If Kane doesn't get hurt against Florida, he probably wins the HART. That's what I was getting at, but good catch on the point total.

Still think you can ride the Richards train for another year IF he's coming cheap....
- SteveRain

But if doesnt get hirt do we still win the Cup ? Im not sure

But if doesnt get hirt do we still win the Cup ? Im not sure
- mrpaulish

Without Vermette? I doubt the Hawks do win the cup. I'm sure Kane and all Hawk fans will take the cup over the Hart any day and any year.

JJ's words:

"...my source tells me the Hawks are legitimately concerned about a $67-68 million cap this year. In which case, Crawford is definitely on the market right now.


Me too.
- StLBravesFan

Yep...

50% of HRR divided by 30 teams gives you the mid range. Multiple that by 115% and you get the ceiling........unless the players vote on 5% escalator.

Bowman said cap would be around 73-74 million as late as December 8th.....Since then it's dropping and to think his 71.5 or 71 is legit is naïve. It's going to come in less.........I'll be shocked if it doesn't.

What can and hopefully does save the NHL's bacon, is getting a new US TV deal. They need to swallow their pride and take on ESPN2 if they have to and hopefully ABC ponies up big time. Otherwise they are way too reliant on the Canadian dollar.

Without Vermette? I doubt the Hawks do win the cup. I'm sure Kane and all Hawk fans will take the cup over the Hart any day and any year.
- paulr

That's the real trick, isn't it? Say Richards resigns for $2 mil and Kruger resigns for a reasonable amount...who is your 3C that will win 50+% of his faceoffs next year? Denault? Don't bank on that from a rookie.

Vermie was a beast at the dot in the playoffs. Who replaces those puck possession winning faceoff wins?

Yep...

50% of HRR divided by 30 teams gives you the mid range. Multiple that by 115% and you get the ceiling........unless the players vote on 5% escalator.

Bowman said cap would be around 73-74 million as late as December 8th.....Since then it's dropping and to think his 71.5 or 71 is legit is naïve. It's going to come in less.........I'll be shocked if it doesn't.

What can and hopefully does save the NHL's bacon, is getting a new US TV deal. They need to swallow their pride and take on ESPN2 if they have to and hopefully ABC ponies up big time. Otherwise they are way too reliant on the Canadian dollar.
- SteveRain

Ut oh. I thought it was going to be 71.5 .

Why wouldnt the players vote on the escelator or watevwr ?

I think the Crow debate reminds me a lot of Kane. He had off the ice issues, people wanted to trade him for Ryan Miller. Not saying that Crow will ever amount to what Kane has at his position, but with these concerns come with a 2 Stanley Cups. I agree off the ice issues could be there, but I'll take someone who has won 2 cups. These issues are also magnified by the cap issue. If the cap wasn't a situation, then I don't think there would be talk about moving him.

As it goes, if we are able to trade Crow and get a good return, to have Niemi come back is intriguing. If you trade Crow and sign Niemi though, I don't see Raanta wanting to stick around in Rockford.
- HawksHype

Crawford's three strikes.
1.) His salary.
2.) He may has well have walked up to McDonough and spit in his face when he dropped that f-bomb yesterday.
3.) Sometimes in life you cross paths with people who have first hand knowledge of things the public never hears. The off ice issues, or issue, are real.
And none of this has anything to do with his on ice performance, so it doesn't matter one lick that he played his ass off and won a 2nd Stanley Cup. Bah bye.

Without Vermette? I doubt the Hawks do win the cup. I'm sure Kane and all Hawk fans will take the cup over the Hart any day and any year.
- paulr

Agreeeeeeeeddddd

I bet the Hawks could keep Richards for 1.0 m even

Without Vermette? I doubt the Hawks do win the cup. I'm sure Kane and all Hawk fans will take the cup over the Hart any day and any year.
- paulr

Agreed.........everyone would.

My point is Kane's production with a LEGIT 2c is the key, especially if you are dumping a perennial 25-40 yr goal scorer in Sharp. Those are BIG goals to make up. You need to maximize your current assets as much as possible.

Maybe that also comes from hyped prospects, maybe it doesnt'. Sharp was/is a KNOWN producer.

Yep...

50% of HRR divided by 30 teams gives you the mid range. Multiple that by 115% and you get the ceiling........unless the players vote on 5% escalator.

Bowman said cap would be around 73-74 million as late as December 8th.....Since then it's dropping and to think his 71.5 or 71 is legit is naïve. It's going to come in less.........I'll be shocked if it doesn't.

What can and hopefully does save the NHL's bacon, is getting a new US TV deal. They need to swallow their pride and take on ESPN2 if they have to and hopefully ABC ponies up big time. Otherwise they are way too reliant on the Canadian dollar.
- SteveRain

NBC deal doesn't end until 2021.

But - your last paragraph is certainly why there are teams in Pheonix, Miami, Charlotte instead of Quebec City, Hamilton, etc.

That's the real trick, isn't it? Say Richards resigns for $2 mil and Kruger resigns for a reasonable amount...who is your 3C that will win 50+% of his faceoffs next year? Denault? Don't bank on that from a rookie.

Vermie was a beast at the dot in the playoffs. Who replaces those puck possession winning faceoff wins?
- MNHawk

I don't expect the Hawks to take a run this coming season, with the new players getting mixed into the lineup I hope the following year they can make another run for the cup. That gives Danault and others to become "beasts".

Ut oh. I thought it was going to be 71.5 .

Why wouldnt the players vote on the escelator or watevwr ?
- mrpaulish

The cap is only an estimate for the new year: after the season, it all gets trued up. If the player portion - after the true-up - is more than 50%, players have to give back salary to get it to 50% (actually, the money is put in escrow throughout the year - if it's not needed for a true-up, the players get it back). It's my understanding that this year's give back (because of the falling Looney and unmet revenue projected increases) will approach 15%.

The higher the cap, the higher the escrow, and the more potential give-back by players already under contract; the only players who benefit from a higher cap are unsigned free agents. As more players come under long term contracts, they may not be so willing to "subsidize" free agent signings, and vote for a lower escalator - and a lower potential give-back.

I bet the Hawks could keep Richards for 1.0 m even
- mrpaulish

I've had this feeling that they'll give him a 2 year deal to convince him to take less money...something like 1.3m per year for 2 years.

I bet the Hawks could keep Richards for 1.0 m even
- mrpaulish

I doubt it. Guy played for 2 million last year. It will cost at least that much maybe slightly more. Who's to say another team on the verge of a cup wouldn't offer him the same chance the Hawks did this year?

I also think Richards will wait to see who Bowman boots off the island.

NBC deal doesn't end until 2021.

But - your last paragraph is certainly why there are teams in Pheonix, Miami, Charlotte instead of Quebec City, Hamilton, etc.
- StLBravesFan

The reason there are teams in those cities is to keep a National NBC TV contract viable. As soon as a major region is removed NBC will be hesitant to support the NHL nationally. No matter what way you cut it a full house in Canada at a 80% dollar is better than losing money in Phoenix, Miami, Carolina etc. The hope of a deal with NBC dictates where teams are, not the salary cap which almost no team governor wants to see rise.

NBC deal doesn't end until 2021.

But - your last paragraph is certainly why there are teams in Pheonix, Miami, Charlotte instead of Quebec City, Hamilton, etc.
- StLBravesFan

NHL has a problem. Six teams provided 76% of the NHL’s 2013-14 operating income. Tor, NYR, Mont, Chi, Van and Bos. Half the league plays to sellouts. Attendance since '09 has gone from 95.1% of capacity to 95.5%.

A handful of big market teams are carrying the NHL and those teams are topping out on potential. The bottom teams are killing the NHL.

The cap could be very static for the next few years. So, MexicoHawk is dead on about aggressively cutting salaries.

NBC deal doesn't end until 2021.

But - your last paragraph is certainly why there are teams in Pheonix, Miami, Charlotte instead of Quebec City, Hamilton, etc.
- StLBravesFan

Expand on this expertise of yours - name me the teams who are sucking at the revenue sharing trough at the end of every season. I think you will find almost all of them are located in the USA and none of them are in Canada (apart from maybe Ottawa). And all of those Canadian teams pay their bills in U.S. Funds so the exchange cost hurts them too.

Phoenix and Florida probably don't pull in $250K in gate revenue nightly, they are a f'n abortion that Bettman will never admit he was wrong about - that is until he really becomes so desperate that he has to put a team in Quebec City or a 2nd team in Toronto.

NHL has a problem. Six teams provided 76% of the NHL’s 2013-14 operating income. Tor, NYR, Mont, Chi, Van and Bos. Half the league plays to sellouts. Attendance since '09 has gone from 95.1% of capacity to 95.5%.

A handful of big market teams are carrying the NHL and those teams are topping out on potential. The bottom teams are killing the NHL.

The cap could be very static for the next few years. So, MexicoHawk is dead on about aggressively cutting salaries.
- KingB
PS - Winter Classic ratings declined this year - with the Hawks. The bloom could be off that rose.

B.D. Gallof
‏@BDGallof
Per NHL source, CHI currently asking for 1st rd pick, A-level prospect & top 6 forward on entry-level contract for Patrick Sharp #isles
- Dunnhawkey

No way this is what they're asking because no way this is what they will get.

They can get a 2nd round pick and an A level prospect or top 6 forward.... MAYBE.

NBC deal doesn't end until 2021.

But - your last paragraph is certainly why there are teams in Pheonix, Miami, Charlotte instead of Quebec City, Hamilton, etc.
- StLBravesFan

ESPN getting the worlds tournament that is starting up again, is a start. That's why you should have seen an increased in actual time spent on sportscenter regarding the NHL.

Question is how much will they spend for the TV deal in 2021?

One thing the NHL HAS to do is a find a way to market their players better. until that happens, the sport will continue to stay in the shadows of the other big 3. TV ratings year after year are proving that.

Excuse me, Mr. Wiz,

I'd love to get your opinion here...

http://www.draftsite.com/...r/gabriel-carlsson/22579/ Lefty. Defensive defenseman. Swede.

Could this be a late 1st rounder the Hawks could be thinking about when going after a 1st round pick in a trade? Is he NHL-ready?

B.D. Gallof
‏@BDGallof
Per NHL source, CHI currently asking for 1st rd pick, A-level prospect & top 6 forward on entry-level contract for Patrick Sharp #isles
- Dunnhawkey

You gotta start somewhere so why start too high, eh?

I love all the armchair GM's... (not saying this in a demeaning way)

It's fun to sit back and watch the what if's, salary guesses, trades, etc. from everyone.. because while it's fun to speculate and hope and wish.. not one of us has any idea as to what's gonna happen.

I think that is what makes these next couple of weeks fun.. watching the speculation of every single one of us.

Yep - Bickell you hope to simply unload his contract for a used jock strap.
- CaptainBlackhawk

that was only washed once....

Expand on this expertise of yours - name me the teams who are sucking at the revenue sharing trough at the end of every season. I think you will find almost all of them are located in the USA and none of them are in Canada (apart from maybe Ottawa). And all of those Canadian teams pay their bills in U.S. Funds so the exchange cost hurts them too.

Phoenix and Florida probably don't pull in $250K in gate revenue nightly, they are a f'n abortion that Bettman will never admit he was wrong about - that is until he really becomes so desperate that he has to put a team in Quebec City or a 2nd team in Toronto.
- RickJ

I wasn't disagreeing - I was saying (in effect) there SHOULD be teams in Ottawa, Hamilton, etc. INSTEAD of in Phoenix, Miami, Charlotte - and there WOULD be if the league weren't trying to satisfy NBC.