Looking Ahead: The Blackhawks Cap Situation
Now that the Blackhawks have locked up Brian Campbell and brought back Brandon Mashinter and Michal Rozsival, we have a clearer idea of what the Hawks will be working with for the 2016-17 season.
Before adding any prospects to the NHL roster, Chicago has ten forwards signed for the coming season. If we assume Michal Kempny will be on the opening night roster, the Hawks actually have some decisions to make with the blue line; they won’t likely carry eight defensemen to start the season, but appear to have too many bodies for the six available roster spot.
Let’s take a look at what the Blackhawks salary cap situation.
Forwards
- Jonathan Toews – $10,500,000
- Patrick Kane – $10,500,000
- Marian Hossa – $5,275,000
- Artem Anisimov – $4,550,000
- Marcus Kruger – $3,083,333
- Richard Panik – $875,000
- Artemi Panarin – $812,500
- Andrew Desjardins – $800,000
- Dennis Rasmussen – $575,000
- Brandon Mashinter – $575,000
Forward Total: $37,545,833
Defensemen
- Brent Seabrook – $6,875,000
- Duncan Keith – $5,538,461
- Niklas Hjalmarsson – $4,100,000
- Brian Campbell – $1,500,00 (+ $750,000 bonus)
- Trevor van Riemsdyk – $825,000
- Michal Kempny – $700,000
- Michal Rozsival – $600,000
Defensemen Total: $20,138,461 (w/out Campbell bonus)
Goalies
- Corey Crawford – $6,000,000
- Scott Darling – $587,500
Goalie Total: $6,587,500
Overages: $3,070,000
Retained: $1,125,000 (Rob Scuderi)
Buried: $100,000 (David Rundblad) (the Blackhawks will reportedly release Rundblad)
Total Dead Money: $4,195,000
Some minor league players of note when considering a potential lineup for the upcoming season:
Forwards
- Nick Schmaltz – $925,000
- Tyler Motte – $925,000
- Ryan Hartman – $863,333
- Jordin Tootoo – $750,000
- Vince Hinostroza – $717,500
- Martin Lundberg – $692,500
- Tanner Kero – $667,500
- Kyle Baun – $625,000
- Sam Carrick – $600,000
- Spencer Abbott – $575,000
Defensemen
- Ville Pokka – $925,000
- Erik Gustafsson – $667,500
- Gustaf Forsling – $872,500
- Viktor Svedberg – $750,000
- Nolan Valleau – $667,500
However, Forsling won’t likely be in Rockford this season. According to The Athletic’s Scott Powers, Forsling will go back to Linköping HC in the Swedish Hockey League if he isn’t part of the NHL lineup.
For more salary cap information and tools, check out either GeneralFanager.com or CapFriendly.com.
Mark McNeil will make the roster.
Heheheh..who is McNeil ??
The kid will maybe plays 5-8 games then back to Rockford or trade …
Shmaltz ,Hartman , Motte , Pokka ,Swedberg might have a chance to move to Nhl …
I like that Forsling will go back. Saves a year on the ELC. I’d try to swing a trade to dump Svedberg or Gustafsson. Then I’d sign Seidenberg and pair him with TVR. Motte probably makes the team out of camp. I think Desjardins plays 4c. If you can’t sign Vesey, Panik is a less than ideal option but probably the only one. I don’t think Motte starts out on the top line.
Mcneil skates like he’s tied to a piano or something
Perhaps it is just me but Desjardin as 4c is sad. He”s 29, doesn’t hit, doesn’t score and isn’t a shutdown type checker. I am not sure how he keeps slipping under the radar of being useless. I would rather see them give Hinostroza ice time than waste more minutes on Desjardin.
Ernie, forgive me if you’ve laid out the strategy before, but how can the Blackhawks sign Vesey? I know he’s in free agency and not going to just sign with Buffalo, but does Chicago have any real options that would allow his signing? Seems like he would want more in money and probably term than the Blackhawks could conceivably afford now and going into the next season.
Good layout by Tab.
I agree with Ernie, good that Forsling will play in Sweden. Dahlstrom and Norell are already signed and going to play in North America for a full season.
Valleaux is not in the mix for anything. He was scratched for every Rockford playoff game and Ted Dent said he hit a wall at about the 65 game mark.
Rockford’s defense will probably look like this :
Pokka-Svedberg
Schilling-Dahlstrom
Norell-Carlsson
Valeaux.
I am not putting Gustafsson in there, because I think he will be with the Hawks.
Because of Vesey’s age he’s bound to an ELC. At his age his contract will be 2 years. Much like Panarin’s was. Kempny because of his age is on an ELC but because he’s a few years older his ELC can only be 1 year. The max salary without bonuses for an ELC contract is 925k. Granted you can load up a bit on bonuses but as far as cap hit is concerned it’s tied to that 925k. Bonuses are just that and not guaranteed so any bonuses would be tacked on at the end of the year.
Every offer Vesey will get will essentially be the same. It will be a 2 way deal worth 925k. Plus a signing bonus. Then some schedule A and schedule B bonuses like Panarin has. Money and term are non factors.
Desjardins was third on the team in hits. Second among forwards. So theres that. 4th line guys aren’t supposed to score. You think Hinostroza will hit? He doesn’t do much for me.
Regarding Vesey. He has said he’ll look at the NHL roster as well as prospects when picking a team. Gonna be hard to get past Boston as the kid is a huge B’s fan. But if he wants to play now the top line is available and you can play with 19 and 88. Helluva pitch if you ask me.
It seemed that Desjardins had trouble handling passes. Other than that I’d say he’s pretty solid.
Thanks, Ernie. I appreciate that breakdown on the rules pertaining to the ELC’s etc. I have read where Vesey’s played in the off-season with Eichel for the last 3 or so years, and that the Sabres are trying to use Eichel as a pitchman. Rangers are supposedly on the record as trying to woo him away from Boston as well.
The Chicago Tribune (correct on all of the Campbell talk, way off on all of the Andrew Ladd stuff) guy says that the rest of the cap money will be spent on a veteran acquisition who can add a little scoring punch. I don’t who there is out there that fits the mold, but it will be interesting to see how Stan B. et al proceed from here on out.
Ernie, Desjardin averaged 1.3 hits per game. Hardly earth shattering. He also had the teams worse plus minus if you ignore the guys that came from other teams mid to late season. I hope we can do better at 4c. If not, so be it.
So the Hawks appear to be interested in Jiri Hudler.
If they get him great. He is a top 6 forward. If not (and they will likely know by early this week ), it’s on to the next option, somebody willing to take a 1 year, 1 million deal.
I like the Jooris kid from Calgary. He is 25 years old and can kill penalties.
Having seen Mike Reilly go to Minnesota and Kevin Hayes choose the Rangers, I am not crossing my fingers that Vesey chooses to come to Chicago. Stan will try on August 15. But think about it. A month and a half from now, he is going to be the only fish in the pond, that everybody wants. He will likely listen then decide to go to Boston. The kid has never been out of New England. If I am Stan and company there is no way I wait on a “maybe”. I am in the sign Hudler camp.
However, Remember, and this is key, the Hawks truly do not need to find a left winger to play with Toews and Hossa until March 1st. There will be rentals available at the deadline. That’s where contenders plug a lot of holes. Sadly Ladd was not the answer. On to the next one.
One would assume Mashinter can be sent to Rockford at a moments notice to save some cap space; of course, I thought this last season and he was even dressing in the playoffs.
PS. I dont want to hear or read any nonsense that “oh, he’s only the 13th forward, it doesnt matter, who cares, no big deal, blah blah blah”. Every roster spot makes a difference, especially in the playoffs, and dressing Mashinter essentially automatically eliminates the “roll four lines” Q harps on, and rightly so. If Mashinter has the incriminating photos of Q that Bollig passed along, then Q must have some real dirt on Bowman for forcing him to sign him again and keep him around.
Lastly, Kruger has got to go, the math doesnt work. Bolland made $3M plus as a third line checking center, but he had an offensive skillset (the line w Havlat & Ladd comes to mind). There is nothing wrong w paying your third line checking center $3M plus, but he has to provide some offense.
Hmmm. If I remember correctly the Hawks PK was really bad until Kruger came back healthy. Also if you look at his production when he was healthy his 17 points he earned in 2014-15 would have put him 11th on the Hawks if he had done that last year. If the Hawks could pick up a top 6 forward in one of the aforementioned scenarios it would make sense to put Hossa on the third line permanently. His production dropped almost 30 points last year and he could still be very helpful on line #3 and I think moving there can help extend his career. I really like Panik and feel he can have a breakout season playing the whole year on line 1. Kudo’s to SB for signing Brian Campbell and shoring up the blue line. I’m surprised more people are not talking about it, but this is the exactly the type of signing a lot of people wanted the Hawks to do last year ie…Picking up a veteran player that was looking for rings more than dollars.
I like Panik a lot as well. He was absolutely fantastic in the playoffs against the Blue with some huge hits. I just wonder if he can keep that pace up through a long season. Some people think Kruger is overpaid, but didn’t he sign below market previously so I am fine with him being “caught up” so to speak. Its hard to believe that Runblad played in Game 7 against the Blues. I personally thought Erhoff looked a lot better than Runblad. To me the most overpaid person on the roster is Seabrook. He has been great for years for sure, but is he really a 7M dollar defenseman? I will let others who know more about hockey comment on that. I am in favor of loading up the bottom of the roster with younger guys with upside even if they are not quite ready and lets see how they improve over the season. Maybe you catch lighting in a bottle. I prefer that to the grizzled vet on his last legs getting slower every day.
Does anyone remember when Keith had his surgery and was out? Seabrook was able to stop babysitting and looked like a Norris caliber dman. The only gripe I have is length. The only reason Keith’s contract is palatable is because of the way it’s structured. Which could also come back to bite the Hawks in the ass. Sure his cap hit is 5.5. But in 2010/11 he made 11 million! It was signed prior to the last CBA which got rid of the circumvention. It was also signed when the cap was 56.8. What would this team do if Seabrook wasn’t here? Shea Weber’s AAV is 7.85 and runs for another 10 years. Seabrook is 6.875 for 8 years. After year 6 his NTC goes away and his salary is lessened.
It’s opinion whether or not Kruger took below market value. He could have signed an offer sheet at any time. But one was never presented to him. Without an offer sheet. And without arbitration he had no leverage to counter the Hawks offer. So if you want to say he signed below value that’s fine. He could have, I have no idea what another team was willing to pay him. The PK was dreadful without him. He’s only 2 years removed from putting up nearly 30 points. If he’s elevated to 3c and can play away from Desjardins,Mashinter,Sekac,Tikhonov, Garbutt etc and play with guys that have skill those totals will go up. Prior to his injury the only line that was scoring at all was the second line. It picked up slightly after the holiday break. His production picked up a bit after he returned so there’s hope he can still bring it offensively.
Kruger is worth every bit of the $3M. He doesn’t score. But he drives possession against the opposition’s best. He flips the ice, wins draws, and kills penalties. The rest of the lineup is more productive as a result because they start more shifts in the offensive zone, and against lesser competition. I pay $3M for that, no questions asked.
As for the holes at forward, I see one at 1LW and one at 4C. Overall, I think we have enough to reach the top-3 in the central… especially since St Louis seems weaker now. Hopefully a kid fills 1LW admirably and we acquire an undervalued possession driver or two at the trade deadline on the cheap.
Campbell helps big time.
Versteeg is still out there ………
Big Indian, it was Chris Hine who wrote that about Ladd. He also had 3 others on that “wish list”: Hamhuis, Stepniak, and Versteeg.
Iceman, Mashinter is on one way
Nah
Ernie, Seabrook has a no movement clause until 2021-22, not a no trade. In his final 2 years, he has a modified no trade (per Generalfanager).
Dave, thanks for that info. Hamhuis and Stempniak are gone from Hine’s wish list. That leaves Versteeg for him to pine for.
Versteeg and Hudler are coming off pretty similar contracts, each just finishing up at or near $4MM cap hits over four years.
????-Toews-Hossa
Panarin-Anisimov-Kane
Desjardins-Kruger-Panik
????-Rasmussen-????
D-Corps and Goaltending are fine, but 3 holes to fill on forward lines. Stan still has some work to do before October 1.
Brad Richards???
Tab, good foundation for salary cap/cap space of the team.
Whaaaugh, that was a good wknd, eh. Goose Island flowing threw my veins.
It ain’t over yet…the weekend or the team!
We have 2.9m to add a FW (with 20 and Kempny). Plus the trade deadline.
Best case scenario#1 : Vesey picks the Hawks, and EDM really wants to unload Yakupov before he needs a new contract next season and Stan is able to get him on the cheap – something like McNeill and another prospect or draft pick.
Vesey-Toews-Kane
Panarin-Anisimov-Yakupov
Panic-Kruger-Hossa
Motte-Rasmussen-Lundberg/Hartman
… and then I woke up.
Ebony- woke up…screaming?
Kruger, good but not worth that cap hit.
Hawks will grab Hudler.
Desjardins is definitely a solid player. He hits and is annoying to play against which is a value.
TVR might be part of a trade.
Going to be near impossible to “roll 4 lines” with the options available to round out this roster in 2016-17. Honestly, we are looking at carrying two untested rookies but with presumable good upside in Motte and Schmaltz. And, a dubious assortment of limited skill players or journeyman types in Panik, Des Jardins, Hinostraza, McNeil, Hartman. The sure volume of the untested and the crap of forwards we are looking to carry is going to be real tough.
Railing about Kruger at a shade over 3M is pointless… the guy is worth it. He and Toews are the go-to guys for D-Zone face offs, and Kruger is usually better than 50% on draws, especially in the D-Zone. This is why he, along with Toews, are the primary PK guys. Kruger’s Fenwick and Corsi numbers don’t jump out, but he’s a good puck possession guy and has almost 60% of his starts in the D-Zone 5v5 and 83% of them in the D-Zone on the PK… so he’s not going to put up a ton of points 150 feet away from the opposing net minder.
Obviously, none of this matters at this point, and we’ll have to see how it all shakes out a year from now. I’m critical of a lot of the moves made since the end of the season, but I’m not paid to make them, so it’s easy to be critical from the shadows of my computer screen.
I’m not worried about how many rookies make the lineup for a few reasons… you can’t have a roster loaded with veterans due to the salary cap, so why get worked up when every team has to follow the same system? Every player on the team was a rookie at some point, and the Hawks happen to have a ton of leadership to help guide the way… and most importantly, who cares if they’re rookies??? If you ice the best 20, and have solid depth to support them, it doesn’t matter whether it’s their first year or their tenth. Panarin certainly didn’t look out of place. I think the hope is that Motte, Schmaltz, Johnson, etc. look like some of the other college guys who have come into the league of late and lit it up.
Hudler may be a decent fit, but he needs to be with high end guys… and he won’t get the same money in Chicago he might get elsewhere. DeBrincat may be a wild card yet too… it’s too early to really pass sound judgement.
The problem is the youngsters we are talking about (sans Motte and Schmaltz…hopefully) aren’t really NHL projectable players. A lot of poor man’s Ben Smith types. Or in other words AHL lifers.
Holy shit. Did Rufus…I mean Earl change his tune on Schmaltz??
How is it that Pokka is making more money than T.V.R. ,.,.,Ville should ,at that price be playing in the N.H.L. Yes,.,.? I see the the above line up that Tab has put before us lacking a theme . Are we a fast team ? Gritty ? Offensive dynamo ? Defensive stalwarts ? Winning 2-1 games? Tough to play against ? I see an identity kenundrum .
The theme of late has been out with North American players and in with Europeans and the likes . Now dont get me wrong ,.,i like the Sedins ond Ovie, Chara as much as the rest of you but not on my team. Trending the wrong way.
Not for nothing, Big Earl… but unless you’ve scouted (not watched) games, I’d be careful making those kinds of blanket assumptions. I don’t mean to come across as rude, but as I’ve mentioned before… Cups are won by having the right players from 11-25, not just 1-10.
I’m not keen on how the Hawks draft usually, and I’m not always sold on their signings, but I can’t jump in and say every guy in Rockford is the second coming of Ben Smith either.
In the end, we’re all fans on one level or another.
Hartman, McNeil, Hinostraza, Kero, Johnson? None of these guys is a serious NHL player. Let’s be very honest on this front. That’s 5 guys, 4 of whom are likely to make the roster by default.
And Pokka? He can’t skate.
Hawkhead – Don Cherry would luv you!
I think out theme is IKEA ,
Allan keys and frustration getting it built.
Would the real Ned Schneblay stand up.
http://images-cdn.moviepilot.com/image/upload/c_scale,h_997,w_1500/t_mp_quality/school-of-rock-10-hardcore-facts-that-stick-it-to-the-man-318706.jpg
Pokka is making more than TvR because Pokka was a high draft pick so he started his pro career at the high end of his Entry Level Contract (ELC). TvR, on the other hand was an undrafted free agent after his college career was over which allowed the Hawks to sign him to a 2-year ELC. Once that initial 2-year contract was over, TvR agreed to his current contract so he could stay with the Hawks. Once Pokka’s ELC is over, his next contract will be determined by what he has done at the NHL level, which to date is nothing.
Another Hatrick .. Swedish meatballs for everyone !
Mining Man – Alan Keyes? Perhaps we should talk at another blog…..
Hawkhead, great comment regarding the identity kenundrum! It certainly isn’t obvious right now.
Perhaps the identity needs to be line based instead of team based. As long as each line knows their role and plays it well they may all have different styles. They each do need an identity.
The Hawks have enough scoring on two lines to win games but only if the other two lines can hold their own using whatever style they can play.
Hawkhead . Not Alan Keyes the person , Allan keys, the little hexagon shaped steel thingies that act as a wrench in all IKEA wooden build it yourself kits .
The reference would be to Sweden and , if you ever built a ” Billy” bookcase ( I’ve attempted at leadt ten times ) , you know the frustration of all these parts and those crazy Swedish keys . I’ve got drawers full of them!
Kind of reminds me of our lines . What to do with all these parts ?
lol Allan wrenches yeah
Oh sorry , that was mud turtle!
A couple of years back, maybe more , either Ebony or Morrisin posted a video of Hjalmarsson eating Swedish meatballs at an IKEA in a Bkackhawk promo .. Funny as heck .. Similar conversaton
Pokka would make 925k if he’s in the NHL because that’s the contract the Islanders gave him. 925 is the max for an ELC as far as salary. Bonuses usually bump that up on the higher end guys. But since Pokka has been in Rockford he’s only making 70k. He has a possible 850k in bonuses each year.
TVR on the other hand has a hit this year and next of 825k with no bonuses attached. He came off his 2 year ELC. Since he was sought after he was given the maximum 925k in salary and 92,500 signing bonus. It has nothing to do with where he was drafted or service time. Teuvo’s hit was 863 ish and he was drafted higher than all of them.
Motte is another max ELC as well as Schmaltz. Schmaltz a first rounder, Motte 4th. Had they waited to sign their ELC would only be 2 years. But because they signed now their ELC will be 3 years. Schmaltz does have bonuses attached to his name where Motte does not. Chicken fat and apple sauce. Theres something there i jusr dont know it yet.Wherever Vesey signs he most certainly will have bonuses, and he was a third rounder in his second year of eligibility.
Just had this thought on Pokka, although I doubt it’s the case. With his 850k in bonuses maybe that’s why we haven’t seen him up yet. Can’t find a breakdown as to what they are.
Ernie, a little conspiracy theory. Not the grassy knoll but I like it.
Nice group! Looking forward to the season to begin.
Fun fact of the day.
In 2013-2014, the line of Kruger, Bollig, and Ben Smith outshot and outscored opponents over the course of the year.
That is incredible. With Brandon Freaking Bollig on your line. Most draws in D zone. Etc. Incredible.
Bring back Ben Smith for one of the fourth line holes. The guy just wins pucks… something we sorely missed last year.
I would be extremely happy with that lineup going into the season. Always need another top forward but that is what the deadline is for. We would have the depth to roll 4 lines, especially if a kid pans out.
Ben Smith has had continuous concussion problems, starting with the Blackhawks, and then even worse in San Jose. He got moved to Toronto after being deemed fit to play again but spent the end of the season with the Marlies. He’s one hit (or one puck to the face, another way he got a concussion) from being gone for good. He’s talked himself about wanting to play as long as he can but realizing he’s on the edge of messing himself up for life. He’s a great kid and was a really good player for the Blackhawks. I’ll never forget that OT goal he got against Vancouver in Game 6 the year after the first cup.
Remember that hit he took from Brendan Smith in the pre-season? That’s where it all started.
Can’t understand all the talk about getting rid of Kruger, just remember how the PK improved when he came back. As far as scoring goes what do you expect given the wingers he gets and the fact that they are usually the shut down line. It’s time for Hossa to move to the 3rd line where he will have more of a chance to score and still use his great defensive skills. I don’t understand why we resigned Mashinter he brings nothing. This needs to be the year when some Rockford guys take on more responsibility.
Yeah i remember that hit. Brutal.
I take the point that he has concussion problems. Everybody is one hit away from being gone for good but Smith is more prone to it given his history. So if it happens you put him on LTIR and his cap hit is erased. And I cry, because he is such a good guy first and a possession machine second (when healthy).
So maybe a compromise… offer a professional tryout if he is available? Or protect him a bit as the 13th forward? I just see him as filling two huge need to start the year? I just see him filling two huge needs for us… depth and possession.
For all us old timers I see that Lou Fontinato has passed away at the age of 84.
I met Lou once, as a kid, at my local town library, for “Lou Fontinato Day” . I must of been 8 or 9 and meeting a real NHL hockey player was a big deal. We got to go out to him one at a time and ask a question. I asked him how many hat tricks he had scored in his career. I never forget the look he gave me…something akin to ” this kid is nuts”.
How likely is it that Ben Bishop goes over to the Dallas Stars? That would be some kind of change in the Central, heck the whole West.
Tampa picked up Reimer, coming off a great season considering where he was, and gave him big bucks and long term. With the expansion draft looming and they can only protect one goalie, then Bishop is going to be available, ..and Dallas really needs a first rate goalie. That could very well tip the scales and not at all in our favour.
The Hawks are 2 guys short in their top 6 if you ask me. The Toews line is very weak, thats assuming its Panik and Hossa. Im confident the Hawks system has enough talent to fill the bottom 6. I would have felt better if Tuevo was playing there but clearly the org didn’t feel he could make that jump. I’d like for Stan to move some assets to fill the spot.
Jordan Tootoo…really? Why?
Holy heck,.,.just signed a real tough crash bang guy,.
I have no problem with the Tootoo deal . One less roster spot to fill @ a bargan price.
Jordan Tootoo???
Outside of getting Campbell at a discount SB hasnt had a good offseason. So they signed a 4th line guy. Cant wait to here Kitch tell us about how much talent he has uugh
“a real tough crash bang guy,.” – OK, but his game is really limited to that. I guess he could take Mashinter’s role…
I know this is late, but I’m behind with the holiday
Travis – “Kruger is worth every bit of the $3M. He doesn’t score. But he drives possession against the opposition’s best. He flips the ice, wins draws, and kills penalties…”
Um, he is NOT worth $3m. He had 4 POINTS! He was 49% F.O. This is not worth $3m. He is good on PK, but a 3rd-4th line PK’er is not worth $3m, especially on this cap busting team. There are plenty of questions to be asked.
49% on faceoffs when you had wrist surgery in the middle of the season is pretty damn good. Look at faceoffs over the last three years for a better indication of his abilities.
None of my other points were addressed.
Travis – Kruger has only been over 50% one year since he has been with the Hawks. That IS an indication of his abilities. I agree that his PK is worth something, but again, a 3rd-4th line PK player is not worth $3m, especially when you have $21m going to 2 players. I didn’t know I was supposed to address ALL your points and fun facts.
I feel like it is a consensus that the Hawks need to add a winger to the top line, most likely LW1. In addition, a veteran/skilled forward, so that they don’t have to rely on 4 rookies and Rasmussen to carry the bottom two lines.
Some of the possible options I have heard tossed around:
– Jiri Hudler
– Sam Gagner
– Radim Vrbata
– Kris Versteeg
– Brad Richards
– C Brandon Pirri (Read that he asked for a trade last time he was a Hawk so seems unlikely)
– Tomas Fleischmann
This would assume that at least of them would sign and take something in the 1.5 – 2.25 million range
There’s also the possibility of Vesey, but that seems unlikely and they can’t really plan for that.
If they could grab one of the top guys and maybe Fleischmann or a similar cheap, veteran with some offense I think they will be just fine.
Hudler/Vrbata – Toews – Hossa (2-Way Line w/ scoring potential)
Panarin – AA – Kane (We all know what they can do)
Fleischmann – Schmaltz – Panik ( Surround the rookie with some scoring vets)
Desjardins – Kruger – Tootoo (Not going to score, but will be solid and tough)
There is a lot of pessimism around, but I think with this group and their now very good solid Defense and Goaltending they would be a top team.
Thoughts?
Kaiser – the consensus is that everybody wants Saad/Ladd back to skate w/ 19. The reality is that the Hawks don’t have the cap space to do that. And while I love the list you put together, not one of those guys is a top line LW.
for the sake of tossing lines around, I’ll once again offer my two cents:
Motte-Toews-Hossa
Panarin-Anisimov-Kane
Kero-Kruger-Panik
Desjardins-Hinostroza-Lundberg/Hartman/Rasmussen/Carrick
Tab – I understand that none of those guys are typical top-line guys, but in reality they don’t have an typical top liners for that spot. So going with what they do have or what they could potentially get, aren’t some of these a better option that an unknown in Motte or a Panik?
Vrbata has scored 25+ goals in the past and scored 30 two years ago when on Sedin twins top line. Now, he declined quite a bit last year, but also played on a very weak line. If he was slotted on the top line with 19, he could have a solid bounce back. Hudler is similar.
Obviously, they are both based on a big salary related if, but there’s still a chance based on the down year they had last season.
20-19-81
72-15-88
?-48-14
22-16-11
I have no spicy detailed directions to add that are really worthy like all the above comments, other than, leave it all up to Coach Q. He seems to know how to pick a hockey team so far…. As for the salary’s, can I say “Cha-Ching”! Worthy last year and I’m having faith that you’ll be worth more this year. Go Hawks!