Post 2017 - 2018 Report Cards and Season Preview of Sorts: Forwards, The Made Men

There's nothing like leaving everything 'til the last minute, right?  I envisioned knocking out a post-season wrap up, oh...maybe when the playoffs ended, but I was still grumpy about The Hawks and put it off. Anyway, after a few false starts here it is, the fourth and final 2017-18 Report Cards/ 2018-19 Team Preview  You're welcome.

The forward corps was no less frustrating and underacheivey than the D and G but there are, at least, some bright sunshiny rays here.  Oh, and Ryan Hartman, too!

Artem Anisimov

Large Arthur backslid mightily stats-wise last season, presumably due to the absence of Panarin, in which he lost a productive linemate, but also because he was shuffled endlessly between 2C and 3C, lacking the consistent comfort of the same two wingers that he'd enjoyed for two seasons.  Still, he was a beast on the PP and a fixture on the PK.  He seems poised to suffer the same fate this year, likely beginning the season at 3C but, if the second line falters he'll be the first to slot up, putting him in a weird "good enough to have around even if we don't know exactly what to do with him" place.  Hopefully still useful but he'll have to work his tail off for even-strength ice time if the first two lines happen to gel. B- for last season.

Alex DeBrincat

Despite a slow start DBC was the star of this woeful show last season, posting the best numbers among Hawks rookies and placing second in team scoring, tops in goals.  And this was with a group that, almost to a man, punched below their weight or were deadweight to begin with.  Consider, also, that he skated in the bottom six for some time before Desperate Measures were undertaken.  When he was drafted I scoffed at the idea of a 5'7" forward on an already pretty small squad but, as it turned out, his size had little bearing on what he managed to accomplish.  He was also one of only a few forwards to finish with a plus rating, though I'll temper that with the caveat that he enjoyed rather cushy zone starts a lot of the time.  Had the guys he played alongside had a better time of it last season he'd have been in the conversation for Rookie Of The Year.  A, far exceeding expectations while everything around him turned to mud.

Ryan Hartman

Power forward or meathead?  Who knew which Ryan Hartman would show up from one night to the next?  That first game, the one that turned out to be a cruel lie, promised so much and Hartman was the most intriguing aspect of that fantasy.  Hell, he was The NHL's leading scorer for several days, yet finished the year in Nashville with a paltry 31 points.  It's hard to say how and why he could be a world beater one night and an embarrassment the next but my guess would be that he too easily lost sight of what he needed to do to succeed.  Or maybe his idea of success is more aligned to cheap shots than slap shots.  I'm not going to dwell on it as he's down the road, but I think there's something there with Hartman and it's just a matter of whether he's willing and able to rise above his tendency to....well, be stupid.  B-, as little was expected and we got slightly more than that.

Patrick Kane

Well, he tried, mostly.

It had to be frustrating to have his linemates shuffled around half the time, particularly after playing almost exclusively with the same two guys for two years.  That was not a luxury we had last season and it seemed that the coaching staff were constantly searching for a magic bullet, some combination that would bring more out of Kane.  Sometimes it worked, sometimes not and a lot of the time he just seemed tired, or maybe just tired of having to be THE GUY even when The Hawks were clearly out of the running.  Kane posted his lowest points-per-game in six seasons yet still led the team in scoring.  A few more options exist for this season, perhaps, but The Staff look to be starting Kane off with familiar linemates that yielded mixed results last year.  B, not because he was necessarily bad but circumstances prevailed against him.

Chris Kunitz

Kunitz has been a winner even more often than The Hawks' Core, which is great resumé stuff but one could well argue that his greatest successes, four Stanley Cups and an Olympic Gold Medal, are inextricably linked to his proximity to Sidney Crosby. By no means do I wish to be unflattering and Crosby certainly benefited from his connection with Kunitz but, at age 39 and with little chance of playing alongside anyone Crosby-like, I question his utility.  If Kunitz DOES end up playing regularly with Kane or DeBrincat, for example, that likely means that The Hawks are in serious trouble so I'm in no hurry to slot Kunitz up just to what that looks like.  Based on his preseason outings his wheels are still there and he appears to be in shape, but the hand skills have largely gone to hell.

Marcus Kruger

Krugs is no saviour but he's a known, reliable quantity.  He takes his tasks, as unglamourous as they may be, very seriously and appears to exist quite happily in that role player spot, with no pretenses of playing in the top six.  An outstanding checker, puck retriever and penalty killer, Kruger will take a lot of pressure off Toews, who essentially worked two full time jobs last season. He's still just okay at the dot so I expect he'll usually pair up with Kampf or Johnson and faceoffs will be by committee.  The beautiful thing with Kruger, though, is that even if he loses a faceoff, there's an even chance he'll get that puck back, soon enough. Played well in the preseason, especially with Martinsen, the blunt instrument to Krug's precision tool.  Very glad to have him back.

Richard Panik

It was back to earth for Panik after his breakout season in 2016-17.  Even so, he was rarely bad, but simply failed to repeat the otherworldly shooting percentage he enjoyed the year prior.  The harder it became for Panik to score, the tighter he gripped that stick, to the point where he was gacking tap-ins and wide open cages.  His reaction after scoring vs. Ottawa last January, after having not scored in nearly three months was a mix of elation and resignation, as even he knew it was too little, too late.  He never stopped trying and I liked the guy, even if Phoenix-area restaurateurs aren't crazy about him.  An honest if reluctant C.

Brandon Saad

The prodigal had returned, and just in time assume his rightful place as a Hossa-in-training.  Well, it did not go as well as hoped nor planned.  Saad looked fine, skating well, good positionally and working hard, but he always seemed to be on the wrong side of the inch, just missing a post, getting a puck flat on his stick blade....stuff like that.  Like Panik, though, the longer that went on the worse it seemed to get and, by mid-February one wondered if he would ever score again.  As it was, he posted his lowest offensive stats in any of his five full campaigns yet, had he converted half of the near-misses he flubbed over the season, he could well have been in the 45-50 point range. His preseason was inconclusive, as he looked out of sync on the third line but a lot more in-step with Kane & Schmaltz.
B-, no matter what caused his funk.

Nick Schmaltz

Almost every time I saw Schmaltz during his rookie season, 2016-17, he looked bewildered, only snapping out of that deer-in-headlights trancelike appearance in the latter half of the season, when he put together a series of great games.  In 2017-18 he again had a stronger second half and went long stretches without denting the twine, but he was far less hesitant and much more willing to hang onto the puck a little longer than he'd been doing.  Hell, it was mid-season before I realized just how fast he is, 'cos he'd never really bothered to show off that feature.  As his confidence and his willingness to put himself out there a bit more increases so will his contributions.  I'm eager to see what surprises he pulls out his hat this season, and I hope he doesn't wait until January to do it.  Third in team scoring is worth at least a B and it coulda maybe been an A if he'd found his feet a little earlier amirite?

Patrick Sharp

It was a sad year for Patrick Sharp fans, less for his retirement at the end of the season but more for having to witness his "homecoming" season be such a mess. Age and injuries/surgeries have taken a hard toll on Sharpie and it was clear early on that neither his legs nor his hands were up to the task any longer. As tough as it was to watch an old favourite slog through such an awful season, both for himself and the team, it was still good to see him back in red & black and to be sent off in style by The Blackhawks.  A for effort and let's not judge the man for the last thing he's done, but for his body of work OK?

Jonathan Toews

Only by sheer force of will did Tazer manage to pull even on points with Schmaltz and DeBrincat.  This past season was probably toughest on Toews, as he shoulders a heavy load, especially when things are not going to plan.  As mentioned earlier, he was tasked with centering The Hawks ostensive "first line", the implication there being goal production, but he also faced their opposition's best center, night in, night out.  The long spring & summer, as disappointing as it surely was at the time, will do him a world of good and, if preseason is anything to go by, he's got a lot of jump in his step this fall.  He's connecting well with DeBrincat and Kahun and, even if Kahun falters, there are at least some other options to explore that are a far cry from some of the "solutions" that Q came up last year.  He never quit and persevered through some pretty ridiculous coaching decisions: A-

Tommy Wingels

I was as disappointed as I was surprised that The Hawks didn't offer Wingels a contract once his trade deadline gig with BOS ended.  Wingels is no star, has little guile and even less in the way of hand skills, but he remains far greater than the sum of his parts.  He's smart, disciplined and understands fully what is expected of him. And he mostly succeeds in carrying out his tasks....as long those tasks are in line with his ability, which is checking, mucking, killing penalties and other myriad dirty work.  However, when thrust upon the team's top line for reasons still unknown....well, there's no guarantee attached.  I like the guy, I like his game for what it is and The Hawks got all that they paid for and more.  B for Best guy in the Bottom six last year.

IT'S ALL TO PLAY FOR - TONIGHT - 7:30 ET/ 6:30 CT, TSN5 and WGN.  Go Hawks.

Here We Go Again? Senators 2, Hawks 1 (Preseason T-Minus 2)

Sadly, I am compelled to comment on Thursday's meaningless preseason match vs. OTT.
This is because, I am sorry to report, it did not look nor feel meaningless, as what we saw was all too familiar.
The Hawks hit the ice with a more-or-less representative lineup, squared up against a 70/30 veterans/prospects OTT squad who, I must note, were dogshit last season and that was with Eric Karlsson in the lineup.  And we lost, 2-1, which wasn't a blowout, obviously and The Sens goals only half-signaled any specific issues.  The problem is that The Hawks looked exactly like the team that curled up and died last winter.
Passing was abysmal.  That was the worst aspect of The Hawks game between about the 7th and 55th minute.  Practically everyone got in on the act to some extent, but I'll call out Keith, Gustafsson, Jokiharju and Saad as being especially bad.  Watching that occur makes one wonder if this team gives a single crap about what happens this year, 'cos that was a rerun of last year.  You know, the season that they claim was unacceptable?
Ditto for positional play, which didn't help with the passing when guys were late joining the rush or if the theoretical best passing option wasn't available 'cos the guy just wasn't there.

Dark Places
Jokiharju is not ready.  The first OTT goal was on him, too soft and too hesitant going after that puck behind the goal line.  Yep, someone should have had Duchene but Ryan shouldn't have had a puck to pass to Duke in the first place.  As mentioned, Jokiharju's passing was poor and was often rushed.  Nobody likes to get hit but the kid had better get used to it.
Kunitz appears to be a waste of time.
Kahun had his first stinkeroo as a Hawk, rarely being where he ought to be, which was unfortunate as his linemates were having a fine game in the meantime.
Gustafsson made a few nice plays, especially while breaking out, but his first pass was uncharacteristically weak for much of the night and he was lazy getting back, as was the case too often last season.
Keith was flat out bad.  As great as he was vs. DET last week, he was that BAD and more in this game.
Bright Spots?
Forsberg was actually pretty good between the pipes.  Duchene's goal was a coin-flip as to whether or not the puck hits him or not and the game winner was unfortunate as Bergie is usually better at tracking that goal crease stuff.  Still, an okay outing.
Toews and DeBrincat look ready to roll. Loving their chemistry, so far.
Manning had his strongest game, even if he spent too much time distracted by second generation shitbird Brady Tkachuk.

The Hawks need a strong effort tonight.  They don't even need to win, they just need to do something different than what they did on Thursday, which was a replay of the last 40 games of 2017-18.  Even if they found new & unusual ways to fail it would be improvement.

Kampf and Kane in for Johnson/Sikura?
Davidson in for Jokiharju?
Saad - Schmaltz - Kane in practice this AM.

Final 2017-18 wrap/season preview coming in the next few days

Post 2017-2018 Blackhawks Report Cards: In The Twine

The Hawks used a whopping six goaltenders this season which offers a clue as to what the hell went on back there.  Two of these six guys did practically everything that was asked of them while the others blew warm and cold over the course of the season.  Yes, warm....merely warm.
With the caveat that these lads worked behind a ridiculously inconsistent defense group, here we go.

J-F Berubé 

Only one of the six men mentioned here today is a bona fide NHL-quality netminder and J-F Berubé is not that guy.  He failed to distinguish himself over two seasons in The Islanders' bullpen and, while he played his way into the #1 role in Rockford, he maintained his NHL-level mediocrity over 10 starts in Chicago.  J-F would likely have seen more action had he not himself been injured when Corey Crawford went on the Disabled List.  Sorry to be harsh but Berubé is a third-stringer, at best, his effort rating a C.

Corey Crawford

In a mere 27 starts Crow managed 16 wins.  That in itself is not especially great, but consider that the other Hawks goaltenders combined took only 17 wins in twice as many games and it looks a lot more impressive.  Crawford did have a couple of pretty rough outings but, aside from those, did everything we expect from him and stole more than a few wins on his own.  At the time of his injury Crow's Save Percentage (SP) and Goals Against Average (GAA) were 0.929 and 2.27, both of which exceeded his career averages.  Things could have been different had Crow been around all year.  A

Collin Delia

Young Delia had only two NHL starts in this, his first pro season, but showed well enough to suggest that there may be something there for the future, if not the present.  Delia was outstanding in his debut vs. WPG despite leaving late in the game due to dehydration/cramping, but much less so in his second start vs. COL.  This is a guy, though, who started the year in The ECHL, assumed the starter role in AHL Rockford during the winter and, as mentioned, had a brief look in Chicago, so even though he didn't set the NHL world on fire the progress he'd made is admirable.  Delia was on the bench for The IceHogs last several playoff games, however, so we hope that both he and The Hawks organization judge his overall perfomance and not just his last few starts.  I wouldn't be shocked to see Delia nab the backup role in Chicago, come September.   Incomplete, but promising.

Anton Forsberg

Bergie enjoyed the most starts of all of The Hawks' goalies this season....even if we didn't always find them enjoyable.  He may be the most frustrating netminder I've ever witnessed, often making saves he had no business making and ably surviving far-too-long goal mouth scrambles, yet he allowed at least one soft goal in every game he played.  Still, he posted the second-best stats after Crawford (0.908 / 2.97) setting career-bests along the way.  His inability to put together even one complete game all year is a problem, though.  B-

Scott Foster

Talk about exceeding expectations.  Foster provided the single-most entertaining fifteen minutes of The Hawks' miserable season.  Probably should be Incomplete but fuck it A++

Jeff Glass

Prior to Scott Foster's unlikely three-deep ascension to the NHL spotlight it was Jeff Glass, the 32-year-old rookie who had captured the imagination of the fans and sports media alike.  A handful of herioc performances aside, like J-F Berubé, old Glasser had no real business being in The NHL.  I'm happy for the guy, enjoyed the story and admire his determination, but there it is.  C.

Yes, The Hawks' defense were largely rubbish the the team offense anemic, but this was not a good year on the backline.  Maybe if Crow had not been injured we would have had a better result, as not only did The Hawks lose their All-World netminder but I believe they lost a ton of confidence as a group, because once Crawford went on the DL The Hawks' scoring went in the pooper, too.  It cannot have been just a coincidence.  Maybe if Forsberg stole more than one win, all season, that confidence could have been bolstered, somewhat, but no joy there, I'm afraid.

The complete collapse that occurred when Crawford was hurt is going to affect this team until such time that they have a reliable starter and backup, this group is that fragile.  I haven't heard a peep about Crow's health since he did a bit of skating in practice back in March, so we can only assume he'll be back in September and ready to lead from the back, as he's done for so long, but who knows?  Forsberg and Delia look to be the realistic backup options, perhaps with Delia beginning the season in Rockford and finishing in Chicago.  I wouldn't be alarmed or disappointed if Stan Bowman trades for a backup upgrade, but I expect whether he goes that route depends a lot on Crawford's readiness.
This is undeniable, though: if Crawford is unavailable or is injured during the season we'll be looking at a repeat of this year, barring the unlikely possibility of  Forsberg / Delia / whoever stepping forward in a very big way.  Not a very cheerful outlook.

Cam Ward

He's new.  He's old.  He's great when he plays against The Hawks but, so far, not so great when playing for The Hawks.  It's early days, Q is obviously handing Ward the keys until such time that Crow is fit to play.  That's just the way it is, folks, and we have to hope that if the netminding falters the rest of the team are able to pull some slack, 'cos if The Hawks get themselves in a hole, standings-wise, early on, this thing could be done before it even starts.

Post 2017 - 2018 Report Cards and Season Preview of Sorts: Forwards, The Young Ones, The Guys and The Bubble Boys

Part I of The Hawks' Forwards review, this time the players who are by no means guaranteed a job in The 312.  Some, you will see, are more likely to cast a shadow on United Center ice than others.  Again, maybe I'll spew some bile toward / shower with praise a player or two who may have left for other locales or that are just arriving in Chicago.

Lance Bouma

I wasn't buying Foley & Olczyk's enthusiasm for this guy.  Sure, he laid a big hit here and there and dislodged a few pucks, but that was small compensation for a fella that a) has no apparent hand skills, b) took far too many undisciplined penalties and c) was worthless as a penalty killer.  That last fact would have been of no consequence except that Coach Q insisted on trotting Boomer out on the PK on a regular basis, waving his stick around, not minding his gaps and accomplishing nothing.  And just like that, he's sent down to Rockford.  Regular shift and PK unit one day....AHL the next.  C and off to Géneve and not our problem.

Anthony Duclair

Tragically less than the sum of his parts, as Duc posesses great speed, good hands and a pretty decent shot, but not often within the same 30 seconds or so.  He likes to carry the puck which is a shame, because his closing move is awfully weak and rarely fooled opposing d-men.  The guy could be a real contributor for someone, I think, if he musters some discipline and a willingness to involve his linemates occasionally.  A generous B-.

Victor Edjsell

He's got all the size and reach you could want, even he seems a bit lightweight for 6'5"/214 lbs and perhaps a bit lead-footed.  Apparently had some excellent games with The IceHogs during their cup run....along with some stinkeroos.  Too soon to tell but I expect he'll be on The Hawks roster to start the season.  Incomplete but I'm cautiously optimistic.
TRAINING CAMP UPDATE: assigned to Rockford today and that's entirely fair.  He hasn't been bad but every forward still in camp has outplayed him.

John Hayden

Hayden is a puzzler: some nights he's absolutely everywhere, rubbing guys out, camping out in the opposition's slot and making safe but effective plays.  Other nights, though, he just kinda plods up and down the wing with no plan, no purpose in mind.  He's big, he's quick enough, is okay on the PK and has shown a little offensive flash now & again.  There's probably something there, and I wonder if his demotion to Rockford was more about getting him icetime during an otherwise lost season than an indictment of his play.  With more consistent application & concentration Hayden could stick and be a useful bottom-six+ guy.  Averages out to a B.

Matthew Highmore

"Charlie Bucket" or maybe "lunchbucket" is more apt, 'cos this fella is a hard working, prototypical blue-collar Guy.  All the work ethic in the world cannot make up for lacking any one really dynamic quality, though, and I'm not sure that Highmore posesses one.  He's ostensibly a center but played wing almost exclusively while with The Hawks, which is where he'd end up, anyway, with Kruger returning.  At present he's a serviceable mucker and okay PK guy but not much more than that, although he's an undrafted player who worked his way to the NHL pretty quickly, so who knows what other surprises he might spring? At any rate, his work is cut out for him as he'll be duking it out with Hayden, Schroeder and Kahun for a roster spot.  Not bad, not great, call this a B-.
TRAINING CAMP UPDATE: returned to Rockford despite playing pretty well vs. DET.  As above, Highmore is a fine plugger but The Hawks don't need that guy right now.

Vinnie Hinostroza

I'm very sorry to see Vinnie Hinnie leave, but I can kinda see why The Hawks got talked into parting with him (dumping Hossa's salary aside).  When Vinnie is switched on he's a ton of fun, creative and effective.  The problem is, a lot of the time he's not fully engaged or, as I pondered last winter, maybe the things that worked for him simply stopped working.  We saw him struggle when the going got physical, found himself overmatched and couldn't always skate out of trouble.  Anyway, I like his style and hope he'll figure out how to get it right more often than he has done.  A solid B.

Luke Johnson

The Hawks are clearly giving him a long look.  Despite modest offensive numbers in Rockford earned a leadership role there and is likely a greater-than-the-sum-of-his-parts guy who uses his noggin and is positionally sound.  Typically plays center but had some good shifts on the wing last weekend.  I see him sticking around, having a slight edge over Sikura if it comes down to that.


Tomas Jurco

Despite a strong finish to the season I expected Jurcs would not be invited back.  He's quick, shifty and hard-working, but he's neither quick nor shifty enough to offset his utter inability to fight through any checking, being possibly the weakest 6'1"/185 I've witnessed at this level.  I expect it unlikely that he'll ever bulk up sufficiently at this stage of his life, so he'll top out in The AHL or Europe I'm afraid.  A reluctant C for Jurcs.

Dominik Kahun

Kahun is now the fourth potential diamond in the rough unearthed by The Hawks' European scout, Peter Sundstrom.  Kahun is a small forward who has produced well in The German Elite League, for whatever that's worth.  He's had some experience on North American ice, having played two seasons for Sudbury in The OHL, where he was a 2nd/3rd liner.  Kahun is a proven winner, finishing atop the DEL with Munich in 2016 and was a member of the German team that kinda fell ass-backward into a Silver Medal in last winter's Olympics.  Even with that track record, though, he has to overcome Q's resistance to accept these obscure finds that are parachuted into his realm.  An entirely unknown quantity that could be something or nothing at all.
TRAINING CAMP UPDATE: quite good, as it turns out, displaying good chemistry with different linemates in each preseason game he's played.  He'll be around in October.


David Kampf

Last year's Euro-find, David Kampf joined The Hawks in December just in time to participate in The Hawks' spectacular free-fall.  That wasn't on him, by the way. "Baby Huey"'s game is remarkably similar to that of John Hayden's, albeit somewhat more subtle, with a lot less bombast but far greater attention to the specific tasks he's been given.  Kampf won't knock any fillings loose with big hits but he's no pushover, either, playing a quiet, large-player kind of game.  Defensively responsible and surprisingly good at the dot, Baby Huey was a fixture on the PK during the last half of the season.  Brief flashes of offensive creativity suggest that there may be more to Kampf than we've seen, and that he's been held back by weak linemates and strict adherence to the instructions given to him.  I dunno, is B too much?
TRAINING CAMP UPDATE: Kampf has been excellent in preseason and I can easily picture him alongside Kruger in a role much like Ben Smith's, in which Krugs would take draws on one side and Kampf on the other.  The bonus is that Kampf is good at the dot and better all-round than Smith.
Photo credit: alamy


Andreas Martinsen

Likely the only player to threaten John Hayden's place on the roster, Martinsen is a big, big piece of furniture, with just enough speed and agility to really lay some hurt with his hits.  His offensive skills are inferior to Hayden's, which ain't great news.  The Hawks clearly want the guy around, whether there's a firm plan for him or merely as a solid spare part, having granted him a contract extension.  That said, the only way I see Martinsen usurping Hayden is he can show the coaches that he'll not be a defensive liability while he's tearing around making opposing d-men nervous.  B-, because of his limited game.
TRAINING CAMP UPDATE: will one great game be enough to secure a roster spot?  Maybe, 'cos Q always wants a large, violent man around.  Destined for the RW with Kruger & Kampf?


Jordan Schroeder

Obtained prior to The Hawks trading for Marcus Kruger, this Ryan Gosling lookalike is probably surplus to the team's needs at this point.  Yet another small forward, Schroeder puts up above-average stats....in The AHL.  Mediocre at the dot and never a go-to guy for the PK, only a ton of determination and putting his high-energy style out there will get him on the roster next month.  We've seen this episode before and it was "The One With Andrew Ebbett", which was over in 22 minutes.  No rating, will be surprised to see any sign of him, barring injuies down the middle.
TRAINING CAMP UPDATE: jettisoned to Rockford rather quickly.


Dylan Sikura

Now this, I like.  Sikura is the 208th and last small forward on this list which kinda makes me roll my eyes, but this kid is so quick, so darty, I think he might get away with being 160 lbs.  Sikura The Younger (older brother Tyler is also getting a long look after a breakthrough season in Rockford) had a five game stint last spring which was easily the best straight-from-college to The NHL audition that we've seen in this Hawks era. Smooth-skating and slippery enough to not get killed, he's also great with the puck as his 3 assists in five games seem to bear out.  His destiny, I think, is in The Hawks' top six.  Incomplete but woweewowwow.
TRAINING CAMP UPDATE: he's been okay in a couple of preseason matches but not outstanding.  Might stick partly due to The Hawks having high hope for him, as long as we carry two spare forwards to begin the season.

Post 2017-2018 Report Cards Report Cards and Season Preview of Sorts: The Defense, oh Dear God, The Defense

If I may summarize before even getting going on this.....it was bad.
This was the most poorly managed aspect of The Blackhawks this past season.  It might be a stretch to say it was the nail in the coffin, given the goaltending disaster and the frequent & prolonged scoring droughts, but I really think it needn't have been as awful as it was.

Carl Dahlstrom

Big Carl played 11 games, apparently, but I clearly remember only two.  In one of those games he was the best of The Hawks' defenders, pushing the play effectively while still managing to mind the store defensively. The other game that springs immediately to mind was a complete disaster in which everything he involved himself in turned to mud.  Not especially quick and not always operating with confidence, Dalhstrom is nevertheless a big piece of furniture who, with adequate coaching, could develop into a solid, stay-at-home-crease-clearing-S.O.B with a smidge of offensive awareness about him. As I'm unconvinced that adequate coaching is available let's go with Incomplete and likely to be leapfrogged by Snuggerud or Hillman but there ya go.
TRAINING CAMP UPDATE: assigned to Rockford, thank goodness, 'cos he was horrifying in his preseason outings.

Gustav Forsling

Goose came out of the gate very strongly last season.  Paired primarily with Jan Rutta he looked confident, moved the puck north reasonably well and added a little offensive dash.  When the team went into its extended funk, though, Forsling was one of the first casualties, first in the form of being scratched and, soon enough, a demotion to The AHL.  That was fair enough, too, as Goose was becoming increasingly yippy with the puck and the opposition were suddenly exploiting his defensive limitations.  An absolutely horrifying effort vs. Brooklyn in late January was the last we'd see of Forsling, the plan likely to get him some big, high-responsibility minutes in Rockford and see about bringing him back, later.  Unfortunately for Forsling, the guy who replaced him in the lineup was deemed adequate...

If Forsling is going to stick with The Hawks something has to change.  He's simply not strong enough on the puck to be a pure defender; at 6', 186 lbs he loses most of his battles around the net.  While he was often able to skate his way out of trouble...he wasn't always able to pull it off, and when that tactic goes awry the result is often terrible and the error memorable.  While he's an okay puck-lugger, he's far from being an elite talent.  Goose has to either get bigger or get quicker.  A solid B until his slide, final grade a C.

TRAINING CAMP UPDATE: on the shelf after wrist surgery, 10-12 weeks.  

Cody Franson

The second-worst handled Hawks d-man this year, IMO.  Franson did exactly what he's done for his entire career (albeit a little slower) and still found himself in the AHL by mid-season.  As far as I'm concerned Franson's only sin was his lack of speed, and I'll mitigate that by pointing out that he bloody knows he's limited in that regard and makes up for it, somewhat, through smart positioning.  Contrast that with Seabrook who thinks he's still quick and is caught out of position on a nightly basis.  Yep, he had a few screamers this season, but he was absolutely the best PP quarterback The Hawks had at their disposal yet found himself in and out of that role, as well as in and out of the lineup entirely.  I honestly believe that he was the best fit for third-pairing duty + first PP unit but, for reasons I cannot fathom, he was instead cast to the gulag.  Seriously, were any of Franson's slip-ups any worse than Keith's inability to make a pass, any pass, in the last half of the season?  An unreserved B. 

Erik Gustafsson

After going the better part of two seasons between NHL games I had assumed that Gustafsson had been written off.  He looked dismal in last year's preseason and was certainly not on my radar at all.  However, all he did was buckle down and, by all accounts, play like an All-Star in Rockford, putting him on the top of the will-call list by the time things went south in Chicago.  Gus provided some occasional offensive spark, made possible by skillful passing and a low, hard point shot.  He's not a very fast skater but is deceptive enough to gain a few seconds advantage when breaking out.
However...
Gustafsson is a bad defenseman.  He's not strong, loses more puck battles than he wins and, most infuriating, doesn't even seem to be paying attention a lot of the time.  His positioning is garbage and his decision-making often dubious.  Too often he was standing idle while the puck crossed The Hawks' goal line.
Gus won a game or two for The Hawks last year but he was also largely responsible for a couple of losses.  The holes in his defensive game could likely be coached out of him, but probably not by The Hawks' current coaching staff.
I see Gustafsson duking it out for the 6th or 7th d-man slot, at best and, if he makes the cut it will have been at Forsling's expense, 'cos we can maybe afford to have one of these two around but certainly not both of them.  Coulda been a B if he'd been arsed about playing some defense but he wasn't so it's a C for Gus.

Blake Hillman

I dunno how much you can tell in a four game audition.  Hillman was okay, making no massive mistakes but not really distinguishing himself in any way, either.  Seems to play a bit bigger than he is and could maybe be a useful mind-the-store type guy for half of what Connor Murphy costs?  Incomplete.
TRAINING CAMP UPDATE: dispatched to Rockford.  


Michal Kempny

What's that?  Kempny didn't finish the season with The Hawks organization?  Well, lucky him.
I just wanted to include Kemps here to underline that, for all his apparent strengths, Coach Quenneville sometimes gets it very, very wrong.  I don't know if there was a personality conflict (and Kempny may well be a catalyst if that's the case) or if Q had a bad first impression of Kempny that he could not overcome, because Q never seems to change his mind.  Regardless, Kempny was put in a position where, if he made even the smallest mistake he'd be stuck to the bench and then in the press box for the next game, while Oesterle (and TVR, last season) was out there making a mess and rarely missing a shift.  That's gotta feel weird.
Kempny was the only Hawks d-man with a + rating when he left, and by a long margin, at that (+12 when he was traded).  Once he was traded to WASH he soon found himself playing alongside John Carlson on their second pairing.  From The Hawks' press box to The Capitals second pairing.
Oh, and a Stanley Cup win, too.  Let's not forget that.  Grade A because fuck Quenneville.

Duncan Keith

Incredibly disappointing.  Everyone knows what Keith has done in the past and, while he's not going reach those heights again, the quality of his game absolutely plummeted this season.  In practically every game from January-on there were mistakes along the boards, lost coverage in the danger zone in front of The Hawks' net and, worst of all, he appeared to have forgotten how to pass the puck.  Truthfully, I believe his heart just wasn't in it this year and his head and hands went along for that hellride.  Chillingly, he was still The Hawks best defenseman.  B

TRAINING CAMP UPDATE: Looked great vs. DET, quicker than he's been in a few years.

Brandon Manning

Free-agent signing out of Philly.  Manning was undrafted and took five seasons to stick in The NHL so he's paid his dues, I guess, and is where he is 'cos he's had to prove he belongs in The Show.  He's got decent size and has some snarl to his game.  Manning infamously broke Connor McDavid's collarbone a couple of seasons back and took some flak for allegedly stating that he'd done it on purpose.  Seems pretty average in all regards and destined to the bottom three (if that's a thing).  

Chief concern with Manning might be discipline and, with a lot of options on D this year, dumb penalties could well get him a seat in the press box.

Photo credit: Getty Images


Connor Murphy

Say hello to Mr. Average.  Not quick, not exceptional with the puck, okay shot....but not glaringly awful, either.  He's defensively responsible and made the fewest hideous errors of this bunch but he has no offensive flair whatsoever.  That's fine, The Hawks need a steady, dependable Guy back there who will give you the same game, night after night.  Murph would an ideal shut-down man if he had a little more speed but, lacking that, we're left with a pretty solid (if slightly overpaid for what we get)  third-pairing guy who can slot up if absolutely necessary.  We received exactly what was shown on the box: B

TRAINING CAMP UPDATE: Out with a back injury until November-ish.

Jordan Oesterle

Sweet Christ am I glad to see the back of this guy leaving Illinois.

I'll begin with a few positives:

- better than average puck-lugger with good speed, agility and straight up nerve

- very good shot - not exactly heavy but he keeps the puck low and on-target

- he's somebody else's problem, now

Because

Oz is a terrible defenseman.  That he was held in higher regard than Kempny and spent significant  time on The Hawks' top pairing is a friggin' sin, boys, a friggin' sin.  G'wan with ya and don't come back.  A generous C- based on a few heroic games.

Jan Rutta

Early on, paired with Forsling, Rutes looked like the find of the year, another one of those way-off-the-radar guys that The Hawks' European scouts have unearthed the last couple of years.  Some rough outings for that pair led to their separation and, along with missing a week here and there with some minor injuries, he never seemed to get that mojo back until very late in the season.  He was dreadful in that embarrassing late-season collapse vs. VAN but was steady enough after that, closing out the season strongly.  It's hard to say what happened here, whether he stopped doing the things that worked early on or if those things stopped working for him.  It's equally possible that, like Kempny, Coach Q's first impressions of him were not favourable....and we know how that goes.  I won't be surprised if Rutta is traded before training camp but I'd be just as happy to see him get another crack at this.  B-

Brent Seabrook

Well, the old warhorse certainly didn't get any quicker this year but his game was far better than the previous season.  Seabrook appeared more mentally invested this year, which isn't to say that there weren't errors in judgement or missed assignments....it just wasn't as awful as it had been.  As much as anything I was grateful that he (mostly) dispensed with flopping to the ice as his Plan A to break up odd-man rushes.  Going forward, perhaps he'll refrain from passing the puck to nowhere and being the guy facing the wrong way in replays of goals against The Hawks.  Baby steps back to where he can and needs to be, but we have to just hope for the best where Seabrook is concerned 'cos we're bloody stuck with him until he's 68 or some damn thing.  B-

In conclusion, it was a bit of a mess.
It appeared that The Hawks had a lot of tools at their disposal but maybe they weren't of the quality that they seemed, at first.  Or, just as likely, they lacked a skilled craftsman to put them to their proper use, as their deployment ranged from weird to dumb to downright mysterious at times.
There was also the problem of the made men not playing to their potential and either not understanding or simply not caring that they were leading by their example.  If Keith and Seabrook ain't give a damn, what's the message to the young ones, then?

OTHER PRESEASON STUFF
Some interesting stuff is happening with The Hawks' D-corps, not all of it good, but more opportunities exist for a young guy or two to make their marks.
Injuries to Forsling and Murphy open up one assured roster spot and reduce competition for another.  
Brandon Davidson, who played for three different NHL teams last season, appears to be hanging around on a PTO.  This falls under "not all of it good" as Davidson is not The Answer and my fear is that Q will make him his next TVR/Oesterle project.
Hillman, Snuggerud and Dennis Gilbert (who I thought looked fine vs. OTT) have all been dispatched to Rockford's camp.  I thought those first two would stick around longer but, in fairness, neither of them look set to make The Hawks just yet so maybe it is best to get them stuck in over there.
Joni Tuulola?  Easily the worst player on either side in the DET game.  Pass.
The Future, we are told, lies in one, two or all of Adam Boqvist, Henri Jokiharju and Nicolas Beaudin, but none of them are even remotely ready yet. I didn't mind Beaudin vs. DET last weekend and Boqvist looks to be an elite puck-mover in the making, but with considerable defensive issues at the moment.  Jokiharju was awful vs. OTT, a game in which a lot of Guys actually shone, so hopefully he gets another game or three to regain his mojo.  I thought Boqvist appeared the most likely of the three to actually play this season but he was returned to London (OHL) on Wed (Sept. 26) so, of these three, only Jokiharju remains in camp.