UPDATE: Toews, Kane sign 5 year deals, Keith signs a 13 year deal

Custance's article just repeats what we all know. Chicago is a great team and they're fine cap-wise for now. There's no harm in discussing and speculating what Chicago might do down the line when they won't be fine. And that day will come.

Cue the Campbell to everywhere rumours...

Dash wrote:They could move Sharp and Sopel, or Versteeg and Byfuglien.

I'll take either Sharp or Versteeg here in Ottawa.

Diddle yeah. Versteeg and Byfuglien would be wicked though. Wow.

Chicago is in a good position.

Quite a few teams will be approaching them and they'll be able to pick and choose to get the best possible deals.

Ottawa is going to have to make a compelling offer to stand a chance.

SpezDispenser wrote:

Dash wrote:They could move Sharp and Sopel, or Versteeg and Byfuglien.

I'll take either Sharp or Versteeg here in Ottawa.

Diddle yeah. Versteeg and Byfuglien would be wicked though. Wow.

Not so fast. Experts such as Craig Custance and Ken Holland basically say everything is, and forever will be, fine in Chicagoland.

I'm just trying to figure out who they can move and not really upset too much in the order. Versteeg had a great season last year, is doing alright this year, but could probably be replaced at some point. Buff might be expendable soon if Beach or Aliu develop, not that Buff is replaceable by any means though - he's a beast.

Sharp is hard to replace - great leader, great two-way player, but saw the 4th line a lot last season, which is just crazy for a guy like that.

And Sopel is, well, a journeyman.

Is it 100% certain they have to be under next years cap, this year? This whole tagging issue? And do they have a deadline to do it? Cause it sees they are getting away with something here.

SeawaySensFan wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:

Dash wrote:They could move Sharp and Sopel, or Versteeg and Byfuglien.

I'll take either Sharp or Versteeg here in Ottawa.

Diddle yeah. Versteeg and Byfuglien would be wicked though. Wow.

Not so fast. Experts such as Craig Custance and Ken Holland basically say everything is, and forever will be, fine in Chicagoland.

Everything's gonna be hunky-dorky. When they jettison 2 of those 3 million dollar contracts - or one big, let's say...I dunno...7.1 million dollar contract?

Dash wrote:I'm just trying to figure out who they can move and not really upset too much in the order. Versteeg had a great season last year, is doing alright this year, but could probably be replaced at some point. Buff might be expendable soon if Beach or Aliu develop, not that Buff is replaceable by any means though - he's a beast.

Sharp is hard to replace - great leader, great two-way player, but saw the 4th line a lot last season, which is just crazy for a guy like that.

And Sopel is, well, a journeyman.

Is it 100% certain they have to be under next years cap, this year? This whole tagging issue? And do they have a deadline to do it? Cause it sees they are getting away with something here.

I would bet the farm that Sopel's out of CHI by January latest - if not before the roster freeze this month.

Then the Hawks can re-examine the situation after the playoffs with time.

SpezDispenser wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:

Dash wrote:They could move Sharp and Sopel, or Versteeg and Byfuglien.

I'll take either Sharp or Versteeg here in Ottawa.

Diddle yeah. Versteeg and Byfuglien would be wicked though. Wow.

Not so fast. Experts such as Craig Custance and Ken Holland basically say everything is, and forever will be, fine in Chicagoland.

Everything's gonna be hunky-dorky. When they jettison 2 of those 3 million dollar contracts - or one big, let's say...I dunno...7.1 million dollar contract?

I'm pretty sure they don't even have to do that. They can probably even add a few stars. Ottawa, on the other hand, need to address their FA issues... or else!!!

I see what you're doing there.

Dash wrote:I'm just trying to figure out who they can move and not really upset too much in the order. Versteeg had a great season last year, is doing alright this year, but could probably be replaced at some point. Buff might be expendable soon if Beach or Aliu develop, not that Buff is replaceable by any means though - he's a beast.

Sharp is hard to replace - great leader, great two-way player, but saw the 4th line a lot last season, which is just crazy for a guy like that.

And Sopel is, well, a journeyman.

Is it 100% certain they have to be under next years cap, this year? This whole tagging issue? And do they have a deadline to do it? Cause it sees they are getting away with something here.

The tagging issue is a combination of their current cap space and the total amount of $$$ from the contracts that are coming off the books at the end of the season. So, they identify all the contracts that are coming off the books (ie: tag them), total up their $$$ and then add in their current cap space. That amount is the max amount they can sign for next year, this year. The word was they were very close (like $1M or so) so either they just had to wait a bit for their cap space numbers to improve or they are going to trade/waive someone to get that $1M bump.

I don't know what they did to change anything...

shabbs wrote:[The tagging issue is a combination of their current cap space and the total amount of $$$ from the contracts that are coming off the books at the end of the season. So, they identify all the contracts that are coming off the books (ie: tag them), total up their $$$ and then add in their current cap space. That amount is the max amount they can sign for next year, this year. The word was they were very close (like $1M or so) so either they just had to wait a bit for their cap space numbers to improve or they are going to trade/waive someone to get that $1M bump.

I don't know what they did to change anything...

Trade? Swirlings? Dominoes?

Perhaps the NHL has given then a deadline by which they need to be compliant or the Hawks have told the NHL what they plan to do.

shabbs wrote:Perhaps the NHL has given then a deadline by which they need to be compliant or the Hawks have told the NHL what they plan to do.

Here's the Hawks stated position, as told to the NHL:

"My dad is Scotty Bowman. So there."

- Stan Bowman

SeawaySensFan wrote:

shabbs wrote:Perhaps the NHL has given then a deadline by which they need to be compliant or the Hawks have told the NHL what they plan to do.

Here's the Hawks stated position, as told to the NHL:

"My dad is Scotty Bowman. So there."

- Stan Bowman

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Press: "How are you getting around the tagging issue?"
Stan: "My Dad is Scotty Bowman. He'll fix it. I'm not worried"

Press: "What about next season? With this signing, you're $5M OVER the cap with only 16 players signed."
Stan: "My Dad is Scotty Bowman. He'll fix it. I'm not worried"

Press: "Ok then...."
Stan: "Daddy... can I go play with my lego again..."

And another article posted by DTR in 3...2...1 Just kidding DTR.

Cap'n Clutch wrote:And another article posted by DTR in 3...2...1 Just kidding DTR.

"Shields up... DTR is getting set to attack..."

shabbs wrote:

Cap'n Clutch wrote:And another article posted by DTR in 3...2...1 Just kidding DTR.

"Shields up... DTR is getting set to attack..."