Speculation: Gustafsson

[echlfreak]

Can we take Gus off the trade block yet? $1.2M salary 34 pts -9 and 26 years old.

Hedman scored no more than 26 points in one single season, over his first 4 years in the NHL

PK Subban $9M has 18pts

Doughty $11M cap hit 29 pts and -17

Vlasic $7.25M for 12 pts and -12

Fowler $6.5M cap hit for 11pts and -11

.....

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[Teemu]

Not so long as he is a UFA in a year

 

[hawksrule]

He’s legit. I’m not seeing why we wouldn’t want to lock him up long term.

 

[Taze em]

I honestly think it is still a long shot to make the playoffs so when I watch the Hawks I'm always rooting for the following in order:
1) Gustafsson points- If he keeps it up he could venture into late 1st pick territory
2) Kane- because he's awesome
3) Anisimov points- He needs pick up his value for the TDL
4) Toews- because I don't want to have to defend him anymore
5) Delia- because he could be the future

 

[ColdSteel2]

I honestly think it is still a long shot to make the playoffs so when I watch the Hawks I'm always rooting for the following in order:
1) Gustafsson points- If he keeps it up he could venture into late 1st pick territory
2) Kane- because he's awesome
3) Anisimov points- He needs pick up his value for the TDL
4) Toews- because I don't want to have to defend him anymore
5) Delia- because he could be the future

Well said. Unapologetic tanking even in the midst of a win streak. Strip this thing to the bone if it brings premium assets.

 

[Toews2Bickell]

Not sure a late 1st is worth more to this team over next 5 years than what Gus can provide

 

[ChiHawks10]

So we should trade Gus for a "potential" Ryan Hartman or worse?

I'll still never get the thinking by some people that he should be moved, especially right now, when you have a year and a half to think about it.

 

[Taze em]

So we should trade Gus for a "potential" Ryan Hartman or worse?

I'll still never get the thinking by some people that he should be moved, especially right now, when you have a year and a half to think about it.

A potential Ryan hartman... like the Alex Debrincat we got in a shedding assets deal?

 

[ChiHawks10]

A potential Ryan hartman... like the Alex Debrincat we got in a shedding assets deal?

Yes, he's exception, not the rule... due to stupid GMs.

DeBrincat should have never made it to the 2nd round. If that draft were done over today, he'd be a top 10 pick. These types of situations are few and far between.

Late 1sts are usually guys like Hartman and Danault more often than not.

Last year's 20-31:

Rasmus Kupari
Ryan Merkley
K'Andre Miller
Isac Lundestrom
Filip Johansson
Dominik Bokk
Jacob Bernard-Docker
Nicolas Beaudin
Nils Lundkvist
Rasmus Sandin
Joe Veleno
Alexander Alexeyev

2017's 20-31:

Robert Thomas
Filip Chytil
Kailer Yamamoto
Pierre-Olivier Joseph
Kristian Vesalainen
Ryan Poehling
Jake Oettinger
Morgan Frost
Shane Bowers
Henri Jokiharju
Eeli Tolvanen
Klim Kostin

2016's 20-31:

Dennis Cholowski
Julien Gauthier
German Rubtsov
Henrik Borgstrom
Max Jones
Riley Tufte
Tage Thompson
Brett Howden
Lucas Johansen
Trent Frederic
Sam Steel

How many of those guys are, or will be an Alex DeBrincat? How many will likely be 3rd/4th line role players, if they even make it?

 

[HawksBeerFan]

Didn't we sort this out a couple weeks ago? It's ridiculously stupid to trade Gus right now.

 

[ColdSteel2]

Yes, he's exception, not the rule... due to stupid GMs.

DeBrincat should have never made it to the 2nd round. If that draft were done over today, he'd be a top 10 pick.

Late 1sts are usually guys like Hartman and Danault more often than not.

Last year's 20-31:

Rasmus Kupari
Ryan Merkley
K'Andre Miller
Isac Lundestrom
Filip Johansson
Dominik Bokk
Jacob Bernard-Docker
Nicolas Beaudin
Nils Lundkvist
Rasmus Sandin
Joe Veleno
Alexander Alexeyev

2017's 20-31:

Robert Thomas
Filip Chytil
Kailer Yamamoto
Pierre-Olivier Joseph
Kristian Vesalainen
Ryan Poehling
Jake Oettinger
Morgan Frost
Shane Bowers
Henri Jokiharju
Eeli Tolvanen
Klim Kostin

How many of those guys are, or will be an Alex DeBrincat? How many will likely be 3rd/4th line role players?

Bowman/Kelley have been drafting at another level for a few years now. Any comparison should look specifically at Blackhawks draft picks.

Yes, Gustafsson is a good player to have. But what we really need are good players on ELCs when we are contending. By the time the Hawks are seriously competing for a Cup, Gustafsson will be pushing 30 with a large cap hit.

 

[ChiHawks10]

Bowman/Kelley have been drafting at another level for a few years now. Any comparison should look specifically at Blackhawks draft picks.

Yes, Gustafsson is a good player to have. But what we really need are good players on ELCs when we are contending. By the time the Hawks are seriously competing for a Cup, Gustafsson will be pushing 30 with a large cap hit.

... I guess if you think the Hawks are 4 years away from competing. I don't.

And no, any comparison shouldn't focus on just Hawks picks. It should display what type of players are regularly available in the late 1st round, good drafting by the Hawks staff, or not.

 

[Taze em]

Was I supposed to be discouraged by that list of players? That list of players emboldens me to keep my opinion. Tons of good to great players on that list.

Gus is a good player, he is not a foundational player for the next wave.

 

[ColdSteel2]

... I guess if you think the Hawks are 4 years away from competing. I don't.

And no, any comparison shouldn't focus on just Hawks picks. It should display what type of players are regularly available in the late 1st round.

That’s moving the goalposts. Bowman and Kelley make the picks. We can’t praise their great drafting in one breath and then say, gee, it’d be a long shot if they made a great pick.

 

[ChiHawks10]

Was I supposed to be discouraged by that list of players? That list of players emboldens me to keep my opinion. Tons of good to great players on that list.

Gus is a good player, he is not a foundational player for the next wave.

Tons eh? How many are difference-making players in the NHL right now? Because that's what Gus is.

 

[ChiHawks10]

That’s moving the goalposts. Bowman and Kelley make the picks. We can’t praise their great drafting in one breath and then say, gee, it’d be a long shot if they made a great pick.

My argument is about the talent regularly available in the late 1st round. I didn't move any goal posts. Where did I praise them or then say what you said? Yes, great picks can be had, but it's the exception, not the rule...

People are infatuated with picks too much.

 

[HawksBeerFan]

That’s moving the goalposts. Bowman and Kelley make the picks. We can’t praise their great drafting in one breath and then say, gee, it’d be a long shot if they made a great pick.

The point he is making is that even if a pick in this draft hits, it's very unlikely that player is impacting the NHL team in the next 2-3 years.

 

[cassac]

The only way I see trading Gus know is if it is to a borderline playoff team for a 1st and a near NHL ready grade A prospect. I do not think other teams will due that though.

 

[ColdSteel2]

My argument is about the talent regularly available in the late 1st round. I didn't move any goal posts. Where did I praise them or then say what you said?

I’m praising them then, they are drafting much better than the competition IMO. If you don’t agree, ok, sorry for putting words in your mouth. I assumed we were all on the same page on that one.

We don’t even necessarily have to get a pick back, it could be an NHL ready prospect further along. I don’t think it will take 4 years to be competitive, but to be a true Cup contender, we need to wait until our young defensemen have a few years in the NHL.

Ultimately, I think we have 2 viable options for sustainable success.

1. Be patient, don’t spend too much in free agency, let the team build itself organically through the progress of the prospects. Pick up pieces one at a time like we’ve been doing.

2. At a bare minimum, trade Saad, Anisimov and Gustafsson for picks and prospects. Go spend to the cap in free agency upgrading the team. Wait for the prospects to show up and push us over the top while they are on cheap contracts.

If you see another pathway to Cup contention, I’d love to hear it.

The point he is making is that even if a pick in this draft hits, it's very unlikely that player is impacting the NHL team in the next 2-3 years.

This team isn’t going to be ready until the defense, depth and goaltending are significantly improved. That’s going to take another season or 2 at the least.

 

[pvr]

I honestly think it is still a long shot to make the playoffs so when I watch the Hawks I'm always rooting for the following in order:
1) Gustafsson points- If he keeps it up he could venture into late 1st pick territory
2) Kane- because he's awesome
3) Anisimov points- He needs pick up his value for the TDL
4) Toews- because I don't want to have to defend him anymore
5) Delia- because he could be the future

Could venture into...!!??

Tons eh? How many are difference-making players in the NHL right now? Because that's what Gus is.

Completely agree. Only in hfboards is this mentality prevalent, where the future and potential and possible in an unknown pick outweigh the reality of the actual highly contributing player in the NHL. Right now I’d trade Beaudin before Gustafsson. Beaudin sits somewhere underneath Forsling if we go back a year or two, and we all know where Forsling stands now. Oh, and Forsling can go too.

 

[ChiHawks10]

I’m praising them then, they are drafting much better than the competition IMO. If you don’t agree, ok, sorry for putting words in your mouth. I assumed we were all on the same page on that one.

We don’t even necessarily have to get a pick back, it could be an NHL ready prospect further along. I don’t think it will take 4 years to be competitive, but to be a true Cup contender, we need to wait until our young defensemen have a few years the NHL.

Ultimately, I think we have 2 viable options for sustainable success.

1. Be patient, don’t spend too much in free agency, let the team build itself organically through the progress of the prospects. Pick up pieces one at a time like we’ve been doing.

2. At a bare minimum, trade Saad, Anisimov and Gustafsson for picks and prospects. Go spend to the cap in free agency upgrading the team. Wait for the prospects to show up and push us over the top while they are on cheap contracts.

If you see another pathway to Cup contention, I’d love to hear it.

I do agree that the Hawks are drafting well lately. That's fine. Again... that doesn't mean that the talent regularly available late in the 1st round is somehow going to magically get better... In deep drafts, sure, it will. But regularly, that's not the case. The typical late 1st round player ends up a 3rd or 4th liner, more often than not(and many never even make it to the NHL). There are obviously exceptions, but it's more common that they don't end up difference-making players than they do.

Getting a good NHL ready prospect would be fine, but then who QBs the PP? If you think Boqvist is ready next year, then maybe you do it. Or if you think Joker can handle that, or maybe Mitchell next year. Otherwise, you're creating a glaring hole in something that has just gotten to be what we always thought it could be(the PP) just for the potential of a prospect/pick. It's silly to me.

 

[Toews2Bickell]

No doubt theres always talent that is there late 1st. Not denying that, but Toews and Kane are playing world class hockey right now. They have a ton of cap to add talent in offseason. Its time to start piecing a playoff team back together and go from there. If somebody wants to pay a good NHL ready prospect and 2nd rd pick for Gus then it gets closer as the Hawks still add an asset that can help replace production next year and add another lotto ticket for Mark Kelley, but they skip the development curve a little.

 

[ChiHawks10]

I’m praising them then, they are drafting much better than the competition IMO. If you don’t agree, ok, sorry for putting words in your mouth. I assumed we were all on the same page on that one.

We don’t even necessarily have to get a pick back, it could be an NHL ready prospect further along. I don’t think it will take 4 years to be competitive, but to be a true Cup contender, we need to wait until our young defensemen have a few years in the NHL.

Ultimately, I think we have 2 viable options for sustainable success.

1. Be patient, don’t spend too much in free agency, let the team build itself organically through the progress of the prospects. Pick up pieces one at a time like we’ve been doing.

2. At a bare minimum, trade Saad, Anisimov and Gustafsson for picks and prospects. Go spend to the cap in free agency upgrading the team. Wait for the prospects to show up and push us over the top while they are on cheap contracts.

If you see another pathway to Cup contention, I’d love to hear it.



This team isn’t going to be ready until the defense, depth and goaltending are significantly improved. That’s going to take another season or 2 at the least.

According to you. But no one can predict the future. Who knows what the Hawks do in the offseason? Trades, FA signings, and development of young players... all unpredictable.

A. The defense has improved just with better systems play and coaching from JC. Some of the young players will also improve as they gain experience. The defense as it is playing right now, is at least good enough for the Hawks to be a playoff team. And that's without Joker, Boqvist, Mitchell, or any FA/trade acquisition.
B. The depth can be improved through FA and their pipeline on the cheap, as well as with a FA signing where a top 6 signing pushes other guys down the lineup.
C. Goaltending has the potential to be Crawford and Delia next year(which will be a big improvement over tank commander Ward), or Delia and X backup. Which is still probably much better than tank commander Ward.

 

[bwana63]

The only way I see trading Gus know is if it is to a borderline playoff team for a 1st and a near NHL ready grade A prospect. I do not think other teams will due that though.

Do, but I digress. Agree. Has to be a haul to part with Gus. No way is a late first going to be enough. I doubt any offers clear the bar.

 

[ColdSteel2]

I do agree that the Hawks are drafting well lately. That's fine. Again... that doesn't mean that the talent regularly available late in the 1st round is somehow going to magically get better... In deep drafts, sure, it will. But regularly, that's not the case. The typical late 1st round player ends up a 3rd or 4th liner, more often than not(and many never even make it to the NHL). There are obviously exceptions, but it's more common that they don't end up difference-making players than they do.

Getting a good NHL ready prospect would be fine, but then who QBs the PP? If you think Boqvist is ready next year, then maybe you do it. Or if you think Joker can handle that, or maybe Mitchell next year. Otherwise, you're creating a glaring hole in something that has just gotten to be what we always thought it could be(the PP) just for the potential of a prospect/pick. It's silly to me.

If we added more picks and prospects, we could also enter the market for Trouba. There will likely be players even better than Gus moving around this offseason. I trust Bowman to continue on the path he has been going. TBH, I would be very surprised if we don’t make some big trades to move guys out. We’ll know in 3 weeks.