News Article: Why the Blackhawks could be major players for Mikko Rantanen, others this offseason

[Beukeboom Fan]

We are right on time I think. It's been 3 seasons since the rebuild started in honest. That's nothing.

Bedard, Vlasic, Soderblom have established themselves. This year Nazar, Crevier, Reichel and Allan have too as everyday guys. Del Mastro, Dach and Slaggert are knocking.

That's a lot of young guys. You can't expect more really.

Next year Korchinski is coming. Then another big wave with Kantserov, Levshunov our top 3 pick this year. Maybe Moore, Rinzel, Commesso and a bunch of depth forwards like Savoie, Spellacy or Greene.

It's going to be massive waves and this team could look so vastly different as soon as next year.

We can make additions sure, but the impatient takes are not seeing the youth movement hitting it's stride.

I would say this even has a chance for a pretty fast turnaround all things considered. Young guys need to hit of course, but it's more than the light at the end of the tunnel - it's happening already.

Next few years will be really fun as we see which young guys turn into top players and we ascend towards the playoffs and more.

Strongly agree with your post, especially with the young guys coming on and the light at the end of the tunnel.

With that said - it's preferable if KD can add another proven star forward and then supplement the core with the young guys. I don't think that he should worry about cap issues when essentially every contract on the current team expires before the "next wave" of ELC's will end (Bert expires when Nazar's ELC ends, SJ ends 1 year after Lev/Rinzel ELC likely ends). I think it would really help to have another difference maker who can help Bedard reach his potential instead of having to carry his entire line like last year, or much of this year.

 

[Hawkaholic]

Yes, but you have to get to that point. Your acting as if they will automatically be a contender in 4-5-6 years with just prospects drafted.

I can understand both rationales.

I mean, you can still sign good players, trade for good players, etc. You usually make huge mistakes signing UFAs to massive contracts. Not many good examples of great UFA signings out there that helped propel a bottom feeder to contender status.

 

[Beukeboom Fan]

Then you get those guys when we are at that point.


If I'm paying 13-14mil for a player, they better damn well be playing at a point per game pace or better, while they are making that money.

The problem for me is that you can't guarantee that any of the top tier guys we're really talking about (Rantanen, Marner, Connor, Kaprisov, Eichel, etc.) actually make it to UFA. If any of them do, I think KD should make a serious run at them instead of maybe worrying about "jumping the gun" 1 year early instead of hoping that someone else will actually make it to UFA status the following year.

I think the last "premier forward" who made it to UFA status would be Panarin, and that was like 5 years ago.

 

[Muffinalt]

Strongly agree with your post, especially with the young guys coming on and the light at the end of the tunnel.

With that said - it's preferable if KD can add another proven star forward and then supplement the core with the young guys. I don't think that he should worry about cap issues when essentially every contract on the current team expires before the "next wave" of ELC's will end (Bert expires when Nazar's ELC ends, SJ ends 1 year after Lev/Rinzel ELC likely ends). I think it would really help to have another difference maker who can help Bedard reach his potential instead of having to carry his entire line like last year, or much of this year.

I agree and I'm also a proponent for it. I guess I just don't see it is a must win condition, without which we stay bottom feeders. But for sure, there is room - and merit - for a top FA to come in.

Top 3 pick (has a chance to be fair), Kantserov, Moore, Boisvert... They won't be coming next year, and will be sheltered the year after, so that's two seasons of a top six of:

Bertuzzi - Bedard - Nazar
Teravainen - Dickinson/Reichel - X

That would be stalled development I think for those two years at least. But even after, there will be plenty of room for a Marner/Rantanen.

So I'm a fan for sure, let the young guys develop with some actual quality forward that is confident, skilled and comes from the right culture. But if it doesn't happen - I think we will also be fine.

 

[WarriorofTime]

The problem for me is that you can't guarantee that any of the top tier guys we're really talking about (Rantanen, Marner, Connor, Kaprisov, Eichel, etc.) actually make it to UFA. If any of them do, I think KD should make a serious run at them instead of maybe worrying about "jumping the gun" 1 year early instead of hoping that someone else will actually make it to UFA status the following year.

I think the last "premier forward" who made it to UFA status would be Panarin, and that was like 5 years ago.

Panarin, Tavares, Gaudreau , Guentzel are all high profile expensive players that switched teams via UFA.

Huberdeau, Eichel, Stone, Tkachuk, Meier, Laine, Reinhart, Horvat, Zibanajed, Dubois, Hertl, Miller are all additional ones that were acquired via Trade. (not including Rantanen and Necas for now, also didn't include someone like Forsberg that was traded while a prospect).

Hawks in a couple years very well could be dipping into picks and prospects and trading for say, B. Tkachuk and then extending him 8 years. However, that's less possible to do if you've already thrown a bunch of cap at an (older) Rantanen.

 

[Hawkaholic]

The problem for me is that you can't guarantee that any of the top tier guys we're really talking about (Rantanen, Marner, Connor, Kaprisov, Eichel, etc.) actually make it to UFA. If any of them do, I think KD should make a serious run at them instead of maybe worrying about "jumping the gun" 1 year early instead of hoping that someone else will actually make it to UFA status the following year.

I think the last "premier forward" who made it to UFA status would be Panarin, and that was like 5 years ago.

That's the thing, we don't need a big UFA signing for the next 3-5 years. We need to hit on a low cost UFA, a trade, and prospects, and then when we are teetering on being a playoff team, then you can make a splash to put us over the edge.

And yes, the Rangers jumped the gun on Panarin, struck out, now he's 33 and slowing down, and they are probably going to have to rebuild....again.

 

[WarriorofTime]

That's the thing, we don't need a big UFA signing for the next 3-5 years. We need to hit on a low cost UFA, a trade, and prospects, and then when we are teetering on being a playoff team, then you can make a splash to put us over the edge.

And yes, the Rangers jumped the gun on Panarin, struck out, now he's 33 and slowing down, and they are probably going to have to rebuild....again.

1) Get to a playoff team "internally"
2) Trade a 20-something overall pick, some prospect and whatever for a forward from a non-playoff team close to UFA years that is a good fit for your team and whom you wouldn't mind giving a UFA extension to
3) They extend because you're a playoff team and it's a good fit for them playing next to Bedard and whatever
4) Profit

This seems to be the "model" so to speak.

Doing this too soon because you skipped step 1 is a potential disaster however, as you end up trading like the 12th pick, you're not a playoff team so the guy isn't that interested in re-signing and you're just potentially flipping him for fifty cents on the dollar what you paid. Also called the Ottawa Senators DeBrincat/Chychrun Experience.

 

[thedarkstark]

Would love to pair Moose with Bedard but this team is nowhere near ready to go for a guy with kind of cap hit.