He has damaged the Organization by effectively lowering his worth. The return on a trade for Drouin will be less than it was before he decided to sit out.
- TheTrob

He would say they damaged his worth by not utilizing him correctly. It's a no win situation for either side. The question is, when will someone blink. Either Drouin goes back to work or Stevie Y trades him...what is currently happening is damaging them both.

Yes, the Jets will be nicely positioned come this summer to do a lot things if they wish.
- MexicoHawk

i'd imagine they're going after some scoring

What did you think of Truluck's? https://trulucks.com/ About 3/4 of a mile from the arena I think. Much of what we went to was in the Galleria area.
- Jason Millen

Funny about Truluck's: we lived in Uptown for more than 11 years, within a mile and a half of it and never went there, not one time. Finally on New Years Day 2015 we made it a New Years' resolution that we had go there and try it. Then the Mrs. got recruited and landed a new job in San Francisco last fall and here we are. Never made it there. I heard at one time Troy Aikman had an ownership interest in it, not sure if that's still true or not. Used to run into him (not literally) jogging on the Katy Trail all the time.

Never went up to the Galleria much. So many good dining choices in our little bubble we rarely ventured outside of it (except for the previously mentioned Boulevardier).

He would say they damaged his worth by not utilizing him correctly. It's a no win situation for either side. The question is, when will someone blink. Either Drouin goes back to work or Stevie Y trades him...what is currently happening is damaging them both.
- CanOCorn

Yep, Drouin would contend he not only earned less this year (AHL vs NHL) but by not allowing him to build his NHL resume and stats, not putting him in a full scoring role, etc., they kept him from putting up stats that allowed him to argue for a bigger contract when his ELC expires.

Now both are stuck in the mud, damaging each other and holding firm.

He has damaged the Organization by effectively lowering his worth. The return on a trade for Drouin will be less than it was before he decided to sit out.
- TheTrob

Agreed. That is damage. Yzerman taking his time - particularly knowing Walsh's MO - can easily share the blame there as well.

TB will be fine. Their biggest regret there has to be the players they passed on. Jones, Ristolainen, Monahan... all would have helped their chances last year.

Stall - Toews - Hossa--- all i can say is WOW!! This equals actually 2 1C's-- that shores up the middle behind anything we have seen on this Cup run--

To me that's worth a rental beyond anything else-- even better than Buf or Ladd--
- jb3333

I can't imaging a scenario where Stan can acquire E.Staal, rental or no. His cap hit is $8.2M so even if Carolina can be induced to retain 50%, that's still too much for the Hawks to take on unless they take Bickell or Scuderi and the problem there is that both of them have a year left after this year which I doubt Carolina wants any part of.

Agreed. That is damage. Yzerman taking his time - particularly knowing Walsh's MO - can easily share the blame there as well.

TB will be fine. Their biggest regret there has to be the players they passed on. Jones, Ristolainen, Monahan... all would have helped their chances last year.
- tredbrta

Imagine Hedman lining up with Jones.....

Funny about Truluck's: we lived in Uptown for more than 11 years, within a mile and a half of it and never went there, not one time. Finally on New Years Day 2015 we made it a New Years' resolution that we had go there and try it. Then the Mrs. got recruited and landed a new job in San Francisco last fall and here we are. Never made it there. I heard at one time Troy Aikman had an ownership interest in it, not sure if that's still true or not. Used to run into him (not literally) jogging on the Katy Trail all the time.

Never went up to the Galleria much. So many good dining choices in our little bubble we rarely ventured outside of it (except for the previously mentioned Boulevardier).
- MartiniMan

I pretty much always stayed in the Galleria area for work and with friends that lived there but had a client that liked Truluck's a lot so ventured there a decent amount.

Yep, Drouin would contend he not only earned less this year (AHL vs NHL) but by not allowing him to build his NHL resume and stats, not putting him in a full scoring role, etc., they kept him from putting up stats that allowed him to argue for a bigger contract when his ELC expires.

Now both are stuck in the mud, damaging each other and holding firm.
- Jason Millen

Read somewhere that Walsh could have held off holding him out and let him play 10-15 more games in the AHL and the ELC year would be gone. Apparently, Walsh didn't bother checking. He is the one responsible for the much of the damage - client and team.

I can't imaging a scenario where Stan can acquire E.Staal, rental or no. His cap hit is $8.2M so even if Carolina can be induced to retain 50%, that's still too much for the Hawks to take on unless they take Bickell or Scuderi and the problem there is that both of them have a year left after this year which I doubt Carolina wants any part of.
- EbonyRaptor

But -- Wouldn't it be a pro rated salary cap hit based upon the regular season remaining? So what would that amount to period of March 1 - April 10?

I know its a long shot-- but for another shot at the Cup? Roll the bones--

Imagine Hedman lining up with Jones.....
- mrpaulish

Or Ristolainen....

Or Monahan playing 2 or 3c for them last year.

Glad they chose badly. Drouin/Mackinnon/Jones were pretty much the consensus picks though... and Barkov may be the best of them all.

Or Ristolainen....

Or Monahan playing 2 or 3c for them last year.

Glad they chose badly. Drouin/Mackinnon/Jones were pretty much the consensus picks though... and Barkov may be the best of them all.
- tredbrta

I know I know but you dont pass on STUD D men at the top.of the draft

i'd imagine they're going after some scoring
- hawks1921

...and I'm sure the Jets would look for more depth at goaler.

...and I'm sure the Jets would look for more depth at goaler.
- ArlingtonRob

They have to find a way to get rid of Pavelec, yet another over-hyped client of Allan Walsh.

I have heard NOTHING about his rehab. I would assume on time. Yeah, the wrists are important in face-offs. But so are the hips and core. Really hard to say but I'm a huge believer in the heart and will of Marcus Kruger.
- John Jaeckel

Thanks JJ, I'm also a big believer in Krugs.

I think we can get Staal, because maybe Staal says to the Hurricanes FO that if the let him go to the Hawks as a rental that he will sign with Hurricanes on a discount because in reality he wants to stay there but he also wants to win a cup if he can right now! So maybe they let him go for less to us with that stipulation!!!!!

Dreaming???? Maybe but just a thought!!!!

Hayes leveraged the system to go where he wanted to play and max his bonuses. Nothing wrong with that. Defecating in a hallway was immature and cost him but no more so than his average play that year. Things worked out for him the next year. Good for him.

I do think some of that move was motivated by his brother's "treatment" and that deserves some contempt. Meh. It is what it is. He hasn't looked as good this year anyways. Who won the Cup his rookie year again?

Not really sure how Drouin damaged an organization. He damaged himself more than the team and what he did was probably his agent's doing since Walsh has now done the same with at least 3 players. I don't think Hayes was advised by his agent to poop in a stairwell. Drouin is also younger now than Hayes was the year of the stairwell bomb. Plenty of reasons to not write off Drouin completely. Particularly with that agent.
- tredbrta

Everything I've read on this kid (Drouin), has been positive. Yeah, does he think that he deserves more PT, probably, but who doesn't. That situation absolutely reeks of a powerplay between agent and Stevie Y.

RE: Carolina

There was a discussion on NHL Radio a while back, before the 'Canes got hot, that if they moved a key piece or two, and didn't resign some of their 8 UFAs, the might be challenged to hit the CAP floor next year, and a vet on a short term high $ contract (like Bickell @ 1X4) might be attractive to them in a deadline deal.

As of today on General Fanager, CAR is $11.3M over the CAP floor. Probably won't resign Ward (6.3M) & Versteeg ($2.2M). Staal is at $8.25M and a UFA, Skinner is not, but could be traded, he's at $5.725M.

If all 4 of those went away, that's $22.5M gone away and then 11M UNDER the CAP floor, not to mention any of the other UFAs going away.

Not sure what their streak's done to their plans, but they still need to jump 2 teams to get to the 2nd WC spot, and PHIL is 2 points behind them with 4 games in hand, so more like 3 teams between them and the playoffs.

They could be an attractive trade partner for someone.

Thx Again, Mex.

Are you hearing what sort of potential returns for Ladd and Buff might be?

Would hate to see Buff with the Kings.
- tredbrta

You have nothing to worry about. The Kings are up against the cap worse than the Hawks.

RE: Carolina

There was a discussion on NHL Radio a while back, before the 'Canes got hot, that if they moved a key piece or two, and didn't resign some of their 8 UFAs, the might be challenged to hit the CAP floor next year, and a vet on a short term high $ contract (like Bickell @ 1X4) might be attractive to them in a deadline deal.

As of today on General Fanager, CAR is $11.3M over the CAP floor. Probably won't resign Ward (6.3M) & Versteeg ($2.2M). Staal is at $8.25M and a UFA, Skinner is not, but could be traded, he's at $5.725M.

If all 4 of those went away, that's $22.5M gone away and then 11M UNDER the CAP floor, not to mention any of the other UFAs going away.

Not sure what their streak's done to their plans, but they still need to jump 2 teams to get to the 2nd WC spot, and PHIL is 2 points behind them with 4 games in hand, so more like 3 teams between them and the playoffs.

They could be an attractive trade partner for someone.
- scottak

Especially if you consider that someone like a Bickell would be for a single year.

I'll just offer this counter-point.

IMO, the Hawks were a little bit lucky to get to 7 games in that series, much less OT. I mean full marks because they battled hard to get back into it, but they were beat up with a few key guys playing through injuries (Hossa, Toews, Hammer) and they were overmatched down the middle.
- John Jaeckel

Indeed Kings were strong but their run started with refs being totally one sided in game 2 awarding power play after power play to Kings and tilting the game (Hawks led prior to that). After that there were all Kings for a while.

I'll just offer this counter-point.

IMO, the Hawks were a little bit lucky to get to 7 games in that series, much less OT. I mean full marks because they battled hard to get back into it, but they were beat up with a few key guys playing through injuries (Hossa, Toews, Hammer) and they were overmatched down the middle.
- John Jaeckel

As much as I hated losing to L.A., some more perspective needs to be given.

Had the Hawks won Game 7, Oduya would have been out with a badly broken foot, and Hajalmarsson would have missed the first two games minimum, with a bad concussion.

I don't think they beat the Rangers without their top shutdown D pairings.

I recall the K. Hayes situation simply...

...young, talented, player with potential decided to "run out the clock" with the Hawks and enter free agency...all within his rights per the CBA, but aggravating for the Organization and fans in that his value as an asset was lost with zero return.

See also Mike Riley and Justin Schultz.

K. Hayes' potential, and ultimate talent as an NHL player was unknown. I'm sure some guys thought he'd be great, while others were less optimistic...

...the same way all talented prospects are viewed.
- ArlingtonRob

I would like to see the NHL change the rules on this.

In the future, if a drafted player coming out the NCAA chooses not to sign with the team that drafted him, the team that signs him should have to give a draft pick equal to where the player was drafted to the team that originally drafted him.

So, for the Rangers to sign Hayes, they would have to give the Hawks a first round pick in exchange.

I think this way, the team that drafts does not get punished because the player drafted turns out to be a douche bag.

5-2 Hawks with the 5th an ENG from KANER. Love the rumor updates JJ! Been a lot of buzz around the Hawks and I'm confident Stan will improve this already impressive roster before 2/29. It's almost the weekend and it's a great time to be Hawks fan! I'll be putting back a few Three Floyd's tonight and, hopefully, watching a convincing Hawks win. Should be good to get all the Boedkker scouting reports from you folks after the game.

I think we can get Staal, because maybe Staal says to the Hurricanes FO that if the let him go to the Hawks as a rental that he will sign with Hurricanes on a discount because in reality he wants to stay there but he also wants to win a cup if he can right now! So maybe they let him go for less to us with that stipulation!!!!!

Dreaming???? Maybe but just a thought!!!!
- akuroski

Your lips to Gods ears