Duchene is what I imagine Alex Turcotte's production/impact will be in the NHL...similar stature
- EnzoD

Totally different type of player. Duchene isn't known for being a defensive guy. In fact, his team has always given up more shots than taken in every year for the last 7 seasons. Turcotte is a true 200 foot player with a perpetual motor.

Duchene has quit on more than one team.

It's a gamble either way. If ADB puts up huge numbers it's very likely Strome is involved with that and by season's end could be worth more than he is offered now. On the flip side Strome may not put up the numbers or demonstrate the level of play to warrant the contract he signs now. Not sure when the best time to sign him is?
- paulr

I agree and I didnt' watch any Coyotes hockey to know how Strome played or who he was playing with.

It would be beneficial if he is the player that produced with the Hawks as everyone wins, and this team will be in good shape LT

He to me, is the gamble here.....when do you sign him and for what amount? Tough call for Stan.....but I agree with Elbows that he will be motivated to prove he's the guy the Hawks saw and not the guy Coyotes gave up on.....very quickly.

Totally different type of player. Duchene isn't known for being a defensive guy. In fact, his team has always given up more shots than taken in every year for the last 7 seasons. Turcotte is a true 200 foot player with a perpetual motor.

Duchene has quit on more than one team.
- Elbows15

Thats an interesting stat about Duchene. Did not realize.

52 hours out , figured there would be more trade chatter.....

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.
- Savard2Secord

Look at the returns that teams get when trading legit Top 4 Defensemen or more specifically how hard it is to find those type of guys or trade for them. That is why it make sense. You can never have enough D-men (look at the team now for example and look at the rate at which guys actually live up to their potential). Look at Nashville for example on how they stockpiled Defensemen (and still do) and was able to swap one (Jones) for a Top 6 Center (Johansen) and are looking to do the same again because of the demand for Top 4 D-Men.

My bet? He is going to be closer to guy he was with the Hawks. And I hated that trade. What he did with the Yotes is irrelevant. He was used so poorly.

If the Hawks can lock him up right on a 3 year deal at 4.5-6M AAV, I would do that all day long.
- Elbows15

Id offer 4.5 now and if he produces up to his pace from his short time with the Hawks Id be OK with 6 aav.

I don't want to put the cart in front of the horse....but...…

x-19-UFA or trade acquired top 6 winger
12-17-88

In my world you deal 15 to free up room to get the UFA signing.....

From there sign a veteran bottom 6 center who is defensively responsible and put Saad with him and 1 of these speedy kids who can produce, and you got yourself a helluva top 9.

Being greedy....I still want another D man who can slide into the top 4 or be a standout 5...Keith, Seabrook, Maatta, Murphy, X, Koekkoek, Jokiharju…..

And yes, I have left off Gus as I use him for trade bait to acquire a more stable defensive defenseman.

I think if they can limit the prime chances against CC, and lower the shot total against with better defensive play......this team can make a monumental leap from last year.

And yes, this is me....typing this.

Id offer 4.5 now and if he produces up to his pace from his short time with the Hawks Id be OK with 6 aav.

I don't want to put the cart in front of the horse....but...…

x-19-UFA or trade acquired top 6 winger
12-17-88

In my world you deal 15 to free up room to get the UFA signing.....

From there sign a veteran bottom 6 center who is defensively responsible and put Saad with him and 1 of these speedy kids who can produce, and you got yourself a helluva top 9.

Being greedy....I still want another D man who can slide into the top 4 or be a standout 5...Keith, Seabrook, Maatta, Murphy, X, Koekkoek, Jokiharju…..

And yes, I have left off Gus as I use him for trade bait to acquire a more stable defensive defenseman.

I think if they can limit the prime chances against CC, and lower the shot total against with better defensive play......this team can make a monumental leap from last year.

And yes, this is me....typing this.
- SteveRain

The Hawks have succeeded in sending different smoke signals through different channels. To what end? It is clear they are employing some sort of sequential game theory. To me, it suggests a higher than normal likelihood of a trade or trades involving lottery picks.

- EnzoD

You could then keep AA and maybe take a run at UFA depending on money...…

Still may need to trade GUS.....I love his offensive upside but unless you have 4 defensive stalwarts out their with at all times.....mercy.

- Draft Bryam.
- Sign Perry 2M.
- Sign bottom 6 center.
- Move Anisimov

Powers tweet:

Ran into Alex Turcotte at O'Hare. He said he's feeling good about the draft. He's thinking he'll go third or fourth.

If there's a way of signing Anders Lee and fitting him in cap wise the next few years I think that's the way to go. He's one thing we've been sorely lacking. A big power forward with huge net front scoring. We haven't had that guy since Shaw. And he's the type that would excel in the playoffs with this team, if we get there. But i just think its a perfect fit

Powers tweet:

Ran into Alex Turcotte at O'Hare. He said he's feeling good about the draft. He's thinking he'll go third or fourth.
- EbonyRaptor

Love the airport sightings.

- Draft Bryam.
- Sign Perry 2M.
- Sign bottom 6 center.
- Move Anisimov
- RedRevenge

The Hawks need several things but adding a stupid quotient isn't one of them.

52 hours out , figured there would be more trade chatter.....
- mrpaulish

My contacts went quiet.

I'll put a nudge out to a couple though this morning.

Stay tuned.

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.
- -Doh-

perry on 1 year prove it contract 1 to 2 million same with Simmonds

- Draft Bryam.
- Sign Perry 2M.
- Sign bottom 6 center.
- Move Anisimov
- RedRevenge

only 31 GP last season . he's a power forward without power. The Brent Seabrook of forwards.

Just a note about Debrincat and Strome - guys like Hayes are not their comparables. If you go by arbitration rules, player comparables are based on age, games played, and production first with contract status (is it 2nd, 3rd), additional metrics / arguments added secondary.

For this reason, Debrincat and Strome's comps will be young guys coming off their ELC in the 21-24 range. Debrincat is currently in the Monahan/Gaudreau/Pastrnak comp, though if he has another monster year there are arguments that he should be in the Tarasenko range. Strome is a little harder because his games played is low compared to his age and PPG. If he can at least maintain a .6-.65 PPG, his comps would be guys like Wheeler/Saad/Scheifele/Larkin.
- L_B_R

There is no primary or secondary set of criteria in arbitration - there is only what is admissible and inadmissible.

The evidence that can be used in arbitration cases includes:

The player's "overall performance" including statistics in all previous seasons
Injuries, illnesses, and the number of games played
The player's length of service with the team and in the NHL
The player's "overall contribution" to the team's success or failure
The player's "special qualities of leadership or public appeal"
The performance and salary of any player believed to be comparable to the player in the dispute

Evidence that is not admissible includes:

The salary and performance of a comparable player who signed a contract as an unrestricted free agent
Testimonials, videos, and media reports
The financial state of the team
The salary cap and the state of the team's payroll


To your point, UFA contracts are not admissible as evidence, but RFAs are. Trouble is, as others have mentioned, the bridge deal has pretty much gone the way of the dodo bird, so many RFAs with good numbers are jumping straight to payday.

perry on 1 year prove it contract 1 to 2 million same with Simmonds
- Scott1977

What the hell are you guys talking about ??

It doesn't matter what you, or I, or the Hawks want....it's what the player, agent, and market bears. Why would AD pass up maximizing dollars and who is going to take less money on less term? That's just ridiculous. DeBrincat has proven himself to be a top line, productive NHL player....Strome? I am with you.....I wouldn't go any higher then 4.5 TODAY but I think the Hawks will wait and see if he can continue his pace.

It's about ROI......Seabrook and Saad aren't giving you the ROI you need for the money the Hawks are paying them.....Seabrook is being rewarded for past years, and Saad hasn't sniffed the player he was in the Cup final in 2015 since he got his money from Columbus.....if he was, no way Columbus would have traded him back here.
- SteveRain

Saad had two good years in Columbus, at least point-wise.

He bounced back last season here, again at least point-wise.

Considering what Hayes just got - Saad's contract is OK.

The Hawks need several things but adding a stupid quotient isn't one of them.
- EbonyRaptor

A Perry deal is exactly what Stan has been doing. Acquire a player that has had a down year. Sign him to a low cost contract and see if he works out. I don't see the hate for him... I mean he's a dirty player, but he knows how to score and he plays MEAN. This is what the Hawks need. If the Hawks can sign him for 1-2M, then they should do it in a heartbeat (see Brad Richards 2015 Champion).

The NHL is still figuring out the salary cap. I read that it won’t be announced till Saturday. Seriously how hard is it to come up with a number. Also, it apparently is going to less then 82 mil. Haha Bettman is such a douche.
- gifman

If true not good for cap strap teams and maybe the nhl isn't as healthy as some say. Now is the time for the hawks and other teams to make deals and fleece the cap strap teams. Should be a fun and interesting next 2 weeks.

only 31 GP last season . he's a power forward without power. The Brent Seabrook of forwards.
- mrpaulish

In terms of drop off in play - yeah maybe, but in terms of stupid penalties and bonehead cheap shots - not even close.

Thats an interesting stat about Duchene. Did not realize.
- mrpaulish

And that's with him starting in the O-zone close to 60% for his career.

Obvs its not the the be-all, end-all but defense starts with limiting SAT against.

My bet? He is going to be closer to guy he was with the Hawks. And I hated that trade. What he did with the Yotes is irrelevant. He was used so poorly.

If the Hawks can lock him up right on a 3 year deal at 4.5-6M AAV, I would do that all day long.
- Elbows15

What do you think dcat will get? I try lock him up after July 1.