we should trade sharp for a center. He pk's alright and has a good shot but his passing and offensive awareness are absolutely ****. He gums up so many chances.
That just makes our LW about the worst in the entire league.
Gotta have the ability to throw a full power first line out there from time to time.
The sad truth is the Hawks no longer really have the depth to trade warm bodies to address weaknesses. We can move draft picks but otherwise, we pretty much have to develop them or sign them as UFAs.
edit: major weaknesses I mean, not depth moves like Oduya
I'm starting to become convinced Patrick Kane should be our #2 Center next season, with a full off seaosn of lifting weights and bulking up, and learning to win face offs. We don't have a better playmaker on the team and there aren't many better playmakers in the NHL as him. Simple as that.
Kane wants to be a RW, not Center
Kane can't play like this for more than 10 games. He said it, Q said it
Here's my thought: **** what Q or Kane said.
Kane is a play maker. In the offensive zone, he plays wing like a center. He sets up his line mates like few in this game can. And when he has his swagger, he will take the shot too. When he is on, like he has been, he scares the **** out of his opponents because they dont know if he is going to score himself, or set up a guy like Hossa with a ridiculous pass. Don't think other teams don't worry about him every second he is on the ice.
His deficiences? Face offs and defense? His defense has been getting better since before the playoffs last season, and he shows more and more there as time goes on. Faceoffs...OK, so make that an off season focus.
Kane was also bulking up nicely this last off season till his wrist issue. One more year of maturity and hitting the weights? He will never be a big physical guy, but he's already showing signs of being bigger than he ever has been with the puck.
I see no reason he shouldn't be our #2 C next season. No one on our roster or in our prospect pool can do what he does. Let him run with it. Toews with Sharp, Hossa with Kane: Find a couple SOLID wingers for those two lines and we are good (and Stalberg has been OK at being one of them at times).
Kane is a play maker. In the offensive zone, he plays wing line a center. He sets up his line mates like few in this game can. And when he has his swagger, he will take the shot too. When he is on, like he has been, he scares the **** out of his opponents because they dont know if he is going to score himself, or set up a guy like Hossa with a ridiculous pass. Don't think other teams don't worry about him every second he is on the ice.
His deficiences? Face offs and defense? His defense has been getting better since before the playoffs last season, and he shows more and more there as time goes on. Faceoffs...OK, so make that an off season focus.
Kane was also bulking up nicely this last off season till his wrist issue. One more year of maturity and hitting the weights? He will never be a big physical guy, but he's already showing signs of being bigger than he ever has been with the puck.
I see no reason he shouldn't be our #2 C next season. No one on our roster or in our prospect pool can do what he does. Let him run with it. Toews with Sharp, Hossa with Kane: Find a couple SOLID wingers for those two lines and we are good (and Stalberg has been OK at being one of them at times).
Also, for those saying Kane doesn't want to play center... well, his offense at wing has been stagnant all season long. He clearly is better offensively when he plays center.
This is Patrick Kane we're talking about. The guy LOVES playing offense.
Pretty sure he's just fine with playing center if it means he gets to have the puck more, facilitate more, make more plays. And it does.
Third: Kane is on a different planet than those other two guys. You keep Kane at center and Toews will be our next good second line center.
As much as I like Kane - and I do and always have - this will NEVER be true. Toews is the complete package. He'll be taking the draw when the Hawks need a goal, he'll be taking the draw when they are holding the one goal lead. We may be able to create two powerful lines by moving Kane to center - it remains to be seen whether this will be a long term solution - but even if we do, Toews will still, and always while he is here, be the #1 center.
I'm starting to become convinced Patrick Kane should be our #2 Center next season, with a full off seaosn of lifting weights and bulking up, and learning to win face offs. We don't have a better playmaker on the team and there aren't many better playmakers in the NHL as him. Simple as that.
I'm with ya - I like Kane at center - IF - his wrist is 100% healed and he can get back to being good at faceoffs like he was at the biginning at this season.
It gives the Hawks a lot of flexibility to change things up and they can always load up one line at the end of games when they need a goal. Swap Hossa and Sharp between Toews' and Kane's lines. Stalberg can play either side and fill in the other top-6 winger from Saad or Hayes or ???
Let's try to remember that while we are all excited about Saad...he's only 19. It would be shocking if he is truly ready to play in the NHL to start next season. Morin is hopefully more NHL ready and I hope he finds his game for next season. He could be a good contibutor.
If Saad sticks in the Fall, I'd much rather see him on LW with Kane dishing than anywhere else.
To put him with Kruger will not help Saad or the club.
If Kruger can't physically play along the wall, I really don't see a spot for him next season. He certainly won't be a 4th line C and he would behind Toews, Kane and Bolland. So ...
Put Hayes in Bickell's spot, have a 4th line of Bollig, Mayers and Burish.
If Saad sticks in the Fall, I'd much rather see him on LW with Kane dishing than anywhere else.
To put him with Kruger will not help Saad or the club.
If Kruger can't physically play along the wall, I really don't see a spot for him next season. He certainly won't be a 4th line C and he would behind Toews, Kane and Bolland. So ...
Put Hayes in Bickell's spot, have a 4th line of Bollig, Mayers and Burish.
Better than we looked this year. A little tougher too. If Carcillo returns (which I doubt) then Burish is redundant.
2 big offensive lines, 3rd line and 4th line being more traditional-role wise.
I like this better. If Saad plays good enough to stick, I'm obviously OK with it. I guess it's possible, he will just be turning 20 when the season starts. If he has the skills to hang, then great for us. I still hope Morin shows something too. If both of them are ready, I really like our options.
Defense....Defense I need to really give some thought as to what I'd like to see there.
I really think that Kruger is going to be a really good player. He is basically a rookie and has been thrown into the fire playing PK, some PP, and on all four lines at some point. I've noticed lately he has been more confident with the puck and hasn't been getting decked 4 times a game. His offensive game has to develop at least a little bit. Thinking a rookie will never develop further offensively is crazy, he has 19p and he is mostly defensive minded. If he stays as is, he is a good 3rd C. If he develops a little more then he is a good 2nd C. I say let him and Pirri battle for the 2nd C next season, unless a great opportunity to find another 2nd C presents itself. Focus the cap space on a top 4 D, depth forwards, and possibly goaltending.
I have not seen or heard Q or Kane make that statement, only heard it here as hearsay. I do agree however that Kane needs to be fully committed for him to meet the challenge as a full time center iceman. As for Kane's faceoff deficiency: that is no doubt a problem, but with his athleticism, I think he can bring that up to 50+ percent with a little practice and the experience of taking face-offs on a nightly basis.
And please give us a break on Kruger will you. I'm sick of him being handed jobs he doesn't deserve, or can't handle. This improvement every game, you keep claiming, is getting old. Yes, he scored on a nice deflection in the last game, and a key goal at that. He needs to show much more of that but as it stands now, he will need to be much better next season to be capable of filling our 2nd center position.
If Kane is not an option, then it goes to Sharp but I''d hate to lose any of the sniper in him, and I'm afraid that would be exactly what would happen.
Bottom line: We need a 2nd centerman, if Kane will not or cannot play there.
Krüger wasn't handed anything. He played his way up the lineup and did everything the coaches want him to do
and Kane can't handle this spot for a whole season. It wears him down too fast
Quote:
Originally Posted by Judrix
I really think that Kruger is going to be a really good player. He is basically a rookie and has been thrown into the fire playing PK, some PP, and on all four lines at some point. I've noticed lately he has been more confident with the puck and hasn't been getting decked 4 times a game. His offensive game has to develop at least a little bit. Thinking a rookie will never develop further offensively is crazy, he has 19p and he is mostly defensive minded. If he stays as is, he is a good 3rd C. If he develops a little more then he is a good 2nd C. I say let him and Pirri battle for the 2nd C next season, unless a great opportunity to find another 2nd C presents itself. Focus the cap space on a top 4 D, depth forwards, and possibly goaltending.
Obviously we've already seen what Krüger can ever bring to the team as a 21-year old playing in his first NHL season. He's hit his ceiling and will never develop to anything more.
I really think that Kruger is going to be a really good player. He is basically a rookie and has been thrown into the fire playing PK, some PP, and on all four lines at some point. I've noticed lately he has been more confident with the puck and hasn't been getting decked 4 times a game. His offensive game has to develop at least a little bit. Thinking a rookie will never develop further offensively is crazy, he has 19p and he is mostly defensive minded. If he stays as is, he is a good 3rd C. If he develops a little more then he is a good 2nd C. I say let him and Pirri battle for the 2nd C next season, unless a great opportunity to find another 2nd C presents itself. Focus the cap space on a top 4 D, depth forwards, and possibly goaltending.
Thank you for actually believing in a prospect instead of judging his career in less then 100 games and deciding if he lives or die...but he seriously needs to throw some weight on..the knockdowns are very noticeable, but i believe in the Nightmare on Madison St
Its crazy how some of you think NONE of our prospects could eventually fill the 2C position....Should trade'em before everybody figures out they won't amount to anything
Howdy ya'll, ex floridian living in Norway.. love the Hawks!
Odd thought, try to get Kane and Sharp to buy into rotating playing their natural wings, RW and LW respectfully, and centering the second line. We have Toews anchoring the topline, maybe try to bring up Morin to slot into a LW position on the second with Hossa.
Play Stalberg or the usual rotation of random people on either wing when needed.
Sharp/Stalberg - Toews - Kane
Morin - Sharp/Kane - Hossa
No idea if possible, but for some reason I just felt like sharing.
Krüger wasn't handed anything. He played his way up the lineup and did everything the coaches want him to do
Maybe he was thinking of Stalberg. 1 goal, 2 points, -8 in his last 17 games excluding the Columbus game. Sounds like a top six winger to me! Just LOOK at how much offense he creates when he doesn't have Toews carrying him!
Howdy ya'll, ex floridian living in Norway.. love the Hawks!
Odd thought, try to get Kane and Sharp to buy into rotating playing their natural wings, RW and LW respectfully, and centering the second line. We have Toews anchoring the topline, maybe try to bring up Morin to slot into a LW position on the second with Hossa.
Play Stalberg or the usual rotation of random people on either wing when needed.
Sharp/Stalberg - Toews - Kane
Morin - Sharp/Kane - Hossa
No idea if possible, but for some reason I just felt like sharing.
Go Hawks!
Not a bad idea actually considering all the line shuffling Q likes to do. If those two guys can agree to handle half the load it would open up our top 6 to different options.
At the end of the day the Hawks need a top 6 forward and getting a C is best because then you aren't taking anyone out of their usual and preferred position.
Because even if we do move Sharp or Kane to C who are the other wingers, old stone hands doesn't score unless Kane or Toews is bouncing pucks off his face, then what, a rookie who isn't ready to be a top 6 forward, PS that's all of them, Saad, Morin, Hayes etc, none of them is ready to be a top 6 forward on a cup contending team. There is no one else after that, unless people want to keep Bickell or Frolik and put them there, yeah right.
So the best solution is to get a 2nd line center FINALLY and keep the rest of the guys are their current position and the forward problems are solved.
Krüger wasn't handed anything. He played his way up the lineup and did everything the coaches want him to doand Kane can't handle this spot for a whole season. It wears him down too fast
Like **** he has.... Kruger was handed a job from the day he arrived, and you know it.
... and there you again.....saying Kane can't handle the spot, like you're some kind of authority on the subject. I asked for a source, and you come back with one of your usual "absolutes" instead. Truth is the source is YOU.
And you keep dreaming that Kruger can in any shape or form fill the 2nd C job next year ... you too Ike. If that happens we wil have the weakest in the NHL.
I think you are more concerned that there will be no spot for Kruger next year and he ends up in the AHL to develop his offence (which is where he should have been this season).
Like **** he has.... Kruger was handed a job from the day he arrived, and you know it.
And you keep dreaming that Kruger can in any shape or form fill the 2nd C job next year ... you too Ike. If that happens we wil have the weakest in the NHL.
I think you are more concerned that there will be no spot for Kruger next year and he ends up in the AHL to develop his offence (which is where he should have been this season).
