~!~ HAWKS SEASON PREVIEW ~!~

[GRADEN]

Sorry I've been busy, but nice to see a few posts since I was last here.

Crazy amount of story lines since season end, but I want to focus in on the current state of the club:

Quick recap of major transactions:

1. Acquired G Fleury, D S. Jones / D C. Jones, F T. Johnson
2. Signed D MCabe, F Khaira, G Soderblum
3. Re-signed Gaudette, Hagel, Nylander, Hardman, Entwistle, Murphy, and Borgstrom
4. D Keith / F Quenneville, C Smith, LW Connolly (waivers-RIH) C Kampf, C Suter, RW Hinostroza, D Boqvist exit
5. C Toews back and healthy

I mean if you look at it on paper like this then the offseason was a huge success. However we did relinquish major assets in the Jones deal that amounts to 3 high picks.

Quick recap of Pre-Season impressions:

1. Toews looks like he is in good shape
2. Hagel way more important to our success than we realize
3. Gaudette looks like a steal of an asset
4. Nylander out of the NHL?
5. Strome not a fit here anymore
6. D Pairs not in sync yet
7. Nolan Allan looks 28 not 18
8. DeBrincat our best player by far now
9. Colliton system overly complicated?
10. Caleb better than Seth so far

Pleasant surprises: Gaudette, Caleb Jones, Entwistle, and Hagel'
Disappoinments: Nylander, Strome, Seth Jones, Galvas

There is some movement still to be made but I think the 23 man roster is becoming clear:

*D Kalynuk out a few weeks with injured ankle otherwise I think he'd be lined up as a 2nd/3rd pair guy

Lines:

Hagel - Toews - Kubalik
DeBrincat - T. Johnson - Kane
Kurashev - Dach - Borgstrom
Khaira - Gaudette - Carpenter
Dress: Strome, Entwistle

S. Jones - McCabe
De Haan - Murphy
Stillman - C. Jones
Dress: Mitchell

Fleury - Lankinen


I think that Mitchell gets sent to Rockford when Kalynuk comes back. I could see Strome and Entwistle getting games while a Borgstrom / Gaudette / Carpy / Khaira take a day.

Overall I think Nylander's day is over here and that Strome's days are literally day by day at this point.

I think its a decent team but there is a lot of weight on Seth Jones, Hagel, and Fleury's shoulders.

[GRADEN]

quick pre-season notes:

1. Nolan Allan is a big kid that looks way older than he is. He kinda looks like a De Haan type / maybe a little slow but has great IQ / uses his body to be in great position.

2. Gaudette has ELITE speed and skill

3. Hagel is a 2 way forward and one of our 6 best players

4. Cat is elite, a true 2 way wing

5. Borgstrom is very lengthy but seems a little shy so far

[GRADEN]

Recap tonight’s preseason @ min game (Thursday)

Thought Lankinen was outstanding! He had 2/3 of a team in front of him that were bottom 6 players and bubble Dmen and he made 15-20 big saves

Entwistle was still POG though - wow, all out effort every time

Kirby for 2 periods was average but he really turned it on the last period and showed true elite skill

Hagel again per usual shows elite 2 way game

I thought Colton / Hardman / stillman /khaira all just ok

Ok so for my meh of the night… look I know he scored a goal but with all the opportunities that he was given tonight I wasn’t impressed with Stromes game. I think he turned it on late but the first 2 periods were rough.

So my thoughts: a top loaded Wild team at home got the B squad and could barely make a dent basically because Lankinen, Entwistle, and Hagel out worked everyone ans a 3rd period Kirby shows his skill

[GRADEN]

Entwistle better make this team btw - he has earned it

[GRADEN]

Here are my season predictions now:



1. Lightning
2. Panthers
3. Maple Leafs
4. Bruins
5. Senators
6. Red Wings
7. Canadians
8. Sabres

1. Hurricanes
2. Islanders
3. Penguins
4. Capitals
5. Flyers
6. Rangers
7. Devils
8. Blue Jackets

1. Avalanche
2. Wild
3. Jets
4. Stars
5. Blackhawks
6. Blues
7. Predators
8. Coyotes

1. Golden Knights
2. Canucks
3. Kings
4. Oilers
5. Sharks
6. Kraken
7. Flames
8. Ducks

Top 16 selection slots

1. Coyotes
2. Blue Jackets
3. Sabres
4. Ducks
5. Canadians
6. Devils
7. Flames
8. Predators
9. Kraken
10. Blues
11. Rangers
12. Red Wings
13. Sharks
14. Flyers
15. Senators
16. Blue Jackets (Blackhawks)

Overall look I think the Hawks are squarely on the bubble for a playoff spot…. They will be fighting the Stars, Jets, Blues, ans Preds all year going back and forth on that spot.

I had Canadians in that just miss it spot but all this stuff with Price / letting Kotkaniemi walk etc… I just think with a super short off season in which really had a lot of drama from Berge / Price / Canes stuff happening…. Yea they are likely a team that works hard and does decent for half a year and then I think falls apart last 1/2-1/3 of season

[GRADEN]

Barlov 8/80 extension

Will take him to a just 35 when done

Look… I have zero issues with that…. If you are truly watching hockey then you’ll know this Is a top 5 player in the world. He truly is. He plays all situations and in all ways and impacts the game on every single shift. Earned

[GRADEN]

Some very interesting Eichel news and rumors:

So news is that his med records are now open and agent Brisson gives them to teams interested.

New fact is that a trade would have a high condition on any pick compensation so that will severely impact the total compensation.

I firmly believe that this is a Rangers move… everything I’ve seen says that the Rangers are A ok with the disc replacement and B willing to give up picks and prospects and C have a huge need for C

[GRADEN]

What I think a deal could look like:


C Oliver Tarnstrom
C Morgan Barron
F Vitali Kravtsov
2022 2nd (for 25 games this season) - 3rd if under
2023 1st (for 60 games in 22-23) - nothing if under

Kravtsov is an A prospect that is now NHL ready
Tarnstrom is a B prospect that is a year or 2 away
Barron is a C prospect that is ready for bottom role

A 1st and a 2nd if conveyed would be appropriate given how risky it is to take on Eichel. Now if Eichel plays like himself than the deal looks like it’s missing another 1st and a second A prospect

[GRADEN]

Hawks played great the last 50 mins of their final tuneup game.

Good on Strome for picking up his final 4 periods of play. Maybe he sticks at RW?!

So lines are set sans Hagel being out.

We need 5 more cuts with I think 3 obvious ones and then trying to figure out the injury / waiver status

3 obvious are Delia / Subban / Nylander

Hard thing on that is will someone claim Nylander and / or Subban? Subban would surely be claimed but I don’t know if anyone would claim Nylander this late as a claim would mean he’d have to be on the nhl roster.

Kalynuk, Caleb, and Regula all injuried… Regula is waiver exempt so he will go down… that’s 4

So here is the difficult cut… can they do a injury thing with Caleb and keep stillman and Mitchell up both or would have to send Entwistle down as the waiver exempt player???

Last nights game:

Played awesome: Kurashev!!! Wow, his speed was big time

Played great: DeBrincat, Seth (finally), Strome, Borgstrom, Fleury

Played good: Carpy, Toews

Ok: Kane, De Haan

Not great: Mitchell, Stillman

All others just weren’t noticeable ans didn’t have much positive or negative impact on the game

Overall I thought Kurashev was just like wow out there… maybe his best ever game