For some reason I doubt they are actually being assigned to Rockford (or at least being sent home). My guess is that this is purely a paper move in which the hawks are gonna call them up after they submit their final 23 man roster (Dehaan goes on IR)

I hope you're right. IMO they both earned a spot and also though the Hawks and Flyers are allowed 25 men on the roster for the one game. Dahlstrom was waived...finally.

Am I the only one who thinks Gilbert is still with the team in Europe? Why not have him be the emergency replacement for De Haan if he's not healthy enough to go? I agree that Gilbert doesn't NEED to be in Rockford this week so why not keep him right now.

I think Gilbert is being kept in Rockford to track him as a No. 1 d-man in the AHL (maybe play him with Boqvist?) and I fully expect him on the club if there's injuries (knock on wood) or Koekkoek struggles early on. Wedin is a guy that would be better getting more ice time in the AHL in my opinion.

Gilbert was cut this afternoon. Not sure if him and Wedin are on their way back or staying with the team to finish the trip but they can't play at this point. Both should be on the team. Wedin was solid as well and a good healthy scratch option to slide in and out of the lineup. Gilbert was better then Koekko.

We defer on what is better for Wedin IMO.

On Gilbert, he wasn't cut persay. You missed my point or I didn't explain it well enough.

He was "assigned to Rockford" and what I'm saying is Rockford opens the season Friday at Iowa and then don't play again until the 12th. Therefore, you could communicate to the Rockford coach basically "hey, could you do without Gilbert for the opener because we got some injury issues we're monitoring here." and the response would be "yeah, sure." So yes, being assigned to Rockford is a move that happened in terms of paperwork but he could easily be "called up" if De Haan can't go.

Call me crazy, but maybe if dach was already back in Canada, wedin would still be up. Hmmm, yes yes, I’m really feeling the stress of possibly missing the playoffs again.

On a serious note, beyond boqvist, Mitchell, and maybe beaudin and Gilbert, what is the freakin plan on defense?? Vlasic ain’t nothing for another 3+ years, krys is fizzled out, jokiharju is.......oh, right. I’m not saying they won’t be good, im just wondering when Stan is gonna sack up and get guys in the interim that can both skate and move the puck. Cuz I don’t see this team anywhere near the playoffs this year.

Mitchell, Boqvist, Beaudin, Gilbert, Vlasic, Carlsson, Holm, and Krys hasn't fizzled out. They have Keith, Seabs are locks and not going anywhere. Murphy, De Haan, Maatta are all locked up for 3 years. I think you are overreacting. The Hawks have one of the deepest group of defensive players and prospects in the league. I get there isn't a clear cut #1 guy and while I agree, Byram is not a clear cut #1 either. He's not Dahlin or close to Dahlin. In fact, if Byram was drafted a year earlier, he would not be a clear leap ahead of Quintin Hughes, Bouchard or Boqvist, he would have been lumped into that group and none of them are a clear cut #1.