4000. I got excited, only
3900.

For those interested in Carle, I found this article explaining why he is in demand. A passage from one of his players:

“There’s a lot of things and it’s tough to just weigh in on one,” King said. “He’s got one of the best minds for the game and he’s really good at coaching young guys, adapting them to their system and just the way of playing hockey here at Denver.”

And, King said, “He’s understandable. He understands what guys are going through, so he makes it very easy to approach him with issues or stuff you’re struggling with.”

Here's the rest:
https://denvergazette.com...ef-8c7a-67c74e102d24.html

I don't really understand where this is even coming from. Just people in the media trying to find something to write about and on the off chance it becomes true in the future, said individuals can claim they were first on the scene.

Chicago is one of the biggest hockey markets in the US and one of the best cities in the US. I'm sure Bedard has seen what it looks like when the Hawks win a cup. Millions turn out to celebrate. Vancouver is pretty cool but aside from that idk. Win a cup in Chicago, you are immortalized.

If the Hawks are in the basement when Bedard's rookie deal ends then ya concern is warranted.
- bhawks2241

Why? They still basically have full control of his contract.

Why? They still basically have full control of his contract.
- Chunk

Resigning Bedard is the least of our worries right now.

Resigning Bedard is the least of our worries right now.
- rpeters01

What do you think the biggest concern is?

What do you think the biggest concern is?
- paulr

Competence
Confidence
Any sort of team identity
Talent

Argument could be made for all of these.

What do you think the biggest concern is?
- paulr

Development of the current pipeline.

Development of the current pipeline.
- rpeters01

Getting a losing culture within the organization and on ice play.

Why? They still basically have full control of his contract.
- Chunk

B/C I didn't want to figure out the arbitration rights, etc. LOL

Whenever they lose control of him, if they are still in the basement, then I would be concerned. Otherwise biggest concerns prospect development, asset management, and the organization not creating a culture/situation that ruins or stunts young talent development (ala the Sabres ).

What do you think the biggest concern is?
- paulr

Cancer, baby!

Guerin made it work with more salary bought out and less cap space to do it in.
- LAHawk

This was their combined buyout schedule:

2021-2022: $4,743,588
2022-2023: $12,743,588
2023-2024: $14,743,588
2024-2025: $14,743,588
2025-2029: $1,666,666 per year

Individually, the Jones schedule is still the most onerous I've looked at. As I said, though, if they plan to be at the salary floor for the next five years, it helps them get there. This rebuild is not going to happen overnight, we know that. I still remember the griping on here about Keith's recapture penalty, but I reminded everyone that it was doing the Hawks a favor because of the timing of it.

The Wild story is interesting, though. Guerin must have really thought Parise/Suter had to go for that to happen. They were both 36 at the time. They had a good team, and continued to be good after the buyouts, except for last year.

These contracts remind me of the adage that a boat owner's two happiest days are the day he buys the boat and the day he sells the boat. But the Hossa contract is obviously the exception.

Cancer, baby!
- mohel

Yeah I’ve been hearing cancer has become a problem with the Blackhawks.

I have read a few article lately about Toews entertaining the thought of coming back. Toronto has been mentioned the most times but if he did come back, and I am not holding my breath, I would love to see him go to Colorado. He could play with the Toews that he is not related to! As for Jones, tell him to pack his stuff and when he is ready to go where he is traded, to let them know. Bring back Q!

This was their combined buyout schedule:

2021-2022: $4,743,588
2022-2023: $12,743,588
2023-2024: $14,743,588
2024-2025: $14,743,588
2025-2029: $1,666,666 per year

Individually, the Jones schedule is still the most onerous I've looked at. As I said, though, if they plan to be at the salary floor for the next five years, it helps them get there. This rebuild is not going to happen overnight, we know that. I still remember the griping on here about Keith's recapture penalty, but I reminded everyone that it was doing the Hawks a favor because of the timing of it.

The Wild story is interesting, though. Guerin must have really thought Parise/Suter had to go for that to happen. They were both 36 at the time. They had a good team, and continued to be good after the buyouts, except for last year.

These contracts remind me of the adage that a boat owner's two happiest days are the day he buys the boat and the day he sells the boat. But the Hossa contract is obviously the exception.
- 333inthe3rd

You pointed one of the biggest difference in the decision to buy out, and that's the age of the player. As for Jones, buying him out makes very little sense.

If they bought him out this summer, then you have 4.4 million in savings for one year, so basically you have to replace what he did for 4 million to save any money. After that you have to replace his minutes for under 2 million, and finally less than 1.5 million for 3 more years, before having an additional 1 million in cap penalty for 5 more years. If he doesn't fit with the team, then it makes a lot more sense to make a trade and move him.

I've never been a Jones guy, but I try to be realistic, he isn't worthless. He isn't a drain on the team. They aren't realistically "better without him". That argument has never held water. The performance of the team without him has never improved during his tenure here either, numbers don't lie.

Not unless he is actually "causing a problem" or that we are stuck needing the little cap space so badly, there just isn't a benefit, especially without someone to replace him. Again, even then a trade makes a lot more sense, especially when a team has a lot of prospects and draft capital to make a deal work out. Especially if you consider maybe you retain a little salary, let's say 2 million. It's a lot less dead cap per year and in the long run.

Right now the argument could be made that the buyouts Guerin did failed to help his team or at least in any meaningful way. They haven't won anything, it's been only first round exists and missing the playoffs.

Parise retired, so his money would have been off the books this season. Suter has continued to play 20+ minutes a night, perform reasonable well and would have been in the final year of his deal.

You pointed one of the biggest difference in the decision to buy out, and that's the age of the player. As for Jones, buying him out makes very little sense.

If they bought him out this summer, then you have 4.4 million in savings for one year, so basically you have to replace what he did for 4 million to save any money. After that you have to replace his minutes for under 2 million, and finally less than 1.5 million for 3 more years, before having an additional 1 million in cap penalty for 5 more years. If he doesn't fit with the team, then it makes a lot more sense to make a trade and move him.

I've never been a Jones guy, but I try to be realistic, he isn't worthless. He isn't a drain on the team. They aren't realistically "better without him". That argument has never held water. The performance of the team without him has never improved during his tenure here either, numbers don't lie.

Not unless he is actually "causing a problem" or that we are stuck needing the little cap space so badly, there just isn't a benefit, especially without someone to replace him. Again, even then a trade makes a lot more sense, especially when a team has a lot of prospects and draft capital to make a deal work out. Especially if you consider maybe you retain a little salary, let's say 2 million. It's a lot less dead cap per year and in the long run.

Right now the argument could be made that the buyouts Guerin did failed to help his team or at least in any meaningful way. They haven't won anything, it's been only first round exists and missing the playoffs.

Parise retired, so his money would have been off the books this season. Suter has continued to play 20+ minutes a night, perform reasonable well and would have been in the final year of his deal.
- breadbag

Jones' eats minutes and shows some flash on rushes. He can also get the puck on net at least some of the time.

He's had some poor games since his return but I suspect it'll improve.

His hockey sense appears to be below average and his lackadaisical attitude along with his huge contract generates the animosity here. In all fairness, he signed here under greatly different circumstances but at the amount he's paid, he should play with professionalism.

He would easily be a 3-4 on a contender. Maybe even 2. Even on our team, as the quality of his teammates improve, his stats and performance should improve. The above said, I wouldn't buy him out at this point. A trade would be preferred but he still is valuable on our team and is not holding any young Dmen back such as Brodie or Megna/Tinordi were last year.

The recent PK stats weren't sustainable. Let's see where it levels off?
- rpeters01

Better than 75% since he came back.

Better than 75% since he came back.
- BetweenTheDots

It's not all on him though. The whole team has played like crap (goalies included). 5v5, PK have both been atrocious. Haven't looked at the PP numbers, but I'd guess those are about the same.

I'm not enamored with the guy, but he's not the be all/end all to the Hawks problems. He also wouldn't be that difficult to move as long as he waived to move. Trouba, Phaneuf, Karlsson with an even worser contract and his age, several others. It only takes one enamored GM to get them to go.

It's not all on him though. The whole team has played like crap (goalies included). 5v5, PK have both been atrocious. Haven't looked at the PP numbers, but I'd guess those are about the same.

I'm not enamored with the guy, but he's not the be all/end all to the Hawks problems. He also wouldn't be that difficult to move as long as he waived to move. Trouba, Phaneuf, Karlsson with an even worser contract and his age, several others. It only takes one enamored GM to get them to go.
- Chunk

It sure is

They were playing so well together and then he came back.

You pointed one of the biggest difference in the decision to buy out, and that's the age of the player. As for Jones, buying him out makes very little sense.

If they bought him out this summer, then you have 4.4 million in savings for one year, so basically you have to replace what he did for 4 million to save any money. After that you have to replace his minutes for under 2 million, and finally less than 1.5 million for 3 more years, before having an additional 1 million in cap penalty for 5 more years. If he doesn't fit with the team, then it makes a lot more sense to make a trade and move him.

I've never been a Jones guy, but I try to be realistic, he isn't worthless. He isn't a drain on the team. They aren't realistically "better without him". That argument has never held water. The performance of the team without him has never improved during his tenure here either, numbers don't lie.

Not unless he is actually "causing a problem" or that we are stuck needing the little cap space so badly, there just isn't a benefit, especially without someone to replace him. Again, even then a trade makes a lot more sense, especially when a team has a lot of prospects and draft capital to make a deal work out. Especially if you consider maybe you retain a little salary, let's say 2 million. It's a lot less dead cap per year and in the long run.

Right now the argument could be made that the buyouts Guerin did failed to help his team or at least in any meaningful way. They haven't won anything, it's been only first round exists and missing the playoffs.

Parise retired, so his money would have been off the books this season. Suter has continued to play 20+ minutes a night, perform reasonable well and would have been in the final year of his deal.
- breadbag

It's hard to say if the buyouts were correct for Guerin or not, without knowing the locker room dynamics, and if they kept vetoing trades. Those two players wore letters, it should be noted. It was more than just jettisoning two aging veterans. Fiala for Faber and a 1st was a helluva trade, too. If only salary cap trades always worked out like that one did.

A buyout for Jones is obviously a last resort. One would think they could find a home for him while retaining half, with the infamous "future considerations" in return, before that happened. He's 30 now, not 36. But trading a guy with a full NMC is always more challenging. Even if he does want out. It wouldn't surprise me if he has asked to be moved already, also. Even with the request. we know he's probably not waiving to go to Ottawa or back to Columbus. And in a hard cap league, even if a team wants him, they still have to make the numbers work.

In case anyone missed this Pope has a really good read about how Sorensen has brought a system that wants the D to attack and how Dean is implementing it. https://chicago.suntimes....hilosophy-anders-sorensen

After reading this I want Sorensen down on the farm coaching Levshunov, KK, Rinzel and all the rest.

And as expected if you're teaching the Dmen to be aggressive there are gonna be structural breakdowns that put pressure on your goalie. .... I know Mrazek has not looked as good as he has recently and Soderblom has shown he's not gonna keep his SPG around .915 or the +.920 SPG he carried since the season started so they're gonna give up more goals.

We knew that but in the end it's all about development and playing a modern style and that's what Sorensen has brought at the NHL level, hopefully a few wins come along with it.

But my mind is on the improvement we've seen outa KK with 25ish games down on the farm and hope that's the model, and they stick to it, cuz it looks pretty good despite the NHL losses. Right now KK is the poster boy for what's to come in my mind......... And, KK is following Vlasic who spent a yr on the farm with Sorensen, after 3 yrs of NCAA. If that's the model, which will be applied to loads of prospects, one has to be optimistic to some degree.

It sure is

They were playing so well together and then he came back.
- BetweenTheDots

The Hawks were, and are, better when Vlasic takes the #1 role. Jones' IQ is not able to take 25:00 a game, and probably even #1 PK minutes, and if he's slotted there the team is worse. Any team would be.

If Jones was slotted in the 2nd pairing skating 20:00 a game at the very least he'd be less harmful and just might be useful.......... Bottom line if you skate a low IQ guy 25:00 a game he's harmful to your squad and most anything you're trying to do.

The same has always been said about the Ford family in Detroit.
- rpeters01

No doubt, the Lions sucked better than the Bears the last 50 yrs. Damn fun watching Sanders play and the yrs Mitchell was the QB were exciting.

Only 38, so I never had to endure Bears not being on local TV! Couldn't agree more though. You definitely don't want to listen to what George had to say....a lame duck GM doesn't matter because no one he's interviewed has raised that as a possible issue and every coach he's interviewed has wanted the job so he doesn't understand why that would even be an issue.
- bhawks2241

Only 38? As a Bear's fan you got a lotta suffering ahead and if my math death is correct you didn't see the 85 Bears. Entertaiment wise that squad was the best ever and very easy to argue that was the best team, at least the defense, was the best ever on the field. They'd not out the starting QB 3-4 weeks in a row, many times in the playoffs!!

Hopefully for a younger fan like you they stumble into that kinda fun and success.

Getting a losing culture within the organization and on ice play.
- Scott1977

That was why KD wanted Rockford to be good.

Burner or not argument aside, I understood the keeping up part to be how he thinks the game, that nobody on the team can keep up in that regard. This is why I wish they had signed Kaner again.
- 333inthe3rd

No 333, narrative about keeping up with Bedard was/is always the Hawks don't have anyone who can think the game on his level. They can't keep up with Bedard's IQ is the common belief, and to a degree that's true IMO. .........

Nothing to do with pace or speed cuz right now Bedard has average NHL speed. ... It's being slippery and crafty with the most lethal shot I've ever seen that makes him dangerous.

Kid is figuring it out as he develops in the NHL and it ain't easy with only a rare few that are successful as a teenager. ...... Once he figures out to be accurate with his shot at the NHL level he should pop big. When we see him hitting the goalie's logo we know he ain't right. Odds are the kid will figure it out in the Ozone.