Ask the columnist: What's needed to right Chicago Blackhawks' ship?
You have questions, I have answers.
I hope to do a monthly mailbag to answer reader queries about the Chicago Blackhawks. Reach me on Twitter (@johndietzdh) or email me.
The best of the best will go into a story.
Q: How much do you believe the lack of success is coaching and how much is personnel? If it's coaching, do you remove Jeremy Colliton or Stan Bowman? Or both?
@tjmiller024 on Twitter
A: When a team is 3-6-2, it's coaching and personnel.
I believe Colliton will be a good NHL coach. He understands how to connect with players, how to deal with them when they aren't performing and how to use video as a teaching tool.
But how good of a game-day coach is he, and is he putting everyone in the best position to succeed?
Brandon Saad, for example, has been Colliton's most consistent forward, yet Saad is not on the top power-play unit. That's a travesty when your power play is 0-for-20 in the last six games and 1-for-27 over the last eight.
Making in-game adjustments is a huge part of coaching. It's something you can't teach. You either have it - as Joel Quenneville showed hundreds of times - or you don't.
Does Colliton have it? Honestly, it's early to tell, but it's definitely something everyone should pay attention to.
As for the personnel, Bowman did an admirable job of adding veterans such as Ryan Carpenter, Andrew Shaw, Calvin de Haan, Olli Maata and Robin Lehner to help shore up weak spots. And they've all performed admirably.
The issue lies in the silent stars.
Jonathan Toews (2 points), Patrick Kane (3 goals), Alex DeBrincat (3 goals), Dylan Strome (3 goals), Erik Gustafsson (no goals), Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook are not consistent enough.
Unless they get to a level everyone expects - and soon - the Hawks have little hope of competing with the league's best teams.
The Hawks are not firing Colliton or Bowman this season. They will let things play out, see how Kirby Dach and Adam Boqvist develop and reevaluate in the spring.
I do expect Colliton to get at least one more season. John McDonough wants to give Bowman every opportunity to prove he chose the right man for the job.
Q: Will the Hawks have Brent Seabrook on the active roster for his entire contract?
@courtneydagger on Twitter
A: I doubt it. Seabrook's contract, which carries a $6.875 million cap hit, runs through the 2023-24 season. A healthy scratch in the last two games, the seething 34-year-old defenseman dropped a rather large bombshell Tuesday in Nashville when he told reporters, "I've still got a lot to offer in this league and still be a good player for somebody."
So is he now willing to waive his no-movement clause? It's a question he was not asked, but it sounds like a possibility.
Finding a taker for that contract would seem to be a near impossible task.
If a trade doesn't occur, my guess is the Hawks will exercise a buyout, possibly after the 2020-21 campaign.
Q: What do you think the Hawks are doing wrong on the power play?
@olivia02099891 on Twitter
A: It's time Brandon Saad was placed in Alex DeBrincat's spot on the top unit.
The benefits are twofold. Saad will help get and keep the puck in the offensive zone. Once the puck is shot, who better to have in front of the net to knock in a rebound than Saad?
Moving DeBrincat to the second unit pairs him with good buddy Dylan Strome.
Make that switch - and start shooting the puck more - and I think the power play gets going.
Q: If the Hawks continue losing, what do you think happens with Erik Gustafsson and Robin Lehner?
(Multiple queries on this)
A: Gustafsson, an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, likely will be dealt. How much the Hawks can get depends on how he's playing - and right now that's not close to how he performed last season.
Lehner, arguably the top goalie in the league right now, could bring a king's ransom from a contender that considers itself weak in net. (Think Carolina).
Before dealing Lehner, the Hawks could tell him, "Look, we're trading you for a chance to win a Stanley Cup. This deal will also help us get much better. We really want you to be our goalie of the future and here's the deal we're willing to offer come July …"
There's risk there because Lehner could enjoy his new team so much he signs there. I think he loves it in Chicago, so this seems like a possibility.
There is another option and that's asking Corey Crawford which 10 teams he'd be OK going to. If the Hawks are wallowing near the West cellar, perhaps Crawford might expand that list for the chance to chase another Cup.