Blackhawks projected lineup?

[cubsbears1225]

What will the Hawks lines look like? There seem to be so many ways to do this....Im hoping Savard picks 1 lineup and sticks with it instead of changing it all the time.

1. Sharp/Toews/Kane
2. Beach/Lang/Havlat
3. Ladd/Bolland/Byfuglien
4. Sweatt or Skille or Adams/Burish/Aliu


1. Campbell/Sopel
2. Keith/Seabrook
3. Barker/ Wizniewski


Im not sure how to pair up the defense. I dont like separating Keith and Seabrook but maybe it has to be done. Id put Seabrook with Campbell because I think Keith and Sopel would be better together than Seabrook and Sopel

[GA Hill's Afro]

1. If Beach is with the big club this year, I doubt he will be on the Havlat line. HE will either be a third line player or play with Kane and Toews. No sense in taking your new young player and playing him on a line of players that won't be here next year.

2. It will probably be Keith and Campbell because of minutes. They are the two guys you want out there the most. They each play in the high 20's or low 30's in minutes. So if you break them up you would have two pairs that would have to play pretty much the entire game to give them their minutes. I would say:

Keith/Campbell: 27 minutes
Seabrook/Wiz: 20 minutes
Sopel/Hendry: 13 minutes

I know most of you would say Sopel with Seabrook, but Sopel and Hendry have great chemistry with eachother and I don't know if I would want to break it up.

I think we should wait another week or two before doing this, because who knows what other players we pick up or get rid of.

[cubsbears1225]

1. If Beach is with the big club this year, I doubt he will be on the Havlat line. HE will either be a third line player or play with Kane and Toews. No sense in taking your new young player and playing him on a line of players that won't be here next year.

2. It will probably be Keith and Campbell because of minutes. They are the two guys you want out there the most. They each play in the high 20's or low 30's in minutes. So if you break them up you would have two pairs that would have to play pretty much the entire game to give them their minutes. I would say:

Keith/Campbell: 27 minutes
Seabrook/Wiz: 20 minutes
Sopel/Hendry: 13 minutes

I know most of you would say Sopel with Seabrook, but Sopel and Hendry have great chemistry with eachother and I don't know if I would want to break it up.

I think we should wait another week or two before doing this, because who knows what other players we pick up or get rid of.

What about Barker?

[GA Hill's Afro]

See my post in the other section. I think he is a good trading chip. I would def. much rather have Hendry out there then Barker.....and Wiz is locked up.....so there is no room for Barker.

[ChiTownFan92]

Buffy/Toews/Kane (that line connected a lot near the end of the year)
Beach/Lang/Havlat (We need somebody to help "the shoulder")
Ladd/Bolland/Sharp (This could be a very underrated line)
Aliu or Eager/Kontiola/Burish or Skille (very interchangeable, too tough to call)

Seabrook/Keith (Can't split these two up)
Campbell/Wiz (for some reason, i think this pairing would be awesome)
Sopel/Barker (Kinda slow, but it's ok)

That's what I would like as a lineup for the Hawks.

[cubsfan9124]

no way to even speculate at this point with line combos

[justsox9]

FORWARDS
sharp/toews/kane
byfuglien/lang/havlat
ladd/bolland/skille
beach/burish/adams

DEFENSEMEN
keith/campbell - pairing is unstoppable, both can skate
seabrook/sopel
hendry/barker

[WillyBeamon]

Buffy/Toews/Kane (that line connected a lot near the end of the year)
Beach/Lang/Havlat (We need somebody to help "the shoulder")
Ladd/Bolland/Sharp (This could be a very underrated line)
Aliu or Eager/Kontiola/Burish or Skille (very interchangeable, too tough to call)

Seabrook/Keith (Can't split these two up)
Campbell/Wiz (for some reason, i think this pairing would be awesome)
Sopel/Barker (Kinda slow, but it's ok)

That's what I would like as a lineup for the Hawks.

Sorry .... i cant agree with that one..... you cant break up Sharp from the 2 kids.
Id like to see the Hawks get one scoring forward to play with Havlat & Lang.
That way we will have a solid 3rd line with Buff, Ladd and Bolland. Although Skille might be ready for the big dance.... I Go with this lineup

Sharp/Toews/Kane
Buff/Lang/Havlat
Ladd/Bolland/Skille
Eager/Burish/Adams

Campbell/Seabrook
Keith/Sopel
Barker/Wiz
(because I think Kieth and Campbell should be on different lines to seperate the speed and skill. More Depth there)

[GA Hill's Afro]

Sorry .... i cant agree with that one..... you cant break up Sharp from the 2 kids.
Id like to see the Hawks get one scoring forward to play with Havlat & Lang.
That way we will have a solid 3rd line with Buff, Ladd and Bolland. Although Skille might be ready for the big dance.... I Go with this lineup

Sharp/Toews/Kane
Buff/Lang/Havlat
Ladd/Bolland/Skille
Eager/Burish/Adams

Campbell/Seabrook
Keith/Sopel
Barker/Wiz
(because I think Kieth and Campbell should be on different lines to seperate the speed and skill. More Depth there)

I would NOT play Sharp with the kids. They have great chemistry, but the Hawks management would always say that who ever plays with the kids looks like a superstar. I would much rather play Buff with them, because then you have a guy who will crash the net and get dirty goals and screens(plus he is an enforcer who can protect them).

Then you get a forward to play with Lang and Havlat. Your third line would be Sharp Bolland and Ladd......that is three lines that can score at a moments notice.

[Boom!]

I would like to address a few lines that some people have been saying and let you know my ideas on them.
1. Beach/Lang/Havlat....not working at all in my head. Number 1, you are telling me that Beach is going to come in and play on one of the top lines? Shouldnt happen, he will play on the third line to start and don't expect anything close to what Kane/Toews did last year out of him. Also, no way Beach can keep up with Havlat and Lang. Beach's biggest downfall is his footspeed and that is why he would fit better on the third line bangin some guys up and I can picture him working great with Bolland...if he makes the team.
2. Another popular thing some people here are doing is separating Campbell and Keith. Why would you want to do that? First off, Campbell is going to play 30 minutes a game and Keith about 26 (Campbell will get more opportunities on the PP obviously), so you might as well have your top defensemen out on the ice half of the game. Also, how many spectacular defensive plays have you seen Keith make with his speed? He hunts guys down from behind and is amazing on 2 on 1s. With Campbell jumping into the play so much Keith would be perfectly paired up with him as his speed will make up for the offensive risks Campbell takes.
3. I see some people have Sharp playing on a third line. I hope that we aren't paying a guy 3.3 million to play on a third line and get 15 minutes of ice a night. Sharp belongs on a top 2 line, preferably with Kane because Sharp is a finisher not a playmaker.

So after all my ranting and raving here are what my lines look like for next year....

1.Kane/Toews/Sharp...why fix something that isn't broken? Kane and Toews will mature this year with Kane getting more goals, Sharp can use his speed and body to create opportunities for these two guys. Great line.
2.Havlat/Lang/Ladd...I have the hardest time thinking of who will play with Havlat/Lang. Buff can fit in here but I think Ladd will get a chance as he can put the puck towards the net and is a better passer than Buff so he can spring havlat and feed Lang better.
3.Buff/Bolland/Beach...Talk about a line that is going to bang some guys and score some ugly goals. This line out there 14 - 15 minutes a night can wear the other teams defense down and is going to score their fair share of goals too. Beach and Buff have a great nose right in front of the net and Bolland shows great flashes at times. If Beach is to not make the team I think Skille could fit in on this line pretty well. I would take Skille over Brouwer as Brouwer's foot speed must improve otherwise he will not be an impact NHLer.
4.Eager/Burish/Adams...fourth line is pretty set. Even though Eager sucks at dropping the gloves at time, the guy has solid skills for a 4th liner and can skate pretty well (which is why he is a former 1st round pick). Burish drives the net well but cant finish. Not a bad fourth line as they wont score much but are solid defensively and physically.

Defense...
1.Campbell/Keith...for my reasons that i stated earlier.
2.Sopel/Seabrook...Seabrook brings a physical element while sopel can get the puck up quickly.
3. Hendry/Barker...with Wiz injured this is what we will have to start with. Don't expect these two to get a ton of minutes but Hendry plays a solid Defensive game and you barely notice him on the ice (Which is a good thing in his case). Barker still makes errors but can have a decent offensive game at times.

Thats what I think and my reasons behind it...

[GA Hill's Afro]

I would like to address a few lines that some people have been saying and let you know my ideas on them.
1. Beach/Lang/Havlat....not working at all in my head. Number 1, you are telling me that Beach is going to come in and play on one of the top lines? Shouldnt happen, he will play on the third line to start and don't expect anything close to what Kane/Toews did last year out of him. Also, no way Beach can keep up with Havlat and Lang. Beach's biggest downfall is his footspeed and that is why he would fit better on the third line bangin some guys up and I can picture him working great with Bolland...if he makes the team.
2. Another popular thing some people here are doing is separating Campbell and Keith. Why would you want to do that? First off, Campbell is going to play 30 minutes a game and Keith about 26 (Campbell will get more opportunities on the PP obviously), so you might as well have your top defensemen out on the ice half of the game. Also, how many spectacular defensive plays have you seen Keith make with his speed? He hunts guys down from behind and is amazing on 2 on 1s. With Campbell jumping into the play so much Keith would be perfectly paired up with him as his speed will make up for the offensive risks Campbell takes.
3. I see some people have Sharp playing on a third line. I hope that we aren't paying a guy 3.3 million to play on a third line and get 15 minutes of ice a night. Sharp belongs on a top 2 line, preferably with Kane because Sharp is a finisher not a playmaker.

So after all my ranting and raving here are what my lines look like for next year....

1.Kane/Toews/Sharp...why fix something that isn't broken? Kane and Toews will mature this year with Kane getting more goals, Sharp can use his speed and body to create opportunities for these two guys. Great line.
2.Havlat/Lang/Ladd...I have the hardest time thinking of who will play with Havlat/Lang. Buff can fit in here but I think Ladd will get a chance as he can put the puck towards the net and is a better passer than Buff so he can spring havlat and feed Lang better.
3.Buff/Bolland/Beach...Talk about a line that is going to bang some guys and score some ugly goals. This line out there 14 - 15 minutes a night can wear the other teams defense down and is going to score their fair share of goals too. Beach and Buff have a great nose right in front of the net and Bolland shows great flashes at times. If Beach is to not make the team I think Skille could fit in on this line pretty well. I would take Skille over Brouwer as Brouwer's foot speed must improve otherwise he will not be an impact NHLer.
4.Eager/Burish/Adams...fourth line is pretty set. Even though Eager sucks at dropping the gloves at time, the guy has solid skills for a 4th liner and can skate pretty well (which is why he is a former 1st round pick). Burish drives the net well but cant finish. Not a bad fourth line as they wont score much but are solid defensively and physically.

Defense...
1.Campbell/Keith...for my reasons that i stated earlier.
2.Sopel/Seabrook...Seabrook brings a physical element while sopel can get the puck up quickly.
3. Hendry/Barker...with Wiz injured this is what we will have to start with. Don't expect these two to get a ton of minutes but Hendry plays a solid Defensive game and you barely notice him on the ice (Which is a good thing in his case). Barker still makes errors but can have a decent offensive game at times.

Thats what I think and my reasons behind it...

I agree with you pretty much 99%. My one problem....

The Sharp thing. Yeah he is making 3.3 million....but Buff is making 3 million as well and you have him on the third line. Buff can protect Kane and Toews which Sharp can't and also Buff will get dirty. I just think you concentrate your scoring too much on that one line. However, Sharp with Ladd and Bolland on the third...he will still get his mintues and he is playing with two guys who can handle themselves offensively.

[cubsbears1225]

I would like to address a few lines that some people have been saying and let you know my ideas on them.
1. Beach/Lang/Havlat....not working at all in my head. Number 1, you are telling me that Beach is going to come in and play on one of the top lines? Shouldnt happen, he will play on the third line to start and don't expect anything close to what Kane/Toews did last year out of him. Also, no way Beach can keep up with Havlat and Lang. Beach's biggest downfall is his footspeed and that is why he would fit better on the third line bangin some guys up and I can picture him working great with Bolland...if he makes the team.
2. Another popular thing some people here are doing is separating Campbell and Keith. Why would you want to do that? First off, Campbell is going to play 30 minutes a game and Keith about 26 (Campbell will get more opportunities on the PP obviously), so you might as well have your top defensemen out on the ice half of the game. Also, how many spectacular defensive plays have you seen Keith make with his speed? He hunts guys down from behind and is amazing on 2 on 1s. With Campbell jumping into the play so much Keith would be perfectly paired up with him as his speed will make up for the offensive risks Campbell takes.
3. I see some people have Sharp playing on a third line. I hope that we aren't paying a guy 3.3 million to play on a third line and get 15 minutes of ice a night. Sharp belongs on a top 2 line, preferably with Kane because Sharp is a finisher not a playmaker.

So after all my ranting and raving here are what my lines look like for next year....

1.Kane/Toews/Sharp...why fix something that isn't broken? Kane and Toews will mature this year with Kane getting more goals, Sharp can use his speed and body to create opportunities for these two guys. Great line.
2.Havlat/Lang/Ladd...I have the hardest time thinking of who will play with Havlat/Lang. Buff can fit in here but I think Ladd will get a chance as he can put the puck towards the net and is a better passer than Buff so he can spring havlat and feed Lang better.
3.Buff/Bolland/Beach...Talk about a line that is going to bang some guys and score some ugly goals. This line out there 14 - 15 minutes a night can wear the other teams defense down and is going to score their fair share of goals too. Beach and Buff have a great nose right in front of the net and Bolland shows great flashes at times. If Beach is to not make the team I think Skille could fit in on this line pretty well. I would take Skille over Brouwer as Brouwer's foot speed must improve otherwise he will not be an impact NHLer.
4.Eager/Burish/Adams...fourth line is pretty set. Even though Eager sucks at dropping the gloves at time, the guy has solid skills for a 4th liner and can skate pretty well (which is why he is a former 1st round pick). Burish drives the net well but cant finish. Not a bad fourth line as they wont score much but are solid defensively and physically.

Defense...
1.Campbell/Keith...for my reasons that i stated earlier.
2.Sopel/Seabrook...Seabrook brings a physical element while sopel can get the puck up quickly.
3. Hendry/Barker...with Wiz injured this is what we will have to start with. Don't expect these two to get a ton of minutes but Hendry plays a solid Defensive game and you barely notice him on the ice (Which is a good thing in his case). Barker still makes errors but can have a decent offensive game at times.

Thats what I think and my reasons behind it...

Good post.

I can see Ladd playing real well with Lang and Havlat. After talking to a friend of mine, Keith and Campbell paired are a no brainer. What do you do when Wisniewski gets back?

[Boom!]

When Wiz gets back it is going to be a tough one. The blackhawks have been rumored in Jason Smith (A gritty stay at home defenseman) and Ryan Whitney (Working a trade with the Pens apparently, but he makes 4 Mil and obviously the Blackhawks have to shed some cap space first). What I would hope is that the blackhawks get another cheap stay at home rugged defenseman and then you can break up Sopel and Seabrook (Who both have their share of offense in them, and sopel jumps up in the play well) and have them play with Wiz/Jason Smith/Hendry/Other stay at home defenseman. I think Cam Barker is the odd Man out as he is supposed to be a PP quarterback (hello brian Campbell for the next 8 years) and we do not need another offensive minded defenseman.

[bleedCUBBIEblue]

Ok, I'm not going to repost that long thing that BOOM wrote. But I do have a problem with some of it.

1. the 4th line of eager/burish/adams? I dont know about you, but I would much rather see skille and aliu in the lineup before i ever see eager and adams back in there.

2. as far as the sharp thing goes, i really dont think it matters where he plays. he pretty much played everywhere last year and did great no matter who he was playing with. I think it would be best for him on the lang/havlat line.

3. the defensive thing... I really like the D the way we have it, even without wiz. I really dont want us to go out and sign jason smith. i just think that would be pointless. we have some very good young guys in hendry and hjallmarsson (yalms). as far as the pairings go, i think dunc and soup would be amazing, but i'm not sure i would want to split up dunc and seabs. I really do think that they will play great no matter what the pairings end up being.

[WillyBeamon]

I actually think Jason Smith would be great. Is this the rumor thats going around? Getting Smith. Im from Canada, so i dont get to hear all the rumors and junk going around. Maybe i should move to Chicago. Are there anymore talks about getting any other player?