IMO, Smith is either on IR or LTIR, buried in Rockford, or on the taxi squad.
- Theo Fox

Agreed. Sounds like Smith is still having back issues.

If there's an NHL player who can be Jagr-esque and play into his 40s, it's Kane. And Kane is more likely than not to be excellent at it, performing at a top line level.
- Theo Fox

Even if Kane asks to be released, I do not think the team will be willing to trade away the one guy remaining that most non-hockey-obsessed fans will tune in to see. At least not before his current contract is up. They won’t get good value for him anyway under current uncertainty around revenue and salary cap.

With the new baby, PTKIII, and his GF’s family being in Chicago, guessing she would not be too keen on moving this year, even if people think family considerations shouldn’t play into these decisions.

I don’t care about “the whatabouts” - they all extort the city/state/public to get what they want. The Sox extorted the state with an almost done-deal move to Tampa before Thompson stopped the clock and gave in. Doesn’t make it right - doesn’t mean the Ricketts family should have been able to drink out of the same public trough.

The Cubs paid for them - but got the zoning variances that allowed. I don’t remember if the Cubs paid for the easements over and encroachments into sidewalks or not.

And - if you get almost everything you want - don’t go around publicly calling out city leaders because of what you don’t get.
- StLBravesFan

The Bears and the Sox take waaaay more from the public than did the Cubs. Yet the owner you are mad at is the Cubs owner. Interesting.....

Even if Kane asks to be released, I do not think the team will be willing to trade away the one guy remaining that most non-hockey-obsessed fans will tune in to see. At least not before his current contract is up. They won’t get good value for him anyway under current uncertainty around revenue and salary cap.

With the new baby, PTKIII, and his GF’s family being in Chicago, guessing she would not be too keen on moving this year, even if people think family considerations shouldn’t play into these decisions.
- pdx2ord

Well, this guy disagrees with me on the good value concern.

https://twitter.com/thnke.../1344043678088761344?s=21

Well, this guy disagrees with me on the good value concern.

https://twitter.com/thnke.../1344043678088761344?s=21
- pdx2ord

You and the writer both make logical points, imo. Probably comes down to whether the fans will accept it and whether Rocky is willing to let his wallet bleed a bit.

The Jets seem to be in a dilemma with Jack Roslovic and he'll miss the start of camp as he's still without a contract.

It's rumoured that the Jets want a top 4 d-man but I think that's a steep ask. I'd be willing to part with de Haan, Carlsson or Beaudin but I doubt that would be enough from Winnipeg's perspective.

https://www.sportsnet.ca/...-beginning-training-camp/

The Bears and the Sox take waaaay more from the public than did the Cubs. Yet the owner you are mad at is the Cubs owner. Interesting.....
- mohel

I don’t like the McCaskeys or Reinsdorf any more than the Ricketts family. I don’t know why you think it’s interesting. I made a comment about Ricketts in the context of perhaps Rocky would be wanting to save money by not filling up his empty cap space if Toews went on LTIR - and Ricketts saving money by moving out Darvish for less than good value (my opinion, of course).

If you want to think that’s interesting because you think I was referring to the family’s politics - that’s on you - I explained my opinion in terms of the Ricketts’ attitude toward Chicago. I have no idea who the McCaskeys, Reinsdorf, or Wirtz family politically support - I don’t support any of them when they take from the public and really don’t put back.

I just deposited this into the Twittersphere but here's what the forward lines might look like with Toews out:

DeBrincat - Strome - Kane
Suter - Soderberg - Kubalik
Janmark - Wallmark - Shaw
Carpenter - Kampf - Highmore

On deck: Hagel, Kurashev, Entwistle

Please, no Pirri or Quenneville.
- Theo Fox

Woof. This is getting ugly before it begins eh, Theo?

My vote would be to spread it out a little and have Strome and DeBrincat together and then Kane carrying his own line.

Maybe something like:

Kubalik-Soderberg-Kane
DeBrincat-Strome-Janmark
Suter-Wallmark-Shaw
Carpenter/Hagel-Kampf-Highmore

I also wouldn’t be opposed to seeing what Kurashev looks like with Kane.

That’s my 0.02 and I, of course, reserve the right to change up those lines at any time. Ha.

The Jets seem to be in a dilemma with Jack Roslovic and he'll miss the start of camp as he's still without a contract.

It's rumoured that the Jets want a top 4 d-man but I think that's a steep ask. I'd be willing to part with de Haan, Carlsson or Beaudin but I doubt that would be enough from Winnipeg's perspective.

https://www.sportsnet.ca/...-beginning-training-camp/
- DarthKane

I mentioned on Twitter that Stan should give Chevy a call.

Roslovic is a righty too and could be a great pivot for Kane. He has a lot of untapped offsensive potential that he hasn’t been able to exploit thanks to being in Paul Maurice’s doghouse for the last couple of years.

Not yet, waiting for the outcome of the Georgia Senate runoffs.
- LAHawk

Hahaha, it don't matter, Atlanta, Austin, Paradise all millennial cities, the no state income tax appeals to them as well.

I know there is a lot of speculation out there but sounds like it’s something specific based on Sopel’s tweet to the Captain.

https://twitter.com/brent.../1344026276219248640?s=21

Whatever is going on, let’s hope Toews gets better as a human being. More to life than hockey.

I know there is a lot of speculation out there but sounds like it’s something specific based on Sopel’s tweet to the Captain.

https://twitter.com/brent.../1344026276219248640?s=21

Whatever is going on, let’s hope Toews gets better as a human being. More to life than hockey.
- Tyler Cameron

Oh boy, that's not good

Sounds like they know just not reporting it. If he opts out is he covered by insurance? So much i don't know how hockey operations work

I know there is a lot of speculation out there but sounds like it’s something specific based on Sopel’s tweet to the Captain.

https://twitter.com/brent.../1344026276219248640?s=21

Whatever is going on, let’s hope Toews gets better as a human being. More to life than hockey.
- Tyler Cameron

Read that the same way you did and tried to not read too much into the language used. Keep telling myself people have to "fight" lots of different kinds of diseases and, the good news, is that, if he does know what it is, Sopel used "beat" it.

Oh boy, that's not good

Sounds like they know just not reporting it. If he opts out is he covered by insurance? So much i don't know how hockey operations work
- BetweenTheDots

I'd think as long as he is under contract, he should be covered, but don't know for sure. Do NHL players get COBRA?

If he is getting treated in Canada, non-issue.

I'd think as long as he is under contract, he should be covered, but don't know for sure. Do NHL players get COBRA?

If he is getting treated in Canada, non-issue.
- pdx2ord

That's true about Canada non issue

That could be an option worth exploring. I'm all for Hagel taking Carpenter's spot on the 4th line. Carpenter can be the 13th forward.

If Carpenter is on the taxi squad, it may make it tougher to regain optimal value with a TDL deal. Then again, it may just be the difference between a 4th rounder or 5th rounder, etc.
- Theo Fox

Minor point but Stan still has to think about the expansion draft. Looked at the Cap Friendly link yesterday

https://www.capfriendly.c...m/expansion-draft/seattle

and right now Carpenter and Highmore would be the 2 forwards likely to meet the "games played/signed past 2021" exposure requirement (unless Shaw plays all year), and DeHaan (or Murphy) would be the d-man.

Carpenter could be in the press box a lot and still be kept to meet the requirement.

Woof. This is getting ugly before it begins eh, Theo?

My vote would be to spread it out a little and have Strome and DeBrincat together and then Kane carrying his own line.

Maybe something like:

Kubalik-Soderberg-Kane
DeBrincat-Strome-Janmark
Suter-Wallmark-Shaw
Carpenter/Hagel-Kampf-Highmore

I also wouldn’t be opposed to seeing what Kurashev looks like with Kane.

That’s my 0.02 and I, of course, reserve the right to change up those lines at any time. Ha.
- Tyler Cameron

That's probably a better idea to separate Kane from the DeBrincat/Strome duo. Kane can carry his own line especially with a shooter like Kubalik and space creator like Soderberg.

Minor point but Stan still has to think about the expansion draft. Looked at the Cap Friendly link yesterday

https://www.capfriendly.c...m/expansion-draft/seattle

and right now Carpenter and Highmore would be the 2 forwards likely to meet the "games played/signed past 2021" exposure requirement (unless Shaw plays all year), and DeHaan (or Murphy) would be the d-man.

Carpenter could be in the press box a lot and still be kept to meet the requirement.
- totem

Thanks for the reminder on the expansion draft. As you alluded to, it is yet another factor that will dictate tha active roster and taxi squad this season.

Instead of taking a bad contract, would you do a Taylor Hall one year offer sheet for Barzal or DuBois, and figure out at the end of the year any cap space issue?

How much longer until Kane and Keith request to be traded?

Blowman will make everything ok.

Fernando Pisani, Jake Dowell, Jeff Taffe, Rob Klinkheimmer
- LAHawk

Jake Dowell was a great leader and solid 4th liner the rest suck.

How much longer until Kane and Keith request to be traded?

Blowman will make everything ok.
- bigfly46

They made the request the day Stan took over for Uncle Dale. The jerk Stan refused to trade them. Why Kane signed two deals after Blowman got the job is perplexing. I think Keith signed on as a Hawk for life after Stan stole the job from Dale. What blind dopes Kane and Keith are....

Oh boy, that's not good

Sounds like they know just not reporting it. If he opts out is he covered by insurance? So much i don't know how hockey operations work
- BetweenTheDots

Why would he go the opt out route, he has a contract and if physically unable to perform he goes on LTIR with full pay. Health care costs would be covered by NHL benefits whatever his medical condition is. And players in his salary bracket probably have separate Permanent or Temporary Disability insurance they purchased themselves.

And for the Hawks, they very likely have insured his contract, so if he can't play the insurance provider picks up most of the tab. (Not sure if this is still current but NHL teams used to be able to insure 6 contracts per season).

Why would he go the opt out route, he has a contract and if physically unable to perform he goes on LTIR with full pay. Health care costs would be covered by NHL benefits whatever his medical condition is. And players in his salary bracket probably have separate Permanent or Temporary Disability insurance they purchased themselves.

And for the Hawks, they very likely have insured his contract, so if he can't play the insurance provider picks up most of the tab. (Not sure if this is still current but NHL teams used to be able to insure 6 contracts per season).
- RickJ

This guy gets it. Correct on all counts.

Think about the combined record of the teams who play at the United Center this year