Will they ever be good again?

How long does it usually take?

How does this work? What has to happen? What are your recommendations?

It was a 5-2 loss to vancouver tonight.

1. Crawford needs to be healthy again
2. Young defensemen need to emerge
3. Seabrook and Keith need to have better years ala Chara (Bruins)
4. Schmaltz needs to emerge as a #2 C or a one must be found.
5. Need a top pick that can come in and play next year.

It is a lot but the Bruins and Kings have proved that a veteran core can bounce back and make the playoffs; once you get into the tournament, all bets are off.

_________________
Sherman remarked, "Well, Grant, we've had the devil's own day, haven't we?" Grant looked up. "Yes," he replied, followed by a puff. "Yes. Lick 'em tomorrow, though."

Crow can be good again but I suspect he's got some inner demons or a serious (brain) injury.
Seabrook is finished. Keith might not be far behind.

Toews is also finished. Curious knew it before the rest of us. He was right. We were wrong.

_________________
"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

Toews... It hurts but I still love him.

_________________

The MPH line needs to make a comeback.

_________________
favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

This team can make the playoffs as long as Crawford comes back healthy but this core will not be a Cup contender again. Oh sure, if everything aligns and Debrincat, Schmaltz, Jokiharju, Sikura, Forsling, and Mitchell all develop into all-star quality players this all changes but the odds of all that happening are extremely slim. Personally, I think they need to replace Q and trade Anisimov in the offseason. While I feel the team is too scared to replace Q for another season, it needs to be done. Q is not motivating the team and his stubbornness and unflexible system is not working for this team. And I am not opposed to trading the Hawks top pick and a prospect for OEL or some other #1 dman but that is only if you plan on buying out Seabrook after 2019 and that you are assured that Crawford will be coming back. Maybe you can trade Hossa's contract for the space. I suppose you would trade Schmaltz or Debrincat if you could get a comparable dman but those trades rarely take place. Bottom line is you need to reminisce about the 3 Cups if you are Hawks fan because this team is much closer to being Vancouver than the team it was 3 years.

_________________
Lay off that whiskey and let that cocaine be.

Hockey in Chicago is dead.

_________________
You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Dead for the casual fans. I am really excited about the playoffs and will be watching every night.

_________________
Lay off that whiskey and let that cocaine be.

This

_________________

I am still so pissed how we pounded the Pens in two games only to have Malkin be the likely one that put Crawford out all damn year.

_________________

This is exactly the problem. Finished....and with contracts that no one will take.
It's over.
For as much grief as CH gets....he was right about Toews being done.

and i agree....I still think Crawaford's problem is dependency / addiction based.

_________________

Yes, but it will take time. DeBrincat, Schmaltz, Saad, Sikura -- there's something there.



It clearly takes a long, long time to wander out of cap hell, but the team needs to accept that the run is over. There's no easy way to say goodbye to guys like Toews and Seabrook who have been shells of themselves for years. Keith's getting old. Crawford may need an entire season off and there's nobody in the pipeline.



Bowman needs to stop being sentimental and handle the numbers. Toews is a likely HOF player but his play has in no way reflected his contract. Injuries have piled up and he's given everything he's got. A lot of the 2010-2013 core either needs to stay gone or to finally take their leave.

I'm of the recommendation they have a Sveum-Cubs-like couple years where they hand the roster over to their farm and ship out bad deals for scraps. Chances are good that Quenneville won't be around by the time this is on the up and up. The guys in the system don't really seem like Quenneville's style anyway.

_________________

Curious - who is going to win the stanley cup this year?

Winnipeg over Boston. I see goaltending breakdowns in the futures of Pittsburgh, Nashville, and Tampa.

_________________

wasn't expecting that.

Yeah, I don't have a great feeling about the Penguins if they draw the Blue Jackets in either of the early rounds -- feels like the year Columbus finally gets over that hump. If they avoid the Jackets and play the Flyers and Capitals in the division, they'll get through to the Eastern final just in time for the miles to catch up against the Broons.

The West is a little tighter but I'm letting my heart tell my head to say the Jets take it. Vegas is a paper tiger, I don't believe in the Avs past MacKinnon, the Kings or Blues will have to gun it just to get in, the Ducks, Sharks, and Wild are nothing we haven't seen before. Preds will take the Jets to the limit in the second round but I have visions of Pekka Rinne hitting the wall like Pelle Lindbergh.

_________________

It is just CH speaking with his heart and not his head.

He has a huge boner for Winnipeg.

_________________
"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

Boner notwithstanding, their lineup is very impressive and doesn't get enough credit, perhaps because we're not used to Winnipeg being good or even being in the NHL. (And it's in Canada.) Wheeler (career year), Laine (historically dominant age-19 season), Scheifele, Ehlers, Connor, and Little have to be the best top six in the conference. Adam Lowry is an elite shutdown forward. The blue line is a little weaker, I've never been a big Enstrom fan, but still good. If Trouba, Lowry, and Scheifele are as close to 100-percent as possible, it looks really good for them.

Back-to-back deep runs are difficult and rare and I just can't get on board with Nashville doing it, especially with their goalie's degenerative hip (Saros won't get them there either).

_________________

You're fine with Hellebuyck?

_________________
Lay off that whiskey and let that cocaine be.