RUMOUR: Ottawa and Chicago talking trade

SpezDispenser wrote:We can all get along. If you want to say something, could you PM Dave and work it out?

Plus none of this is giving us an idea of what we have to give up to get Soupy.

I think the guy you are looking at right now, at least from a Chicago perspective, would be Brent Sopel.

Chicago does not have to worry about the cap until next year, but waiting until too late can leave them in a pinch to get ripped off, or worse they might have to let people walk for nothing or waive them.

Chicago's not about to give away players that are helping them win just so they can prepare for next season. Moving any roster players for that matter when you are a playoff contender is a bad move. The purpose is to get better with addition, not subtraction.

Quite literally all they have to do is waive Sopel and Huet and they'll be comfortably under the cap.

If I was them, I'd be looking to add an "Anton Volchenkov", but I will not give you more than Beech and a 1st (and that's probably too much) - and you'll need to take Sopel so we stay below the salary cap.

That's why I thought Sopel's name was being thrown in here.

I will bet anyone who's interested, that the only way a player like Cam Barker goes during this season, is if an Anton Volchenkov is going the other way. They won't shed salary now the more I think about it. They've got such an easy out in the summer. Bowman just has to say "hey, I didn't sign Huet, I'm sorry this had to happen, but I want to move forward with my vision."

They won't move Huet unless they are getting a top 10 goalie, why would they?

Barker is a much different type of player than Volchy, and the offense he can bring is much more valuable.

They could afford to add Volchenkov by moving just Sopel.

Beach is an 11th overall pick, just last year. Obviously I can understand why we'd want to add him, but can you honestly see a team giving up an 11th overall pick, a first round pick, and a roster player for Volchy? I mean, would you send Karlsson, our first, and... Campoli for Greg Zanon?

SpezDispenser wrote:Quite literally all they have to do is waive Sopel and Huet and they'll be comfortably under the cap.

If I was them, I'd be looking to add an "Anton Volchenkov", but I will not give you more than Beech and a 1st (and that's probably too much) - and you'll need to take Sopel so we stay below the salary cap.

That's why I thought Sopel's name was being thrown in here.

I will bet anyone who's interested, that the only way a player like Cam Barker goes during this season, is if an Anton Volchenkov is going the other way. They won't shed salary now the more I think about it. They've got such an easy out in the summer. Bowman just has to say "hey, I didn't sign Huet, I'm sorry this had to happen, but I want to move forward with my vision."

Not quite true, or not necessarily true, anyway. There's the whole 'tagging' issue -- which, I admit, I don't fully understand -- but the long and the short of it is that it's possible to commit too much money in contracts next year, forcing you to have to make a move this year to address it.

Pundits are saying that this is a problem that may well effect CHI this year, if all those signings happen. Love to hear more on this tagging issue and how it might effect the Hawks if anyone has the info.

The Name Dropper loves to hammer away at Chicago's lack of goaltending simply because he criticized Huet while he played for Montreal and the fans dared to challenge him! lol

What a jerk.

Ya, I question why on earth Chicago would even think of tinkering with their lineup right now. They are the best team in The West (whether the standings say so or not) and if Huet plays decent hockey the cup is more then likely theirs. After the season I see it, they might even add a guy along the way to help bolster the lineup, but no way do they subtract.

As for getting Seabrooke, if Ottawa somehow got him without trading one of their young 3 D or Lehner, I'm all for it, dont care who or what is going the other way.

After last nights game, I have to agree. Stand pat and deal with the consequences this spring and summer.

N4L wrote:Ya, I question why on earth Chicago would even think of tinkering with their lineup right now. They are the best team in The West (whether the standings say so or not) and if Huet plays decent hockey the cup is more then likely theirs. After the season I see it, they might even add a guy along the way to help bolster the lineup, but no way do they subtract.

As for getting Seabrooke, if Ottawa somehow got him without trading one of their young 3 D or Lehner, I'm all for it, dont care who or what is going the other way.

Spezza, Michalek, Aflredsson, Fisher I would also consider staples to this team.

Dash wrote:

N4L wrote:Ya, I question why on earth Chicago would even think of tinkering with their lineup right now. They are the best team in The West (whether the standings say so or not) and if Huet plays decent hockey the cup is more then likely theirs. After the season I see it, they might even add a guy along the way to help bolster the lineup, but no way do they subtract.

As for getting Seabrooke, if Ottawa somehow got him without trading one of their young 3 D or Lehner, I'm all for it, dont care who or what is going the other way.

Spezza, Michalek, Aflredsson, Fisher I would also consider staples to this team.

Dont agree with that being paid 7 million dollars. He's about as much of a stable right now as Gomez, Drury, or Breire.

No way, Spezza is a face of this team, and he's definitely not going anywhere. He's playing his best complete hockey now. The offense will come, he's learning a new part of he game, he's got to blend everything together, it will come.

I think a few years ago, heck even just last season, we weren't too thrilled with Fisher's lack of production for a 4.5 million dollar player. Now look what he is accomplishing.

Dash wrote:No way, Spezza is a face of this team, and he's definitely not going anywhere. He's playing his best complete hockey now. The offense will come, he's learning a new part of he game, he's got to blend everything together, it will come.

Ya, again, he isnt a 7 million dollar player.

Well, some would argue that nobody should be paid that much, it is not going to make a difference. He was and is paid based on what was considered "fair market value at the time".

Dash wrote:Well, some would argue that nobody should be paid that much, it is not going to make a difference. He was and is paid based on what was considered "fair market value at the time".

So were Drury, Campbell, Briere, and Gomez. Doesnt make them worth the money they are paid in comparrison to others making that kind of money.

Spezza needs to somewhat justify 7 million a year, especially since he doenst have a NMC until July 1 this year.

Dash wrote:Well, some would argue that nobody should be paid that much, it is not going to make a difference. He was and is paid based on what was considered "fair market value at the time".

Riprooooooooock!!!!

(Doesn't mean anything, I just really wanted to type that.)

What's done is done, no sense arguing over what he makes. Fact is, he is playing a better overall game, learning a new aspect which is obviously having an adverse effect on his offensive game, but at some point, yes we all hope soon, he will find a happy medium.

Dash wrote:What's done is done, no sense arguing over what he makes. Fact is, he is playing a better overall game, learning a new aspect which is obviously having an adverse effect on his offensive game, but at some point, yes we all hope soon, he will find a happy medium.

Will he find that balance? I think he will but he might not. If he doesnt its not unreal to think he could be traded in the off season especially if The Sens miss out on the playoffs.

If Spezza doesnt have the ability to play that overall game and produce at a somewhat decent level then he's in trouble as a hockey player in the NHL.

Can anyone explain the tagging issue clearly? I'm struggling to really understand it.