Blackhawks preview, Bedard on board, who are they now?

[yave1964]

LAST SEASON 26-49-7 59 points. Last in division, minus 97 goal differential

 

ADDITIONS Well Bedard is the next superstar in Chicago right as Kane and Toews leave. Taylor Hall will be one of his new linemates by way of Boston. Also Foligno joins the middle six. Ryan Donato and Corey Perry bring veteran skill to the bottom six.

 

SUBTRACTIONS Kane was dealt away, Toews saw his career derailed by Covid and may never play again. Caleb Jones and Stalock wont be back. 

 

PROSPECTS bEDARD WILL come right to the NHL and stick around for the next 20 years. Lukas Reichel will stick around as a scoring winger in the top six. Kevin Korchinski is a puck moving defenseman who will play big minutes and learn from his mistakes on the job. 

 

SO A ROTTEN YEAR, WILL THE ADDS TURN IT AROUND REALLY QUICK? God no, the team is short of talent at every level, the goaltending is the worst in the league by a mile, there are only two real NHL defensmen on the roster counting Korchinski. I hate Taylor Hall, he is an aging skilled floater who has made a lot of money playing top six role for bad teams his entire career and seems content with being just that. Foligno, Perry and Donato are just slow aging vets who are placeholders.

 

  This team is bad. On any given night this year half the roster should be in the AHL or KHL. Bedard will have one hell of a career but by the time this ship turns around there arent five players who are on the 23-24 opening day lineup who will still be there. Last in the division with Bedard scoring 80 points as one of the lone bright spots.

[thegx.ca]

They exactly where Edmonton was in 2015 when they got McDavid...I like adding Foligno and Perry because they protect him and retaliate for him...even like adding Hall because that just adds to the offensive possibilities...I'm optimistic so I think they'll be fighting for wildcard because they'll be looking to make more moves to build around Bedard...

[JR Ewing]

On 9/4/2023 at 4:59 AM, thegx.ca said:

They exactly where Edmonton was in 2015 when they got McDavid...I like adding Foligno and Perry because they protect him and retaliate for him...even like adding Hall because that just adds to the offensive possibilities...I'm optimistic so I think they'll be fighting for wildcard because they'll be looking to make more moves to build around Bedard...

 

The Hawks are in better position than were the Oilers, whose management was the textbook definition of dysfunctional.

 

-Edmonton was in the midst of historic lack of success, coming off of having three of the previous four 1st-overall picks and when drafted McDavid #1, they had just spent the last six consecutive years with a PTS% below .500, including three times under .400.

 

-They were going through at least a coach per season and changing General Managers like we change socks.

 

-The owner constantly interfered with HockeyOps. Oilers scouts were so disinterested in Nail Yakupov that they don't even interview him, but are forced to select him when the team owner, about an hour before the draft, tells them that if they want to have jobs, they'd better take him with that 1st overall pick. Funny side bit: Brian Burke says that Yakupov was the worst pre-draft interview he saw in his career, and was so arrogant and insulting, that a member of Burke's scouting team had to physically restrained from attacking the idiot.

 

-They signed Sheldon Souray to a big free agent deal and on his first day with the team, pressured him to play three months earlier than his shoulder surgery recovery was timed for. Result: he was almost immediately injured and missed the rest of the year. Two years later, he was told to fight in a blowout, where he broke his hand. The team forced him to get surgery with a doctor he was uncomfortable with, and he ended up with an infection which literally almost killed him: he was in ICU with a PICC line pumping antiobiotics directly to his heart. Almost lost his hand and almost died. The team's response? "Souray's milking a minor injury". When Souray was asked by the media how he was doing, he said he wasn't even sure that the team sees him as an Oiler anymore, since they hadn't even called to ask how he's doing while he in the hospital. Well, that was it. "We can't have this kind of cancer on the team." So, they spent millions of dollars paying Souray to play for other team's AHL clubs. Amusingly enough, at the same time, GM Steve Tambellini publicly talked about how the club could really use a big defenseman who could shoot the puck.

 

-Craig MacTavish was a decent coach, but was in over his head as GM. His first day on the job, he announced that starter Devan Dubnyk wasn't cut out to be a #1 goaltender, said he would be trading him that year, and noted a puzzling lack of confidence from the goalie. He and Kevin Lowe ended the press conference by arguing with the media. Later in the year, MacTavish hopped on a plane and flew to Finland to scout a kid they were interested in drafting. The problem? The kid's team was in Sweden.

 

-MacTavish and coach Ralph Krueger decided that they needed an Xs and Os man as an assistant for the 2014 season. He told Krueger to keep with his scheduled speaking tour of the summer, and that he would interview the hopefuls. Liked Dallas Eakins so much that he hired him as Head Coach and MacT fired Kruger over a Skype call.

 

-Eakin has a disastrous run in Edmonton, though he had a comically bad roster, as MacTavish was fond of immediately pencilling in 1st round picks with jobs at the top of the roster and trading any player with experience, convinced he had found his next guy. Eakins begins his time in Edmonton by yanking donuts and treats from the media room and hands out the captaincy based on the results of fitness tests.

 

-We near the McDavid lottery... MacTavish drives to Dallas Eakins on Christmas Eve and informs him he's fired. Eakins bad luck continues a week later, when he finds out that he and his wife have lost all of their savings in a Ponzi scheme. MacTavish spends the season telling press that upcoming UFA Jeff Petry wants too much money for what he brings, and then a week before the trade deadline states that he can't figure out why Petry has refused to sign the Oilers offer. When asked by the media why he's not re-signed with Edmonton, Petry notes that he doesn't know what MacT is talking: he hadn't been offered a contract. He's moved for picks a week later.

 

-The Oilers finish 3rd last, but win the draft lottery. MacTavish publicly talks about how exciting it would be to draft a player like Connor MDavid. Oilers owner, Daryl Katz, one of his best friends for 30 years, fires him a week later.

 

Even more than on-ice, Connor McDavid saved the Oilers from themselves off-ice as well. Chicago has problems, but they are 100% in a better position than Edmonton was at the end of the 2015 season.

[yave1964]

6 hours ago, JR Ewing said:

 

The Hawks are in better position than were the Oilers, whose management was the textbook definition of dysfunctional.

 

-Edmonton was in the midst of historic lack of success, coming off of having three of the previous four 1st-overall picks and when drafted McDavid #1, they had just spent the last six consecutive years with a PTS% below .500, including three times under .400.

 

-They were going through at least a coach per season and changing General Managers like we change socks.

 

-The owner constantly interfered with HockeyOps. Oilers scouts were so disinterested in Nail Yakupov that they don't even interview him, but are forced to select him when the team owner, about an hour before the draft, tells them that if they want to have jobs, they'd better take him with that 1st overall pick. Funny side bit: Brian Burke says that Yakupov was the worst pre-draft interview he saw in his career, and was so arrogant and insulting, that a member of Burke's scouting team had to physically restrained from attacking the idiot.

 

-They signed Sheldon Souray to a big free agent deal and on his first day with the team, pressured him to play three months earlier than his shoulder surgery recovery was timed for. Result: he was almost immediately injured and missed the rest of the year. Two years later, he was told to fight in a blowout, where he broke his hand. The team forced him to get surgery with a doctor he was uncomfortable with, and he ended up with an infection which literally almost killed him: he was in ICU with a PICC line pumping antiobiotics directly to his heart. Almost lost his hand and almost died. The team's response? "Souray's milking a minor injury". When Souray was asked by the media how he was doing, he said he wasn't even sure that the team sees him as an Oiler anymore, since they hadn't even called to ask how he's doing while he in the hospital. Well, that was it. "We can't have this kind of cancer on the team." So, they spent millions of dollars paying Souray to play for other team's AHL clubs. Amusingly enough, at the same time, GM Steve Tambellini publicly talked about how the club could really use a big defenseman who could shoot the puck.

 

-Craig MacTavish was a decent coach, but was in over his head as GM. His first day on the job, he announced that starter Devan Dubnyk wasn't cut out to be a #1 goaltender, said he would be trading him that year, and noted a puzzling lack of confidence from the goalie. He and Kevin Lowe ended the press conference by arguing with the media. Later in the year, MacTavish hopped on a plane and flew to Finland to scout a kid they were interested in drafting. The problem? The kid's team was in Sweden.

 

-MacTavish and coach Ralph Krueger decided that they needed an Xs and Os man as an assistant for the 2014 season. He told Krueger to keep with his scheduled speaking tour of the summer, and that he would interview the hopefuls. Liked Dallas Eakins so much that he hired him as Head Coach and MacT fired Kruger over a Skype call.

 

-Eakin has a disastrous run in Edmonton, though he had a comically bad roster, as MacTavish was fond of immediately pencilling in 1st round picks with jobs at the top of the roster and trading any player with experience, convinced he had found his next guy. Eakins begins his time in Edmonton by yanking donuts and treats from the media room and hands out the captaincy based on the results of fitness tests.

 

-We near the McDavid lottery... MacTavish drives to Dallas Eakins on Christmas Eve and informs him he's fired. Eakins bad luck continues a week later, when he finds out that he and his wife have lost all of their savings in a Ponzi scheme. MacTavish spends the season telling press that upcoming UFA Jeff Petry wants too much money for what he brings, and then a week before the trade deadline states that he can't figure out why Petry has refused to sign the Oilers offer. When asked by the media why he's not re-signed with Edmonton, Petry notes that he doesn't know what MacT is talking: he hadn't been offered a contract. He's moved for picks a week later.

 

-The Oilers finish 3rd last, but win the draft lottery. MacTavish publicly talks about how exciting it would be to draft a player like Connor MDavid. Oilers owner, Daryl Katz, one of his best friends for 30 years, fires him a week later.

 

Even more than on-ice, Connor McDavid saved the Oilers from themselves off-ice as well. Chicago has problems, but they are 100% in a better position than Edmonton was at the end of the 2015 season.

Love when you rant about your beloved Oilers lol. I do the same about the disaster that Holland left in Detroit.

  As far as personel Edmonton by far brought McDavid into a better roster. Chicago has drafted poorly and when 24 and 25 year olds work out like the Cat and Dach they trade them. The roster is a mess. I don't hate Korchinski but he as a rookie is set up for failure as arguably their second best defenseman. Huge difference between the Hall who played Wing with McDavid and the free floating paycheck stealing 3rd line Hall who will be playing on beards wing. Perry and foligno cannot contribute anymore. This team does not have five players on the roster who will ever make the playoffs with Bedard.  Just a sad wreck

[J0e Th0rnton]

1 hour ago, yave1964 said:

Love when you rant about your beloved Oilers lol. I do the same about the disaster that Holland left in Detroit.

  As far as personel Edmonton by far brought McDavid into a better roster. Chicago has drafted poorly and when 24 and 25 year olds work out like the Cat and Dach they trade them. The roster is a mess. I don't hate Korchinski but he as a rookie is set up for failure as arguably their second best defenseman. Huge difference between the Hall who played Wing with McDavid and the free floating paycheck stealing 3rd line Hall who will be playing on beards wing. Perry and foligno cannot contribute anymore. This team does not have five players on the roster who will ever make the playoffs with Bedard.  Just a sad wreck

I personally thought Hall and McDavid were bad linemates as both styles didn't mesh well. but Hall Draisaitl was solid.

 

Hall McDavid was like.....Gretzky and Hull. Good on paper, but something was way off and it didn't work lol

[SaucyJack]

It’s a shame that the schedule makers couldn’t have Bedard’s NHL debut be at United Center in Sweet Home Chicago.

 

Road Show Pittsburgh instead.  Boo!  Oh well they still excited in the City of Broad Shoulders.

 

[JR Ewing]

On 9/5/2023 at 5:52 PM, J0e Th0rnton said:

I personally thought Hall and McDavid were bad linemates as both styles didn't mesh well. but Hall Draisaitl was solid.

 

Hall McDavid was like.....Gretzky and Hull. Good on paper, but something was way off and it didn't work lol

 

 

I missed this before, but it was actually the opposite. McDavid and Hall were dynamite as linemates: they had 67% of the goal share while on the ice together, with both dropping when not paired with each other. Conversely, Draisaitl/Hall got 50% of the goal share.

[SaucyJack]

“Who are they now?”  I will tell you.  Right *now* they are the first team to hand the champ Golden Knights a loss.  And in Vegas no less.

 

Now, don’t celebrate too hard boys, best to just get on that plane and avoid the sportsbooks.

[NHL HHOF]

 

[SaucyJack]

On 10/28/2023 at 10:41 AM, SaucyJack said:

“Who are they now?”  I will tell you.  Right *now* they are the first team to hand the champ Golden Knights a loss.  And in Vegas no less.

OK, that was then.

 

Now…they are a team on a 19-game road losing streak.

 

The Blackhawk record is a 22-game road losing streak from the Truman Administration.  (‘50-‘51 campaign)

 

P.S.  If will take some calendar time to break that record.  After tonight’s tilt in Calgary, their break starts, after which they enjoy a February with 9 home games and only 1 road game.

Edited January 27 by SaucyJack

[SaucyJack]

On 1/27/2024 at 8:00 AM, SaucyJack said:

The Blackhawk record is a 22-game road losing streak from the Truman Administration.  (‘50-‘51 campaign)

Correction.  The Blackhawk record is now 20 consecutive road losses after losing 1-0 in Calgary last night.  A new low for Chicago.

 

OK, apparently 22 consecutive road losses, from the ‘50-‘51 season, is the league record.  The ChiTrib article from yesterday cited it but did not say which other Original Six club held that dishonor.

[SaucyJack]

23 hours ago, SaucyJack said:

Correction.  The Blackhawk record is now 20 consecutive road losses after losing 1-0 in Calgary last night.  A new low for Chicago.

 
Bluddy effin’ ‘ell mate, um not troostin’  them bleedin’ rag sports writers at the wankin’ Chicago Tribune again, now am I ?!?!?

 

Just watch me!

 

Without stating any corrections from their reports in recent days, they write this TODAY:

 

”…their road winless streak ballooned to 20 games - within two games of the franchise record.”

 

Unspecified is whether 22 games is also the league record streak for any club.