2011 is nearing to an end. There is considerable talk about acquisitions as the Hawks move forward. Who is expendable and who will probably see reductions in ice time?
1. Toews
It seems like everything starts and ends with the captain. One point behind Hossa, leads the league in F/O percentage. Put's the team on his shoulders at times. PK, board work.
2-4. Hossa/Kane/Sharp
These guys are so close together I'm not even going to bother splitting hairs. Hossa has been a beast and plays a great all around game. Sharp is clutch with 5 game winners. Both Sharp and Hossa PK. Kane creates space with the best of them. Precision passing and played well at center this year.
5. Bolland
This is a tough one. Bolland does a ton for the team but he has really been lacking in other areas. One can only hope that he is injured. 13 points and with a -7.
6. Stalberg
6th on the team with 20 points including 2 GWG. This one will spark a debate.
7. Kruger
He isn't going to dazzle you but he's making the most out of his opportunity. Good defense and generally makes good decisions with the puck.
8. Mayers
He has done a great job in his role. So much so I'm not sure if we need Carcillo
9. Brunette
This is one guy I wouldn't mind see going but he has not been as bad as some of the guys below
10. Carcillo - Don't need him
11. Frolik - Bust
12. Bickell - Tempted to rank him higher but he's just now put together a couple good games.
13. Scott
Morin, Smith, Pirri and Saad all have limited games. Pirri has looked the best, Smith was disappointing when he was up. Not going to rank them.
It's funny how Frolik, Smith, and Bickell all played well in the playoffs and generated high hopes for this year and (with the exception of Bickell in the last couple of games) have pretty much fizzled. If Bickell keeps it up, once Carcillo and Kruger return Frolik could be a healthy scratch before too much longer. He seems to work hard and play decent defense, but he's getting paid to do a lot more than that and he is just not effective on offense.
That said, when you get around to ranking the defense, I gotta nominate Monty as the worst bang-for-the-buck on the back end. He makes me nervous every time he steps on the ice.
2011 is nearing to an end. There is considerable talk about acquisitions as the Hawks move forward. Who is expendable and who will probably see reductions in ice time?
1. Toews
It seems like everything starts and ends with the captain. One point behind Hossa, leads the league in F/O percentage. Put's the team on his shoulders at times. PK, board work.
2-4. Hossa/Kane/Sharp
These guys are so close together I'm not even going to bother splitting hairs. Hossa has been a beast and plays a great all around game. Sharp is clutch with 5 game winners. Both Sharp and Hossa PK. Kane creates space with the best of them. Precision passing and played well at center this year.
5. Bolland
This is a tough one. Bolland does a ton for the team but he has really been lacking in other areas. One can only hope that he is injured. 13 points and with a -7.
6. Stalberg
6th on the team with 20 points including 2 GWG. This one will spark a debate.
7. Kruger
He isn't going to dazzle you but he's making the most out of his opportunity. Good defense and generally makes good decisions with the puck.
8. Mayers
He has done a great job in his role. So much so I'm not sure if we need Carcillo
9. Brunette
This is one guy I wouldn't mind see going but he has not been as bad as some of the guys below
10. Carcillo - Don't need him
11. Frolik - Bust
12. Bickell - Tempted to rank him higher but he's just now put together a couple good games.
13. Scott
Morin, Smith, Pirri and Saad all have limited games. Pirri has looked the best, Smith was disappointing when he was up. Not going to rank them.
Bolly looks like he's always going to be hurt and playing hurt. But he's played the same role through his whole Hawks career, and is always more useful as a reliable shutdown guy despite what thus far untapped offensive potential he possesses. On a different team who, I think he'd put up more points. He's just too depended upon by the Hawks for doing what he does.
I'm really shocked by Kruger's emergence on this team. I thought he would spend at least a year in Rockford on a top line and wouldn't stand much of a chance of breaking the Hawks' lineup unless there were injuries to some of the top guys. He was overhyped before he did anything and then he actually came through in a totally unexpected way.
A++ Toews, Hossa
A+ Sharp, Kane center
A Kane RW
...........................
B Stalberg, Mayers
B- Kruger
C Bolland, Carcillo, Brunette
C- Frolik
D Bickell
Last edited by ModryJazyk: 12-24-2011 at 11:48 AM.
1. Hossa A on pace to equal career numbers averages and outstanding #'s this year
2. Toews A Better than Hossa...maybe. Hossa has been doing it longer
3. Kane B+
4. Sharp B+
5. Bolland B-
6. Stalberg B-
7. Kruger C+
8. Mayers B All the above players I want back next year
9. Carcillo C+ can go either way he has been good and controlled not a deal breaker
10. Brunnette C is ok but don't want him back
11. Frolik D+ makes me wish we had given his contract to Brouwer
12. Bickell D he hit his ceiling last year
13. Scott C Want him back next year playing 40 games has improved skating.
14. Morin C+
14. Saad C+ Both guys should be playing half their games in Chicago next season
14. Pirri B Made the most of his minutes
14. Smith D Belongs in the AHL
Last edited by LandofLincoln: 12-24-2011 at 12:16 PM.
Hossa is right there with Toews and now the Hawks have 2 forwards running for the Hart Trophy. I think Hossa had a better week than Toews. Nice to see healthy competition and support.
Going to preface this by saying I'm basing my ranking on this year only:
1a- Toews. Neck and neck with Hossa mostly, but leadership role and awesome face off numbers give him the edge.
1b- Hossa. Wow, I'm so glad to see him play at 100% finally.
2- Sharp. Some great scoring, great PK, and was playing some really stellar Selke-caliber defense there for awhile. Some incredible takeaways and defensive plays.
3- Kane. Just a little disappointing. He's having what seems to be an average year thus far by his standards, but I am happy with his increased defensive responsibility. Nice to know he's a solid option at center.
4- Kruger. Just a great defensive forward who, despite his small size, fights hard and gets physical, battles along the boards and wins pucks more often than he should. His approach to the game makes me think of him as a mini-Hossa, and while he will never bring it offensively like Hoss does he creates space for other forwards with his tenacity and creativity.
5 Mayers- Works hard. Need more role players like him.
6 Stalberg- I think he is starting to find some confidence, and play the game we all stopped believing he could play. Fast, physical, decent shot. So dangerous when he puts it all together... I just hope he continues to progress. I think he coul eventually be our full time 2LW.
7 Bolland- He has fallen short so far. While solid defensively he has the ability to be so much more than solid. Needs to consistently play like he did the first few games of the season.
8 Brunette- Not bad... but he is what he is. And that's too slow to keep up. Seems fine when he catches up to the rest of the team and actually has time to get in behind the net.
9 Frolik- Playing ok defense, and at least he's working hard, and not inflating the opposing goalie's stats too terribly anymore. Not ALL his fault, sometimes the guy can't even buy a goal.
10 Carcillo- He's pretty much what we expected with slightly more offensive upside.
11 Bickell- He's like the play-doh statue of inconsistency. Don't care if he can't always score 17g... but he should always use his size. He's the kind of big forward that gets made a fool by Marcus Kruger.
Hossa is definitely #2 and I now that won't go over to well here (Kane) but Hossa is an all world player who can play at any time of the game (PP, PK, even) and is a physical presence on the puck who does not shy away from the middle of the ice.
Until Kane stops playing so much on the perimeter he can't equal Hoss.
