Who Can Help the Hawks?

They've hoisted the Cup. They've been part of the best and one of the worst hockey teams in the league, and that is a unique experience that few others can share. We already know they work well with Alex DeBrincat, so I'd want to keep him, too, of course - let alone the fact that he's leading the team in goals, third in assists, and second with points.
Lafferty was a great acquisition and is only going to continue to get better with time. And Raddysh as already shown his skill, right off the bat, as well.

The more confidence people have in Stromer, the more he seems to have in himself, so I think he's moving along an upward track; the same for Mackenzie Entwistle. I've always enjoyed having him on the ice. Once Khaira is healthy, I think he'll be an integral part of the rebuild, and in the meantime, we've got Reichel coming up.

For defensemen, I like Murphy and McCabe, and I wouldn't hate seeing a little more of the Jones brothers. Vlasic is on tonight, and I like that he's getting some chances, as well. And I think everyone is just holding their collective breath until we get Drew Commesso into the mix. Word is he's a high-level skater, which is something Fleury is known for, as well. I do think we need a more veteran goalie to match him with, so I hope Kevin stays, but I also wouldn't be opposed to a trade for someone with more experience.

But maybe being put into a mentor role will help Lankinen with his game, as he seems to be suffering a little of what Matt Murray went through after Fleury left Pittsburgh. Fleury made him a better goalie by being there. And when he left, Matt kind of feel apart, and hasn't been nearly as great, since.

Fleury and Lankinen becoming close friends might give Lanks a better understanding of how adopt that mentor personality, and still be open to learning anything new that Drew brings to the table.
Overall, I think we have good prospects, and I think we still have a decent amount of players who we can rebuild around with said prospects. I like how we've used Rockford for Reichel, and I hope we continue that pattern, as it seems to produce better results than just seeing skill and throwing someone into the NHL because of that. It's a different game and they need that adjustment period. Is it going to happen overnight (in a year)?

Absolutely not. But with the right mentors, and right coaching (which might be Derek King, or it might be someone else), I do have hope that within a couple years, we'll be back in the playoffs, or at least on the edge. We've got skilled people, we just need them to work together. Ya know, like a team.