GDT: 2022 NHL Draft Rounds 2-7 (CBJ select David Jiricek and Denton Mateychuk in R1), 11 AM EST (NHLN, ESPN+)

[CBJWerenski8]

 

[NotTooWideArena]

Viqsi: There you go again, muddying things up with ethics and morals and such!

(For the record, I totally agree with you on tanking and also appreciate your restraint.)

 

[EspenK]

RE the Blackhawks and tanking: They sucked this year. They are facing the impending UFA status of Kane &Toews.They traded their one remaining star in DeBrincat to avoid paying a lot of money during a period when they were going to continue to suck with or without him.

Is this tanking or just facing up to the dismal situation they find themselves in? I vote the latter.

 

[Viqsi]

RE the Blackhawks and tanking: They sucked this year. They are facing the impending UFA status of Kane &Toews.They traded their one remaining star in DeBrincat to avoid paying a lot of money during a period when they were going to continue to suck with or without him.

Is this tanking or just facing up to the dismal situation they find themselves in? I vote the latter.

The chief difference is whether or not they keep known quantity players to kill time while the kids develop, or immediately throw the kids to the wolves and see if they survive with all limbs intact. Current roster management moves strongly suggest they're taking the latter position, although there's arguably still time for it to be the former if they go crazy in free agency (and if doing so actually delivers results).

 

[Cowumbus]

The chief difference is whether or not they keep known quantity players to kill time while the kids develop, or immediately throw the kids to the wolves and see if they survive with all limbs intact. Current roster management moves strongly suggest they're taking the latter position, although there's arguably still time for it to be the former if they go crazy in free agency (and if doing so actually delivers results).

They have no prospects though. They can’t even throw anyone into the fire except Reichel.

 

[Viqsi]

They have no prospects though. They can’t even throw anyone into the fire except Reichel.

Nazar and Korchinski and Rinzel and the others are all eligible to sign contracts; we just assume they won't because it would be rather foolish to send them to the NHL immediately. Never mind that Chicago rushed its last two major draft pickups in Dach and Boqvist...

 

[Cowumbus]

Nazar and Korchinski and Rinzel and the others are all eligible to sign contracts; we just assume they won't because it would be rather foolish to send them to the NHL immediately. Never mind that Bowman rushed his last two major draft pickups in Dach and Boqvist...

Nazar is 100p going to Michigan, same with Rinzel to UMinn. I get your point though.

 

[DarkandStormy]

RE the Blackhawks and tanking: They sucked this year. They are facing the impending UFA status of Kane &Toews.They traded their one remaining star in DeBrincat to avoid paying a lot of money during a period when they were going to continue to suck with or without him.

Is this tanking or just facing up to the dismal situation they find themselves in? I vote the latter.

They are doing their best to get Bedard or Michkov, both of whom are seen as better than any '22 draftee by most scouts/analysts.

They tried to "go for it" last year with acquiring Seth Jones and MAF. Jones has a m-NTC until July 23 when it becomes a full NMC. So if they're really bottoming out, watch for him to be moved in the next week and a half.

They changed over leadership in the front office. So my sense is, with Kane and Toews only having one year left each, they want those guys to waive their NMC to avoid the pain of a down year (or two or three) in Chicago and then the FO can trade them vs. the FO asking them to waive. I don't know who's going to be on their roster if they do that. They're clearly trying to rebuild around Reichel, Korchinski, Nazar, etc. and hoping maybe they pick up Bedard next draft to speed things along.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

RE the Blackhawks and tanking: They sucked this year. They are facing the impending UFA status of Kane &Toews.They traded their one remaining star in DeBrincat to avoid paying a lot of money during a period when they were going to continue to suck with or without him.

Is this tanking or just facing up to the dismal situation they find themselves in? I vote the latter.

If they were trading off Kane and Toews I would agree

However they just traded away at 24 year old star who wanted to stay through the rebuild. And didn’t qualify other 26 or younger players for the sake of it. They’re not trying to find their core, and they’re not making room for young players to fill in for the older ones.

As mentioned they have almost no young talent anymore and their prospect pool consists of this years class who they just picked, and only those kids.

Yeah, they’re tanking hard. Don’t be surprised if they try to move Jones too with massive retention

 

[majormajor]

RE the Blackhawks and tanking: They sucked this year. They are facing the impending UFA status of Kane &Toews.They traded their one remaining star in DeBrincat to avoid paying a lot of money during a period when they were going to continue to suck with or without him.

Is this tanking or just facing up to the dismal situation they find themselves in? I vote the latter.

I think it might be sort of like tanking - they know they're going to be bad and they rushed the DeBrincat deal to get an early start on it. It might even persuade Kane and Toews to accommodate a deal - that might be the purpose of moving DeBrincat early. I think they could have moved him next year for just as much and spared themselves a super-terrible season, but they probably don't want to spare themselves that with the 2023 draft approaching.

If they were trading off Kane and Toews I would agree

However they just traded away at 24 year old star who wanted to stay through the rebuild. And didn’t qualify other 26 or younger players for the sake of it. They’re not trying to find their core, and they’re not making room for young players to fill in for the older ones.

As mentioned they have almost no young talent anymore and their prospect pool consists of this years class who they just picked, and only those kids.

Yeah, they’re tanking hard. Don’t be surprised if they try to move Jones too with massive retention

I think they are trying to trade Kane and Toews, but as Friedman says they're hoping the vets go to them to accommodate the deal.

They didn't qualify Kubalik and Strome largely because they're bad players. Those players weren't helping them win. I don't think that has any relevance on tanking v not tanking. The Debrincat trade does, but not them. Same with the Dach trade, he has been abysmal for the Hawks so it isn't even moving a win now asset for a future, it's just preferring the long term bet on Nazar (which I agree with).

Their prospect pool is now Nazar, Korchinski, Rinzel + Lukas Reichel, and I think that is an important plus. He seems to be the one prospect they've developed the right way.