Nylander talk won't go away
According to a source close to the Washington Capitals, Michael Nylander is buried so deeply in coach Bruce Boudreau's doghouse, playing on the fourth line after being a healthy scratch the other night, that the team might be ready to part with the veteran center for a draft pick.
The Hawks remain very interested in Nylander, but even if they were able to get him for a draft pick they couldn't fit his $4.875 cap hit under their salary cap without clearing some big money.
The Caps are believed to have brought up Dustin Byfuglien and Cam Barker in discussions with the Hawks about Nylander, but it's hard to believe GM Dale Tallon would give up either young player in such a deal even if Byfuglien has been inconsistent and is way overpaid at $3 million a year.
As for Barker, he has played a lot better, although there are some in the Hawks' front office who view him and his $2.7 million cap hit expendable with James Wisniewski set to return from his knee injury in a few weeks.
Just asking...
How's this for a potential scenario: Would the Hawks consider putting Cristobal Huet on waivers for the purpose of sending him to the minors in order to free up cap space for Nylander? It's certainly an option.
Too bad Buff won't play like a big man...game to game is too inconsistent and I don't think they would have to look for as much on-ice toughness if Buff had a consistent mean streak in him.
I don't like the Nylander deal if it is Buff/Sopel for Nylander...seems like they are doing pretty well scoring goals right now.
I think the Hawks should be patient and see if there is a little more deparation for goaltending as the season shortens and the races tighten up. Khabby has been great, but can it go on all season...and if so, are they really going to sign him up for next year?
Be patient!
Tallon overpaid for Lang, but why trade the guy when you need a center???
if it was strictly cap issues, even thinking about acquiring nylander & his bloated contract only compounds the problem, especially when kane, keith & toews contracts come due after next year.
it is simply idiotic for Tallon to even be considering acquiring Nylander just based on his contract alone, but even if you ignored the money, he brings little of what the hawks need. he is soft, weak defensively, has never won a cup - he might help havlat put up some more points, but presumably #24 won't be resigned after this year and the hawks should be looking to get something back for him while they can, not adding an overpriced center who can't make the lineup on another very young & up & coming team. that should say something, but tallon apparently isn't listening...which ultimately isn't that surprising.
if there is any serious thought behind this rumour, mcdonough should be intervening & making brian burke an offer he can't refuse.
Putting Huet on waivers after signing the guy to a 4 yr deal would be Tallon's last act as GM - in one way, I wouldn't mind seeing it happen - at least then the hawks might hire a bona fide GM
chicohawk or anyone
To create even a little bit salary cap room maybe trade Eager for a draft choice?
This would be in accordance with the acqusition of a fighter.
Our real strength appears to be quality and quantity both in goal, and probably on defense.
On defense we have Wizniewski/A Johnson as 3rd pair; Hendry & Hjalmarsson in reserve.
Walker and Sopel then almost seem like an afterthought or as veteran insurance if another injury. If Khabby and Huet are not moved, then more salary cap relief (abeit not much) found in moving Walker/waive if necessry. Just trying to create any salary cap relief. Let's hope a good player becomes available. One other note: Depending upon signability and the his team's record, Bowmeester available at trade deadline. First thought is D Keith required in an exchange. But what's your opinion of trading any of our prospects IF we get the right center in return? Or for Bowmeester/Spezza? Like WIZ SAID, HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE IF A GOOD PLAYER BECOMES AVAILABLE.
I agree there needs to be a plan in place if a good player becomes available - and that plan has to include cap space - signing Huet with no firm plan to move Khabi led to having to dump Lang for no $ in return and compounded the problems at center.
that is not the work of a professional GM, but a neophyte managing by the seat of his pants.
The only way the hawks create the flexibility (i.e. cap space) needed to bring in a good player is to move big contracts - khabi & havlat have to be at the top not only based on current dollars, but they are also UFAs and are the hawks really going to offer either of them enough so they resign??
if the answer is no, and i think it is, then you might as well move them now for assets that will help both this season and the next few where feasible, while creating enough cap space to accommodate kane, toews & keith and maybe add a guy like madden also a UFA @ $3M. i would take one john madden to 10 nylanders, without even considering the difference in contracts.
as for the defense, when Wiz returns, Sopel should be the odd man out, certainly not Barker, whose value based on his age is bound to appreciate if he continues to develop. Sopel maybe a nice guy, but he's a 6th or 7th guy at best and the ridiculous contract makes him a burden.
if barker continues to develop into what he was projected as a 3rd overall pick, the hawks will have a pleasant problem to deal with - 4 quality Dmen and maybe not enough ice time.
they are locked into campbell for better or worse thanks to his immoveable contract - and based on ice time and other comparables, and the fact he has been vastly underpaid last year, this year & next year, keith may very well want comparable dough to campbell -
that poses a potential dilemma - can the hawks afford to spend that much money on just 2 dmen and at the same time keep guys like seabrook & barker happy?
one of the florida beat writers mentioned during the off-season that chicago was a likely destination for bouwmeester if he became a UFA...not sure the hawks have the ice time or cap space to accommodate bouwmeester, but if they start becoming a destination of choice for UFAs as they appear to be and able to attract UFAs for less, it could open up the possibility of moving keith for a center like jordan staal, who'se already appeared in a cup finals at 19.
pittsburgh most certainly could use a puck moving dman who can log a lot of minutes...and the if the hawks can add a guy like bouwmeester, who can skate and also has the necessary size to take on bigger forwards, i would have to think long & hard about making such a move.
If Bowmeester acquired in trade or f/a:(think of this also as going crazy trying to figure how to acquire the center we truly need)
offer Bufuglien and D Keith to penguins for J Stahl and something (would consider even T Kennedy). That may be offering too much, but it gets us our #2 center and a scoring wing to replace Havlat. I also foresee we let Wisniewski leave via f/a due to some contracts Tallon can't move (Huet, Sopel). Maybe Huet can be given away for a 7th round entry draft choice. At least with Huet gone we succeeded in clearing salary cap. And we don't discourage free agents from coming here if it is clear why Huet was moved? The other option with the goalies is to move Khabby instead. The difference in whom you move as far as long-term planning after this season, is that a Khabby contract would be less than Huet. And let's face it, Crawford and Niemi is the future in goal. Hjalmarsson can slide into Wizniewski's minutes. I would look into somehow moving J Hendry for a more capable physical defenseman. All this is way too much for a Tallon or a Pulford to ever have planned out. But a good GM has to make a plan for the future. What does a playoff team advancing into round two and beyond look like, Dale (or (Scotty?). The only other idea I have is to trade a Wisniewski for a center. I hate to disarm a pipeline of prospects because that is your lifeline. Good scouting leads to a stronger roster, which leads to the key f/a signing and or trade(s). Right now including Barker in any scenario is preposterous, since we have to wait and see if his game develops to the point wheras his value increases. As for the penguins, they can move out a Boucher, a Gill, even either Eaton or Scuderi. They have enough young players to mix in with their stars. They have that finnish player in the AHL and if still salary cap problems, release Satan.
NO way do you trade Keith,hes the heart and soul of the Hawks defence.Almost untouchable and vastly underpaid.Seabrook isnt even close,what team are you watching?
If your talkin Huet or Sopel for the Sweedish Perrault i'd do it...
Forget about Nylander,,,if you want to go after someone in the "doghouse" go after Dustin Penner on Edmonton.
Nylander is a one way player , not physical, and washed up. period.
I dont know hp53, Nylander is for sure washed up, but when he was with us on the line with Sullivan they were pretty nice to watch.
Im 53 life long fan and just in the 90s been thru
Michel Goulet
Bernie Nicholls
All the Sutters
Wendell Clark
Paul Coffey
Theo Fleury (nutball)
Probie (lovd him)
Savard,Secord,Murray,Olczyk,their second times around! No more has beens,and thats just the 90s.If there gonna do something lets get something!
Waiving both Sopel and Huet would dump the cap space. My guess is Sopel would clear and we could unconditionally dump him. There is a chance that someone could take Huet. If that happens, who cares? We still have Crawford and Niemi to come in and give Khabby the rest he needs. Nik is playing well and we need to continue to ride him.
Dumping Sopel and Huet would give us room to deal and put us in a favorable position to not have to get rid of our young talent that is still blooming.
Nylander would be a mistake. He is totally unresponsible in his own end and Q would not tolerate that.
All of this talk is due to the fact that Tallon has created a HUGE mess. Even with that mess our Hawks are playing hard and doing well. If someone can clean up Tallon's mess, maybe we can make a run at the unthinkable... A cup for Chicago!
Nylander , too old, too much money, known as the magician when he was here
because he disapeared too often...enough said !!!!!!!!
I like the idea of putting Huet on waivers. Niemi was better than both Khabby and Huet in training camp and I'd like to see the kid against NHL talent.
Nylander is a soft player. I remember the playoffs in '02 and he looked like a figure skater. I've never seen a player more afraid of the slot in my life(other than Arneson).
He was an asset with Sullivan and McCammond and would probably do wonders for Toews simply by getting the other teams #1 checking center off of him every now and then.
Good move Tim. Huet away and Nylander in. What do you do with Sharp? Versteeg seems to fit well with Toews and Kane.
Two key questions: First: Are the 'Hawks a Michael Nylander away from taking a serious run at the Cup? The answer, at this point, is probably "no."
Second: Are the Hawks a playoff team as they stand now? The answer: probably yes. Add to that the hot goaltending and strong defense that Tim mentions, and they might even win a series.
Therefore, I see little upside to giving away Buf or Barker for a 19-year vet with two years' worth of a $4.875 million per yer cap hit.
Waiving Huet will send future free agents a sign.
Produce or be gone. No more screwing around waiting for the big money FA to find his game.
Good sign.
This Hawks team is the best one we have seen in many years.
A veteran center is needed. So is a 6th defensemen. Wisniewski completes the defense tandems, with Walker as the 7th defensemen.
Huet being gone helps the Hawks obtain the veteran center.
Sopel is very expendable and would be a good addition to any club.
For some reason his game has gone in the tank this year. Maybe the big money got him lazy, I do not know.
He may have flourished under Savard but cannot play under Coach Q.
But a solid, stay-at-home defensemen will bring th Hawks something they need.
Nylander......No!!!!!
Future free agents will remember Tallon giving up on Huet so quickly into his contract that they may not want to sign with the Hawks. Huet deserves to be a backup to Khabibulin up to this point, but waiving Huet would be a monumental blunder from a PR standpoint.
Sopel, Burish and whatever else it takes to make the $ work.