How will the Hawks end up this season?

[zac]

Well yeah.

The questions most of us are asking are 'how good is this team with Kane' and 'how weak is this team without him'.

Personally, I think it's still a great team without Kane. Probably top quarter of the Western Conference and the League.

They're just not the best roster on paper by default anymore, and they fall back to the pack of the top teams a fair bit.

Losing Kane for the year doesn't prevent them from making the playoffs or going on a deep run, especially if they get his 10.5 million cap space to play with while he's gone.

The think the question marks on defense are more likely to keep them from going past the 2nd round than the potential absence of Kane.

This team wins cups when their defensive game is strong (and when Crow is playing at his best, obviously).

I'm expecting this team to be more dynamic, just not as steady as it's been in year's past. With the infusion of youth I am expecting some WOW nights, with more stinkers mixed in as well.

This team's success will hinge on the defense more than anything. I expect great play from Keith and Hammer but everything after is a question mark. Seabs is in decline and I'll be shocked if he 'rebounds' this season. Daley is new, TVR is an injury risk, and the #6 spot is up for grabs. If the defense is solid this is a top 4 team in the west for sure (assuming health). If not? We could be duking it out in the 6-8 range.

If our PP could ever get its **** together (doubtful) that could add another 6-10 points (this team gives up a LOT of goals with the anemic PP). That could be a difference maker right there.

But it won't be....:sigh:

 

[JaegerDice]

He has actually improved his behavior over the years (unless you think he raped this girl). I have said this multiple time getting a little drunk during the offseason is not the crime a lot of people make it out to be. I don't care who you are everyone has the right to get a little wild every now and again. **** I still get a little to drunk sometimes and act like an ass, it happens. I am tired of people expecting athletes to be robots and role models. They are paid to take their skill to the max/edge so when that leaks into other areas you have to understand how hard it is to "turn it off". Note I am only talking about the minor drinking/partying and not talking about the extreme **** like guns and strippers.

I don't have a problem with players drinking or partying.

By all accounts, Kane was still drinking and partying plenty between 2012 - [mod] and got his ass tossed out of a frat party because drunk college students felt he was acting in appropriately....think about that for a moment - and the rape charge. And that's fine. As long as you're being responsible then who cares.

My issue is.... if I knew a guy who in the span of five years, got drunk and punched a cab driver, got drunk [mod] at a frat party, and was accused of rape... I would probably think that guy has issues as far as entitlement and aggression when consuming alcohol. Hockey superstar or not, if you know a guy that has had incidents such as that, bunched as closely together, you probably side-eye that guy and don't invite him to many house parties.

We only accepted the narrative of 'he's grown more mature' in relation to the ridiculous BS we witnessed prior. He have us roughly 3 years of not being a moron. Asking a human being to not be a moron for more than 3 years is not a huge ask.

 

[Nameless]

8 straight cups

 

[Taze em]

I think we have a really positive year. By that I mean, Panarin and Dano prove they are top 6, Teravainen takes a step forward, Anisimov meshes. 3rd in the Central, win a round or 2. Any rational fan will be super excited about the bounce back but many will be calling for Q and Stan's jobs like they always do for "underperformance".

If we are that good this year then it is on in 2016 with very little leaving the team and Dano/Panarin/Teravainen being fully fledged stud NHL players still on rookie deals.

 

[crazyhawk]

Most are saying they win the cup this year.
I'll take it a little further and say we win it in 2016 and 17 for a three-peat!
Move over MJ!

 

[Sir Loin]

Don't underestimate the "old" guys.
Don't underestimate the new guys.

I want to say they'd win the Cup, but a WCF loss to the Ducks is realistic. As a wise man once said on Youtube, "We've replaced Saad with two Patrick Kanes", if that holds remotely true, it's going to be an exciting season either way. I'm looking forward to it.

Edit: nevermind all that garbage I just said, Cup 2 of 8 incoming

 

[Hawkaholic]

Joel Quenville will screw everything up, Bowman will not sell assets at the deadline for futures, and Seabrook will be a #6 Dman at best. Won't make the playoffs, 1st round exit at best.

 

[hockeydoug]

Joel Quenville will screw everything up, Bowman will not sell assets at the deadline for futures, and Seabrook will be a #6 Dman at best. Won't make the playoffs, 1st round exit at best.

^ Rundblad too

 

[hockeydoug]

I really like this team on paper. I just hope they figure out how to get all the pieces going together, in the right direction before they throw too many points away with the mistakes.

I can't see a team in the division beating them in 7 games as it stands now. Chicago can give too many different looks and make too many adjustments. As long as they have lots of depth at the wings, they'll find a way to make the weaker lines be effective, Q finds answers even when he doesn't have the best bodies.

 

[Spectra]

Stanley Cup or bust, same as every year.

 

[JaegerDice]

With Rozsival back and Q almost sure to overplay him (which is to say, play him at all), I see the Blackhawks squeaking into the playoffs and getting tossed in 1 round.

2011 all over again.

 

[Paxton Fettel]

too many Russians

 

[Taze em]

With Rozsival back and Q almost sure to overplay him (which is to say, play him at all), I see the Blackhawks squeaking into the playoffs and getting tossed in 1 round.

2011 all over again.

Good to have you back

 

[zac]

too many Russians

One too many Czechs, at the very least.

 

[Hawkaholic]

With Rozsival back and Q almost sure to overplay him (which is to say, play him at all), I see the Blackhawks squeaking into the playoffs and getting tossed in 1 round.

2011 all over again.

Yes, our #6/7 defensman will cause our team to be terrible all by himself.

 

[No Fun Shogun]

Screw it, going all in.

Repeat, baby.

 

[JaegerDice]

Yes, our #6/7 defensman will cause our team to be terrible all by himself.

This argument is nonsense.

Michael Rozsival saw time on the first pair with Duncan Keith and played up to 18 minutes a game as a 5th defensemen last season. The idea that anybody could seriously put forth the argument that he will play a minor role on the team is utterly laughable, and speaks to a profound detachment from reality.

IF Rozsival were simply our 6/7th dman, and not liable to spend time on the top pair with Duncan Keith because he's Q's boy, then there would be no problem.

 

[migi]

If roster will be like:

Dano - Toews - Hossa
Bickell - Anisimov - Kane
Panarin - Teräväinen - Tikhonov
Desjardins - Krüger - Shaw
Garbutt

Keith - van Riemsdyk
Daley - Seabrook
Hejda - Hjalmarsson
Rozsival

They will go to the playoffs and who knows what will happen there. It's a good lineup for sure.

 

[Hawkaholic]

This argument is nonsense.

Michael Rozsival saw time on the first pair with Duncan Keith and played up to 18 minutes a game as a 5th defensemen last season. The idea that anybody could seriously put forth the argument that he will play a minor role on the team is utterly laughable, and speaks to a profound detachment from reality.

IF Rozsival were simply our 6/7th dman, and not liable to spend time on the top pair with Duncan Keith because he's Q's boy, then there would be no problem.

In the playoffs, when we only had 5 defenseman he was playing a larger role, because he was our 5th best defensman at the time. It's not like he was on the 1st pairing, he just took shifts with Keith because Keith is our best defensman. He still played the 5th most mins per game.

 

[UsernameWasTaken]

This argument is nonsense.

Michael Rozsival saw time on the first pair with Duncan Keith and played up to 18 minutes a game as a 5th defensemen last season. The idea that anybody could seriously put forth the argument that he will play a minor role on the team is utterly laughable, and speaks to a profound detachment from reality.

IF Rozsival were simply our 6/7th dman, and not liable to spend time on the top pair with Duncan Keith because he's Q's boy, then there would be no problem.

Exactly.

I don't understand why people believe that Q will be responsible and logical in his use of Rozsival when past history shows this is unlikely to be the case!

 

[Sarava]

I agree with Hawkaholic here. The idea isn't to burn out your top 4 guys in the regular season. That Rozy had a game up to 18 minutes of ice in the regular season is a good thing. It's things like that that probably enabled the top 4 guys to carry the crazy workload against Anaheim and TB as they did. Take a step back and remember that the idea is to the win the Stanley Cup, not the President's trophy.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

Nobody is upset that your #5 defenseman occasionally sees an uptick in minutes. People are rightfully upset that the same two bums who proved that more often than not they couldn't handle the job are back.

 

[Hawkaholic]

Exactly.

I don't understand why people believe that Q will be responsible and logical in his use of Rozsival when past history shows this is unlikely to be the case!

It's easier to believe that Q will use him properly if he has 5 other Dmen that are more adequate than him. Last year, we only had 4.

Nobody is upset that your #5 defenseman occasionally sees an uptick in minutes. People are rightfully upset that the same two bums who proved that more often than not they couldn't handle the job are back.

I can agree with this.

 

[bwana63]

Barring lengthy, key injuries, this team has at least as good a shot as any. A lot of it's puck luck, but I see a repeat.

 

[zac]

In the playoffs, when we only had 5 defenseman he was playing a larger role, because he was our 5th best defensman at the time. It's not like he was on the 1st pairing, he just took shifts with Keith because Keith is our best defensman. He still played the 5th most mins per game.

Rundlad would have been better had Q not inexplicably started playing Roszival at the time Rundblad was playing well during thr regular season. Once TVR was cleared to play he yoo was a better option.

Q is his own worst enemy in these situationsx and often gets eztremely lucky that his terrible decisions dont cost the team more than it has. He lucked out 2.5 years ago when his senseless line shufline shuffling nearly tsnked us in the Detroit series. Rhey most certsainly did in the WCF loss against the Kings (Handzus).

Sometimes it feels like Q purposefully hurts the chances of some players (Pirri, Regin, Rundblad) just so he can play the worthless POS vets he REALLY wants to play. It sounds ludicrous, but he's done it enough to where there isnt another rational explanation.