Which player from 2013-14 do you expect to be the most improved going into 2014-15?

[Kurtosis]

I can mention him and did. I think he will be the most improved player on the roster. I don't have faith in Versteeg nor Bickell at this point.

You are batting sub .100 on making relevant contributions so I couldn't care less what you have to say Hawknut. Lo and behold you haven't even thrown your hat into the ring. Can't say I'm surprised about that.

 

[ColdSteel2]

I can mention him and did. I think he will be the most improved player on the roster. I don't have faith in Versteeg nor Bickell at this point.

You are batting sub .100 on making relevant contributions so I couldn't care less what you have to say Hawknut. Lo and behold you haven't even thrown your hat into the ring. Can't say I'm surprised about that.

Just stop. It was a stupid name to bring up. Just park it there and stop embarrassing yourself.

 

[UsernameWasTaken]

Just stop. It was a stupid name to bring up. Just park it there and stop embarrassing yourself.

It's not stupid at all. Morin is an excellent candidate for 'most improved'.

It's dumber to say that Bickell will show great improvement even though he's been pretty mediocre every year (except those playoffs where he wanted his big contract). Bickell will be as underwhelming as ever.

 

[ColdSteel2]

There's no NHL baseline. He's and oversaturated good prospect on a great team. Of course he is going to help the team get better.

 

[Kurtosis]

Just stop. It was a stupid name to bring up. Just park it there and stop embarrassing yourself.

It wasn't a stupid name to bring up. Neither were Versteeg or Bickell. So with that I'm going to keep on keeping on.

Cheers.

 

[Kurtosis]

Most improved doesn't necessarily require a baseline either. I think we are going to see strides in his game. I don't know if the same can be said for Bickell or Versteeg. I think Leddy would be a better choice than those two to be honest.

 

[hawksrule]

Bickell will absolutely improve. He can't get any worse. Versteeg is another guy I think bounces back nicely.

Not getting worse doesn't necessitate improvement. Bickell is a huge disappointment, imo. I'd love for him to bounce back with a strong season, but I don't see any reason to think he will. He is what he is, which is an expensive mistake on Stan's part.

Agree on Versteeg. He could be a valuable contributor if fully healthy.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

Just stop. It was a stupid name to bring up. Just park it there and stop embarrassing yourself.

Weren't you saying the other day that people need to get over themselves?

 

[ColdSteel2]

Weren't you saying the other day that people need to get over themselves?

Yeah, and nothing changed, predictably. **** it, I can be like that too.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

Be the change you want to see in the world. And unless the question is which player will have the most improved NHL season from last year Morin is just fine an answer.

So just park it there and stop embarrassing yourself.

 

[Hawkaholic]

I can see where people see Morin can be most improved, only if nobody else on the team improves from last year.

Morin played at a 37pt pace last year, do people really think he is going to get around 50pts next year?

Bickell and Versteeg are the obvious answers. I can see Bickell getting 40pts, and/or Versteeg getting 50pts, I can't see Morin getting 50pts.

 

[No Fun Shogun]

Expecting Saad to take another step forward, and Bickell to up his game as well, assuming he's still with us. Would like to see Versteeg and Leddy improve as well with us, but let's just say that my hopes aren't very high there.

 

[Sarava]

I can see where people see Morin can be most improved, only if nobody else on the team improves from last year.

Morin played at a 37pt pace last year, do people really think he is going to get around 50pts next year?

Bickell and Versteeg are the obvious answers. I can see Bickell getting 40pts, and/or Versteeg getting 50pts, I can't see Morin getting 50pts.

I don't think you compare it to that 37 point pace. Remember Morin's playing time was mostly while Toews and Kane were out with injuries. A lot of guys were getting more prime icetime than they normally would. When those guys came back for the playoffs, Morin spent most of his time in the pressbox.

I picked Morin also. My thinking is if he goes from an AHL regular who only makes splashes here and there (and wasn't used in the playoffs much despite being healthy) to being a regular contributor...then he is most improved in a landslide.

 

[Bubba88]

do we talk about the numbers or getting better as a hockey player?

if it's the first it's easy to say Bickell and Versteeg. If it's the second it's easy to say Leddy, Raanta and Morin

 

[Hawkaholic]

I don't think you compare it to that 37 point pace. Remember Morin's playing time was mostly while Toews and Kane were out with injuries. A lot of guys were getting more prime icetime than they normally would. When those guys came back for the playoffs, Morin spent most of his time in the pressbox.

I picked Morin also. My thinking is if he goes from an AHL regular who only makes splashes here and there (and wasn't used in the playoffs much despite being healthy) to being a regular contributor...then he is most improved in a landslide.

But if he scores 37pts, did he really improve, or was he just given more of an opportunity to play? My opinion is the latter. The reason he didn't play last year wasn't because he was an AHLer/NHLer tweener, it was because we decided to play Bollig instead. Bollig won't be standing in the way this year.

For me, for Morin to be the most improved, Bickell and Versteeg (or some other player) doesn't improve upon his point totals by ~15pts from last year, and Morin scores 45+pts, becoming a mainstay on the 3rd line getting a regular shift (15mins+/night).

 

[BobbyJet]

do we talk about the numbers or getting better as a hockey player?

if it's the first it's easy to say Bickell and Versteeg. If it's the second it's easy to say Leddy, Raanta and Morin

Exactly. Better numbers are sometimes a by-product of better overall play, but not always. Stats can often be more deceiving than eye opening. I certainly expect both Versteeg and BB to look much better on paper this coming season. In Versteeg's case, hopefully, it makes his trade value increase, leading up to the TD.

In general, any Hawk, especially those under 30, can be better, and I'd like to think they will be.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

Scoring at a 37 point pace and scoring 37 points are two very different things.

 

[ManChild20]

Versteeg is my choice. I was excited when they brought him back, and I think the injury held him back. I'm expecting a much better season out of him this year. If fully healthy I think he can get back to being a 20 goal scorer.

 

[x Tame Impala]

I think we're all going to be surprised by Rundblad.

 

[Kurtosis]

I think we're all going to be surprised by Rundblad.

Positively? Or negatively?

 

[x Tame Impala]

Positively. Stan has wanted this guy for a while. He gave up a 2nd for him. I don't know much of anything about player development or drafting/scouting but I know the Hawks have one of the better prospect pools in the league and Stan has made a point to put an emphasis on developing players.

Trusting Bowman and his scouts on this one.

 

[Kurtosis]

I hope you're right, but based on what he looked like last season and how much he has been shuffled around the league I am not too optimistic.

 

[BobbyJet]

I hope you're right, but based on what he looked like last season and how much he has been shuffled around the league I am not too optimistic.

Yep. Hopefully it's just a matter of confidence that's holding Rundblad back.
From what he's shown, he looks very much like a talented player that just can't hack it at the NHL level.

 

[LandofLincoln*]

Clendening

I expect him to make the big club and QB the power play.

 

[Bubba88]

Rundblad fits that topic for sure