2020-21 Expected Roster Talk - Part 3

[EbonyRaptor]

although I do think Dach is fine to carry a line he needs the correct people on his line, ideally a decent playmaker and a shooter...Hagel is neither of those IMO, Hagel is a speedster, hard working p[uck battle winning kind of a guy and he would be a great third wheel to the Toews line if he returns and that would free up one of Kurashev/Kubalik to join Dach.

Kubalik-Toews-Hagel (we know Kubalik and Toews work together, Hagel will fit in well as he can win puck battles, has speed and tenacity)
Debrincat-Suter-Kane (this is a commodity that works, Cat & Kane have been dynamite together and IMO Suter fits better there than Kurashev)
Nylander-Dach-Kurashev (if Nylander comes back with a passion and plays like he can with full effort this third line could absolutely light it up against other teams weaker competition, I really see this trio as well pretty much a perfect combination of skillsets to compliment one another...Nylander being the big if though...)

I posted somewhere recently that I think Kurashev and Hagel would work well with Dach because both are very good puck hunters, as is Dach, so that line would have the potential to be a really good possession line. If Nylander does come back with more fire in his belly then his top-6 skills would be better utilized with top offensive players.

Nylander-Toews-Kubalik
Cat-Suter-Kane
Hagel-Dach-Kurashev

But, if Strome comes back and plays at the level he played the first couple weeks this season, then drop Hagel to the 4th line and:

Nylander-Toews-Kubalik
Cat-Strome-Kane
Suter-Dach-Kurashev

If all that happens and Reichel makes the team out of camp next season:

Nylander-Toews-Kubalik
Cat-Strome-Kane
Reichel-Dach-Suter
Hagel-Kampf-Kurashev

 

[bwana63]

I posted somewhere recently that I think Kurashev and Hagel would work well with Dach because both are very good puck hunters, as is Dach, so that line would have the potential to be a really good possession line. If Nylander does come back with more fire in his belly then his top-6 skills would be better utilized with top offensive players.

If he doesn't, it doesn't take a genius to realize he's gone. No room for coasting. Max effort or you're out.

 

[Toews2Bickell]

not sure the word 'fire' and nylander go together

 

[bwana63]

not sure the word 'fire' and nylander go together

He has one season to get his stuff together. Colliton is not going to tolerate passengers.

 

[SimpleJack]

although I do think Dach is fine to carry a line he needs the correct people on his line, ideally a decent playmaker and a shooter...Hagel is neither of those IMO, Hagel is a speedster, hard working p[uck battle winning kind of a guy and he would be a great third wheel to the Toews line if he returns and that would free up one of Kurashev/Kubalik to join Dach.

Kubalik-Toews-Hagel (we know Kubalik and Toews work together, Hagel will fit in well as he can win puck battles, has speed and tenacity)
Debrincat-Suter-Kane (this is a commodity that works, Cat & Kane have been dynamite together and IMO Suter fits better there than Kurashev)
Nylander-Dach-Kurashev (if Nylander comes back with a passion and plays like he can with full effort this third line could absolutely light it up against other teams weaker competition, I really see this trio as well pretty much a perfect combination of skillsets to compliment one another...Nylander being the big if though...)

I like this too. These combos still follow the basic concept of a Kampf line, a Dach line, a Kane/cat line, and a Toews/Kubalik line. And that is the foundation of the set-up that I wanna see. I really hope this is what JC decides to do.

 

[SimpleJack]

not sure the word 'fire' and nylander go together

When he was healthy I actually think Nylander had a halfway decent rookie season. Not nearly as bad as so many seem to think. Im pretty sure his underlying numbers and fancy stats were all pretty solid too. Someone correct me if I’m wrong about those stats though.

 

[bwana63]

He has one season to get his stuff together. Colliton is not going to tolerate passengers.

Just to be clear, Nylander doesn't have to set the world on fire. He just has to be good (at both ends) and bust his ass. If he does, he'll be with the Hawks. If not, he won't.

 

[featherhawk]

Just to be clear, Nylander doesn't have to set the world on fire. He just has to be good (at both ends) and bust his ass. If he does, he'll be with the Hawks. If not, he won't.

exactly this, Alex has the skill to be a very effective top 9 player for the hawks moving forward and like you say he just needs to be a complimentary piece and not an instrumental cog and carry a line...will be interesting to see if his injury and watching this team play hard day in and day out will inspire him to make a more wholesome effort at all times

 

[RememberTheRoar]

 

[SimpleJack]

One of the most noticeable aspects of not having Toews. The Face offs, which were never that great anyways these past few seasons, are now awful...

 

[Pez68]

One of the most noticeable aspects of not having Toews. The Face offs, which were never that great anyways these past few seasons, are now awful...

Not surprising. There is no shortcut to being good at faceoffs in the NHL. It is something that comes with experience, and the centers this season have very little experience taking draws at this level.

 

[echlfreak]

I think it’s worth planning a future without Toews, Nylander, Shaw and Seabrook. If any of the first three come back and contribute that’s a bonus.

Otherwise:

DeBrincat. Suter. Kane
Kubalik. Dach. Kurashev
Janmark. Soderberg. Hagel
Highmore. Kampf. Carpenter

but if you do add those players it’s a pretty deep roster

DeBrincat. Suter. Kane
Kubalik. Toews. Kurashev
Janmark. Dach. Nylander
Carpenter. Soderberg. Hagel

Soderberg and Janmark have been great adds via free agency. It would be nice to bring them back. Janmark has a great all round game. Soderberg’s net presence has been awesome.

 

[bwana63]

I think it’s worth planning a future without Toews, Nylander, Shaw and Seabrook. If any of the first three come back and contribute that’s a bonus.

Otherwise:

DeBrincat. Suter. Kane
Kubalik. Dach. Kurashev
Janmark. Soderberg. Hagel
Highmore. Kampf. Carpenter

but if you do add those players it’s a pretty deep roster

DeBrincat. Suter. Kane
Kubalik. Toews. Kurashev
Janmark. Dach. Nylander
Carpenter. Soderberg. Hagel

Soderberg and Janmark have been great adds via free agency. It would be nice to bring them back. Janmark has a great all round game. Soderberg’s net presence has been awesome.

I like almost all of what you're saying and I agree that Soderberg has been VG. But jettisoning Kampf is a complete no go for me. Guy is great in his role.

 

[echlfreak]

I like almost all of what you're saying and I agree that Soderberg has been VG. But jettisoning Kampf is a complete no go for me. Guy is great in his role.

I don’t disagree. But add Shaw to the situation and where do they all go? I’m encouraged by how the team is playing with what they have. Neither of those rosters include Strome.

I think Stan can move some parts and continue a nice rebuild

 

[echlfreak]

I like almost all of what you're saying and I agree that Soderberg has been VG. But jettisoning Kampf is a complete no go for me. Guy is great in his role.

Janmark. Dach. Hagel
Kampf. Soderberg. Carpenter


any better? For the bottom six?

 

[bwana63]

Janmark. Dach. Hagel
Kampf. Soderberg. Carpenter


any better? For the bottom six?

Yeah, a ton better. Thing is, Hawks are not throwing in the towel on Nylander. Not yet, anyway. So, he's on the 3rd line, most likely. One of Soderberg, Carpenter or Janmark is most likely going to be gone.

 

[HawksinBLo]

I doubt it happens but I would look for anything I could get asset wise out of Nylander. Hope I’m wrong but he doesn’t have “it”.

love Soderberg, hope they can get him back for another year.

Kampf is the perfect 4th liner. Any lines you want to draw up have to have him in it.

money will definitely be moved this summer.

 

[Hinterland]

I doubt it happens but I would look for anything I could get asset wise out of Nylander. Hope I’m wrong but he doesn’t have “it”.

love Soderberg, hope they can get him back for another year.

Kampf is the perfect 4th liner. Any lines you want to draw up have to have him in it.

money will definitely be moved this summer.

Everybody saw how terrible Nylander was during playoffs. And he's been nothing but injured since. To trade him now doesn't make any sense as you're not gonna get more than a bag of pucks. Qualify him and park him in Rockford for one year. Nylander has to prove that he can score as well as play with and against the puck in pro hockey. He was still playing like a kid and trying a lot of junior stuff out there. Part of that was due to the Sabres and Blackhawks ruining his development. He should have been given time to adjust to playing against men. Should he dominate the AHL then you can start looking at if you wanna play him or explore trade options. At this point though I doubt you'd get anything valuable in return. Might as well just hold on and hope for a miracle.

 

[bwana63]

($): NHL Trade Deadline Big Board: Mattias Ekholm, Jack Eichel and 26 others who could be dealt

Strome is 7th on their list:

7. Dylan Strome, Blackhawks: Let’s start here: The Blackhawks aren’t actively shopping Strome. But teams believe he’s an option for those who are looking for a boost down the middle. “They’ll listen on him,” said an Eastern Conference exec. “If he plays with the right guys, he’s a second-line center.” The Blackhawks listening makes sense. At some point, they’ll have both Jonathan Toews and Kirby Dach at center. The injuries down the middle have also helped the team uncover organizational depth at center, maybe more than they’ve had in a while. All of those factors make Strome one of the better trade options out there.

FWLIW, I wholeheartedly agree with this assessment.

 

[HawksinBLo]

($): NHL Trade Deadline Big Board: Mattias Ekholm, Jack Eichel and 26 others who could be dealt

Strome is 7th on their list:

7. Dylan Strome, Blackhawks: Let’s start here: The Blackhawks aren’t actively shopping Strome. But teams believe he’s an option for those who are looking for a boost down the middle. “They’ll listen on him,” said an Eastern Conference exec. “If he plays with the right guys, he’s a second-line center.” The Blackhawks listening makes sense. At some point, they’ll have both Jonathan Toews and Kirby Dach at center. The injuries down the middle have also helped the team uncover organizational depth at center, maybe more than they’ve had in a while. All of those factors make Strome one of the better trade options out there.

FWLIW, I wholeheartedly agree with this assessment.

I do too, but why are they so confident Toews is coming back? Wish I was as confident.

 

[bwana63]

I do too, but why are they so confident Toews is coming back? Wish I was as confident.

Mebbe the Hawks have a little better insight than us average Joes?

Also, that quote isn't from a Hawks' guy.

 

[Toews2Bickell]

I do too, but why are they so confident Toews is coming back? Wish I was as confident.

would imagine they're privy to information that the public is not, which is enough to give them confidence that what he's dealing with is a temporary thing

 

[EbonyRaptor]

If Nylander raises his compete level consistently (a big IF), then he is a top-6 winger based on his offensive skills - skating, shooting, passing all at top speed. If he doesn't return from injury with a consistently elevated compete level, then he isn't reliable enough to keep on the team at any position. With Kane and DCat locked in at 2 of the 4 top-6 wing spots and Kubalik probably locking up one of the two remaining top-6 wing spots, especially if Toews comes back and they can be reunited, that leaves one top-6 wing spot open for competition. Who would be competing for that spot with Nylander? Certainly Suter and maybe Kurashev if he shows more finish over the rest of this season. I don't see Hagel as a top-6 guy - love him in the bottom-6 but not top-6 unless the lineup spreads top-6 players across top-9. Maybe Reichel if he proves to be ready?

The best case scenario, obviously, is that this time away from playing the game has lit a fire in his belly and he returns on a mission to be the best he can be. If he is able to find his heart and will to play he could give DCat a run for his money as the 2nd best winger on the team ... but if Aunt Mabel had balls she'd be Uncle George, so ...

 

[RememberTheRoar]

I think it’s worth planning a future without Toews, Nylander, Shaw and Seabrook. If any of the first three come back and contribute that’s a bonus.

Otherwise:

DeBrincat. Suter. Kane
Kubalik. Dach. Kurashev
Janmark. Soderberg. Hagel
Highmore. Kampf. Carpenter

but if you do add those players it’s a pretty deep roster

DeBrincat. Suter. Kane
Kubalik. Toews. Kurashev
Janmark. Dach. Nylander
Carpenter. Soderberg. Hagel

Soderberg and Janmark have been great adds via free agency. It would be nice to bring them back. Janmark has a great all round game. Soderberg’s net presence has been awesome.

Unfortunately, I agree you need to have a plan for a future without Toews. A few months ago, I would've said this team is doomed without Toews -- but seeing the way Kane has stepped up even more, and seeing the drive in all these young guys along with DeBrincat becoming a star, a future without Toews doesn't seem so bleak.

I truly do hope he comes back, as do all of us, but I now feel this franchise is not totally doomed if he doesn't. You'll still need Dach to hit a high level, and will need at least one of Mitchell/Boqvist/Beaudin to breakout while the others at least become solid d-men to truly compete -- but I think those are realistic things.

Also, DeBrincat-Suter-Kane has been a f***ing revelation this year. That line is doing some incredible things while squaring up against top competition night in and night out. Seeing Kane be this dominant without the classic sheltering that we're used to seeing him receive over the last decade+ should really catch people's attention. He's really solidifying his spot on the Mt. Rushmore of greatest players of this era.

 

[HawksinBLo]

Mebbe the Hawks have a little better insight than us average Joes?

Also, that quote isn't from a Hawks' guy.

The hawks know better than us but that quote isn’t from a hawks guy? Care to explain? Lol