2024-25 Roster…too soon?

[BobbyJet]

Exactly. We don't even know if Nazar is going to be an NHLer, or if he is, how effective he will be. I don't see why he can't be a bottom 6 player if the offense doesn't come.

If it were to be asked of him, Nazar would not be the first player who needed to adapt his game from an offensive guy to a two-way responsible player playing mstly in the bottom-6. However, from the little I have seen of his play, I don't think he is anywhere close to the ideal candidate for that.

On the topic of Nazar: I'm a bit concerned about his skating. Not his straight line speed. It's fine but he tends to lose his edges and/or fall a lot when not going north/south. Hopefully, that is just part of the growing pains of transitioning to the NHL but it has been quite noticeable.

 

[Toews2Bickell]

Question for everybody;

Do you think it is feasible to roster all 3 of Bedard, Nazar, and Kantserov in the top 6 of our lineup?

I ask this because there has not been a single team in the history of the NHL that has had success rostering more than 2 under 5'10" players in their top 9 and none of these 3 are 3rd line players. Nazar and Bedard are top 6 or bust types. Kantserov is too talented for the 3rd line.

Then you factor in the size of the Hawks other top forwards sizes and you might realize the Hawks have a size issue in their roster construction. Building your team around small forwards can be dangerous

I really hope Dach becomes a top 6 guy or else this rebuild will heavily rely on free agents/trades for talented players with size that don't come around often

its about how they play, plenty of guys play smaller than their size and vice versa, what made the Hawks cup run teams so special is they could play any game the opponent wanted to and they need that balance again, for too long they've been a one dimensional, soft, slow, unskilled team

 

[belfour30]

Question for everybody;

Do you think it is feasible to roster all 3 of Bedard, Nazar, and Kantserov in the top 6 of our lineup?

I ask this because there has not been a single team in the history of the NHL that has had success rostering more than 2 under 5'10" players in their top 9 and none of these 3 are 3rd line players. Nazar and Bedard are top 6 or bust types. Kantserov is too talented for the 3rd line.

Then you factor in the size of the Hawks other top forwards sizes and you might realize the Hawks have a size issue in their roster construction. Building your team around small forwards can be dangerous

I really hope Dach becomes a top 6 guy or else this rebuild will heavily rely on free agents/trades for talented players with size that don't come around often

This has been my argument for a while.

 

[Toews2Bickell]

Its a real concern that Bedard game might not translate to the playoffs where space is a little less and everything is more chip and chase, he doesn't have the burner speed and he doesn't create consistently on his own yet off the rush, they have so much work to do surrounding him with the talent to let him maximize his offensive production like Kane was afforded in the playoffs by having a half dozen elite forwards to draw matchups away from him and let him do his thing

 

[Pez68]

Its a real concern that Bedard game might not translate to the playoffs where space is a little less and everything is more chip and chase, he doesn't have the burner speed and he doesn't create consistently on his own yet, they have so much worked to do surrounding him with the talent to let him maximize his offensive production like Kane was afforded by having a half dozen elite forwards to draw matchups away from him

Flash back to 2007 right here.

 

[Kevin Musto]

FINALLY

 

[Hawkaholic]

FINALLY

Pretty sure I saw Nazar and Bedard together for quite a few shifts last game.

 

[Kevin Musto]

Pretty sure I saw Nazar and Bedard together for quite a few shifts last game.

Yeah, Sorenson tried it out midway through last game.

I'm glad to see he's giving them a proper chance to practice and start together.

 

[Kevin Musto]

full lines

 

[GIADF]

Yeah, Sorenson tried it out midway through last game.

I'm glad to see he's giving them a proper chance to practice and start together.

It was the most energetic I’ve seen Bedard on the ice in a while when they got paired up, and the game was basically decided already too.

 

[BHawk21]

Love it. That 3rd line is actually the 2nd line.

 

[Kevin Musto]

It was the most energetic I’ve seen Bedard on the ice in a while when they got paired up, and the game was basically decided already too.

Yeah they were connecting and finding each other on plays right away.

They just need time to refine it now.

 

[GIADF]

Yeah they were connecting and finding each other on plays right away.

They just need time to refine it now.

Wouldn't mind seeing Dach flipped with Bert at some point when he has his next cold streak.

 

[WarriorofTime]

I'm warming up to the Hawks drafting Schaefer even if first overall and then him going back to Junior. Which keeps him further away from UFA for a while anyways (selfishly) and gives the Hawks another year to sort out the depth defensemen to see who factors in long term. He will have barely played this year unless Erie makes a run. Misa and Martone will have like 100 more lifetime OHL games played than him by the end of the year. I guess you see how he'd do in Training Camp.

 

[BHawk21]

I'm warming up to the Hawks drafting Schaefer even if first overall and then him going back to Junior. Which keeps him further away from UFA for a while anyways (selfishly) and gives the Hawks another year to sort out the depth defensemen to see who factors in long term. He will have barely played this year unless Erie makes a run. Misa and Martone will have like 100 more lifetime OHL games played than him by the end of the year. I guess you see how he'd do in Training Camp.

It seems as tho people think hes coming right into the NHL. Have there been any other 1st overall besides Owen power in the last 25 years to not come straight out.

 

[x Tame Impala]

Nemec in NJ is pretty pissed about being stuck in the AHL as a 2nd OVR pick FWIW.

I don’t know anything about that kid, only saw the headline. For better or worse when you’re drafted that high it might be expected you start and stay in the NHL.

 

[WarriorofTime]

Nemec in NJ is pretty pissed about being stuck in the AHL as a 2nd OVR pick FWIW.

I don’t know anything about that kid, only saw the headline. For better or worse when you’re drafted that high it might be expected you start and stay in the NHL.

He got a bit unlucky, hurt at world championship then New Jersey signed Pesce in the offseason because they did legitimately need a shutdown guy. Hamilton is still there. And then Jonathan Kovacevic has been a huge surprise as a late 20s (27 year old) breakout as Defensemen sometimes do (guy they traded a future 4th round pick for that makes league min and had been a career 7th Defenseman to this point).

So their right side is pretty crowded.. and since Nemec was drafted at the end of the rebuild, they're also potentially a stanley cup contender which is not an ideal situation for a young defenseman to break into... so the roster politics/waiver exempt of it all makes a young guy like Nemec someone to send down. They need to clear out Hamilton (his NMC becomes a 10 team trade list this offseason) to open up a spot for him and likely Seamus Casey but won't do it now while they're competing.

They will probably just let him gripe for now. He has one more year on ELC after this. I can only see them trading him if it's part of a bigger package.

 

[Chelios]

Nemec in NJ is pretty pissed about being stuck in the AHL as a 2nd OVR pick FWIW.

I don’t know anything about that kid, only saw the headline. For better or worse when you’re drafted that high it might be expected you start and stay in the NHL.

This is his 3rd year after being drafted.

 

[Chelios]

It seems as tho people think hes coming right into the NHL. Have there been any other 1st overall besides Owen power in the last 25 years to not come straight out.

Well there has only been 4 Dmen drafted first in the last 25 years. Dahlin and Ekblad played immediately. Johnson and Power didn't.

 

[BHFAN92]

I am absolutely dreaming of Schaefer/Vlasic pairing. It has potential to be an absolutely lights out offensive and lock down defensive pairing. Schaefer would be #1 PP QB and then Levshunov would be the #2 PP QB. Korchinski would either need to drastically improve to be a top 4 or be traded for Forward help

 

[WarriorofTime]

Well there has only been 4 Dmen drafted first in the last 25 years. Dahlin and Ekblad played immediately. Johnson and Power didn't.

Power certainly could have, but wanted to do the college experience since 2020-21 would have been a bummer year to be a college freshman due to COVID.

I'm guessing Johnson likely could have gone pro as well back in 2006, but he hadn't even entered college yet and likely wanted a season there. Last time a first overall pick was signed and went back to their youth team was Fleury about halfway through 2003-04 but he did play in games until that point. Similar situation with DiPietro splitting time between NHL and Minors. Of course those were both Goalies. Looks like a trio of defensemen - Chris Phillips went back to the WHL in 1996-97, Bryan Berard back to the OHL in 1995-96 and Ed Jovanovski back to the OHL in 1994-95.

So you're certainly going back a ways.