Blackhawks: Patrick Kane will go down as the greatest Hawk everAdam Rosenon June 1, 2020 at 11:00 am

(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Patrick Kane has done it all for the Chicago Blackhawks over his career.

Despite their recent shortcomings, the Chicago Blackhawks have been one of the best teams in the National Hockey League over the past decade. Led by franchise cornerstones Jonathan Toews and Duncan Keith, the team won three Stanley Cups last decade, while making the playoffs nine years in a row.

But undoubtedly the best player on these teams has been Patrick Kane.

Over his 13 year NHL career, Patrick Kane has won countless awards. The Calder Memorial Trophy, the Conn Smythe Trophy, the Art Ross Trophy, The Hart Memorial Trophy, The Ted Linsay Award, and three Stanley Cup championships.

The numbers speak for themselves. 389 goals and 633 assists, which adds up to 1022 points. Those totals put him at 4th on the franchise all-time points list.

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Kane, who will turn 32 in November, has yet to show any signs of a decline. If he finishes his career as a Blackhawk, then who is to argue that he will not have a case to be the greatest player in team history?

Kane is easily the best Chicago athlete since Michael Jordan, and he is continuing to climb the ladder of all-time greats. Can he pass up Stan Mikita, Bobby Hull, and Denis Savard?

Absolutely.

Barring severe injuries or a rapid decline, Kane will get to the 500 goal threshold, which would make him the third player in team history to do so.

Mikita’s point total is 1467, which puts him 445 ahead of Kane. If Kane were to score at his average 78 to 79 points a season, it would take roughly six years for him to pass up Mikita.

That’s entirely possible for Kane to do. Kane led the NHL in scoring over the last decade, and over the past five years, he has scored a total of 465 points.

Most Blackhawk fans will argue that Mikita or Hull is the greatest player in Blackhawks history. However, Kane has been chasing the all-time greats for years. By the time his career ends, it is entirely possible and fair to say that he is the greatest Blackhawk of all time.

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Blackhawks: Patrick Kane will go down as the greatest Hawk everAdam Rosenon June 1, 2020 at 11:00 am Read More »

Chicago White Sox: Three-round mock draft 1.0Ryan Sikeson June 1, 2020 at 3:00 pm

The Chicago White Sox add the next wave of talent in this three-round mock draft.

In a year that they were expected to take a leap forward, the Chicago White Sox plans for an AL Central title, and possibly more, have been put on hold amid the coronavirus pandemic. As a result of the outbreak, MLB also shortened the upcoming Amateur Draft to just five rounds. While not ideal, the White Sox hold the 11th overall pick in the first round and are in a prime position to add an immediate impact player.

On paper, the south siders are solid around the infield or have promising prospects that will fill in the gaps as they enter their competitive window. The rotation remains suspect as the White Sox wait to see how Michael Kopech returns from Tommy John surgery. Lucas Giolito had a breakout year in 2019, but he’ll need to show that it wasn’t a fluke.

Pitching would seem to be the primary need in the draft, but the Sox also need some future help in the outfield. General Manager Rick Hahn may also take the best player available, should he love a player still on the board.

Let’s look at a three-round mock draft that seems feasible.

Round 1, 11th overall

Patrick Bailey, C, North Carolina State

I love Patrick Bailey to the White Sox with their first pick. He’s one of the best college bats in this draft, and he’s been highly-touted as a terrific defender behind home plate. Bailey was named the ACC Freshman of the Year in 2018 after posting a 1.023 OPS with 13 bombs and 40 RBI.

He backed that up with a strong sophomore year, hitting .288 (.903 OPS) to go along with ten home runs and 46 RBI. Bailey has a fantastic offensive-mind, and he’s very patient logging nearly a 1:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Before the shutdown, Bailey was off to a great start, hitting .296 with six home runs through the first 17 games.

Round 2, 48th overall

CJ Van Eyk, RHP, Florida State

Van Eyk has been slipping in some mock drafts, but he’s an excellent value for the White Sox in the second round. As a freshman at Florida State, he was eased into the starting rotation, making 19 appearances – including five starts – and struck out 71 batters in 56.2 innings of work. With a 2.86 ERA and limiting batters to a .208 average, Van Eyk was named ACC All-Third Team.

The following year, he was moved into the rotation, making 18 starts with a 3.81 ERA. Van Eyk tossed 99.1 innings and struck out 129 while limiting .234 batters. He was off to a strong start before the shutdown this season, spinning a 1.31 ERA through his first four starts. He has the tendency to walk a few batters and doesn’t feature overpowering stuff, so he may be better served in the bullpen. That said, he’d fit in perfectly behind Giolito, Kopech, and Dylan Cease.

Round 3, 83rd overall

Jake Vogel, OF, Huntington Beach High School

Vogel has a verbal commitment to play at UCLA next spring. At 5-foot-11, 165 pounds, he’s one of the fastest high school players in the country. His 6.15 60-yard dash ranked in the 99.96 percentile. He’ll need to fill out a bit as he physically matures, but scouts like that he’s already hitting the ball to all parts of the field.

Next: White Sox do right by their minor league players

He’s likely not going to be a huge power guy, but he’s going to hit a ton of triples. Vogel should compliment Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert nicely, both of who are projected to supply the power.

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Chicago White Sox: Three-round mock draft 1.0Ryan Sikeson June 1, 2020 at 3:00 pm Read More »

Chicago Bears: Do not doubt David Montgomery this seasonFrank Grizzlyon June 1, 2020 at 2:00 pm

Chicago Bears (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)

Chicago Bears’ running back David Montgomery is in danger of being overlooked heading into this year.

When the Chicago Bears traded up to select Iowa State running back, David Montgomery in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft there was a feeling of excitement throughout Chicago. However, many would argue that Montgomery did not fully live up to expectations as the Bears lead back during his rookie season, I would argue against that notion.

During the preseason, sparks were flying after David Montgomery arrived on the scene with a stutter-step, cutback to open space for a Bears touchdown versus the Carolina Panthers.

I mean, can you blame the fanbase for getting excited? Hell, even Bears Head Coach, Matt Nagy was gushing over Montgomery…

As Matt Nagy gushed about David Montgomery tonight, he caught himself…

“I don’t want to over blow — he’s got a ways to go. I don’t want to make this… the next, you know, great back in this…”

(he looked over at @paytonsun and smiled)

“… yeah, in this great organization.”

— Adam Hoge (@AdamHoge) August 9, 2019

The Cincinnati native compiled 267 touches while racking up a total of 1,074 yards and seven total touchdowns in 2019. Montgomery proved to be a dynamic threat for the Bears out of the backfield, but my only gripe? Nagy failed to consistently feed Montgomery the ball when the Bears passing game was fluttering.

Many would argue that they expected more from Montgomery throughout his rookie year and while I could see a valid argument in relation to Montgomery’s per carry clip, I just can’t blame Montgomery for some of the rushing struggles throughout the season.

I mean, let’s be honest here — toward the end of the season, the Bears’ offense was riddled with injury and was starting third-stringers on the offensive line and at tight end.

Even Kyle Long discussed with his brother, Chris Long on his podcast, how the Bears’ offensive line lacked physicality, “If we beat you guys, could we have made a run? You said, ‘no shot, you guys weren’t physical enough.’ And I can attest to that because when we went out there it was like playing up against the varsity team in terms of pace, and physicality.”

In any other draft class, Montgomery would have been viewed by analysts as a “steal,” given that the Bears selected him in the third round. However, because the Bears didn’t have a first or second-round selection in Montgomery’s draft class, the spotlight was dead set on him from the get-go.

Think about it — Montgomery finished second among rookies in rushing yards and tied with Josh Jacobs for first in total touchdowns amongst rookie running backs. So what Montgomery didn’t win rookie of the year? Does that translate to him not meeting the expectations that fans had for him? Absolutely not.

The Bears offense was a train wreck last season with a non-existent passing game, shaky offensive line play, and mindless play calling. If anything, you should be impressed that Montgomery was able to produce at the rate in which he was.

To compound that statement, the Bears will enter the 2020 NFL season with limited training camp time and possibly a new quarterback under center. What does this translate to? Ideally, an increased volume in touches and less defensive personnel walking down into the box. Sounds fantastic, right?

Next: How Matt Nagy Has Failed Andy Reid…

What’s should you make of all this? Do not doubt David Montgomery entering his second season with the Bears. The Bears offense looked dangerous last year when they dedicated themselves to running the ball. If Matt Nagy truly has had an intervention on what he wants his offensive strategy to look like then it should mean a breakout season for #32.

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Chicago Bears: Do not doubt David Montgomery this seasonFrank Grizzlyon June 1, 2020 at 2:00 pm Read More »