I could see them maybe adding Gonchar for $600k, you know, to keep the adding a fossil defenseman theme going.

Ehrhoff could be a solid number 5 if his head is right.

Not sure about all the love Schlemko gets on these boards. Now, I say that because I don't ever remember seeing him play. And his stats don't really pop out to me. Or does he fall in the "just serviceable enough so you don't throw your remote at the TV because something Rundblad just did" camp?
- MNHawk

His possession numbers are pretty impressive - he was protected less after going Calgary - and he had some moments in the playoffs. I think he could be solid under Q. A little surprised the Flames haven't re-signed him. That is a concern.

Sign Erhohh, Schlemko and Fehr for $925 for 1-2 years. If they end up getting hurt LTIR them and if they are worse then what we have send them to Rockford with no cap hit. BTW you trade Kruger or shaw away for assets before you include anything really good to get bickell off the roster. I would think Montreal would want Steeg? they need scoring and he is cheap.

So, the Stars in effect get Sharp, Johns and Oduya for Dayley and Garbutt.

You also have to wonder if the SB and JO knew all along he was not coming back and that all this was a huge grandsstand for the benefit of JO in the open market? Because if the Hawks were not going to give him a 500 k raise for 2 years then SB must have been asking for the TG sub 2 mill per year cap friendly discount.

Obviously the truth is never going to be shared to public, but it is clear that the narratives out there were wayyyy off base. On both sides, the deals available to him and the amount of money the hawks were willing to pay and the discount that would be taken.

I'm noticing that there is quite a bit of Stan hating based on so called "facts".
There isn't a single person here who knows what the Hawks were or were not offered, be it before, during, or since the draft. Never mind the Hawks just won the cup based on moves Stan made, and I'm guessing he was skewered for by many here based on reactions I'm reading. I'll wait for opening night roster. He seems to know what he is doing based on past performance

Mex: If the Hawks wanted to keep their Shaw/Denault/Krug guys, what level pick would be needed to offload Bicks, meaning Bicks and what pick gets him moved with no salary coming back. Something like Bicks and a 2nd for a mediocre prospect? Could it be done with no salary coming back with a 1st? I have no idea, just throwing out the question. Thx
- Cmonalready

I haven't once heard anyone asking for Bickell and pick, they want players and/or top prospects. Even the Hawks 1st round pick is going to be similar to an early 2nd round selection, so not tons of value. All the Hawks have been asking for is Bickell for a late round pick, it should be a SIMPLE process. Perhaps a team asks the Hawks to take back $500,000 to $1 million for the remaining 2 years on his contract, but again, not complicated stuff. The fact that it has been difficult till this point is because GMs smelled blood and a time factor, by moving on from Oduya, it will help a little, but teams still know that Bickell has to be traded. The trick is getting more than one team interested. Yesterday Bowman actually fielded inquiries from three teams, which is a step in the right direction.

So, the Stars in effect get Sharp, Johns and Oduya for Dayley and Garbutt.

You also have to wonder if the SB and JO knew all along he was not coming back and that all this was a huge grandsstand for the benefit of JO in the open market? Because if the Hawks were not going to give him a 500 k raise for 2 years then SB must have been asking for the TG sub 2 mill per year cap friendly discount.

Obviously the truth is never going to be shared to public, but it is clear that the narratives out there were wayyyy off base. On both sides, the deals available to him and the amount of money the hawks were willing to pay and the discount that would be taken.
- TrueGrit

No they don't. Oduya could have signed absolutely anywhere. Giving up Daley and Garbutt was ONLY for Sharp and Johns, they are mutually exclusive. Looking at it like that makes it look like we got fleeced. JO was not a Hawk anymore at the time of his signing. We technically lost nothing there.

Anyone have a guess as to what Kruger is looking at salary wise for his new deal?

Anyone have a guess as to what Kruger is looking at salary wise for his new deal?
- z1990z

$2.5-3 million a year is my guess

I'm noticing that there is quite a bit of Stan hating based on so called "facts".
There isn't a single person here who knows what the Hawks were or were not offered, be it before, during, or since the draft. Never mind the Hawks just won the cup based on moves Stan made, and I'm guessing he was skewered for by many here based on reactions I'm reading. I'll wait for opening night roster. He seems to know what he is doing based on past performance
- Confederate

This

You're right!

Stan Bowman wanted to keep Kruger, Oduya AND Saad and get rid of Sharp, Versteeg and Bickell - just like THAT. VERY easy to accomplish! He failed at doing that, right?

- CaptainBlackhawk

I think you missed the rest of my post… In the first line of the subsequent paragraph, I said that the calculation was different...

This off season the hawks are being taken to the cleaners until at least one big fish gets moved for little if no return.

If hawks get rid of a big contract with zero dollars back then they risk losing less. For example, trade Crawford and his salary for a second and third round pick, then you free up dollars to sign Kruger and extend Seabrook instead of taking salary back in trades. If you take salary back you might lose Kruger, and either Crawford or Seabrook...
- kaptaan

I don't remotely think the Hawks are being taken to the cleaners this offseason.

No they don't. Oduya could have signed absolutely anywhere. Giving up Daley and Garbutt was ONLY for Sharp and Johns, they are mutually exclusive. Looking at it like that makes it look like we got fleeced. JO was not a Hawk anymore at the time of his signing. We technically lost nothing there.
- JRoenick97

and this

Let's assume the Norris (Central) sends 5 teams to the playoffs again (as they have for the first 2 years of the reformed playoff system)....

I see Dallas as an "in" now, along with the Blackhawks and Blues... which means one from last year has to drop out.

WPG? MINNY? NASH?

Let's assume the Norris (Central) sends 5 teams to the playoffs again (as they have for the first 2 years of the reformed playoff system)....

I see Dallas as an "in" now, along with the Blackhawks and Blues... which means one from last year has to drop out.

WPG? MINNY? NASH?
- Katana777

I'd take Minnesota as missing out if those are my options.

I don't remotely think the Hawks are being taken to the cleaners this offseason.
- CaptainBlackhawk

This^^^^^^^

I think the forward group got younger, faster, and will be more hungry. They may even be more talented at this point.

The D-corps got younger, and Daley can skate and has more offensive upside than Oduya, but I really think they need someone else so that Rundblad doesn't have to play. Ever.

I don't remotely think the Hawks are being taken to the cleaners this offseason.
- CaptainBlackhawk

They are certainly getting the short-end. I mean that's to be expected. EVERYONE knows they need to move players, expensive players.

The fact the Hawks are adding "sweeteners" just so someone will take players is not easy to swallow, because the Hawks didn't need to do that in 2010. NOW, it's costing extra prospects/players just for someone to take these guys.

Who knows what kind of sweetener will be added just to move Bickell.

Hawks have lost their 2 and 3 center, their 4th D-man, and two top six wingers (lets say Sharp is now a third liner).

Daley has replaced the D-man. Fine there.
Now you have Anisimov and TT? as our 2 and 3 centers. May be great, who knows
For Saad and Sharp you have a 170 pound Russian installed in one spot and Marko Dano (LOCKED and LOADED) in the other spot. Again, huge question marks (and I think Dano is going to be a stud, but that's just what I THINK...again, not proven)

And...
you still have a questionable third pairing, Rundblad, questions about Kruger and about 12 bottom 6 wingers.

It has not been pretty, but lets see how things finish up.

I'm noticing that there is quite a bit of Stan hating based on so called "facts".
There isn't a single person here who knows what the Hawks were or were not offered, be it before, during, or since the draft. Never mind the Hawks just won the cup based on moves Stan made, and I'm guessing he was skewered for by many here based on reactions I'm reading. I'll wait for opening night roster. He seems to know what he is doing based on past performance
- Confederate

Better be careful if you side with Stan they'll say what we don't have the right to question his moves


I agree taking the wait and see approach since he's done this before and seems to know what pieces he needs and ones he can succeed without

Should of moved Oduya out of the division. Could come back to bit you in the ass given how close all the teams are.
- Gerk

May also come back to bite you

They are certainly getting the short-end. I mean that's to be expected. EVERYONE knows they need to move players, expensive players.

The fact the Hawks are adding "sweeteners" just so someone will take players is not easy to swallow, because the Hawks didn't need to do that in 2010. NOW, it's costing extra prospects/players just for someone to take these guys.

Who knows what kind of sweetener will be added just to move Bickell.

Hawks have lost their 2 and 3 center, their 4th D-man, and two top six wingers (lets say Sharp is now a third liner).

Daley has replaced the D-man. Fine there.
Now you have Anisimov and TT? as our 2 and 3 centers. May be great, who knows
For Saad and Sharp you have a 170 pound Russian installed in one spot and Marko Dano (LOCKED and LOADED) in the other spot. Again, huge question marks.

And...
you still have a questionable third pairing, Rundblad, questions about Kruger and about 12 bottom 6 wingers.

It has not been pretty, but lets see how things finish up.
- kwolf68

That 170 pound Russian will be an elite player.

This^^^^^^^

I think the forward group got younger, faster, and will be more hungry. They may even be more talented at this point.

The D-corps got younger, and Daley can skate and has more offensive upside than Oduya, but I really think they need someone else so that Rundblad doesn't have to play. Ever.
- DMChi2010

Yep! Throughout all the craziness that is somethings posted.

This forward group IS younger, ARE more talented and MORE athletic.

If they can figure out a way to get Kruger signed and another serviceable veteran defensive player signed...

... this team will be better (on paper) than the team that just won a Cup.

No they don't. Oduya could have signed absolutely anywhere. Giving up Daley and Garbutt was ONLY for Sharp and Johns, they are mutually exclusive. Looking at it like that makes it look like we got fleeced. JO was not a Hawk anymore at the time of his signing. We technically lost nothing there.
- JRoenick97

Yes, he could of, but did not. You can spread it around your plate any way you like it, but that is in effect how things have played out.

So semantic victories matter. I can only shake my head at the logistical emotional process many undertake in taking any of what happens to the hawks personally.

Folks, here's the math for our Hawks team on opening night in October, 2015:

Toews, Kane, Hoss, Anisimov
Keith, Seabs, Hammer, Daley
Crow
Those 9 players eat $54.3m of cap space.
Cap is $71.4m, but say $70.4 to leave a bit of room for in-season injuries and flexibility.
Need to add 13 players to the above to field a 22 person team (feilding 21 is a possibility).
If all those players are cheap current roster players, or Rockford guys, they cost about $850/player. Some $800k, some $900k, Darling at $600k, Runblad at $1050, whatever.
Call it $850k average for 13 players to fill out the team. That's $11.1 million.
$54.3 + $11.1 is $65.4m. To get to $70.4, you've got $5m left over. that $5m can be spread across any player you want put into that list of 13 that has a salary over $1m. But that player only counts as using salary less the $850 already earmarked for the spot.
So keeping Shaw costs $1.05m ($2m salary less $850k).

So you can keep any of the following to use up $5m total:
Shaw at $1.05m
Krug at $1.65m (assumes $2.5m salary)
Bickell at $3.15m
Steeg at $1.35m
Ernhoff at $0.65m (assumes $1.5m salary).
Keep any of Bicks salary in a trade, and that amount kept counts against this $5m.

Play with those numbers as you wish. But gotta add up to $5m or less.
What jumps off the page to me is that if you dont trade Bickell, you lose TWO of Steeg/Shaw/Krug. Or if you take back salary in Kick trade, you lose two of those.

Depressing.

That 170 pound Russian will be an elite player.
- Dabearshawks

You do NOT know that anymore than I KNOW Marko Dano will be elite. I think Dano is a freaking beast in the making, but until he proves it, he (LIKE JOHNS) is just a big fat question mark (and hell, Dano has more of a track record than ANY of these guys, albeit small).

I'd take Minnesota as missing out if those are my options.
- howiehandles

I vote Nashville! Ribeiro will be charged with assault… Forsberg will have a major sophomore regression… Mike Fisher is another year older…

Within the division, Dallas is the only other team that got better. WPG, NASH, MIN, STL, and COL all are the same or not as good after having lost strong players.

Mex,

Will you be on the roster ?, hope so, sounds like lotsa fun !

http://www.startribune.co...-vs-blackhawks/315057321/
- bhawk1s

I got an email a while back but we still haven't decided...the fact is we retired to Mexico especially for the absence of winter...we will see...however, neither the wife nor the kids are excited about participating in it...