2018-19 Blackhawks Roster Part 4

[Cubs2024WSChamps]

Actually, this team can be alot better then mediocre, they can be a Cup contender.

Taking one bad year and saying "welp, the runs over" is hive minded foolishness. Everything went wrong last year. Thinking it's going to happen again, two years in a row is shallow thought.

 

[BK]

HJ getting pretty good reviews so far. He did not look out of place at all with Keith in the scrimmage. His ability to skate and read the play will help him a lot if he makes the team. Chances are we will have to wait for more of his offensive potential because D will be the focus early.

 

[BK]

Actually, this team can be alot better then mediocre, they can be a Cup contender.

Taking one bad year and saying "welp, the runs over" is hive minded foolishness. Everything went wrong last year. Thinking it's going to happen again, two years in a row is shallow thought.

Explain the bold.

If this team is going to be a cup contender then HJ or Boqvist basically has to win the Calder and Schmaltz/Debrincat need to turn into 70 point players. This is on top of Toews, Saad, Keith, and Seabrook returning to top form and Crow staying healthy (or Ward has a major resurgence). To many things need to go right.

I tend to look for the upside but this is a stretch.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

Actually, this team can be alot better then mediocre, they can be a Cup contender.

Taking one bad year and saying "welp, the runs over" is hive minded foolishness. Everything went wrong last year. Thinking it's going to happen again, two years in a row is shallow thought.

I don’t think this year is going to be rough because of last year. I think this year is going to be rough because of what the team is icing defensively and in net.

I’ve never been one for hive mind. My opinions are my opinions.

 

[AmericanDream]

HJ getting pretty good reviews so far. He did not look out of place at all with Keith in the scrimmage. His ability to skate and read the play will help him a lot if he makes the team. Chances are we will have to wait for more of his offensive potential because D will be the focus early.

I hope he at least gets the DeBrincat treatment...I know, lol...but he makes the team, is kind of forgotten about until other coaches/players make Q aware that Joker is on the roster and then he gets put back into a solid role...just want him to make the big club and show what he can do here. knowing he will have some struggles is still better than Davidson or Gus or whoever...

 

[BK]

HJ this year with Mitchell signing when his season is finished. Then Boqvist and NB the next season. The Hawks D is going to be young but they are going to be pretty damn good.

 

[Kurtosis]

Actually, this team can be alot better then mediocre, they can be a Cup contender.

Taking one bad year and saying "welp, the runs over" is hive minded foolishness. Everything went wrong last year. Thinking it's going to happen again, two years in a row is shallow thought.

If you have gone through the multiple iterations of this thread and taken that away from them I don't know what to tell you.

 

[Robsker]

Actually, this team can be alot better then mediocre, they can be a Cup contender.

Taking one bad year and saying "welp, the runs over" is hive minded foolishness. Everything went wrong last year. Thinking it's going to happen again, two years in a row is shallow thought.

ummm...

I am not sure how you are defining a contender. Are you saying this team can actually contend for the Cup? or, are you saying they can contend for the Western Conference Central Division? If you are saying either of those, well...

Neither of those (competing for the Cup or the division title) has any reasonable probability associated with it. Now, if EVERY ONE of the following 14 things all happen then the Hawks can maybe compete...

1. Toews has a comeback season (after 3 straight down seasons)
2. Kane has a rebound season 9coming off his lowest productivity season last year)
3. Seabs has a bounce back season
4. Duncs bounces back
5. Sadd has a comeback season 9after his lowest productivity season)
6. Crawford returns and plays well
7. D-cat contines to get better
8. Schmaltz continues to get better
9. Sikura is solid
10. Hayden is solid
11. we somehow get solide D from the likes of Manning, Forsling, Joker
12. we get solid back-up goaltending out of Ward (or Forsberg)
13. Our head coach changes how he deploys are defensemen
14. our coaches change the PP system

The likelihood of 14 out of 14 things all happening to the good is very, very, very, very low. Competing for a Cup or a division title is really, really, really, really unlikely.

If the Hawks hit on 1/2 of those 14 points they will be doing well --- and depending upon which 1/2 hit --- well the Hawks may compete for a wildcard spot in the playoffs.

The most likely scenario is finishing about where they finished last season +/- very little.

 

[Cubs2024WSChamps]

Explain the bold.

If this team is going to be a cup contender then HJ or Boqvist basically has to win the Calder and Schmaltz/Debrincat need to turn into 70 point players. This is on top of Toews, Saad, Keith, and Seabrook returning to top form and Crow staying healthy (or Ward has a major resurgence). To many things need to go right.

I tend to look for the upside but this is a stretch.

Realistically, all they have to do is score one more goal 50 times then the other team to make the playoffs.

Forget about individual numbers, this team has enough talent to do that. I'm in the "last year was a bad year" crowd and don't think, with the talent this team has, that it can strike twice two years in a row.

Couple that with a decent amount of off season time, this team just might surprise even the staunchest critic

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

Realistically, all they have to do is score one more goal 50 times then the other team to make the playoffs.

Forget about individual numbers, this team has enough talent to do that. I'm in the "last year was a bad year" crowd and don't think, with the talent this team has, that it can strike twice two years in a row.

Couple that with a decent amount of off season time, this team just might surprise even the staunchest critic

Forget reality. Hot takes ftw.

 

[Cubs2024WSChamps]

Forget reality. Hot takes ftw.

I'll take my "hot take" over complain during training camp every single day and twice on sunday

 

[Kurtosis]

I'll take my "hot take" over complain during training camp every single day and twice on sunday

And you'd be the only one who would (thank god).

And going over the team's prospects in a thread concerning the roster for the upcoming season isn't complaining. It's participating in discussion, the whole point of a forum.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

I’m not complaining. This team needs another high pick to be relevant again.

I’d love to be wrong. I just don’t see it happening.

 

[ChiHawks10]

Forget reality. Hot takes ftw.

I honestly have to side with KBIB here(I'll pay for this one, I'm sure). This team can be better than many seem to think. Last year saw so many epic failures/career worst seasons out of guys... it just won't happen that way again, IMO. They just need some things to go their way, and some players to take some steps forward. I'm also sharing of the opinion that the debbie downer/cliff jumping/pessimism/complaining is almost unbearable on here most the time these days, especially considering it's training camp, and we haven't even seen a single preseason game.

 

[Cubs2024WSChamps]

And you'd be the only one who would (thank god).

On this depressing forum?

Probably

 

[AmericanDream]

I'll take my "hot take" over complain during training camp every single day and twice on sunday

I agree people take every little thing overboard on here at times, but you have to admit this - a lot, and I mean a lot has to go right for this team to make the playoffs.

I am typically a positive guy when it comes to the Hawks, and I think we see some solid rebounding years here, but I even have to admit that all these guys bouncing back, Crow returning/Ward playing great, the kids stepping up and taking those roles is a lot to ask. I think they can be a bubble .500 team right now...without Crow this is all pointless, but we should be a better team than last year, but the West just has improved leaps and bounds...we are just trying to get caught back up to what we were let alone what the new standard is IMO.

 

[BK]

Realistically, all they have to do is score one more goal 50 times then the other team to make the playoffs.

Forget about individual numbers, this team has enough talent to do that. I'm in the "last year was a bad year" crowd and don't think, with the talent this team has, that it can strike twice two years in a row.

Couple that with a decent amount of off season time, this team just might surprise even the staunchest critic

So you can't provide any context to why you think they will contend? Where are the goals going to come from? How are they going to prevent the goals from last year? These are things you need to provide to actually have a conversation about it.

I am all for positivity around the team but you also have to be realistic.

 

[ChiHawks10]

I agree people take every little thing overboard on here at times, but you have to admit this - a lot, and I mean a lot has to go right for this team to make the playoffs.

I am typically a positive guy when it comes to the Hawks, and I think we see some solid rebounding years here, but I even have to admit that all these guys bouncing back, Crow returning/Ward playing great, the kids stepping up and taking those roles is a lot to ask. I think they can be a bubble .500 team right now...without Crow this is all pointless, but we should be a better team than last year, but the West just has improved leaps and bounds...we are just trying to get caught back up to what we were let alone what the new standard is IMO.

Nah, I don't think a lot has to go right for this team to make the playoffs. Just a few key things. Average or better D. Average or better goaltending. Bounceback years from a few players. Steps forward from one or two, also. It's not like this team is a dumpster fire along the lines of the Sabres or the Coyotes last season. There is quite a bit of talent here still, and quite a bit of talented players who had terrible years, and who I fully expect to bounce back this season.

 

[migi]

I honestly have to side with KBIB here(I'll pay for this one, I'm sure). This team can be better than many seem to think. Last year saw so many epic failures/career worst seasons out of guys... it just won't happen that way again, IMO. They just need some things to go their way, and some players to take some steps forward. I'm also sharing of the opinion that the debbie downer/cliff jumping/pessimism/complaining is almost unbearable on here most the time these days, especially considering it's training camp, and we haven't even seen a single preseason game.

I’m with you guys completely.

There is always optimism. New season, hey you never know.

 

[AmericanDream]

Nah, I don't think a lot has to go right for this team to make the playoffs. Just a few key things. Average or better D. Average or better goaltending. Bounceback years from a few players. Steps forward from one or two, also. It's not like this team is a dumpster fire along the lines of the Sabres or the Coyotes last season. There is quite a bit of talent here still, and quite a bit of talented players who had terrible years, and who I fully expect to bounce back this season.

Essentially we are saying the same thing just in a bit different context. I think this team will be better than last year, and I certainly do not subscribe to the bottom feeder mentality some have. We still do need a lot of things to go right, and our core players are one thing, but we still have the 2 major underlying issues: Crow and Coach Q. This team is going to struggle without Crow, and if Q cannot adapt and adjust, no matter what gains the players make, we will struggle and even you have admitted that as well.

I have been saying Sikura and Hayden will surprise, they will be breaths of fresh air here, but our defense has some major holes that hopefully the kids can step in and fill...I said they are a .500 team right now as it stands, if Crow is healthy and Q can play the best players in the best situations despite age/service we have a shot at the playoffs...I think that is a pretty realistic and fair look at this team right now.

 

[ChiHawks10]

Essentially we are saying the same thing just in a bit different context. I think this team will be better than last year, and I certainly do not subscribe to the bottom feeder mentality some have. We still do need a lot of things to go right, and our core players are one thing, but we still have the 2 major underlying issues: Crow and Coach Q. This team is going to struggle without Crow, and if Q cannot adapt and adjust, no matter what gains the players make, we will struggle and even you have admitted that as well.

I have been saying Sikura and Hayden will surprise, they will be breaths of fresh air here, but our defense has some major holes that hopefully the kids can step in and fill...I said they are a .500 team right now as it stands, if Crow is healthy and Q can play the best players in the best situations despite age/service we have a shot at the playoffs...I think that is a pretty realistic and fair look at this team right now.

No doubt. But we have heard about revamped systems from Q, no? I'll wait to pass judgement until I watch some preseason hockey, and some regular season games, and see if anything has changed. And I've been part of the fire Q crowd for some time now. No sense in writing the team off before a single game is even played, though.

And I do think they can be a playoff team if some things go their way.

 

[AmericanDream]

No doubt. But we have heard about revamped systems from Q, no? I'll wait to pass judgement until I watch some preseason hockey, and some regular season games, and see if anything has changed. And I've been part of the fire Q crowd for some time now. No sense in writing the team off before a single game is even played, though.

And I do think they can be a playoff team if some things go their way.

we agree on a lot of things, there are positives here that are hard to find without pre season games going on...

where do we stack up with these teams:

Jets
Golden Knights
Predators
Blues
Kings
Sharks
Stars
Ducks
Wild
Avalanche

these are last years playoff teams plus Stars and Blues - where do you think we can be in this group?

 

[Robsker]

we agree on a lot of things, there are positives here that are hard to find without pre season games going on...

where do we stack up with these teams:

Jets
Golden Knights
Predators
Blues
Kings
Sharks
Stars
Ducks
Wild
Avalanche

these are last years playoff teams plus Stars and Blues - where do you think we can be in this group?

I would think it likely the Hawks are beneath them all with the possible exception of the Avalanche (though I may be under-estimating Colorado --- not sure). Also, the Hawks could be fairly close to Minny? maybe.

 

[TLEH]

I don’t think anyone in here is being overly negative. People are fed up with Q. You always just put up with him because he was winning. Well now he’s not. I don’t think he’s been maximizing the potential of our rosters for a few seasons now.

 

[ChiHawks10]

we agree on a lot of things, there are positives here that are hard to find without pre season games going on...

where do we stack up with these teams:

Jets
Golden Knights
Predators
Blues
Kings
Sharks
Stars
Ducks
Wild
Avalanche

these are last years playoff teams plus Stars and Blues - where do you think we can be in this group?

Not sure. Hard to predict without seeing any preseason games or anything like that yet.