Blackhawks Breakaway

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Ep. 141: Eddie Olczyk breaks down Stanley Cup Final and top priorities for Blackhawks offseason May 28, 2019

Show notes

On the latest Hawks Talk Podcast, NHL on NBC analyst Eddie Olczyk joins Pat Boyle to break down Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Boston Bruins and St. Louis Blues. Edzo explains how the Bruins turned the game around in the second period and how their young defensemen played a major role in their come from behind win.

Olczyk has not been surprised with how Joakim Nordstrom has performed since leaving the Blackhawks. Edzo tells us how the Blues have trailed this postseason before and what it will take for them to win the series.

Eddie also weighs in on Blackhawks goalie prospect Kevin Lankinen and his breakout performance at the World Championships, and gives us his top priority for the Blackhawks this offseason.

0:45 - Eddie Olczyk joins the show

1:25 - Edzo on Blues missed opportunity in Game 1

2:45 - Defense helping offense for Boston

4:35 - Bruins top line quiet or rusty?

6:45 - Joakim Nordstrom's career after Chicago

9:40 - How the Blues can win the series

11:40 - Who could Blackhawks jump in the Central Division next season?

16:45 - Kevin Lankinen's breakout at IIHF World Championship

18:45 - Blackhawks' top priority this offseason

Ep. 140: Connor Murphy interview and narrowing down potential draft candidates at No. 3 for Blackhawks May 21, 2019

Show notes

On the latest Hawks Talk Podcast, Connor Murphy joins the show to break down the Blackhawks' man-on-man defensive zone coverage, how the team stayed together during the long losing skids and do the young players have a strong voice in the locker room?

Pat Boyle is then joined by Slavko Bekovic and Charlie Roumeliotis to discuss what the Blackhawks may be thinking with the No. 3 overall pick and narrow the field to three potential candidates. Should the Blackhawks draft for need or best available player?

Plus, the guys provide an update on how the Blackhawks are performing at the 2019 IIHF World Championship.

0:45 – Connor Murphy joins the podcast

2:00 – Murphy’s summer so far

2:35 – Murphy’s off-ice training regimen

3:35 – Murphy evaluates his season

5:05 – Murphy on comeback from injury

6:30 – Murphy explains the Hawks d-zone coverage

10:00 – Murphy’s conversations with father Gord Murphy

12:10 – Murphy on making it through tough times last season

13:10 – Murphy on unity between vets and youth

14:25 – Murphy’s goals for the future

17:00 – Hawks draft prospects one month out from NHL Draft

19:30 – Byram’s stock up while Podkolzin’s stock down

21:00 – Should Blackhawks draft for need and improve now?

26:25 – Future of the Blackhawks blue-line

33:15 – Blackhawks replenishing the prospect pipeline

35:45 – Our top 3 prospects for the No. 3 pick

41:05 – How the Blackhawks are doing at the IIHF World Championship

Ep. 139: NHL Draft expert Adam Kimelman on potential fits for Blackhawks at No. 3 May 15, 2019

Show notes

On the latest Hawks Talk Podcast, Adam Kimelman of NHL.com and host of the NHL Draft Class podcast joins Pat Boyle, Slavko Bekovic and Charlie Roumeliotis to give us scouting reports on the top half of the 2019 class.

Kimelman also weighs in on whether Bowen Byram could be a fit for the Blackhawks at No. 3, tells us whose stock is rising and dropping, who's the top center in the draft after Jack Hughes and his gut feeling — as of right now — on who the Blackhawks could take third overall.

0:45 – Could Kakko’s strong Worlds help him leap Hughes?

3:05 – Is Vasili Podkolzin’s stock dropping?

6:40 – Could Bowen Byram be a fit at No. 3?

10:20 – Could someone trade up to No. 3 for Byram?

12:00 – Who is the top prospect after Hughes and Kakko?

13:50 – Alex Turcotte’s stock rising?

16:15 – Who are the top centers after Hughes?

17:45 – Why Dylan Cozens is the 3rd best prospect in this class

19:00 – Other players with a rising draft stock

20:15 – What is Cole Caufield’s ceiling?

21:45 – What would it cost the Blackhawks to trade into the top 2?

23:30 – Getting to know players at the Draft Combine

25:15 – Gut feeling: the Blackhawks will select…

Ep.138: Alex DeBrincat joins the show from IIHF World Championship May 14, 2019

Show notes

On the latest Hawks Talk Podcast, Blackhawks winger Alex DeBrincat joins Pat Boyle from the IIHF World Championship in Slovakia.

DeBrincat reflects on his second year in the NHL, how far away the Blackhawks are from being a playoff team and if he’s surprised by the final four in the Stanley Cup Playoffs?

DeBrincat also weighs in on playing with Dylan Larkin and Patrick Kane at the Worlds, and breaks down the game of the two players expected to be taken at the top of June’s draft: Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko.

DeBrincat tells us he hasn’t been hanging out with his buddy Dylan Strome and fills us in on who is hanging out with his dog Ralph during the tournament.

0:35 -- What's Kosice like?

1:25 -- How far away are Blackhawks from contending?

3:00 -- What part of your game grew the most?

3:30 -- Decision to represent Team USA again

4:40 -- Playing on larger ice surface

6:48 -- Facing Kaapo Kakko

7:30 -- Playing with Jack Hughes

9:10 -- Film preparation

10:25 -- Still keeping an eye on Stanley Cup Playoffs?

11:45 -- Biggest difference with St. Louis

12:25 -- Intensity building as IIHF World Championship progresses?

13:30 -- Highlight of trip to Slovakia

14:15 -- Who's taking care of Ralph?

Ep. 137: Building the Blackhawks draft board with Mark Kelley May 06, 2019

Show notes

On the latest edition of the Hawks Talk Podcast, Blackhawks vice president of amateur scouting Mark Kelley joins Pat Boyle and Charlie Roumeliotis to discuss NHL Draft preparations.

Kelley talks about whether there's added pressure in picking third overall, what goes into the scouting meetings at this time of year and how deep the first round is in terms of high-end talent. Kelley also provides brief scouting reports on a handful of top prospects, and whether the Blackhawks are leaning a certain direction at No. 3.

0:42 - Is there more pressure coming into the draft picking at No. 3?

1:45 - Different feel organizationally picking third this year vs. 2006 (Jonathan Toews)

2:45 - Is the expectation that Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko will go 1 and 2?

4:05 - The Blackhawks control their destiny at No. 3

4:40 - Did the lottery throw a curveball into draft process?

5:35 - Inside the current scouting meetings

6:20 - What the Blackhawks were keying in on at Under-18 World Championship

7:15 - Best available player?

9:20 - Scouting reports on top draft prospects

13:13 - Building roster built for regular season and playoffs?

13:50 - Having a pool of players to choose from vs. a clear-cut player at No. 3

14:40 - What you're looking for at the NHL Draft combine

16:15 - Do the scouting meetings ever get intense?

18:20 - So, are the Blackhawks leaning a certain way at No. 3 yet?

Ep. 136: Denis Savard recalls his draft night, pressure of being No. 3 overall pick and why Blackhawks will make playoffs next year May 02, 2019

Show notes

On the latest edition of the Hawks Talk Podcast, Blackhawks legend Denis Savard, a former third overall pick in the 1980 NHL Draft, weighs in on the Blackhawks options with the No. 3 selection and remembers his time as a draft prospect, nearly getting selected by his hometown Canadiens.

Savard also goes in-depth on the development he’s seen throughout Patrick Kane’s career and how Marian Hossa made an impact on his game.

0:45 – Savard on not being drafted by hometown Canadiens

2:30 – What draft nights used to be like

4:00 – The type of player you get at No. 3 overall

4:30 – Would Savy go No. 1 in a 1980 re-draft?

5:50 – Projecting a high draft pick’s career

6:50 – Savard’s passion for golf and horses

9:10 – Drafting need vs best player available

11:00 – Supplementing Kane, Toews and the vets with youth

13:30 – How Savard watched Patrick Kane grow

16:30 – Comparing Savard to Kane on the ice

21:35 – Wasting career years from Kane, Toews & DeBrincat

25:00 – Blackhawks have flexibility this summer

26:00 – High praise for Nicolas Beaudin

26:45 – Youth on the Blackhawks blue line

27:35 – Savard on Jeremy Colliton & the Blackhawks future

Ep. 135: Dimitri Filipovic on the state of the Blackhawks Apr 30, 2019

Show notes

On the latest Hawks Talk Podcast, Dimitri Filipovic from Yahoo, ESPN and The Hockey PDOcast joins Pat Boyle, Slavko Bekovic and Charlie Roumeliotis to discuss the state of the Blackhawks. How far away are they from contending?

Filipovic also talks about the Blackhawks' defensive struggles, what they can do to turn it around, how they should spend their money this summer and which NHL prospects jump out at No. 3 overall.

1:00 - How far are the Blackhawks from contenting?

1:45 – Did the Blackhawks miss a golden chance in this year’s playoffs?

3:45 – Are the Avalanche an example for the Blackhawks to follow?

4:50 – How badly do the Hawks need a top-4 defenseman?

6:15 – How good (really) is Erik Gustafsson?

8:30 – Evaluating the Blackhawks’ defensive personnel

10:15 – Is this defensive system right for the Blackhawks?

13:45 – What franchise are the Blackhawks modeling?

15:00 – Did the Hawks wait too long to move on from Quenneville?

16:20 – Going worst-to-first like the Islanders

18:20 – Blackhawks need to beef up

20:20 – Building the Blackhawks with a Bruins outline

22:00 – The need for more secondary scoring

22:50 – Finding the right line for Patrick Kane

24:50 – Draft prospects that the Blackhawks should consider at No. 3

28:50 – Could Artemi Panarin stay in Columbus?

30:20 – Spending on top-end players or filling multiple needs

32:10 – Extensions for Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Strome

33:35 – Should Kane have been a Hart finalist?

Ep. 134: Kris Versteeg on why he signed with IceHogs and possibility of one more spin with Blackhawks Apr 25, 2019

Show notes

On the latest Hawks Talk Podcast, Pat Boyle catches up with two-time Stanley Cup winner and the newest member of the Rockford IceHogs Kris Versteeg.

Versteeg explains his recent medical issues and his experience playing last season in the KHL and Swedish Elite League. He also talks about why he decided to sign a one-year deal with Rockford and defines his role the IceHogs.

Versteeg weighs in on getting a third chance to play for the Blackhawks organization and what would be the perfect ending to the Kris Versteeg hockey movie?

1:00 - Why sign with Rockford?

2:00 - KHL experience

3:00 - Back on track in Sweden

4:30 - Health update

6:00 - Deal with Rockford

7:30 - Contact with Kane and Toews?

9:00 - Family coming to Rockford?

10:00 - Mentor or last fling with Hawks?

12:00 - Kris Versteeg Movie Ending

Ep. 133: Evaluating Blackhawks defensemen prospects with Mark Eaton Apr 24, 2019

Show notes

On the latest edition of the Hawks Talk Podcast, Blackhawks director of player development Mark Eaton joins the show to evaluate the organization’s top defensemen prospects and where each of them are at in their developments. Which ones could make the NHL jump next season?

Pat Boyle and Charlie Roumeliotis offer their takeaways from the Eaton interview and outlook the Blackhawks blue line group as a whole.

1:00 – Eaton on Henri Jokiharju’s development

3:30 – Adam Boqvist’s growth in North America

6:50 – Evaluating Nicolas Beaudin’s progression

8:15 – Surprised about Ian Mitchell’s decision to return to college?

10:55 – Assessing Chad Krys in college and AHL

13:10 – Challenge between stressing defensive side of game but not taking away from who the player is

15:55 – Which defensemen prospects could be in NHL next season?

18:25 – The message Erik Gustafsson’s breakout season sends to prospects

21:15 – Takeaways from Eaton interview

31:25 – Reviewing Blackhawks defensemen contracts

33:35 – Thoughts on Gustav Forsling

35:20 – The challenge for Blackhawks defense this offseason

Ep. 132: TSN’s Craig Button breaks down Blackhawks’ options at No. 3 overall Apr 15, 2019

Show notes

On the latest edition of the Hawks Talk Podcast, TSN analyst Craig Button joins Pat Boyle to discuss the pool of players that could be available for the Blackhawks at No. 3 overall and who may have the highest ceiling. Button also weighs in on which player could be the most NHL ready after Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko.

Slavko Bekovic and Charlie Roumeliotis join Pat in the second segment to react to Button’s analysis. Could the Blackhawks actually look to draft a defenseman? Who’s the best center available? The guys also discuss which player stands out among the crop.

0:45 – Is there a dropoff after Hughes and Kakko?

1:45 – Is Podkolzin NHL ready?

3:15 – Could Podkolzin get the Artemi Panarin treatment?

5:15 – Which center is the best available after Hughes?

7:40 – Scouting report on Byram

10:30 – Which prospect is the most NHL ready after Hughes and Kakko?

11:45 – Could the Devils or Rangers trade out of No. 1 or 2?

12:30 – Is there anything Kakko can do to jump Hughes for No. 1?

14:00 – Takeaways from Button’s interview

16:30 – Could the Blackhawks actually take a defenseman?

24:50 – Trevor Zegras earns high praise

27:45 – Don’t count out a trade?