Hawks OK cap wise for now
The Blackhawks will not need to make a roster move to clear salary cap space in order to sign Duncan Keith, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane to contract extensions.
The NHL wouldn’t have allowed the Hawks to announce the new deals for the trio if the club did not have the necessary “tagging room” for the 2010-11 season.
There had been speculation the Hawks needed to clear between $1 million and $2 million of salary off their present payroll before the league would approve the contracts.
There was talk that defenseman Brent Sopel would be the odd man out, but the Hawks had a full roster on the ice for practice Thursday morning.
The big challenge for Hawks general manager Stan Bowman lies ahead this off-season when he must figure out a way to make it all work financially.
The Hawks have approximately $60.5 million committed to only 15 players for 2010-11 with the NHL's salary cap expected to either stay at $56.8 million or go down slightly.
The Hawks have eight expiring contracts after this season. Andrew Ladd, Ben Eager, Colin Fraser, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Jordan Hendry and Antti Niemi will be restricted free agents. John Madden and Adam Burish will be unrestricted free agents.
Hawks cap hits for 2010-11
Brian Campbell $7.14 million
Jonathan Toews $6.3 million
Patrick Kane $6.3 million
Cristobal Huet $5.625 million
Duncan Keith $5.54 million
Marian Hossa $5.233 million
Patrick Sharp $3.9 million
Brent Seabrook $3.5 million
Dave Bolland $3.375 million
Cam Barker $3.083 million
Kris Versteeg $3.083 million
Dustin Byfuglien $3 million
Brent Sopel $2.33 million
Tomas Kopecky $1.2 million
Troy Brouwer $1 million
Just another option in the tagging room struggle! Since he was signed to a one year deal he could be brought up in case of injuries or to save cap space as he would not affect the tagging room...credit TSN Bob Mckenzie Twit!
Also hear Crawford is hurt in Rockford although its just minor apparently! Just another log on the fire...I wasnt aware we signed him recently!
cashing in Buff, Steeger, and Barker in the offseason for high picks and young prospects will help the hawks refill the system. They have too many top-six capable players anyway, gotta use some to re-stock
They might also be able to use Buff or Steegr as the bait required to get someone to take the Cambell contract. BUT then again after they win the Cup ma6ybe any of these players will be seen as keepers and other have to go. Either should be a great season and interesting offseason.
I think Brian Campbell is tremendosly overpaid I dont know to much about cap and how all the money stuff works but i know we have campbell still on con\tract is there a way we can trade him and pocket some money? I think doing that and droping sopel and barker will do some good i know there all defensmen but i dont think any of them make what they deserve i would like to see that money go to resigning burish and hammer
You know what they call guys like McGuire in my old 'Back of the Yards' neighborhood?
Chicas. (Chicks)
It comes down to Hammar or Seabrook. Right now I think you could get Hjalmarsson to sign a middle contract, whereas Seabs would only go for Keith money. Especially if Team Canada drafts him. Someone said you don't trade a No. 2 . . . well somebody we like has to go. It will become a test of the organization. Teams like the Avs, Devils, Blues (who inherited the playoff streak after we dried up), Wings, Stars, etc., had to lose important parts while they kept up the pace. What you don't want is what the Lightning did, and maybe Pittsburgh runs into with Crosby and Malkin's deals. But what can you do? Do you trade Evgeni Malkin?
I like Campbell, and his contract is a burden. But he's unmovable without other poor contracts in return.
Someone please explain him to me. I didn't watch him much in Detroit but playing there I got the impression that he was a talented player, good defensively, and a physical hit 'em guy that was just not able to get ice time with the many talented players they already had. From what I have seen (or not seen), I would say this guy shouldn't be assured a spot next year. He doesn't shy away from contact and will go to play the body but really doesn't do any damage to the opposing player. He isn't overly fast and I really haven't seen him display a lot of individual skill. I expected him to be used as a penalty killer so that our top guys can get a rest and we wouldn't have to risk Toews taking chances by blocking shots. Can he take the role of #3 center next year? Madden will be gone, not that I want him gone. If he plays on a wing, will he bring more then Bickell (since Bickell would make half as much)?
I made a similar comment about Kopecky a month or two back and someone had commented that I needed to lighten up, the guy was only 180 lbs, and I was expecting too much for him to be a physical force and to be a valuable contributor on the team. If that's the case, then the $1.2M is too much money.
There are guys in Rockford that can do what he is doing better for a lot less dough.
Burrish is around a buck-80, too, but he makes a difference out there.
Totally agree. This guy has brought nothing to the table. Word is he was buddies with Hossa and part of the reason they signed him.
And not expensive. He's versatile, responsible, plays hard, has experience *winning* (an underrated asset) . . . there are a lot worse ways to spend $1.2 in today's NHL. Might become a very important bargain once we have to scuttle a $3m forward.
Is he better then someone like Bickell to take that spot? I know it isn't much of a difference in money but the Hawks are counting every penny. There are worse ways to spend $1.2 but that doesn't make him more necessary.
Just because a player is around a winning team and winning environment doesn't make that player an experienced winner. There have been players that are selfish and non-team guys that have been able to ride the coattails of the rest of their team. I'm not saying that Kopecky is that type of player just saying that I'm not buying the label that he knows how to win (experience winning).
Bickell showed me more in his short stint than Kopekcy has shown all year. It doesn't matter because at their price, both of these guys will be part of our 3rd line next year after a large hunk of our 3rd and 4th line become cap casualties.
The little things usually dont show up to the person that follows the puck around with his eyes! Its like the NFL where you only see the ball snapped to the QB and he hands off to the RB and you miss the work in the trenches or the great lead block by the FB!
Guys were 17-6 with the best goals against average..how do you think we are doing this lol! We roll 4 lines and everyone contributes in a different way! Kropecky or koko as Mickey Redmond called him does all dirty underappreciated corner and in front of the net stuff and also is a defensive specialist. He did a great job vs us last year but because he doesnt score or isnt flashy most of us will never notice his game on the ice! He was stolen from the wings because of these areas of expertise!
TV takes an element away as well where we cant see everything they do but the samething goes for Byfuglien..You cant play the same style every game as teams adjust and do not want to be smashed around. The wings employed this strategy vs us in last years playoffs as Lidstrom and Co moved the puck quickly out of the zone and away from Byf and Brouwer etc essentially making them look lazy and not doing their job....but it was a ploy to take that part of the game away from us! The great teams are really smart and can adjust!
Im not making this stuff up but we are now one of the teams being proactive in making teams adjust to our style...We are now equipped with Madden,Koko and a years experience from our younger core that we didnt possess last year! Hossa and his 2 way game needs no explanation.
In summary Byfuglien isnt lazy but smart teams can occasionally take him out of his game
Koko is a valued unheralded character player
I dont think we have jelled yet and the best is yet to come!
If this team continues to play well and makes another playoff run, the value of even our second tier guys like Buff and Barker will increase which will make moves to clear space to resign Seabrook and Hjalmarsson easier in the offseason. I see no reason to make any big moves that might ruin some great team chemistry.
Thats what ive been saying, chemistry(and injuries) is crucial to building momentum for a deep playoff run!
I want the cup....players that we cant fit under the cap or cant get full value after the season is over are just details!
So what if we can get more now..we have a lot of talent....but stanley cups , 3 since 1926-27!
Prior to drafting Dylan olsen the Blackhawks had more than a mild interest in the new Maple Leaf. Trading Tlusty to Carolina give the Hurricanes a guy a lot closer to being ready.
I just am putting one and an imaginary number together and getting "hawk i " as this being a piece in a deal that hasn't been finalized between Chicago and Toronto.
News feed from NHL.com:
Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke may have traded away a pair of future first-round picks for talented winger Phil Kessel, but he supplemented some of that Thursday by dishing minor-leaguer Jiri Tlusty to Carolina for its 2009 first-round pick, Phillipe Paradis.
Paradis, a 6-foot-2, 206-pound gritty 18-year-old left wing, was drafted 27th overall by the Hurricanes this past June. He is unsigned and still playing for the Shawinigan Cataractes of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
Paradis, who plays with an edge and likes to battle in the tough areas, has 8 goals, 11 assists and 43 penalty minutes in 26 games this season. He had 19 goals and 31 assists in 66 games last season as well as 6 goals and 6 assists in 21 playoff games.
My dear friend, Pierre McGuire. Who on July 1st after the announcement of Hossa being signed, piped up that the Hawks would not be able to sign Toews, Kane, and Keith. I love when that goof is wrong, and no wonder he hasn't gotten his GM job.
http://www.nhlsnipers.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/pierreonboards.jpg
I just cannot wait for a successful playoff run where Pierre cannot make "Iginla touting by the youngster hawks" the issue, and where he actually is forced to report the emerging Hawks without all the tarnish on them.
Maybe he will NEVER come off it, and we will all have to cast him aside as a guy with Canada blinders who won't deal with reality because he is afraid on patriotic backlash from our Northern neighbors who are able to see hockey without so prejudicial eyes.
My favorite moment all year was when Eager's line took the ice in the Detroit series last year and the McGuire said.........oh boy Detroit has got to love this match-up against the Eager line for the Hawks. Eager scores and the little pen** head has nothing to say.
Burish scored too! It was like game 1 or 2 in Detroit and my Dad was screaming at the TV "that's why f#%er! that's why!" after Pierre questioned why Q used his 4th line so much like 30 seconds before Burish scored.
Believe me he is hated in Canada just as equally as below the border! Since I have the sports package ...I wont listen to games he is announcing! (unless the regular feed is blacked out)
But these type of announcers are everywhere....Nashville in particular ugh!
I wish he had gotten the GM job so we wouldn't have to listen to that wind sock on the broadcast. If he is not the most annoying color analyist out there he is at least in the team picture.
he is the most annoying. I have the center ice package so I hear him quite a bit. I now turn the game if I hear his voice.
For us that we can make a cup run with everyone on board! All the normally reputable sites stated we need to shred some contract to get under the cap!
This is the NHL after all where silence and misinformation rules above anything else!
re: Loafing....Some teams get the puck out of the defensive zone very quick and this takes some players out of their element briefly..namely Byfuglien/ladd/Brouwer etc!
We have all played hockey im assuming and some teams dont want their defense man taking shots from 240lb forwards! We are 17-6 for a reason and i see effort from Dustin B consistently....its a long season players slump or lose motivation occasionally!
While I would rather sit back and enjoy the ride as our Hawks try and bring home the Cup, it is fun to try and play GM for a day. Not sure who management has their eyes on but I'm sure there's some sort of plan in place and for the first time in a long time, I trust these guys. In years past, I always cringed any time the old regime had to make a decision. You knew it would be pinching pennies and getting rid of players we loved.
In my opinion, you've got to keep the following guys. I'll list my reasons as well:
Seabrook
Physical, plays hard every night, part of the top defensive duo in the league
Burish
Physical, non-stop motor, speed, heart, great character, great in the locker room
Hammer
Young, tons of upside, solid in his own end, willing to take a hit to make a play, big hitter
Madden
Veteran leadership, great face-off man, playoff seasoned
Niemi
Big, learning quickly, shows a ton of potential
Here are the guys who may be forced out due to cap:
Eager
Like his skating ability but too injury prone and not a real heavyweight
Ladd
Played well last year but seems to have disappeared this year - still not sure what he brings to us that we couldn't get from Beach, etc.
Fraser
Relatively slow, decent face-off man, PK is solid - once again, this seems to be fairly easily replaced
Byfuglien
Has a booming shot but disappears at times, refuses to play with a mean streak, not great defensively
Barker
Poor footwork, over paid for what he brings which is pretty much just a big shot, doesn't play very physical, many other D-men around the league making less who could provide the same
Hendry
AHL player being used as a fill in
Sopel
Way overpaid, getting up there in years, solid PK guy and decent defensively blocking shots but just not worth the money.
Barker Buff Sopel and Eager if he isn't to play for less than a mil.
done
Unless Barker actually can play up to his # 3 overall draft, he is an unfortunate casualty due to his lack of NHL adjustment. The Hawks have been patient, and this playoff is his last castung call to earn the pay he makes....
I think you are spot on.
If you cut a player with a contract , I think you still pick up part of their salary. That is why Huet , and Campbell are still going to be here . Bollands back hopefully will be ok, but if he is on long term IR , I dont think it hits us for that time . Hey, maybe we can be like the Yankees , and say to heck with the cap , and just pay the fine- yeah right . Rocky is still a Wirtz, and I think only the rangers have ever paid the tax for going over the cap. Not sure abought that though
Longtime fan....if you buyout a player he still counts vs the cap..
http://www.nhlscap.com/cap_faq.htm...if you want to read anything cap related....
Dallas still owes a sean avery cap hit for 1.9 mill for the next 4 years! It can hurt
Somehow, we are going to lose some players we do not want to. Sorry, but Sharp is close to 30 , and Veersteeg is only about 25. Veersteeg is a very slick player , younger with more upside. You have to keep him. Sharp, he has value, Barker too. The Hawks will make trades for draft choices so as not to add money now. Keep filling the farm team with low priced , hopefully high draft picks that are lower cost. This is what Detroit has done, and if you have the opportunity to get a high value , top free agent , maybe you can . Alot of players on this team are probably looking for jobs elsewhere next year after todays announcement . They know how it will have to be. Keith was not unhappy with the past contract , and how much is enough. Not that he is not valuable, Kane and Toews too, But , a long term contract for 70 mil is too much for a team to spend . 45 mil in a lifetime feeds your grandkids , grandkids . lol
Tim,
Is it possible that the Keith, Kane, Toews contracts will start out less than $5.54, $6.3, $6.3 million and then escalate over the course of the contract there by limiting the cap hit next year?
Can you tell us what you feel the price would be to resign the guys with the expiring contracts and also what the contracts are for potential youngsters that could make the team next year (like Skille, Bickell, Beach, Sweatt,....). Then we can play with the names and dollars to propose our best rosters under the cap for the start of next year. Maybe you could do one of your own too.
From the initial listing I am thinking:
Campbell 7.14 contract untradeable
Toews 6.30 no brainer
Kane 6.30 no brainer
Huet 5.63 contract untradeable
Keith 5.54 no brainer
Hossa 5.23 no brainer
Seabrook 3.50 no brainer
Bolland 3.38 untradeable until proven healthy
Versteeg 3.08 keep if at all possible
Ladd 2.25 keep if at all possible if not too expensive to resign
Hjalmar. 2.25 keep if at all possible if not too expensive to resign
Niemi 1.70 keep if at all possible if not too expensive to resign
Brouwer 1.00 a bargain
youngster0.80
youngster0.75
youngster0.70
youngster0.65
youngster0.60
youngster0.55
youngster0.50
Total $56.79
Cap $56.80
Eager gone
Fraser gone
Hendry gone
Sharp 3.90 trade (much to my chagrin)
Sopel 2.33 trade
Byfuglien 3.00 trade
Barker 3.08 trade (may come back to bite us)
Kopecky 1.20
Madden is not accounted for in my email or Tim's Blog. I would like to keep him too. But it means someone else goes.
Actually Madden and Burish are accounted for in Tim's Blog. They are unrestricted free agents. My apologies Tim.
I would like to keep Madden if he can be signed at a good price of course someone else would have to go. Burish would have to be very very cheap in order to keep.
The cap hit is annualized over the life of the contract. That's why the Hawks caught flak for Hossa's deal, big money, but lots of years, so the yearly cap hit isn't as bad on a yearly basis.
What post are u referring too??
"Tim,
Is it possible that the Keith, Kane, Toews contracts will start out less than $5.54, $6.3, $6.3 million and then escalate over the course of the contract there by limiting the cap hit next year?"
That is to what I was responding.
.....
Does anyone know if the press conference is on TV anywhere?
There is oh, so no
flexibility to:
Bring either Burish or
Bolland back, or to even make any move that adds a dollar to the numbers, so THERE IS an issue still. Not even talking about resigning Hammer or anyone!
I'd agree with SR - why would you move Seabrook? Resign the Hjammer fo-sho. Barker, Sopel and Buf are all pieces you can replace. Barker and Buf continue to frustrate. Good-enough - just isn't good enough. Both have hands of stone and put their teammates in vulnerable positions with the turnovers. Madden is a great veteran for this team - solid proven winner. Kopecky - I haven't seen anything special. Not sure how much Corvo would command, but Barker and Sops for Corvo-bring him home?
The most expensive item on the menu? Can the carrot salad re-do his contract? or is it a hit altogether to the cap? I have no clue. The cap is almost as confusing as tax-time.
to keep a young learning guy who plays in less pressure situtions with average results?
you trade Seabrook and you can really egt something, but again CAP is the roadblock and...
finding a replacement, without even thinking about how D Keith and Seabrook know each other so well.
This just proves that nobody other then Hawks or the NHL exactly knows what is going on. For the past 2 weeks all we heard is that somebody HAD to go to free up room. Just proves that all those cap websites, are a best guess at most.
Then you had everyone claiming Sharp is getting traded. Unless there is a drop dead deal, I would bet substantial money that Sharp is not going anywhere. Cam Barker is a highly coveted guy, and let somebody else watch 99% of the league beat him to pucks all night long. He's a PP guy, who really isn't needed with Sharp/Campbell, and Seabrook/Keith at the points.
Anyways, it's a great day. Your core is locked up, the distractions of these contracts is gone. I'll worry about next year, after the season is over.
Great Post Steve, I could not agree more..ESPN runs the most ridiculous garbage ever on the rumor page and picks up every stupid rumor that is out there. Sens Chip? Really? The site is run by a dude sitting half baked in his basement in Ottawa! And this is who web sites are quoting when they say a Cam Barker deal is "DONE". I made my feelings known yesterday about Sharp, he better not be going anywhere and you are right about everyone thinking they know what is going on when they really do not. I will enjoy the year knowing the big pieces are now in place for a long time to come and will deal with what needs to happen after the year. But I still feel we will be ok and will be able to sign the RFA's that we want after we dump a few players that will come from Buff, Barker, Sopel or all three of them. That is 8 million plus for those 3 players and I guarantee you that it will take all of 20 minutes (at most) for any Hawks fan to get over losing the three guys above. Lets enjoy today because if any of the BIG 3 came close to being a free agent they would have gotten monster offers that would have really killed the Hawks...We did it right for once, kudos to the Organ-I-zation.
I'd like to see Madden, Burish, Ladd, Hjalmarsson, and Niemi back. If we have to settle, Hjalmarsson is the number 1 priority and Niemi is number 2.
Still figure that the best way to work this out is to trade Sharp and Seabrook to clear cap space.
Is not going anywhere. You don't trade your #2 defenseman. Period.
I agree on Hammer and Niemi.
Meant Barker, not Seabrook. I have no idea how or why I typed that ... Gah.
Hammer, Niemi, Ladd (in that order)
I think a lot of people take Seabrook for granted. Keith gets all the attention and Seabrook is just kind of there, night in, night out, game after game. Seabrook is a rock, and brings the physical element that may be Keith's only weakness. Seabrook is the perfect Steve Smith, to Keith's Chris Cheliosness (I love making up words). I won't say he's untouchable, but he is certainly not someone you just up and trade to free up cap space. You'd have to get something of significant tangible value (not a prospect or a pick) in return.
Of course you're correct, Steve.
Of course you shouldn't do anything even into next season's games until you have given Niemi lots of games. Will he get those games in? We don't know yet if Fallon or Richards develop/project to be more than a Corey Crawford.
Jacukel, you stick up for what Bufuglien can bring. Which is usually less during the regular season than in last year's playoffs. But at his salary I want someone with grit first and foremost, because Bufuglien isn't good enough offensively to be a "case closed/top six forward." If we could afford to keep him, fine, I'll take what he gives us in the regular season. But one way of helping reduce the salary cap is to consider moving him at some point. Do you want to keep him over Sharp and Versteeg? I can see letting Versteeg go, if your objective is to repalce him eventually with a core player of his level ability whom is a natural center. I see Bolland as a nice extra, nice particularly because you need depth and strength down the middle. Bolland may be adequate as a number two center when he has one very good offensive winger. But think about the match up problems for the other teams if we had a very good, point producing center to complement Toewes. I'd move Bufuglien, Sharp, and Versteeg plus Barker in order to get a high #1 or some player that could be that sort of center we need. Your comments please.
Oh, I suggest Bowman's have a plan for the sort of player(s) targeted this year up to trade deadline, as well as for next year's team. I suggest moreover that the number one priority is a veteran defenseman and then an experienced goaltender. I doubt the goaltender would be around next year.
Yes, your Ottawa trade proposal for Volchenkov makes a lot of sense. He's back playing apparently. Is there any way this Connelly could be a mini D Keith version in the NHL one day? He would have to be very good skill wise and solid as in few turnovers, just to be on same defense on a team with D Keith. Cloutier was back up to Fallon last game. Will have to find out if Crawford is INJ or sick. And if Cullimore has anything left.
Your take on Buff is what drives most of us crazy here. The guy played outstanding in the playoffs, and when he wants to play....he's dominant. However, he does loaf a lot, and even admitted he had an OK road trip. Eager (who skated around like he was on crack in the playoffs), Brouwer, and Buff were huge components to the Hawks run to the WCF. I don't think you can give up that size, unless you can replace it in house. Kopecky seems to be a tad slower then most of the Hawks and can't strike the same fear finishing checks.
I agree on a physical defenseman.
Everyone here knows where I stand on Bolland. There probably will never be a contract signed as quickly as when Bolland opened up his mailbox this past summer, and saw that deal. Especially with a bad back. Versteeg won 10 of 12 draws vs Columbus, and if he can prove that he can be adequate on the dot, he's tough to move IMO. His pentaly killing is just as good as Bolland's. However, I'm not sure what the market is for a young kid, with a bad back.
He must drive management nuts. On the rare occasopm that he is on, like during the playoffs last year, he is a game changer and often the most significant player on the ice.
But most of the time he disappears. Like I have said here before, if the guy is Burrish's size he is flipping burgers in Minnesota somewhere.
Would be great if someone could figure out how to consistently motivate this guy. I really love the guy when he brings his games, but it is infrequent at best.