today, they signed LD harding to a 2 year ELC at $867k aav....blackhawks rights to him would have expired on june 1. apparently, signed an 'amateur try-out' contract with rockford. will play with them the rest of their season and playoffs.

never seen him play any games, just understand he's another giant on D. good luck to him.

You may have to adjust your expectations on what you think Connor Bedard is going to be.

Keep trying Bob, someone will take your bait eventually.

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And eventually Bedard will have a signature game to justify those McDavid and Crosby comps you gave him on draft night.

I read some of the criticism of Bedard here and I have to ask if he's just not very bright? The natural ability got him far enough to be 1OA, but your analysis is that he keeps on making the plays that worked in juniors.

Every time he makes a figure 8 on the power play, Derek King should smack him on the nose with a stick. Eventually he will get trained.

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"When people want their version of the truth, they go find it, no matter how baseless their beliefs." -- Ken Rosenthal

I’ve caught several on there as well. Too bad they are a tough watch.

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Hawaii (fuck) You

well, it was paul bissonette on tnt hockey that called bedard's game 'pond hockey'. ahhh, seems as though most blackhawks media and more than a few fans had a problem with the comment- immediately ridiculing bissonette's career stats, ignoring what was the actual criticism.

you've seen what he does and how plays. i believe he's hockey intelligent, wants to win and wants to tally points. the sarcasm/criticism from me or others won't motivate him, that's up to the staff - and messier criticized the blackhawks staff for not using PP time as a reward/punishment motivator. just will take a bit more time - lost out on better coaching and fitness training by not playing at a top college program, as opposed to making the jump from junior hockey to the nhl. was too young for the ahl - had to rough it, like korchinski.

See, I'm a very casual hockey fan, mostly because I couldn't watch them on TV much if at all during my formative years in the 70s. I know the basics, but I couldn't name 40 other guys not on Chicago or Carolina (and I never watch the latter as I don't have cable). In retirement and with ESPN+, I've been able to focus a lot more on it (and have completely given up watching basketball or college football).

In baseball, there have been guys who are either obviously dumb or stubborn - Corey Patterson comes to mind. In football, many of us have heard the whispers about Devin Hester, and I didn't think anything of it until someone who I've known since I was a child knew Hester's extended family in Burr Ridge and said that they were all as dumb as a box of rocks.

Patterson lost me forever when he was interviewed and insisted that he was going to keep swinging at high fastballs even though he kept on missing them because "that's how I play." Maybe not stupid but if not then stubborn as hell.

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"When people want their version of the truth, they go find it, no matter how baseless their beliefs." -- Ken Rosenthal

he has elite hockey IQ and vision. Easily one of the top players in the league in that category. Being asked to do a lot and taking chances in that pursuit should not be mistaken for lack of intelligence.

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Elite Hockey HQ and vision

Ranks 70th in the NHL in points
Ranks 98th in the NHL in goals scored


Something isn't adding up

later game tonight at home against colorado. looks like korchinski is out, del mastro in.

Donato-Bedard-Mikheyev
Teräväinen-Nazar-Bertuzzi
Slaggert-Moore-Reichel
Maroon-Veleno-Foligno

Vlasic-Rinzel
Del Mastro-Murphy
Kaiser-Levshunov

knight in goal.

bertuzzi looks like an anchor if placed on any of the top 3 lines. can't bury $5.5 million on the 4th line, can you? needs to play better, skate better, throw his weight around and score; 5x5. worry about that #2 D-pairing, anything with murphy and del mastro's talents or flaws will show up tonight. both are slow, not very agile.

Moore should center Nazar.

I was listening to a podcast today(I think the Rink), they think the Hawks are trying to trade Kaiser by playing him over EDM.

I will be home from dart league about 9:15. I will try to catch the 2nd period on. No Cubs or Sox tonight.

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Hawaii (fuck) You

yeah, it wouldn't surprise me...would disappoint me. watched lane hutson against florida and that takes me right back to korchinski. to be fair to all, hutson went #62 overall and others passed him up as well. last night - seth jones with his famous stick-check failed attempt on hutson with 5 seconds left in the game and 3 seconds later, the canadiens scored to send the game to o.t., which hutson and the canadiens won. he's already a poor man's quinn hughes.

getting pushed by canadian media for the calder - over celebrini/michkov/wolf.

That's why I was asking, it seems like a disconnect. He wouldn't go 1OA if he was only as intelligent as Herb Lawrence.

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"When people want their version of the truth, they go find it, no matter how baseless their beliefs." -- Ken Rosenthal

game is on tnt tonight - the first utah goal last sunday, will show you exactly what the issue is. youtube the highlites. bedard had the puck, just inside the utah blueline. he tried a soccer-style nutmeg, through the legs of a utah FWD, to advance with the puck. go from there...

hockey gods tried to help them and the avalanche themselves, did their part...just not enough. the PP was brutal again...on the late PP, no bertuzzi and levshunov sat out for a bit. no doubt they wanted 2 d-men out on the PP late, knowing a dangerous colorado would cheat for a shortie. they could have put levshunov with vlasic, they preferred rinzel.

the 3rd line..the speed line. good when they enter, bad when they rim the puck...does anyone expect slaggert/moore/reichel will win a puck battle on the boards? other issues, face-offs....to me, this is all ridiculous if they're not learning and improving.

looks like a battle with the sharks for lottery odds. i thought they'd have a 5-7 point separation by now.

We do not want the #1 pick.

I'd rather have #2 this year and #1 next year, but I won't complain if we end up with #1 this year. Bird in hand....

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Bedard joined Crosby as the only two players this century to have at least 40 goals and 75 assists before turning 20 years of age.


Great assist last night on the Murphy goal, showed off Bedard's IQ and vision.

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If they get the #1 this year, they can not receive the #1 next season.

Outside of that, we do not need another D-man with our 1st pick.

Once they get him a legit line mate, he will be fine.

you're right, unless they finish last in points. they can finish last in points this year - win the lottery, and theoretically, win the lottery again next year, finishing 5th worst in points. those that believe in cold envelopes, weighted lottery balls and conspiracies are saying they 'want' boston to win the lottery this year. told us they are sick and tired of san jose and chicago at the draft buffet table and that they don't deserve anymore top picks. ok. heard those musings on two different shows on nhl network.

i do agree, we don't need another d-man. we need the d-men and everyone else we have, to play better. i saw the photo still from second city hockey website on makar's first goal - and the author blamed slaggert for poor d-zone coverage.



yeah, the proof is in the pudding. i will say, the d-zone coverage was terrible again last night, colorado had 5-6 glorious chances from the slot. no fucking coverage. knight had a great game, kept it close.

If they draft Schaefer, I think Korchinski is 100% gone. Might be a good and bad thing. He might warrant a forward for Bedard.

no shit, that's why i said that.

As for your second part, need has nothing to do with it. If Hawks get #1 pick they will take the BPA who happens to be an franchise level probably NOrris trophy contender. Or they will trade out of it, but that's doubtful. How often does #1 get traded?

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could be. Or they keep him and have a future top 4 of Schaef/Lev/Vlasic/Korchinski

That could be pretty impressive in a few years.

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This Frozen Four is taking too long. I think the next game is like 6 days away. Gives like no time for the players to jump to the NHL if they had the opportunity. This really need to work on this.

not sure if he's trying to get exiled. reichel missed a team meeting and is scratched. was it a meeting about shoring up d-zone coverage? anyways, kurashev will be play. looks like knight in goal on great8/gretzky watch.

well, it's that or go head to head vs the Final Four this weekend. Hockey has always taken a 2 week break after the regionals. I like it, hockey is a rough sport and it gives an extra week to heal up some injuries.

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