I have zero doubt of his acumen, and that of his advisers, including his father.

I do think though there is enough evidence to suggest that the Hawks don't let the GM be a gunslinger. McD fired Tallon for that. It's a corporate decision-making process, and the Tallon experience probably tells every Hawk executive they're being watched closely. Perception is King at 1901 W. Madison St.

And that kind of decision-making process can be slow (at best). When time is not on your side to begin with, that's not a good thing.
- John Jaeckel

I have no reason to doubt this, and I haven't ever seen anything with my own eyes for or against it, but if Stan is so handcuffed by upper management groupthink that he can't run the team (presumably) in the way that he wishes, why not just get the hell out of Dodge?

The guy is listed as general manager on the cup three times, has a reputation in the hockey world for being one of the foremost statisticians in the game, and has shown the ability to build and rebuild champions. He could find a job anywhere in the league for as much or more money than he makes now, and leave this team in a ridiculous cap mess.

So either A) he's loyal to a fault and thinks he still has something to prove or B) maybe he actually has more control than people say.

I thought it was necessary to have tagging room before you can sign a guy to a new deal. Someone who knows more about the cap . . .?
- John Jaeckel

Sorry John meant to say tagging...

anyway an article by Tracy Myers on CSNChicago.com mentions the Hawks can be 10% over the 71.4mil Cap until puck drop in October.

Side note...General Fanager.com currently shows the Hawks are at...$63,295,127 and have about 8.1m in Cap space...so Saad and Kruger could be signed now...but obviously to ice a full squad they'll need to move players to get about 10m off their cap come October.

http://www.generalfanager.../teams/chicago-blackhawks

In that same article Tracy also asked Stan about the coming Free Agency period...


“Obviously the way the market works is you’ve got a few players, and there’s a lot of bidders, and they’re usually looking for long terms and big dollars," Bowman said. "The players that might be moved are on shorter terms than that, so I think at that point teams start to say, ‘Oh well, I don’t know if I want to sign a guy to a five- or six-year contract. I might look at players on shorter terms.’ They become more attractive at that time. That’s all stuff that can happen, but we’re not there yet.”


here's the full article for anyone that's interested...

http://www.csnchicago.com...raanta-no-big-trades-made

So we'll see what happens when the market opens on Wednesday...

Are you hearing crickets JJ or where do Hawks go now?

Same source as the poster I quoted.

Speaking of Source........is he still unnamed?
- mohel

I thought you might have heard or read something.

Sorry John meant to say tagging...

anyway an article by Tracy Myers on CSNChicago.com mentions the Hawks can be 10% over the 71.4mil Cap until puck drop in October.

Side note...General Fanager.com currently shows the Hawks are at...$63,295,127 and have about 8.1m in Cap space...so Saad and Kruger could be signed now...but obviously to ice a full squad they'll need to move players to get about 10m off their cap come October.

http://www.generalfanager.../teams/chicago-blackhawks

In that same article Tracy also asked Stan about the coming Free Agency period...


“Obviously the way the market works is you’ve got a few players, and there’s a lot of bidders, and they’re usually looking for long terms and big dollars," Bowman said. "The players that might be moved are on shorter terms than that, so I think at that point teams start to say, ‘Oh well, I don’t know if I want to sign a guy to a five- or six-year contract. I might look at players on shorter terms.’ They become more attractive at that time. That’s all stuff that can happen, but we’re not there yet.”


here's the full article for anyone that's interested...

http://www.csnchicago.com...raanta-no-big-trades-made

So we'll see what happens when the market opens on Wednesday...
- DK002

The pre-approved messaging through the affiliated press conduit.

Gonna be a long summer of nothing. Might be best for us all to focus on the golf game until August 15.

Where's that douche who told me Sharp was going for Kap + Pouliot + Bennett and a first at?
- BourbonCounty

Easy... its a hockey blog bro.

Where's that douche who told me Sharp was going for Kap + Pouliot + Bennett and a first at?
- BourbonCounty

He's with the fans that thought Crosby and Malkin would have won multiple Cups by now.

The pre-approved messaging through the affiliated press conduit.

Gonna be a long summer of nothing. Might be best for us all to focus on the golf game until August 15.
- Return of the Roar

Aren't you the guy that had the icon of Stan with 'Failed' stamped on his head? Obviously there no penalty for you for being abjectly wrong over, and over and over.

My guess is that Raanta has been a good trooper playing in Rockford, He belongs in the NHL but Hawks had no spot for him since Darling has impressed them. So they moved him somewhere he'd be in the NHL and they'd get something back they could play in Rockford next year with potential to move up if he does well.
- bhawk1s

Rangers achieve $600k cap savings with difference between Raanta and Talbot.

I thought it was necessary to have tagging room before you can sign a guy to a new deal. Someone who knows more about the cap . . .?
- John Jaeckel

From what I thought "tagging room" is an issue when players are signed to extensions after the season starts...Which is really July 1 and those extensions put the club over the current cap by a certain percentage for the following season.

That issue was brought up when Toews-Kane and Keith were signed to extensions all at once during the 2009-2010 season.

For now the Hawks can be over the cap by up to 10% until the 2015-16 rosters needs to be submitted.

Same source as the poster I quoted.

Speaking of Source........is he still unnamed?
- mohel

Fair. I have no source. Just adding up pieces of info and drawing conclusions. My wife calls it a "Daveism". A somewhat educated guess stated by me as a fact.

Aren't you the guy that had the icon of Stan with 'Failed' stamped on his head? Obviously there no penalty for you for being abjectly wrong over, and over and over.
- KingB

Yes, and no, but I'm probably right about not much happening for a while.

Im also guessing that you werent around when I gave the man props when deserved, and replaced the icon. EIGHTEEN MONTHS AGO. If not more.

Rangers achieve $600k cap savings with difference between Raanta and Talbot.
- Al

Yeah, from the Rangers perspective thats important, The Cap seems to working as intended to promote parity, as high end teams have to trade off resources to stay compliant, but not sure how effective it has been thus far with reducing bad inflationary contracts. We'll see how well free agents do in a few days.

Fair. I have no source. Just adding up pieces of info and drawing conclusions. My wife calls it a "Daveism". A somewhat educated guess stated by me as a fact.
- Cmonalready

All good. I expected more action, but I'm going to hold off on grading the offseason until the offseason ends. For me Stan has earned that. But I also get the consternation.

Beagle and Desi are my two forward FA targets. Not sure who is available on the blueline that would give affordable depth

Beagle and Desi are my two forward FA targets. Not sure who is available on the blueline that would give affordable depth
- ikeane

If they have to pay to deal Bickell, your D depth comes from somewhere off of I-90 unless JO gives a helluva homer deal to stay.

Not sure what Stanley is up to here.

Maybe he knows something that we don't?

Maybe Hossa is done? Goes to LTIR ala Pronger?

Very interesting.
- Bjm84

i think that's about right...

trade of the day: prongers contract to Arz....they now have 9 mil in salary next year for 3 players who won't be playing: ribeiro, yandle and pronger

Yeah, from the Rangers perspective thats important, The Cap seems to working as intended to promote parity, as high end teams have to trade off resources to stay compliant, but not sure how effective it has been thus far with reducing bad inflationary contracts. We'll see how well free agents do in a few days.
- bhawk1s

I think that the league will see more parity than ever next year. It's my hunch that 2015-16 will beat the 2014-15 stat where the President's Trophy winner and the lowest playoff team were only 16 points apart in the regular season standings. I'm predicting 12 points separating team #1 from team #16.

The waiting game... from both sides.

LeBrun's latest:

http://espn.go.com/blog/n...e-to-drop-on-top-forwards

Sharp would look awfully good on Crosby's line!
- TyCamScore

Sharp would look good on many lines....league wide.

The evidence is becoming overwhelming that SB just ain't that good. Can we trade him?
- fvineze

The evidence is overwhelming that you have no clue.

I have no reason to doubt this, and I haven't ever seen anything with my own eyes for or against it, but if Stan is so handcuffed by upper management groupthink that he can't run the team (presumably) in the way that he wishes, why not just get the hell out of Dodge?

The guy is listed as general manager on the cup three times, has a reputation in the hockey world for being one of the foremost statisticians in the game, and has shown the ability to build and rebuild champions. He could find a job anywhere in the league for as much or more money than he makes now, and leave this team in a ridiculous cap mess.

So either A) he's loyal to a fault and thinks he still has something to prove or B) maybe he actually has more control than people say.
- Sandus

I'll take whats behind door B. I don't think Scotty would get involved with hawks in the first place if he knew that Little Stanley was doing what he is told by McD. I think Stan is in charge of hockey op 100%, if there is 1 person that he listens to its his daddy nobody else.
His record (Cups) speaks for itself. Everybody is pointing out bad moves like Kimmo trade etc. If I remember correctly half of the people over here wanted to fold (including me) when Kaner went down. All I say at this point, 3 Cups later, it looks like Stan knows what he is doing. Just because some "source" (no offense to anybody) said that somebody is offering 1st, roster player, prospect for Sharpie doesn't mean it actually happened. Unless you on the phone with Stan or in the room you don't know. Maybe he wasn't offered even 2nd for Sharp who knows. All I know we are still the champs with Stan as our GM.
All GMs know hawks need to move out multiple players, they would be real stupid not to low ball Stan from the start. Just because Mickey on the street said there are 4-6-8 teams after Sharp it doesn't mean that they are not offering next to nothing for him.

Some people suggested that process with trading Sharp, Bickell can drag for long time ala Leddy, I was just wondering blackhawks convention is around the corner, they can not be on the roster by then, can they?

So far the consensus is that Crawford is going to stay, given the Raanta trade.

That must mean that they are confident they can trade whomever they want to trade, or it could mean there is another contingency trade(Seabrook? Kane to Buffalo?) if they can't move the players we all expect them to trade.

I'd like to believe they are not worried at this point, and have enough possible outs for dumping the necessary salary.

How much of a holding pattern exists in the trading market right now? Is there a domino that has to fall out there before we see the Hawks move the necessary assets?

If Hossa decides to join brother Marcel in the KHL next year , does that void his NHL contract and all Hawk recapture penalties ? Or has that loophole been closed ?
- bhawk1s

WTF!!!

Hossa has a contract. Hossa in beloved by Hawks fans. Hossa has a wife and children. Hossa has been in Chicago for 6 years. Hossa has 3 cups. Hossa is a fortunate man.

How and why would he "retire" to join his brother in the KHL when he is in the best possible situation in Chicago, IL USA.

I don't even understand why this question was asked...

So far the consensus is that Crawford is going to stay, given the Raanta trade.

That must mean that they are confident they can trade whomever they want to trade, or it could mean there is another contingency trade(Seabrook? Kane to Buffalo?) if they can't move the players we all expect them to trade.

I'd like to believe they are not worried at this point, and have enough possible outs for dumping the necessary salary.

How much of a holding pattern exists in the trading market right now? Is there a domino that has to fall out there before we see the Hawks move the necessary assets?
- 333inthe3rd

Kane has a NTC and is not going anywhere. Highly doubt Seabs is either. It would take a massive overpay for the Hawks to even think of trading #7 right now.