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

SpezDispenser wrote:

davetherave wrote:Hey guys, lemme know when you've figured this one out.

I did. 4 years of RFA @ 4 million a year, 4 years of UFA @ 8 million a year = 48 million dollars over 8 years = 6 million a year cap hit.

Who knows though really? I think that's what'll work out.

Wait a minute...that's two contracts.

Don't you have to do one at a time?

Kane and Toews carry on amidst the hubbub...

From the Chicago Tribune this morning:

The Blackhawks are set to sign young stars Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews to contract extensions, a source close to the organization confirmed Monday.

The announcement of the signing of the forwards, both restricted free agents after the season, is expected in the next day or two before the team leaves for a 10-day, six-game trip beginning Thursday night in Calgary.

In addition, the Hawks are said to be near an agreement with defenseman Duncan Keith, and the team could announce all three signings as early as Tuesday.

There has been much speculation that the Hawks would not be able to sign the players because of salary-cap concerns for the 2010-11 season, but general manager Stan Bowman has maintained that deals would be worked out for all three.

"Our goal like I've said from the beginning is to keep the core of our team together, and they're core players," Bowman said before the season. "That's the strength and the way you have to do it in the game today. Evaluate your players, determine who the core players are and keep that group together and fill in around them."

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/hockey/blackhawks/chi-17-blackhawks-chicago-nov17,0,1592678.story

---

The Blackhawks are following a strategy similar to the Red Wings' and Penguins': sign a core of the most talented players, and fill in the rest of the roster with affordable role players.

Should the new contracts be confirmed as reported , the Hawks' core would look like this at the moment:

Toews, Kane, Hossa

Keith, Seabrook, Campbell, Hjalmarsson

Huet

According to the reporters closest to the Blackhawks, like Chris Kuc and the Daily Herald's Tim Sassone, the Blackhawks will decide who stays and who goes sometime before compliance with the 2010 salary cap (yet to be determined) goes into effect on October 1st of next year.

Stan Bowman has indicated in previous interviews that the team will evaluate its personnel and that in 2010, new talent may indeed replace some current members of the roster.

It has been specualted the most likely Hawks to be traded in order to free up cap room are Patrick Sharp and Cam Barker. Kris Versteeg has also been mentioned.

The speculation about Brian Campbell continues, but with his NTC and amount on his contract, the list of trading partners will be limited.

@davetherave - Signing your core talent is nothing new. Most teams identify their core and build around it.

Take Ottawa for example - Alfredsson, Spezza, Fisher, Phillips, and former Senator Heatley were identifed as core players to lock up. Most believe that A-Train is the next one to be signed as a core player as well. Leclaire and Elliott are still question marks but, if they prove they are worthy of a longterm commitment you can expect one of them to be identified as a core player as well.

@Clutchie> exactly.

SpezDispenser wrote:

shabbs wrote:Hmmm... Towes was 18 when he signed his first SPC, and it was en ELC naturally. He's an RFA after 3 years of NHL pro experience. He's played more than 10 NHL games in each of the 3 years and thus is an RFA at the end of his current contract. Any contract he signs subsequent to this one will end up with him being a UFA. His RFA days are over as his ELC did not slide.

Or am I missing something?

Wait, no, this summer when he comes up for re-neg, he would be an RFA, that would mean that he has how many years left as an RFA? I think it would be 4 more after this because an NHLer needs 7 years of NHL experience to graduate from RFA status to the much more lucrative UFA status.

So, that's what I was referring to. If Toews has 4 more years as an RFA, then Chicago would theoretically get a few years at a slightly reduced rate before the price goes up to 7 million - or whatever his agent deems he would be worth IF he was to hit the UFA market after the 4 years.

You know what I mean?

I got it now. Yeah, it's 7 years for players their age at this time. So, he's got 4 more years until he officially hits UFA status. Not sure if that really does factor in to the contract though... long term security would be good for them. If (for example) they want to test the UFA market and sign a 4 year contract to get max money, who knows what will happen between now and then.

shabbs wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:

shabbs wrote:Hmmm... Towes was 18 when he signed his first SPC, and it was en ELC naturally. He's an RFA after 3 years of NHL pro experience. He's played more than 10 NHL games in each of the 3 years and thus is an RFA at the end of his current contract. Any contract he signs subsequent to this one will end up with him being a UFA. His RFA days are over as his ELC did not slide.

Or am I missing something?

Wait, no, this summer when he comes up for re-neg, he would be an RFA, that would mean that he has how many years left as an RFA? I think it would be 4 more after this because an NHLer needs 7 years of NHL experience to graduate from RFA status to the much more lucrative UFA status.

So, that's what I was referring to. If Toews has 4 more years as an RFA, then Chicago would theoretically get a few years at a slightly reduced rate before the price goes up to 7 million - or whatever his agent deems he would be worth IF he was to hit the UFA market after the 4 years.

You know what I mean?

I got it now. Yeah, it's 7 years for players their age at this time. So, he's got 4 more years until he officially hits UFA status. Not sure if that really does factor in to the contract though... long term security would be good for them. If (for example) they want to test the UFA market and sign a 4 year contract to get max money, who knows what will happen between now and then.

UFA, RFA, SPC, ELC, NBD.


TKK.

DTR is fluffling like the masters.

shabbs wrote:DTR is fluffling like the masters.

Coming from The Master Fluffer, that's the ultimate compliment.

davetherave wrote:

shabbs wrote:DTR is fluffling like the masters.

Coming from The Master Fluffer, that's the ultimate compliment.

Indeed.

shabbs wrote:

davetherave wrote:

shabbs wrote:DTR is fluffling like the masters.

Coming from The Master Fluffer, that's the ultimate compliment.

Indeed.

M'yes.

Forecast for today includes fluffing at alarming rates. It's come to this. We now need to rely on fluffing to fluff up our post count for the month.

....fluff

Cap'n Clutch wrote:Forecast for today includes fluffing at alarming rates. It's come to this. We now need to rely on fluffing to fluff up our post count for the month.

....fluff

@Clutch> nobody's gonna catch The Fluff Kings--Prags and The Shabbinator.

They just keep on fluffin' and puffin'.

davetherave wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:

davetherave wrote:Hey guys, lemme know when you've figured this one out.

I did. 4 years of RFA @ 4 million a year, 4 years of UFA @ 8 million a year = 48 million dollars over 8 years = 6 million a year cap hit.

Who knows though really? I think that's what'll work out.

Wait a minute...that's two contracts.

Don't you have to do one at a time?

I don't mean it like that, they negotiate an 8 year contract where the first 4 years are lesser than the last 4 years.

SeawaySensFan wrote:

shabbs wrote:

davetherave wrote:

shabbs wrote:DTR is fluffling like the masters.

Coming from The Master Fluffer, that's the ultimate compliment.

Indeed.

M'yes.

Totally.

SpezDispenser wrote:

davetherave wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:

davetherave wrote:Hey guys, lemme know when you've figured this one out.

I did. 4 years of RFA @ 4 million a year, 4 years of UFA @ 8 million a year = 48 million dollars over 8 years = 6 million a year cap hit.

Who knows though really? I think that's what'll work out.

Wait a minute...that's two contracts.

Don't you have to do one at a time?

I don't mean it like that, they negotiate an 8 year contract where the first 4 years are lesser than the last 4 years.

@Spez> if the report from Chris Kuc is correct, the contracts will be announced as early as next Tuesday...you'll find out if you were right.

davetherave wrote:
@Spez> if the report from Chris Kuc is correct, the contracts will be announced as early as next Tuesday...you'll find out if you were right.

Nice. I'm excited.

When they say long-term for Keith, they mean long-term.

http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/nhl/news/story?id=4664001

I've read 13 years as a possible number.