It gets real now for Kyle Davidson.

The Blackhawks young, bold, unproven general manager has committed to his plan: tearing down the Hawks and building them back from scratch with a long-term approach.

But picking a plan is the easy part. Committing to it is a bit tougher, and Davidson deserves credit for at least doing that –a sharp contrast to predecessor Stan Bowman. Making it work will be quite difficult, although Davidson fully understands that. And making it popular will be practically impossible.

A huge segment of the fan base is already furious about the Alex DeBrincat trade. Seven Twitter users have so far used the hashtag “Fire Kyle Davidson;” hundreds, if not thousands, more will join them over the coming years of inevitable pain.

Outside Chicago, a huge segment of the hockey world is eyeing the Hawks with serious skepticism. A significant portion of that segment is outright making fun of the franchise’s state of disarray.

The confusion and doubt will only increase Monday, when it becomes official that Dylan Strome and Dominik Kubalik won’t be tendered qualifying offers and will be allowed to walk away for nothing as free agents.

That’ll leave the Hawks without five of the seven forwards who tallied more than 25 points for them last season, and the futures of the other two –Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews — are hardly more secure. Philipp Kurashev, if re-signed, would be the Hawks’ third-highest returning forward scorer –and he tallied just six goals and 21 points. It’s truly a mystery at this point who will populate the Hawks’ first and second lines next season.

Davidson, from all outward indications, firmly believes this drastic rebuilding plan is the correct one. He comes across as secure, confident and assertive, while acknowledging this is “not fun” for anyone.

And why wouldn’t he be confident? He has the full support of management and ownership. He has reached the pinnacle of his career, having achieved a lifelong dream. He has no baggage weighing on his decision-making, no past mistakes smudging his track record.

That clean slate has come in handy several times already. He wasn’t the one who hired Jeremy Colliton; thus, firing Colliton didn’t reflect poorly on him. He wasn’t the one who drafted Kirby Dach third overall; thus, it wasn’t an admission of error to trade him for the 13th pick. He wasn’t the one who traded Henri Jokiharju for Alex Nylander; thus, he could flip Nylander for Sam Lafferty guilt-free.

If a time comes where the Hawks need to jettison Seth Jones’ enormous contract and use sweeteners to convince someone else to take it, that colossal mistake won’t be blamed on him, either.

As time passes, however, the Hawks will become more and more Davidson’s team. His acquisitions and draft picks and signings will be his responsibilities. Their failures will be his to own — just as their successes will be, but there could be a lot more failures than successes for a while.

Already, Davidson and his regime are on the clock for how 2022 first-round picks Kevin Korchinski, Frank Nazar and Sam Rinzel pan out –and how DeBrincat, Strome, Kubalik, Kirby Dach and Brandon Hagel fare with their new teams. That list will only increase in size as more players come and go over the years.

There’s no chance every single one of Davidson’s decisions work out well. That’s an impossible standard for every GM.

But what will his hit rate be? Will he be able to admit and fix mistakes when they occur? Will he stick to this plan long enough? Will he know when the right time comes to pivot toward trying to contend? Will he be able to orchestrate the build-up as thoroughly as the tear-down?

His actions will answer those questions.

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The Chicago Cubs will be sellers at the deadline but which players will stick around?

The Chicago Cubs organization has to face some tough decisions as the trade deadline quickly approaches here in July. The team itself is currently not in position to make a postseason run, meaning there is some retooling and rebuilding on the horizon.

Certain pieces, such as Willson Contreras and Ian Happ are long-tenured players, but their value in the market may mean their days in Wrigley are limited. With so many futures uncertain, who are three players that will likely remain with the team beyond the trade deadline?

Patrick Wisdom

Some may not see Wisdom as a long-term solution at the hot corner, citing his extended struggles with high strikeout numbers and occasional fielding error. However, Wisdom has proven himself valuable and reliable as a hitter, despite his disproportional strikeout numbers. At this point in the 2022 season, Wisdom is leading the Cubs lineup in terms of runs, home runs, and runs batted in. Without Wisdom’s contributions during offensive droughts, this Cub’s offense, which thrives in terms of on-base percentage yet ranks 10th in the National League in RBI’s, would hardly compete in high-scoring outings.

Wisdom’s high-strikeout rate, currently first in the NL, may dissuade trade partners from making a move for the veteran, but his dependability to drive in runners in scoring position and versatility may signify a longer future in the Windy City.

Andrelton Simmons

It can tough to argue to Simmons extending his time with the Cubs considering how short his stint has been to this point. As a member of the Cubs, Simmons has only seen action in 33 games so far, and only managed to produce one extra-base hit in that entire run. It’s no major revelation that Simmons struggles at the plate, but his value to the organization comes in his elite defensive versatility. Both Nico Hoerner and Nick Madrigal have spent time on the injured list throughout the season, and when Hoerner went down with injury it was Simmons who stepped into his place without missing a beat defensively.

The infield is a portion of the team that could see plenty of overhauling throughout the trade deadline, but Simmons is a valuable, experienced player whose defensive prowess could keep him safe from being moved.

Kyle Hendricks

Hendricks name has appeared in trade rumors for multiple years at this point. While not a workhorse starting pitcher at 32, Hendricks is still reliable and was one of the pieces that held enough appeal to start speculation about where he may be traded. However, in his most recent outing on the mound against the Brewers, Hendricks left after only three innings due to shoulder soreness.  This ailment, similar to the soreness Hendricks experienced at the beginning of June, has depreciated his market value significantly and will leave him sidelined for at least two weeks on the injured list.

The timeline for Hendrick’s return does leave for some time before the August 2nd deadline for Hendricks to showcase his recovery and compile potential trade partners to move. However, it’s more than likely that The Professor won’t be a trade piece.

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LOS ANGELES – Cubs manager David Ross knew outfielder Ian Happ would be on guard when he called a pregame meeting Sunday morning. So, he started it with a decoy: All-Star break schedule and travel details.

Only after getting the nuts and bolts out of the way did Ross deliver the news that Happ had earned his first All-Star selection.

“He just put his head in his hands, got super emotional,” Ross said. “And all his teammates started clapping really loud, and lots of hugs. … That’s a guy that puts a lot of pressure on himself, believes in himself, and to see that pay off – I’m super happy for him.”

Major League Baseball announced All-Star pitchers and reserves, including Happ, on Sunday. While starters are named through a fan vote, pitchers and reserves are chosen through player ballots and commissioner’s office selections.

The Cubs are set to send two players, Happ and NL All-Star starting catcher Willson Contreras, to Los Angeles for the All-Star Game next week. Head athletic trainer P.J. Mainville was also one of two trainers selected to work with the NL squad.

Contreras has been lobbying for Happ’s All-Star campaign for weeks.

“The work he’s done this year is impressive,” Contreras said over a week ago, pointing to Happ’s breakout stats. “And I 100% know that he deserves to be there with me.”

Entering play Sunday, Happ ranked third among NL outfielders in on-base percentage (.372) and in the top 5 in batting average (.277) and wins above replacement (2.2), according to FanGraphs.

“Happer has been as consistent of a player as I’ve ever seen him be,” Ross said. “And the fact that he gets rewarded for that, being an All-Star, he’s deserving of that. I think he’s upped his game — not just offensive numbers, but his defense, his base running, his all-around game has been stellar. And I’m so happy for him.”

Happ, playing left field on an everyday basis, has a collection of diving and sliding highlights already this season.

Happ himself is skeptical of many defensive statistics, and defensive WAR in particular – “There’s little things that go into a game, or playing defense, that are hard to evaluate.” But Happ’s defensive WAR has jumped from last season to this (-8.4 to -2.6) by FanGraphs’ measurement, supporting the eye test.

On offense, the switch hitter has been doing damage on both sides of the plate, entering Sunday slashing .255/.359/.424 against right-handed pitchers and .353/.421/.529 against lefties.

”I think some of the ball flights for me are things that I haven’t done in a while,” Happ told the Sun-Times last month of his right-handed swing. ”So some of that opposite-field stuff is coming back. There’s definitely some things that I haven’t felt in a while that start to become more familiar, which is nice. But I never had a doubt that I could do it, if given the opportunity.”

Happ had one request of Ross after the manager announced Contreras’ All-Star selection on Friday in front of the whole team.

“He told me … that if he happens to make the team,” Ross recalled, “don’t tell him in front of everybody because he’s going to cry like a baby.

“So, I couldn’t wait to give the news in front of everybody.”

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After moving on from Alex DeBrincat and Kirby Dach, which Blackhawks player is next?

The Chicago Blackhawks have come in hot to the offseason. They pulled off three major trades on Day 1 of the 2022 NHL Draft which made it even more clear the direction they are headed in. The rebuild is in full effect, and it will be a tough few years, but the future already looks bright.

First, let’s look at the three trades the Blackhawks did pull off already this offseason. It started by sending 24-year-old Alex DeBrincat to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for the 2022 seventh overall pick, 2022 39th overall pick, and a 2024 third round pick. Then the Blackhawks traded away 21-year-old Kirby Dach and got back the 2022 13th overall pick and 2022 66th overall pick from the Montreal Canadiens. The final deal made was later in the first round when the Blackhawks took on the contract of Petr Mrazek from the Toronto Maple Leafs and moved up 13 spots in the draft to pick for the third time in the first round. Also remember the Blackhawks dealt Brandon Hagel to the Tampa Bay Lightning at the trade deadline for a great return, but he too is very young (23 years old).

There may be criticism on what the Blackhawks acquired for DeBrincat or why they gave up on Dach so early into his career, but overall, they started to really tear things down and dive into a full rebuild that will last a few years at the basement of the league.

Let’s get into the thick of things. The Blackhawks are not done making moves and trades, and with money going out, they will also have to bring money in. The Arizona Coyotes are a perfect example of how a rebuilding team can collect players on bad contracts that other teams want to get rid of in exchange for draft picks and/or prospects. This is how the Blackhawks will be able to stay above the cap floor even though they are paying a good sum of money to a few players.

4 More Blackhawks of Interest

There are now four remaining players that stand out as logical trade candidates for the Blackhawks. The first is Patrick Kane who has one year left on his $10.5 million deal. The next two younger players’ names have been in the rumor mill for some time, as they are both restricted free agents and have offensive potential. They would be Dylan Strome and Dominik Kubalik. The last and least likely of the bunch to be traded is Jonathan Toews. He would garner interest from teams, but the Blackhawks would have to eat a large sum of his contract for his final year.

According to Craig Button of TSN, he said, “You think he’s hanging around, not a chance” hen asked about Kane and the fallout of the DeBrincat trade. Regardless of if he’s won three Stanley Cups, he is in control of where he ends up, and almost any team will be a better choice for the final season of his deal. If the Blackhawks have to retain salary, it is well worth it to get something back for him before they inevitably lose him in free agency in 2023.

Strome has garnered interest from a number of teams and Kubalik’s goal-scoring ability should have him on teams’ radars despite a down year. So to the question of who will be the next Blackhawks player traded. My answer is Kane, then Strome, followed by Kubalik.

Buckle up Blackhawks fans, it could be a long Summer in the Windy City.

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Did the Chicago Blackhawks get better with the 2022 NHL draft picks?

The 2022 NHL Draft Selection for the Chicago Blackhawks has come and gone, with many trades, which has shaped up the Blackhawks future and has had Chicago fans buzzing all over the internet in regard to the big moves.

In an effort to maintain the Blackhawks credibility towards being a fierce competitor in the league, the general manager ensured the team started off the right way and received the best quality list of prospects available upon doing so, even if it meant offloading well-rounded talent such as Alex Debrincat, who simply was not meant to be in the plans for the rebuild of the Blackhawks.

Even Kirby Dach was sent-away via trade to Montreal for a first round 13th pick and third round 66th pick.

Why both could not fit into the plans for the team simply stood as the general manger had two commodities that had fetched excellent returns for the team with an opportunity to look for a new dynasty like team to come fourth in the coming season or next.

With a salary cap hit of just over $20 million USD, and recent news breaking of defenseman Duncan Keith retiring and the Blackhawks team retaining just over $5.5 million USD, of his contract this upcoming 2022/2023 season.

It takes away from somewhat of a less fortunate situation, where the team could of used that money for a veteran piece and steady goaltender, but now deal with a rather go with one and take a steal type of option player here for the say.

How will the 2022 NHL Draft Picks affect the line-up for Chicago Blackhawks?

After observing the choices and the various options the team had chosen to go with, it is evident that they were building for more of an offensive-defensive team, with no limit to the expense of signing a star-goaltender worth a long-term hefty contract leaving the cap space open. Unless one of the draft picks is utilized come the 2022 Free Agency and there is by-chance a sign and trade option in that manner for the Blackhawks for another depth position piece, in my opinion perhaps an all-star goaltender caliber player.

To be more of a defensive team, two first round picks were focused on a defensive player, with great length, with modest size and weight. But good agility that would keep the team competitive during high stake games with the pressure on Chicago at times, and help bolster the defense overall.

The Blackhawks also set the tone for winger and centers that will develop well under the coaching staff and give that edge and relief to the great power forwards in Toews and Kane, but also manage to play well with forwards such as Dylan Strome, and Andrew Shaw.

Any Goalie Suggestions?

Their are a list of goaltenders entering the free agency, the three most notable being: Darcy Kuemper, Thomas Greiss, and Martin Jones.

Kuemper coming off a Stanley Cup championship run will be a free agent, his attributes are just peaking at their finest and the most important factor to look at is he will be a force to be reckoned with if he could play the way he did in the playoffs with a defensive-minded Colorado Avalanche team.

Greiss did his best to help Detroit as the team did pick up slack at some parts of the season with his veteran experience, and could perhaps be the temporary fix for the goalie woes, after the team had acquired goalie Peter Mrazek from the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Jones is unlike both goalies above. He is younger in age at 32, is due for somewhat of a pay raise that maybe benefit Chicago’s long-term solution and give the team that added slack to work with, that may give them the edge to be more of a well-balanced to well-rounded team. Jones kept his previous team in battles during the previous season and it had shifted the focus to many general managers attention.

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Chicago Bears GM Ryan Poles was handed very few picks in the draft

Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles was not in an enviable position this April. The Bears had only six picks heading into the draft. None of those six picks were in the first round. The roster Poles inherited was severely depleted after years of mismanagement by former general manager Ryan Pace.

Poles took some lumps on the front end. Instead of drafting higher caliber projected players in the third round, the Bears traded away some of their picks to get more selections in the 5th, 6th, and 7th rounds. Poles looked to add depth to the roster as the Chicago Bears rebuild.

After a mostly pedestrian free agency offseason from Poles (although not exactly boring if you remember his failure to acquire Ryan Bates and the drama with Larry Ogunjobi), analysts looking at the Bears’ moves didn’t have much material to say what the team did well to prepare for this season.

One analyst wrote a piece highlighting the “best offseason move ” for each of the NFC teams. Poor Brad Spielberger, writing for Pro Football Focus, had to come up with the idea of the Chicago Bears’ best offseason move. It was moving back in the draft. Here’s what Spielberger wrote:

No singular move deserves acclaim as the best move this offseason for the Bears, but that’s exactly how a rebuild should be approached at the outset. Chicago is several pieces away from a competitive unit on both sides of the ball, and that’s why stockpiling extra draft capital on Day 3 was sharp as new general manager Ryan Poles looks to overhaul the roster. Chicago was without a first-round pick for the third draft out of the last four but found a way to add more talent at the tail end of the weekend.

Two of their Day 3 picks were used on FCS offensive linemen Braxton Jones out of Southern Utah and Ja’Tyre Carter from Southern University, both of whom ranked top-10 among FCS tackles in PFF wins-above-average for the 2021 season. Chicago’s patient approach and recognition of the fact that more dart throws on Day 3 improves your odds of finding a diamond in the rough could turn the team around sooner rather than later.

Did the Chicago Bears get better by drafting worse projections?

It’s disappointing that the Chicago Bears don’t have shiny new toys to watch this season on offense. The Bears’ free agency and draft have not convinced me the Bears are serious about aiding Justin Fields to be the franchise quarterback.

Adding more darts to the draft board is one kind of strategy. And it’s the kind of strategy that you’d employ if you have a lack of faith in the scouting department. Fair enough if you’re a new general manager. But rebuilding a team with a plethora of potential NFL scrubs isn’t going to help the joint.

Imagine if you were “fixing up” up a house, and you noticed the piping job was jacked. The whole house now needs to be replumbed and you must pay for the labor by the hour. Would you hire a plumber with skills, one who knows how to lay the pipe? Or would you hire a team of plumber apprentices, who have the size and weight of a future plumber, but don’t really know the hot side from the cool side to replumb?

Poles chose the latter to build his shack. The Bears have a roster full of players who will be learning on the fly in July and August. Was it a good move to trade down? Probably for Poles, because he didn’t what he was doing in this draft.

The Chicago Bears needed a capable general manager and scouting department to choose better players for the Bears. If this was the best move the Bears made in the offseason they’re in trouble.

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Could Carlik Jones make the Chicago Bulls roster?

One of the most interesting prospects on the Chicago Bulls’ summer league team with a legitimate chance of making the NBA roster is guard Carlik Jones.

Standing at an even six feet tall, Jones spent 2021 playing for the Texas Legends of the G-League after he was not selected in last year’s NBA Draft; during his time in the Lonestar State, he averaged 21.1 points (tied for 16th), 8.2 assists (third), and 4.6 rebounds in 35.9 minutes of action per night. He also shot a respectable 46.3% from the field, although he struggled beyond the arc, where he shot 31.6%. 

In addition, the Bulls’ newest prospect stole headlines with several highlight plays, none more exciting than this posterizing slam.

In Chicago’s lone summer league game thus far, a 100-99 win over the Dallas Mavericks, Jones put up a respectable six points, nine assists, and four rebounds in 27 minutes of action, also posting a game-high +18 in +/-.

An ascending talent

Despite his impressive numbers, Jones’ player profile is where the intrigue comes from, as he was rather unheralded in high school and at college but now seems ready to head to the league as a late bloomer.

Jones committed to Radford University as an unranked high school prospect, where he later made two first-team All-Big-South teams and won the 2020 Big South Player of the Year award. Shortly thereafter, he transferred to the University of Louisville, where he averaged 16.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in his lone season. 

Clearly, he has made improvements to his passing game, as he was one of the most influential floor generals in the G-League last season. The Bulls’ squad already has enough pass-first guys with Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso, and with respect to the electric Ayo Dosunmu, they do not have a player that possesses his combination of slashing ability and playmaking. Dosunmu would be the closest facsimile, but his physical tools allow him to be more of a score-first guy.

A couple of failed stints for Carlik Jones

As much praise and adulation as Carlik Jones has received thus far, he has already been granted opportunities in the form of 10-day contracts with two big-league teams— the Denver Nuggets and Mavericks— and neither stuck. It is possible that a below-the-rim, six-foot player with little experience playing against top collegiate teams either needs a longer adjustment period or is simply unready to play in the NBA.

Following his rate of progression, however, it would not be unwise for the Bulls to make him a two-way player, if not finding a spot for him on the regular roster, depending on how he performs in the Summer League. His presence on the roster would likely not alter the postseason rotation but would allow head coach Billy Donovan to spell a frequently-injured Ball or one of the other backup guards in different situations.

It might be a long shot, but it is worth keeping tabs on Jones, one from the crop of underappreciated four-year college players with legitimate NBA potential.

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