Remember David Rundblad !!
- Hawkytalk

Gambling on upside in exchange for a draft pick is one thing, but the real blunder was when they gave him that contract and exacerbated the cap purgatory as they were trying to deal Sharp and keep Oduya.

They could but the problem is clearing out enough cap space to not only sign your regulars , but to address a backup which means 3 million less on any top 6 free agent.

Stan needs to get serious about rebuilding this team. Why hang onto toews and Kane while they still have a couple of more years to win.

Bring in 2 top 6 guys stone and panarin . Dump saad for some cap relief and picks.
- Taylorst1

Panarin is gonna fetch 7-8 mill per year on his new deal. We dont need another giant contract to deal with. They need more Stone like players then Panarin anyway. This team goes nowhere until they can figure out the D and get some D zone consistency. This giving up 40+ shots a game is a joke. I also think the team needs a shot in the arm in terms of leadership. Way too many times does this team come out flat and not ready to play.

We need to break the Q mold this team is stuck in with zero physical edge. This team still gets shoved out of the way too easily. So we need solid two way guys who can score and are not afraid to separate a player from the puck.

He’s a player that’d work for a team like the Avalanche:

Keith Cap hit $5,538,462

Keith salary:

2019/20 $3,500,000

2020/21 $2,650,000

2021/22 $2,100,000

2022/23 $1,500,000
- walleyeb1

Think the Av's will give up Ottawa's #1 pick for him?

Think the Av's will give up Ottawa's #1 pick for him?
- LAHawk

No. Keith's a great player still, but the chance to draft high again, in their already skilled forward line-up is too good to pass up. They are weaker on defense, but not a lot are worth what could be 1st overall.

Panarin is gonna fetch 7-8 mill per year on his new deal. We dont need another giant contract to deal with. They need more Stone like players then Panarin anyway. This team goes nowhere until they can figure out the D and get some D zone consistency. This giving up 40+ shots a game is a joke. I also think the team needs a shot in the arm in terms of leadership. Way too many times does this team come out flat and not ready to play.

We need to break the Q mold this team is stuck in with zero physical edge. This team still gets shoved out of the way too easily. So we need solid two way guys who can score and are not afraid to separate a player from the puck.
- z1990z

Stone wants just as much, or more, than Panarin. His 7 mil this year will go up, just like Panarin's 6 mil will go up.

So if you don't think Keith is a top 4 defensemen right now on this team, what would a playoff contender team think? So what would be the return be for trading a #5 or #6 defensemen? Would you accept a second and third rounder? Would that help accelerate the rebuild? I agree, the Hawks are a couple of years away at least. I also agree you don't have to spend all your playing career with one team. Only one I can remember as a Hawk is #21 (I am including defections to the WHA). Even Gordie Howe didn't finish with Detroit. (except that one last skate). Sorry, I at this moment do not see a trade of Keith that accelerates the rebuild in the next few years.
- LAHawk

Lets assume Keith at 35 yrs old is a top 4 right now, will he be next yr or the next at 36-37 yrs old? He's signed thru the 2022/23 season!! When will his skills deteriorate so much he either can't be traded or brings a 5th rounder?

IMO the guy still has game and inserted as a 2nd rotation Dman vs middle 6 opponents on a good team is very valuable. Asking him to eat 1st rotation minutes is not using him to his skills at this point, especially on a bad team (the Hawks).

No, I don't trade Keith just to trade him but yes if the compensation is very good. What would that compensation be? I don't know but it's gotta start with a 1st rd pick. ......... Imagine a 35 yr old Keith was available when the Hawks traded for Timmonen? How would he have have looked to StanBow? Point is Keith has a ton of value to a team that thinks they can win a cup this yr but are a quality Dman short.

*New* Blog up: https://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=96940

I had some fun with this one.

Think the Av's will give up Ottawa's #1 pick for him?
- LAHawk

Dcat and Keith for that #1? Hawks get 2 1st rd picks in the top 5? Two ping pong balls for a chance at Hughes/Kappo?

You have St. Louis, Los Angeles, Ottawa, and Phoenix as definite sellers. Columbus is either all in or a seller with both Panarin and Bobrovsky as UFA's. Rangers are looking to get rid of Zuccharello and probably even Kevin Hayes (UFA). There is a lot of inventory this year available for sale, so I wouldn't expect the trash we want to sell as getting a high return

Who do you think they need to clear space to sign? There aren't many RFA that deserve much of a pay bump. Most are too green or just not that good to need much more cash.

Sikura (not really), Kampf (nope), Perlini (no way) , Forsling (meh), Dahlstrom (no), Delia (not yet) ...

Also, you don't have to pay a backup 3 million dollars. Many of the backups in the league make a lot less. The Hawks have some goalies in the pipeline and could go in house for a backup for probably under a million.

With the cap expected to go up, the Hawks can spend some cash, as long as they leave some short term wiggle room for the following year.
- breadbag

Help me understand something most teams including the hawks this summer just signed back up veteran goalies all to the tune of 2.5 million plus. If the hawks felt their farm system was strong in goaltending they would have never signed ward. That's a known stated fact. Delia is a delight however come next year Stan won't risk the goaltending delema if Crawford is still hurt. Which means maybe ward is resigned and I don't see him taking anything less than his current 3 million.

Dalhstom is actually good, forsling has upside. Perlini not sold on , kampf is questionable, sikura will be here due to his upside and age with development.


But your still going to have to resign players so every raise still goes towards the cap and less money towards any significant free agent signings,


You need at least to be serious about a panarin or stone or whomever 10 to 13 million if not your wasting your time and as fans don't get all excited just to be let down. If Stan goes into next season with 20 million plus he has a chance at addressing this teams needs 10 to 15 million doesn't scratch the surface.

That's why he needs to clear at least 12 million other wise more Kunitz and manning type signings.

That's not really a solution to a problem. This year dealing with that people could understand but the excuse for next year won't fly. We would have to wait til October to LTIR him way after any chance of having money to address this teams glaring problems and watch another season lost due to poor personnel management.


Let's face facts Keith has checked out , Seabrook is obviously no longer able to play, anisomov is hurt more times than not and when he plays he isn't really that affective and his speed is like watching a guy with a piano on his back.
- Taylorst1

o you watch hockey games? Anisimov isn't actually slow at all. He has been pretty solid all year. Just like every other year he has been here. He's a tweener between a 2/3 line center. He will pot you 20g and will play a solid 2 way game. He also goes to the net.

He also had looked very effective as a winger and has had some serious jump the last 10 games or so.

For the 100000 time what ails this team is Toews not being worth 10.5mil and not being a top 10 NHL player anymore, Crow having serious concussion issues, Seabrook being done, and Keith playing like a mid pairing D men. Keith use to be the engine from the back end eating up 30 mins a night and pushing the puck up ice.

The Hawks the last 2-3 years have been horrendous at getting pucks out and starting transition. That's because the two best defensemen at doing that Seabs and Keith aren't close to what they were during the cup run and your former top 10 2-way center is now a middle tier #1 center at best.

And no Hossa.

Toews, Keith, Seabs, and Hossa in their primes and this team is in the middle of a playoff hunt. Not a serious cup contender but in the playoffs.

I actually think what Bowman is doing is correct. Build from the backend. That is were everything starts.

They could but the problem is clearing out enough cap space to not only sign your regulars , but to address a backup which means 3 million less on any top 6 free agent.

Stan needs to get serious about rebuilding this team. Why hang onto toews and Kane while they still have a couple of more years to win.

Bring in 2 top 6 guys stone and panarin . Dump saad for some cap relief and picks.
- Taylorst1

Who do they have to resign this summer?

I say let delia be the starter next year.

Let Davidson, Ward, Rutta, Martinsen, kunitz, kruger and perlini all walk or trade some at the deadline for picks/prospects.

Resign sikura to minimum (would it be 1.1 mil due to 10% raise?), Kampf I would give little bit more to ( I like his play, and I think the Hawks do too), so maybe 1.3, resign forsling and dahlstrom to around 1.3 each also ( all of these deals would be bridge for like 3 years), sign delia to 1.5. Then trade gustaffson.

All of this would be a salary of 66.5 mil, and if the cap goes up to 82 mil, it gives them 15.5 mil to sign 2-3 forwards (maybe 1 top 6?), and a backup goaltender, and that is with Crawford still on the books. Count me as one that doesn't think the Hawks need to sign a veteran defenseman. Just get Keith back in the right frame of mind this off season.

Even if you think that those RFA's will get a bit more, lets say the hawks only have 14 mil to work with. I think it is still very doable to sign 4 veterans, only one of which (top 6) would get any significant amount of salary. Or maybe they only sign one or two and bring up more young guys. All I know is they have way more options this summer than the past 10 summers. I am excited to see what they do.

The fact Fatty doesn't think Keith is a top 4 anymore doesn't make it so. Keith is STILL a top 4, one playing unmotivated hockey where a change of scenery may reinvigorate him. This is the argument and the analysis that is likely being barbed about in more than 1 front office these days. Obviously, putting guys like Doughty, petroangelo, Hammer, or whoever on the market will also dictate Keith's value, but he is a very valuable player (in my view) for a team making a run toward a Cup, to slot into the top 4.

Keith can still play, he looks like a perfect poster child for "Change of Scenery" and he could bring a good return. If all that's offered is a 3 for him, that team can go piss up a rope.
- kwolf68

Sorry I wasn't clear.

Keith has the skill and physical tools to be a top 4 defender in the NHL now and probably the next two or three seasons. He is not currently playing like one for the Hawks.

You would trade Keith because he isnt going to babysit Boqvist or Young Henri like he should be doing at this stage. Hes going to pout and hang them out to dry kind of like he has with Gus. Except Gus gives zero f's and just rolls. Unless they sign Karlsson but a whole lot of other crap would need to go right for them to be close and even that would be a huge stretch.

If he's not going to cover and let the younger RHDs run the breakout and take risks then he doesn't have a lot of value at this point. Doesn't have the legs to do it himself anymore either but with the right group could have a lot of success and in the case of Toronto, with Babcock in his head, get another two or three shots at a Cup.

They could but the problem is clearing out enough cap space to not only sign your regulars , but to address a backup which means 3 million less on any top 6 free agent.

Stan needs to get serious about rebuilding this team. Why hang onto toews and Kane while they still have a couple of more years to win.

Bring in 2 top 6 guys stone and panarin . Dump saad for some cap relief and picks.
- Taylorst1

2/7/88/19 and crow all have nmcs so it isn’t as easy as you make it out to be.
They will never trade 88 unless he asks because the UCB would be empty

While i agree speed is important, a player who doesn't have speed can carve a niche for himself if he's smart. Joe Thornton, John Tavares and Ryan Oreilly come to mind.

The "modern" NHL will always have sub par skaters who have great hockey understanding. I'll take a slower old school John Tavares over a blazing fast modern Viktor StaHllberg any day. BTW did you notice one of your "modern" players you so adored, Brandon, call me Wayne, Pirri, still can't catch on with an NHL team? I guess every NHL coach is as dumb as Q, huh?

Contrary to your Q hatred, who won 2 cups during the time you wanted him dismissed, he proved he is one of the best coaches EVER. Yes he lucked into a team of incredible skill and depth but he also knew what to do to get the most out of that team. He also got stale in Chicago and it was time for him to go, I doubt he would have had the stomach to coach during a rebuild. A great coach has his team prepared, motivated, disciplined and has a game plan he's able to get the team to buy into. A great coach can also work with young player, veterans, and from differnt cultures. Quenneville scored an A+ in all those areas. His constant line juggling, while annoying, didn't affect the team until later when he no longer had the depth to work with. He also was poor coaching his special teams and he was quick to dismiss players who didn't fit into his system. Every coach has strengths and weaknesses and Q had much more of the former.
- paulr

Gallant got him to score 22 once, trying again

B Pirri Vegas Golden KnightsVegas Golden Knights NHL 7gm 6g 3a 9pts +9 2pim

If you trade Keith, you will then need another top 4 defensemen, which at todays rate, would not be much different than his $5.5M AAV now, so I don't see how trading him opens up cap space, you would need to use it to replace him. No one is going to take Seabrook unless significant salary is retained, and a prospect goes with it. AA, hopefully we can get a around the 30th-35th pick in the draft
- LAHawk

How about Saad for Muzzin?

Yes trading Keith requires acquiring another Dman, but hopefully it's
years that we gain. Seabs aint goin anywhere, he's still the main man
in the one goal commercial, so nix that thought.

Agree hopefully AA goes but only if a plan is heeded to to acquire pieces in
this "remodel".

Anyone know what happens if Corey