Turco Signed (1Y,1.3M), Hawks walk away from Niemi.

[Guest]

Listening to Bowman on CTL, Zito is an ass. I firmly believe 100% the Hawks offered him a multi year contract.



Hendry will be announced later in the week.

 

[Chief Walking Stick]

[quote name="R K"]Listening to Bowman on CTL, Zito is an ass. I firmly believe 100% the Hawks offered him a multi year contract.



Hendry will be announced later in the week.[/quote]



Bowman was on the Afternoon Saloon today as well... he sounded quite perturbed when he was asked about the Niemi negotiations... obviously danced around the real answer and said, "It's part of the business of hockey".

 

[phranchk]

[quote name="R K"]Listening to Bowman on CTL, Zito is an ass. I firmly believe 100% the Hawks offered him a multi year contract.



Hendry will be announced later in the week.[/quote]

Here's Zito's whole quote



"We discussed some numbers, but did not really get off them in so far as structuring a specific multiyear offer," Zito said. "It was more of a general conversation surrounding limitations placed on [Bowman] by the cap. But there is no drama there, what could we do?



"We always knew this would be a risk, and any time you file for arbitration, in this climate, we knew this could be a possibility -- so we live with our decisions."

 

[phranchk]

Don't know if this has been said, Turco also has a no trade clause. Not really a big deal with that salary and only being 1 year.

 

[jakobeast]

[quote name="phranchk"]Don't know if this has been said, Turco also has a no trade clause. Not really a big deal with that salary and only being 1 year.[/quote]



I am not too concerned with the NTC for him. 1.3 Mill is next to nothing in the NHL, and if need be, he will be sent 90 miles west.

 

[5Minutes4Fighting]

Here's E.J. Hradek on the situation. I'll copy the whole article below, as the link is to a subscriber thing on ESPN.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nhl/blog?name=hradek_ej&id=5431608





Given the magnitude of the Chicago Blackhawks' decision to part ways with Antti Niemi, I decided to take a break from my vacation and share some quick thoughts about the different parties in Monday's goalie-go-round in Chicago.



Antti Niemi

Boy, this guy and his agent, Bill Zito, were in a tricky spot. They should've been in a terrific bargaining position after Niemi backstopped the Hawks to a Stanley Cup in his first real NHL season. Under more normal circumstances, the soon-to-be-27-year-old Niemi likely would have a received a lucrative multiyear contract offer from the Hawks.



But clearly, the cap crunch in Chicago made the circumstances anything but normal.



After watching several championship teammates get shipped to various parts of North America, Niemi and Zito had to have known the Hawks were seriously up against it. They had to know what the contractual limitations were going to be.



They also had to know that the market for goaltenders had dried up pretty quickly in July. So much so, that Sharks veteran Evgeni Nabokov bolted for the KHL and ex-Stars G Marty Turco remained unsigned through July.



With that information, Niemi (and Zito) had to decide whether or not he wanted to stay in Chicago at a reduced rate/term (Turco got only one year at $1.3 million) or go to arbitration with the strong possibility that the club would walk away and make him an unrestricted free agent.



Again, the unusual circumstances make this a tough call. If Zito had/has a deal with another club in his back pocket (if so, expect Niemi to sign somewhere else very soon), the decision to go to arbitration makes perfect sense. If not, there's more risk involved.



I suspect the San Jose Sharks and Philadelphia Flyers (ironically, the last two teams the Hawks beat en route to their title) might have an interest at a particular price. The Capitals could be a player, too. Again, the price would have to be right. After that, Niemi might be looking at a return to Europe.



After hearing the Hawks' decision, Niemi reportedly asked Zito: "Now what?" Indeed!



Update: Philly GM Paul Holmgren says the Flyers have no interest in Niemi. The landing spots continue to dwindle.



Marty Turco

Without a doubt, Turco and his agent, Kurt Overhardt, had worked out this arrangement with the Hawks more than a week ago. Why else would Overhardt have been so bold in his public declaration to the Dallas Morning News on Wednesday that his client will be starting for a "contending" team?



In agreeing to the huge pay cut (he earned $5.4 million last season), Turco is betting on himself. And he's putting himself in the best situation to cash that bet. The veteran goalie, who is coming off two subpar seasons behind a sloppy Stars team, is gambling that a strong season in Chicago will put him in position to sign a better deal next summer.



There are two minor problems with that. First, he turns 35 on Aug. 13. That means interested parties might not be excited about doing a multiyear contract with him because of the CBA rules concerning those types of deals with players over that age. (As a reminder, the teams can't easily lose the cap hit if the over-35 player fails to perform during the term of the contract.)



Second, the CBA is scheduled to expire after the 2011-12 season. The market could be negatively impacted by the future uncertainty.



Those two issues aside, I have to give Turco a ton of credit for understanding his situation and making the financial sacrifice to get himself into a good situation. Yeah, the Hawks have lost several parts to their championship puzzle; but they remain -- in my mind -- a very competitive team in the West.



Without question, the already-competitive Turco will be ultra-motivated to have a successful season in Chicago.



Chicago Blackhawks

Whether they won the Cup or got knocked out in the first round, the Hawks were going to have to make the significant moves they've made. There was just no way around it. I have to think that winning the Cup makes the moves a little less painful.



As mentioned earlier, GM Stan Bowman clearly worked out this arrangement with Turco several days ago. That's smart. He and his staff knew where they felt comfortable going forward. Bowman must have felt through his conversations with Zito that Niemi wasn't coming back for anything like the bargain rate that Turco was willing to do. In that case, it was really a no-brainer for the GM.



For now, outside of adding another D and the paperwork involved with dumping G Cristobal Huet (and his $5.6M cap hit), Bowman says, "Our team is in order."



If Turco can regain the form that made him a three-time All-Star, the goalie switch might actually be an upgrade for the Hawks. Behind a mobile D that includes Norris Trophy winner Duncan Keith, Turco certainly will see fewer quality scoring chances. If Turco continues to battle with inconsistency, the Hawks aren't locked in past this season. That's not a bad downside.



I do have to add that the Hawks really put themselves into this position with some significantly poor cap management. Former GM Dale Tallon and Bowman (who worked as the club's assistant GM prior to his promotion last summer) made some really loopy decisions on contracts. If you can win a Cup, I guess those decisions were a means to an end. It's a pretty risky way to go, though. I don't imagine many teams would like to skate on that same thin ice.

 

[Kerfuffle]

Why would Zito say there was no multi-year offer from the Hawks if there was? I know he lied about it but I don't understand why - especially at this point because the whole ordeal is over.

 

[jakobeast]

I have always liked Hradek. Or at least a good chunk of his writings. He seems very knowledgeable and I don't think I could agree with him on all his points above.



I am still a little concerned about what Turco has left in the tank, but he isn't old as ****.

 

[The Count Dante]

[quote name="jakobeast"]



I am not too concerned with the NTC for him. 1.3 Mill is next to nothing in the NHL, and if need be, he will be sent 90 miles west.[/quote]



Not at all! In fact the NTC is needed and fair for the price. The Hawks should not be able to trade him at anytime for the cost. This way, he can keep his plan of UFA next year.

 

[DBQHawkFan]

[quote name="Kerfuffle"]Why would Zito say there was no multi-year offer from the Hawks if there was? I know he lied about it but I don't understand why - especially at this point because the whole ordeal is over.[/quote]



Isn't it pretty obvious why he would lie? If he let out that the Hawks offered a long term deal at $2.2 per and they refused, he would look like an idiot right now! Security in this business is a good thing and they let it slip away. They gambled and unfortunately they lost. I don't think they were prepared for the scenario of the Hawks walking away. Had they known that the Hawks were talking to Turco, my bet is they would have settled prior to arbitration. But it would have been less than the $2.2 they suppossedly offered. My bet is the number went down right before arbitration so Zito was stuck.

 

[klemmer]

[quote name="Pez68"]Wow, is all I can really say.



Some of you guys really need to take off your Niemi-colored glasses and look at this from a TEAM and LOGICAL perspective.



1) Turco at 1.3M for next season is a STEAL. His puckhandling ALONE is worth that much. Philly offered him almost three for ****'s sake. It says something that a guy like Turco will come here for a discount of more than a million.



2) Turco's age doesn't play into this AT ALL. The guy isn't going to play seventy games for us. He likely won't even have to play FIFTY. Crawford will get a chance this year to play between thirty and forty games, and Turco will be well rested come playoff time. He's also not going to see anywhere NEAR the number of shots he saw last year. His age doesn't fucking matter. We have the best defensive system in the NHL, and, in many people's opinions, the best defensive corps. He will be fine.



3) Turco played more games in 2008-2009 than Niemi has played in HIS ENTIRE CAREER. He has also won a Vezina, is ten times the puck handler Niemi is, and had a better save percentage last year, playing for a Dallas team that sucked ass defensively. Nuff said.



4) Niemi would have been here for ONE YEAR, and we would have gone through this shit ALL OVER AGAIN. Zito is a world class jag-off, and there is no reason to believe Niemi would have signed a cap-friendly contract next season. ESPECIALLY if he put up another great season, which he likely would, playing behind the best defense in the NHL. Zito was asking for four million THIS year for ****'s sake! What would he have demanded next year? You can blame ZITO for this entire debacle.



As far as the Hawks letting him walk as a UFA? Good. That is more of a **** YOU to Zito, than Niemi. By letting him walk, they force Zito to work on contracts with teams AGAIN. If they did a sign and trade, his job was done for a year. By letting him walk, Zito now has to work out contracts with the teams that want his client's services. Maybe the Hawks feel that the rest of the NHL feels the same way they do about Niemi? That he's a good goalie with a lot of potential, but he's simply not worth ~3 mil per season yet. How funny would it be if we see Niemi sign a one year deal at LESS than the 2.75M per season? How funny would it be to see Niemi regress next year, playing behind a team that doesn't jump on his massive rebounds like our EXTREMELY FAST defense does? Zito may have fucked his client in more ways than one with this.



I'm upset to see Niemi go, but I FULLY understand why it had to be done. Swapping Niemi at 2.75M for MARTY TURCO at 1.3M is a fucking no-brainer, and it makes us a better TEAM. Anything Turco gives up to Niemi in the net, he MORE than makes up for with his puck handling. Expect Turco to put up some points this season....[/quote]



Great post, Pez!

 

[bierboy]

[quote name="R K"]...IMO Ladd is still the biggest loss for this team so far this off season.[/quote]

Totally agree, as I posted numerous times during this whole process. He was the single player I did NOT want to lose (among those names being bantered about).

 

[Kerfuffle]

[quote name="bierboy"]

Totally agree, as I posted numerous times during this whole process. He was the single player I did NOT want to lose (among those names being bantered about).[/quote]

I had him second but pretty close to your assessment. Here's my list of the players we lost with #1 being the most painful.



1) Buff

2) Ladd

3) Versteeg

4) Sopel

5) Niemi

6) Madden

7) Eager

8) Burish

9) Frasier

 

[MassHavoc]

What is Turco's injury history, I believe he's known for playing lot's of games correct? He is getting old, and I fear any type of injury could have us staring blankly at shit creek. I have faith in Crawford for solid backup work, but a Craw/Hannu combo for any period of time and you'll be seeing the 2 for 1 ticket deals coming back.

 

[Chief Walking Stick]

[quote name="Kerfuffle"]

I had him second but pretty close to your assessment. Here's my list of the players we lost with #1 being the most painful.



1) Buff

2) Ladd

3) Versteeg

4) Sopel

5) Niemi

6) Madden

7) Eager

8) Burish

9) Frasier[/quote]



1) Ladd

2) Versteeg

3) Byfuglien



How the heck is Buff #1?

 

[The Count Dante]

[quote name="MassHavoc"]What is Turco's injury history, I believe he's known for playing lot's of games correct? He is getting old, and I fear any type of injury could have us staring blankly at shit creek. I have faith in Crawford for solid backup work, but a Craw/Hannu combo for any period of time and you'll be seeing the 2 for 1 ticket deals coming back.[/quote]



he has been a workhorse with very few games missed, he is used to 50 games.



2009/12/26 Missed 1 game (flu).

2009/12/23 Flu, day-to-day.

2009/11/04 Missed 2 games (flu).

2009/10/30 Flu, day-to-day.

2009/04/10 Missed 3 games (lower body injury).

2009/04/04 Lower body injury, day-to-day.

2008/02/09 Missed 1 game (neck injury).

2008/02/07 Neck injury, day-to-day.

2006/01/20 Missed 1 game (lower body injury).

2006/01/18 Lower body injury, day-to-day.

2005/12/27 Missed 1 game (flu).

2005/12/26 Flu, day-to-day.

2003/03/23 Missed 18 games (sprained ankle).

2003/02/12 Sprained ankle, sidelined indefinitely.

2003/02/11 Sprained ankle, left Tuesday's game.

 

[bierboy]

[quote name="Stu Grimson"]

1) Ladd

2) Versteeg

3) Byfuglien



How the heck is Buff #1?[/quote]

Agree STUG. No way Buff is first on that list; he shows up for a handful of games each season....

 

[Kerfuffle]

[quote name="bierboy"]

Agree STUG. No way Buff is first on that list; he shows up for a handful of games each season....[/quote]

I have Buff #1 because even though he only shows up to a handful of games as you said, they are all critical games and timely. He absolutely terrorized Vancouver 2 years in a row in the playoffs. And the San Jose playoff series he was the MVP in my opinion. I would have given the Conn Smythe to Buff - I thought he was the true MVP of the playoffs for the Hawks. Yes I know Toews had more points but Buff was the key in rounds 2 and 3. You have him at #3 so we're not that far off really.

 

[Chief Walking Stick]

[quote name="Kerfuffle"]

I have Buff #1 because even though he only shows up to a handful of games as you said, they are all critical games and timely. He absolutely terrorized Vancouver 2 years in a row in the playoffs. And the San Jose playoff series he was the MVP in my opinion. I would have given the Conn Smythe to Buff - I thought he was the true MVP of the playoffs for the Hawks. Yes I know Toews had more points but Buff was the key in rounds 2 and 3. You have him at #3 so we're not that far off really.[/quote]



No doubt he was a Conn Smythe candidate in my eyes. But in the playoffs you need consistency over streaky. Luckily his "streakyness" was at an all-time high this year and for the most part wasn't invisible like he was for 60+ games last year. Ladd was by far the most consistent and Versteeg had his "puckhog" issues as well as appeared to be absent for part of the season, but I still value Versteeg's skillset over Byfugliens. But hey, it's America you have your opinion, I have mine I was just wondering why you had your opinion :-D

 

[roshinaya]

[quote name="jakobeast"]



I am not too concerned with the NTC for him. 1.3 Mill is next to nothing in the NHL, and if need be, he will be sent 90 miles west.[/quote]



CapGeek has Turco with a NMC, which would make it impossible to send him down to Rockford, but as said it's just a one year contract at 1.3, so not a whole lot of risk involved.