When will we know the actual cap number for next year?
- NewToHockey

The upper limit won't be officially finalized until late June.

Capgeek

Sometime this month.

And it depends on where next year's (2014-15) cap winds up.

I think they signed Bollig for the $1.25MM because they thought the cap would be at $71MM: if they knew it was going to be at, say $69MM, they probably would have played harder with Bollig.
- StLBravesFan

I'm sure he jumped all over the $1.25 when offered. I was expecting him to come in around $850k. Gets a $300k raise, some security...etc. In the end you're talking about 400k difference, but every little bit helps and that compounds as the season approaches the TDL

If sharp has a shoulder issue he might be better off at center. More contact along the boards for a wing, but face offs can take a toll as well. I totally agree about a right wing (like Hossa) needing a left handed center. Not sure how much it matters with Kane as he is all over the place.
- 6628

Faceoffs are tough on a bum shoulder. Came back from extensive shoulder surgery in 4 months and faceoffs were flat out uncomfortable. Strength would also be an issue if there's injury involved.

I initially thought Sharp had a shoulder injury (right one, to be specific), but that doesn't appear to be the case. If Sharp can swing a bat for fun, the shoulder is likely ok.

Not sure if you guys saw but Chris Botta from Sports Business Journal reports NHL revenues exceeded $3.7 billion this year so the cap will likely exceed $70 million. Not sure the US/Canadian dollar difference but good news all around.

Not sure if you guys saw but Chris Botta from Sports Business Journal reports NHL revenues exceeded $3.7 billion this year so the cap will likely exceed $70 million. Not sure the US/Canadian dollar difference but good news all around.
- golfbard

Anything north of $70 and I feel fairly comfortable that Stan has minimal purge and can do most of what he wants.

Today's article...Sharp, Oduya, Leddy not Seabrook could be in play...Kesler unlikely but Spezza or E. Kane??... Bowman may need to open cap space and if not a big splash look to add some size and experience for bottom six.


Hawks may not be able to stand pat this summer. Competition is fierce big names could be in play around NHL. Fox Chgo:http://bit.ly/1oDBYHR
On Twitter@AlCimaglia

Not sure if you guys saw but Chris Botta from Sports Business Journal reports NHL revenues exceeded $3.7 billion this year so the cap will likely exceed $70 million. Not sure the US/Canadian dollar difference but good news all around.
- golfbard

James Mirtle @mirtle
NHL's cap could well rise $6-million+ both this summer and next, hitting $76-million by 2015-16. Floor would be about $20-mil less.

In a previous tweet, he thinks the cap will sit at about $70.6

And it depends on where next year's (2014-15) cap winds up.

I think they signed Bollig for the $1.25MM because they thought the cap would be at $71MM: if they knew it was going to be at, say $69MM, they probably would have played harder with Bollig.
- StLBravesFan

Maybe that might have something to do with it. However, the extension that Bollig received is on par with other guys who can both throw down and still be effective players...

Ryan Reaves - 4 years, $1.125 million cap hit
Patrick Bordeleau - 3 years, $1 million cap hit
Jared Boll - 3 years, $1.7 million cap hit
Sean Thornton - 2 years, $1.1 million cap hit (just expired)

I just mentioned it on the CBJ blog, but they are looking for a top 4 dman

I suggest oduya and a pick for Anisimov

big 6'4 frame and he has good offensive skill to be our 2C

Read? What's that? No, wife has the books on her kindle or whatever, but I haven't read them.

I'll be honest, I'm not into the story as much as I am the boobs and killing.
- eburgio

http://youtu.be/pBhLI3NqnaQ

You should check out and older HBO show called Rome some time.

I just mentioned it on the CBJ blog, but they are looking for a top 4 dman

I suggest oduya and a pick for Anisimov

big 6'4 frame and he has good offensive skill to be our 2C
- FourFeathers773

Not a bad idea...

I will argue that THIS is the most important summer the Hawks have had since 2009. Maybe even bigger. Back then you were coming off of a conference final lost and added 3 veterans...Madden, Kopecky, and Hossa. Forget the RFA snafu.

This is the 1st year in the Kane/Toews era they failed to meet expectations. For those saying conference finals isn't a failure, I beg to differ. The other 15 playoff teams that didn't win 16 playoff games, will argue that as well. If the "One goal" philosophy is just that and not a marketing gimmick to make it seem like this organization cares about winning, then more then a fine tune is in order these next 30 days.

They lost to the Kings because their center depth was a joke. Their size was a joke. They need 1-2 larger big bodied guys, who can skate, and play a high octaine possession game. They need an actual center to play with Kane. The kid had 20 points skating with Handzus and Shaw. What happens if he gets somebody that doesn't force the opposition to double team Kane. Hossa/Toews have that advantage right now.

The biggest struggles I see Bowman are:

1. Leddy vs Oduya...Youth and what could be vs the short term with Oduya because come UFA status you can't pay 4th d man 5+ million which Oduya will get.

2. Shaw vs Kruger....if you are dangling guys to put together a package for Kesler I have to assume after Saad and leddy it comes down to these 2. Probably Shaw. However, IMO, I'm not so sure Shaw is slam dunk over Kruger. Will Kruger EVER be more then a poor man's Dave Bolland? I don't know. An empty net goal in 19 games isn't very appeasing to me. Smith and Shaw have some a more "clutch" side then Kruger. The Hawks need Shaw's grit and a 3rd line defensive center is a helluva lot easier to replace then a kid with grit and some versatility and upside in Shaw.

3. Sharp....do you trade him to free cap space and hope that a healthy Bickell playing with Toews-Hossa and an emerging star in Saad replace those 35 goals? Plus a 2nd line center?

Again....very curious to see how these next 30 days plan out, but June 27th should be very entertaining. I'm sure IF the Hawks are IN on Kesler they will push to make that deal PRIOR to the draft so they can get Toews and Kane in line and then go after their RFAs so they can have their cap in order so they can look for any "deals" when the market opens on July 1st.

Big summer for Bowman.....

Today's article...Sharp, Oduya, Leddy not Seabrook could be in play...Kesler unlikely but Spezza or E. Kane??... Bowman may need to open cap space and if not a big splash look to add some size and experience for bottom six.


Hawks may not be able to stand pat this summer. Competition is fierce big names could be in play around NHL. Fox Chgo:http://bit.ly/1oDBYHR
On Twitter@AlCimaglia
- Al

Lets be real.....for Bowman to make a significant move ala moving a "core" player like Sharp would shock the hell out of all of us and the hockey world. That is not in their management DNA or style.

As you state they run the risk of getting "old" and being leaped over by the likes of the Aves and even the Wild if they decide to stay in their "we like our core" mode. Blues are not going any where either. Hossa's production is in decline and Sharp may have peaked this year. The safe play is for the hawks to continue to try milk the "core" for another year. And expect the declining production of Sharp and Hossa to be picked up by Toews, Kane and Saad. If you get any thing from Bicks consider it a bonus. In my view he is just a "guy" who parlayed one playoff into payday.

I really don't see how they can resolve their center depth problems. Can't have it all. Teams make choices forced by the Cap. Hawks have decided on a deep blueline goaltending to invest their cap $$ going forward.

Bollig serves his purpose and won't be going anywhere and you're right, our 4th line was the most consistent last season. I would like to see Bollig to continue to develop as he did this season.
- DarthKane

It'd be nice to see Bollig go to the front of the net and camp out. He's tough, he'd be able to take the beating, i think that should be something for him to focus on if he wants to continue to improve.

I will argue that THIS is the most important summer the Hawks have had since 2009. Maybe even bigger. Back then you were coming off of a conference final lost and added 3 veterans...Madden, Kopecky, and Hossa. Forget the RFA snafu.

This is the 1st year in the Kane/Toews era they failed to meet expectations. For those saying conference finals isn't a failure, I beg to differ. The other 15 playoff teams that didn't win 16 playoff games, will argue that as well. If the "One goal" philosophy is just that and not a marketing gimmick to make it seem like this organization cares about winning, then more then a fine tune is in order these next 30 days.

They lost to the Kings because their center depth was a joke. Their size was a joke. They need 1-2 larger big bodied guys, who can skate, and play a high octaine possession game. They need an actual center to play with Kane. The kid had 20 points skating with Handzus and Shaw. What happens if he gets somebody that doesn't force the opposition to double team Kane. Hossa/Toews have that advantage right now.

The biggest struggles I see Bowman are:

1. Leddy vs Oduya...Youth and what could be vs the short term with Oduya because come UFA status you can't pay 4th d man 5+ million which Oduya will get.

2. Shaw vs Kruger....if you are dangling guys to put together a package for Kesler I have to assume after Saad and leddy it comes down to these 2. Probably Shaw. However, IMO, I'm not so sure Shaw is slam dunk over Kruger. Will Kruger EVER be more then a poor man's Dave Bolland? I don't know. An empty net goal in 19 games isn't very appeasing to me. Smith and Shaw have some a more "clutch" side then Kruger. The Hawks need Shaw's grit and a 3rd line defensive center is a helluva lot easier to replace then a kid with grit and some versatility and upside in Shaw.

3. Sharp....do you trade him to free cap space and hope that a healthy Bickell playing with Toews-Hossa and an emerging star in Saad replace those 35 goals? Plus a 2nd line center?

Again....very curious to see how these next 30 days plan out, but June 27th should be very entertaining. I'm sure IF the Hawks are IN on Kesler they will push to make that deal PRIOR to the draft so they can get Toews and Kane in line and then go after their RFAs so they can have their cap in order so they can look for any "deals" when the market opens on July 1st.

Big summer for Bowman.....
- SteveRain

1) Does anyone know how much the RFA snafu cost the team in the end? Versteeg and Brouwer were the big ones, right? How much extra did they cost them (I'm looking for hard figures...pre-snafu, 2M vs post-snafu 3M)? Fair to say it cost them one player during the purge? Ladd was only 1.6M that next season...his grit and leadership would've been nice to have around in 2011 vs Vancouver

2) It's a failure, like all other teams that don't win. It's a failure, given they held 4 2-goal leads in the series and gagged them away, along with 3 separate leads in Game 7. It's not a failure know that basically pure guile got them to Game 7 in the first place.

3) I don't think we should ever count on Bickell being any more than a playoff guy. I would be happy with 15 goals (40 pts) from him during a reg season. So to your point, I don't think you can count on Bickell and Saad to pick up the scoring slack that is there if Sharp is traded

I just mentioned it on the CBJ blog, but they are looking for a top 4 dman

I suggest oduya and a pick for Anisimov

big 6'4 frame and he has good offensive skill to be our 2C
- FourFeathers773

I like Anisimov and to me he's Kruger with a little more of a polished offensive game. He's probably more Bolland. Not the purest #2 center but can score and defend and is better suited as a #3C.

I just mentioned it on the CBJ blog, but they are looking for a top 4 dman

I suggest oduya and a pick for Anisimov

big 6'4 frame and he has good offensive skill to be our 2C
- FourFeathers773

I could live with this. He's around 50% on face offs and averaged about 2 minutes of PK time and 2 minutes of PP time per game. This is the type of move Stan makes that nobody thought of...until now.

Edit: His cap hit is $3.28 million which would be very reasonable.

Today's article...Sharp, Oduya, Leddy not Seabrook could be in play...Kesler unlikely but Spezza or E. Kane??... Bowman may need to open cap space and if not a big splash look to add some size and experience for bottom six.


Hawks may not be able to stand pat this summer. Competition is fierce big names could be in play around NHL. Fox Chgo:http://bit.ly/1oDBYHR
On Twitter@AlCimaglia
- Al

Excellent piece Al, as always.

Very risky to go with Shaw as #2C - his style of play leads to injuries. Blood and guts type of player and I'd really like to know how the medical staff glued him back together for the LA series.

I really need a better selling job to accept Spezza, have always seen him as an underachiever and brittle. But the Sens won't resign him after next year at 32 so he may be the cheapest option in terms of what Bowman has to give up in return. And it could be an age for age trade involving Sharp where Stanbo eats $7M in cap space and is off the hook after that..

Leddy - have been convinced for months that he's history in Chicago. Lots of potential suitors for him around the league.

E.Kane - has issues, some annoying on ice tendencies. How much do you spend on left wingers - Saad, Bickel, E.Kane?

Excellent piece Al, as always.

Very risky to go with Shaw as #2C - his style of play leads to injuries. Blood and guts type of player and I'd really like to know how the medical staff glued him back together for the LA series.

I really need a better selling job to accept Spezza, have always seen him as an underachiever and brittle. But the Sens won't resign him after next year at 32 so he may be the cheapest option in terms of what Bowman has to give up in return. And it could be an age for age trade involving Sharp where Stanbo eats $7M in cap space and is off the hook after that..

Leddy - have been convinced for months that he's history in Chicago. Lots of potential suitors for him around the league.

E.Kane - has issues, some annoying on ice tendencies. How much do you spend on left wingers - Saad, Bickel, E.Kane?
- RickJ

I would be SHOCKED if they got Evander kane. He has an attitude and I can't see that sitting well in the locker-room. Very immature, and the Hawks already went down that road with Kane and his compete level and determination are far more superior then Evander Kane's.

I agree on Spezza. pass. No thanks. In fact, run away.

I'm sure there are other options out there if Kesler isn't the one. Some names that aren't being floated publicly where conversations may have happened on previous trades to get the ground work laid.

Excellent piece Al, as always.

Very risky to go with Shaw as #2C - his style of play leads to injuries. Blood and guts type of player and I'd really like to know how the medical staff glued him back together for the LA series.

I really need a better selling job to accept Spezza, have always seen him as an underachiever and brittle. But the Sens won't resign him after next year at 32 so he may be the cheapest option in terms of what Bowman has to give up in return. And it could be an age for age trade involving Sharp where Stanbo eats $7M in cap space and is off the hook after that..

Leddy - have been convinced for months that he's history in Chicago. Lots of potential suitors for him around the league.

E.Kane - has issues, some annoying on ice tendencies. How much do you spend on left wingers - Saad, Bickel, E.Kane?
- RickJ

$7M cap hit is a bit too rich for my blood, but his salary is only $4M. That's why I see a team like St. Louis, who likely won't be a cap team, taking him on. Plus, Murray thinks he has a prime jewel with Spezza and wants a lot in return...for one season.

I don't see Lord Stanley's Bowman making that move unless Murray picks up some salary/cap hit...which he doesn't really need to do.

1) Does anyone know how much the RFA snafu cost the team in the end? Versteeg and Brouwer were the big ones, right? How much extra did they cost them (I'm looking for hard figures...pre-snafu, 2M vs post-snafu 3M)? Fair to say it cost them one player during the purge? Ladd was only 1.6M that next season...his grit and leadership would've been nice to have around in 2011 vs Vancouver

2) It's a failure, like all other teams that don't win. It's a failure, given they held 4 2-goal leads in the series and gagged them away, along with 3 separate leads in Game 7. It's not a failure know that basically pure guile got them to Game 7 in the first place.

3) I don't think we should ever count on Bickell being any more than a playoff guy. I would be happy with 15 goals (40 pts) from him during a reg season. So to your point, I don't think you can count on Bickell and Saad to pick up the scoring slack that is there if Sharp is traded
- eburgio

it cost them a lot and it's too bad...the summer of 2010 wouldn't have been as bad.

They were 1 goal away from back to back cup finals with a flawed team. Shows you just how good the top notch guys on this team are.

The Bickell deal will haunt them. He thinks he's a playoff player and that's fine, but he can't be a ghost for 75% of the regular season which he is too much.

This just gives Ogi a reason to go back to hating Sharp. He was getting soft for a while. Fool Ogi once, shame on you. Fool Ogi twice...that doesn't happen.

Sharp had a helluva season. He started off deathly slow in the Goals dept (Zus-like, slow) and picked it up. I'm convinced that he used the Team Canada stuff as motivation, not the repeat attempt. He said he was gassed after he came back from the Olympics...I think it caught up to him
- eburgio

Sharp:

Oct - Dec: 42 games 22 goals
Jan - Apr: 40 games 12 goals

Feb - Apr: 26 games 6 goals

Not a good ending.

And for those who bashed me regarding Shaw's knee injury and swore it was an ankle.....

Guys with ankle injuries dont' sport knee braces.

Sharp:

Oct - Dec: 42 games 22 goals
Jan - Apr: 40 games 12 goals

Feb - Apr: 26 games 6 goals

Not a good ending.
- StLBravesFan

Most of the team slumped during this time, Kane included.

it cost them a lot and it's too bad...the summer of 2010 wouldn't have been as bad.

They were 1 goal away from back to back cup finals with a flawed team. Shows you just how good the top notch guys on this team are.

The Bickell deal will haunt them. He thinks he's a playoff player and that's fine, but he can't be a ghost for 75% of the regular season which he is too much.
- SteveRain

Bickel is cheap - just watch Rick Nash and his $7.8M in action most nights.