2025 26 Roster…too Soon

[TheFridge]

Perfect example is Sabres rebuild

People here seem outright giddy to embrace that for some reason rather than outrageously try to build better team and get to playoffs

The Sabres have been "rebuilding" for almost 20 years. The Hawks started their rebuild in 2022 and got Bedard in 2023. Settle right on down.

 

[ChicagoHockeyFan]

I really don't think we do run any risk of culture rot...you're going to add so many talented kids to the lineup that will have absolutely no idea what preceded them, they will not know any better...we see orgs flip on a dime all the time, it just takes the right players entering...NFL is littered with recent examples...Commanders, Lions, Bengals, Bills, etc...Talent wins out, maybe the teams that are rebuilding in the NHL that have sucked for years just simply didn't land that much talent when they were bad and thats why they're still here among other reasons

And the Hawks have made 1 top 3 pick at forward during this rebuild, it will be 2 in a month, but the upside of the pick remains to be seen...Majority of the 1st round picks have been in the mid-late 1st

I agree there is good talent in the system that will be ready for NHL jobs. But adding someone who is already good can kickstart the development of the kids. It will add a sure thing piece to rely on if you trade for a young forward with leafs first and panthers first. Can add a really nice piece that moves everything forward and takes pressure off of everyone else. I don't see the downside

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

The Hawks have no idea what they have in any of these players yet. Why would you be looking to trade them? Do you know who's going to be better between Rinzel and Korchinski right now? Between Allan and EDM? Between Lardis and Kantserov?

You cant hold onto all of them forever, there is only so many roster spots

As of now NHL or NHL adjacent D

LD
Vlasic
Kaiser
EDM
Korchinski
Allan

RD
Rinzel
Levshunov
Murphy
Crevier

We have to make a choice at LD soon enough

Someone (Or someone's) will be odd man out in situation with regard to Kaiser, Korchinski, EDM and Allan and that is simply reality so if you can utilize one as trade chip to better team you go forward with it

 

[Taze em]

Perfect example is Sabres rebuild

People here seem outright giddy to embrace that for some reason rather than outrageously try to build better team and get to playoffs

Sabres and Winnipeg and Edmonton teams have limited bullets and have to kill what they hunt.

The Hawks have near unlimited bullets and a meat market next door to their house. You cannot compare their rebuilds to Blackhawks. They are playing a completely different impossible game and the Hawks are on easy mode.

 

[TheFridge]

You cant hold onto all of them forever, there is only so many roster spots

As of now NHL or NHL adjacent D

LD
Vlasic
Kaiser
EDM
Korchinski
Allan

RD
Rinzel
Levshunov
Murphy
Crevier

We have to make a choice at LD soon enough

Someone will be odd man out in situation with regard to Korchinski, EDM and Allan

Roster spots that they haven't even earned yet. Like what are we talking about? You know what brings the best out of players and ensures you don't have a "losing culture"? Competition. Allan started the year in the NHL, then EDM ascended. Neither are guaranteed a spot next year. They'll battle for one. They're second year pros. Hardly time to make a decision which one you move on from. Much less someone like Korchinski, Lev, Rinzel, etc.

 

[Toews2Bickell]

I agree there is good talent in the system that will be ready for NHL jobs. But adding someone who is already good can kickstart the development of the kids. It will add a sure thing piece to rely on if you trade for a young forward with leafs first and panthers first. Can add a really nice piece that moves everything forward and takes pressure off of everyone else. I don't see the downside

I just want the org to be patient because the teardown feels about 3/5 of the way done and that last 40% will take discipline because you start to see whats there and naturally don't want to spend another 2 years to really finish the job but two more elite forward prospects in the next two drafts could be the difference between a real cup ceiling and being a good but not great team when this rebuild is done...

You also want to hedge the risk that Bedard doesn't hit his ceiling by adding a few more top picks that can be that guy if its not ultimately Bedard, because if you don't have that guy this entire rebuild will be a wash

 

[ChicagoHockeyFan]

I just want the org to be patient because the teardown feels about 3/5 of the way done and that last 40% will take discipline because you start to see whats there and naturally don't want to spend another 2 years to really finish the job but two more elite forward prospects in the next two drafts could be the difference between a real cup ceiling and being a good but not great team when this rebuild is done

It is also easier to find better forward prospects with later picks than it is D, so if we start winning we still could add an elite forward prospect if Davidson truly knows what he is doing. Especially in what looks to be a deep draft next year. But I just don't think the rebuild is anywhere near a sure thing and adding someone who you know can contribute will send a good message to the team going into the year and help out everyone breaking in.

 

[Hawkaholic]

Isaak Howard is the only realistic player I can think of that is available and potentially worth trading for. Who else are you moving picks and/or prospects for?

Depends who is available.

 

[Toews2Bickell]

It is also easier to find better forward prospects with later picks than it is D, so if we start winning we still could add an elite forward prospect if Davidson truly knows what he is doing. Especially in what looks to be a deep draft next year. But I just don't think the rebuild is anywhere near a sure thing and adding someone who you know can contribute will send a good message to the team going into the year and help out everyone breaking in.

why make things harder for yourself if you can just show some patience and discipline and say its not time yet to move the needle significantly with aggressive trades and signings, lets make sure we can draft high to maximize the odds of acquiring the talent we need to be a true contender, and then you have a ton of lotto tickets in Lardis etc etc that can hit and then you're looking at a potentially stacked organization, but if they don't pan out you're fine because you acquired multiple top 3-5 picks at forward so it doesn't matter as much how the mid round picks develop

 

[TheFridge]

It is also easier to find better forward prospects with later picks than it is D, so if we start winning we still could add an elite forward prospect if Davidson truly knows what he is doing. Especially in what looks to be a deep draft next year. But I just don't think the rebuild is anywhere near a sure thing and adding someone who you know can contribute will send a good message to the team going into the year and help out everyone breaking in.

Agreed. It's actually super easy to draft talent at any point in the draft. All you have to do is know what you're doing. It's just that simple.

You could literally draft a Patrick Kane 1st overall, a Duncan Keith in the 2nd round, a Johnny Gaudreau in the 3rd round, a Niklas Hjalmarsson in the 4th round. All in the same draft. You just have to know what you're doing. Easy.

 

[ChicagoHockeyFan]

why make things harder for yourself if you can just show some patience and discipline and say its not time yet to move the needle significantly with aggressive trades and signings, lets make sure we can draft high to maximize the odds of acquiring the talent we need to be a true contender, and then you have a ton of lotto tickets in Lardis etc etc that can hit and then you're looking at a potentially stacked organization, but if they don't pan out you're fine because you acquired multiple top 3-5 picks at forward so it doesn't matter as much how the mid round picks develop

Because there is real risk of losing culture and it’s not a guarantee all of these picks turn us into a good team eventually. Selling off 2 extra first round picks that will probably be late does nothing to hurt the rebuild IMO

 

[dj Mahoney]

Next Year hopefully it's :: Rinzel Vlasic
Murphy UFA
Del Mastro/ Allan Kaiser
Crevier
Let Levshunov and Korchinski play 90% of the year in Rockford . Del Mastro and Allan can both play (approx) 40 games in NHL & 40 games in the AHL . Let Brodie serve as an player/assistant coach in Rockford . Harding will be fulltime in Rockford

 

[TheFridge]

Because there is real risk of losing culture and it’s not a guarantee all of these picks turn us into a good team eventually. Selling off 2 extra first round picks that will probably be late does nothing to hurt the rebuild IMO

Personally, I'm surprised Keith, Seabrook and Sharp survived the lean years here guys. I mean, two years of just constant losing. Bringing on guys like Havlat and Khabibulan who were just here collecting paycheques through most of their tenure. I guess it was just luck that a "losing culture" didn't set in.

 

[Toews2Bickell]

Because there is real risk of losing culture and it’s not a guarantee all of these picks turn us into a good team eventually. Selling off 2 extra first round picks that will probably be late does nothing to hurt the rebuild IMO

What examples do you have of this losing culture thing where they stacked a lot of top picks and still sucked after...Talent wins out

 

[ColbyChaos]

What examples do you have of this losing culture thing where they stacked a lot of top picks and still sucked after...Talent wins out

Before anyone mentions the Sabres they also have to address they went through 4 different general managers and 7 different coaches from 2013-present.

They also tried rushing the rebuild after landing eichel by trading futures for O’Reilly, Skinner, Evander Kane(traded for the Kyle Connor pick) , Josh Georges, among others

 

[Toews2Bickell]

Before anyone mentions the Sabres they also have to address they went through 4 different general managers and 7 different coaches from 2013-present.

They also tried rushing the rebuild after landing eichel by trading futures for O’Reilly, Skinner, Evander Kane(traded for the Kyle Connor pick) , Josh Georges, among others

exactly, Buffalo is the example of trying to 'speed it up'...they're paying 4.5m to Skinner next year as part of his buyout

 

[ChicagoHockeyFan]

What examples do you have of this losing culture thing where they stacked a lot of top picks and still sucked after...Talent wins out

Buffalo, Arizona, Detroit all have had plenty of high picks and haven’t shown results. I can’t think of any teams adding young top 6 forwards and having their rebuilds stagnate also. Maybe Detroit with Debrincat but he has only been there a year. Vancouver as well to a lesser degree has had plenty of top 10 picks the last decade and has made playoffs twice

 

[Toews2Bickell]

Buffalo, Arizona, Detroit all have had plenty of high picks and haven’t shown results. I can’t think of any teams adding young top 6 forwards and having their rebuilds stagnate also. Maybe Detroit with Debrincat but he has only been there a year. Vancouver as well to a lesser degree has had plenty of top 10 picks the last decade and has made playoffs twice

how many top 3 picks have Arizona and Detroit made during their rebuild? for every team you list there are others on the flip side that won multiple cups in the last decade that stacked some top picks

I would argue Detroit tried to speed it up, Arizona just simply never drafted that high and when they did it was Dylan Strome, Buffalo was addressed by Colby. Vancouver always has made win now moves and failed up into Quinn Hughes

 

[ChicagoHockeyFan]

how many top 3 picks have Arizona and Detroit made during their rebuild? for every team you list there are others on the flip side that won multiple cups in the last decade that stacked some top picks

I would argue Detroit tried to speed it up, Arizona just simply never drafted that high and when they did it was Dylan Strome, Buffalo was addressed by Colby. Vancouver always has made win now moves and failed up into Quinn Hughes

Islanders could be a good example, from 2008-2014 had a 1st overall 3 5th overall 1 4th overall 1 9 overall and 1 15th overall with not much to show for it. There are definitely examples across NHL of losing cultures.

 

[Deputy McRizzy]

Depends who is available.

Oh, ok! Super insightful and thought out reply.

So do you just try and shit on other people’s ideas and opinions but when asked of your own avoid saying anything?

Got it.

 

[Drumman44]

At some point you need to take risks and utilize those trade chips to improve team to get from point A to point B than try to get to point C

I don’t disagree but this team isn’t close. At all. Watching the playoffs shows just how much this team is lacking.

Even if you got Marner, Ekblad, Ehlers, Bennett, and a real coach, I’m not sure this is a wild card team

 

[TheFridge]

Islanders could be a good example, from 2008-2014 had a 1st overall 3 5th overall 1 4th overall 1 9 overall and 1 15th overall with not much to show for it. There are definitely examples across NHL of losing cultures.

The Islanders went to back-to-back ECFs. They've made the playoffs in 5 of Barzal's 8 years with the team. Where's the losing culture there?

 

[TheFridge]

The Islanders went to back-to-back ECFs. They've made the playoffs in 5 of Barzal's 8 years with the team. Where's the losing culture there?

Also, just to add to this, they did most of that *after* Tavares walked out on the franchise. So they lost the a 1st overall talent as a UFA and *then* they went on to back-to-back ECFs and making the playoffs in 5 of the last 7 years.

 

[Toews2Bickell]

Islanders could be a good example, from 2008-2014 had a 1st overall 3 5th overall 1 4th overall 1 9 overall and 1 15th overall with not much to show for it. There are definitely examples across NHL of losing cultures.

some of it is just luck too, being bad in the right drafts, and not just having the opportunity to pick a player but then actually making the right decision

 

[Hawkaholic]

Oh, ok! Super insightful and thought out reply.

So do you just try and shit on other people’s ideas and opinions but when asked of your own avoid saying anything?

Got it.

Lol, what? How am I supposed to know who is available to even trade for? I guess I could sit here and make a list, but what's the point if most of them aren't available?