I am the combative one right now, just a lot of personal poop going on that is out of my control.
- LAHawk

Sorry to hear that, LA. Hope you and yours are healthy.

Because they are $20 million beneath the cap floor. Penalty is loss of KD,s coveted draft choices. They have 8 open slots. If you sign RFA’s Anderson, Kurashev and even Mitchell for a combined $5 mil, you now have 5 slots to get to $15 million

Plus you probably have to promotevSoderblom to play with Mrazek.that leaves 4 slots and $14 million.
- LAHawk

T. Johnson $5,000,000
D!ckinson $2,625,000
Bjork $1,750,000
Blackwell $1,200,000
Guttman $950,000
Reichel $925,000
Entwistle $800,000
Hardman $800,000
R. Johnson $800,000
Katchouk $758,333
Raddysh $758,333
Anderson $825,000
Kurashev $825,0005

S. Jones $9,000,000
Zaitsev $4,500,000
Murphy $4,400,000
C. Jones $1,750,000
Kaiser $916,667
Pick one $1,000,000
Pick one $1,000,000

Mrazek $3,800,000
Soderblom $1,250,000

Keith $1,938,456
Connolly $1,166,667
Borgstrum $183,334
McCabe $2,000,000

Total $50,841,790
Cap Floor $61,000,000

Domi $5,000,000? gets you about half way to the cap floor.

Toews? Although it is likely he retires. You could give him a $5 mil 35+ contact with performance bonuses.
Take on a bad contract or two?
Sign/overpay for a player or two?

Here is a crazy idea. Trade for Bobrovsky 1/2 salary retained (along with Florida's 2nd round picks and 4th round picks in 2025). Then retain 1/4 of his salary ($2.5 mil for 3 more years) and trade him for another 2nd round pick.

T. Johnson $5,000,000
D!ckinson $2,625,000
Bjork $1,750,000
Blackwell $1,200,000
Guttman $950,000
Reichel $925,000
Entwistle $800,000
Hardman $800,000
R. Johnson $800,000
Katchouk $758,333
Raddysh $758,333
Anderson $825,000
Kurashev $825,0005

S. Jones $9,000,000
Zaitsev $4,500,000
Murphy $4,400,000
C. Jones $1,750,000
Kaiser $916,667
Pick one $1,000,000
Pick one $1,000,000

Mrazek $3,800,000
Soderblom $1,250,000

Keith $1,938,456
Connolly $1,166,667
Borgstrum $183,334
McCabe $2,000,000

Total $50,841,790
Cap Floor $61,000,000

Domi $5,000,000? gets you about half way to the cap floor.

Toews? Although it is likely he retires. You could give him a $5 mil 35+ contact with performance bonuses.
Take on a bad contract or two?
Sign/overpay for a player or two?

Here is a crazy idea. Trade for Bobrovsky 1/2 salary retained (along with Florida's 2nd round picks and 4th round picks in 2025). Then retain 1/4 of his salary ($2.5 mil for 3 more years) and trade him for another 2nd round pick.
- -Doh-

Maybe KD can look at signing an RFA?

Maybe KD can look at signing an RFA?
- paulr

T. Johnson $5,000,000

Toews? Although it is likely he retires. You could give him a $5 mil 35+ contact with performance bonuses.
Take on a bad contract or two?
Sign/overpay for a player or two?

Here is a crazy idea. Trade for Bobrovsky 1/2 salary retained (along with Florida's 2nd round picks and 4th round picks in 2025). Then retain 1/4 of his salary ($2.5 mil for 3 more years) and trade him for another 2nd round pick.
- -Doh-

Not a bad idea but Bob has a full NMC for another year and a M-NTC/NMC his last 2 seasons. 16 team no-trade list.

Current situation ….,some interesting thoughts

1). LA Kings almost blew a 5-1 lead vs the Blues Not a good sign regarding goaltending and team defense. Could be a case of having the blues if this situation outcome holds true in playoffs Which brings about a question regarding the coaching strategy and what coaches could get their team to change their style of checking, a shadow checker, a player(s) on their roster might be used in a special role? You could come up with all kinds of ideas. How the Kings tighten up?

But maybe an opponent vs say Toronto decides to check Marner constantly, take runs at him, etc. The idea is to make Toronto best you without Marner being his usual force.

Then again, one team seremimgly has better goaltending this year, yet Playoff hockey is a different kind of hockey and Carolina hasn’t even able to overcome early playoff exit. What might be their strategy?

Another team struggles in playoffs is Winnipeg. If they get in to the playoffs, how might they strategize?

Oh BTW the other idea is the the proclivity for KD to use an abundance of second round choices to get a future #1 choice. Want to draft someone in round two of this strong draft? Could try trading our #2 this draft for your later #2 this draft if the other team would exchange their # 1 in a future year for our #2 same year. The idea is to try to get a run if say three years with two first round choices. There could then be one further trade consideration, to trade two first round choices in same draft for one very early #1 same draft year.

After the ‘23 and ‘24 drafts there might be a desire to draft the best physical style forward who has line one ceiling or whatever looking for. I know the idea is to always draft best player available. If we like two forwards or value them about the same, you tell another team with a pick very close to yours that the picks could be swapped- what would we get out of it? Who knows but maybe eventually we want to dump some contract we no longer want to be paying off. As our Blackhawks improve their may be a free agent sign and we need to dump a salary. This whole chain of trading is just forward and thinking. In other words, an idea maybe worth seeing if it might be sensible and worthwhile at some point in time

Please, try and keep Drouin's name off all Hawk's blogs. He was the 3rd overall pick in 2013 (did Stevie Y draft him?) and is an example of a high pick bust. We don't wanna put any bad mojo in the air.

But yea, Drouin, who's hit 50+ points twice, might be a fit on a 1 yr 3 milish deal. Skilled enough to be a top 6 guy on next yrs roster and the kind of guy who may have few options and at only 27 yrs old looking for a chance to prove himself as he'll get top 6 minutes and PP time with CHI.
- Mr Ricochet

Agree, doesn't have the mental fortitude for what the hawks are doing.

Wheeler has a NMC, I highly doubt he would waive to come to Chicago.

Kane wants to go to a team with the chance to win a cup.

Hawks aren’t the only team with cap space. Arizona. Buffalo, Detroit, Montreal, New a Jersey, Nashville, etc., etc. all have cap space to add players.

Whoever the Hawks sign, is becgause that player has been rejected by a more preferable ( to the player) destination.
- LAHawk

Yea because if they offered Kane or Tarasenko or any other player in the league over $10 million to play in Chicago for one year they would turn it down? you seem to forget the golden rule, money talks and bullpoop walks.

You keep saying all these teams have all this cap space as well? How did we get a 2nd round pick for taking on Zaitsev?

You keep saying all these teams have all this cap space as well? How did we get a 2nd round pick for taking on Zaitsev?
- BetweenTheDots

deadline space to create flexibility.

I guess my quesstion is why would a top tier player want to sign a 1 year deal, to come to a likely another team that will place near the bottom of the standings, have a huge salary which makes a trade to a contender hard to navigate come March....I don't get the attractiveness for that to happen for the player, and the organization. Likely see the hawks just hitting the floor while waiting for prospects to hit.

Maybe KD can look at signing an RFA?
- paulr

It will be interesting to see how he navigates this and getting to the floor by opening night. I can't see him go sign a big name player for multiple years right now. Dead money?

and the three crappiest goalies an NHL team has ever played an entire with...except for the Blackhawks
- wiz1901

Colin Delia would be great in the ECHL.

deadline space to create flexibility.

I guess my quesstion is why would a top tier player want to sign a 1 year deal, to come to a likely another team that will place near the bottom of the standings, have a huge salary which makes a trade to a contender hard to navigate come March....I don't get the attractiveness for that to happen for the player, and the organization. Likely see the hawks just hitting the floor while waiting for prospects to hit.
- SteveRain

There are only two ways I see a top tier player signing with this current team. One, is offer sheeting an RFA but I’m not sure a rebuilding Blackhawk club will want to relinquish a bunch of first round picks, unless the RFA is a real superstar. The second reason a UFA may be interested to sign is if the Hawks were to win this years draft lottery.

Maybe KD can look at signing an RFA?
- paulr

Trading for Karlsson will fix everything.
Not to split hairs but S. Jones is $9.5M.

There are only two ways I see a top tier player signing with this current team. One, is offer sheeting an RFA but I’m not sure a rebuilding Blackhawk club will want to relinquish a bunch of first round picks, unless the RFA is a real superstar. The second reason a UFA may be interested to sign is if the Hawks were to win this years draft lottery.
- paulr

I don't see a rebuilding Hawks team offer sheeting a RFA and having to pay the price of giving up draft picks. Right when the window to win is opening? Sure.....with the prospect pool still inept? I don't see it.

As far as scenario 2 goes.....even if they win Bedard, figure they are still multiple years away, and would the hawks want to play a player large money and waste ROI on said players contributions when they aren't in a window to win? I don't see that happening as well. Don't see the Hawks being players for that.....what is likely is signing a few veterans on 2 year deals max to help hit the floor and make them attractive enough if the player gets more ice time, puts up better stats, they can flip said player.

not even sure what RFAs or UFAs are available this summer...need to take a look.

I don't see a rebuilding Hawks team offer sheeting a RFA and having to pay the price of giving up draft picks. Right when the window to win is opening? Sure.....with the prospect pool still inept? I don't see it.

As far as scenario 2 goes.....even if they win Bedard, figure they are still multiple years away, and would the hawks want to play a player large money and waste ROI on said players contributions when they aren't in a window to win? I don't see that happening as well. Don't see the Hawks being players for that.....what is likely is signing a few veterans on 2 year deals max to help hit the floor and make them attractive enough if the player gets more ice time, puts up better stats, they can flip said player.

not even sure what RFAs or UFAs are available this summer...need to take a look.
- SteveRain

I agree with you Steve, just playing devil’s advocate.

I agree with you Steve, just playing devil’s advocate.
- paulr

I figured you did. Think we saw the cards being shown by KD when he dealt DeBrincat last summer as that was a perfect piece to sign LT but they didn't. Was that more to push Kane out the door? WHo the hell knows....I just don't see them giving up draft picks for Meier, DeBrincat or Luc-Dubois

UFAs....Kane, Tarasenko, O'Reilly, JVR, Klingberg, Pacioretty, Monahan, Lucic, etc

I figured you did. Think we saw the cards being shown by KD when he dealt DeBrincat last summer as that was a perfect piece to sign LT but they didn't. Was that more to push Kane out the door? WHo the hell knows....I just don't see them giving up draft picks for Meier, DeBrincat or Luc-Dubois

UFAs....Kane, Tarasenko, O'Reilly, JVR, Klingberg, Pacioretty, Monahan, Lucic, etc


- SteveRain

I think the best way to sign a UFA is exactly how the Hawk’s signed Hossa. Strategically sign the exact player needed to round out a roster.

I think the best way to sign a UFA is exactly how the Hawk’s signed Hossa. Strategically sign the exact player needed to round out a roster.
- paulr

100% agreed. unless it's a massive get like a Matthews or Marner. They you find a way to make room.

Just all aboard the patience train here....realize so many things have to happen before we even contemplate offer sheeting or signing a guy to a massive deal. Has zero to do with a "KD fail" and more so about not wasting money on a guy who isn't going to help when it's needed most.

My biggest concern now is this team staying below 60 points from here on out. STL and Philly home games worry me=Hawks wins. Sharks and Jackets will be tough to overcome.

It will be interesting to see how he navigates this and getting to the floor by opening night. I can't see him go sign a big name player for multiple years right now. Dead money?
- SteveRain

Sean Monahan
Tyler Bertuzzi
Alexander Kerfoot
JT Compher


There's some nice forward targets out there that are still young and not cost too much.

Sean Monahan
Tyler Bertuzzi
Alexander Kerfoot
JT Compher


There's some nice forward targets out there that are still young and not cost too much.
- TommyHawk

Sign Max Domi, Tyler Bertuzzi, and Brendan Lemieux and then next season there can be "Do you remember when" nights all the time.

Sean Monahan
Tyler Bertuzzi
Alexander Kerfoot
JT Compher


There's some nice forward targets out there that are still young and not cost too much.
- TommyHawk

If the Avs don't/can't re sign Compher he might want to consider coming home to play for a nice bankroll.

It will be interesting to see how he navigates this and getting to the floor by opening night. I can't see him go sign a big name player for multiple years right now. Dead money?
- SteveRain

I would think KD has a plan in place to reach the cap floor, especially if has known for a while that Kane and Toews and their combined new contracts of 9-12M wouldn't be on the books for next season. We'll see what he does. IMO. I don't think he'll load up on talent via free agency, so next year's team will be in contention for a top 5 pick.

Wideman and Stu Grimson would be a great combo in the TV booth.
- Dieselhead

I agree. I think Stu would be an excellent color guy. I saw him a couple of times on the intermission show and I thought he was very inciteful.

I would think KD has a plan in place to reach the cap floor, especially if has known for a while that Kane and Toews and their combined new contracts of 9-12M wouldn't be on the books for next season. We'll see what he does. IMO. I don't think he'll load up on talent via free agency, so next year's team will be in contention for a top 5 pick.
- boilermaker100

which is perfectly OK....another year with more picks, and the higher the picks the likelyhood of hitting on a few building blocks for the future. Hopefully Hawks stay at pick 1 or 2. That's my hope.