Quoting: ChiHawk
I get it, you're a glass half empty type of guy based on your rants about the team, management, and players. You are extremely critical of the team and the players which I know you and most of our brothers here would agree with. I can only imagine you weren't a fan for the 10 to 12 years leading up to the first of three cups in the last decade because those were years when the fans had real reason to be so critical and upset. This team brought 3 cups in the last decade and the team of the decade as voted by coaches, players and the NHL. They are still a lot of fun to watch, they are going through a retooling and will be back in the playoffs in the next couple years. Fans of 29 other teams would love to have the Hawks roster over the last 10 years. You simply can't win every year or even make the playoffs every year..that's just the way it is with a hard cap and what makes hockey a much better overall sport to follow then other sports...it's the ultimate team sport with the most parity in all professional sports.
Regarding Dach, for someone not to like the top 2 best prospects this team has seen in 10 years amazes me. Shaw, Ladd, Bickell were nowhere near Dach in skill. Dach is the best center the Hawks have seen since Toews and we desperately needed a center to fill the shoes when Toews is gone...Strome is not that guy and Turcotte is a big question mark so the Hawks did exactly what they should have done with the #3 pick as evidence by the fact both Colorado and LA had Dach as their #1 pick also...widely reported. If you don't like his game, then I guess that sucks knowing you will be watching for the next 10 years with likely a C or A on his chest eventually because he is the future leader of this team as it stands today. Like I said, pre and post draft wasn't a big fan, but watching him...the kid has a ton of talent and I was wrong. Rarely have I said I don't like a A caliber player's game...just seems strange to me.
Believe me, I’ve been a fan of this team since 1994 when I saw my first game as a 4 year old. Back then, I understand the pain and why it was happening. Bill wirtz ruined a great deal of the 90s and the first 7 years of the millennium due to his policies. Back then, dollar bill was all I knew. Back then, the owner DIDNT MIND THAT THE TEAM WAS BAD. That’s an important distinction to make. I didn’t care how bad they were because it was the standard the OWNER set for the team. Again, That’s a very important Distinction to make. Once rocky took over, things changed. Success was actually a priority. Cups arrived and legends were made. A NEW STANDARD WAS SET. Again, distinctions. This became expected. You can’t win every year, but you damn sure do what’s best for the team as a whole. Be it drafting, free agents, contracts, coaches, GMs, etc., everyone was held accountable. Now, after three years, I don’t see that standard anymore. A standard more familiar to dollar bill seems to be creeping in. Yes, this is a sport of parity and team emphasis, but i want to believe rocky still wants this team to thrive.
As for Dach, who knows bowman may trade like he does all 1st rounders, lol. Everyone and their blind mother knows Dach isn’t like bickell, Shaw, and Ladd. Again, just trying to emphasize I don’t like all hawks. As for Dach being the best center we’ve seen since toews, that’s not asking a lot considering the low bar our drafting of centers has set. I think danault is the only other one I can think of. No, I don’t like his game. Even if I live through ten years of him, that won’t change and that’s fine! If he gets the C or A, good for him. I hope he proves me wrong and actually wins a cup. But if I don’t like him or style, I’m not gonna make the mistake of having high expectations from him. I don’t think I understand who the other top 2 prospect you’re thinking of is though???
I’ll still love the hawks despite him, bowman, and JC. I just hope the standard still is “one goal,” instead of “small goals.”