Blackhawks Make Qualifying Offer Decisions
Monday afternoon brought the NHL’s deadline for extending qualifying offers to potential restricted free agents. Chicago had a number of players they needed to work with, and made a few important decisions.
Today we made qualifying offers to restricted free agent forwards Brandon Hagel and Alex Nylander, and defenseman Nikita Zadorov.
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) July 26, 2021
The #Blackhawks did not make qualifying offers to Josh Dickinson, Adam Gaudette, David Kampf and Pius Suter. pic.twitter.com/dsL6whdd6U
Gaudette did not receive a qualifying offer but did sign a one-year deal.
Reports indicate the Blackhawks are still working on a deal with Kampf.
Suter’s agent has already tweeted that he will head to unrestricted free agency when the market opens on Wednesday.
Suter,Kamph,and Nylander with a Strome chaser topped off by Zadorov can all be moved out. Good to see Gaudette sign on for a year. Purge the soft underbelly of this team and lets get to the build up of a team with an edge to it.
Obviously avoiding arbitration played a big role in Suter walking and Kampf who they likely resign again like last contract, same scenario. Gaudette too so they could resign him without qualifying him and risking arbitration. Zadorov either has enough trade value or he’ll be back ut appears to warrant a qo.
The Hawks would be wise to sign Pius Suter ! Although the he may head back to Switzerland for that Quality of life ! My Swiss nephews wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up in Zurich or Bern or Davos ! ?, pops 4
Philip that sounds like what may be happening, Suter has a bottom line and if doesn’t get it he goes back to Switzerland. Maybe Bowman made him an offer if doesn’t get what he is looking for.
Kind of surprised they made the offer to Big Z.
Per Capfriendly, QO are
Z $3.2M One-Way
Hagel $874,125 Two-Way
Nylander $874,125 Two-Way
I like Suter and maybe even more than a couple guys who could still be here when music stops … but … it’s a numbers game, both in terms of roster spots and contract cap hit. Looking at all the forwards who played last season and the new ones added to the roster – it’s near impossible to see a way there would be spots on the 23-man roster for all of them, let alone the starting lineup. Something has to give and if Suter is one of the forwards not coming back – so be it.
We will see clearly what’s going on with the Hawks strategy Tomorrow with the free agent signings.
We need Hagel ,Kamp ,Suter . Big Z ..not sure I have mix feeling about him
Would love to get a Strong Forward and would love to move Z to Seattle for Oleksiak
I really would love that move that would change the Hawks Défense for many years.
I know it’s almost impossible but I am allowed to dream .
If they throw deHaan back out there again this year, might as well throw in the towel now. Geesh – Seattle didn’t want him, and it appears nobody else does either. He led the team last year in the plus/minus stat (a big negative number) I like the guy as a person, but he is a major liability on defense. Since nobody seems to want him, give him his outright release now – so maybe some other team can sukk, and go with the youth on D.
Suter not getting a QO would seem to indicate that Hawks are trying to save $ for free agency
Suter would have been awarded more in arbitration than the Hawks were willing to pay
As ER said there are too many forwards already – I liked Suter but he was not going to be top 6 IMO especially once Reichel is ready (this year?) and if he’s 3rd line he can be replaced for less than what he would again be awarded by an arbitrator
I’m not that disappointed for the reasons above but also because we have the small skilled forwards slots taken up with Kane and DCat – a third small forward seems too many unless they’re a real game changer which Suter is not and I feel that the Hawks need more size in their bottom 6
Good luck to him though – he’s a smart player and a hard worker – he’ll get close to what he wants on his next contract because of his stats but he likely won’t be playing regularly with a player like Kane in the future though so best to capitalize on his numbers from his rookie season now
Please Stanley, sign Nick Ritchie
Mr Fleury is a Blackhawk
Z and. Not Suter. Not too thrilled.
Fleury is a Blackhawk.
Re Nylander and Z, the optics of not qualifying guys that he traded quality assets for would be pretty bad for our Stanley so I think you had to expect him to qualify both even though neither is worth keeping.
I like Suter, hope he stays but Nylander and Zadorov can go. Kampf is expendable with at least 5 who could play on the 4th line. I look for Bowman to still work one or two more deals to free up cap space before free agency. Maybe deHaan is on the block.
From last thread once more threads were created.
WRAPAROUND
July 26, 2021 at 2:43 pm
Stape – if Patrick Kane is so good why did the Hawks finish out of the playoffs last year and if the Hawks finish in the bottom 15 next year does that show all the Kane diehards that he’s not the end all and be all?
Hockey is not basketball – one player cannot make the sort of difference you think Jones should be able to make
Hockey is the ultimate team game but Jones is a very important piece of that team
So far for next year the Hawks will adding Toews Dach Nylander C Jones S Jones possibly Reichel and probably another addition yet
They should be better but if they’re not that’ll fall on JC I think rather than any one player whether that’s Jones or Kane or whoever
STAPE
July 26, 2021 at 6:44 pm
The goal is supposed to be to win the Stanley Cup.
If the Hawks were a Stanley Cup contender and figured they were one defenseman away from winning the Stanley Cup overpaying for a guy like Jones might make sense.
In case you didn’t know it the hawks have not been a legitimate cup contender for a few years now and unless you are a diehard Blackhawks fan who cannot realize that fact you might actually believe overpaying Jones was a smart move.
Wrap – why with Kane in the lineup did the hawks not make the playoffs?
THE HAWKS ARE NOT A GOOD HOCKEY TEAM
Kane is definitely not the be all end all. In fact in the hawks position trading Kane while he is at his highest trade value would be a wise move.
Go to 2022 Stanley Cup Odds … if Chicago is going to be so good next season out of thirty two teams why do the odds makers have Chicago with the twenty third longest odds.
TRIP FOREVER
July 26, 2021 at 7:21 pm
Wijg, exactly. Criticism does not mean hater. Such a weak and lame way to reason for some.
EBONYRAPTOR
July 26, 2021 at 7:56 pm
Maybe I’m missing something but it doesn’t seem that difficult to grasp that the rebuild is a process – it is a series of steps, which arent always linear, but which all work together to get the rebuild process to completion.
Improving the d-corps was was an objective within the process of the rebuild. Acquiring a true #1 d-man was the primary objective within the d-corps improvement. Seth Jones is that #1 d-man. He will be here for 9 more seasons which bridges the rebuild process we’re currently in into and possibly through to Cup contending window which could start as soon as 2-3 years.
Anyone thinking the acquisition of Seth Jones somehow indicates Stan has shifted gears from the rebuild process to “win-now” mode is just being silly. Seth Jones doesn’t make the Hawks a contender in 2021/22 and probably not 2022/23 – but having Seth Jones for the next 9 years means the primary player in the d-corps is there so the other part of the rebuild can fall into place properly.
MORRISON
July 26, 2021 at 8:56 pm
This. I f were 5 elite players from getting back to top 5 team/4 81 20 2 7 27 then adding one of them/Jones is one of 5 we ll add.
Not saying we have to have same blueprint as 2009 2010 2013 2014 2015 dynasty teams just that were going to get back to having something in that area/though not as deep-donot think any team can be that loaded. Just that we ll be adding more elites in next 36 mths and it will still be a rebuild.
When we have to reload the elite spots of 5 six if you count Crow its a rebuild until will hget to that 81/82 add to polish it off.
I guess we ll go one less elite and more deep for the next Cup in roster makeup.
EBONYRAPTOR
July 25, 2021 at 4:57 pm
I realize I see things a little more optimistically than some others, but I think there’s a lot of good news so far this offseason. First, Toews was heard from and sounded pretty positive he would be back on the ice next season. Second, we acquired a legit #1 d-man to anchor our rebuilding d-Corps. Third, we traded Keith and recouped $5.5M in Cap space. Fourth, we didn’t lose anyone of significance to Seattle. Fifth, we drafted the guy I was hoping we would get – Colton Dach.
I just don’t believe missing out on the player taken at #11 this season (Sillinger) and another middle-6 guy 1st round pick next year is all that important to the success of the rebuild, especially when the Hawks have an excess of middle-6 forwards on the roster. I think the rebuild is in better shape not than it was a couple months ago.
MORRISON
July 26, 2021 at 9:32 pm
To me and I understand the wait until last min and then add five elites at once so they are younger/27/28 and we have worse record to then and get higher picks/which brings better players.
Its only one of five elite to add back/4 81 20 2 27. And we prob add the 2nd this summer or then the others by 36 mths.
I can see having two players like Reichel instead of one by trading 1st to get top paiur guy sure. Do players like Kubalik and Suter and who ever is next euro player make up/even for that?
Bottom line is we need two top pair guys or we cant win so they have to be added at some point. We add both ufa wise they are 27 28 and Jones is what 25? so in 36 mths when were really ready he is that 28 area anyways so I am not sure why everyone doesnt love it unless they want to suck longer.
2025 is a thing.
MORRISON
July 26, 2021 at 9:41 pm
Stef, even though TB is the best team since Blackhgawks dynasty team 2015 they only won after league got watered down/same for PIT WAS STL.
PIT WAS STL were decade long top 5-8 teams but could never compete with the real top 3/5 teams CHI LA BOS ANA during that decade. Yea DET PIT were good in 08 09 but they had cap and didnt come back after. We did after 09 10 came back in 13 14 15 as top team/win.
Point is bookends like PIT donot count that is like NJ had good teams and won a few times but spread out and won those extra two as soon as league got watered.
Theres a reason WAS STL as good as they were couldnt win once until then.
Which is why I repsect LA BOS ANA more as LA was the COL of this 20/25 yr dynasty team Blackhawks because they went head to head with us like that. BOS gets a close 2nd for being the COL team of this 20/25 yrs they smoked PIT. STL was a tuffer team then PIT or WAS. Every yr whoever played STL for LA or CHI didnt win on that yr/strange.
Just proud were the better dynasty team since when? Those teams in first 50/60 yrs I donot know how you count any of those yrs 55 cups of 60 to first two picks every draft or no salary cap for ISL EDM DET at least EDM ISL didnt buy it like DET with 95m in mid 90s.
I need to verify those payrolls of the 90s teams?
MORRISON
July 26, 2021 at 9:45 pm
I to would rather have two players like Reichel/with this yrs 11th and get the top pair from ufa.
Does players of the quality of Kubalik Suter and whos next equal a player like Reichel/11th pick?
Only quaestion is is there as good/or better ufa top pair guy in next 36 mths and we need two.
This. We got some balls and added a top pair guy now add another in 36 mths and get rid of these kind of players and add the kind we need to win with.
How do you get a top 5 roster again that can win you add what you donot have from trade/ufa/draft.
You donot save cap space for 10 yrs and say hey we needed the cap space more.
TIM W.
July 26, 2021 at 5:34 pm
Suter,Kamph,and Nylander with a Strome chaser topped off by Zadorov can all be moved out. Good to see Gaudette sign on for a year. Purge the soft underbelly of this team and lets get to the build up of a team with an edge to it.
Well tahts two of the six elites back right there.
4 81 20 2 7 50
x x x 4 x x 29
Even if its a 1st at tradeline good trade.