Re: NHL (Blackhawks included) offseason thread

[Hairyducked Idiot]

But if they do match it, forget about Niemi. It's Niemi or Hjalmarsson now, but not both.

[Soul]

My guess: they'll go Niemi.

[17 Seconds]

When team's choose to match, do they usually do it right away?

[17 Seconds]

My guess: they'll go Niemi.

 

I'd hope not. If we lose Hjalmarsson we have no chance of even going deep in the playoffs next season. i think we'd be a low seed.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

My guess: they'll go Niemi.

 

I hope not. I really think that'd be a big mistake. Think of goalies as the middle relievers of hockey. There's a few elite ones and a whole bunch of guys who you never know about.

[Banedon]

So now I wonder what will happen with Huet. He costs more to keep on the roster than Niemi will...

[Butterscup1679666578]

Gotta match this.

[Drew Doughty]

i'm not 100% sure, but the hawks would get a 1st rounder and a 3rd rounder for hjalmarsson if they don't match. that's a pretty good deal really.

 

i'd probably go with hjalmarsson over niemi, but i imagine my opinion is slightly different from hawks fans who have watched huet.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

So now I wonder what will happen with Huet. He costs more to keep on the roster than Niemi will...

 

Huet is being waived no matter what. He'll play in Rockford or he'll play in Europe.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

i'm not 100% sure, but the hawks would get a 1st rounder and a 3rd rounder for hjalmarsson if they don't match. that's a pretty good deal really.

 

i'd probably go with hjalmarsson over niemi, but i imagine my opinion is slightly different from hawks fans who have watched huet.

 

Honestly? Not really. I would have rather kept Ladd and dumped Niemi, and I certainly don't want to keep him over Hjalmarsson.

[Banedon]

So now I wonder what will happen with Huet. He costs more to keep on the roster than Niemi will...

 

Huet is being waived no matter what. He'll play in Rockford or he'll play in Europe.

 

So if we don't re-sign Niemi, goal is gonna be a huge question mark.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

So now I wonder what will happen with Huet. He costs more to keep on the roster than Niemi will...

 

Huet is being waived no matter what. He'll play in Rockford or he'll play in Europe.

 

So if we don't re-sign Niemi, goal is gonna be a huge question mark.

 

It will be if we re-sign Niemi. Niemi is some random dude from some lousy European league who barely beat out Corey Crawford in the preseason. He had two hot streaks, one early in the year and one in the SJ series, and now he's incredibly overrated.

 

It's a buyer's market in goalies this offseason, a lot of vets available and a lot of teams wanting to go cheap and young. They'll find some cheap vet to go on board.

 

I'd rather go with Corey Crawford as our starter than lose Hjalmarsson.

[jersey cubs fan]

So now I wonder what will happen with Huet. He costs more to keep on the roster than Niemi will...

 

Huet is being waived no matter what. He'll play in Rockford or he'll play in Europe.

 

So if we don't re-sign Niemi, goal is gonna be a huge question mark.

 

If they do sign Niemi goal is a question.

[brinoch]

My guess: they'll go Niemi.

 

I hope not. I really think that'd be a big mistake. Think of goalies as the middle relievers of hockey. There's a few elite ones and a whole bunch of guys who you never know about.

 

I always expected $3M for Hjalmarsson, so $3.5M for 4 years isn't out of line. I think the Hawks will match it. Oh, and they'll look for an opportunity to screw over the Sharks down the road.

[Prizefight]

Very shrewd offer by San Jose. They know it's around 500k more than the Hawks were hoping to pay, yet not outrageous enough for us to decline it and for them to be saddled with a huge contract.

 

 

Stan is not an idiot. We'll match. See ya Niemi, thanks for everything.

[brinoch]

So now I wonder what will happen with Huet. He costs more to keep on the roster than Niemi will...

 

Huet is being waived no matter what. He'll play in Rockford or he'll play in Europe.

 

So if we don't re-sign Niemi, goal is gonna be a huge question mark.

 

The Detroit model of team-building is secure your core team, develop a strong talent pipeline and never, ever overpay for goaltending. The Hawks, with the Bowmans helping run the show, are most assuredly devotees of this model. The analogy to middle relievers is very apt, actually.

 

The Hawks are a very strong team on the blueline -- perhaps top 3, definitely top 5, and they play a puck control game (see their struggles when Campbell was injured). They gave up the fewest shots against in the NHL last season. The team is built to protect the goaltender from facing barrages of shots, no matter who it is. Match the offer sheet for Hjalmarsson and see what Niemi gets in arbitration. Then make a decision. Hjalmarrson is significantly more important than Niemi -- and I'm a big Niemi fan.

[UMFan83]

hjalmarsson signed to a 4 year, 14m offer sheet by san jose. chicago has 7 days to match or accept draft picks as compensation.

 

[expletive] San Jose. Don't they have enough talent already?

[RedFlash]

hjalmarsson signed to a 4 year, 14m offer sheet by san jose. chicago has 7 days to match or accept draft picks as compensation.

 

[expletive] San Jose. Don't they have enough talent already?

 

To be honest I thought they would go after Niemi, and they still might after the Hawks match Hammer. I don't see a scenerio in which they don't match Hammer even if it cost them Niemi. But considering how good the Hawks offense and their defense is, they could still get a decent goals, ala Turco, and not miss a beat.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

I don't think Niemi can be offersheeted now that he's opted for arbitration. But I suspect he'll be a UFA after his arbitration hearing.

[Soul]

It just seems really hard to let go a goalie who generated a lot of surprise and attention during your Stanley Cup run. I'm not basing that on any great hockey insight though.

[Banedon]

I don't think Niemi can be offersheeted now that he's opted for arbitration. But I suspect he'll be a UFA after his arbitration hearing.

 

Correct. He's not considered a RFA anymore, so no offer sheets. Either the Hawks and Niemi agree prior to the arbitration hearing, or after the hearing, the Hawks can either accept the award, or walk away from the award, at which point Niemi becomes a UFA.

[jersey cubs fan]

It just seems really hard to let go a goalie who generated a lot of surprise and attention during your Stanley Cup run. I'm not basing that on any great hockey insight though.

 

Sure, it seems that way. And my guess is the marketing arm of the team wants to keep him, because a stanley cup winning goalie sells. But there have been lots of players who made a name for themselves in a championship that didn't need to be retained by that team.

 

If Niemi actually played great in the playoffs and/or finals, this could be harder. But the Hawks won because of their skaters, that was clear.

[Banedon]

But there have been lots of players who made a name for themselves in a championship that didn't need to be retained by that team.

 

It doesn't even take a championship to do that in a lot of cases.

[Magnetic Curses]

3.5 will probably seem like a bargain for him in a couple years, we need to match. plus, wasn't that around what cam barker got?

[Magnetic Curses]

over at fear the fin, they seem to be thinking there's a chance we won't match.

 

they also think if we do match, they'll get seabrook next year.