asq2 wrote: Dash wrote:Give your heads a shake if you think there's any possibility of landing Barker unless you're giving up Karlsson, Cowen, Wiercicoh plus much more.
Whoa, let's not get ahead of ourselves here. The Sharks just gave up Ehrhoff and Lukowich for nothing, and you think Barker, a guy earning too much money,on a team that everyone knows is in a tight cap position, who is porous defensively, can get anywhere close to that?
Barker's not even in Chicago's top-4.
@ASQ> The Chicago Blackhawks are the number one defensive team in the NHL with a 2.14 GAA.
"Porous defensively"?
What league are
you watching?
Barker is number five on the depth chart because the Hawks have a superior Top 4.
This is only Barker's first full season in the NHL (he started last year with Rockford, and played the significant portions in the AHL and WHL in previous years). The kid still has a few things to learn, as many young defensemen--even first rounders--do.
But then, you probably don't even watch the Blackhawks games on a regular basis...you probably only look at the stats and the post game clips, eh.
Otherwise, you would see Barker's game continues to improve under the excellent coaching of the Chicago staff.
As for being 'overpaid', Mr. Tallon's 'generosity' towards Mr. Barker earned Dale a new assignment in the organization. Nothing more to say on a subject which has been flogged to death.
Likewise for the media-generated hysteria over 'tagging'.
---
@ Clutch> Stan Bowman doesn't need to do anything right now, as the alleged agreements with T/K/K are not, according to any reliable information, signed, nor do they need to be signed anytime soon.
Maybe some moves will be made, but who and where, only Stan Bowman knows, and he isn't telling.
To address the so-called 'word' that Chicago is 'shopping players to clear cap space'...that is the 'flavour of the year', especially among Hawks haters in the media and the blogosphere.
No specific or reliable sources are ever named or cited, of course.
But journalists love to make stuff up, because their audience is ready to eat it up.
So they'll flog those subjects until the cows come home...and beyond.
---
@Dash> I see where you're coming from, but I would be surprised if Bryan Murray gives up his valuable defensive prospects in a deal of this nature, simply because it runs counter to Murray's logic of building through the draft.
The logic of acquiring Barker--if that is indeed in the Senators' plans--is simple.
Instead of paying Volchenkov $5 million--or more--which he could easily command, or giving Picard/Lee/Campoli big raises, bringing Barker to Ottawa would give the Senators a very good young d-man at $3MM for the next two years.
Barker could immediately step in to the Top 4 in Ottawa (especially if Volchenkov leaves, and even if he does not).
From Chicago's side, if Picard were indeed of interest, he could be a solid addition as a 5/6 who can be develop to his full potential with the Hawks, while reducing cap exposure.
However, I doubt any of this takes place...unless Murray decides he won't re-sign one or more of his impending FA defensemen.
But maybe BM convinces Volchie to re-up at good price, and he decides to be patient.
Which Murray has shown himself to be.
---
Anyway, these rumours are just
fluff...until something
actually happens.
As our esteemed colleague ShabbsConnected has
often reminded us.
But looks like everyone's having fun with them, and how can that be a bad thing?
Have a great day, all. And thanks for your enthusiastic discussion.
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