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A Different Approach

Created by: NickC1988
Team: 2020-21 Chicago Blackhawks
Initial Creation Date: Jul. 5, 2020
Published: Jul. 5, 2020
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I know most hawks fans on here want to move on from Strome, acquire Brodin, and re-sign Crawford but I just feel like there's couple problems with that strategy. I'm not saying anyone is right or wrong, but I want to get some general feelers about the points I'm making below.

1. Who replaces Crawford on a one or two year deal? Lehner would be a long term solution, there isn't enough to support Delia or Lankinen having the potential to challenge for a #1 role even though I really liked Lankinen at the world championships last season. The hawks do not have a goalie prospect in the system that has shown true starter potential. Lehner buys the hawks a lot of time while keeping them competitive in the Kane and Toews window.

2. In order to get a consistent goalie, Brodin coming with a $6x6 extension only tightens the hawks in the future. Strome would be cheaper for the next two seasons. If the hawks don't need him next season, they can still move him and surely other assets will be available. The hawks have spent the past several seasons drafting defensemen in the first two rounds. Boqvist, Mitchell, Jokiharju (To BUF for Nylander), Vlasic, Krys and Beaudin. Locking up Brodin for 6 seasons will take a spot from one of those left handed defensemen. I like how the hawks are set up defensively, with young options close to being ready. I don't think it's a great idea to move Maatta and Strome just to get more term in Brodin. Although Brodin is far superior, we don't know how developed Beaudin, Krys or Vlasic will be in two seasons, but at least one of them will be NHL ready, I don't doubt that for a second.

3. Strome still has a lot of room to grow. We have seen him take steps and improve his game since the trade, but we all know he has another level to get to as a former top 5 pick. I don't see the need to rush a move to deal Strome. Having him as a 3C may not be ideal, but if he can turn into a Nugent-Hopkins type shut down C in the 50-60 point range, I think his trade value will climb and the hawks may be able to get a more cost effective piece in return.

4. I see Seabrook and Seeler rotating in and out of the line up a ton. Mitchell and Seeler is not a pairing I'd be confident in just because Mitchell is such a question mark. If he can have a breakout rookie season, that'll facilitate this greatly as he'd be able to play minutes with De Haan or Keith and the hawks have many more options. The Hawks will be looking to move Seabrook at some point in the near future, but with a flat cap, it's nearly impossible to find a will team to take several sweeteners for his contract. It's just another reason for the Blackhawks to make a more conservative approach to this offseason.

Even in this scenario, the hawks are tight to the cap ceiling, but they set themselves up for the future. Moving on from Seabrook will allow them much more cap flexibility. With Maatta, this team would be spending ~$28 million on 6 defenseman, which is too much in my opinion. Don't read too much into the lines, I meant for this post to be more about discussion from a management perspective, not a coaching perspective.
Free Agent Signings
RFAYEARSCAP HIT
1$1,650,000
2$3,750,000
2$3,750,000
UFAYEARSCAP HIT
7$7,000,000
Trades
1.
CHI
  1. 2021 3rd round pick (ARI)
2.
CHI
  1. 2020 4th round pick (PHI)
PHI
  1. Koekkoek, Slater [RFA Rights]
Buried
DraftRound 1Round 2Round 3Round 4Round 5Round 6Round 7
2020
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2021
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2022
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ROSTER SIZESALARY CAPCAP HITOVERAGES TooltipBONUSESCAP SPACE
22$81,500,000$73,561,206$1,090,244$5,050,000$7,938,794
Left WingCentreRight Wing
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$6,400,000$6,400,000
LW, RW
UFA - 3
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$10,500,000$10,500,000
C
NMC
UFA - 3
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$3,750,000$3,750,000
LW, RW
UFA - 2
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$863,333$863,333 (Performance Bonus$850,000$850K)
RW, LW
RFA - 1
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$925,000$925,000 (Performance Bonus$2,500,000$2M)
C, RW
RFA - 2
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$2,625,000$2,625,000
RW
NMC
UFA - 3
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$1,650,000$1,650,000
LW, RW
UFA - 1
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$3,750,000$3,750,000
C
UFA - 2
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$5,000,000$5,000,000
LW, RW
M-NTC
UFA - 1
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$725,000$725,000
LW, RW
UFA - 2
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$1,000,000$1,000,000
C
UFA - 1
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$1,000,000$1,000,000
RW, C
UFA - 2
Left DefenseRight DefenseGoaltender
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$5,538,462$5,538,462
LD
NMC
UFA - 3
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$894,167$894,167 (Performance Bonus$850,000$850K)
RD
RFA - 2
$7,000,000$7,000,000
G
UFA - 5
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$4,550,000$4,550,000
LD/RD
UFA - 2
Logo of the Chicago Blackhawks
$3,850,000$3,850,000
RD
UFA - 2
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$1,000,000$1,000,000
G
UFA - 2
Logo of the Chicago Blackhawks
$725,000$725,000
LD/RD
UFA - 1
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$925,000$925,000 (Performance Bonus$850,000$850K)
RD
RFA - 3
ScratchesInjured Reserve (IR)Long Term IR (LTIR)
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$750,000$750,000
LW, RW, C
UFA - 1
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$3,900,000$3,900,000
C, RW
UFA - 2
Logo of the Chicago Blackhawks
$6,875,000$6,875,000
RD
NMC
UFA - 4

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Jul. 5, 2020 at 8:11 p.m.
#1
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I agree with most of it, but I hope Seeler doesnt play another game in a Hawks uniform unless we are actively tanking. Dude blows. Put Carlsson or Krys in instead. I also dont have high hopes for Krys anymore, its been several years and hes done nothing outside of the first year he was drafted, and my expectations for Vlasic are going to stay low until he proves me wrong. I think it is better to have guys and not plan on guys developing. I also dont think Vlasic is NHL ready for atleast 2 or 3 more years anyway. I think Crawford still is a viable goalie for the next 2 years, he was outstanding this season after the first couple weeks. Overall, my stance is that unless we get Lafreniere (or even if we do) we should let the kids play, force them to play well or we just get another high draft pick. That includes letting Delia and Lankinen ride it out, maybe have Subban in the minors in case we need him. I think we give Strome a 1 or 2 year contract to see where his value goes. If it goes up, we can trade him for more, or if it goes down, he can still be our 3c no big deal. In my vein of the "youth movement" I think Saad should get traded (that is if we are not planning on genuinely contending), I think Kurashev should come up, maybe give Barratt some time to see what he can do, let Carlsson ride it out and prove himself some more. I just think we need to pick a path and stick to it rather than riding on indecision of whether we are contending or not.
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Jul. 5, 2020 at 8:22 p.m.
#2
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Quoting: SlickWilly
I agree with most of it, but I hope Seeler doesnt play another game in a Hawks uniform unless we are actively tanking. Dude blows. Put Carlsson or Krys in instead. I also dont have high hopes for Krys anymore, its been several years and hes done nothing outside of the first year he was drafted, and my expectations for Vlasic are going to stay low until he proves me wrong. I think it is better to have guys and not plan on guys developing. I also dont think Vlasic is NHL ready for atleast 2 or 3 more years anyway. I think Crawford still is a viable goalie for the next 2 years, he was outstanding this season after the first couple weeks. Overall, my stance is that unless we get Lafreniere (or even if we do) we should let the kids play, force them to play well or we just get another high draft pick. That includes letting Delia and Lankinen ride it out, maybe have Subban in the minors in case we need him. I think we give Strome a 1 or 2 year contract to see where his value goes. If it goes up, we can trade him for more, or if it goes down, he can still be our 3c no big deal. In my vein of the "youth movement" I think Saad should get traded (that is if we are not planning on genuinely contending), I think Kurashev should come up, maybe give Barratt some time to see what he can do, let Carlsson ride it out and prove himself some more. I just think we need to pick a path and stick to it rather than riding on indecision of whether we are contending or not.


I rather remain competitive with Lehner long term while Toews and Kane are still in their prime. Seeler is a cheap option. The hawks want guys like Beaudin, Carlsson, Krys, and Vlasic to get bigger minutes for development purposes. Seeler wasn't really given a true chance to perform. At 725K, I'd be happy to give him another shot. Like you said, Carlsson or Krys can play, they're just a call up away if it's needed. I think Saad would stay for less money, as I don't think any team is willing to give him a raise. It's not an easy conversation to have with Toews and Kane that the team will "retool", that's simply not in their nature. While it does make sense to pick a path, it's more likely they try to get into the playoffs.
Jul. 5, 2020 at 8:56 p.m.
#3
Kyle from Chicago
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Count me as one of the Chicago fans who doesn't want to move on from Strome. 👍







😈I don't like the Strome for Brodin trade from Chicagos POV😈
Jul. 5, 2020 at 9:11 p.m.
#4
Roviet_Sussia
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1. I feel CHI needs to see what both Delia and Lankinen can do at the NHL level with a decent amount of starts between those two prospects. A goaltender used to tandems like Khudobin or even Markstrom (if he's willing to move on from Vancouver) would be my signing. I'm still, however, in favor of re-signing Crawford because he had experience being part of a tandem this past season with Lehner.

2. Keith has already started to descend his age curve, so I've been a fan of acquiring Brodin to replace him as the No. 1 defenseman. That acquisition would be dependent on Keith being subsequently traded or relegated to lesser minutes, which I don't see CHI having the balls to do that.

Despite his footspeed, I don't mind keeping Strome either; if I'm Bowman, I'd try signing him to a cheaper bridge with term and line up his contract expiration with Toews'. It'd be tumultuous having him and DeBrincat expire the same year, but it's a side-effect worth having to make sure you prioritize the younger players over veterans like Toews, Kane, Keith, etc.

3. I agree with Strome having room to grow. Strome's analytics have always been pretty nice considering some of the worries fans express about him. This past season pissed me off when Colliton started him out on the wing; Strome has to be in the center role to succeed and grow as a player.

4. I would keep Koekkoek 110% over Seeler. He's better in just about every manner, especially in an analytical sense. Mitchell is going to be extremely effective for CHI next season in whatever capacity, and Koekkoek isn't going to weigh him down like Seeler would.

On a side note, I saw that Seabrook is aiming to return for the play-in round against EDM; it's pretty evident he's not going to want to sit on LTIR for the duration of his contract. If I were the GM, I would just bite the bullet and buy him out. We're going to have a lot of ELC players on the back-end in the coming years, and I feel we would be able to eat it without having to throw away a 1st round pick+. CHI could bridge Dach and Boqvist out of the terrible third and fourth years of the buyout and skate into the low-impact years (2024 and on is a negligible $780k).
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Jul. 5, 2020 at 9:25 p.m.
#5
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Quoting: SlickWilly
I agree with most of it, but I hope Seeler doesnt play another game in a Hawks uniform unless we are actively tanking. Dude blows. Put Carlsson or Krys in instead. I also dont have high hopes for Krys anymore, its been several years and hes done nothing outside of the first year he was drafted, and my expectations for Vlasic are going to stay low until he proves me wrong. I think it is better to have guys and not plan on guys developing. I also dont think Vlasic is NHL ready for atleast 2 or 3 more years anyway. I think Crawford still is a viable goalie for the next 2 years, he was outstanding this season after the first couple weeks. Overall, my stance is that unless we get Lafreniere (or even if we do) we should let the kids play, force them to play well or we just get another high draft pick. That includes letting Delia and Lankinen ride it out, maybe have Subban in the minors in case we need him. I think we give Strome a 1 or 2 year contract to see where his value goes. If it goes up, we can trade him for more, or if it goes down, he can still be our 3c no big deal. In my vein of the "youth movement" I think Saad should get traded (that is if we are not planning on genuinely contending), I think Kurashev should come up, maybe give Barratt some time to see what he can do, let Carlsson ride it out and prove himself some more. I just think we need to pick a path and stick to it rather than riding on indecision of whether we are contending or not.


I 100% agree with this. We need to pick a plan and not keep staying in the middle. Doing what we are doing now is just as wasteful to Toews/Kane as rebuilding is. We either need to rebuild for the next two or three years and try to contend again once toews , kieth and kane's contracts expire and they hopefully and most likley resign (Toews and Kieth possibly for cheaper than their current cap hit). The other option is to load up and try to reopen the championship window right now for another 2-3 years.I honeslty think we are better off loading up and trying to contend now. The core isn't getting any younger. Eigther way, managment needs to make a descision and stick with it. We eigther be like the penguins and force the window to stay open just a bit longer or we rebuild like the Rangers, Kings, and Ducks are doing.
Jul. 5, 2020 at 9:37 p.m.
#6
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Quoting: Roviet_Sussia
1. I feel CHI needs to see what both Delia and Lankinen can do at the NHL level with a decent amount of starts between those two prospects. A goaltender used to tandems like Khudobin or even Markstrom (if he's willing to move on from Vancouver) would be my signing. I'm still, however, in favor of re-signing Crawford because he had experience being part of a tandem this past season with Lehner.

2. Keith has already started to descend his age curve, so I've been a fan of acquiring Brodin to replace him as the No. 1 defenseman. That acquisition would be dependent on Keith being subsequently traded or relegated to lesser minutes, which I don't see CHI having the balls to do that.

Despite his footspeed, I don't mind keeping Strome either; if I'm Bowman, I'd try signing him to a cheaper bridge with term and line up his contract expiration with Toews'. It'd be tumultuous having him and DeBrincat expire the same year, but it's a side-effect worth having to make sure you prioritize the younger players over veterans like Toews, Kane, Keith, etc.

3. I agree with Strome having room to grow. Strome's analytics have always been pretty nice considering some of the worries fans express about him. This past season pissed me off when Colliton started him out on the wing; Strome has to be in the center role to succeed and grow as a player.

4. I would keep Koekkoek 110% over Seeler. He's better in just about every manner, especially in an analytical sense. Mitchell is going to be extremely effective for CHI next season in whatever capacity, and Koekkoek isn't going to weigh him down like Seeler would.

On a side note, I saw that Seabrook is aiming to return for the play-in round against EDM; it's pretty evident he's not going to want to sit on LTIR for the duration of his contract. If I were the GM, I would just bite the bullet and buy him out. We're going to have a lot of ELC players on the back-end in the coming years, and I feel we would be able to eat it without having to throw away a 1st round pick+. CHI could bridge Dach and Boqvist out of the terrible third and fourth years of the buyout and skate into the low-impact years (2024 and on is a negligible $780k).


Markstrom is a couple years older than Lehner, and at that point I much rather have Lehner.

Keith has declined a bit, but with his insane offseason workouts, he looks to be in really good shape. With De Haan and Murphy healthy, the addition of Mitchell, and progression from Boqvist, he won't have nearly as many minutes.

Koekkoek will be a little more expensive to keep, and with Seabrook healthy I don't think it makes much of a difference who the extras are, as Seabrook is likely going to still get playing time.

Quoting: Wadejos123
I 100% agree with this. We need to pick a plan and not keep staying in the middle. Doing what we are doing now is just as wasteful to Toews/Kane as rebuilding is. We either need to rebuild for the next two or three years and try to contend again once toews , kieth and kane's contracts expire and they hopefully and most likley resign (Toews and Kieth possibly for cheaper than their current cap hit). The other option is to load up and try to reopen the championship window right now for another 2-3 years.I honeslty think we are better off loading up and trying to contend now. The core isn't getting any younger. Eigther way, managment needs to make a descision and stick with it. We eigther be like the penguins and force the window to stay open just a bit longer or we rebuild like the Rangers, Kings, and Ducks are doing.


I agree with you. I want the hawks to load up, but this is not a typical offseason. A flat cap for two seasons followed by a $1 million increase the next. This is going to put so many teams in a bind, and the landscape may change.
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Jul. 6, 2020 at 1:39 a.m.
#7
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@exo2769 @bluedemon5 would love to hear your guy's thoughts on some of my concerns.
Jul. 6, 2020 at 10:19 a.m.
#8
exo2769
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Edited Jul. 6, 2020 at 10:32 a.m.
Somehow we really do need to shed Maatta. I'm not 100% sure that he has the same value he did before the 3 year cap decision. If we can get a 4th...I think we need to. If we can't...we still need to buy him out. It's $3.5M that we need. I also agree with burying vs buying out Zach Smith. That extra cap in 2021 can go to Strome or Kubalik. His vet presence will help the kids develop in Rockford.

The draft will come before the goalie situation gets solved. If we draft Askarov...then I'm more for a shorter term cheaper Crow option. We we draft Lundell...then I'm ok with the Strome trade for Brodin. If we draft Quinn....well then I don't really have an answer for you.

BUT as for who plays in net??? There are a lot of goalie options out there. Lehner/Crow/Markstrom/Holtby, heck I'm not even sure what's going to happen with PIT's goalie situation. Matt Murray's arbitration would scare the heck out of me if I were a PIT fan. I think there's a small chance that he (or Jarry) also becomes a UFA too. We'll see. What I'm getting at though is...how many teams out there A.) NEED a goalie and B.) can actually pay these guys??? Not many at all. DET and BUF can...ok fine. OTT can, but I'm not sure they will...NOR would these vets really want to go to a rebuild. That's about it. So as much as Lehner's "had enough of taking discounts his whole life" the cap isn't going up. That's bad news for big contracts. I'd prefer to sign Crow for the lower cap hit and then try to persuade one of the other vets that it's just the wrong year for a big contract. Next year is far better for these guys...Hank, Pekka, CAR, TOR, BOS, SEA etc... a lot more teams will be looking for goalies. Convince one of these guys that a tandem is the best option AND there's no better place to tandem than with Crow. It's designed so Crow doesn't play a ton of games. ALSO, this give the Hawks optionality too. If they stink again...trade at the TDL. If a freak injury happens...which they do happen...TDL. More picks.

I'd prefer to keep Koekkoek. I really do think he can be a diamond in the rough. YES, he's had some major injury problems early in his career, but that hasn't been an issue the past few years. There was a reason he was drafted #10 OA. I'd really like to keep him longer and see what happens. I'm not a big Seeler fan. Would also prefer to play Carlsson over Seeler.

I think this is too much $ for Drake. I'd actually like to give Kurashev a shot.

The strategy above also helps for Seattle. Depending on DeHaan's recovery...that's likely who they would take. I guess it could be Carlsson or Koekkoek, but I don't think so...so Seattle would theoretically be helping the hawks cap situation shortly too.
Jul. 6, 2020 at 10:55 a.m.
#9
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Quoting: exo2769
Hmmm....well I 100% agree with pick a lane and stick to it. Somehow we really do need to shed Maatta. I'm not 100% sure that he has the same value he did before the 3 year cap decision. If we can get a 4th...I think we need to. If we can't...we still need to buy him out. It's $3.5M that we need. I also agree with burying vs buying out Zach Smith. That extra cap in 2021 can go to Strome or Kubalik. His vet presence will help the kids develop in Rockford.

The draft will come before the goalie situation gets solved. If we draft Askarov...then I'm more for a shorter term cheaper Crow option. We we draft Lundell...then I'm ok with the Strome trade for Brodin. If we draft Quinn....well then I don't really have an answer for you.

BUT as for who plays in net??? There are a lot of goalie options out there. Lehner/Crow/Markstrom/Holtby, heck I'm not even sure what's going to happen with PIT's goalie situation. Matt Murray's arbitration would scare the heck out of me if I were a PIT fan. I think there's a small chance that he also becomes a UFA too. We'll see. What I'm getting at though is...how many team are actually out there that can pay all of these guys??? Not many at all. DET and BUF can...ok fine. OTT can, but I'm not sure they will...NOR would these vets really want to go to a rebuild. That's about it. So as much as Lehner's "had enough of taking discounts his whole life" the cap isn't going up. That's bad news for big contracts. I'd prefer to sign Crow for the lower cap hit and then try to persuade one of the other vets that it's just the wrong year for a big contract. Next year is far better for these guys...Hank, Pekka, CAR, TOR, BOS, SEA etc... a lot more teams will be looking for goalies. Convince one of these guys that a tandem is the best option AND there's no better place to tandem than with Crow. It's designed so Crow doesn't play a ton of games. ALSO, this give the Hawks optionality too. If they stink again...trade at the TDL. If a freak injury happens...which they do happen...TDL. More picks.

I'd prefer to keep Koekkoek. I really do think he can be a diamond in the rough. YES, he's had some major injury problems early in his career, but that hasn't been an issue the past few years. There was a reason he was drafted #10 OA. I'd really like to keep him longer and see what happens. I'm not a big Seeler fan. Would also prefer to play Carlsson over Seeler.

I think this is too much $ for Drake. I'd actually like to give Kurashev a shot.

The strategy above also helps for Seattle. Depending on DeHaan's recovery...that's likely who they would take. I guess it could be Carlsson or Koekkoek, but I don't think so...so Seattle would theoretically be helping the hawks cap situation shortly too.


I agree with you Maatta has to go, I can't see him on this team next season with the logjam the hawks have. I just think Seeler is the cheaper option and if the hawks are looking for a big name goalie they can rotate him and Seabrook out. We all know Seabrook won't be benched for a full 82, so I'm definitely more lenient on who shares the 7D duties with Seabrook. He's just a call up away.

I just think the hawks are relying on too many former 1st rounders to reach another level. Strome, Koekkoek, Nylander and even Maatta are all getting major opportunities to play a more consistent game, but when they struggle, it brings the whole team down and puts more burden on Toews and Kane. I don't know how much I like having all of them in the line up but we don't have much of a choice. The problem with giving Kurashev a shot is if he doesn't work there's nobody else to try and Smith gets inserted into the line up and I rather not see Carpenter, Smith or Highmore on line 3. So Strome might end up on the wing in that situation.

I think the hawks need more consistency out of their forwards, and whether that results in trading picks or moving Saad and Caggiula, who knows. But, I do think the offense may be just as problematic as the defense.
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Jul. 6, 2020 at 11:05 a.m.
#10
exo2769
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Edited Jul. 6, 2020 at 11:17 a.m.
Quoting: NickC1988
I agree with you Maatta has to go, I can't see him on this team next season with the logjam the hawks have. I just think Seeler is the cheaper option and if the hawks are looking for a big name goalie they can rotate him and Seabrook out. We all know Seabrook won't be benched for a full 82, so I'm definitely more lenient on who shares the 7D duties with Seabrook. He's just a call up away.

I just think the hawks are relying on too many former 1st rounders to reach another level. Strome, Koekkoek, Nylander and even Maatta are all getting major opportunities to play a more consistent game, but when they struggle, it brings the whole team down and puts more burden on Toews and Kane. I don't know how much I like having all of them in the line up but we don't have much of a choice. The problem with giving Kurashev a shot is if he doesn't work there's nobody else to try and Smith gets inserted into the line up and I rather not see Carpenter, Smith or Highmore on line 3. So Strome might end up on the wing in that situation.

I think the hawks need more consistency out of their forwards, and whether that results in trading picks or moving Saad and Caggiula, who knows. But, I do think the offense may be just as problematic as the defense.


I'm a Bowman defender on here...if Strome goes back to wing...I'd call for his firing immediately. As far as if Kurashev doesn't work out...I mean IDK about that. Yeah Smith might be brought up, but it's a bottom 6 winger. Not exactly the most important role on the team.

Agreed that Seabs won't want to sit. His contract is with the Hawks for the long haul. He just had triple surgery. So I personally don't think he's going to be playing that much longer... I don't wish him any harm at all. One of my favorite all time Hawks, but it's hard to come back and fully heal when you get older. Things break down faster. It's just part of life.

I fully agree with you on the offense/defense issues. We need to allow guys like Dach to play the #1 role from time to time. The kids can't develop if the vets continuously lead in time on the ice. Force Keith to play less minutes. They did try (only a little) last year. Toews wasn't out there for every single national anthem...but they need to do it more.

I'm really quite against big money for a goalie...this year. Teams have the advantage this year. We need to use that advantage.

***EDIT*** quick note. Seeler would have to clear waivers for a call up. We claimed him off waivers last year. I think you wrote this, but wasn't 100% sure.
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Jul. 6, 2020 at 11:18 a.m.
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Quoting: exo2769
I'm a Bowman defender on here...if Strome goes back to wing...I'd call for his firing immediately. As far as if Kurashev doesn't work out...I mean IDK about that. Yeah Smith might be brought up, but it's a bottom 6 winger. Not exactly the most important role on the team.

Agreed that Seabs won't want to sit. His contract is with the Hawks for the long haul. He just had triple surgery. So I personally don't think he's going to be playing that much longer... I don't wish him any harm at all. One of my favorite all time Hawks, but it's hard to come back and fully heal when you get older. Things break down faster. It's just part of life.

I fully agree with you on the offense/defense issues. We need to allow guys like Dach to play the #1 role from time to time. The kids can't develop if the vets continuously lead in time on the ice. Force Keith to play less minutes. They did try (only a little) last year. Toews wasn't out there for every single national anthem...but they need to do it more.

I'm really quite against big money for a goalie...this year. Teams have the advantage this year. We need to use that advantage.


I agree with you on spending for a goalie, it just seems like that's the way the market is trending though. Keith could definitely benefit from less minutes in the regular season, but I can see him still getting big roles in the playoffs, he just has that type of fitness, all he needs to do is keep his mental understanding of the game. I do like Kurashev's game a lot, I'm not going to debate that he will be in the NHL at some point, but I just don't know if next season will be when with an unorthodox offseason we're having now.
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