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Off-Season Round-Up: Preseason Games, Injuries, Lines, Oh My!


CHICAGO, IL -- This off-season has been quite a busy one for the Hawks--though, unfortunately, not in the way they wanted it to be. Now that preseason is finally over for the Hawks, I think it's time to reflect on the off-season as a whole. There's a lot to unpack here, so bear with me here.
Preseason/Training Camp

 I think this seems like the most logical place to start, no? Even though it ended in a disappointing record of 2-4, I don't think it was a total waste of time or a reflection of what's to come, necessarily.

 If nothing else, we got to see a bit of action from a few players that many fans were anxious to see--including Adam Boqvist (drafted this year and headed to the OHL), Dylan Sikura (fresh out of college and headed to Rockford), Henri Jokiharju (draftee from the 2016 draft who seems finally ready for the big leagues), Chris Kunitz (a veteran player with a nice pedigree), and Cam Ward (another vet with a little ground to make up).

 I do think that the two wins the Hawks edged out weren't terrible wins. And, hell, even the game versus Detroit that ended in a scalding 8-6 loss wasn't a total mess--the offense clearly picked up the pace. Overall, fans shouldn't take this to be an ultimate reflection of what the season is going to be. Training camp--and moreover, preseason--is supposed to be about figuring out what does and doesn't work, and getting back into the groove of playing (without the pressure of games really meaning something).

 In the same vein of the team meshing, I thought some of what Coach Quenneville did with the lines was interesting. I really enjoyed watching the Brandon Saad-Nick Schmaltz-Patrick Kane line, and I truly think that's a line that needs to stick together if at all possible. I know Q was hesitant about putting Kane with Alex DeBrincat, since they're both so heavily puck-possessors, but I don't hate the idea and if the season starts slower than they want it to, I don't think it's a bad pairing.

 Jonathan Toews and Debrincat makes a whole lot of sense to me, but I also like Dominik Kahun as well. I think Toews might find a steadier line this season, and definitely for the better.

 I really love the Duncan Keith-Jokiharju pairing on defense, and I think that one could stick around for a while. Still not sure who I'd put with Brent Seabrook just yet, but I don't think it'll be hard. As long as it's not Brandon Manning (who was less-than impressive to me), I think the Hawks are okay on defense--certainly not great, but okay.

 Overall, I'm not too mad about the way preseason went. Obviously, you want to win more than two out of six games, but I think they're on a better track than they were last year.
New Injury Protocol

 Can I be the first to say that I absolutely love this new injury protocol? Okay, I'm definitely not the first, but I'm sure I'm not the last.

 I've always thought the old 'upper/lower body' crap was archaic and just ridiculously unnecessary. If you look at almost every other professional sport, teams are not afraid to tell you exactly what's going on with their players. Hockey is not that way at all, and it's annoying to say the least.

 I think after all of the speculation with the Corey Crawford situation this past year, and all of the rumors, the Hawks decided to put an end to all of that in the future. It's certainly nice to see a team be so transparent with their fans.

 With that in mind, Connor Murphy, Gustav Forsling, and Corey Crawford will all likely start the season on the IR, and we'll surely hear medical updates as soon as there are some. For Forsling and especially Crawford, we've received fantastic news in the past week--both are practicing.

 Crawford is the more notable return, since Monday's practice marked the first time that he had practiced with the team in nine, almost ten, months--that is absolutely insane to think about. The team revealed that he's been dealing with concussion symptoms since he left the game on December 14th, 2017. This wasn't surprising news--he's had issues with coming back from concussions before, and if I'm remembering correctly, he's had issues with vertigo, too. No one has said what symptoms he's having issues with, but it was certainly wonderful to see him out practicing with the boys again.

 Overall, I think the injury protocol the Hawks are implementing this season could spark a trend across the NHL--I believe some teams are a little more vocal about what injuries players have, but this might open the door for more teams to be more transparent about what's really going on with players.
Outlook on the Season

 If you want my honest opinion, I don't know how this season is going to pan out.

 Of course, I'm optimistic that Crawford comes back at full-strength, totally healthy, and early on in the season. I'm optimistic that Kane, Toews, Saad, Keith and Seabrook all turn back the clock and remind the hockey world who's boss. I'm optimistic that the new veteran guys--Manning, Kunitz, Ward--can make a positive impact on the team this season. I'm optimistic that the young guns step it up and create a fun game for us to watch.

 But, there are a lot of variables here. A lot.

 Many writers don't have any faith (or have just a little) that the Hawks will be any different this year. Some are optimistic that they'll at least make the playoffs, even if that means another early exit. Some are thinking they'll be the last in the Central Division.

 I'm not sure where I stand.

 I want to be optimistic, I want to be positive, and above all, I want to have faith in this team. I do have faith in this team. They just need to prove that they can do it.

 I've seen some interesting predictions for the Hawks, including but not limited to:

 DeBrincat edging out Kane for the most points on the team, Crawford never coming back (the ultimate nightmare), Coach Q getting the boot, Stan Bowman getting the boot, the Hawks starting a complete overhaul and rebuild, surprising everyone and making a deep playoff run--among other things.

 If I had to make any prediction about this team, I think I'd play it ridiculously safe. I don't think the Hawks will be at the very bottom of the Central this year. I'm not sure they make the playoffs if Crawford isn't at full health for the majority of the season, but they might be able to just squeeze in if he is.

 Either way, I'm excited that the season starts in just two days--here's to hoping it's a good one.

 I'll ask it again: Are you in?

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