1,200 votes and Byram is leading the way with 46%.

Give it a vote if you haven't yet!
- Tyler Cameron

Wow. Quite a lot of votes. Almost as many as for the mayor of Chicago.

I said if Bowman signed Strome for 7.5-8 million as the previous poster had said if Bowman signs Strome and AD for 15 million combined...….nice try though trying to spin it.

Yes, it was bad because he could have had Bickell A LOT cheaper mid season but decided to wait and then got raked over the coals when Bickell was a beast in the 2013 playoffs......and I wasn't the largest Teuvo fan, but having to give up Teuvo on top of Bickell to shed that deal.....yeah, Paul.....it was a BAD deal.
- SteveRain

My point is Bowman hasn't signed Strome so why are you getting your shorts in a knot?

How do you know Bowman could have signed Bickell more cheaply?

If Bickell doesn't have MS I'd think it would be safe to assume he continues to be the "beast of the 2013 playoffs" or possibly even better in which case it ws a great deal.

If the Duck's are buying out Corey Perry, I would ask what kind of deal he is looking for. Coming off an injury and a down year he could be a value pickup at a reasonable price and fairly short term. $4.5 mil for 3 years? My guess is that he will work himself back into top shape and have a chip on his shoulder. Maybe 50+ points playing on one of the top 2 lines, or an absolute beast playing on the 3rd or 4th lines. He would immediately make the Hawks harder to play against.

Saad - Toews - Perry
ADB - Strome - Kane
Kubalik - (AA or his replacement) - Sikura/Perlini
Caggiula - Kampf - Tanev/Frolik (or Tanev like)
- -Doh-

$4.5 mil. for 3 years and maybe 50 points? Anisimov gives you that and most are talking about dumping his contract to cap space.

Latest from Barstool Chief (he saw this and posted it):

Hawks take Byram at #3

Hawks trade Boqvist, Krys, & maybe a sweetener to DET for #6. Hawks take either Zegras/Turcotte DET gets Boqvist who would be #2 Dman in this draft

Don't see that being realistic IMHO
- ikeane

It’s an overpay if you ask me. Boqvist did nothing but prove he can play in NA and his offense was outstanding. I’d make the trade straight up or with a b level prospect.

Turcotte is the guy I think they select Friday and I would be perfectly fine with it.

1,200 votes and Byram is leading the way with 46%.

Give it a vote if you haven't yet!
- Tyler Cameron

It's not too late to get your Cole Caufield votes in!

Because people on here are "ear marking" 18 mil for the undynamic playoff duo of ADB and Strome...somehow justifying that they are worth that instead of a bridge deal

I wonder if Stan has put out the word that we are taking Byram at #3, if you want him, blow our socks off with a trade.

I wonder if Stan has put out the word that we are taking Byram at #3, if you want him, blow our socks off with a trade.
- LAHawk

He should. Even if hes lying. He should. Bait the gm's.

Latest from Barstool Chief (he saw this and posted it):

Hawks take Byram at #3

Hawks trade Boqvist, Krys, & maybe a sweetener to DET for #6. Hawks take either Zegras/Turcotte DET gets Boqvist who would be #2 Dman in this draft

Don't see that being realistic IMHO
- ikeane

As much as I like Boqvist - that's a pretty intriguing idea. It's not that far fetched because Boqvist was top-10 last season and he now has a season of N.A. experience where he played up to his potential, and he was one of the youngest players in the draft last year where if he had been born 30 days later he would be in this draft. He's still 2 months away from his 19th birthday.

Why on earth would the Hawks take Byram??

The Hawks still have Seabrook locked up forever, Keith as well - they just acquired Maata (which opens a forward spot), not to mention Murphy and Gus..... Of course the Hawks already have premium defensive prospects in Joker, Boqvist, Beaudin and Mitchell.... Never mind the rest .....

Taking Byram makes absolutely no sense at all unless Bowman is absolutely certain he can unload Seabrook on someone, but with the cap going down what team would take him now - let alone in a few years when (if) it goes back up when Seabrook has regressed even more?

Unless Bowman is planning to trade Joker, Boqvist or Beaudin - and if he did he wouldn't even get the value of the draft picks he spent on them....

I see the Hawks taking Turcotte or Cosens ..... Heck I could see Bowman trading the pick actually and moving back and taking that kid that is comparable to DeBrincat (I forget his name)...... That would make sense too, Hawks could get an extra pick or 2 or perhaps a stud forward prospect in the process.....

On a different note tho:

The salary cap not hitting 83 may be a good thing for the Hawks. A lot of teams are up against the cap and starting to panic and many are going to have to dump some salary so the Hawks could perhaps get some really nice forwards for next to nothing.... I mean Bobby Ryan was just bought out - he would be perfect on the 3rd line and the Hawks could get him cheap considering the Ducks are already paying him... Hawks could sign him for 2-3 million while other teams are selling players off.... Then again if Marner cant come to terms with Toronto, maybe the Hawks do take Braym and send the Leafs a package of defenseman of Joker/Boqvist/Beaudin (or even Gus) + one of our forwards and a pick for Marners RFA rights and get him signed to a long-term deal..... A situation like that would make sense too.

Huh?

If the Hawks draft Byram the 4 Horsemen (Boqvist, Beaudin, Joki, Mitchell) become the New Fab 5.
- -Doh-

... and hopefully Chad Krys isn't reading this message board. He'd feel real left out.

I'm just having fun man! Anyways, $10550000 off the books if you don't resign Crawford and Anisimov is traded with no salary retained. That's like $16 mil to play around with overall in the 2020-21 season. That could be enough to resign Cat and Strome and get yourself an NHL goaltender!
- SoftServe

With the cap now projected to be in the 81.5-82 range, I don't think you see Anisimov moved very easily, and if you do, it won't be for picks only.

I have as many playoff appearances and points as ABD and Strome combined....so yeah, let's pay them 8mil each while people piss and moan about Seabrook or Saad's contracts

If they want 8mil, they can enjoy the view from their apartments. If they want to...oh I dont know, help the team actually win again. Then they will take a bridge deal and cash in when they help the team become a threat again.
- PatShart

Turcotte is the guy I think they select Friday and I would be perfectly fine with it.
- BlackhawkMike

You might be right on that one.

Many are proving to be.
- paulr

I agree....the hayes deal is out of control.

It may be best for the cap to come down a bit and correct some of this spending. It's truly gotten out of hand......this is why what the market bears forces GMs to pony up unless you get the rare exception when you get a guy CHEAP (see Keith) but have to give up LT and NMC which you bet on said player not getting hurt or declining until the very end of the deal.

I don't hate Bowman. I don't envy any of these guys in the GM spot. I have faith Stan will make the best decision and pick the best kid, because truly all these prospects are just that, based on what his scouts tell him....From there, to maximize their ceiling I just hope the Hawks have the right guys in the right spot down below the big club to have that happen more times then not.

Sportsnet anoints Kaner a Generational Talent

https://www.sportsnet.ca/...t-15-first-overall-picks/

Laz. mentioned three names: Zegras, Turcotte and Byram. Personally, I think we pass on Byram because we just dealt for a d-man and have a few in the pipeline. I am not saying it is either wrong or right...just seems like the need might be more at the forward position. I guess we will get more of an idea if anything goes down before the draft. Like if we move Murphy of Gus...maybe then Byram becomes the pick. Or if we move Saad or AA...then one of the two centers become the pick. We shall see.

The whole point of signing someone who’s been bought out is to get them dirt cheap because they’re still getting paid by their previous team and now they’re just double dipping on $. Anyone pays him more than $1.0 x 2 is an idiot.
- Ogilthorpe2

Forget why he is a free agent. But he is a free agent. He will be treated like one and a bidding war will begin in this sill season. He is a big, high motor power forward, with a dose of nasty, with a cup ring, an 8 time all star, a Hart trophy winner, with a Stanley Cup ring, that averaged 75 games and 55 points for the 3 previous years before last year (when he was injured and only played 31 games on an offensively challenged team - last in the NHL in goals for). He is now fully healthy with a chip on his shoulder.

If you can sign him for 2 or 3 years at $4.5 mil+/- and put him with solid top 6 line mates he could out perform Kevin Hayes at about $2.5 mil per year less.

It's not too late to get your Cole Caufield votes in!
- DarthKane

Just hit the button 1,200 times. If you haven't already ....

I agree....the hayes deal is out of control.

It may be best for the cap to come down a bit and correct some of this spending. It's truly gotten out of hand......this is why what the market bears forces GMs to pony up unless you get the rare exception when you get a guy CHEAP (see Keith) but have to give up LT and NMC which you bet on said player not getting hurt or declining until the very end of the deal.

I don't hate Bowman. I don't envy any of these guys in the GM spot. I have faith Stan will make the best decision and pick the best kid, because truly all these prospects are just that, based on what his scouts tell him....From there, to maximize their ceiling I just hope the Hawks have the right guys in the right spot down below the big club to have that happen more times then not.
- SteveRain

The Hayes deal could actually work for us. Since many of the teams in cap hell have high level talent to sign better than Hayes, it’s just plain common sense that these higher profile players are going to want more. That being the case, cap hell teams are going to have to make hard decisions.

Let the fleecing begin.

Forget why he is a free agent. But he is a free agent. He will be treated like one and a bidding war will begin in this sill season. He is a big, high motor power forward, with a dose of nasty, with a cup ring, an 8 time all star, a Hart trophy winner, with a Stanley Cup ring, that averaged 75 games and 55 points for the 3 previous years before last year (when he was injured and only played 31 games on an offensively challenged team - last in the NHL in goals for). He is now fully healthy with a chip on his shoulder.

If you can sign him for 2 or 3 years at $4.5 mil+/- and put him with solid top 6 line mates he could out perform Kevin Hayes at about $2.5 mil per year less.
- -Doh-

Perry is done. Could barely keep up with an AHL pace this past year. Not to mention he is a (frank)ing scumbag. 30 games played and -16 with only 10 points. He was bought out for a good reason...hard pass.

You might be right on that one.
- Tyler Cameron

To me it seems a little to quiet today I thought there would be more activity maybe because of the looming news the cap might not go up as much as expected.

$4.5 mil. for 3 years and maybe 50 points? Anisimov gives you that and most are talking about dumping his contract to cap space.
- LAHawk

I am ok with keeping AA or moving him if there is a good return.

AA and Perry are different players with different skill sets. We will see what Perry gets and what kind of players sign for $4.5mil in this silly season. I would take Perry at $4.5mil for 2 or 3 seasons.