Count me in as thinking they’ll be a better team this year. Most of the team is back from last year and will be stabilizing the system brought in from Blashill and the coaches. Couldn’t expect too much from a team composed of mostly youngsters and a new coaching staff and a new system. So, yeah I agree this year will be better, but I’m just worried about the start of the season.
With Bedard missing possibly 15 games, that’s a lot of points missed if they don’t come out of the gates firing on all cylinders. The reason I keep thinking about Pettersson is KD stated that this off-season was going to be different in that they were going to seek a serious upgrade or upgrades to the team.
Now he delivered on Byram, contrary to most people’s belief—-“he needed to find help on Bedard’s line… Bedard needs a wing … Davidson needed to upgrade the forward group and he gets a defenseman….” If you think about it, KD did help Bedard. He got a young experienced dman that can skate the puck up, and deliver it to Bedard and the forwards. When the Hawks’ defensemen can skate with the puck and then pass, they’re fine, but in the past, there were too many times where D to D passes made the Dmen stand still, and due to pressure, they would hoist the puck out of the zone or ice the puck. Now the Hawks have a majority of their Dmen who could skate with the puck; this could lessen the instances where they’re hemmed in the defensive zone, leading to more o-zone time. When people think of the Avalanche and their offense, they think MacKinnon and…. Rantanen?… Necas?… no it’s Makar that comes to mind. Well Bedard is not MacKinnon, and Byram is not Makar, but you can see how this can work for the Hawks.
Now back to Pettersson. KD has tried to fetch help for Bedard with talks regarding Knies and Robertson, although both still seem unlikely. Vancouver is in a rebuild, so they are a perfect and probably the only team to trade with regarding what the Blackhawks have plenty of: picks and prospects. Pettersson is a skilled centerman. He would qualify to me, as a serious upgrade. He could start off the season as the #1 center and when Bedard comes back, it’ll allow him to ease back into the lineup probably as a wing. This makes at least one of Nazar and/or Frondell to play as a top line wing.
Now we don’t know much regarding Pettersson’s attitude or character or lack thereof. I have not heard if he has been healthy scratched in the last two years; usually a telltale sign. Only thing I can recall was the JT Miller thing. Anyway, if Pettersson doesn’t have the stomach to go to a young up and coming squad like the Hawks, then perhaps he’s not the fit character-wise for this team. He’ll just use that no trade clause to nix the deal. But I think KD has to take the swing on this given the circumstances of Bedard’s injury. Besides, if the Canucks trade him for picks, plus discount him for a couple million, he’d be getting paid like a second line center which he’ll be destined to be if he joins the Hawks.