Has anyone else realized that...

[Everyday I'm Byfuglien]

I think the Hawks can build around the core with some of these minor league players. It just may not happen next year. And until those guys can develop, Bowman will have to make some moves to bridge that gap. If you have doubt in his abilities to do that, I don't blame you.

I will say that I liked this years team better than last years.

Stalberg overachieved quite nicely. Shaw was a revelation. Kruger, Leddy, Hayes and Olsen showed promise.

Kruger and Leddy are the big ones though. Those are the big ones that need to keep advancing if you want to talk about homegrown depth. They both need to get stronger (Kruger especially) and Leddy just needs more games under his belt alongside a dependeable veteran d-man. Less minutes wouldn't hurt either.

 

[icehogfan08]

And here's why I'm not so big on the Hawks going crazy with moves in free agency and trades in the offseason. I'd much rather have them build from within.

Here's the guys off of that roster that were homegrown talent (drafted by Chicago and played in the farm system): Toews, Kane, Keith, Seabrook, Brouwer, Byfuglien, Hjalmarsson, Bolland, Burish, Niemi (technically undrafted, but Hawks signed him as an undrafted free agent)

A few veterans like Sharp, Ladd, and Versteeg were acquired by the Hawks a few years prior, and Versteeg actually spent some time in the Hawks' AHL team before joining the big club.

The big free agents signings were Campbell and Hossa. That's it. Madden was also a FA signing, but I don't know how "big" of a signing that is. Kopecky, too.

My point is, the vast majority of talent on that team was either homegrown or had spent a few years with the organization before that wonderful year.

In the salary cap era, you can't throw a ton of money at free agents or completely shuffle your lineup with trades. You have to grow from within. There are some guys with NHL potential in the Hawks organization right now: Saad, Olsen, McNeill, Clendening, Hayes, Johns, and plenty more.

I'm not saying that they shouldn't sign anyone. I'm saying that growing from within the organization is the best way to have long, sustained success in the salary cap era. And the Hawks have the potential to do that.

I was going to point these points out to Dewey in the other thread when he talked about prospects. Most of those guys like you said where drafted by the Hawks and played in the systems for a few years. Sure you don't have to follow the Icehogs, and they don't have to be a winning team, but the goals is to develop these guys to get to the next step. Most of those guys who was on that cup team was coached by Mike Haviland in the minors.

Haviland did such a great job with putting those prospects in their roles and developing them into those roles. I thought the past couple of seasons where not as well as when Havy was in control, but I just wasn't a big fan of Bill peters either. This season with Dent as the head coach some of these players took their games to a higher step, especially the defensive players.

My point being that the farm system is important, and developing your players in your systems only helps in the long runs. Nashville has done it for some time now, and they have become very successful.

 

[DewsSox79]

I was going to point these points out to Dewey in the other thread when he talked about prospects. Most of those guys like you said where drafted by the Hawks and played in the systems for a few years. Sure you don't have to follow the Icehogs, and they don't have to be a winning team, but the goals is to develop these guys to get to the next step. Most of those guys who was on that cup team was coached by Mike Haviland in the minors.

Haviland did such a great job with putting those prospects in their roles and developing them into those roles. I thought the past couple of seasons where not as well as when Havy was in control, but I just wasn't a big fan of Bill peters either. This season with Dent as the head coach some of these players took their games to a higher step, especially the defensive players.

My point being that the farm system is important, and developing your players in your systems only helps in the long runs. Nashville has done it for some time now, and they have become very successful.

I get what you are saying, but you have to hit jackpot with guys and a lot of them to build a dynasty type franchise.

Sure Nashville is doing it, but so far what have they got?

maintaining a descent amount of specs and using them in trades or trying them on the big squad is fine....just not gearing your whole team around it. Im not talking about 1-5 picks either, just young prospects.

 

[Captain Iago]

I get what you are saying, but you have to hit jackpot with guys and a lot of them to build a dynasty type franchise.

Sure Nashville is doing it, but so far what have they got?

maintaining a descent amount of specs and using them in trades or trying them on the big squad is fine....just not gearing your whole team around it. Im not talking about 1-5 picks either, just young prospects.

The problem with Nashville has always been retaining/bringing in big money guys. It's a vicious cycle they've been in, but such is life when you must adhere to an internal cap. They have done business very responsibly, and unfortunately for us, their revenue stream has increased allowing them to sign their franchise goalie and their big money captain.

 

[DMelt36]

I was going to point these points out to Dewey in the other thread when he talked about prospects. Most of those guys like you said where drafted by the Hawks and played in the systems for a few years. Sure you don't have to follow the Icehogs, and they don't have to be a winning team, but the goals is to develop these guys to get to the next step. Most of those guys who was on that cup team was coached by Mike Haviland in the minors.

Haviland did such a great job with putting those prospects in their roles and developing them into those roles. I thought the past couple of seasons where not as well as when Havy was in control, but I just wasn't a big fan of Bill peters either. This season with Dent as the head coach some of these players took their games to a higher step, especially the defensive players.

My point being that the farm system is important, and developing your players in your systems only helps in the long runs. Nashville has done it for some time now, and they have become very successful.

The number one key to long-term success, in every sport with a salary cap, is consistently having a good farm system.

Whenever you need a player to fill in a spot on the parent club, you have three options: fill it with a prospect, trade, free agency.

The only one of those options that an organization has total control over is the prospect. You scout, draft, then develop the player.

You can't control what other teams do with their players, though. You can't make certain players available for a trade when you need them and you can't turn them into free agents.

Having solid prospects also helps in the trade market, because your team also has a solid return to bring to the bargaining table.