2018/19 Blackhawks march to the lottery

[minnesotacubsfan]

Two of Dallas/Chicago/Colorado/Minnesota/LA/Vancouver/Edmonton/Arizona/Anaheim are going to make the playoffs, and at this point, who's to say who the best two teams of that lot are?

 

I think I read that the 2nd wild card is on pace for 82 points which would be 5 points less than the next worst playoff team since they changed the standings to the W-L-OTL format after the lost lockout season. Only 2 playoff teams have finished with less than 90 points (one of them was the Flyers team that lost to the hawks in the SCF)

 

 

 

https://m.imgur.com/gallery/2kWGJ

 

 

SC FTW

[squally1313]

It's hard to really overstate how terrible this defense is, and makes it even more baffling that in a year they've let a ton of other kids come up and shine, Jokiharju, who played well with the Hawks, has been banished to the AHL. I figured this fake Seabrook injury might have been the excuse needed, but apparently they're content to watch Forsling, Dahlstrom, Kookoo (no, I'm not going to learn how to spell his name), and Keith on his DGAF nights puke all over themselves.

 

The people still pining for Panarin need watch this offense and realize how dumb that would be. Throw some scrub off the street next to Kane and Toews, let Strome and DeBrincat keep developing on the second line, let Saad keep dominating the other team's worst players, and find a new Kruger to head the fourth line.

 

If we pick up 4 points this weekend, which we should (v Colorado, v Dallas), we should be in the market for lower pairing defensemen that can be picked up for a lottery ticket or a late round pick. You've got a year left of Crawford, and probably a couple years left of Kane and Toews prime. Don't trade anyone who can help in that timeframe, but anything else that can shore up the defense to make a run this year should be on the table.

[minnesotacubsfan]

Yes. Defensive men have been my concern since 2014. Their good ones are getting too old, and none of their goalies are elite

[jersey cubs fan]

If we pick up 4 points this weekend, which we should (v Colorado, v Dallas), we should be in the market for lower pairing defensemen that can be picked up for a lottery ticket or a late round pick. You've got a year left of Crawford, and probably a couple years left of Kane and Toews prime. Don't trade anyone who can help in that timeframe, but anything else that can shore up the defense to make a run this year should be on the table.

Wait, the trade deadline hasn't passed yet?

 

They still have 20 games to get back to the top of the lottery.

[jersey cubs fan]

Yes. Defensive men have been my concern since 2014. Their good ones are getting too old, and none of their goalies are elite

defensive men have been a problem in this country long before 2014

[squally1313]

If we pick up 4 points this weekend, which we should (v Colorado, v Dallas), we should be in the market for lower pairing defensemen that can be picked up for a lottery ticket or a late round pick. You've got a year left of Crawford, and probably a couple years left of Kane and Toews prime. Don't trade anyone who can help in that timeframe, but anything else that can shore up the defense to make a run this year should be on the table.

Wait, the trade deadline hasn't passed yet?

 

They still have 20 games to get back to the top of the lottery.

 

Trade deadline is Monday. They're now 12th in the lottery rankings, so I think that ship has sailed, even if you'll see less teams tanking than normal due to basically the whole Western Conference being in the wild card race. Honestly I'm not sure what they could do to even help a tanking effort. The players carrying the offense are untradeable, and the rest of the team is pretty much garbage. Keith isn't going anywhere, Murphy just hurts you long term...Gustaffson maybe? The rest are worthless. On the offensive side, don't think Kruger has much value left, Anisimov and Kunitz have none, the rest are all developing.

 

Just picking random names from the bottom of the TSN Trade Bait list, go get Ben Lovejoy (Devils) or Adam McQuaid (Rangers). Both expiring deals on bad teams, both have to be better than what we're currently throwing out.

[jersey cubs fan]

corey crawford has been activated for some reason

[17 Seconds]

stone got an 8 year extension with a 9.5 aav. the contracts are really catching up with toews and kane now. the hawks are in pretty good shape i think, but they'd be in fantastic shape if not for the seabrook contract.

[Old Style]

Jesus H. Way to make a 5-0 game a heart stopper.

[biittner77]

Jesus H. Way to make a 5-0 game a heart stopper.

 

When the Hawks play the way they did in the first period they look like they could beat anybody. Then the 3rd period happened to remind us what they really are. It seemed like there were a lot of desperate passes to nobody in particular by virtually all of the Hawks defensemen.

[sweetpeteman]

Colorado got 1 pt against the Blues, putting them 7 pts up. If the Hawks end up not getting any points against the Jets, which seems likely with them now down 4-2 with 3 minutes left, their season is officially over.

 

 

Turns out it was an offsides play, the Hawks are only down 1, but really, it's still over.

[UMFan83]

Hawks were indeed eliminated last night meaning that unless the Cubs make the playoffs (or Sox I guess), we could be looking at the 2nd straight calendar year with only 1 total playoff game played involving a Chicago team. And because I'm a nerd I went back and looked at how many games Chicago teams have played in recent years:

 

2019 - 1 (Bears)

2018 - 1 (Cubs)

2017 - 20 (Cubs, Bulls, Blackhawks)

2016 - 24 (Cubs, Blackhawks)

2015 - 44 (Cubs, Bulls, Blackhawks)

2014 - 24 (Bulls, Blackhawks)

2013 - 35 (Bulls, Blackhawks)

2012 - 12 (Bulls, Blackhawks)

2011 - 25 (Bears, Bulls, Blackhawks)

2010 - 27 (Bulls, Blackhawks)

2009 - 24 (Bulls, Blackhawks)

2008 - 7 (Cubs, White Sox)

2007 - 16 (Cubs, Bears, Bulls)

2006 - 7 (Bears, Bulls)

2005 - 18 (Bulls, White Sox)

2004 - 0

[17 Seconds]

lottery is on

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Blackhawks in the top 3!

[Hairyducked Idiot]

The three teams that jumped were leaked a few minutes early on twitter but I didn't believe them.

[17 Seconds]

oh my god

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Even No. 3 is great. That's probably that Russian Podkolzin as BPA, though you could *maybe* talk yourself into Bynam if you just had to have a defenseman.

[Old Style]

Hawks move from 12 to 3!

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Alright, third it is. Jumped 9 spots. That's *huge* for the team's immediate future.

[17 Seconds]

Alright, third it is. Jumped 9 spots. That's *huge* for the team's immediate future.

 

also, colorado missed on hughes AND kakko, and they both went to the east instead.

 

with the emergence of debrincat/strome, this, and the money we have to spent in free agency, the hawks are going to be fun again

[Hairyducked Idiot]

This was only an 8.2% chance to get into the top 3, otherwise they would have stayed back at 12 or possibly worse.

[Tim]

Even No. 3 is great. That's probably that Russian Podkolzin as BPA, though you could *maybe* talk yourself into Bynam if you just had to have a defenseman.

Any issues with getting Podkolzin to the USA immediately? Or will he play over there for a while first?

[17 Seconds]

funny how all those wins probably ended up helping us

[17 Seconds]

currently on hfboards looking at every team forum's reaction the moment the blackhawks moved up

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Even No. 3 is great. That's probably that Russian Podkolzin as BPA, though you could *maybe* talk yourself into Bynam if you just had to have a defenseman.

Any issues with getting Podkolzin to the USA immediately? Or will he play over there for a while first?

 

He's not ready to come over immediately. There's always someone who surprises and makes a team out of camp, but there's only two guys in this draft who are sure-fire immediate NHLers, and I've even heard some whispers that a year in the minors wouldn't hurt Hughes (the presumed No. 1 overall).

 

I'd plan on Podkolzin spending at least two years in Russia.