Thoughts on the Chicago Blackhawks?

[Skobel24]

I actually liked the Panarin trade from Chicago's perspective.

 

[HighNote]

They're significantly worse. They've got Kane, Toews, Keith, Saad, Panik, Crawford, and Anisimov. After those guys it gets real thin, especially on defense. If one of Keith, Crawford, or Kane go down for an extended period, I think their chances of making the playoffs are cut in half, and in my opinion, their chances aren't that great already. I've got Nashville, St. Louis, and Minnesota as easily better than Chicago. Dallas and Winnipeg could also easily be ahead of them at the end of the year. Chicago should be shooting for a wild card spot. I don't think it will matter, however, if they make the playoffs or not because I'm guessing it will be a third straight first round exit for them if they do. This is the first year where you will clearly see the Hawks in decline.

 

[axecrew]

For living in Chicago, you sure don't know much about the city or it's fanbase. I guess all those people go to Bears' games because they hopped on the 85 bandwagon and forgot to jump off?

The Cubs have been huge forever in this city, mostly because they were the "lovable losers" and Wrigley is known as "the biggest bar on earth". The Blackhawks were huge until Bill Wirtz screwed over the entire fanbase. He died, his son took over and made changes, and the team was popular again. They had already started filling the building before they won the first cup in 2010...

Actually I know a lot more than you think...had you bothered to comprehend what I wrote, I was talking about all the bandwagon fans who think the NHL started in 2010. Nowhere did I say there weren't real fans before that same with the Cubs...same with the Bulls in the 90's... the 85 Bears. All of those teams had rabid followers and all of them also have the band wagon fans when they are winning.

But we are speaking of the hawks so...here we go...I can remember going to games in the mid 2000's where the announced attendance was 14,000 and the only way there were that many is if you counted everyone in the building twice including players and employees. It was more like 5-6,000. Not to mention lets talk about the ESPN feature on Hockey in Chicago on a sunday where both the hawks and wolves were at home at the same time one game starting at 3 and one at 4...the wolves outdrew the hawks that night and caused the hawks to "refuse to make anyone available" when asked to comment for the story by ESPN. That is an undisputed fact...I believe the piece was done by John Saunders. So truthfully attendance didn't really start to pick up until a year or two before the 2010 cup...Bill Wirtz had been screwing the fans for a lot longer than the Kane and Toews era believe me. Yes the hawks have rabid passionate LONG TIME fans no doubt..BUT they also have a ton of 7 years fans along for the ride while they win...those are the fans I'm talking about...case in point...during the 2013 finals I was talking with a couple of buddies of mine with a member of the Bruins...a hawks "fan" started talking crap at the player and basically embarrassing themselves...my one buddy looked at her and said..."Name 5 black hawk players and kane and toews don't count." She couldn't do it and then got pissed at everyone laughing at her told him to bleep off and walked away...THOSE are the fans I'm talking about.

 

[Pez68]

Actually I know a lot more than you think...had you bothered to comprehend what I wrote, I was talking about all the bandwagon fans who think the NHL started in 2010. Nowhere did I say there weren't real fans before that same with the Cubs...same with the Bulls in the 90's... the 85 Bears. All of those teams had rabid followers and all of them also have the band wagon fans when they are winning.

But we are speaking of the hawks so...here we go...I can remember going to games in the mid 2000's where the announced attendance was 14,000 and the only way there were that many is if you counted everyone in the building twice including players and employees. It was more like 5-6,000. Not to mention lets talk about the ESPN feature on Hockey in Chicago on a sunday where both the hawks and wolves were at home at the same time one game starting at 3 and one at 4...the wolves outdrew the hawks that night and caused the hawks to "refuse to make anyone available" when asked to comment for the story by ESPN. That is an undisputed fact...I believe the piece was done by John Saunders. So truthfully attendance didn't really start to pick up until a year or two before the 2010 cup...Bill Wirtz had been screwing the fans for a lot longer than the Kane and Toews era believe me. Yes the hawks have rabid passionate LONG TIME fans no doubt..BUT they also have a ton of 7 years fans along for the ride while they win...those are the fans I'm talking about...case in point...during the 2013 finals I was talking with a couple of buddies of mine with a member of the Bruins...a hawks "fan" started talking crap at the player and basically embarrassing themselves...my one buddy looked at her and said..."Name 5 black hawk players and kane and toews don't count." She couldn't do it and then got pissed at everyone laughing at her told him to bleep off and walked away...THOSE are the fans I'm talking about.

Here here...the truth has spoken...that sound you now hear ...that click is the last person on the wagon turning off the lights. These fans are some of the biggest bandwagon fans in the world...I live here so I should know.

That's your quote. Next time don't generalize and lump everyone together. Hawks' fans are far from "some of the biggest bandwagon fans in the world".

It's the third largest city in the country. Of course there's a huge number of bandwagon fans. Just like every other major sports team in the country....

 

[ViktorBaeArvidsson]

The Panthers did really well when they changed their team around, oh wait... (Then again they had like 200+ missed games from players getting hurt)

 

[GordieHowsUrBreath]

Call me crazy if you wish but I think they win the Cup next season. I said sometime last calendar year that I thought the Hawks would get one more Cup before the end of the decade, so I'm going to stick with that prediction.

crazy

 

[axecrew]

That's your quote. Next time don't generalize and lump everyone together. Hawks' fans are far from "some of the biggest bandwagon fans in the world".

It's the third largest city in the country. Of course there's a huge number of bandwagon fans. Just like every other major sports team in the country....

I stand by what I said...hawks fans are some of if not the biggest bandwagon fans in the world.

 

[Uncle Scrooge]

Call me crazy if you wish but I think they win the Cup next season. I said sometime last calendar year that I thought the Hawks would get one more Cup before the end of the decade, so I'm going to stick with that prediction.

You might not be wrong, but that doesn't mean they win the cup next season, or don't take a step back.

I think they're going through somewhat of a re-tooling phase where they're waiting for their young guys to make bigger and bigger impact before being a contending team again. The next couple of years is the time where i think it's fair to expect them to hit a low point, until they get better again and possibly win one more cup in the Kane/Toews/Keith era.

The thing about re-tooling is that there's usually heavier ups and downs, and missing the playoffs is a bigger possibility, compared to teams that have things set.

17-18 is really the first year where we're going to see this happen IMO. I expect some of their young guys to face adversity and the absence of Hossa/Hammer and the lack of a dynamic duo in Kane/Panarin is going to take some time to get used to. Hawks won a lot of tight games last season and those things can tip the scale the wrong way this time around.

I could easily see how this goes.. People start to completely write the Hawks off in the next couple of years saying they're done, they suck etc. etc. etc. then they suddenly improve a lot through their young guys hitting next levels and with lowered expectations prior the season and their core guys still not super old, they make it to the finals.

 

[GaryU]

I stand by what I said...hawks fans are some of if not the biggest bandwagon fans in the world.

Being one, you'd know.

 

[Elephant Igloo]

Pains me to say it but they could finish near the bottom of the conference. Hossa is an enormous loss, Hjalmarsson is an enormous loss, and Toews gets worse and worse every year. They could bottom out.

 

[ChiHawks10]

I stand by what I said...hawks fans are some of if not the biggest bandwagon fans in the world.

This city has always had a rabid Blackhawks following. There has been a diehard fanbase forever. Even in the sad, pathetic, late 90's and early 2000's era. Where Wirtz wouldn't pay a single player, and every iconic Hawk of the modern day left for greener pastures, and greener wallets. Dollar Bill's legacy, right there.

You talk like you know anything about the Hawks or the city, and the fanbase of this team... but it's pretty clear you're not as well-versed as you think. Because you'd know that there was ALWAYS a huge following of the Hawks in this city.

You're aware the Hawks have sold out every single game since 2008. And were starting to fill the stadium prior to that, after Toews and Kane were drafted in subsequent years, right? During the 07-08 season they had 15+ sellouts, and numerous games close to that mark. In 2008 they started their current sellout streak. You know what that is attributed to? Not bandwagon fans, because they hadn't even won a Cup yet. That is the Blackhawks faithful recognizing the turn-around in the franchise, and coming back.

The city seems like it has a massive following of bandwagon fans because the vast majority of the fans abandoned the team due to the owner in the mid 90's to mid 2000's, and then came back to them after he died. Plain and simple.

And what is wrong with bandwagon fans, anyways? As a diehard hockey player, hockey fan, and Hawks fan spanning my entire life, I encourage it. It's growth for the best sport in the world in my hometown city. I'll never complain about it. A fan is a fan. Whether you like it or not, it's good for the city, and good for the franchise. What seems to be the problem with them? They don't know the game as well as you? They don't know the players as well as you? So educate them

 

[ColdSteel2]

Right?!?! I stuck with them all the way through, though I will admit there were a few years I just did other things than listen to Blackhawk games on the frickin radio. **** em. I mean that too, even now. Bandwagon fans are just new fans. And you guys blather on about "growing the game" which is clearly b.s.

 

[DRW204]

I think they will be fine.

Hartman will push for 25-30 goals, and Schmaltz will be around 35-40 points as a 3C

 

[ChiHawks10]

I think they will be fine.

Hartman will push for 25-30 goals, and Schmaltz will be around 35-40 points as a 3C

And if he plays on Kane's wing, which is a possibility, I project him to hit around 50-55 points, honestly.

 

[ColdSteel2]

That's really what this all comes down to. Look at the prospect rankings on HF and the discussion. Hartman and Schmaltz are low end prospects in the eyes of many. If they actually were, then yeah, were not making the playoffs and could bottom out hard.

 

[ColdSteel2]

"We do nothing but eat corn on the cob and watch hockey where I come from, you yuppies!"

 

[Sypher04]

First year in a long time where I can honestly say I'm not convinced they'll make the post season.

 

[JustABlackhawksFan]

Defense is ... yuck. Hjalmarsson will be missed. Say what you want about him maybe starting to decline, but if we're speaking strictly about this upcoming season, Murphy is a significant downgrade. And we know how everyone feels about Seabrook. Kempny and Forsling are still relatively unproven and Rutta is completely unproven. So the only good defenseman is Keith at the moment? And even Keith is not what he once was.

Re the forwards, I believe Panarin will be missed on offense more than most Hawks fans seem to think. Hossa is a huge loss. Last season showed he still has plenty left in the tank. Bringing Saad in will help alleviate that somewhat, but he can't replace Panarin AND Hossa. It's nice to have Sharp back but Sharp is nowhere near the player he used to be.

And does getting Saad back really boost Toews? Because if that was a part of the reason for the trade, then there are no excuses for Toews anymore if he still is bad.

In short, I really would not be surprised if this team misses the playoffs. They might make it as a wildcard spot, but even if so, I can't imagine they do much damage. I'd be thrilled to be wrong, but this is just how I feel. I don't see how anybody could think the moves made this offseason made the team better, at least in the short term.

 

[Hawkaholic]

Defense is ... yuck. Hjalmarsson will be missed. Say what you want about him maybe starting to decline, but if we're speaking strictly about this upcoming season, Murphy is a significant downgrade. And we know how everyone feels about Seabrook. Kempny and Forsling are still relatively unproven and Rutta is completely unproven. So the only good defenseman is Keith at the moment? And even Keith is not what he once was.

So all of the sudden Murphy isn't any good? Where do people come up with this stuff?

 

[ColdSteel2]

So all of the sudden Murphy isn't any good? Where do people come up with this stuff?

Seems like Dave Tippet is held in VERY high regard on HF. Funny, I also got the opposite vibe until the Hawks traded for Murphy. Murphy is a beast in World Championship play but I guess NHL play holds more value than international play on HF. Funny though, never seemed to notice that before.

 

[WTFMAN99]

2nd pairing could be a concern and offensive depth could be a concern.

 

[ColdSteel2]

2nd pairing could be a concern and offensive depth could be a concern.

Anything could be a concern. The forwards are fine. The D yeah, it's a concern, but there a bunch of wild cards, surely a couple will hit and leave us with at least an average D.

Saad-Toews-Panik
Hartman-Anisimov-Kane

That top 6 is sick. Not sure what else you'd want.

Sharp-Schmaltz-Hayden/???

I guess RW is up in the air but it's not exactly hard to find a 3RW. It's still a line that should produce points and be decent on the backcheck.

4th line, brought in a lot of guys, will have to filter through them, should at least be average. I mean, you look at that top 9, those are all guys that you want playing as many minutes as possible.

 

[JustABlackhawksFan]

So all of the sudden Murphy isn't any good? Where do people come up with this stuff?

He's not awful, but he's definitely a downgrade from Hjalmarsson, even though his cap hit is almost as high. If Hjalmarsson continues to decline or whatever, and Murphy develops into a great defenseman, then yeah, the trade will be worth it. But that depends on Murphy panning out, which will take time to see. Strictly speaking about next season, he's a downgrade.

So the defense last year, which resulted in a first-round ass-kicking, is even worse this year. That doesn't bode well.

 

[ChiHawks10]

He's not awful, but he's definitely a downgrade from Hjalmarsson, even though his cap hit is almost as high. If Hjalmarsson continues to decline or whatever, and Murphy develops into a great defenseman, then yeah, the trade will be worth it. But that depends on Murphy panning out, which will take time to see. Strictly speaking about next season, he's a downgrade.

So the defense last year, which resulted in a first-round ass-kicking, is even worse this year. That doesn't bode well.

Kempny will be playing full time. How is that a downgrade from last year? Forsling will be playing instead of trash. How is that a downgrade? Then you have wildcards in guys like Oesterle and Rutta. And I expect Murphy will look pretty good on the back-end for the Hawks. He put up respectable numbers on an absolutely terrible team last year...

Keith - Murphy
Kempny - Seabrook
Forsling - Rutta/Oesterle

And obviously there will be something done with Hossa's money...

To me... the D isn't necessarily worse. It's just a huge question mark until we see the development of Kempny, Forsling, and Murphy. And see what Rutta and Oesterle have to offer. You can't make any bold statements about this D until at least half-way through the season, IMO.

 

[ChiHawks10]

2nd pairing could be a concern and offensive depth could be a concern.

Every single team has concerns...

To address yours, though. Kempny and Seabs will likely be the 2nd pairing. They were good together last year when they were paired. Not concerned about that, so long as that is the pairing.

As far as offensive depth... I think the Hawks will shock some people in this regard. Just have to wait and see if a couple of the young guys take another step forward in their development. If that happens, and I expect it will, the Hawks won't have problems burying the puck.