Chicago Blackhawks Offseason Thread

[Banedon]

We won't lock the playoffs thread, and will use that thread for more talk about the parade, and other general celebration. But with the draft and free agency coming up fast, we do need a thread for that discussion. I'll start with this article about how cheap goaltending may be the way to go:

 

Between Crawford and Emery, a duo that surprisingly finished the regular season with the second best save percentage in the NHL (raise your hand if you would have guessed that without looking at the numbers), the 2013 Blackhawks committed just $4 million of their salary cap space to goaltending, which was one of the lowest totals in the league.

 

Just to put that number into some context there were 15 individual goalies in the NHL this season that took up more of their team's cap space. Seven of them missed the playoffs entirely. Of the ones that did see time in the playoffs, only two made it past the first round and one of them (Marc-Andre Fleury), did so on the bench.

 

http://www.cbssports.com/nhl/blog/eye-on-hockey/22518774/the-most-valuable-commodity-in-hockey-cheap-goaltending

[GammonsPocketTweets]

Are there any interesting prospects coming up through the Rockford pipeline for next year(like a Saad ?) I don't follow the minors really at all.

[jersey cubs fan]

Are there any interesting prospects coming up through the Rockford pipeline for next year(like a Saad ?) I don't follow the minors really at all.

 

http://www.hockeysfuture.com/teams/chicago_blackhawks/

 

Jimmy Hayes, Ben Smith and Jeremy Morin are guys that have been around a bit and could earn jobs in training camp. They will probably get their backup goalie from within the system next year.

[Banedon]

Are there any interesting prospects coming up through the Rockford pipeline for next year(like a Saad ?) I don't follow the minors really at all.

 

http://www.hockeysfuture.com/teams/chicago_blackhawks/

 

Jimmy Hayes, Ben Smith and Jeremy Morin are guys that have been around a bit and could earn jobs in training camp. They will probably get their backup goalie from within the system next year.

 

Until I watched the recap video the other night, I didn't remember Ben Smith scoring in the WCF in 2010. He's been around a while now.

[Banedon]

Goaltender Henrik Karlsson is reportedly on his way back to his homeland in Sweden.

 

As per a report (translated through Google) from the SVT Sport, the 29-year-old Karlsson has signed a one-year contract with Skellefteå AIK, the Swedish champions.

[GammonsPocketTweets]

Summer of Kane has begun

 

http://deadspin.com/heres-patrick-kane-partying-and-spraying-champagne-on-584620804

[Guest]

so what's the deal with montador?

[kujay]

so what's the deal with montador?

 

They have two buyouts they should just use one on him.

 

Here's the whole situation:

 

http://www.capgeek.com/blackhawks/

 

There's work to be done but it's not catastrophic. I guess Raanta and Hutton will compete for the backup job. Either way they'll be quite a bit cheaper than Emery was.

 

With revenue projections for the league soaring the next few years, the cap will likely go right back up to where it was and beyond pretty quickly. That's what makes me think reupping Toews and Kane won't be an issue.

 

Just one nagging feeling. Winnipeg and Buffalo could lure them home. They've already won their cups. I can see them saying they'd like to play at home, especially Toews.

[Guest]

i'd assume they'll bring Raanta along as the backup this year if there isn't an unforeseen catastrophe. Raanta will be the starting goalie after Crawford leaves.

[wekim81]

What does "buried" mean? And why is our "cap payroll" 6M under our actual payroll. And whats the story with the buyouts? Are they like the amnesty clause in the NBA?

 

Sorry so many questions - i dont follow the financial side of hockey like i do baseball and the NBA. Thanks for your responses.

[jersey cubs fan]

What does "buried" mean? And why is our "cap payroll" 6M under our actual payroll. And whats the story with the buyouts? Are they like the amnesty clause in the NBA?

 

Sorry so many questions - i dont follow the financial side of hockey like i do baseball and the NBA. Thanks for your responses.

 

I think the buried has to do with his status of being injured and/or waived and placed in the minors. I think because of that his cap hit isn't as big as it would be if he was on the big squad. And the cap payroll is lower than the actual payroll because of the way they have structured contracts to spread out the cap hit. Marion Hossa has a $5.2m cap hit number but makes $7.9m. Keith makes about $2m more than his cap hit this year.

[jersey cubs fan]

Maybe Lecavalier is the 2nd line center they've been looking for.

[Guest]

he's slowwwwwwww

[seanimal]

Just one nagging feeling. Winnipeg and Buffalo could lure them home. They've already won their cups. I can see them saying they'd like to play at home, especially Toews.

 

this just doesn't worry me in the slightest, these guys are blackhawks until they're not wanted anymore

[seanimal]

Maybe Lecavalier is the 2nd line center they've been looking for.

 

no thx. we just won a cup without a prototypical 2nd-line center. while we didn't win because of that, i'm inclined to believe it's a non-issue, a la power play

[kujay]

@ESPNChiHawks: Bowman says Hawks will buy out Montador and Olesz if unclaimed after waivers

 

Well that's that. Guess Hoss stays.

[Banedon]

@ESPNChiHawks: Bowman says Hawks will buy out Montador and Olesz if unclaimed after waivers

 

Well that's that. Guess Hoss stays.

 

For this year. Almost sure to be amnestied next year, right?

 

EDIT: Ohhh. Nevermind...this uses them both.

[jersey cubs fan]

@ESPNChiHawks: Bowman says Hawks will buy out Montador and Olesz if unclaimed after waivers

 

Well that's that. Guess Hoss stays.

 

Hah, when searching Montador last night I saw something written months ago that stated these two were almost certain to be amnesty guys, but hadn't heard it anywhere else.

 

 

I did think the talk of Hossa's buyout didn't hold up. That would be a large sum of money to pay a good player to go away, and while Rocky has been more open with the wallet he has also talked quite a bit about the lack of profits.

[Banedon]

@ESPNChiHawks: Bowman says Hawks will buy out Montador and Olesz if unclaimed after waivers

 

Well that's that. Guess Hoss stays.

 

Hah, when searching Montador last night I saw something written months ago that stated these two were almost certain to be amnesty guys, but hadn't heard it anywhere else.

 

 

I did think the talk of Hossa's buyout didn't hold up. That would be a large sum of money to pay a good player to go away, and while Rocky has been more open with the wallet he has also talked quite a bit about the lack of profits.

 

Apparently Bowman said that Hossa is a warrior, and that he's looking to play hockey, not retire. That he's not worried about Hossa leaving or retiring.

[GammonsPocketTweets]

Mark Lazerus ‏@MarkLazerus 25m

RT @Real_ESPNLeBrun: Heard from another team that the Blackhawks are shopping center Dave Bolland...

 

If they can move Bolland's salary, that should give them a shot to keep Bickell, no?

[Banedon]

Mark Lazerus ‏@MarkLazerus 25m

RT @Real_ESPNLeBrun: Heard from another team that the Blackhawks are shopping center Dave Bolland...

 

If they can move Bolland's salary, that should give them a shot to keep Bickell, no?

 

I'd think so. With Olesz, Montador, and Bolland gone, it'd give the Hawks 10.4 mil to play with.

[jersey cubs fan]

Mark Lazerus ‏@MarkLazerus 25m

RT @Real_ESPNLeBrun: Heard from another team that the Blackhawks are shopping center Dave Bolland...

 

If they can move Bolland's salary, that should give them a shot to keep Bickell, no?

 

I fell in love with Bolland in 2010 but he is absolutely not coming back in 2014/15 so they might as well move him. That $3.4m is real cap space.

[GammonsPocketTweets]

Is Bolland a "Tallon" guy? I'm sure you could dump him there.

[jersey cubs fan]

http://capgeek.com/leaders/?season=2013&type=CAP_HIT&position=-1&limit=50

 

Still kind of scary that Kane and Toews are only 37 and 38 in the league in size of the cap hit. They will be shooting up that list. Once you get to $8m you are top 7.

[rawaction]

How tradeable is Bolland? Assuming he'd go for a mediocre draft pick. 6th or 7th?