Tribute Niklas "The Hammer" Hjalmarrson to leave the NHL, possibly retire in Europe

[HockeySauce]

3rd pairing guy on a good team? Bitch please, we had the best team for 3 years in the last 11 or so seasons. How many of those years did we have 4 guys better than Murphy on the back end?

2010, we had Keith, Seabrook, Soupy, and a young stud Hammer. That's 4 that are objectively better than Murphy is now. Who do you think was better than him in 2013 or 2015? Don't go lying saying that Oduya (back then) was any better than Murphy is now. Because that's a damn lie.

So 2 of our 3 recent cup wins, with not just good teams, but the best teams in the league, Murphy would've been our 4th best defender.

3rd pair on a good team my ass.

Dude all of Keith, Seabrook, Oduya and Hammer were better than Murphy at any point in his career. Oduya was 100% better. It wasn't close. What are you smoking? Oduya could play defense and *move the puck*. Murphy can't do anything with the puck.

 

[HockeySauce]

I’d take Oduya at his best over Murphy at his best and wouldn’t even think twice about it.

You can have whatever take you want on Hammer and the trade but you can't go around saying Murphy is better or as good as any of Keith, Seabrook, Hammer or Oduya in that span. That's f***ing nuts.

 

[CourtneyDagger50]

Y'all got some weird hate-on for Connor Murphy. Poor guy.

Anywho - NIKLAS HJALMARSSON IS AWESOME.

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

So 2 of our 3 recent cup wins, with not just good teams, but the best teams in the league, Murphy would've been our 4th best defender..

This is laughable

Campbell and Oduya >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Murphy

And that is coming from someone who was never a big fan of Oduya

Oduya improved play in 2013-15 won my respect and admiration though he was bleh before coming to Hawks

 

[RayP]

I’m not sure Murphy has that “it” factor you want come playoff time that we saw so much out of Hammer and Oduya.


Murphy is more Campoli to me than he is Hammer/Oduya.

 

[CourtneyDagger50]

I’m not sure Murphy has that “it” factor you want come playoff time that we saw so much out of Hammer and Oduya.


Murphy is more Campoli to me than he is Hammer/Oduya.

Don't you dare say that name!

 

[ClydeLee]

I'd probably be described as a Bowman bro. I don't hate the job he's done overall but there's no chance you can describe the Hammer/Panarin deals as good, especially with hindsight.

Where would they be if they kept them, only to have them walk, Ala AZ and CBJ? What assests or benefit would of been good?

When you say, this trade was done for long term cost certainty as Stan did. I dont get how it's not taken as a retool. The goal seemed clear be worse 2 years to be better again in 3/4th years. Now the later part failed but the retool was always a thing pointed out by some people. Just because McD said we're a playoff team doesn't make that sensible to take at face value. I remeber JD saying they won't be a playoff team in 17-18, I saw them as a bubble tram but internally being worse than they could been, to be better later. You know, rebuilding. And the results led to 2 top 10 picks

(Could they have got better returns in prospects than 2 top ten picks? Possible but a less garnutee)

 

[CallMeShaft]

Dude all of Keith, Seabrook, Oduya and Hammer were better than Murphy at any point in his career. Oduya was 100% better. It wasn't close. What are you smoking? Oduya could play defense and *move the puck*. Murphy can't do anything with the puck.

You people are remembering Oduya wrong IMO. He was good in 2013, and was often complained about here in 2015 (along with Seabrook, who was often paired together).

No way do I take any version of Oduya over current Murphy. Oduya's best quality was simply that he gelled well with Hammer and when they were separated, he looked like a meh #4-5 guy. He was fortunate to be the LHD behind Keith.

You keep saying Murphy doesn't do anything with the puck, but no shit, he's a defensive defenseman. He still has a better PPG as a Hawk than Oduya did (Oduya version 1.0, not that trash we got from Dalllas).

 

[HockeySauce]

Where would they be if they kept them, only to have them walk, Ala AZ and CBJ? What assests or benefit would of been good?

When you say, this trade was done for long term cost certainty as Stan did. I dont get how it's not taken as a retool. The goal seemed clear be worse 2 years to be better again in 3/4th years. Now the later part failed but the retool was always a thing pointed out by some people. Just because McD said we're a playoff team doesn't make that sensible to take at face value. I remeber JD saying they won't be a playoff team in 17-18, I saw them as a bubble tram but internally being worse than they could been, to be better later. You know, rebuilding. And the results led to 2 top 10 picks

(Could they have got better returns in prospects than 2 top ten picks? Possible but a less garnutee)

I'm not saying they should have kept them indefinitely. I literally said if they were rebuilding, which they weren't, they should have gotten futures. They weren't trying to retool in the offseason of 2017. They were trying to reload and acquire "playoff" players, especially in the Panarin deal. Which was stupid because Panarin was arguably our best player in 2016 and was about as good as anyone in 2017.

 

[ClydeLee]

I'm not saying they should have kept them indefinitely. I literally said if they were rebuilding, which they weren't, they should have gotten futures. They weren't trying to retool in the offseason of 2017. They were trying to reload and acquire "playoff" players, especially in the Panarin deal. Which was stupid because Panarin was arguably our best player in 2016 and was about as good as anyone in 2017.

Their goals were for the playoff, according to who? Your view of it? McDonough?

A key factor was always, long term cost certainty. It was always a look to the future move too. As Stan said in interview rounds this years offseason about the rebuild. It's the same thing we've been doing for the past few years. Basically admitting since 2017 they've been retool/rebuilding but couldn't say it.

Getting rid of Hjalmarsson who they clearly knew was breaking down physically was wiser than waiting on him to be more clearly hurt and have less of a return.

 

[HockeySauce]

Their goals were for the playoff, according to who? Your view of it? McDonough?

A key factor was always, long term cost certainty. It was always a look to the future move too.

Getting rid of Hjalmarsson who they clearly knew was breaking down physically was wiser than waiting on him to be more clearly hurt and have less of a return.

According to the GM who went off on a tirade saying a 1st round sweep was unacceptable and not where they expected to be. Like what the actual f*** is with the view of history on this board?

 

[ClydeLee]

According to the GM who went off on a tirade saying a 1st round sweep was unacceptable and not where they expected to be. Like what the actual f*** is with the view of history on this board?

He said he did those moves for. Long term contract security.

How does that not mean, be worse in the short term to be better long term? That was the retool goal focus. He also praised getting younger in the trades. All things long term goal focused.

There were people who understood this for 4 years and those who still don't think when Stan said they're rebuilding and their goal is not the playoffs as untrue. And think the team was not supposed to sell this trade deadline. Different views happen, but it's not some made up fake history to be aware of long term strategies being at odds with the team president's statements.

 

[Pez68]

He 100% was. I had a mistake in my post. The last .75 season he was here he was brutal not 1.75 but he was not good the year prior either. No clue what you are watching if you thought he was good.

When your glasses are broken, you tend to have issues seeing things properly. His eye test glasses are broken.

 

[HockeySauce]

When your glasses are broken, you tend to have issues seeing things properly. His eye test glasses are broken.

What are "eye test" glasses?

 

[Hawkaholic]

So the trade is fine, bc CHI took on the lesser player at the same cost, who 4 years later they can now trade for a package that they could've trumped had they just traded Hammer for a prospects/picks package to begin with?

Younger, lesser player at the time, that eventually surpassed Hjalmarsson over the last 2 years, at the same cost.

Dont think I said anything about what I thought they should have done, just on the trade itself.

 

[Hawkaholic]

3rd pairing guy on a good team? Bitch please, we had the best team for 3 years in the last 11 or so seasons. How many of those years did we have 4 guys better than Murphy on the back end?

2010, we had Keith, Seabrook, Soupy, and a young stud Hammer. That's 4 that are objectively better than Murphy is now. Who do you think was better than him in 2013 or 2015? Don't go lying saying that Oduya (back then) was any better than Murphy is now. Because that's a damn lie.

So 2 of our 3 recent cup wins, with not just good teams, but the best teams in the league, Murphy would've been our 4th best defender.

3rd pair on a good team my ass.

Nah, Oduya was better in 2013. The guy formed great chemistry with Hammer and played amazing defensively.

 

[Chelios]

Murphy is more Campoli to me than he is Hammer/Oduya.

WTF did I just read?

Anyone who thinks that Murphy is anything less than an excellent #4 D is just flat out wrong. He is our best defenceman at the moment, and is a good #3 D man on most teams in the league.

 

[Chelios]

Nah, Oduya was better in 2013. The guy formed great chemistry with Hammer and played amazing defensively.

Oduya had an uncanny connection with Hjammer, so I understand on some level why people might take him over Murphy on those particular teams. But looking at the two as individual defensemen, its Murphy Hands down. Oduya was not highly regarded when the Hawks traded for him.

 

[sandyfalkirk]

Weird that such a page about a warrior as our #4Jammy who was key part of our 3 cups descends into debate about Murphy.

If you put Murphy on 13 or 15 teams he is a great addition. NHL is faster now, Murphys size and reasonable skating would be fine then.

Oduya was great for us but our D corps was 1-2-3 #2, #7 & #4 first and foremost.

​

 

[Salvaged Ship]

You would literally have to decapitate the guy to get him off the ice, and even then he would probably gorilla tape his head back on and be out there. Looking at him you wouldn’t think he was a tough guy but the way he fearlessly blocked shots, played with injury, he was an inspiration.

Enjoy retirement Hammer.

 

[RayP]

WTF did I just read?

Anyone who thinks that Murphy is anything less than an excellent #4 D is just flat out wrong. He is our best defenceman at the moment, and is a good #3 D man on most teams in the league.

Saying he is our best defenseman is hardly some compliment. Our defense is terrible.


I would not consider Murphy a good #3 on a playoff caliber team. With the right partner he’s a good #4 on a good team.

 

[Chelios]

Saying he is our best defenseman is hardly some compliment. Our defense is terrible.


I would not consider Murphy a good #3 on a playoff caliber team. With the right partner he’s a good #4 on a good team.

I realize its not a particularly glowing compliment, which is why I specifically said he is a good number 3 on most teams... which he absolutely is. Sure he might be a #4 on a loaded backend, but on the vast majority of teams in this league he is a strong #3. That is not a stretch. Comparing him to Campoli is.

 

[Hawkaholic]

Oduya had an uncanny connection with Hjammer, so I understand on some level why people might take him over Murphy on those particular teams. But looking at the two as individual defensemen, its Murphy Hands down. Oduya was not highly regarded when the Hawks traded for him.

Looking at the two individual defenseman (2013 Oduya vs 2021 Murphy), I still take Oduya. Oduya wasn't highly regarded when they traded for him, only to turn into part of the best shutdown D pairing in the game at the time. In 2015, he fell off a bit, but was still a very solid Dman.

 

[Chelios]

Looking at the two individual defenseman (2013 Oduya vs 2021 Murphy), I still take Oduya. Oduya wasn't highly regarded when they traded for him, only to turn into part of the best shutdown D pairing in the game at the time. In 2015, he fell off a bit, but was still a very solid Dman.

Fair enough. But the fact that it always needs to be qualified with "pairing" is telling. I have a hard time believing that Oduya would look anywhere near as good as he looked with Hjammer if he was playing with the revolving door of partners Murphy has played with the past few years.

 

[Pez68]

Fair enough. But the fact that it always needs to be qualified with "pairing" is telling. I have a hard time believing that Oduya would look anywhere near as good as he looked with Hjammer if he was playing with the revolving door of partners Murphy has played with the past few years.

Hammer made all of his partners better. It's hard to tell what Oduya really was, aside from the perfect partner for Hammer, and a rock solid #4 for the Hawks.