Re: NHL (Blackhawks included) offseason thread

[Magnetic Curses]

so how many empty spots do we have left to fill?

well...you know....starting goalie.

 

i know but a week or two ago we had 6 spots to fill and we've signed a handful of guys since then so i didnt know if niemi was the only piece left or if we had a few other slots open still

 

i think it's technically 4, but really 5 because huet doesn't count.

[Banedon]

Hawks and Niemi likely to go to arbitration.

 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/hockey/blackhawks/ct-spt-0728-blackhawks-chicago--20100727,0,4087148.story

[sneakypower]

here's hoping Niemi handles the hearing better than Tommy Salo did...

[Wilson A2000]

Hawks and Niemi likely to go to arbitration.

 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/hockey/blackhawks/ct-spt-0728-blackhawks-chicago--20100727,0,4087148.story

 

"This is atypical," Niemi's agent, Bill Zito, said Tuesday. "It's just about the cap; it's cap management. No one ever said, 'Antti doesn't deserve this or he's not good enough' or anything like that."

 

How much cap space do the Hawks have? Do they have $3 million? If not, why would Niemi even bother asking for that?

[Butterscup1679666578]

NHLBlackhawks The Blackhawks have re-signed LW Bryan Bickell to a 3-year deal and RW Jack Skille to a 1-year contract.

[Magnetic Curses]

NHLBlackhawks The Blackhawks have re-signed LW Bryan Bickell to a 3-year deal and RW Jack Skille to a 1-year contract.

 

bickell's cap-hit this year will be around 541,000. that's pretty good.

 

this leaves the blackhawks enough room to bring up beach and have a lalonde/vishnievsky 3rd pairing with about 2.4 mil to spend on niemi, assuming that it will be toivonen as the second goalie and not crawford.

 

CAPGEEK.COM CAP CALCULATOR

 

FORWARDS

Patrick Kane ($6.300m) / Jonathan Toews ($6.300m) / Troy Brouwer ($1.025m)

Marian Hossa ($5.275m) / Patrick Sharp ($3.900m) / Tomas Kopecky ($1.200m)

Viktor Stalberg ($0.850m) / Dave Bolland ($3.375m) / Kyle Beach ($1.170m)

Bryan Bickell ($0.541m) / Jake Dowell ($0.525m) / Jack Skille ($0.600m)

 

DEFENSEMEN

Brent Seabrook ($3.500m) / Duncan Keith ($5.538m)

Brian Campbell ($7.142m) / Niklas Hjalmarsson ($3.500m)

Shawn Lalonde ($0.773m) / Ivan Vishnevskiy ($0.821m)

John Scott ($0.512m)

 

GOALTENDERS

Hannu Toivonen ($0.550m) /Antti Niemi ($2.400m)

 

CARRY-OVER BONUS PENALTY: $4,157,753

 

CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (follow @capgeek on Twitter)

(these totals are compiled using the bonus cushion)

SALARY CAP: $59,400,000; CAP PAYROLL: $59,959,090; BONUSES: $610,000

CAP SPACE (21-man roster): $50,910

[UMFan83]

Still no contract for next season, Jose Theodore is now courted by a team he did not expect: the Chicago Blackhawks.

 

A source familiar with the matter confirmed the news in The Press. Unrestricted free agent, Theodore, and his agent Don Meehan, has recently received a surprise call [from the] Blackhawks. Based on what the Press has learned, the front office of Chicago has raised the possibility of offering the starting goalie position of goalie to Theodore.

 

[Butterscup1679666578]

Interesting

[Prizefight]

Our goalies next year will be Theodore/Turco and Crawford unless Niemi is willing to take around oh, 2 million per year probably.

[sherwood921]

Our goalies next year will be Theodore/Turco and Crawford unless Niemi is willing to take around oh, 2 million per year probably.

 

I still think we'll get Niemi for somewhere between $2.5-3.25mil and will be able to squeeze him in.

 

Don't think this team will be carrying Beach, as some have assumed previously.

[Prizefight]

Our goalies next year will be Theodore/Turco and Crawford unless Niemi is willing to take around oh, 2 million per year probably.

 

I still think we'll get Niemi for somewhere between $2.5-3.25mil and will be able to squeeze him in.

 

Don't think this team will be carrying Beach, as some have assumed previously.

 

 

That thought definitely has to be in Stan's mind. Is Niemi THAT much better than Turco/Theodore where it would outweigh the contributions Beach would bring if he makes the team(which I think he would)

 

I lean no...

[Banedon]

Hilariously obsucre source, but Matt Spiegel read a text on the Score earlier from a lady whose cousin is a dental hygenist that takes care of Rocky Wertz's teeth, and she said that according to Rocky, that Niemi wanted $4mil or he was going to arbitration.

[Prizefight]

Hilariously obsucre source, but Matt Spiegel read a text on the Score earlier from a lady whose cousin is a dental hygenist that takes care of Rocky Wertz's teeth, and she said that according to Rocky, that Niemi wanted $4mil or he was going to arbitration.

 

 

I think that's the number I've heard too, just not sure where.

 

I think the arbiter is going to side with Niemi just because he is probably 'worth' (based of the Stanley Cup) closer to the 4 than the 2 the Hawks would want to pay. He's good as gone I think. I'm perfectly comfortable with Turco/Theodore next year including the additional cap space for another signing or having Beach up on the big club.

 

Looking out over the market, I'm not sure what team Niemi or his agent thinks is going to offer him 3.5m+ per year right now.

[Banedon]

Just for hypotheticals here....

 

Lets say the arbitrator finds for Niemi. The Hawks say "no thanks", and Niemi becomes a UFA. The Hawks could still, in theory, work something out with him if his market ends up being a lot less than what he thinks, right?

[Magnetic Curses]

Our goalies next year will be Theodore/Turco and Crawford unless Niemi is willing to take around oh, 2 million per year probably.

 

I still think we'll get Niemi for somewhere between $2.5-3.25mil and will be able to squeeze him in.

 

Don't think this team will be carrying Beach, as some have assumed previously.

 

i'm not assuming that we're carrying beach at all. i would like to, though.

[sherwood921]

Just for hypotheticals here....

 

Lets say the arbitrator finds for Niemi. The Hawks say "no thanks", and Niemi becomes a UFA. The Hawks could still, in theory, work something out with him if his market ends up being a lot less than what he thinks, right?

 

This is where things are interesting. There's really not a huge market for him out there. My best guess would be maybe San Jose clearing space for him, but I'm fairly certain there is a rule that if he signs for a deal that is something like 90% or less than the arbitrator awards, the Hawks can match that deal.

 

So for example, he gets awarded $3.5mil and the Hawks walk away. He becomes a UFA and gets offered a $2.75 mil deal with San Jose. According to something I read the other day, I think the Hawks could match that. Unfortunately, I can't find where I read that.

[sherwood921]

Our goalies next year will be Theodore/Turco and Crawford unless Niemi is willing to take around oh, 2 million per year probably.

 

I still think we'll get Niemi for somewhere between $2.5-3.25mil and will be able to squeeze him in.

 

Don't think this team will be carrying Beach, as some have assumed previously.

 

i'm not assuming that we're carrying beach at all. i would like to, though.

 

Yeah, I think he'd definitely be interesting. I think he for sure gets carried if they go with Crawford/Toivonen, but otherwise I could see him getting the Skille treatment since his cap hit is so high. The best part of all the competition among the bottom 6 forwards is that guys like Dowell, Bickell, Skille had to be thinking "If I sign for less, there's a better chance I'm on the Hawks getting paid rather than sitting in Rockford making $60k."

[Banedon]

Just for hypotheticals here....

 

Lets say the arbitrator finds for Niemi. The Hawks say "no thanks", and Niemi becomes a UFA. The Hawks could still, in theory, work something out with him if his market ends up being a lot less than what he thinks, right?

 

This is where things are interesting. There's really not a huge market for him out there. My best guess would be maybe San Jose clearing space for him, but I'm fairly certain there is a rule that if he signs for a deal that is something like 90% or less than the arbitrator awards, the Hawks can match that deal.

 

So for example, he gets awarded $3.5mil and the Hawks walk away. He becomes a UFA and gets offered a $2.75 mil deal with San Jose. According to something I read the other day, I think the Hawks could match that. Unfortunately, I can't find where I read that.

 

Good call...

 

c) If a Club exercises its walk-away right, the following

applies:

 

(i) If the player accepts an offer from a

New Club in respect of that year of the contract which the Prior

Club has walked-away from that is less than 80% of the award for

such year, the Prior Club may, within seven (7) days after the

date it receives the applicable Offer Sheet, elect to match the

offer of the New Club and the Player and the Prior Club shall

enter into a Player Contract on those terms and conditions

 

http://www.nhlfa.com/CBA/cba_agreement12.asp

[jersey cubs fan]

Shouldn't be hard for a new team to sign him to 19% below the award.

[Banedon]

Shouldn't be hard for a new team to sign him to 19% below the award.

 

Yeah...at $4 million, that'd be $3.24 million to be at 81% of the award if my math is right.

[sherwood921]

Shouldn't be hard for a new team to sign him to 19% below the award.

 

That stinks, I thought it was 90%. You're right, I could see San Jose/Philly offering him at least 81% of the award should the Hawks walk away.

 

I know the Arbitrator gets 48 hours and then the Hawks get 48 hours, but does anyone know if it's typical for the arbitrator to take that much time? This weekend's convention presents the possibility of some interesting questions.

[Prizefight]

Shouldn't be hard for a new team to sign him to 19% below the award.

 

That stinks, I thought it was 90%. You're right, I could see San Jose/Philly offering him at least 81% of the award should the Hawks walk away.

 

I know the Arbitrator gets 48 hours and then the Hawks get 48 hours, but does anyone know if it's typical for the arbitrator to take that much time? This weekend's convention presents the possibility of some interesting questions.

 

 

I thought about the convention before with all of this. Would make a nice McD type marketing ploy to announce Niemi resigning

[sherwood921]

Stan Bowman announces a press conference for 6pm Central time...

[Flames24Rulz]

Stan Bowman announces a press conference for 6pm Central time...

 

I'm fully expecting that it's going to be a conference announcing Niemi's departure and the addition of either Theodore or Turco.

[Prizefight]

Stan Bowman announces a press conference for 6pm Central time...

 

I'm fully expecting that it's going to be a conference announcing Niemi's departure and the addition of either Theodore or Turco.

 

Agreed.