He wasn't gifted anything. He played his way up to the 2nd line. Badly, he should have been put back down on the depth chart come PO time
If by played you mean wasn't good enough to center the third line and was better than Mayers/Morrison. Seriously, Kruger was a vanilla fourth line wing last year. Hard working, soft, with near no offensive game. He was Mikael Holmqvist without size.
In a scoring role, Pirri was the far better option. It was clear after two weeks Kruger was playing a role over his head. The fact he did it for three months is mind boggling.
The pessimism of Chicago fans is so laughable. 90% of the league would take our roster over theirs in a second. CAL, CLB, NYI, DAL, TOR, etc are teams with awful mess of a roster.
They'd take this roster so they could makes moves and do something with it. Our team is like a Ferrari that is just missing the tires. It is completely useless without the tires even though it could be so amazing with that small addition.
Well, he's not going to be like "Hey, there's a few potential deals we're looking at" or "Something's imminent" to the media.
He may be working on something, but knowing Stan, I highly doubt we'll see any noteworthy transactions until the TD nears. However, if he is working on something, he will not let anyone on.
Problem with Pirri is he showed no desire to attempt to play defense
You say this about a number of players. It isn't true. He's not very good at it and he cheats to create offense, but that's true of a number of players in this league.
I see nothing wrong with giving Pirri a look at #2C to start the season assuming he plays up to par in camp. Better him there than moving Bolland up and destroying the bottom-6 in the process.
Pirri is young, and he's very effective on the offensive end already - at least, in the AHL. Hasn't had a long enough look with the Hawks yet to judge how he is up here.
He earned a shot last season and was shafted. A player who was much worse all throughout camp and preseason (Kruger) got the spot on the team over him, and the Hawks didn't have a second line center all year long. Again.
No reason not to give him his fair shot. Certainly has the offensive capability to handle the job, I'd say. And who better for a defensively questionable center to have on his wing than Marian Hossa?
I hope so, but here is the blueprint for the most likely outcome:
2012-13: Team struggles to be better than it has been the last two years, Q goes.
2013-14: Team struggles to be better than it has been the last three years, Bowman preaches patience with the new coach so he can get his systems in place.
2014-15: Team finally gets a new goalie(s), team is better, some propects are coming into their own as NHL players, Bowman gives credit to the new coach for turning the team around and gives even more credit to himself for great drafting and a great choice of the new head coach.
I hope so, but here is the blueprint for the most likely outcome:
2012-13: Team struggles to be better than it has been the last two years, Q goes.
2013-14: Team struggles to be better than it has been the last three years, Bowman preaches patience with the new coach so he can get his systems in place.
2014-15: Team finally gets a new goalie(s), team is better, some propects are coming into their own as NHL players, Bowman gives credit to the new coach for turning the team around and gives even more credit to himself for great drafting and a great choice of the new head coach.
I agree that this is a (disturbingly) likely layout of the next few years assuming Bowman stays, but I really do think he'd be gone after the 13-14 season.
The Hawks need to do with goalies what the Cubs did with pitchers. Take the best available player in the first round, then draft more than one goalie with the rest of your picks. And do it until you've found a goalie that works. Its too important of a position to have a bottom third of the NHL guy.
There is no way after what happened to Hossa last year that Carcillo isnt starting the year as his line mate. The guy could have been killed on that hit last year and good for Carbomb for getting top line minutes.
The bottom six is horrible, laughably horrible, with Bolland on the second line. Kruger anywhere but on the fourth line is a joke. Shaw as a center isnt that bad an option, and with Frolik that isnt as bad as many think it is, both are fast. Stalberg isnt effective unless he is top six. I would much rasther put Sharp on the third line with Shaw then wasting Stalbergs speed.
If Leddy, the better skating Cam Barker, is in the top four, I will be more then happy waiting for the draft lottery. I would take Stanton and his toughness over Leddy, but thats just my opinion.
The Hawks need to do with goalies what the Cubs did with pitchers. Take the best available player in the first round, then draft more than one goalie with the rest of your picks. And do it until you've found a goalie that works. Its too important of a position to have a bottom third of the NHL guy.
There are already too many goalies in the system for them to play in the league most suited for their skill level. Carruth and Mattsson should both be playing in the pros this year.
If we're going to get another goalie prospect, we'll need to drop some dead weight in the process. Fortunately, Hutton and Richards are both gone after this year, and I don't think either of them are coming back.
The Hawks need to do with goalies what the Cubs did with pitchers. Take the best available player in the first round, then draft more than one goalie with the rest of your picks. And do it until you've found a goalie that works. Its too important of a position to have a bottom third of the NHL guy.
Except the Cubs have done a horrific job at drafting pitchers in the last 15 years. And what you are suggesting is tantamount to firing a bullet in the dark because you are obliged to do it.
Except the Cubs have done a horrific job at drafting pitchers in the last 15 years. And what you are suggesting is tantamount to firing a bullet in the dark because you are obliged to do it.
Other than that, no concerns.
I'm talking about what they did this year, in Theo's first year.
There are already too many goalies in the system for them to play in the league most suited for their skill level. Carruth and Mattsson should both be playing in the pros this year.
If we're going to get another goalie prospect, we'll need to drop some dead weight in the process. Fortunately, Hutton and Richards are both gone after this year, and I don't think either of them are coming back.
@MarkLazerus
#Blackhawks' Crawford: "Look at my record last year. Still won 30 games. But obviously there were times I could've been more consistent."
You know you don't deserve credit for that 30 win record, Crow.
If people would shut up about wins and evaluate these two guys on their play, it wouldn't be a problem. As it stands in Hawkland, wins are all that matters. Can't blame crow at all, he knows media and fans will eat it up so he is gonna serve it up.
