Versteeg signs 3-year deal
A source confirmed the Hawks and restricted free agent winger Kris Versteeg have finalized a three-year deal worth more than $9 million.
The contract could be announced officially by the team on Wednesday.
Signing Versteeg for roughly $3 million puts the Hawks just about at the $56.8 million salary cap. A $3 million cap hit for Versteeg would put the Hawks' payroll at approximately $55.578 million, not counting the salary for the backup goalie.
It's looking more and more that a trade will need to be made to move out some salary, possibly Versteeg or Cam Barker or even Patrick Sharp.
Versteeg was the final restricted free agent the Hawks planned to sign.
It's likely the Hawks had to pay Versteeg and Barker more than they hoped because of the grievance filed against them by the NHL Players Association for being late with their qualifying contract offers to their RFAs.
Barker signed a three-year, $9.25 million deal on Tuesday.
Mark my words on this date! I really hate to see him go because I like him but Sharp is the one on the way out.
You all watch and see! GUARANTEE'D
Just hope we get what we need for him, or a package including him(Solid D and some cap space)
>Goalies are like relief pitchers
>If you find one that is consistently great, he becomes your #1 -- just like a closer
>Look around the NHL, many teams have somebody else's failure in goal that somehow began to play well: Thomas in Boston, Mason in St. L, etc. -- the same way relievers excel for a new team after failing previously
>Like relief pitchers, these type of goalies can "lose-it" again
>Teams that have a "closer" in goal do not have to worry about their goaltending position: Brodeur in NJ, etc (although Marty may be slipping in old age)
>Hawks do not have a closer in goal
>In the words of St. L coach Andy Murray the other day, "Until you have a goaltender that makes all the saves he is supposed to make, you can't win hockey games in our league. Mason came in and did that for us and we were able to win on almost our work ethic alone."
>If Huet remains the goalie, he needs to vastly improve his mental approach before and during games -- all those soft goals show a real lack of focus DURING the game
Detroit's Hudler has apparently signed with KHL for $2 mil according to TSN. This guy scored 23 goals and had 57pts last year and couldn't get an offer from an NHL team for more than $2 million? Makes me wonder if we got a bargain for Versteeg now! I thought it was fair market value. Now I'm not sure.
This is the KHL and they like to say a player is signed before the deal is finalized. They are probably offering this kind of money but I don't think he has signed yet. He is another RFA and other teams just don't jump through hoops to sign them. This might just be something he is trying to do to push Detroit to match his salary demands. Don't forget Lidstrom always used the "..I want to go back to home to Sweden.." every time his contract came up. Could just be a ploy.
If not then Detroit might just be looking up at the Hawks next year.
$2 million in Russia is tax free. Cost of living is lower, he's closer to home . . . whole different ballgame.
The bigger story is what's happening in Detroit? They've lost four players (not that they haven't weathered this before) and 88 goals. Someone pinch me, but Lidstrom's a year older, as are Draper and Maltby . . . are they a dark horse in the Heatley game? Would they add a character like that?
tax free! sounds good !
Detroit has lost a lot of talent this off season and haven't made a splash with any signings. I think this is the last year on Lidstrom's contract too. At 39 how many more years does he have in him? I can see them having a hard time staying on top. They will have a hard time in our division!! Definitely a team that looks like they are heading downward this year!
I am also sure there are lots of signed Blackhawks who can be packaged before September for a number four defenseman, who agrees before the trade that he understands his role as the stay home partner for Campbell, BUT I TRULY DOUBT ANYMORE TRADES HAPPEN.
If we are UNDER, we stand pat, baby! No need to worry about replacing Walker or Campbell having a quality partner to let Hjarlmarsson develop on a 3rd pairing with Barker.
Will it REALLY matter if the offense sputters or has to score 6 because we gave up 5 in the "season?" The rock says, IT DOESN'T MATTER.
If they are under, they wait until the trade deadline add a quality four defenseman who needs a chance to win a Cup before he reitres, and a quality back-up tender if the tires explode on Crawford /Niemi
At the deadline you pay the salary for a month, you clear salaries that impede the Toews signing and you go for it.
Oh, even though every Hawk who came close to tasting CUP wine will be rededicated towards that goal, THERE WILL BE LOTS + LOTS of PRESSURE, because rostered players will be leaving to address future Cap Space room. We all know that this will be necessary, so each and any Hawk with a two year or less deal should either become superdedicated or start super folding the clothes in their suitcase.
But if we are under, we are done I thinks.....
and Aliu, standing next to Beach, looks huge & very docile polite and actually sweet. Scary!
besides me?
I don't want to start hearing how this signing wasn't market either!
Compare it to the first year Toronto player Grabovski whose numbers were slightly lower by 2 goals and 4 assists (I believe) and then think what Boston had to pay Krejci and you will see we are in pretty nice shape.
These next years with Vesteeg are THE BEST ones to have hime signed, for because the wear and tear on the smaller players seems to see their game alter after that. They don't go as hard to contact, slow to wall battles, etc. and they just plain get worn form the previuos years.
Before anybody including me comes here being critical, take a real good look at the team we left the play-offs with and all the possible scenarios that COULD have ocurred to pick the roster apart.
OUR HOCKEY TEAM LOOKS PRETTY FRACKn' GOOD right NOW, eh?
All fans should be fired who find fault in the present roster, coach or GM(s)...
The defence is no better. I'm not sure if you watched the conference finals - perhaps you missed it - but the slow-footed defence was sorely exposed by the finesse, speed and tenaciousness of the Detroit Red Wings. It's the Wings and only the Wings from this conference that were to be the 'Hawks measuring stick. And the 'Hawks have not measured up yet. Hence why I believe they must make more changes.
What, the 'Hawks are replacing the slow Matt Walker with the horribly inconsistent and not very quick Brent Sopel? Is Cam Barker all of a sudden going to be able to skate like Duncan Keith? Is Nicklas Hjalmarsson suddenly going to be able to cover all the defencive gaffs of a one $7.1M Brian Campbell? Guess I must have missed that executive memo from Dale.
Until the 'Hawks get another premier defenceman, they've only incrementally improved last years team, due only to the offencive additions; and that is under the assummption Huet even begins to play as well as Khabibulan did last season.
For a 23-man roster I listed elsewhere on this blog, I have the 'Hawks at just under $3M above the salary cap. They must make changes and do so before September or else they're in danger of having only a 20-man roster any given night, and not the best 20-man they can get due to the salary cap.
This RFA issue looks to have cost the 'Hawks at least $1.5M this season. Now that won't be a big issue if Dale can turn around and make a stronger defencive team while lowering the total cap hit. It could be done but it won't be easy. And I won't stand up on a soap box proclaiming I know exactly what changes need to be made either.
The bottom line with the Hawks is they are paying players way over what they have too because they screwed up.
Fair market value is not an issue when they are RFA. They are not UFA, therfore the team is in control unless they screw up like they did with the QO.
Yes Versteeg is a good player...and Barker. But because of miss managment (offer sheets) they are paying 3X more than what they should/have to based on the CBA.
Both of them where due raises of about 15% under the CBA.
Its like going into a car dealer and saying you want to pay them $50,000 instead of the $25,000 they are asking for. Yes, you get the car, but you are overpaying for it for no reason.
The job of the GM is to put the best team together for the least amount of money possible.
Dale has yet to learn that aspect of the job.
I think their salaries got inflated a bit because of the concern over the case the NHLPA had. The Hawks weren't going to get either player with a $1 million dollar offer. I thought they might have been able to get both for about $2-2.5 million each. We paid a little more to make this go away. If both players continue to develop then this will look pretty decent next year and beyond.
This team can fit under the salary cap if Brent Sopel's entire contract is off the books (no buyout). So basically if we can't trade him for a draft pick, he has to play in the minors. Not a big loss since I think Johnson can fill that role just fine. He was a good pairing with Campbell before he got hurt. I rather trade Campbell but that is just so unlikely so let's just take the team we have and see where that gets us.
Ladd-Toews-Kane (Ladd's size and grit should be a great compliment)
Hossa-Bolland-Versteeg (all good 2-way plus both Bolland and Versteeg are good passers)
Sharp-Kopecky-Byf (nice speed, size, and scoring potential on 3rd offensive line -as I call it)
Eager-Madden-Burish/Brouwer (checking line hopefully along lines of Moen-Pahls-Nieder)
Keith-Seabrook (need to say more?)
Barker-Hjammer (nice developing pair)
Campbell-Johnson (hopefully chemistry from last year returns)
RFA or not, Barker and Versteeg were going to be be 2.5 mil or higher. There was no way these guys were going to sign for 1 - 1.2 million or anything close. These signings are on par with the value of the players and could turn out to be good deals as these guys develop. I think Barker holds a lot more value, but Versteeg could possibly build on his rookie season. I think if Huet can put together a decent season, this could be the year the Hawks remove Detroit from the top of the Central Div.
Trading Sharp would be a mistake. I'd rather see Versteeg go. Sharp has been the better player for a longer period. If we trade him and Versteeg turns out to be a one-year success, what then?
Tallon has shown me he can find talent. But he has also shown me he has no idea how to do things with a salary cap.
I just look at this Hawks team and think what they could do if they had a GM that didn't make so many bad moves "money wise" year after year.
This last mistake with not getting the notice to the players in time is just another wasted opportunity when it comes to the salary cap.
Versteeg will be making 2 million more than the Hawks had to pay him. Barker is making 1.5 million more...all because the GM can't send in the paperwork in time.
Tallon gets good talent, but has no clue on how to pay them.
Like he's alone? Lives in a tower and rules player/personnel by fiat? It's not his money; he doesn't have carte blanche.
For the LAST TIME, the Qualifying Offer is a formality, not a contract. A team makes a QO to retain the restricted rights. It's a license for exclusive negotiation. THEN you negotiate. If Tallon gave Versteeg or Barker a take-it-or-leave-it $1 million offer, another team would come in with a bigger, market-price offer, and then the Hawks would have to match it to keep them.
...this 23-man roster:
Toews, Sharp, Hossa, Bolland, Ladd, Kane, Madden, Eager, Buff, Fraser, Versteeg, Burish, Brouwer, Kopecky...
Campbell, Barker, Seabrook, Keith, Hjalmarrson, Sopel, Johnson, Huet & Niemi...
comes out to $59,710,540 for 09-10; nearly $3M over the cap.
Question: Can players already under contract get extended to lower the cap hit? I can't see Campbell being traded. Restructuring his deal could save $2M+ a season. Note how Hossa's deal worked. He's getting $7.9M this season but the cap hit is only $5.233M.
Buying out Sopel now would save $1.75M this year, $1.25M next year but cost the 'Hawks $750k for each of the 2 following years. I just don't see the 'Hawks being able to move him and he's barely a top 6 D-man anyway.
I don't think the NHLPA allows that in the cba. Couldn't the Hawks have Sopel play in Rockford if they can't trade him and this way there would be no cap hit?
like Barker was last season. Don't know how long that can be allowed. Wirtz probably won't want to get into the business of paying guys millions to be in Rockford. They'd be better off buying him out. They'd save $1.75M this year cap money and $1.25M next season. Problem is they'd still be paying $750k for each of the following 2 years after he'd be gone anyway. Sort of like the Curtis Brown situation they're still stuck with for 09-10.
Some of these guys have one way deals, where they have to pass through waivers before being sent down. I know Aaron Johnson got his 1 way deal, but I'm not sure about Barker.
One-way deals don't mean you have to go through waivers to get sent down. One-way contracts are those that pay you the same whether you are in the minors or the majors.
Guys like Sopel/Huet are an easy decision IMO..but your right on Fraser Dowell Johnson and Hendry gonna be tough but with all this depth (YOUNG) there are always tough decisions to make...
Players can be demoted (and wont count vs the cap) and if someone wants them when they are recalled, they pay a part of his salary.
Who would/could take campbells cap hit?
Have you ever heard of contract renegotiation in the NHL? A contract cannot be renegotiated at any point during the life of the contract.
Buyouts are a silent killer..just checkout Avery`s buyout number with Dallas. Sending them to the minors is a better option
follow this link to all you want to know about the matters above in general terms...
http://proicehockey.about.com/od/learnthegame/a/nhl_salary_cap.htm
I didn't know about an extension which is why I asked. I heard about the demotion since that's what happened to Barker early last season.
I was making a point on the 23-man with the $59.7M payroll, by showing how over the cap they are already.
I was tinkering with the numbers before the draft and at that time it made sense to buyout Sopel and/or Buff just so they could re-sign the big 3 next summer.
It's more scary next year. Which is why I think the 'Hawks have more work to do this year to help ease into 2010-11. They can't turn a blind eye towards next year by saying, "we'll cross that road when we get to it".
The cap is sure to go down for 2010-11. Anyone who thinks the economy is turning around and bottoming out soon is watching too much network TV news.
Toews, Keith and Kane (Seabrook after '11) are the cornerstones of this franchise. The 'Hawks already have $42.5M committed to only 12 players for 2010-11.
I have been on this point while we were debating resigning Havlat..yet its was really popular to dismiss whats gonna happen...most are getting the picture now that we had to sign our RFAs!
So you figured out a 23 man (max) roster or the 20 man minimum for the salary cap?
With a 20 man minimum roster size assuming 12 fwd 6 def 2 goal which includes
FWDs: Toews Kane Sharp Hossa Bolland Ladd Versteeg Buff Madden Kropecky Eager Brouwer
Def: Campbell Keith Seabrook Barker Hjalmarsson Johnson
Goal: Huet Niemi or Crawford
20 players for 54.47...now if you add 3 players to make the max roster size of 23:
Burish, Sopel Skille will add almost 4 more million
to an over the cap figure of 58 and change!
The 20 you have is $55.5 and that's fine. I'm not sure really how this all shakes out though, but you're roster would be $1.3M under the cap.
So many variables like roster size, roster decisions, trades, injuries and maybe a buyout who knows. I was hoping to understand what the core was gonna be like when this RFA thing shook out..but no such luck.
whats next?
I check all the sites mentioned by people which involves the cap and i noticed most arent specific to an actual roster size.
We can have a min of 20 and a max of 23 to compute our cap..below is a blurb explaining it!
ACTIVE ROSTER - the group of players signed to a SPC and who are not on the Injured Reserve List, Injured Non Roster, designated Non-Roster, or Loaned; includes players who are on a Conditioning Loan and players who are suspended. The Active Roster exists from the day before the start of the Regular Season, and expires at the end of the team's last NHL Game in a League Year, and has a minimum size of 20 players and a maximum size of 23 players.
I leave the cap numbers to people in the now. All 3 sites conflict with one another.
Guys here have the Hawks over by 3-5 million, and Tim has it even or a bit over once the backup is determined.
For the record, everyone thought the cap was going down this year, yet it stayed par (up 100K). So lets wait until we hear from NHL people that it's going down, and then start worrying about losing guys. I have read from 3 guys in the know, that it's actually going up, and read a quote from a NHL GM that it's going up. That GM? Ken holland who operates in one of the worst markets in the NHL.
and that was a quote from Stern himself! So i dont see how that is possible for the NHL to raise their cap when MLB agrees that revenues will be short for them as well...but stranger things have happened.
For the cap people...and Tim S , when you predict a cap number provide the active roster size please because 3 players make a huge difference!
ps i know MLB has no cap....
I'm not saying I believe it, it's just what I have read on a couple of fronts. So who the hell knows?
Agree on the roster size. Seriously, if you have time, look at capgeek.com vs nhlnumbers.com vs hockeybuzz.com How can 3 supposed cap sites, be different from one another? Especially, if they are supposedly getting the same information. It doesn't make sense.
One has Keith as a UFA next year....untrue.
one has Bolland as a UFA after his contract, one has him as a RFA
The list goes on, and it's not all hockeybuzz screw-ups either.
It's ridiculous.
That's why I cringe when people here try working on the cap. Is there any site that is reliable? I appreciate the work, and I do it from time to time, but like I have stated before....I am pretty sure that Tallon has a plan, and will get the people he wants signed, signed.
I'm more curious about what trade he has up his sleeve.
Different numbers from different sites, eh? I've been using capgeek.com for mine.
I don't pretend to know the exact number ever.....however when you look at all the players they have under contract now and next season, it's scary to think how Dale is going to navigate these numbers, stay under the cap (next year could be upwards of $3M less than this year) and put together a team to win it all.
I have 3 diff salaries for Patrick Sharp from all these sites... maybe he is tweeting and can tell us us much he makes LMAO
I understand what your saying i just didnt articulate my response that well. I agree with you, the discrepancies also include the different salaries and cap hits for the same player. Yeah i looked at them and its pretty pathetic having so many differences, regardless i just want to know if they are figuring for a 20 man or 23 man roster..the cap figuring is useless..i agree.
But i just want these people to at least give me details on how they arrived there.
PS I thought Steve Larmer was traded because of a holdout that was brought on from philosophical differences with than coach Darryl Sutter...and he would have broke the most consecutive games played that year too..what a shame. do you rem the penalty shot goal he scored vs us in Chicago Stadium with everyone cheering while a member of the Rangers?
I believe he teed up a slap shot in the slot vs the Eagle. I think you are right about the trade, but I want to say he also was rumored back at the draft when Lindros was the #1 pick for the Nordiques and refused to go there. I think he jumped in to try to stick it to Philly, knowing what they had to offer from his previous stay there.
I also would LOVE an article by Tim or blog, about how to figure this cap crap stuff out. It would eliminate all these posts about having to bid farewell to this guy or that guy. We then could move on and worry about this year.
I know lots of us are passionate about this stuff, but it's not worth debating over and over and over again on each post Tim puts up. That's all.
After philly was declared the winner in the Lindros trade the rangers filed a grievance saying that their trade offer was accepted too...crazy stuff!
By getting Forsberg only (7th overall, i think)and nothing else, Quebec would have won that deal due to Erics injuries. What a haul they received and it compares to the Hershel Walker trade in the NFL.
I think understanding the cap would be a course similar to an advanced guide to Accounting..maybe were better off not knowing.
So do we discuss trades ad Nausea now ???
The Islanders have the space to take on Campbell's contract. They also have Witt who could be a tough d-man that we could use.
I know there won't be any takers, but I would try and trade Huet and his 5 million salary and go with Crawford or Niemi. Also are we still counting Sopel's 3 million salary in our cap space ? If so I would trade him for a 3rd or 4th round pick if there are any takers.
Too bad we signed Campbell for 7 million, and too bad nobody will take him off our hands at that price.
Yes, Tallon and the organization got too checkbook happy with , Huet, & Campbell last year.
Now we need to find a way to dump some of these overpaid, and under-achieved veterans and take care of our young stars here.
Does anyone find it interesting how much different hockey players are than football? Duncan Keith has got to be the absolute best value in all of the NHL and has been that way for a couple years now. If this was the scenario in football you can bet that player would be holding out or at least touting in the media how underpaid he is. I realize that it's a contract and you're bound to it. But geesh... Even Sopel makes more than Dunc. That's a joke.
After this trade is made, I'd be signing Dunc to an extension right now. Take care of this guy the way he has taken care of the Hawks. He's still young and is only going to get better.
As far as Steeger and Barker are concerned, we definitely overpaid for them. I figured 1.8-2.2 would be about right.
Alexei Yashin comes to mind. So does the Lindros family refusing to sign with Quebec (an influence on Eli Manning?). Chris Pronger pushed for a trade out of Edmonton, which isn't exactly the same thing, but he had a contract and he was unprovoked. The last couple of years, Teemu Selanne, Scott Neidermayer, and Mats Sundin have all taken notes from Roger Clemens and Brett Favre.
Quit thinking you're better than everyone else and just enjoy the sport you enjoy.
Tough to argue with the examples you bring up.
I think many of us hockey folks can be a bit self-congratulatory, but intuitively there does seem to be some truth to the generalization that hockey players are more down-to-earth and humble than those in the other three sports. Nevertheless, I agree with you, one has to be careful; moreover, hockey players themselves are aware of this perception of them and often self-consciously cultivate the image of humility and team first. For example, Patrick Kane is still working on that I think - he knows what he is supposed to say about the team and winning, but it very often comes out awkwardly.
There are plenty of good guys in baseball and football, but let me suggest that there might be something close to a direct relationship between one's star status/income (relative to others in his sport) and their pride and self-interest. The plodders, the plumbers, the grinders (read Ben Eager, or even Kris Versteeg for that matter), the utility infielders don't quite have the luxury of an Alexi Yashin or Chris Pronger to dictate terms to his team. And we are witnessing the opposite of "hockey humility" with the Danny Heatley situation.
It's hard to make blanket statements about athletes ,as you point out Al there are good and bad guys in all sports. The difference imo are the sports themselves and how the players are treated by the community. Take football for example. My sons played on a state champion team. The players were treated like kings pampered and idolized on and off campus and we're talking 16 - 18 year olds. Many are good kids and remain level headed. Some become all full of themselves. The other sports including baseball and basketball hardly get any support or attention and hockey gets the least attention of all. Those players work harder and longer with no attention whatsoever. I think that's one of the areas where you see a difference in the players and maybe why they seem more down to earth. Again there are good and bad in all sports so I think we have to keep that in mind.
Last summer I was in a slim minority with my anit-Huet stance. But this year I am in a majority. Obviously Khabby played better with competition. Maybe, just maybe, Huet is just the opposite. I don't like his style and I don't think he can be consistent. I think he puts more pressure on his defense, making it more difficult for them and not easier. But barring a miracle, we are stuck with him. And it really breaks my stones seeing the on ice coaches at the prospects camp teaching the "fall down go boom no matter what" style to the goalies. And I can't believe they are teaching the kid goalies to put the first rebound in the slot! So until we see Huet play as the clear #1 goalie, I will try and hope he does at least ok. But even though the coaches like his style, they better have a plan B at the ready going into the season. I am not holding my breath.
Huet is a great back up goalie. He had a 1 great year and Tallon signed him to a contract he did not deserve. The Hawks have a good team but you need someone steady in net, game in and game out. It would be nice to see one of the kids develop into that goalie. I do miss the days of Belfour, Hasek and even Jimmy Waite. Huet will be the next Jeff Hackett here in Chicago. Hackett had the one year he played better then Belfour and Belfour was in a contract year. The Hawks shipped Belfour off to San Jose and the following year the Hawks shipped Hackett to Montreal. Huet will have some great games next year, but he will not be able to lead this team to the cup. Hopefully during the season Huet will get trade or asked to play in a women's league in France and one of the kids will step up.
Belfour was dealt at the 96/97 deadline; Hackett at some point in 98/99. He had two pretty good years.
Huet, in a way, kinda, sorta, hazily reminds me of Hasek in that his fundamentals seem totally out of whack (remember Trefilov?) but makes saves you can't believe. The major difference (other than the Vezinas and HOF career) is intimidation. Hasek got into peoples' heads. Huet gets into his fans' heads.
Even with hindsight, I like the Huet purchase. Khabby had been garbage for three years and we needed a bridge to Crawford/Niemi. Did we overpay? Yes. But we didn't have the cachet that we have this summer and needed extra incentive to get a veteran in here. I'll even defend his season. In his losses, the Hawks scored an average of 2.5 GPG (season average was 3.3), including getting shutout I think 3 times. His worst games were the 7 goal thrashing by Vancouver, two 6-goal affairs by the Wings, and 6 more shipped to the Sharks. (Whaddya know? The West's top 3 seeds!)
He's no Brodeur. But statistically he's been better than Marc Andre Fleury. We can do it with Huet.
Before you compare Huet's stats to anyone, remember his stats are based on 30-25 if that per season prior to last year. He was a back up. Stop comparing him to real goalies that play 60-50 games a year. His stats are very misleading. As far as Khabby, if you have a bad team in front of a goalie, that goalie will play poorly as well. The Hawks finally found their stride last year. But I know, he was in a contract year so he played well. Same story for every other player in the NHL in a contract year. The Hawks need a steady goalie and now will be locked in with a high priced goalie for 8 years. Also, do not compare Huet style to Hasek. Hasek has a cup, MVP trophies, and Allstar games. Huet might have Hasek on DVD. Hasek also kept the puck out of the net and controlled his rebounds. That is one of the worst trades in Hawk history.
Worst trade in a long time.
I want to say that Keenan wanted to trade Belfour, maybe Larmer, and picks for Lindros. We would have had Chelios, Roenick, Hasek, and Lindros all in their prime. All you have to do is watch game 3 vs the Penguins when Belfour let in some of the weakest goals I have ever seen, and Hasek flashed his potential.
I'm not 100% on Larmer, but I know Belfour was invloved.
I remember that to be the trade on the table but I think the old man put a stop to it. That would have been something to see, Hasek actually playing in a Hawks jersey instead of just riding the pine behind Belfour. That Stanley Cup drought might have been over if that trade happened.
I will always remember just how bad he was...
Glad he isn't the goalie we rely on...
I think the Hawks will be average in goal overall, which will be enough to secure a good playoff position. The team is poised to score a lot of goals and have another strong powerplay. If the D can play decent in their own end and get good back pressure from the forwards, then Huet won't have to steal many games.
I think this team is better than they were to start last season. We will have Q working with everyone right from training camp and replaced Havlat with Hossa. Their is less depth at goaltender, but the two kids are ready to take on some NHL duties if Huet is injuried or playing poorly.
I guess Dale figures everyone is in that "core" he alluded to! Versteeg like barker would have signed for this much next year anyway and i for one didnt want him to leave.
Jaccukel, don't know about 10-15%. They were both qualified at around a mil, and they both sign for about 3 mil?
Unless that is some new Hawks math I don't know about, that is 3 times as much isn't it? 1 mil times 3? LOL
There must have been something to it to make them move so quick.
Yes, there will be some trading going on now.
Our prospects have been on the ice in Vancity for a camp...skating in July...anything like that going on in Chicago?