Maybe it doesn't matter what Rocky likes and doesn't like because league decisions are done by committee.
- BINGO!

bettman has 30 bosses, 4-5 of which are more powerful than the rest. Rocky is one of those.

Bettman and Daly also have better things to do than deal with a lawsuit from the PA over this.

This is (frank)ing theater. That's all it is. Welcome to the NHL. It will be resolved, likely by 7/1 with Hossa going on LTIR.

Immediate or longterm cap implications are a different animal—the real issue in question here—I am less certain of that.

If it was simply a matter of the Hawks not getting cap reilef til 10/1, the timing of the decision by Saturday would not matter. But clearly, it does. I am asking some people for clarity around that.

Could you do pick/prospect for Patrick Maroon? $2M cap hit and EDM is going to be cap crunched as hell with McDavid.
- phantasmo

No.

I was just with Connor McDavid's brand manager (Cimoroni group) 2 weeks ago (he also reps Ekblad and Sharp) and said #97 LOVES Maroon. He spends most of his time with him away from the rink... so with that being said, expect Patrick to be there long-term as well.

This is the point I have been making for a while now. Part of the downside to the many years of Q is that the Hawks became predictable in how they broke out the puck and used the stretch pass. When the Hawks lost Sharp and Saad they lost their 2 main fly the zone threats that kept the opposing D honest (granted Sharp was slowing down when he left the Hawks). Those players had as you say "hockey smart speed", or put more simply, they had the ability to FINISH. Stalberg was fast, but had no finish, Frolik had issues finishing his chances.

Whether it has been lack of hands, lack of speed, lack of finish, or some combination of the above, opposition was no longer afraid to play an aggressive forecheck and cheating D in the Hawks zone because there was really no one to consistently make them pay.
- TheTrob

Yes, exactly. Couple this (predictability and no game-break speed)with a more slow-footed Seabrook, a clearly-not-fully-recovered Keith, a battered Hjalmarsson (who never had great speed or great outlets) and an aged Soupy (we didn't get the Soup-man we all remembered, that's for sure) and a never-fast TVR along with a bunch of new guys Q didn't trust, none of whom had game-break speed -- and it's easy to see why there was a 1st round exit and sweep in the process.

I don't know enough about the new guy (Murphy) from AZ but my hope is he's got speed and Q/Ulf allows him to use it to our advantage.

It would be good if Despres could bounce back. He was a bear in the WCF in 2015

Yes, exactly. Couple this (predictability and no game-break speed)with a more slow-footed Seabrook, a clearly-not-fully-recovered Keith, a battered Hjalmarsson (who never had great speed or great outlets) and an aged Soupy (we didn't get the Soup-man we all remembered, that's for sure) and a never-fast TVR along with a bunch of new guys Q didn't trust, none of whom had game-break speed -- and it's easy to see why there was a 1st round exit and sweep in the process.

I don't know enough about the new guy (Murphy) from AZ but my hope is he's got speed and Q/Ulf allows him to use it to our advantage.
- savvyone-1

You guys are going to love what Ulf brings.

I hate that he's gone.

You guys are going to love what Ulf brings.

I hate that he's gone.
- BINGO!

We hope so. Long term Q replacement???

bettman has 30 bosses, 4-5 of which are more powerful than the rest. Rocky is one of those.

Bettman and Daly also have better things to do than deal with a lawsuit from the PA over this.

This is (frank)ing theater. That's all it is. Welcome to the NHL. It will be resolved, likely by 7/1 with Hossa going on LTIR.

Immediate or longterm cap implications are a different animal—the real issue in question here—I am less certain of that.

If it was simply a matter of the Hawks not getting cap reilef til 10/1, the timing of the decision by Saturday would not matter. But clearly, it does. I am asking some people for clarity around that.
- John Jaeckel

Clarity......something you rarely get with the NHL because they seem to make it up as they go along.

2 CBA's ago, teams found the loop-holes that allowed them to exploit the agreement and sign players to LONG term contracts with declining actual salary so as to bring the avg down to reasonable levels. After Kovalchuk, Hossa, Pronger, Keith & others signed deals that effectively circumnavigated the Cap, in totally legal fashion, the League/Owners decided in the new CBA to not only include language and terms to prevent those types of contracts, but also to include clauses that retroactively punished any of the questionable contracts. Lo-and-behold, as with most short sighted legalese and contract language, the powers that be (teams and their lawyers) figured out a way AGAIN to basically circumnavigate the cap. By the rules laid out in the CBA, the LTIR was being used to avoid the recapture penalties. The next CBA coming up I am sure will again include some type of language to prevent the circumnavigation, but teams will always find some way around it.

bettman has 30 bosses, 4-5 of which are more powerful than the rest. Rocky is one of those.

Bettman and Daly also have better things to do than deal with a lawsuit from the PA over this.

This is (frank)ing theater. That's all it is. Welcome to the NHL. It will be resolved, likely by 7/1 with Hossa going on LTIR.

Immediate or longterm cap implications are a different animal—the real issue in question here—I am less certain of that.

If it was simply a matter of the Hawks not getting cap reilef til 10/1, the timing of the decision by Saturday would not matter. But clearly, it does. I am asking some people for clarity around that.
- John Jaeckel

Wouldn't the concern be that, if you don't have cap relief by 7/1, you really don't know if you can sign 1st day players or exceed the cap in any meaningful way? Sure, you can exceed the cap before the 10/1 start date, but if you don't receive LTIR, that's a potentially awful mess you've created. I wouldn't want to gamble with those odds.

We hope so. Long term Q replacement???
- riozzo

Possibly. The guy wants to be a head coach. He's charismatic and certainly not your prototypical coach.

He gave a media interview in Charlotte in his boxers and a Checkers T-Shirt that said "Find The Jam, Big Boy"

We hope so. Long term Q replacement???
- riozzo

I think that's Dineens job. Respected by players, coached Canada women's Olympics. He's groomed.

I see Forsberg signed 2 years as Hawks backup. Anyone know Cap hit???

I see Forsberg signed 2 years as Hawks backup. Anyone know Cap hit???
- hawk35

750k

IMO the Hawks will regret giving up Panarin. I hope they can replace all the scoring that is now gone.
- Savoy

was there any way to get Saad back without losing Panarin?
like another player (or three) plus a bazillion bags of pucks?

Saskatchewan.

No team here. Was a Whaler fan. Team moved, so, (frank) it, might as well stick with them. Big fan of Ron Francis.
- BINGO!

Ohm, very nice!

Man, I wish the league would give Hartford and Quebec teams back. Although, since Carolina technical owns the rights of the Whalers, I don't know if they could be the Whalers again if they ever got a team back

bettman has 30 bosses, 4-5 of which are more powerful than the rest. Rocky is one of those.

Bettman and Daly also have better things to do than deal with a lawsuit from the PA over this.

This is (frank)ing theater. That's all it is. Welcome to the NHL. It will be resolved, likely by 7/1 with Hossa going on LTIR.

Immediate or longterm cap implications are a different animal—the real issue in question here—I am less certain of that.

If it was simply a matter of the Hawks not getting cap reilef til 10/1, the timing of the decision by Saturday would not matter. But clearly, it does. I am asking some people for clarity around that.
- John Jaeckel

>When Forbes starting tracking NHL revenue...
>..believe the Original Six and 2-3 additional franchises (Van, Philly) drove 80% of NHL's revenue
>Not sure that's changed much, at all
>Big market, big money owners may not be willing to "go along" with the small-market wannabes during the next CBA formation

bettman has 30 bosses, 4-5 of which are more powerful than the rest. Rocky is one of those.

Bettman and Daly also have better things to do than deal with a lawsuit from the PA over this.

This is (frank)ing theater. That's all it is. Welcome to the NHL. It will be resolved, likely by 7/1 with Hossa going on LTIR.

Immediate or longterm cap implications are a different animal—the real issue in question here—I am less certain of that.

If it was simply a matter of the Hawks not getting cap reilef til 10/1, the timing of the decision by Saturday would not matter. But clearly, it does. I am asking some people for clarity around that.
- John Jaeckel

I would assume this is correct - long-time owner, original-6 team, attendance leader, TV ratings leader, the face of the league in the US (that's just my opinion)....

But - why, then, couldn't he have kept the "ex-post-facto" ruling out of the 2013 CBA - so that Hossa's contract - legal at its execution and approved by the league twice (IIRC) before the lockout - wouldn't have the new recapture penalties?

was there any way to get Saad back without losing Panarin?
like another player (or three) plus a bazillion bags of pucks?
- Kewl1

What would torts do with so many pucks - that's 4.7904E+105 per resident of CMH. I do however feel Dollar Bill saved every puck ever purchased and they are somewhere near the UC.

was there any way to get Saad back without losing Panarin?
like another player (or three) plus a bazillion bags of pucks?
- Kewl1

Doesn't really matter. Panarin was the price they paid.

Answer your own question.......which other players would you have given up that CLB would have traded you Saad back, and have been able to fit under the cap.

Ohm, very nice!

Man, I wish the league would give Hartford and Quebec teams back. Although, since Carolina technical owns the rights of the Whalers, I don't know if they could be the Whalers again if they ever got a team back
- Hank3Henshaw

I miss them so much.

Though I think it's actually the City that owns the rights to the name, which is why we've never seen Whalers throwbacks, but I may be wrong on that.

I would assume this is correct - long-time owner, original-6 team, attendance leader, TV ratings leader, the face of the league in the US (that's just my opinion)....

But - why, then, couldn't he have kept the "ex-post-facto" ruling out of the 2013 CBA - so that Hossa's contract - legal at its execution and approved by the league twice (IIRC) before the lockout - wouldn't have the new recapture penalties?
- StLBravesFan

You would have a better chance of finding a winning lottery ticket in your cheerios box than bettman doing anything that would rile up the EC owners...

Just heard this:

"Hawks hoping for a league decision on Hossa before/by July 1st."

Told it has a lot of bearing on what they can do this summer. I've asked for more detail.
- John Jaeckel

Thought this supposed to be league posturing to quiet down complaints.

I miss them so much.

Though I think it's actually the City that owns the rights to the name, which is why we've never seen Whalers throwbacks, but I may be wrong on that.
- BINGO!

Interesting...

I occasionally look up the efforts of different people to get the Whalers back to Hartford. They're doing a good job. They had that big hockey festival a few years back.

I don't know why the league is so weird about Hartford and Quebec. Sure, smaller cities, but I feel like those rinks would sell out all the time.

How are you going to give Atlanta two tries and not think about Quebec or Hartford??

Ohm, very nice!

Man, I wish the league would give Hartford and Quebec teams back. Although, since Carolina technical owns the rights of the Whalers, I don't know if they could be the Whalers again if they ever got a team back
- Hank3Henshaw

Personally I am not a fan of that at all. Hate that Winnepeg named their team the Jets. Same with the Cleveland Browns. If a franchise folded, completely different story (Ottawa Senators). But if they moved and changed names I don't think another team should be able to use that name.

Thought this supposed to be league posturing to quiet down complaints.
- blackhawk24

If I'm reading this correctly, the Hawks are hoping this decision will give them some freedom to do some things in free agency. Otherwise, it would not matter.

Personally I am not a fan of that at all. Hate that Winnepeg named their team the Jets. Same with the Cleveland Browns. If a franchise folded, completely different story (Ottawa Senators). But if they moved and changed names I don't think another team should be able to use that name.
- tyweb69

Its all about the Benjamin's (or Loonies)