because we were a player short for half a season.

 

[Pepe Silvia]

I had no idea about the Roster Emergencies Clause. This makes it so much easier to just trade Rozsival, and keep Versteeg/Bickell/Oduya/Leddy, and Teravainen would have to start in Rockford.

Under this clause, they would have to play one game with less than 18 skaters, then they could call up one of Nordstrom/Broadhurst/LeBlanc/Ross/Mashinter, with Nordstrom being the most likely choice. If they need a dman, they could call up one of Dahlbeck/Cumiskey/Svedberg, with Dahlbeck being the most likely choice, unless he's already on the roster.

 

[Hawknut 1]

Being away from the board and hockey for awhile and have come to this perspective...

This team is the best Blackhawks team in the organizations history (going into a season). It also might be the last time we are cup favorites for 2-3 years... Or maybe longer.

I hope everyone realizes this and will enjoy watching them and complain less... The future is certainly not guaranteed. Bowman and staff has assembled, essentially, a perfect hockey team. A perfect hockey team that has a shelf life of one season.

Before people get bent out of shape about the "perfect" part... 2C was the solitary hole, it's filled one way or another(Richards-past success, Shaw-playoff dominance, TV- future). There are no holes... There just... Aren't.

Please stay healthy.

This is team has little to no chance of a Cup this season for the same reasons they did last season. Nothing has changed.

Another body for a #2 center. Not good enough

Top 3 D's are solid and it gets pretty thin after that. Not good enough

Furthermore Crawford is far from proving he is some elite goaltender. TBD

Q will have to actually have to coach this coming season and make a difference. Good luck with that. Maybe Barry Smith will be called upon again to help Q with coaching like he did a few seasons back. Dineen is by far the best coach on a very weak coaching staff.

Unless Bowman makes a deal or two that actually makes a difference for a change, we can hope all we want but this team has slim to no hope of winning the Cup.

 

[JCraw1]

This is team has little to no chance of a Cup this season for the same reasons they did last season. Nothing has changed.

Another body for a #2 center. Not good enough

Top 3 D's are solid and it gets pretty thin after that. Not good enough

Furthermore Crawford is far from proving he is some elite goaltender. TBD

Q will have to actually have to coach this coming season and make a difference. Good luck with that. Maybe Barry Smith will be called upon again to help Q with coaching like he did a few seasons back. Dineen is by far the best coach on a very weak coaching staff.

Unless Bowman makes a deal or two that actually makes a difference for a change, we can hope all we want but this team has slim to no hope of winning the Cup.

What a truly awful post.

A team that went to game 7 of the Western Conference Finals overtime and very easily could've won had no chance at the Cup? I think 30 GMs and every coach and sports analyst would say you are wrong about last year and this year. But what do those who know best really know afterall?

I bet you were singing the same tune after the 2012 offseason and then the Hawks won the Cup. The team that lost in the 1st round was the same team in 2012-13!!! they will stinky!!! Not enough high profile moves!!! must makes trades!! MUST TRADEEEE!!!

 

[No Fun Shogun]

“You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time”.

 

[Kurtosis]

This is team has little to no chance of a Cup this season for the same reasons they did last season. Nothing has changed.

Another body for a #2 center. Not good enough

Top 3 D's are solid and it gets pretty thin after that. Not good enough

Furthermore Crawford is far from proving he is some elite goaltender. TBD

Q will have to actually have to coach this coming season and make a difference. Good luck with that. Maybe Barry Smith will be called upon again to help Q with coaching like he did a few seasons back. Dineen is by far the best coach on a very weak coaching staff.

Unless Bowman makes a deal or two that actually makes a difference for a change, we can hope all we want but this team has slim to no hope of winning the Cup.

Stop posting while you're drunk. It's a bad look.

 

[UsernameWasTaken]

This is team has little to no chance of a Cup this season for the same reasons they did last season. Nothing has changed.

Another body for a #2 center. Not good enough

Top 3 D's are solid and it gets pretty thin after that. Not good enough

Furthermore Crawford is far from proving he is some elite goaltender. TBD

Q will have to actually have to coach this coming season and make a difference. Good luck with that. Maybe Barry Smith will be called upon again to help Q with coaching like he did a few seasons back. Dineen is by far the best coach on a very weak coaching staff.

Unless Bowman makes a deal or two that actually makes a difference for a change, we can hope all we want but this team has slim to no hope of winning the Cup.

How can you see we had 'little to no chance' of winning the cup last season - we got to game 7 OT of the WCF...losing to a team that beat NYR easily (I suspect we would have, too). We have helped ourselves a lot by improving 2c. Even if Richards (and Teuvo, for that matter) have question marks around them, they are individually and collectively an easy step up from useless Handzus.

As far as Crawford, our D...it's the same as we had when we won the cup in 2013...so I don't know how they suddenly mean we have little to no chance of winning.

 

[x Tame Impala]

Trading in my hawks jersey and fandom for a ducks and blues sweater this afternoon.

 

[EbonyRaptor]

This is team has little to no chance of a Cup this season for the same reasons they did last season. Nothing has changed.

After coming within a whisker of playing in the Finals last year - how much do you think has to change? There is no point trying to convince someone that things are good when they are mired in negativity. The proof will be in the pudding. I hope your low expectations won't keep you from enjoying the parade next June.

 

[Hawknut 1]

What a truly awful post.

A team that went to game 7 of the Western Conference Finals overtime and very easily could've won had no chance at the Cup? I think 30 GMs and every coach and sports analyst would say you are wrong about last year and this year. But what do those who know best really know afterall?

I bet you were singing the same tune after the 2012 offseason and then the Hawks won the Cup. The team that lost in the 1st round was the same team in 2012-13!!! they will stinky!!! Not enough high profile moves!!! must makes trades!! MUST TRADEEEE!!!

There happen to be 2 teams that went to the CUP. Chicago wasn't one of them. Those two teams were better than Chicago and for good reason. That's probably why Chicago wasn't there. HUH?
I didn't know there was a 30 G.M, coach, and sports analyst survey so please forward those links so I can stand corrected.
Who are those who know best? Past this board......
Please send me all this information since in fact they didn't go to the CUP.
Why, how come and all the excuses in the world (even one goal) says they didn't. Unless Bowman does something for a change (which would be a first) expect the same.

 

[Hawknut 1]

How can you see we had 'little to no chance' of winning the cup last season - we got to game 7 OT of the WCF...losing to a team that beat NYR easily (I suspect we would have, too). We have helped ourselves a lot by improving 2c. Even if Richards (and Teuvo, for that matter) have question marks around them, they are individually and collectively an easy step up from useless Handzus.

As far as Crawford, our D...it's the same as we had when we won the cup in 2013...so I don't know how they suddenly mean we have little to no chance of winning.

Okay, sounds like you agree that not much has changed (a side from Richards). Richards may be an upgrade from Zues. Yes, but how much? A lot you say? How? Richards is on his last tank of gas. That's why he is here.

SO once again Bowman the useless GM does nothing to improve the team that didn't win a CUP.
This coming season we could, should or probably will win a CUP?
Sounds like nothing but a dream. Why? Cause that's all it is since that's all it was last season.

Unless there are some moves that make a difference expect the same. NO CUP!

 

[UsernameWasTaken]

Okay, sounds like you agree that not much has changed (a side from Richards). Richards may be an upgrade from Zues. Yes, but how much? A lot you say? How? Richards is on his last tank of gas. That's why he is here.

SO once again Bowman the useless GM does nothing to improve the team that didn't win a CUP.
This coming season we could, should or probably will win a CUP?
Sounds like nothing but a dream. Why? Cause that's all it is since that's all it was last season.

Unless there are some moves that make a difference expect the same. NO CUP!

Did you watch Handzus last season? He was awful - it will not take much effort to be a massive upgrade on him. Last year's team was good enough to win a cup - it's just LA was a bit better. I suspect next year it will also come down to LA or Chicago. Maybe we will be the one with the OT goal then.