Blackhawks Acquire Olli Maatta
On Saturday evening the Chicago Blackhawks traded forward Dominik Kahun and a fifth round pick in the upcoming 2019 NHL Draft to Pittsburgh for two-time Stanley Cup champion defenseman Olli Maatta. Maatta’s contract has a $4,083,333 cap hit through the 2021-22 season.
Maatta, who will turn 25 in late August, had one goal and 13 assists in 60 games for Pittsburgh last season. He was also credited with 116 blocked shots and 97 hits. He averaged 18:35 on the ice for Pittsburgh during the 2018-19 regular season. The Penguins scratched a healthy Maatta for the final three games of their series against the Islanders in this year’s postseason.
Maatta is a left-handed shot, something the Hawks were not lacking. Brent Seabrook and Connor Murphy remain the only righties on the Chicago blue line.
Wow. See my last post under the Marc Crawford thread. I figured Maatta was in the mix to possibly be acquired.
Thought 1 : has played on Stanley Cup winning teams.
Thought 2 : this bodes very well for Jokihariju.
Thought 3 : Kubalik replaces Kahun and his production.
Thought 4 : Fair trade for both teams.
Love this trade. Didn’t give up much to get a guy with decent upside.
Craig, the Twitterverse has a very different opinion on your #4. I hope you are correct, because it seems Pittsburgh fans are rejoicing.
And I really didn’t like Kahun at the beginning of last season, but I really liked him by the end. Was looking forward to watch him develop.
Getting rid of a smallish average skating Kahun was much needed.
I thought the 5th round pick was traded for Kubalik. I guess I’m missing something.
A fair trade. Hawks needed a player like this on the blue line. I like the trade.
Does this trnx foreshadow bowmann taking a forward..maybe center with the 3rd pick in draft versus d man ? Any thoughts ?
Certainly hope so
Initially I like the trade.
Curious on Kubalik’s thoughts as part of the lure to come to Chicago was Kahun.
People, sorry, but this isn’t going to help much. Maatta is a 5/6 at best and is overpaid at 4m.
Nevermind. The 5th round pick for Kubalik was from Arizona.
False, Maata is responsible defensively. This is a decent trade for Hawks. Maatas issues aren’t his play it’s injury
Some concerns:
Chi was lacking depth. This doesnt help.
Matta was struggling. He doesnt find his game then we get another 5/6 dman. Yay!
I like Maatta better than Ryan Murray; he might get the Hawks 65-70 games this year instead of Murray’s 35.
That being said, the Blackhawks now have far too many left-handed shots on the blue line. Something has to give, and I would confidently offer that this is the first of a handful of moves that will transpire before the end of the 2019 NHL Draft.
Walsh is correct. Just read some stats indicating that Maata is very good in his own zone, something badly needed. If he stays healthy, he will have many years ahead to him. I think the Hawks got the better of this trade.
Left-handed shooters on the block: Gus, Dahl, and Forsling. Two or three will not be with the team next season. Gus should return a good FW prospect.
I want Byram but expect Turcotte to be the pick, especially after this trade.
Tab is right- SB might be moving the pieces on the board to set up a bigger play. Let’s hope that Defence is a big part of the draft and/or top forwards that are big, physical and fast!
Can’t wait for training camp…
I liked Kahun but he was expendable. I don’t think Maatta is a top-4 d-man but I’d rather have him than some of the other d-men being bandied around lately – for one reason or another. Maatta was a pretty highly ranked prospect when he was drafted but he’s never reached his ceiling in the NHL and injuries played a big role in that, plus he’s not quick/fast which pretty much means he’s more of a 5/6 d-man that the Hawks will probably hope he can elevate his game and be a 3/4 guy.
There is probably a d-man or two being traded away as there are too many right now.
I have not.focused Maata much lately butninsaw him as a rookie and thought he was solid. I like the move. I think too much is made of what handed a D man is…if you play your “off” side, plays on the wall are tricky but 1 times are easier. All depends on the players and whether they are comfortable playing the off side.
I hope the Hawks acquire Zegras with their pick.
I thought Kabalik is better then Kahun. Was thinking they be on the same line. With Kabalik and others, Kurachev coming were going to make adjustments to get roster better.
Theres your good 2nd pair Defensemen.
Ian, wondered if we make trades before draft the other day.
We basically traded a 7th to get Maata when you combine the trades. Kahun we got for free and traded 44 for KoKo and 5th, used that 5th in this.
MS, just getting warmed up for the draft party.
Kubalik also knows David Kampf so no worries there.
Also Sikura is a candidate to replace Kahun’s production.
Maatta by the way has been part of two Stanley Cup winners and has played roughly 400 NHL games.
I think it’s a fair trade for a 40 point guy.
Even if he is 3rd pair, when were deep that good depth.
This is the first of many moves this off-season. Kahun had a solid first year (nice signing by SB) but I thought his scoring stats were a bit inflated by playing on top lines when he isn’t a top 6 guy. I also agree with Hull on one thing – we have too many small guys. Matta is solid in the d-zone and will play on the PK both weak areas that have to get better. Wouldn’t be surprised to see Forsling moved for a draft pick or forward prospect. I don’t think this impacts the #3 pick at all.
Maatta played poise during Pens cup run, handled all situations well, was there best defenceman for spells, inconsistency seems an isue with him, hopefully as Brian W said injury was alot of it and Tab is right he is healthy. I mentioned after Pens eliminated about looking into acquuring him when it was said he was on trade block.
Craig agree Sikura can slot in Kahuns spot. Also Kahun is eligible for max bonuses helps there and is arbitration eligible nrext summer, avoid that too. Also 2nd the many more moves may come sentiment.
Agreed with Ian and MS.
Forsling can be moved to a team on draft day, likely to a team like New Jersey that has a ton of picks. 3rd rounder is my guess.
Also, Chicago was last in penalty killing in the NHL last year. If Maatta can kill penalties successfully that’s big.
I’m actually elated that Stan did NOT give Jake Gardiner, 5/years at $6Million per year.
Think same on top 3 pick. Since theres going to be several trades and moves.
One name that never seems to get mentioned when discussing d-prospects is Dennis Gilbert. He apparently had a very solid year in Rockford and I wonder how the organization thinks of him. Anyone have any info on this?
I was afraid Hawks will help Pittsburg get rid of Maatta – overpaid soft 3rd pair Dman (at best) on decline already at 24. Only 1 positive – he will make Seabrook looking like top 2 defender…
Gotta wonder what Collitons input was in this, if he is somebody he lobbied for to play his system.
MS, the resigning of Dahlstrom and this trade makes you wonder if they have confidence in Gilbert at Nhl level. Though as you said he gad a solud year in Rfd and looked good in brief callup.
So the fans who are screaming that this trade is awful are likely the same fans who say trade Gustafsson and his 60 points and his power play status, NOW, because he doesn’t play defense.
Stan trades a 3rd line forward for a 24-year-old stay at home Defenseman, who can kill penalties and is positioning sounds and the critics go nuts.
I guess the only fans that can truly be happy tonight reside in St. Louis
Also Stan is a master at trading back and recouping picks. Next Friday and Saturday, he will move around the chessboard and come away with a decent haul.
He’s playing with house money. He’s going to get a Stud at #3 and then try and get get into the back end of the 1st round with puck 43 and a sweetener.
Then on day 2 take a bunch of kids with talent.
There also 5e same people who didn’t like the Schmaltz trade, at first.
In free agency, Joonas Donskoi please. Great bottom six player.
Ollie is a necessary pick up! Kahun is a diligent young player, but we had a logjam at forward and a scarcity of Maata’s type of player. Check You Tube. He has 100 hits a year and over 100 blocked shots despite his coach doling out ice time to him in a chincy way. He’s 6’2″ and over 200 lbs. and, for a Finn, is rugged. He knocks down people. Even his occasional fight has usually turned out very well. We absolutely need a guy like this to companion our fast little D-men coming up. I’m happy, but now I am more confused than ever as to who the Hawks will draft.
Just read that the Pens had nine d-men with one-way contracts and that they would be over the cap without moving at least one out. Looks like we are on the receiving end of a salary dump for a change. Maata may not have high speed but is solid in the D-zone with a high IQ. It’s all about his health over the next several years. If that is not going to be much of an issue, this is a very good trade for us. I read that the Blackhawks can remove his nmc for his last two years.
Mo is right. Even if Maatta is a 3rd pairing, he gives us depth. An improvement over our other 3rd-pairing. Possibly Gus, and especially Dahl, and Forsling, will be shipped out.
Craig- I wouldnt say hes a master.
Bowman traded 30th overall pick to Isles for two 2nd rd picks.
They chose Brock Nelson. We chose Rensfeldt and Kent Simpson.
Oops.
I personally like what Stan is doing. He’s bringing defensemen in that were first round picks(Slater Koekkoek, Connor Murphy and now Olli Maatta) in the hopes that they’ll develop/rediscover some of the traits that made them first round picks to begin with. He did the exact same thing with Dylan Strome and the early returns look very promising. Two more quick points..1. since Kahun signed as a free agent, this trade is a fifth rounder for Maatta..Kahun wasn’t even a draft pick of the Hawks and the one thing the Hawks have a surplus of is bottom six wingers(Kubalik, Wedin, Perlini, etc)..so a fifth for a 24 year old defenseman..I think that’s pretty good value..and 2. let’s not understate the value of chemistry on the blueline..when Stan traded for Oduya, I personally didn’t know much about him at all but Iknow he wasn’t viewed as a blueline savior by any means..but he meshed really well with Hammer and they were so effective on the ice together that they were able to log massive shut down pairing minutes..to the point where Q essentially played only 4 d during the 2015 playoffs..my point being, a 4-5 defenseman can play top four minutes pretty effectively with the right partner..lets see how the pairings look/perform before just assuming this is a negative trade for the Hawks..
Original agree good depth and somebody who help protect lead a lead late in the game, lus pk. Also good chance as young talented dmen develop over next couple of years, the 2nd and 3rd defensive pairings become more situational pairings, playing either more depending on what situations dictate vs what we look at as 2nd and 3rd pair now.
I don’t hate this trade, but I don’t love it either. My Pittsburgh friend who is a Pens junkie relates that Maatta is not a fan favorite there, and it’s not because of injury history. It’s because of inopportune coughing up the puck in key situations. I remember him as somewhat of a whipping boy a couple of years ago when the Penguins last won the Cup due to some poor playoff performances. But, who knows? I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt and will hope like hell that he has a great Blackhawks career.
Go Blackhawks!!!!
Bad move. We need depth scoring and traded a key depth scorer. We acquired another slow bottom pairing defenceman. Like we don’t have enough of those already. And we cough up 3M cap space over the next 2 years to boot.
Makes me wonder if Q had anything to do with acquiring Manning.
Hope I’m proven wrong though.
We have heard Bowman say over the yrs, he doesnt trade just to trade and not if theres no one to take that open spot.
Kabalik, Kurachev, other are better players/same/but not worse then 24. Kabalik must be ready.
Kahun in his 1st year on NA ice was impressive. He showed up better then Sikura or Perlini has and both have played on NA their entire development years. This is a loss for that reason. Was Kahun ever going to be a top winger? No, but he was a solid 2 way guy in his first pro year.
Maatta is nothing more then a 3rd pairing and PK guy. He is a sloooowwww but his fundamentals are solid. He reminds me of Seabrook. Is he better then Koekko or Dahlstrom? You bet but is he 4x better then them given his cap hit? No way.
Bottom line, unless Bowman makes a big move for a top 6 winger and unless Kubalik can fill in as a 3rd pairing winger this trade is a miss. If we get a true top 6 winger, then I’m all for it.
Only way this move makes any sense is if we ditch 2 or 3 of our other left-handed bottom pairing defenders. Or if Maatta is healthy enough to be a bona fide top 4.
The conventional wisdom seems to be that the Hawks have a glut of depth forwards, so Kahun was expendable. Disagree. Our scoring was so top-heavy and almost everybody here bitched about it, myself included. How is a young, cost-controlled, .5 PPG producer expendable?
Pittsburgh frees up 3M in cap space AND gets the 5th round pick? Seriously?
I had Kahun playing on the 4th line this year which really isn’t what he’s meant for so his role going forward was in doubt with CHI – I liked him too because he worked hard but he definitely was a trade asset and I think the Hawks have got the better player in this trade because the Pens needed to clear some cap space
Maata instead od Dahlstrom/Forsling is already an improvement from last year’s D and if Maatta stays relatively healthy he may turn out like Oduya capable of top 4 minutes
At worst he could be a solid contributor to a Cup team (as he’s already done) as a bottom pair guy
Good trade – I like CHI’s upside on this
Clearly there are other moves (I think there’ll be a FW signed or traded for) – to play top 9 and I’m optimistic that probably Kubalik or even Sikura can fill whatever Kahun’s role would have been this year
If Maatta helps out the PK there’s an improvement on top of being better than either Dahl or Forsling and KK – decent NHL D men cost roughly $4 million – who are going to get at that $ amount whose better, Zaitsev??
@Wraparound
Murray or DeHaan…both better then Maatta (albeit Murray has an injury history)
Those teams may have only taken Saad for them. We were only going to trade mid level FW, in the report.
I not sure what happens with Maata and other D, but I think Kabalik is better then Kahun and I have nothing against Kahun.
Kahun a depth scorer? After leaving Kane and Toews, how many points did Kahun get? How many people did he hit? How many times was he hit? Never liked him, too small. Need Perlini type size and speed on the wings. Next to go is hopefully Sikura. TOOOO LIGHT!!! TOO SCARED!!! Maybe some other GM is asleep and goes for hype instead of substance.
Maatta is not quick but young, good IQ & calm (not Murphy) with the puck and maybe Joki can play alongside him. He is a little expensive but he is a legit NHL player unlike the rest of who played on D besides Keith, Gus, and Seabrook. I would keep Gus because he is our PP QB. Unless they draft Byram and then trade another Dman for a prospect or for a pick in the first round; like either Beaudin or Mitchell.
I still think they need to draft a player who starts the season in Chicago not in College or Russia. Kaner and Toews can’t miss another season in June!
So either Dach or Byram, sign a legit free agent forward and maybe trade Mitchell for a late 1st round pick to draft another forward or goalie Spencer Knight.
Even if Maatta struggles he comes with a $680,000/yr buyout capphit, and doesn’t require protection in expansi9n draft, blackhawks don’t have to honor his modified ntc.
Kahun a rfa next season with arbitration eligibity thats avoided, with other rfas needing resigned. Also with potential max 2.8m bonuses, saving space to allow for them, caphit basically the same.
I don’t get the love for Sikura. He seems very frail, and by way, did he score a goal last year? This trade Forsling banter is silly. What can you get for a soft player attempting to defend your own net? Maybe a 7th rounder at best. Agree with the trade Gustaffson chatter. Do it while his value might be pretty high right now, especially with the four horseman coming soon. Also, would love to see the Hawks take Byram. Only, what, 18 years old and 6-foot and 195 pounds already. That’s a solidly built young man, and is only going to get bigger and stronger. Plus can skate like the wind. What’s there not to like, especially, with all the regression and uncertain development of players on the defensive end.
I like Kahun, quite a bit, but need to give to get. With just a slight improvement in a horrific D last year, this is a playoff team. Good, solid move with significant upside.
Way too many dumb hipster punks like Travis on this site who should stick to their strengths like playing Fortnite or Call of Duty as opposed to thinking they know ANYTHING about hockey.
By the way Hull65 aka Mikita21, Makita, Savoir, Totti, and Fonsi is not only a frog but a drunken Indian.
ribbet ribbet ribbet
This trade is likely a precursor to a few more moves. Wouldn’t be surprised if Gus or Murphy is dealt, and I really hope its not Murphy.
In addition to being a clueless frog you’re also a drunken Indian just like Everett Sanipass and all the other wahoos from the reservation.
After you get Dale Tallon’s dick out of your mouth and Benoit Hogue’s dick out of your ass, go sell Manhattan for $24 and a string of beads.
The Hawks needed to shore up their D so this move will help. The D in the pipeline won’t be ready next year so this is a good stopgap until they are. Scoring wasn’t their problem last year and Kahun wasn’t a factor.
@EddieEagle
I’m gonna guess that Kahun wasn’t going to bring back either DeHaan or Murray and if Maatta has a bounce back year he’s at least the equal if not better than either of those two and all you’ve given up is an expendable depth FW who you signed as a free agent
It’s a bit of a gamble that Maatta bounces back but the Strome/Perlini for Schmatlz trade was also a bit of a gamble and that’s worked out well – Stan’s recent trades have been good – I’m optimistic this one continues the pattern
I like it. A defenseman who can actually defend. Maybe he would look better at 3 million, but that’s hardly an anvil. As for Kahun, while he is skilled he is not top 6 material and doesn’t bring the grit you need to a bottom 6 role so I think we can go forward without him (and he won’t score 40 points full time in the bottom 6).
I don’t necessarily think this means we are not taking Byram. There are lots of ways this can be played with selling high on Gus probably the most high impact. The glut on the left side after DK (42/63/68/Gilbert/Hillman/etc) is a red herring. Any of those guys can be moved and it won’t cause a ripple.
It promises to be an interesting off season.
While the acquisition of LHD Maatta does not preclude the selection of LHD Byram, it certainly doesn’t move the needle in Byram’s direction. It’s not a surprise Stan traded for a d-man as it is the biggest area of need – my hope is Stan and his team project Byram to be the BPA and take him with #3.
This trade and drafting Byram are so unrelated, in my view. Maatta is a now move while Byram is a not-now move and are COMPLETELY independent of one another. If Byram isn’t selected, then the only reasonable conclusion is that he’s not a huge upgrade to the pipeline. And if he is selected, then, whoa!!
It’s still a BPA selection.
Aurora and ER totally agree – how many times does Stan or Mark Kelley have to say they’re not picking for immediate need but the BPA – that being the one they see as the best in 3-5 years regardless of when they start their NHL career or their position on the ice?
Apparently not enough
Hey you metronome spineless twit, sorry to rain on your “Bo” Byram parade but the Blackhawks are taking Turcotte. Now run right over to Hockey Buzz and tell your fellow senior citizen Old Doof Man the news … Old Doof Man refers to him as “Turdcotte” like a junior high goof. You two should get along great!
Agree this trade is to help fill needs now, the draft us to help future with what they feel is bpa, it has no bearing.
Parting with Kahun is a minimal move and this is a small gamble worth taking. There is no shortage of players in the organization that can do what Kahun was doing, but the defense has been weak and the PK abominable.
Trades and re-signings in the upcoming weeks will probably give more clarity as to what the vision is for this team. Then we will have to see what training camp brings. Do they give Sikura another shot? What do they do with Perlini?
The one consistent in all this is that the internet punditry will want Stan to sign $7 million dollar players for $3 mil and very few signings will have enough “speed.” Nobody says, “In Stan we trust” anymore. The Seabrook signing put an end to that cute little slogan. You add the Manning signing and a couple other moves and there are still questions about Bowman. However, he looks good on the Schmaltz deal so far.
Not sure about this one. Was it a trade to say Stan made a trade? Lots of quality D men in the pipeline. Kahun has future in him. Time will tell.
Aurora, good thoughts.
Bo man says in the espisode 2 that we do not give a shht about whos ready in a yr or in a yr and a half. Thats its a elite franchise player for 15 yrs.
Robs, thats funny. I did post Trust the Bowmans in a thread less then a wk ago here. Thanks that makes me feel good, that I said that and think that.
Its had to keep the faith, when people question things because of some bad contract or some trades. I still like the idea of those being tank ufas by design. After all that is what got us BoQ and top 3 pick.
Cha ching.
However this is the summer Bowman and crew are on the war path. Were going to have a really good draft like we usually do. This one prob has more trades in it then usual. Make the roster as good as they can, now that we have more then proper space to work with, have the handle on the whip, which we hadnt for yrs before, and not have to do it all in this one draft and summer.
We still have 20 draft and that summer to finetune, as well as deadline for 21 season when were deep again.
2/56
28/7
4/5
27
With one night to digest this trade, it looks even better than originally thought.
Hawks acquire a shot blocker and penalty killer. I’m not worried about his skating as long as he can defend and help us get our Goals Against down
Craig agree, just having somebody who can play defense and pk without selling the future is a good move, using excess available.
Realistically hard to imagine Bowman, even assuming he moves Anisimov, taking on more than 6 or 7m in added caphit for longer than just this season and still have enough to satisfy his rfa needs next summer. Unless he were to move more contracts or do a rob Peter to pay Paul with Crawfords contract and go with Delia and Lankinen next season or something similar or even a little lower than current caphit. Sounds like a few deals are coming soon, though.
I have reconsidered this trade as well. 4m is high but he does fill a need. The change of scenery may put his career on a new upswing. Based on age, he should soon be reaching his peak for a defensive defenseman so his best years may still be ahead of him.
BL52 the way i see the caphit, if Bowman saving space for Kahuns potential bonuses he could earn next year combined with his salary thats over 3.8m this year, compared to just under 4.1m, less than $300,000. Then next summer he needs resigned, with arbitration possiblity. So the cap hit Maatta is using is in reality what Kahun would mostly use up. So basically a non issue.
A bit of irony in this. In 2012 both Tuevo and Maatta fell quite a bit on draft day and were available when we picked at 19. I was actually hoping we picked Maatta then as he would have filled a need on the left side. So I guess he took the long route to get here. Koekkoek was picked 10th that year.
Hey if Maatta bounces back and plays bona fide top 4 D, then it’s a good trade. I just don’t see it. I see a guy who defends and blocks shots because he’s too damn slow to drive possession. Which is how this team is supposed to be built.
I now see like 6 bottom pairing defenders on this roster. Hooray, our newest bottom pairing D is better than our previous bottom pairing D. We don’t need an upgrade to Forsling. We need a replacement for Keith and Seabrook.
Open to being proven wrong though.
Decent move, i bet on olly allot and he came through with block shots, a few hits and solid in the d zone…now dump forsling, and aa for a third and 5th pick up dzingle on the rw 2nd line
And hit the draft running
Ps..very careful to watch to protect the expansion draft
Pss..if anyone would bite, sikura, fortin, hayden, are for sale in my back yard flea market next thursday for a pick or two…some chump bit on manning so anything can be wet on ice in drwam
Thinking about this, perhaps it can be argued that if anything this lowers the likelihood that Gus will be re-signed. I don’t look at the cap much since capfriendly is gone but I can’t see paying for DK + Maatta + Gus on the left plus Seabrook + Murphy on the right. That would be like $25 million plus for those guys alone (and for not even that good a group). Of course Murphy could be moved but he had a pretty good year, so I don’t know about that.
Excellent post by Ian @3:46 pm. Explained Kahun’s base salary + potential bonuses. Even if he achieves half his potential $3.8M bonuses with PIT, the spread between him and Maatta is not enormous. Kahun is up for a raise next summer and that would close the gap even more. As I and someone else stated, after this season the Hawks can waive Maatta’s nmc. As Ian states, the contract difference is “basically a non issue”.
The only issue is Maatta’s health. If he stays healthy, he will be a competent defender and passer, something badly lacking. Has a strong work-ethic and is a positive locker-room force.
Wow, once again the foul mouths can’t be real. Not sure who are all those guys are but obviously you have a deep problem, need help. Proud of Bowman who finally gets rid of one smurf…more to come I hope. And I will not stoop to comment on those racial remarks because you are wearing Trump pyjamas. Go to bed if you cannot share adult comments of the sport of hockey. What was Mr.T’s favourite saying, ” I petty the fool”.
But, I would have preferred a full rounded dman like Trouba.
Good news Donskoi wants to test the market. I’m a big fan.
I was told tonight not to expect the Hawks to try to acquire more picks at the draft on Friday and Saturday. Expect 6 picks total.
I don’t what to make of that other than, we’re going to hit a home run in the first round and at # 43. But the chances of two 1sr rounders does not sound likely.
Craig – Donskoi would be a nice upgrade to bottom 6 no doubt.
Mentioned Donskoi as well months back, solid skater and player for bottom 6.
Yes, Trouba fills a hole on the roster. I’d flip Kahun, a prospect, and a pick for someone like him. That makes sense.
Maatta does not fill a hole on this roster as currently constructed. Maybe more trades are made where we flip 3 of our other bottom pair defenders and get picks back. But on its own this one smells like Manning 2.0… except we gave up a solid asset and cap space to land him.
As far as Hull’s Kahun hate, I have one observation. From all comment threads I visit, CI, Reddit, SCH, etc, you are the only person who consistently slams Kahun, because smurf.
Everybody else is seeing something you don’t. Why is that?
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
It’s simple.
A frog drunken Indian buffoon at that.
Hey Hull65/Mikita21/Makita/Savoir/Fotti/Fonsi … get Dale Tallon’s dick out of your mouth and Benoit Hogue’s dick out of your ass. And by the way, it’s I PITY the fool, learn to spell you ignorant drunken Indian frog.
ribbet ribbet ribbet
The liar Hull65 denies he was formerly Mikita21, Makita, Savoir, Totti, and Fonsi. That’s as laughable as Drunken Morrison saying he doesn’t post much.
ribbet ribbet ribbet. I sell Manhattan for $24 and string of beads, ugh. How. Drink Firewater. Cause big wampum on reservation. Everett Sanipass, pass me the bottle.
Travis – you wouldn’t get Trouba for Kahun plus pick/prospect
You probably have to start with Saad going to WPG and then add to that but WPG doesn’t want more big salaries anyway
Jordy, Capfriendly is still going strong. Answer to what caphit for Keith, Seabrook, Maatta, Murphy, Gus and say Jokiharju plus Dahlstrom is 23.3m combined hit. Crawford and Delia 7m for goalies, 31.55 for Toews, Kane, Saad and Anisimov. So thats 61.85m combined there.
Travis to your point on defense, that’s where putting the strongest team together for 19 and 88 window and not mortgaging the future conflict. There is alot of promise in the coming years on blueline and possibly more Friday night. Bowman so far anyways seems to trying to find best player for the price he wants to pay, if this is a progression year mentality, then the move makes sense. Is this one of the top bluelines in the league right now, obviously not, is it good enough to return them to playoffs, could be. Maatta can play defense and pk, and with a mobile pairing in the past has been at times Pens best defenseman.
If blueline is as is now, i see Keith and Maatta as 1 and 2 on left and Gus and Joki as 1 and 2 on left, with Murphy and Seabrook as 3rd pair and Murphy to log more minutes when protecting lead type situations, pk and top 4 as needed. Boqvist in Rfd to start and Gus moved at some point, maybe Gus moved this summer and Murphy plays top 4 to start and Boqvist called up to play in Gus spot in lineup. Even if Byram is chosen, just don’t see him in picture next season. Just have to trust the process i guess and see what other moves are coming.
@Ian: Yes, you are correct capfriendly is still there. I meant capgeek.
As for the numbers and looking at next year, 2+5+7+Maatta+Gus (assuming him at 6 million) is $26,346,795. That’s almost 32% of the cap on 5 guys with a bunch of young guys knocking on the door. I think something has to give and it’s likely either Murphy or Gus. If we move Gus and take Byram and Byram is in the 2020-2021 lineup the numbers look a lot better.
We are all focused on the quality of the d group but need to remember that the forwards play a huge role in team defense. Our forwards were poor in that role collectively last year. I have nothing against Kahun, in fact he was a very pleasant surprise. However a team with forwards the size of Kane, Dcat, Kahun, Sikura and Caggiula has challenges in their own zone against bigger, faster teams. Something had to change and Kane and Dcat are obviously not going anywhere. Would be very interested in Trouba but the price will be high and his contract will probably be north of $6m per year. I like SB’s approach on this one to not give up a significant asset for a guy who is still young, has decent size, has played in a lot of big games and will help shore up some clear weaknesses (i.e. PK).
Jordy, funny and know we did draft Teravainen and traded for Maata.
Ian, does not having those player bonuses give us more to go over the cap by 10% during summer.
Craig, that would mean were keeping everybody, not adding picks. Be a hockey trade like 24 for 4,
Wrap, thats the thing we didnt want to trade Saad and that is what those teams wanted for Murray or Trouba. Maata was the best player available for a mid level FW, that we have extra just like 3rd pair D man.
Upgrading any position make roster better. Even when we need to fill a few holes. The Four Horsemen and top 3 pick are going to fill those holes and a ufa or trade still to come.
I wouldnt worry about caohits of certain players because were going to have a lot of elc coming each yr. They sort of balance each other, in a way.
Were not ever, not even in 2013, have the perfect caphit for every player and whos better and worse then their caphit is. Just have enough to balance the other.
Craig, could also mean were adding ufa FW.
Good thing there’s only a few more days until the draft so I can move on to the next Hawks related subject I will obsess over. I’ve watched more prospect highlight videos and “every shift” videos than I care to admit and although I still want Byram over the other guys – I’m really warming up to Zegras and right now he’s neck and neck with Turcotte as 2nd favorite closely behind Byram. The more I watch Zegras the more I really like him – he’s a nifty little player with as much emphasis on the word “little” as “nifty”. He reminds me of Barzal with his whirling dervish kind of plays.
If I remember correctly, Zegras is listed as a skinny six-footer and I absolutely don’t remember the official combine measurement. So ER, are you suggesting those measures are generous?? I like Zegras too, but not thinking of him as another Smurf sized player.
Still, in a BPA world, Zegras could be the pick; though hard to envision it over Byram or Turcotte.
Mo, i believe performances bonuses only effect 23 man roster during regular season. Just any overages from previous season count, which there aren’t.
Apparently Pavelski would be interested in Blackhawks if Sharks don’t resign him now after Karlssons 8yr 92m deal jyst signed. Craig Donskoi be a good pickup.
@Jordy, I would not be surprised if Gus was the one moved. In fact, I would not be surprised to hear he is traded as soon as the draft but I would be surprised if he was on the Hawks roster once the season started. I expect Bowman will use him and his contract to try and snag a good player off a team looking to dump salary before the start of the season. Maybe bring in a top pair defenseman (like Murray or Trouba etc…) or some other player of need via a salary dump trade. I would be surprised if he decided to start the season with Gus on the roster and tried to move him before the trade deadline. I would be even more surprised if the Hawks tried to find a way to keep him past this season. I just don’t see a fit for him here going forward.
Hull65 = Indigenous Idiot
This frog goof didn’t know how to spell Stan Mikita’s name, he spelled it Makita and as soon as another poster said “It’s Mikita you idiot, not Makita!” sure enough the Makita name disappeared and up surfaced Mikita21.
Let’s not forget this drunken Indian frog buffoon also labeled Scotty Bowman as a crybaby. Yup, the greatest coach in NHL history and Hull65 and his collection of user names called him a crybaby.
Hey Hull65 / Mikita21 / Makita / Savoir / Totti / Fonsi you frog liar, do the world a favor and load up a shotgun, stick it in your mouth and blow your head off. Your ugly kids would appreciate it.
ribbet ribbet ribbet
Hey Hull65 / Mikita21 / Makita / Savoir / Totti / Fonsi:
You drunken Indian frog liar, nice move selling Manhattan for $24 and a string of beads. Ugh. How. Pass around firewater, make wampum in teepee.
Tell us all how you “bee-game a Blag-hawgs fan” … Let’s see … “Wenn ah wuz lee-dull mah dah-dee tayg-ah me do zeh Munk-ree-all Fore-ummm do zee mah eye-dull-ah zeh Bubbie Hull-ah.”
Tell us all again how you wanted to sign James Neal. How did that work our for Calgary you clueless drunken Indian frog liar?
Go eat a big slice of tourtiere for your last meal and then ace yourself. The rest of the world will appreciate it, especially your hideously ugly kids. Shoot the drunkard Morrison while you’re at it, people hate him too.
Ian, whats that thing though you talked about, needing to have enough space to cover, for during the summer. I thought it was part of the 10% summer thing.
Aurora, No, I think 6’0″ is the correct height for Zegras but I meant weight – he’s pretty slight. He looks too skinny to be an NHL player right now but after a year or two I’m sure he’ll fill out. Both Turcotte and Byram are thick so even though there’s only an inch difference between Turcotte and Zegras and Zegras and Byram – both Byram and Turcotte look to have a lot more trunk strength than Zegras.
So much for the Trouba talk, apparently he just got dealt to NYR
MS brings up the excellent point of defense being heavily impacted by the activity of the forwards. Colliton has made it clear that he expects his forwards to be pivotal in team defense …. therefore there has to be some change in play style or some change in personnel with the wingers and centers.
Hossa seemed to be an influence of play by example, and you would hear players talk of him being an example of two-way play that they looked up to and tried to emulate. I have to think that any moves made for wing/center with Colliton’s input are going to be made with defense in mind. Caggiula has some offensive grit that would need to be replaced if he were to be sent off. Sikura seems to need a confidence boost to get an offensive game going. As MS mentions we know that DeBrincat is not going anywhere, so I wonder if Caggiula and Sikura are part of Stan et al’s ideas for potential packaging for overall team improvement now, and not waiting on guys that are in the pipeline. Will be interesting.
BECAUSE HULL65 IS A BUFFOON is a buffoon.
Wow. Winnipeg got fleeced. Pionk + a 1st rounder for Trouba. With Karlsson staying in San Jose, you would think the price for Trouba would be higher.
The cost to NYR to acquire Trouba seems to be a pretty good deal for the Rangers – BUT – Trouba is an RFA who needs to agree to a new deal from the Rangers and that new deal is probably going to be higher now than it would have been before Karlsson signed for $11.5M AAV. I won’t guess what Trouba is asking but it’s probably more than the Jets wanted to pay and the same thing is probably true for some of the other teams who were considering a trade for Trouba.
Plus the in division or conference thing.
Winnipeg just got worse. That’s a huge plus.
Nice comments. Agree we need 5 men to defend as a unit. Two way forwards could help with team defense, depth scoring, and PK.
Before this bad trade I would’ve said we need one middle 6 two way forward and one top pair D. In addition to the signings we already made. That’s cup contending depth.
Now we need two middle 6 two way forwards and a top pair D.
Mo, i mentioned the 7.5% of salary cap in potential performance bonus you can have as overages, which is 61/4 mil at 83m cap. That isn’t am issue now with almost 3m gone wuth Kahun, as they potentially should now be 3.5 to 4m if all earned. Strome 2.45m the biggest chunk and good odds to get them. Others Joki $425,000 & Boqvist $850,000 the bext biggest. Then quite a few depending who makes roster between 1 and 2ook.
Trouba wanted out of Winnipeg and they needed to move him to sign some players or lose leverage if they had no room to sign him later on, now he won’t haunt them too bad with Rangers i think played a part too. That said 20th pick and Poink definitely not big return.
If Boqvist gets called up that could be your top pairD and stay tuned for the 2 middle 6 fwds, may be done sooner than later.
If Boqvist becomes a legit top pair NHL D as a 19 year old, and Joker the other, we’re set. Realistically I’d be over the moon if either of them could fill one of those two massive, glaring holes in our roster within 2-3 years, let alone next year.
Defense aside, time will tell on it but some potential there.
How would you feel if Pavelski signed to play with 19 and 88, Saad with 17 and 12, Gus packaged to strapped Leafs for Kadri and has Kubalik on one wing and Sikura, Perlini and Wetin ftght for other wing, Anisimov shopped for pick in the drraft and Cagguila, Kampf and Entwistle for a 4th line. Not out of question of happening.
Hey Trip, did you favourite player get traded to the Pens too? Stick to hockey and if you want to banter cluelessly, get off the board. EVryone here is entitled to an opinon and most of us are right or wrong. But, if you can’t handle being professional then find something else to do.
Trouba was on my wish list and I would have parted with Joku or Mitchell to land him. He is still young, plays with an edge and is good on the PP. Plus, not a smurf! Good size and good pick up for the Rangers.
Let’s see what Bowman does Friday night. If he picks the BPA, then he may draft Byram which leads me to believe Beaudin will be traded to the Habs or Leafs. I would trade him to the leafs….maybe throw in a 3rd rounder and get Kapanen!!!
Ian – I like your thinking
I’m excited about the Pavelski possibility – Le Brun said he (Joe) would be interested in the Hawks and that the feeling from the Hawks is mutual if he doesn’t re-sign in SJ which we’ll probably know by Sunday
I’ve also said before that I’d take Kadri as an upgrade on AA
and Saad is still a top 6 player even if he plays on a 3rd line
and Entwistle might – stress might be ready – maybe not right out of training camp though
Acquiring Pavelski is intriguing but it would have to be either a modest AAV or a short term. We can’t invest cap space past next season unless a guy is going to be part of the future and Pavelski is 35 and not part of the future. Maybe offer him a bunch for 1-year where he can still go out and get another contract after 2019/20 as a 36 year old. The Hawks can afford a lot this season but just can’t carry it into next summer when they will need a boatload to re-sign Cat and Strome. Maybe offer Pavelski $8M for 1-year and let him be a 1-year mercenary for us. If he scores for us in 2019/20 like he did in 2018/19 – he’ll get another nice deal next summer – just not from the Hawks.
Not banking on anything.
I am going with BoQ being a top pair Defensemen and Buckaroo if not then a really good #3 like Hammer was.
Wont know for a yr or so, this being Buckaroos first full yr and BoQ 40 game like hhe just did. That way for the 21 season, our first true full roster yr, Buckaroo is 2nd full yr and at 200 game mark, BoQ is first rookie yr and at 120 game mark. Byram would be at 80 games and first full yr.
Hull, you tell em eh.
I can see why your saying 1 yr at a time with Pavelski. He might be doing that anyways, to get more salary and to be able to go to the teams he wants to win the Cup.
At SAN team meeting, going through the attendance list.
Pavelski and Donski. …..Beuller …..Beuller?
Nice thought! KADRI is also a good playoff performer when he is not taking bad penalties. Plays with an edge! Would be an upgrade on AA, I agree. And he can skate!
Again, we need speed and size to get out of the west. Oh yeah, how did Sikura, Kahun and the other smallish forwards on the HAWKS (except for Kane and at times DCAT) do against Pietrangelo, Parayko, Myers, Nurns, Trouba, Buff, Josi, etc… Not that great! Hossa, Toews and Saad always did well against those guys. West is too tough!
Travis, its good to be picky about roster. We do want quality deep.
Yikes if we signed Pavelski and Donskoi that would hurt the Sharks considerably while making the Hawks much much better immediately. Compare that to signing Kunitz and Manning on 7/1 last year, as well as Bouma and Wingels on 7/1 in 2017.
Well we had to play without Hoss and Hammer. They got Karl and Kane added. Be fair to go back to they way it should be, at least for us.
Wrap thought about Kadri, if the Leafs with all their star fwds, believe he is that good, he caused them to lose by not being able to play why not take him. He is also somebody who could be left unprotected for espansion draft in a couple of years.
EB yes short term for Pavelski, Bowman could get creative and buy time for a 2nd year quite likely but no longer. Donskoi could be a reasonable add too who helps.
Entwistle should compete for a spot in camp and with what he brings in size and style, especially pk ability, has a definite chance to stick.
One thing he could do if wanted to give Pavelski a 2 year deal and not affect rfas. Being a 35 plus deal he could sign lower caphit with 1 or 2 m performance bonuses, namely games played, then wouldn’t strap him next summer, as next years wouldn’t need to be a carry over.
I don’t see pursuing Pavelski at this time. Great player and leader but at 35 we don’t need high priced short term pieces. If we are having a good year he is the type of guy you look for at the trade deadline.
Ms, i would sooner sign him and fit him in this summer for price of contract, than give up future prospects and/or picks to rent him for a couple of months.
Well when were a deep roster again, to be more quality deep at deadline. He prib would need to be on 1 yr/contract yr then though.
We are going to add good players at deadline again, prob not until 21 season or after.
Right be better to not waste assets. Hes still that good so at 1 yr contracts. I would like him on roster. Be interesting to add a good FW from TOR or other team.
Pavelski intrigues me, I agree that signing him now would be preferable to pursuing him in at the deadline. Will the Hawks really be contenders this year that doing a trade deadline deal to bolster the lineup for the playoffs would make sense? If so, then I am with @Ian and say sign him now. Otherwise, I would not bother with him at all.
Mo wouldn’t doubt JT Miller of Bolts could be had for a cap friendly Gus contract either, another 3rd C with a size, physical offense too.
I like this trade overall. I think moving guz is a mistake though. Its rare to have a dman with his offensive talent that also solidifies the power play. I know he needs to.work.on his defense but he’ ll get better he’s still young. I think Maata will help the overall D. I liked kahuns upside but hes no offensive stud, so giving him up along with a fifth round pick is reasonable.
I am also confused by the desire to trade Gustafsson. Who the heck do you think will help run the PP?
He has basically 2 seasons of NHL games under his belt and is improving. Sure, for the right price he is available but I wouldn’t be giving him away for a journeyman.
Were good enough roster wise to make playoffs not win, per say. So Pavalski wouldnt be worth it for a yr were good, not Cup good, per say. Thing is though if its the way to get him so when we are Cup deep for the 21 season and on, why not go ahead and get him when we can or any player that makes roster better. 20 season is a little too early, the 21 season and on is a good story.
Wouldn’t say its a desire to trade Gus as him being best trade bait, at a level where he brings his best return, who quite likely may not fit in long term plans. I still remember Colliton being interviewed last season, his comment was, he will make a fine top 4 defenceman for some team. Just convinced me the writing was on the wall. But who knows for sure.
Don’t trade Gus for anybody over 30. I think he will be a top 4 Dman with lots of O upside
If Pavelski would sign a 3-year deal with AAV of $5M – then why wouldn’t he sign a 1-year deal with an AAV of $10M followed by a 2-year deal with AAV of $2.5M. Both add up to $15M over 3 years but the difference from the Hawks perspective is that they can afford the $10M cap hit in 2019/20 and the $2.5M cap hit in 2020/21 and 2021/22 – but not a $5M cap hit in 2020/21 and 2021/22.
It would have to be an under the table gentleman’s agreement for the 2nd deal which means Joe could simply walk away from that – but even then we get his services for 2019/20 to hopefully make the playoffs and recoup some of that $10M from playoff revenue.
This is just another option to use the 2019/20 “dead cap space” that doesn’t extend past this season. Some other options were getting trade “sweeteners” from cap strapped teams to take their 1-year albatross contract like Marleau or Horton from Toronto or Callahan from Tampa. The Pavelski idea would give us a good player for at least 2019/20.
I’m 100% here for trading Gustafsson for someone who improves the team. He’s a terrific offensive player. He was a defensive liability on a bad defensive team last year.
Sure, I’d also trade Toews if it improves the team.
Gustafsson’s plus minus isn’t too bad and we know that stat doesn’t show his positive PP contribution. Perhaps the comment about him being a defensive liability on a bad defensive team can be made for the majority of players on the Hawks. Would we trade Dcat and Kane too?
I really don’t think Gustafsson is the Hawks biggest problem. If the rest of the Hawk D was steady you could make sure he had the right matchups / partner and still get his help on the PP.
Of course, it all depends on what you can get for him and who is going to replace his offense from the backend. No one on a non playoff team should be untouchable.
Agree with Mo (10:30 am). Don’t waste precious cap space on an old guy for 19/20 season when it will be a little early for Hawks to make a deep run. Signings and trades should be made with the focus on 20/21. Very good players are coming up from the pipeline the next two seasons and we are about to draft a franchise player in a few days.
At the last TDL there was interest in Gus but the Hawks were fighting for a playoff spot. Trade Gus if he can fetch a promising FW prospect/good bottom six/high 2nd rd pick. Serious contenders may be interested in him. Hawks are too crowded at LD and Gus not likely to show much improvement in the D zone.
Can why its good to trade Gusto and good to keep him. We get a really good young player from those teams, then ok. We really should be whipping some trades or adds with hand on the handle. Cant snap fingers but whip is ours now.
I haven’t done the math like some others but Pavelski on a 2 year deal would be about perfect for the Hawks
Next year they could surprise especially with an addition like Pavelski but the plan would seem to be competing for a Cup in 2 years
It might depend on what trades are available to the Hawks as to whether they pursue Little Joe
Bowman and crew prob have who we want already. Wonder if they talk to anyone from that trade to draft.
I really like Gus but if a team wants him for a first round pick and Cole is still available then go for it ….Hawks really need to get Cole Caufield …this guy will score a lot of goal in Nhl …please please get him and Hawks will be a offensive threat for many years …. Hawks had DCat on second round ….Cole will be gone in no time . Get Him.
Hawks2010, couldn’t disagree with you more about Caufield. Blackhawks are a small team and we need some size and strength. DCat is our small sniper. Even if the Hawks were a bigger team, there are more well-rounded players, such as Caufield’s line-mate, Turcotte. No mock has Caufield going higher than #5. Most have him going 7-11.
Original6…you are right for the third overall….i would take Byram or Turcotte but i really want them to find a way to get Caufield with a trade for Gus and ?? ….still think Caufield is likely to become a real threat ….i think he will be available at 6 -7-8 . No chance to get him after 10 ..
I understand your point and i Agree that they need bigger players but with Turcotte …wow ..that would be a real big move …specialy on the power play
Turcotte and Caufiled ….ouff
Okay thx Trip, my apologies.
Bob McKenzie Final Rankings are out – he surveys 10 NHL scouts and has them rank the prospects then takes an average, a consensus as it were
Bob I don’t think contributes his own ranking to this system – just the 10 scouts
In this ranking Byram is at #3 and Turcotte at #4 which seems about right and Dach at #5, Cozens at #6
McKenzie did go out of his way to say that Byram was overwhelmingly the third choice after Hughes and KK – still who I think the Hawks will take
https://www.tsn.ca/draftcentre/video/bob-mckenzie-s-final-pre-draft-rankings-show~1708923
Sorry – a bit of misstep there – McKenzie says Byram is clearly the best D man not that he’s clearly the best after Hughes and Kakko
Wrap, thanks very much for the link. Terrific analysis. Nice interview with Byram. Am thinking Stan takes Turcotte, but Byram is the BPA. It’s enough to try to keep up with COL.
Mo, Goose Island is owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev. Be careful: don’t want you to turn into a Blues fans.
All good Hull65.
I feel they go with Bryan and use the “most ready” line when asked by the media. Can’t argue if he’s ready to play this year.
There’s a good article on 670 the score site. Says that Cozens may seem like the safe pick but his ceiling may not get higher than a second-line player. IDK, these guys are so young – only 18. Hard to predict how they’ll mature,
Still like Lemieux rfa for 3yrs 3mil. That could do it because NYR now spending $$.
That’s 3mil per, can’t remember what $$ we give up picks but would not like to go over that amount.
Wow. Kevin Hayes gets $7Million per year for 7 years from Philadelphia.
I’m wondering if Stan gets an offer he cannot refuse for Anisimov at the draft, then looks to plug that 3C hole in free agency. At this point, Anisimov might be a decent get for a team like Buffalo that needs a decent veteran Center more than it needs draft picks.
Things are getting insane – K. Hayes $50m for 7 years! Wow – Scary to think what Dcat will cost.
Skinner, Karlsson, and now Hayes, our first round pick in 2010, with huge contracts. Looks like the Breadman is going to hit the jackpot.
Hull, Turcotte will be in college for at most 2 years. I know Dach is your choice, but it is best to defer to scouts who believe who has the highest ceiling. In 5 years we can look back and rank how Hughes, Turcotte, Dach, Cozens, Zegras, Krebs, and Newhook turned out. What a year for centers.
Try this again.
Skinner, Karlsson, and now Hayes, our first round pick in 2010, with huge contracts. Looks like the Breadman is going to hit the jackpot.
Hull, Turcotte will be in college for at most 2 years. I know Dach is your choice, but it is best to defer to scouts as to who they believe has the highest ceiling. In 5 years we can look back and rank how Hughes, Turcotte, Dach, Cozens, Zegras, Krebs, and Newhook turned out. What a year for centers.
As Craig mentioned before maybe looking at Bolts 1st rd pick is something. A deal taking Callaghans last year of a his problem contract and giving them cap relief could be part of it. They have roster needs, specifically D, if as it seems signing Stralman and Giradi aren’t doable. Again Gus ability to play either side would no doubt be of interest with his caphit.
1. Trade with T.B. – Hawks acquire Callahan (5.8) and #27 pick for 2020 2nd round pick.
2. Trade with Vegas – Hawks acquire Clarkson (5.25) and #17 pick for #43 pick.
3. Trade with Philly – Hawks acquire #11 pick for #17 pick and #27 pick.
4. Hawks select Bowen Byram with #3.
5. Hawks select Raphael Lavoie with #11. (Lavoie is 6’4″ center)
EB from what the Gms are saying there are a number of teams with cap space in that market, so have to up the return likely for the picks. Like the idea of VGK no. 17 as i have said before and Lavoie in most mock drafts still there at 17, if the price was right. Maybe catch a team around end of summer still needing a cap dump and get a bend over type deal then.
As for Friday just hoping for the next superstar in Blackhawks history.
Theres no way to know, I would have to say Byram is the better Defensemen in every draft last 5 yrs other then Dalin. Both #1 Defensemen.
Turcotte is going to be good player to. Center with size and speed.
These guys are really elite franchise players.
Who is Byram the most comparable to Doughty. Hes pretty good.
This site has the Blackhawks taking Zegras:
https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/2019-nhl-mock-draft-predicting-turbulent-first-round/
Zegras would be a reach. They should try trading with BUF (#7 and 31). If he is taken beforehand, Dach and/or Cozens will be there.
Read that Corey Perry may be bought out by ANA?
Already have heard some Blackhawks fans clamoring for him to be signed by the Blackhawks. God, Lord, All That Is Holy ….. NO!
Not signing Perry is obvious. He’s got bad wheels these days, and he’s a bad guy. Don’t need him on the team.
Pavelski ….. I’m not that interested in him. Too aged for his contract status. I don’t see him going cheap. Let someone else pay him too much money.
That’s a nasty looking contract that Philly just gave Hayes. I’ll bet they regret that.
Big Indian there is alot of options. Bowman could sign a couple of guys like Donskoi and Dzingel for reasonable deal for 4 or 5 years maybe, and use trade chips for draft picks. Not adding alot of size and grit but bring value. Be interesting to see what happens.
Love the idea of Donskoi and Dzingel ( hopefully for reasonable non-Hayes prices).
However, the Hawks do not currently have an opening at 3rd line Center.
I’m curious what Anisimov’s value is in terms of draft choices. Perhaps a 3rd rounder on Saturday and a 5th rounder in 2020.
@ER: I like the idea of making a play to get another first rounder. Moving Gus might help.
@Big Indian: agree with everything you said. Leave the dumb moves for others.
IMO, the goal is to have a badass young(ish) team that can make a run in 2020-21. Making the playoffs next year would be fun (and it would put extra nickels in Rocky’s jeans), but it’s not the top priority.
Two shockers from Craig Button’s final mock draft:
Broberg #8 to Edmonton
Podkolzin #16 to Colorado
If anything, I would flip their positions. If Pod drops this far, then I know very little about talent. Please, don’t let COL get him. Broberg ahead of Cozens and Boldy?