Why not rebuild? Move Kane, Kieth and Toews and whoever else and really fall apart. Then come back with a new core of youngsters.

Have you considered having your assistant coach kick some of the players? I hear it's on the rage these days

I would NOT be trading ANY 1st rounders. Even next year. I hate to say it, but things can always get worse. I don't want that to happen, but it's possible. This team needs speed, but they can't sacrifice size. That's an incredibly hard thing to do. Yeah Debrincat/Kane do indeed score (sans Debrincat's current drought), BUT there are bigger and faster players that can score too. I find it hard to see this team getting better with MORE ~5'8" ~170lb wingers...that don't have blazing speed which neither of them do. IT'S OK to say they're not super fast. They're talented scorers, but we need diversity in our players.

Stan needs picks and to shed cap like Smith and maybe even Maatta (now that DeHaan is on the Hawks). $7M between Smith/Maatta could mean a guy like Hoffman or Dadonov.

***EDIT*** Oh and that doesn't solve their biggest problem which is even harder...a TRUE #1Dman.

Hahahaha, Poehling would be traded for a Boqvist.. not a Gustafsson

Would you do :

MTL sends

-Poehling;
-2nd round pick (2020) CHI

CHI sends

- Boqvist;
- Gustafsson.

???

I've seen a few Hawks fans post about trading for Poehling. I'm not sure why though. Is his stock down? Another center prospect clearly isn't a bad thing...just not sure why we'd trade better prospects in areas the Hawks NEED for another center prospect that won't see NHL ice time until something happens to Toews/Strome/Dach.

I would say yes.. but Hawks need a Boqvist.. they have nothing else on the backend..

Start with a new GM

I think MTL can afford because they got plenty center prospects that's all : Suzuki, Kotkaniemi, Evans.

That trade definitely isn't a deal Montreal should do. Poehling should only be traded for the perfect LHD prospect.

It couldn’t hurt, could it?

I think that may be the reason it's frowned upon is that it hurts

A Hoffman or Dadonov are a bandaid solution. This team desperately needs to get faster. Sakic signs Nichushkin for $850,000. Bowman needs do to some bargain hunting a find players who will increase the clubs team speed. Another Sakic bargain increasing team speed was Burakovsky. Colorado gave up a 2nd and 3rd and minor leaguer, who I can’t find in Capitals system. The Hawks gave up the same price to acquire Andrew Shaw.

Nothing against Shaw, but this team is losing hockey games in my opinion, due to a predictable and unproductive power play. If given a choice, who would you have on the power play; Shaw or Burakovsky?

If you need picks, then you are in a rebuild. If you deny you need to rebuild, then you used assets to fix those liabilities the team has. I am painfully aware this team is unable to complete with the NHL elite. What I seen to date this year ... #1 the plays better with lead, #2 their goaltending has been stellar and could steal some games if their offensive was producing. #3 Their power play is a let down. The Blackhawks won games last year, almost relying on the power play bail out the defence. #4 As a core, the defence is better than last year. To compete they need to get faster.

I think it is clear to many fans here that this team needs to begin a rebuild. The team’s core players are older (but have much value). It is time to move them before their value is diminished. The Hawks were embarrassed, swept to the Predators In the first round of 2017. They were beat by Nashville’s speed. Fast forward three years, and the Hawks speed remains a problem.

@Hawksince71 I'm not saying Dadonov makes these guys cup contenders, but it's helps solve 1 problem...because the team has many.

With regards to finding those bargain pieces....that's actually one of the better things Stan does. You're calling Nichushkin can good bargain pick up, but he's got 5 points in 22 games. Let's rank that compared to the bargain shopping Stan's done...finding UFAs and signing them... Kubalik, Kahun, Kampf, Rutta, Kempny, Panarin. I mean It's even arguable whether Rutta was a better pick up over Nichushkin. Yeah...he had 1 really good breakaway that happened to be against the Hawks, but it's not like he's a driving force for that team.

Bura was a great trade for Sakic! Bura wasn't being utilized to his potential in Washington and Sakic saw it. Same with Kadri. I don't have any issue with giving another GM some credit, but we also need to give Stan his due for getting DeHaan (for figuratively NOTHING) and signed Lehner for $5M without losing any assets at all.

There are all kinds of terms...rebuild...retool...re-whatever... PIT went 7 years between cups. Why can't that happen again for another team? $10.5M for what Toews provides is too much. I get it. $7M for what Seabs provides is too much. Teams can handle 1 overweight contract, but two is tough. There are creative ways to shed a guy like Seabs if we can get picks as well. Don't forget that it was REALLY close we traded him at the draft last year to VAN for a swap of 1sts. Just a swap. Not even the #3 outright. Go back to VAN and see what it'll take now? That's where picks can help.

I do agree that the Hawks need speed. The need a True #1dman too...I'd even argue more so.

You guys need to rebuild. I said it at the start of the season that Chicago clearly isn't a contender and I got a ton of **** for it. This team doesn't have what it takes anymore. Trade your older stars for value while you still can

Boqvist is off the table I would think.

Yeah, no chance you get Boqvist, especially that cheap

I have seen a fair bit of "poehling and a pick for Beaudin" though again I'm not sure we need that as we have strome and dach who are similar in styles.

I wasn’t evacuating Nichushkin as point producer. Obviously at 850 K, Sakic concluded he be a good risk to compliment an already fast hockey club. Is there any team collectively faster than Colorado? It is the new NHL. I am sure Sakic expects Nichushkin to be a third liner and use his speed to forecheck. I was admiring how cheaply Colorado acquired him and how well he complimented the team speed.

I have not once criticize Bowman’s trades. In the age of the salary cap, I think he has done a remarkable job to assemble a team capable of winning the cup three times. Let’s not forget the Hawks reached the WCF 5 of 7 years, and that series winning goal in 2014 went the other way, Chicago would have beat the Rangers, and would have won three consecutive championships.

The Hawks won 2010 & 2013 because of team depth. But in this age of salary cap, it is often those fringe players which add team depth that become available to the competition. Have I liked every trade Bowman’s done? Of course not. But it is far easier to criticize than to get into the head of the GM and rationally determine why such a deal transpired. I have always chose the later.

However looking at this current club, the team is at a crossroads. I think the team can compete. They could even make the playoffs, but a deep run? Forget it. It is time to blow it up and continue the youth movement. Move the core, if you can. As a Hawk fans, we are humbly grateful for their accomplishments. When these players hang it up, do the right thing and retire their numbers.

The weekend series clearly show the competitive level of this club. Colorado had won both games with 30 minutes left. Anyone wearing the jersey knows that is unacceptable.

@Hawkssince71 I agree with just about everything you said. I have 1 slight difference. We'll see how far COL gets. They have a GREAT combination of speed AND size. Let's not forget that who the last 6 Stanley Cup Finals teams were. BOS, STL, WAS, Vegas, PIT, NSH. Only 1 of those teams was a pure speed team. Even Vegas had/has big forwards like Reeves, Tuch, Bellemere, Perron, Karlsson, Carpenter...all 200lb plus forwards. We can project out into the future on where the trend is going, but I'd also argue that if we take a look at the standings so far this year...teams with size are leading the way compared to teams with speed. Exception of EDM because McDavid's not human. I know the NHL is trending that way, but the transition is going slower than what 95% of people think.

If the Avs have a weakness, it is their goaltending. I think at this point in the season, St. Louis is far on their way to repeat as WC champions. Unlike the Avs, they have now been through it. Invaluable expense. They have better goaltending. However, the Avs have more depth than last season. Acquiring Kadir may be the key, if he can not have a melt down. I often say this to clubs who on paper should be there ( as I said this to the Bolts last season) “It is yours to lose.”