Blackhawks Offseason Thread

[anotheridiot]

I like the Waite move, dont know about Dineen, another old buddy of Q. Kompon is a tough guy to replace, taking on alot as GM and coach, even though its only the WHL, he will be an nhl coach soon.

 

[anotheridiot]

Kane and Toews signing to be covered live on 87.7 the game.

 

[anotheridiot]

Toews and Kane Press Conference Video - NHL VideoCenter - Chicago Blackhawks

 

[anotheridiot]

McDonough was big at the press conference, stating the obvious, that both of these players would have been given offers far north of what they signed for by teams that want to build around them. He said they are the brand, the players that define the point of turning this team around and it was too important to keep them here.

They are being called the highest paid players in the nhl.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

I like the Waite move, dont know about Dineen, another old buddy of Q. Kompon is a tough guy to replace, taking on alot as GM and coach, even though its only the WHL, he will be an nhl coach soon.

What did you guys think of Kompon as an AC?

In 2012 when the Kings won the Cup, I was on record saying no matter what happens (in the playoffs) Kompon is gone. The Kings steamrolled teams and didn't need his PP at all but it was painfully obvious a change was necessary, this had gone on for the better part of 5 years. If they had to - and in most years special teams makes a huge difference come PO time - the Kings would have been screwed.

He had a real crappy PP in LA almost his entire tenure here, but every year when the Kings were rebuilding he got better and better talent so it didn't make sense. Very rudimentary set up, easily defended and way too predictable - the Kings PP was ranked in the lower third of the league for quite some time and I specifically recall games where the Kings could have won/tied if his PP had come through but it didn't on most occasions.

Most Kings fans were relieved when it was announced he would not be coming back, I personally do not feel he has what it takes to be a HC at the NHL level. I could see him getting Boudreau'd, i.e. outcoached when it matters.

Thoughts?

 

[anotheridiot]

What did you guys think of Kompon as an AC?

In 2012 when the Kings won the Cup, I was on record saying no matter what happens (in the playoffs) Kompon is gone. The Kings steamrolled teams and didn't need his PP at all but it was painfully obvious a change was necessary, this had gone on for the better part of 5 years. If they had to - and in most years special teams makes a huge difference come PO time - the Kings would have been screwed.

He had a real crappy PP in LA almost his entire tenure here, but every year when the Kings were rebuilding he got better and better talent so it didn't make sense. Very rudimentary set up, easily defended and way too predictable - the Kings PP was ranked in the lower third of the league for quite some time and I specifically recall games where the Kings could have won/tied if his PP had come through but it didn't on most occasions.

Most Kings fans were relieved when it was announced he would not be coming back, I personally do not feel he has what it takes to be a HC at the NHL level. I could see him getting Boudreau'd, i.e. outcoached when it matters.

Thoughts?

Dont really know what he did in LA, just know that coach Q delegates authority with his staff and does not seem to butt in the decisions, so maybe his tenure here taught him some lessons that will let him be a good hc.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Dont really know what he did in LA, just know that coach Q delegates authority with his staff and does not seem to butt in the decisions, so maybe his tenure here taught him some lessons that will let him be a good hc.

That's what the Kings did, they let him run the special teams and stayed hands off.

They must have seen something special with him because he stayed during 3 head coaching changes (started off with Crawford, then Terry Murray and then Sutter. He was let go after Sutter's first year here), or like we say he had some blackmail on someone because the results simply were not there yet he stayed here for almost 6 years. Understandable when you have tools like Jaroslav Modry manning the point on the PP but not when you acquire a Drew Doughty, Voynov, Richards, Carter, etc year after year. The PP should have improved and it never did.

He came to LA with very minimal experience - a Blues video coach - so some of us think his contract landed him that job (less money than an established coach) and they hoped he would grow and teach the players simultaneously.

I hope he does well, no matter how much he frustrated us here, but I think it'll be a while before he sees the NHL again in any capacity.

 

[averagejoe]

What did you guys think of Kompon as an AC?

I guess it's just like any other (assistant) coaching job. If your unit gets the job done, you're safe. If it doesn't, your on thin ice (pun intended).

In the regular season Kompon's PP unit was ranked 19.5% (9th - which isn't bad). And even the playoff numbers look decent at 21% (9th). But since we saw the PP in action during the playoffs, they weren't scoring timely goals and they weren't taking advantage when they should have been.

Maybe he was on the way out, and taking the Portland Winterhawks job was nice way for both Kompon and the Hawks to save face?

If Dineen takes over the PP, I expect the same scenario - which is to follow Q's scheme. Unless Dineen decides to put a body in front of the goalie. Not sure why Andrew Shaw is the only one either (A) willing to, or (B) deciding for himself, to camp in front of the goalie, but that seems to get more quality chances IMO. Sure, the finesse passing looks nice, but how many times have the Hawks failed to get a SOG in those 2 minutes?!

Bottom line, if it means a better PP unit, I'm all for it. I'm not that loyal to assistants.

 

[anotheridiot]

As I said previously, not sure what Toews is thinking, and why he seems to be okay with making an EQUAL amount of money as Kaner? Toews is worth so much more in my opinion. Although with the price on this new contract, I should phrase it that Kane is worth a lot less than Toews.

It seems like Toews knows its alot of money. Being a team player he probably would have taken less. You look around the nhl of backbreaking contracts teams have and you gotta think some players dont want to be that guy. It allows him to share that responsibility with kane.

Still havent heard the final move they will try to make. Most seem to think it will be buying out Versteeg. Hawks must be looking for some low level prospects to move anyone, but Versteeg seems like the most obvious choice right now. You gotta think they are trying to bring Brookbank back on the cheap as well.

 

[JBM73]

Early Hawks' '14-'15 NHL lineup projections - Chicago Blackhawks Blog - ESPN Chicago

 

[anotheridiot]

Early Hawks' '14-'15 NHL lineup projections - Chicago Blackhawks Blog - ESPN Chicago

interesting, still hoping versteeg is gone. I got to watch the wrigley field game in 2009, Versteeg was a force in that game, now he seems to skate to not get hurt.

Not worried much about the lineup, what about the PK. You gonna lean on Toews, Hossa and Krueger. Your invisible third line that usually gets 6-7 minutes a game should hold a PK guy. Ben Smith probably ready to take the Zeus spot. Goes to figure Kane line on first after a kill.

Dont see how they consider Nordstrom a one way forward though, he can kill penalties.

See Richards doing the reverse the digits, gonna wear 91 if anyone is jersey shopping.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

I guess it's just like any other (assistant) coaching job. If your unit gets the job done, you're safe. If it doesn't, your on thin ice (pun intended).

In the regular season Kompon's PP unit was ranked 19.5% (9th - which isn't bad). And even the playoff numbers look decent at 21% (9th). But since we saw the PP in action during the playoffs, they weren't scoring timely goals and they weren't taking advantage when they should have been.

Sounds like Kompon sans the '(9th - which isn't bad)" part. He simply did not get it done in LA when the goals were needed and his PP was the difference between wins and losses on several occasions. For a defensive minded team who doesn't generate a lot of offense (except the playoffs apparently), those PP goals are huge and the timing is even more important.

Kompon's record in LA from 2006-2012:

2006-07: 18.3%/10th
2007-08: 17.5%/17th
2008-09: 19.2%/14th
2009-10: 20.8%/7th
2010-11: 16.2%/21st
2011-12: 16.9%/17th - Cup year

Overall except for 2009-10, his PP was average or below average, which is not acceptable considering he got players in the lineup named Doughty, Williams, Carter, Richards, Voynov, Jack Johnson, etc. as the years went by and already had Kopitar and Brown when he came on board.

It was the same set up every single time, no creativity, no cross ice/cross seam passes, no backdoor plays, nothing. Very basic PP hockey (who knows - maybe that was the point, but I think when you have talent like he did you elevate your strategy to create even a further advantage over your competition) and teams figured it out and would intercept the passes and clear or would know exactly what was about to happen, snuff it out and kill the PP.

I think the last 2 years really cemented the decision that he was going to be let go, with the Cup year (ironically) being the final nail in the coffin. Like I said, if the Kings had to rely on his PP to get through the playoffs, they would have been screwed but they built big, ES goal early leads quite often in every game of every series and didn't need to.

In February/March 2012 I posted to the guys that no matter what happens - Cup or eliminated - Kompon is gone because it has become clear over the last 2-3 years he is not a good fit for this group of players and in June he was let go.

Maybe he was on the way out, and taking the Portland Winterhawks job was nice way for both Kompon and the Hawks to save face?

That's where I am at, I think brass and he had a talk after the Kings series and it was mutually agreed he would not be brought back. The Kings have a stellar PK traditionally, but when the Hawks went on the PP during that series I was worried because they have a ton of talent.

But then I remembered it's Kompon...what am I worried about?

=)~~

Bottom line, if it means a better PP unit, I'm all for it. I'm not that loyal to assistants.

Makes two of us, I am not that loyal to coaching staffs in general because they come and go so quickly (2-3 years max it seems. If a coach sees 5+ years, way more needs to be looked at) but this coaching staff the Kings have this last few years is good for the group.

Terry Murray gets forgotten a lot, but he is the one who put the Kings on this course back in 2008, he just couldn't get the team to offensively perform like Sutter has. But he deserves a ton of credit for the two Cup wins in three years for LA.

 

[anotheridiot]

Seems you really have a hard on for Kompon, Ugly, dont know why you keep kicking this dead horse. He was a nice assistant coach and is going to GM and coach a team like is in the movie Goon. Maybe he will be happy there without the big spotlight and magnifying glass when the guys on the ice are not playing well on the power play.

 

[averagejoe]

Just saw Kaner in a new commercial. Don't blink.

​

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Seems you really have a hard on for Kompon, Ugly, dont know why you keep kicking this dead horse. He was a nice assistant coach and is going to GM and coach a team like is in the movie Goon. Maybe he will be happy there without the big spotlight and magnifying glass when the guys on the ice are not playing well on the power play.

Not at all, just curious how he was perceived in Chicago vs LA but also wanted to point out how he performed in LA- the numbers don't lie, he didn't do well. However, I'm always happy for coaches and management who move on, professional growth is a good thing.

The thing that dawned on me with Kompon during this was maybe he wants full control over everything, which he wasn't going to get in LA or Chicago but will with Portland even though it's Juniors.

 

[JBM73]

Not at all, just curious how he was perceived in Chicago vs LA but also wanted to point out how he performed in LA- the numbers don't lie, he didn't do well. However, I'm always happy for coaches and management who move on, professional growth is a good thing.

The thing that dawned on me with Kompon during this was maybe he wants full control over everything, which he wasn't going to get in LA or Chicago but will with Portland even though it's Juniors.

I don't consider him a big loss. In 12-13 the PK was great but the PP was poor. In 13-14, the PP was reasonably good but the PK was terrible in the first half of the season before coming around a bit. Certainly not earth-shattering work there by Kompon.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

I don't consider him a big loss. In 12-13 the PK was great but the PP was poor. In 13-14, the PP was reasonably good but the PK was terrible in the first half of the season before coming around a bit. Certainly not earth-shattering work there by Kompon.

I hear you, I was wondering how the Kings would have done with Hextall now in Philadelphia and Blake in the AGM position including GM of Manchester. So far not overly impressed with Blake as an executive, but then again I was not impressed with Blake as a defenseman either. He was good for big hits and points, that was about it. Very average in his own end, but such seems to be the case now for Norris winners overall.

What's the news over there? Anything new on the cap control front?

 

[JBM73]

What's the news over there? Anything new on the cap control front?

Nope, not a thing. All just speculation.

On Patrick Sharp?s future in Chicago | ProHockeyTalk

 

[anotheridiot]

sure sounds like it will end up being some kind of buyout upcoming. I still think we have D men that can replace Seabrook and that 5.8 creates alot more room to move into another need later.

Someone big will be going next off season, I dont think it will be sharp.

 

[JBM73]

"Islanders and Hawks are talking regarding defenseman Nick Leddy. It is possible that even if Leddy begins the season in Chicago he could at some point be moved to the Isles."