Around the league (signings, RFAs injuries)

[Blob Mckenzie]

Ya but Kassian, Lack, Bonino and Stanton are a lot cheaper than, Lucic, Miller, Sutter and Sbisa. Give your head a shake.

Brilliant!

It is brilliant . Wtf good is cap space anyway ? Cap space lol who needs it ?

[Blob Mckenzie]

LOL at IN's list of D-men. Disaster UFA signing contracts waiting to happen especially Sesbrook who looks great lost in the Blackhawk dynasty and riding shotgun with Keith. Over rated, same goes with the others, Byfuglien is probably the best of the bunch but he can be high msintenance as well. LOL at damonberrys thoughts on Yandle, I agree

Yeah Seabrook is a slug . He's only in the top 10-15 Canadian defencemen and in the top 20 overall . What the hell do Steve Yzerman and Hockey Canada know ?

[Island Nucklehead]

LOL at IN's list of D-men. Disaster UFA signing contracts waiting to happen especially Sesbrook who looks great lost in the Blackhawk dynasty and riding shotgun with Keith. Over rated, same goes with the others, Byfuglien is probably the best of the bunch but he can be high msintenance as well. LOL at damonberrys thoughts on Yandle, I agree

Yeah Seabrook is a slug . He's only in the top 10-15 Canadian defencemen and in the top 20 overall . What the hell do Steve Yzerman and Hockey Canada know ?

lol no shit. We're going to dump a big-money deal on a guy like Lucic (cuz he won't be overpaid at all!), when we're already jammed to the tits with tweeners and look to actually have some forward prospects coming online. Heaven forbid we ever focus some attention on fixing the train-wreck that is likely to be our post-Hamhuis back-end.

And yeah, Yandle can have issues in his own zone, just like Sbisa. He's also liable to put up more points then our two highest-scoring dmen combined. And he wouldn't exactly be the first player to struggle after being traded to a new team mid-season. We should know, we signed one to play goal for us.

I'm not promoting any one of them over another, just pointing out that if we're going to jump into the Free Agent pool, our defence is what needs help the most and there are a few top-pairing guys that could be available.

[Hockey Widow]

I'm all over a 5 million dollar Lucic for four years but if he was going to do that he'd still be in Boston. He will want, and get, in the 7 range for 5-7 years. Kesler re-signed at what 6.75 for five years. Lucic will get at least that.

Benning has a hard on for the guy so I hope LA re-signs him. Too steep a price at this juncture. We will have the money if we let Vrbata and Hamhuis go, either via trade or let them walk, so money won't be our issue.

I agree with IN on this one, we need to either get Hamhuis re-signed or spend that money on fixing the back end.

Although Lucic/Sutter/Baertschi is kind intriguing.

Virtanen/Horvat/Shinkaruk

[Meds]

LOL at IN's list of D-men. Disaster UFA signing contracts waiting to happen especially Sesbrook who looks great lost in the Blackhawk dynasty and riding shotgun with Keith. Over rated, same goes with the others, Byfuglien is probably the best of the bunch but he can be high msintenance as well. LOL at damonberrys thoughts on Yandle, I agree

Yeah Seabrook is a slug . He's only in the top 10-15 Canadian defencemen and in the top 20 overall . What the hell do Steve Yzerman and Hockey Canada know ?

Seabrook is indeed a question mark apart from Keith. Certainly he's a good defenseman, and a legitimate top-pairing guy, the question is whether or not he's capable of being the guy on the blueline is still unknown.

If Kane stays in Chicago, then I suspect we might find out what Seabrook can do without Keith.

[Chef Boi RD]

LOL at IN's list of D-men. Disaster UFA signing contracts waiting to happen especially Sesbrook who looks great lost in the Blackhawk dynasty and riding shotgun with Keith. Over rated, same goes with the others, Byfuglien is probably the best of the bunch but he can be high msintenance as well. LOL at damonberrys thoughts on Yandle, I agree

Yeah Seabrook is a slug . He's only in the top 10-15 Canadian defencemen and in the top 20 overall . What the hell do Steve Yzerman and Hockey Canada know ?

No Keith, no Seabrook. He's to Keith what Muzzin is to Doughty and so on. He's the tag along buddy, he's like the ugly friend you see all the hot chicks with. Or Like Blobby's tag along buds - Island Nucklehead. Give it rest. Blobby again obsessed with his good ole Canadian meat and potato guys, circa Ryan Stanton.

[Island Nucklehead]

Although Lucic/Sutter/Baertschi is kind intriguing.

Are we sure Baertschi is a bonafide NHL'er at this point? I suppose after this season (when Looch is a UFA) we'll know for sure. Regardless, that line is going to be a dump-chase kind of line (I think any line with Sutter as C will be) so I worry about a skill guy like Baertschi playing that role.

Virtanen/Horvat/Shinkaruk

If Shinkaruk pans out with the ability to play in that kind of role, we'll be in great shape.




ANYWAYS... back to the "Around the League" thread......


The Hawks have received calls on Patrick Kane. I can't imagine anything too valuable, but it would be interesting to see if they'd consider moving him and his $10.5M cap hit (and wether Kane would waive his NMC).

Scottie Upshall is going to St Louis on a tryout.

[Hockey Widow]

I think the Hawks would love to move on from Kane. Just from what is coming out of Chicago.

[Meds]

I think the Hawks would love to move on from Kane. Just from what is coming out of Chicago.

I wonder if the Sabers are one of the teams inquiring.....

It would make sense. They have cap space, and rebuilding teams don't often get a shot at a superstar talent with 3 of the last 7 Cup rings on his fingers.....and he's the hometown boy. It could be that Buffalo forgives the wayward son a little quicker than other places.

Or they might just want nothing to do with him at all for the same reasons.

[Chef Boi RD]

The buffalo scenario makes sense. Kane's hometown, lots of cap space. Sabres have too many centres in O'Reilly, Eichel, Reinhart, Ennis, Girgensons etc. Kane is a winger like the other Kane there. Dangling Reinhart and something else may pique the Hawks interest

[Island Nucklehead]

Or they might just want nothing to do with him at all for the same reasons.

I think that is more likely. Who knows, but with their new guy O'Reilly already in shit with the law for boozing, do they really want to bring another potential problem-child into the mix? Would they care?

Although I do think the Reinhart+ kinda deal is what it will take to land Kane.

Would Kane waive to go home? After all this attention on his off-ice antics in Buffalo recently? If I'm his agent and PR guy I'm saying please, Fuck, No. If I'm his lawyer I'm offering to pick him up from the airport.

Another scary one could be the New York Islanders. They've got lots of cap space ($8.6M), could dangle some pieces to help Chicago now and in the future (Okposo, Strome, Nelson) and a couple great prospects (Dal Colle, Barzal).

[ESQ]

Another scary one could be the New York Islanders. They've got lots of cap space ($8.6M), could dangle some pieces to help Chicago now and in the future (Okposo, Strome, Nelson) and a couple great prospects (Dal Colle, Barzal).

Its funny, they do have a lot of cap space, but that still isn't enough to swallow the Kane-Load without quite a bit of salary going the other way.

Plus with Tavares' bargain contract ending in 3 years, and the massive deals already handed out to Boychuk (until he's 39) and Leddy, I can't see the NYI tying their hands with Kane's league-highest contract.

It will be very interesting to see how his legal troubles affect his trade value though, could be a Joe Thornton-like trade. of buying very, very low.

[Hockey Widow]

As I said before, Voynov was suspended before charges were laid. Richards had his contract terminated before charges were laid. It seems in both of those cases the fact that they were under investigation was enough to be suspended/terminated, pending outcomes.

I can't understand why Kane has not been suspended pending the outcome of that investigation. The precedent has been set by Bettman, IMHO.

By taking action now it would give the Hawks cap room to breath and make a trade impossible at this point in time. In fact regardless of the NHL's inaction in this case I can't see one good reason for anyone to trade for Kane. Until the outcome is known you would be foolish to give up the assets it would require to land him.

If he is not charged I think there will be many teams interested in him but who he would waive to go to is another matter. His lifestyle is better suited to a small hockey market team like Florida or Phoenix. Somewhere where he can go relatively unnoticed off the ice. Buffalo won't accomplish that. Or Vegas, that would be a perfect place for him.

[Island Nucklehead]

As I said before, Voynov was suspended before charges were laid. Richards had his contract terminated before charges were laid. It seems in both of those cases the fact that they were under investigation was enough to be suspended/terminated, pending outcomes.

I can't understand why Kane has not been suspended pending the outcome of that investigation. The precedent has been set by Bettman, IMHO.

I might be wrong, but weren't both Voynov and Richards at least arrested prior to being suspended?

[Island Nucklehead]

Another scary one could be the New York Islanders. They've got lots of cap space ($8.6M), could dangle some pieces to help Chicago now and in the future (Okposo, Strome, Nelson) and a couple great prospects (Dal Colle, Barzal).

Its funny, they do have a lot of cap space, but that still isn't enough to swallow the Kane-Load without quite a bit of salary going the other way.

Plus with Tavares' bargain contract ending in 3 years, and the massive deals already handed out to Boychuk (until he's 39) and Leddy, I can't see the NYI tying their hands with Kane's league-highest contract.

All true, but consider that the Islanders have Grabner ($3M), Okposo ($2.8M) and Nielsen ($2.7M) coming off their books after this season. Boychuck's and Leddy's deals aren't crippling cap hits ($6M and $5.5M respectively).