News Article: Bowman lays out “ 18 to 24 months” timeline to hit elite tier

[Toews2Bickell]

Agree with bears1985. It was the wrong return by a lot. For every Danault theres a Dahlbeck. No issue trading higher picks and late 1st prospects but it better not be for fourth line players.

 

[ChiHawks10]

I was not here for those years, but from I can gather reading what you guys are writing now, many of you thought the team still had a chance in 15-16 and 16-17 but Q ****ed it up. Is that right or wrong?

They were defending Stanley Cup champs in 15-16. They went 7 games with the Blues, who went on to the WCF. The Hawks are likely also in the WCF had they beaten the Blues in game 7. And I do think they could have beaten the Sharks that season, also, to set up a Hawks/Pens Final. 16-17 is a different story, and when I stopped believing they were a legitimate contender after the stomping by Nashville. That's when the wheels started to fall off this train. Where did anyone mention anything about Q?

 

[Illinihockey]

Hell the Hawks had 109 points in 16-17 and everyone thought they had a great chance to make a run at a Cup. They ran into a good team with a super hot goaltender. In a way that year reminded me of 11-12 against Arizona.

 

[BobbyJet]

Danault was just a guy at that point and they were trying to win the Cup. At that point Danault was in the mix with a bunch of other guys that all washed out.

Danault did everything Q asked him to do. Right out of the AHL he was strong defensively and getting better on both sides of the puck. He was an obvious Kruger replacement with the potential to be the player he is today.

 

[ColdSteel2]

They were defending Stanley Cup champs in 15-16. They went 7 games with the Blues, who went on to the WCF. The Hawks are likely also in the WCF had they beaten the Blues in game 7. And I do think they could have beaten the Sharks that season, also, to set up a Hawks/Pens Final. 16-17 is a different story. That's when the wheels started to fall off this train. Where did anyone mention anything about Q?

As I’ve said, I didn’t fault Bowman for getting desperate in 15-16 because the team was defending a championship.

People can have different opinions. I saw Crawford reaching a new level in the 14-15 season and playoffs that he carried forward until his concussion last year. You and BK think he reached that level years earlier which I completely disagree with.

After 14-15, I saw a one line team with an elite goalie. That’s not a prototypical formula for making the finals. Sure, anything is possible but I thought the Blues outplayed the Hawks in round one and the comeback in the series was the last gasp of a dying man. Heroic, exciting to watch, but at no point during that season or playoffs did I think the Hawks had a team resembling a Cup winner. Agree to disagree. The Panarin trade coming shortly after a 1st place regular season finish before the ink was dry on his extension tells me Bowman knew it was probably over long before that. Agree to disagree.

 

[Malagahawks]

I stil think trading Panarin to get Saad back was a huge mistake. The reasoning was you were a better 2 way player back in Saad to put on the Toews line but it just hasn't translated. Panarin while being elsctric on O with Kaner was a risk defensively. What's your take on this teade 2 years later peeps?

 

[ChiHawks10]

As I’ve said, I didn’t fault Bowman for getting desperate in 15-16 because the team was defending a championship.

People can have different opinions. I saw Crawford reaching a new level in the 14-15 season and playoffs that he carried forward until his concussion last year. You and BK think he reached that level years earlier which I completely disagree with.

After 14-15, I saw a one line team with an elite goalie. That’s not a prototypical formula for making the finals. Sure, anything is possible but I though the Blues outplayed the Hawks in round one and the comeback in the series was the last gasp of a dying man. Heroic, exciting to watch, but at no point during that season or playoffs did I think the Hawks had a team resembling a Cup winner. Agree to disagree. The Panarin trade coming shortly after a 1st place regular season finish before the ink was dry on his extension tells me Bowman knew it was probably over long before that. Agree to disagree.

Crawford should have won the CS over Kane in 2013... Even Kane said as much.

You can have a different opinion, that doesn't mean I can't criticize said opinion if I think it's a ridiculous one...

 

[Illinihockey]

Crawford had a better year in 12-13 than he did in 14-15. Both regular season and playoffs. Truth is, Crawford has always been awesome and is probably the 2nd greatest goalie the Hawks have ever had, maybe 3rd

 

[Toews2Bickell]

Saad has been sort of reborn under JC. He’s shown vintage Saad more often than not lately. I hope they keep him. He can be a really important piece going forward.

 

[Illinihockey]

I stil think trading Panarin to get Saad back was a huge mistake. The reasoning was you were a better 2 way player back in Saad to put on the Toews line but it just hasn't translated. Panarin while being elsctric on O with Kaner was a risk defensively. What's your take on this teade 2 years later peeps?

Saad has been disappointing (more so last year) but now the Hawks have him for 2 more years making 3-4 mil less a season than what Panarin is about to sign for. Also, for all his offensive flash, Panarin has never won a playoff series.

 

[Fortyfives]

I stil think trading Panarin to get Saad back was a huge mistake. The reasoning was you were a better 2 way player back in Saad to put on the Toews line but it just hasn't translated. Panarin while being elsctric on O with Kaner was a risk defensively. What's your take on this teade 2 years later peeps?

Its obvious loss short term for the hawks in the trade; especially because the other pieces didn't work out. Now if they can now sign Panarin and have them both it could work out long term,

 

[ColdSteel2]

Crawford should have won the CS over Kane in 2013... Even Kane said as much.

You can have a different opinion, that doesn't mean I can't criticize said opinion if I think it's a ridiculous one...

That’s fine then. I saw more consistent greatness from 14-15 onward. Crawford was always great. He was always a huge part of the team. But the fundamental difference between our arguments is that I think the team was getting much worse around him due to Toews and Seabrook’s decline and a loss of significant pieces for nothing in the cap crunch like Sharp. To see him continue to perform at an elite level with what I thought was a significantly worse team in 15-16 represented further progress in his game to me.

 

[b1e9a8r5s]

I stil think trading Panarin to get Saad back was a huge mistake. The reasoning was you were a better 2 way player back in Saad to put on the Toews line but it just hasn't translated. Panarin while being elsctric on O with Kaner was a risk defensively. What's your take on this teade 2 years later peeps?

I liked the trade at the time, but I think it has proven to have been a bad move. I thought Panarin wouldn't be able to produce to the level he had without Kane which clearly was wrong. They are getting Saad for 2 more years than they are getting Panarin, but still it wasn't a good move.

That said, I think Saad has become vastly underrated around here. People are upset because he's not Panarin or because there's really no illusion about some untapped offensive production that he's going to realize. He is what he is. 50-55 pt, strong 2 way forward. He's a good player and not someone I'd just look to give away for a pick, like I've seen some suggest.

 

[Illinihockey]

Saad has 3 less goals than Panarin this year

 

[b1e9a8r5s]

Saad has 3 less goals than Panarin this year

And 30 less pts

 

[Idionym]

Saad is on pace for ~50 points, ~28 goals. A solid year for him. I think he's been playing really well, people are still just upsetti spaghetti about last year and letting that still affect how they see him. He's a good top 6 LW.

 

[Illinihockey]

And 30 less pts

Not Saad's fault the opposite side winger he plays with most is Dominic Kahun. And on the PP he's out there most with AA and Kahun the most.

 

[b1e9a8r5s]

Not Saad's fault the opposite side winger he plays with most is Dominic Kahun. And on the PP he's out there most with AA and Kahun the most.

He's on the 2nd PP because he's less offensively gifted than the guys on the 1st unit. Saad is what he is, which is very nice player. I'm not diminishing that. Saad's played higher up the lineup at various times here and in CBJ and his production is almost always the same. I don't see the linemates having much to do with it.

 

[ChiHawks10]

That’s fine then. I saw more consistent greatness from 14-15 onward. Crawford was always great. He was always a huge part of the team. But the fundamental difference between our arguments is that I think the team was getting much worse around him due to Toews and Seabrook’s decline and a loss of significant pieces for nothing in the cap crunch like Sharp. To see him continue to perform at an elite level with what I thought was a significantly worse team in 15-16 represented further progress in his game to me.

To clarify, also, I'm not criticizing you. I just think that opinion/scenario is batshit crazy. Agree to disagree.

 

[BobbyJet]

Not Saad's fault the opposite side winger he plays with most is Dominic Kahun. And on the PP he's out there most with AA and Kahun the most.

Well yes, and sure Panarin has more of an upside offensively but he is also one-dimensional. Saad is by far the better 2-way player - an apples to oranges comparison hence a very difficult one. The way I see it: when Saad plays to his potential he is the more valuable player for the Chicago team. Other teams who are stronger away from the puck who have different needs would love to add that extra offensive punch that AP brings.

 

[piteus]

Danault did everything Q asked him to do. Right out of the AHL he was strong defensively and getting better on both sides of the puck. He was an obvious Kruger replacement with the potential to be the player he is today.

Yep, Danault was good. I think we all saw it. We were all sad to see him go.

 

[Blackhawks]

Schmaltz wasn’t thought to be the lesser player at the time. Thats how it could’ve made sense.

You didn’t understand my post. We can both agree that a 2nd and 3rd draft picks have a decent value and are not just given away for free, so the hurricanes believed that they got a positive value in getting TT with Bickel as just a cap dump transaction and that is why they added the two higher draft picks instead of just like a 7th round pick or something. That said theoretically speaking the Hawks didn’t have to give a player in TT caliber that has a much higher value than expected to make the deal happen. This leads me to believe that Stan wanted to trade TT and thought maybe he wouldn’t improve, he thought he had reached his ceiling or he would have had other avenues.

 

[piteus]

Saad is on pace for ~50 points, ~28 goals. A solid year for him. I think he's been playing really well, people are still just upsetti spaghetti about last year and letting that still affect how they see him. He's a good top 6 LW.

Fans are angry because Saad admittedly takes nights off. We all know it. If he gets focused, he's a 30 goal / strong on the puck / good defensive forward. He's a borderline all star.

That said, when the playoff lights turn on ... that's when he thrives. It's because he cares about the post season. We've seen it before.

Saad's issues has never been physical. It's all mental.

 

[AmericanDream]

He's on the 2nd PP because he's less offensively gifted than the guys on the 1st unit. Saad is what he is, which is very nice player. I'm not diminishing that. Saad's played higher up the lineup at various times here and in CBJ and his production is almost always the same. I don't see the linemates having much to do with it.

Saad is just a different type of player than Panarin (I know, duh lol) - Saad will never be more than a 30-30 player, just isn't in his style or game, but he will be close to Panarin in goals most years so we know Panarin will have more points but if Saad plays like this he can be more effective overall as Panarin hardly backchecks in Columbus and plays like Kane at times with standing by the blue line waiting for a breakout.

 

[BK]

You didn’t understand my post. We can both agree that a 2nd and 3rd draft picks have a decent value and are not just given away for free, so the hurricanes believed that they got a positive value in getting TT with Bickel as just a cap dump transaction and that is why they added the two higher draft picks instead of just like a 7th round pick or something. That said theoretically speaking the Hawks didn’t have to give a player in TT caliber that has a much higher value than expected to make the deal happen. This leads me to believe that Stan wanted to trade TT and thought maybe he wouldn’t improve, he thought he had reached his ceiling or he would have had other avenues.

Bowman stated he did not want to trade TT so this debunks your theory. "Cost of doing business" situation.