Chicago Blackhawks

[jimotis4heisman]

surprised we dont have a blackhawks thread as we have a bunch of fans on bp....

Blackhawks ink Bolland to five-year contract

The Chicago Blackhawks have re-signed second-line centreman David Bolland, inking the restricted free agent to a five-year deal.
The Toronto native's average salary over the contract will be $3.375 million per season.
Bolland, 23, had a breakout season in 2009, putting up 19 goals and 28 assists with a plus- 19 rating in 81 games. He also tallied four goals and eight assists with a minus- 1 rating throughout the 2008-09 playoffs.
Bolland was a 2nd round selection (32nd overall) by the Blackhawks in 2004.

[souL]

*bump*

Kopecky, John Madden, and Marian Hossa? NO Phalsson or Walker? I'd say Dale Tallon has done an excellent job. No Havlat but he's replaced with a more reliable commodity. Now it's just deciding which of their RFAs they're going to bring back offensively.

[dragurd]

Bah now you might be a legitimate threat next year. I don't mind Hossa leaving but I'd of rather he gone to someone who wouldn't be a threat for the foreseeable future.

[louts8wings]

it was sad to see hossa go but the hawks can have him. i am glad we didn't self destruct our veteran or young core of players for one player. also, lets not forget that the cap could go down next year by 4 to 5 mil. so the hawks i expect will have to part with one of their young players in next years FA.

[souL]

Originally Posted by louts8wings

it was sad to see hossa go but the hawks can have him. i am glad we didn't self destruct our veteran or young core of players for one player. also, lets not forget that the cap could go down next year by 4 to 5 mil. so the hawks i expect will have to part with one of their young players in next years FA.

The Hawks still have 10 million in cap number to work with for '09-'10. Also, PKane takes up almost 4 million in "cap number" already, any deal he gets won't be for TOO much more. Captain Serious wants to win and he wants to win with the Hawks. He's the heart and soul of this team and I think he'll play ball in order to be with a winner. I expect him to sign a 3-4 year deal that's a little under market value and I think the contract after that might REALLY get him paid.

DK is the one I'm really worried about. It seems like he's the one always getting overshadowed. There's another d-man on the team getting the all-star pub that he deserved, there are two young fresh faces marching forward with this franchise, but he's the guy really getting it done on the back end. There are a few things that DK could very well take as a slap in the face and I think if he wants to walk he could. That would be just devestating for the Hawks as a franchise, as he's a future Norris Trophy winner IMO.

I see the Hawks trying anything and everything they can to move a contract that's up after '09-'10, almost regardless of who it is. I think their order looks something like this:
1. Campbell. Scotty Bowman realized what a mistake that was as soon as he got here. If he got here before that FA period I don't ever think that signing happens. The Hawks offered Campbell to the Senators straight-up for big-time troublemaker Dany Heatley. Campbell's deal is so bad that, despite their desire to move Heatley (who actually has a higher cap number than Campbell's 7.14 million), they said no. Campbell still has 7 more years of dragging this team down through its prime
2. Sopel. Rumor had it Brent Sopel could have come back for a few months after that surgery he had. I also heard it wasn't necessary to have it until after the season was over, but the team needed the cap space and forced it on him. Definitely looking to move him, but he's going to have to show some value for that to happen. There's as little of a market for #2 on this list as #1, but that COULD change if he comes back and plays well, which he's capable of.
3. Byfuglien. Most Hawks fans were bewildered by the signing when it happened last year. 3 years, 9 million for a guy who has played 30 games as a forward? Yikes. Though he dominated the Flames and 'Nucks, he was largely inconsistent. I think he's the first guy on this list to have actual trade value, but the Hawks' brass really liked some of the stuff he did in the playoffs. Still, I think his disappearing act and lack of work ethic will wear thin quickly.
4. Cristobal Huet. Another pretty ridiculous signing. Not that he's bad, he's just not a 60 game a year goaltender. Never really will be either, and for 5.6 million against the cap you really want a goaltender to be able to carry the load. Many Hawks fans would have him #1 on this list but he's got the talent to get hot and dominate an NHL playoff, and I think the powers that be see it. Definitely movable, as the Flyers and Senators both showed a lot of interest during this offseason. However, the Hawks wouldn't trade him without a good option behind him as they want to win now.
5. Patrick Sharp. Probably the most palatable guy on the list, and I think most likely candidate. Still in his prime, a great scorer and two-way player. His contract only goes for 2 more years after '09-'10 and he'll be 29 at the end of it. For a top-6 forward it's a pretty good bargain (8.3 million for the last 2 years and 4.0 per year against the cap). I think if they get desperate to re-sign the big three he's the one most easily moved.
6. Brent Seabrook. He's not going anywhere. He's as much of a cornerstone as DK, and they make up probably the most reliable 1-2 in the NHL. He's just not getting moved--but his contract ends in 2010-2011 so I decided to add him to the list.

[BuckeyeMike80]

Chicago might have completely [censored]ed themselves....

SOURCES: NHL AND NHLPA INVESTIGATING BLACKHAWKS OVER OFFERS

Sources tell TSN the NHL and the NHLPA are investigating what might have been an enormous mistake by the Chicago Blackhawks.


Chicago tendered qualifying offers to several key players this week, including Kris Versteeg, Cam Barker, Ben Eager, Colin Fraser, Aaron Johnson and Troy Brouwer, however the investigation underway is to determiner whether the qualifying offers were filed correctly.


If not, there is the remote possibility the qualifying offers could be ruled invalid and the players listed above, conceivably, could be deemed unrestricted free agents because of the blunder.


There are few details, but one source says the players involved didn't receive the necessary notification of the offers.


The National Hockey League is in the process of trying to determine whether the situation was remedied in time.


Chicago general manager Dale Tallon says the qualifying offers were mailed to the players in time, on June 29th, but says because of the July 1 holiday, some of the players didn't receive them in time.


Additional sources say qualifying offers are not supposed to be mailed.
Overnight delivery via courier and direct fax to the players agent is preferred and certified or registered mail is acceptable only if the other means are unavailable.


Tallon says fax copies of the offers were sent to the league, so he doesn't anticipate any significant fall out.

Sources: NHL and NHLPA investigating Blackhawks over offers

[Jaxbuck]

Tallon says fax copies of the offers were sent to the league, so he prays to any diety he thinks will listen that there isn't any significant fall out.

fixed the last line

[3074326]

Are they planning on making an upgrade at goalie? Can't see Huet being the man. The talent they've accumulated in skaters is impressive.

[souL]

Between their lack of money, the money tied up in Huet, and the lack of better options (there aren't any in terms of FAs), no.

Huet should be just fine.

[jimotis4heisman]

Originally Posted by BuckeyeMike80

Chicago might have completely [censored]ed themselves....




Sources: NHL and NHLPA investigating Blackhawks over offers

i believe raflaski and (someone else...) had the same thing happen to them in new jersey in the early 2000s. they ended up as "free agents" the same should happen here....

[3074326]

I think it was Madden, and I think they both cashed in pretty nicely. Any reason why it wouldn't happen this time around?

[souL]

Well... here's a semi-resolution to the RFA situation:

Hawks sign Eager, Brouwer and Fraser | Icing

Also coming down the pipe: Cam Barker 3 years, 9.25 million... That just leaves Kris Versteeg.

[jimotis4heisman]

Originally Posted by souL

Well... here's a semi-resolution to the RFA situation:

Hawks sign Eager, Brouwer and Fraser | Icing

Also coming down the pipe: Cam Barker 3 years, 9.25 million... That just leaves Kris Versteeg.

if the pa got its way and barker was a fa, he left probably 6m on the table (3 yr 5m cap hit was a real possibility)
that gives the bhawks about 5m to fill out their roster with what five more roster players?
goaltender, a couple of forwards and a 7th dman

[souL]

Under contract now:
Player/cap number
Marian Hossa 5.233 million
Patrick Sharp 3.9 million
Patrick Kane 3.725 million
Dave Bolland 3.375 million
Dustin Byfuglien 3 million
Jonathan Toews 2.8 million
John Madden 2.75 million
Andrew Ladd 1.55 million
Tomas Kopecky 1.200 million
Troy Brouwer 1 million
Ben Eager .965 million
Adam Burish .713 million
Colin Fraser .700 million

number of forwards:
13
Cap hit:
31.367

Defensemen:
Brian Campbell *sigh* 7.14 million
Brent Seabrook 3.5 million
Cameron Barker 3.083 million
Brent Sopel 2.333 million
Duncan Keith 1.475 million
Niklas Hjalmarsson .64 million


Number of defensemen:
6
cap hit:
18.172

Goalies:
Cristobal Huet 5.625 million
Antti Niemi .827
Corey Crawford .775

Number of goalies (guessing Niemi is hte backup):
2
cap hit:
6.452 million

Total number of players:
21
Total cap hit:
55.991 million

**Ok, I found some different, newer numbers and fixed the roster to where I think it will be. Aaron Johnson will probably add about 700k and will make the Hawks 22 guys deep.

[souL]

souL's projected Blackhawk lines/pairings (LW/C/RW):
L1:
Sharp/Toews/Kane
L2:
Ladd/Bolland/Hossa
L3:
Byfuglien/Madden/Brouwer
L4:
Burish/Fraser/Eager
scratched:
Tomas Kopecky

D1:
Keith/Seabrook
D2:
Sopel/Campbell
D3:
Barker/Hjalmarsson
scratched:
Aaron Johnson

G1:
Cristobal Huet
G2:
Antti Niemi