Nice breakdown, thrubs! You may having scouting in your future
. I agree with a lot of what you said.
My Two Cents
Bryan Bickell - You pretty much hit the nail on the head with Bickell. I'd also like to see him get in the dirty areas too like right in front of the goalie to use that size.
Andrew Brunette - I had (somewhat) high hopes for Brunette since he usually is good for about 20 goals, especially playing with the talents of Toews, Hossa, and Kane. He's been a disappoint for the most part, but he and Toews seem to be the only ones who get in front of the net (seems to be a common theme!).
Daniel Carcillo - Agreed 100% thruby. The only bad thing is his reputation is going to cause problems and every single hit will be scrutinized.
Michael Frolik - Not a big fan of Frolik. Skills are there, he just needs to be stronger on the puck. Seems to play his best come playoff time, which is valuable.
Jimmy Hayes - Like his size a lot and he seems to utilize it. Didn't get to see much of his offensive talents in such limited play, but definitely encouraged by his play.
Marcus Kruger - Nothing more than an average faceoff specialist. Decent on the PK. The team punching bag for other teams, apparently.
Brendan Morrison - Forgot he was on the team. Not one of Bowman's shining acquisitions.
Andrew Shaw - Agreed. He does the dirty stuff like getting in position to deflect a shot from the point, winning board battles, and is willing to drop 'em if need be. Like him a lot.
Viktor Stalberg - Streaky as well; he has to produce against other teams and not just the lowly Blue Jackets. Has periods of cement hands. Kind of a frustrating player and has disappeared in this postseason.
Duncan Keith - I think Keith is a little overrated and don't think he will ever become a consistent Norris contender as he looks lost at times. I wish he was a little more physical instead of a poke-checking machine.
Nick Leddy - Couldn't be a more accurate comparison than a poor man's Campbell. Smooth skating, puck moving defensemen but once there's a forecheck on him he's a turnover machine. He needs to either bulk up or just get mean because he gets overpowered 9 times out of 10 in front of the Hawks net.
Steve Montador - I was very excited when the Hawks acquired Montador. I was disappointed with his defensive play for the most part as he just seemed to be a 5th or 6th defensemen and nothing more. Maybe my expectations were too high or he was more injured than we thought. I hope he returns healthy next season.
Johnny Oduya - He has been a little shaky at times, but for the most part, he's been a solid stay-at-home defenseman with good positioning. He's just had a rough postseason unfortunately. Not sure if I would want him back at $3.5M, though.