Chicago....did they make the right decision?
maybe. their problem right now is that they can't move Huet until closer in the season. But even if they do and bring Niemi back at say 3M, that leaves them with 2.1M to sign a forward, D man, and a backup.
do-able, but they are going to be Powe/Bartulis types. They already have three forwards and a d man that make the minimum, so nearly 30% of their line-up is going to be low level guys.
Not sure that is going to be a quality team next year. good, but not great.

Chicago....did they make the right decision?
maybe. their problem right now is that they can't move Huet until closer in the season. But even if they do and bring Niemi back at say 3M, that leaves them with 2.1M to sign a forward, D man, and a backup.
do-able, but they are going to be Powe/Bartulis types. They already have three forwards and a d man that make the minimum, so nearly 30% of their line-up is going to be low level guys.
Not sure that is going to be a quality team next year. good, but not great.
- nails

They have a number of solid prospects on EL contracts that they are going to infuse into the lineup. They're going to be a solid team.

You think it's a better team. There's no other options than to trade youth? There's no other options for the lineup then the one's you propose?
- MJL

of course there are options, but the other options require those guys to waive their clauses.
so if you look at the guys that are movable (Carter, giroux, JVR, Carle, Coburn, Mezs etc) the guy, to me, that help you to keep icing a good team and resign more of your youth is Carter.
yes, you are going to score less goals. But if the D is as good as advertised, you may be able to handle that loss.

Moving Giroux or JVR doesn't free up the cap space that Carter does.
Moving Coburn, Carle, or Mezs undermines the D.

If it was possible to keep Carter, giroux, and Leino and only lose one of the young D men, I would be for that but I just don't think that can happen.

And yes, the cap could go up. I just don't see how it can keep going up at the rate it has been. it has to slow down at some point.

They have a number of solid prospects on EL contracts that they are going to infuse into the lineup. They're going to be a solid team.
- MJL

you have way more faith in having 4 solid prospects in a stanley cup line-up than I do.

It would seem to me that there is a less chance of you thinking then the possibility of a T4

I mean did you really think the last 2 times?
- lukin

Thinking gets in the way

They have a number of solid prospects on EL contracts that they are going to infuse into the lineup. They're going to be a solid team.
- MJL

names? links?

Who do they have Skille? Beach? They can only go over the cap roughly 5.9M during the off season, so what happens when Neimi gets 3-4M from arbitration? They have lost a TON of skill and grit -- not to mention goal scoring. Ask Sh!tsburgh how hard it is to field a team of competent players in a cap world. If The Flyers had a coach who busted balls nad not made cakes, the pens may have never won a cup

of course there are options, but the other options require those guys to waive their clauses.
so if you look at the guys that are movable (Carter, giroux, JVR, Carle, Coburn, Mezs etc) the guy, to me, that help you to keep icing a good team and resign more of your youth is Carter.
yes, you are going to score less goals. But if the D is as good as advertised, you may be able to handle that loss.

Moving Giroux or JVR doesn't free up the cap space that Carter does.
Moving Coburn, Carle, or Mezs undermines the D.

If it was possible to keep Carter, giroux, and Leino and only lose one of the young D men, I would be for that but I just don't think that can happen.

And yes, the cap could go up. I just don't see how it can keep going up at the rate it has been. it has to slow down at some point.
- nails

Carter is the # 1 priority to resign to a new deal this Season. It's that simple. You don't handle the loss of arguably your best Forward.
Before this off season, Gagne would have been named in that group that won't waive.
Trading Carter just because you need Cap space isn't a logical and smart option.

you have way more faith in having 4 solid prospects in a stanley cup line-up than I do.
- nails

Who says they're going to have 4? The off season isn't complete. I'll judge the Hawks when they put their lineup on the ice.

If the Hawks had moved, say kane, they could have kept Versteeg, Buff, Beach, Boynton(insert 1.5M D man) and still used Toivonen as the back up goalie...and be cap compliant.

I tihnk a team of those guys is a much better TEAM than the one they are going to ice this year

Moving Giroux or JVR doesn't free up the cap space that Carter does.
Moving Coburn, Carle, or Mezs undermines the D.


- nails

This is what I don't get. Moving one of those D men undermines the D.
But moving Carter doesn't undermine the offense? According to your previous post, we can withstand that? Doesn't make any sense to me.

Carter is the # 1 priority to resign to a new deal this Season. It's that simple. You don't handle the loss of arguably your best Forward.
Before this off season, Gagne would have been named in that group that won't waive.
Trading Carter just because you need Cap space isn't a logical and smart option.
- MJL

just because it isn't logical does not mean it isn't a real, viable, or necessary option.

If the Hawks had moved, say kane, they could have kept Versteeg, Buff, Beach, Boynton(insert 1.5M D man) and still used Toivonen as the back up goalie...and be cap compliant.

I tihnk a team of those guys is a much better TEAM than the one they are going to ice this year
- nails

Moving Kane would've been a catastrophic mistake. You don't know what team they're going to ice this year.

just because it isn't logical does not mean it isn't a real, viable, or necessary option.
- nails

It's definitely not necessary. It's not likely real, nor viable. Any player can be traded. Anything is a possibility. But there's smart moves, and not so smart moves.

Moving Kane would've been a catastrophic mistake. You don't know what team they're going to ice this year.
- MJL

If kane was moved to a canadian team the cab drivers union would of erupted in a joyous celebration

This is what I don't get. Moving one of those D men undermines the D.
But moving Carter doesn't undermine the offense? According to your previous post, we can withstand that? Doesn't make any sense to me.
- MJL

as i said, if the d is as good as debated, you can lose the goals and still win.
just not win by as much.
if you score the same number of goals, but allow more, you usually lose more.

it's a trade. I will take the good D over the good O. that's my style.

hence, my opinion

It's definitely not necessary. It's not likely real, nor viable. Any player can be traded. Anything is a possibility. But there's smart moves, and not so smart moves.
- MJL

was trading gagne a smart move? how about lettoing players walk? Smart on Homer's part?

It's definitely not necessary. It's not likely real, nor viable. Any player can be traded. Anything is a possibility. But there's smart moves, and not so smart moves.
- MJL

the difference is that you are assuming that someone is going to waive their clause. something they negotiated and don't HAVE to do.
I am operating on something that can be done without actually asking for permission to do so.

as i said, if the d is as good as debated, you can lose the goals and still win.
just not win by as much.
if you score the same number of goals, but allow more, you usually lose more.

it's a trade. I will take the good D over the good O. that's my style.

hence, my opinion
- nails

Well I'll fill you in on some things. Defense is about more than just the defenseman. And secondly, if you can't score, you can't win. No matter how good your D is.

Moving Kane would've been a catastrophic mistake. You don't know what team they're going to ice this year.
- MJL

unless they can move Campbell, they are icing a two line team with 4 good D men. the rest of the team is grinders and prospects.
I am reasonably sure that will be the case

as i said, if the d is as good as debated, you can lose the goals and still win.
just not win by as much.
if you score the same number of goals, but allow more, you usually lose more.

it's a trade. I will take the good D over the good O. that's my style.

hence, my opinion
- nails

Lets take a litel walk back in time Mr Nails --- Last summer people CRIED about how the team would be able to score losing knuble and lupuL. They also CRIED about biron goin gto the fishsticks, they never realized that adding pronger would negate the loss of the offence from knuble and lupuL. Emery/Leighton with Pronger on the back end cut the Goals against -- yet people just like to female dog and moan about things.

Is this team locked and loaded? Closer to yes then know-- but that is why they play the games

the difference is that you are assuming that someone is going to waive their clause. something they negotiated and don't HAVE to do.
I am operating on something that can be done without actually asking for permission to do so.
- nails

And your assuming that the team would be better if they move Carter. Which you don't know. And your assuming that they can withstand the loss of Carter, which you don't know. And your assuming that a player won't waive his clause. Which you don't know. I can go on if I need to.

Well I'll fill you in on some things. Defense is about more than just the defenseman. And secondly, if you can't score, you can't win. No matter how good your D is.
- MJL

Ask the capitals how a great offense turns out in the play offs. What was their goal differential during the regular season?

And your assuming that the team would be better if they move Carter. Which you don't know. And your assuming that they can withstand the loss of Carter, which you don't know. And your assuming that a player won't waive his clause. Which you don't know. I can go on if I need to.
- MJL

and its ok for you to assume that ahl players will fill in in chi town and make them a solid squad?

Well I'll fill you in on some things. Defense is about more than just the defenseman. And secondly, if you can't score, you can't win. No matter how good your D is.
- MJL

I don't need you to fill me in on things.
You can win if you don't score.
ask the devils, sabres, Bruins

I am well aware of what team D is. but this D is there to eliminate the extra pressure on suspect goaltending and unless you are going to spend money to upgrade the nets, you need to keep this "great" D around.

Lets take a litel walk back in time Mr Nails --- Last summer people CRIED about how the team would be able to score losing knuble and lupuL. They also CRIED about biron goin gto the fishsticks, they never realized that adding pronger would negate the loss of the offence from knuble and lupuL. Emery/Leighton with Pronger on the back end cut the Goals against -- yet people just like to female dog and moan about things.

Is this team locked and loaded? Closer to yes then know-- but that is why they play the games
- lukin

you forgot that JVR needed to stay in the minors