Even with him leading the team in penalties I'm not going to complain about him. He's playing well. Seeing our number 1 defenseman give up inside position on the 3rd goal against vs the Kings is really disappointing.
- BetweenTheDots

Ha! I was partially thinking about you among others. I know LA is a big Brodie guy, and I thought he had played ok until the last few games he was in...and then I started to see what LA was talking about. Just never made the correct or easy play and everything became a fire drill.

So hopefully Pillips draws back in tonite.

On the Bears that was awful. So much for a must win game. They can't keep Flus and Waldron can they?

Looking at the Ducks up the middle, they have some good young talent, whether they develop into good NHL players is tbd, but I’d take any of the three.

The Phillips kid has never been afraid to jump in and IMO underrated hands... Great for that kid.

Simple for Reichel. See the puck, go get the puck and the talent takes over from there. Simple one sentence game plan, Every. Single. Game...... Get that green horse outa the gate, straighten it out and hang on while the talent takes over.

That was my scheme the first game he drew back in.

Okay that was a nice pass by Hall. More please

The Phillips kid has never been afraid to jump in and IMO underrated hands... Great for that kid.
- Mr Ricochet

Glad he got the goal but man does he play high in the defensive zone. Fortunate to go into the intermission not giving up a goal.

Ha! I was partially thinking about you among others. I know LA is a big Brodie guy, and I thought he had played ok until the last few games he was in...and then I started to see what LA was talking about. Just never made the correct or easy play and everything became a fire drill.

So hopefully Pillips draws back in tonite.

On the Bears that was awful. So much for a must win game. They can't keep Flus and Waldron can they?
- HawkintheD

I was worried he lost the team after the commanders game. To bad

I like Bedard being on the left wall for the PP but he's got to one time some of these passes.

If he's going to keep relying on his wrist shot, he's got to work on shooting it between the elbow and the ribcage. I count at least 3 pucks off the knob of the goalie stick this year.

The Phillips kid has never been afraid to jump in and IMO underrated hands... Great for that kid.
- Mr Ricochet

He has ability but he makes the grade if he improves in his deficient areas, not if he makes a few good plays. I like his ability so he can keep getting a shot even rotating while Brodie sits and Martinez is out. Phillips will have to be consistent to force his continued NHL journey and Allen would go to Rockford

Even trading one veteran dman there still remains extra dmen on hand

Looking at the Ducks up the middle, they have some good young talent, whether they develop into good NHL players is tbd, but I’d take any of the three.
- Angotti

Anaheim and San Jose have drafted promising center prospects. No idea if Blackhawks draft a promising center in ‘25 draft.

Anaheim and San Jose have drafted promising center prospects. No idea if Blackhawks draft a promising center in ‘25 draft.
- jhawk59

Would you rather have the Ducks, San Jose or the Blackhawks young defenseman?

For me Blackhawks hands down. I'm just going to be patient because both SJ and Anaheim started their rebuild earlier than ours.

Would you rather have the Ducks, San Jose or the Blackhawks young defenseman?

For me Blackhawks hands down. I'm just going to be patient because both SJ and Anaheim started their rebuild earlier than ours.
- BetweenTheDots

You know that if the top four dmen are pretty good both offensively and defensively and are mobile, too, then you have toughness but still mobile enough solid type (not unreasonable to think happens) with Allen and DelMaestro the 5/6 plus if Phillips winds up sticking around

Whether it is capacity to just pin man to boards and be pretty consistent , that may be enough defensively from the top four. I could envision Arty, Kk, Rinzel it it won’t be overnight that they become a capable top three + a nice dman in Kaiser rounding out top four I am guessing as the young players start getting locked up with long term big dollars that S Jones is moved at the end of his contract. Our kids on defense probably will not be a good top 3/4 until a couple or three years away

I also believe that there will be no shortage of mobile competitive young guys on bottom two lines. Just need to draft more top end forwards to go with some good looking young talent already in the system

You know that if the top four dmen are pretty good both offensively and defensively and are mobile, too, then you have toughness but still mobile enough solid type (not unreasonable to think happens) with Allen and DelMaestro the 5/6 plus if Phillips winds up sticking around

Whether it is capacity to just pin man to boards and be pretty consistent , that may be enough defensively from the top four. I could envision Arty, Kk, Rinzel it it won’t be overnight that they become a capable top three + a nice dman in Kaiser rounding out top four I am guessing as the young players start getting locked up with long term big dollars that S Jones is moved at the end of his contract. Our kids on defense probably will not be a good top 3/4 until a couple or three years away

I also believe that there will be no shortage of mobile competitive young guys on bottom two lines. Just need to draft more top end forwards to go with some good looking young talent already in the system
- jhawk59

Yea and you can throw a Vlasic in there as well.

I believe in 1 to 3 years we are going to have wonderful competition at all the top 6 forwards positions.

Btw great game by Taylor Hall tonight

Soderblom with his 1st win in God knows how long. Good for him..

98 with 3 assists. He's back close to a PPG pace. Is everyone happy now?

Soderblom with his 1st win in God knows how long. Good for him..

98 with 3 assists. He's back close to a PPG pace. Is everyone happy now?
- boilermaker100

At some point he’s going to start scoring goals he’s getting the shots. Had a good night.

Soderblom with his 1st win in God knows how long. Good for him..

98 with 3 assists. He's back close to a PPG pace. Is everyone happy now?
- boilermaker100

Trade him while his value is high, should be able to get a third rd pick for him.

Trade him while his value is high, should be able to get a third rd pick for him.
- Angotti

Nobody is going to think Soderblom is so great. I prefer Comesso stays in Rockford this season. Our injured back up goaltender is coming back when? He will need rehab assignment for at least a month to get in game shape

But yes I agree I am not sold on Soderblom. He is better though and has corrected/improved some aspects of his game

Nice way to end the road trip with two straight wins. Hopefully when Soderblom goes down, they realize that the kid has bounced back, and he and Commesso earn who gets the right to start in net. Bedard with 3 Apples tonight, nice to see. Hall looked really good, maybe he can provide some secondary scoring. What can you say about Donato, but wow, does he compete!! Glad to see 5-7-1 over what could’ve been if they didn’t decide to kick it in yesterday. Tough stretch ahead, Kane and the Wings on Wednesday, then back to Dallas on the very next night!!

Nobody is going to think Soderblom is so great. I prefer Comesso stays in Rockford this season. Our injured back up goaltender is coming back when? He will need rehab assignment for at least a month to get in game shape

But yes I agree I am not sold on Soderblom. He is better though and has corrected/improved some aspects of his game
- jhawk59

That was sarcasm, I meant Bedard. Good win tonight, the young D is playing well, much better than what they had on the back end last year.

Soderblom with his 1st win in God knows how long. Good for him..

98 with 3 assists. He's back close to a PPG pace. Is everyone happy now?
- boilermaker100

I'll be happy when his forecheck is more than just gliding by a guy and swinging his stick like a purse.

Anaheim and San Jose have drafted promising center prospects. No idea if Blackhawks draft a promising center in ‘25 draft.
- jhawk59

McQueen Moore Malcom Spence is an intriguing prospect also. Plus I also think they draft another goalie

If they keep playing well, KD could have a very interesting TDL this year if he wants to. Hall, Soderblom, Donato, Maroon, Smith.

Maybe even Murphy and AA

I was worried he lost the team after the commanders game. To bad
- BetweenTheDots

Poles is in jepordy of losing his rebuild. I've said many times, there are critical points in a rebuild where you have a decision to make that is like a fork in the road, wrong decision, you're back to a rebuild in 3 years, right decision, you're a perennial playoff team.

Poles to me, chose the wrong fork with keeping Flus, he needed an Offensive HC paired up with his new rookie QB.

He probably took the wrong fork by not trading with Washington and taking Jayden Daniels as well...................

Yea and you can throw a Vlasic in there as well.

I believe in 1 to 3 years we are going to have wonderful competition at all the top 6 forwards positions.

Btw great game by Taylor Hall tonight
- BetweenTheDots

Definetly his best since he donned the jersey. Rick "HOCKS" Ball and Pang mentioned that he needed some time to adjust after coming back, hopefully he has and this continues, as him playing great, should get a future #1 and we are starting to run out of years with 2 and 3 #1's.

Poles is in jepordy of losing his rebuild. I've said many times, there are critical points in a rebuild where you have a decision to make that is like a fork in the road, wrong decision, you're back to a rebuild in 3 years, right decision, you're a perennial playoff team.

Poles to me, chose the wrong fork with keeping Flus, he needed an Offensive HC paired up with his new rookie QB.

He probably took the wrong fork by not trading with Washington and taking Jayden Daniels as well...................
- vabeachbear

But isn't that what the McCaskeys do? They did it with all 3 rookie QBs. They do things backwards. This goes beyond the GM, you have so many more options if you fire the head coach.

It'll be interesting to see how all of this unfolds but then again this will be the 3rd time i see the same movie but with different characters.