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I just don’t see any decisions regarding this present personel group causes a playoff game playoff win or (gulp) Cup run.
Nothing that is decided now or in the next months determines that, and I don’t think Kyle gets a pass, but there hasn’t been a biug swing by him towards a NHL addition, but there aint many trades he can make that reshapes the room.
How Kyle and ownership handle additions via free agency and who determines further re-shaping, to me, again, is a question far down the developmental path, and not worth discussion now.
How does any merger moves now affect the next first round pick? It doesn’t matter enough to put him on a spike.
<p class=”userway-s15-active” data-userway-s15-styled=”true” style=”font-family: UDF, serif !important; transition: all;”>You can spin the Davidson quote all you want but it puts Bedard in a bad light for no reason. Another self inflected wound from the GM.
<p class=”userway-s15-active” data-userway-s15-styled=”true” style=”font-family: UDF, serif !important; transition: all;”>As for the Hawks being 2 years away, away from what? The Habs, Ducks, and Caps are 2 years away from being Cup contenders because their young players are going to be hitting their prime and supported by vets. In 2 years the Hawks will still be integrating early 20 year olds who are just going to be learning the league. Who knows what vets will be supporting them?
<p class=”userway-s15-active” data-userway-s15-styled=”true” style=”font-family: UDF, serif !important; transition: all;”>The last thing this franchise needs is stoic stability and letting Davidson figure out who goes and who stays. He did the tear down. There are a few interesting pieces but do you really trust him to wheel and deal his way to a Cup? Based on what? The Dickenson and Mikayev trades? Knight had a hot start but his numbers are falling.
<p class=”userway-s15-active” data-userway-s15-styled=”true” style=”font-family: UDF, serif !important; transition: all;”>Winning builds culture, identity, and creates a place people want to play. Not sitting around and accepting historically bad results. This is a results business.
<p class=”userway-s15-active” data-userway-s15-styled=”true” style=”font-family: UDF, serif !important; transition: all;”>Davidson has never won anything, anywhere.
Jeez SFG, did KD’s mother dump you in high school?
M-hd, Absolutely with ya’ on the Hjalmarsson comp.
Believe it seems like a luxury that Blackhawk team could have a club with three or four guys that they can push out their lips or fingers in an IceHog call-up.
And that not making the post season isn’t world-ending and Management team isn’t going to worry if the select early (due largely by a Bedard re-injury or longer recovery window), this may be their final good chance to win a lottery, and add that “just one more…” keystone piece in early ’26 first round that advertises more second level ‘flare candidates” in that 1st half of the round.It just looks like to me, that the team might see a Hughes-type attacking defenseman from the draft litter of smaller mailmen..
If the did draft early for what ever reason, I see no problem adding at forward.
Every defender they developed around now is going to have to grow more to their games. (BIG #72 is the product of the USA defense, and has a start with seeing hard minutes in the USA dev.team, where he was continually pressed into Pk role, the assignment while USA had their checking line on…Vlasic lumbered and then, got smarter, faster, stronger, so I think he is a cut above the rest in understanding the game and playing it at a high leveltwo ways.
I just don’t think outside moves are out of the question, and cycling through their draft picks at defense, get rotated out, moved on, or replaced with future draft picks at the position.
You can spin the Davidson quote all you want but it puts Bedard in a bad light for no reason. Another self inflected wound from the GM.
As for the Hawks being 2 years away, away from what? The Habs, Ducks, and Caps are 2 years away from being Cup contenders because their young players are going to be hitting their prime and supported by vets. In 2 years the Hawks will still be integrating early 20 year olds who are just going to be learning the league. Who knows what vets will be supporting them?
The last thing this franchise needs is stoic stability and letting Davidson figure out who goes and who stays. He did the tear down. There are a few interesting pieces but do you really trust him to wheel and deal his way to a Cup? Based on what? The Dickenson and Mikayev trades? Knight had a hot start but his numbers are falling.
Winning builds culture, identity, and creates a place people want to play. Not sitting around and accepting historically bad results. This is a results business.
Davidson has never won anything, anywhere.
After Grez’ poor last game, i think a long-term draft replacement, fitting down thw road, and there are certainly lots of promise in the first round that are a tick larger than him, and offensive motivated.
Fine if KK is ready, but has Ethan Del Mastro’s audition over after a few miscues? They seeing growth, there with him? Coaching and responsive evaluation comes with the call-ups, right?
The Sam Rinzel I saw after he signed was clearly big quick and smart enough to hold down an NHL spot. NEVER should have stayed up? The “core” who had been playing in front of him certainly did not looked better, more poised or played better than him.
Did the play finally become grueling over the season and the hard knocks soured him? Sure.
It is laughable watching Arty, as he is feeling like he is a mainstay on the club.
Bedard and the injury is no disconnect organizationally.
More likely this wasn’t one incident that injured Bedard.
We just get what they want released. You want to send the medical images of the injured area to all the other teams too?The franchise will protect their star from any chances of him getting re-injured there. A small shutdown rests the kid (even against his wishes) heals soreness, and things takes the appearance that he plays again against pros when healthy, and able to play HIS type game, with no risky business Bedard’s way, the absent break the insurance he mends first,
Hawks need more offensive production from the D, yet you hear peep about Korchinski. I understand he is left handed, but they brought up del Maestro to sit as the 7th D.
Hawks had better success playing 11/7 than the traditional 12/6. Why not bring up Korchinski, have him on PP2, as it is Grzelcyk shelf life with the Hawks doesn’t last past the trade deadline anyway.
Prospect development is not linear — every player follows a different path.
re Rinzel:
Nik Hjalmarrson played 13 games in the NHL in his 20 year old season and 21 games in the NHL as a 21 year old.
He did not stick w/ The Hawks until the season after he turned 22.Did they rush Hjalmarrson? Or were they just “trying him out”? He’s a different player than Rinzel, for sure.
But it’s a valid example that, even with a player who becomes excellent in the NHL, they don’t always know when the player is ready.🤘
What I wrote is based directly on what Jeff Blashill said the day after Connor Bedard’s injury. Blashill explained that Connor wanted to return, but the coaching staff and medical team decided it was better for him to take time to recover.
The initial prognosis was out until the end of the month, but there was always a possibility he could return after the Christmas break if fully recovered. That doesn’t point to any miscommunication or lack of alignment with the GM — it shows a franchise protecting its most important player.
Regarding Sam Rinzel, Blashill clearly liked him early in the season and wanted him in the lineup. Right or wrong, the decision was made. Now he’s in the AHL, and that’s where development takes priority. Prospect development is not linear — every player follows a different path.
We’ve seen that with players coming from different leagues and backgrounds — Lardis, Moore, Greene, Levshunov, and others. What works for one prospect doesn’t automatically apply to another. That’s part of evaluation and development.
As for Slaggert, when I say I don’t see him as part of the long-term picture, that’s my evaluation. He fits the category of a “transition player.” Every rebuilding team has them — players who help bridge the gap while prospects mature. That doesn’t mean he has no value, but it does explain why he’s moved between Chicago and Rockford.
Overall, I believe the organization is building the right way, but this requires patience. There are more strong draft picks ahead — hopefully another top-three pick — and next season you could see players like Frondell and Kantserov enter the organization.
Realistically, it’s probably two more years before this team starts to look significantly better. Until then, the key is to trust the process, follow the individual development of players, and understand where the team is in its rebuild.
I also believe stability matters. Keeping the front office and coaching staff together helps build culture, identity, and a place where players want to play and grow in Chicago.
The next step for Kyle Davidson will be deciding who stays, who goes, accumulating more assets, and continuing to shape the roster. It’s a long process — and it’s not always easy — but patience is still the key.
Thanks for the discussion today.
