Yahoo!! Hockey is back on

[PatrickShart]

Awwwwww shit!

 

[Ashor-redtribe]

Im so glad Hockey is back, as soon as I heard at 6:30 am Sunday morning, I went out and hung my Blackhawks flag. Couple things to ask...



* When does the schedule come out?



* With our key players playing overseas, how quickly will they fly back in?



* For you season ticket holders, does the organization credit these missed games as credit for 2014?





Ahhhhhh man I can't wait till puck drop!

 

[Samurai]

I didn't even know you were gone. GJ at being a ninja.

I've been wearing my Winter Whites to increase my blend factor.

 

[mikita's helmet]

Maybe they can trade D for a #2 center? Please and thank you.

But they have Bolland already!!!



lol

...with montedor on the left wing. Now all we need is an UFA for the line.

 

[supraman]

Ahhaaa. Didn't know that. Okay that changes a few things. By god is this coming offseason going to be a riot of fun. I hope the season ends fast so we can get straight to the offseason!!



P.S. Im glad this is a 10 year CBA with an option in 8. That's the most important thing to me as a fan. Means we won't see any of this shit for at least 8 years.

Which means we'll be right on schedule for another lockout in 8 years. Weeeee

 

[R K]

I think Hjarlmarsson and Hossa would be trades, not buy outs. Especially if hossa has 20 goals or more this year in 48 games.



Frolik would be a buy out option. You buy out players you can't trade and or get something back in a trade. Hossa if healthy is top 10 two way players in the league stil. Many teams would gamble on the 5 mil cap hit IMO.

 

[LordKOTL]

Considering we are LH-heavy back at D, I still think one of our left-handers goes. IMHO it should be Oduya because really, in spite of being handuffed with Leddy, Hammer managed to be a solid + last year.



However, I think Hammer goes.



Still, I have a gut feeling (which, if the recent guessing on the u20 is any indication, is wrong), that a pairing of Leddy/Brookbank might surprise a few folks.

 

[R K]

Which means we'll be right on schedule for another lockout in 8 years. Weeeee

Option has to be mutual I believe.

 

[supraman]

Option has to be mutual I believe.

RK it is the NHL they'll find a way to **** us out of hockey in 8 years.

 

[Shantz My Pants]

They won't waste a buyout on Frolik. 2.3 million for one extra year?



Montador, Hossa, Oduya could all be axed as they will have more than one year left on their current contracts.



Olesz could be uses as well.

 

[PatrickShart]

It would be golden if they can find a way to move either Frolik or Monty

 

[R K]

They won't waste a buyout on Frolik. 2.3 million for one extra year?



Montador, Hossa, Oduya could all be axed as they will have more than one year left on their current contracts.



Olesz could be uses as well.

Never know.



Olesz would be number one. The other three, other than Hossa, just as much chance as Frolik.

 

[dlrob315]

Never know.



Olesz would be number one. The other three, other than Hossa, just as much chance as Frolik.

It depends on how they want to use the buyout. Will they use it as a chance to rid bad players or will they use it to free up needed cap space. If it to free up cap space then I do not think Frolik is a wise choice. If it were me making the decision, I would be looking to free up multiple years of cap space. If the buyout isn't used to gain needed cap space then it makes no sense to use the buyout because the Hawks do not have a real cap space problem. Now Olesz is a different story...use it because he is bad.



I have a question about the buyout. Can it be used even if the team is not in cap trouble or is for only teams that have to get under the new cap number for next season?

 

[R K]

Hawks are already at next years cap right now. So unless they spend 6 mil more, which I seriously doubt since they didn't do it last year, they will be in pretty good shape.

 

[dlrob315]

Hawks are already at next years cap right now. So unless they spend 6 mil more, which I seriously doubt since they didn't do it last year, they will be in pretty good shape.

Agreed, if they do use a buyout, it will be just to get rid of a player because they can.

 

[Ashor-redtribe]

People talking trades, Hossa being mentioned saddens me, he is my favorite player on the Hawks. I would hate to see him go if he is traded, He sets such a tone on the ice with drawing double coverage and still managing to get open and scoring. I don't know, There are other players I feel I would let go before him, I guess health could be a factor too.

 

[Ton]

I wouldn't trade Hossa either unless a younger top line player was coming back, and I certainly would never buy him out.



If I'm the Hawks, I buy out Frolik, Montador, or Oduya to make room to re-sign Stalberg (UFA at the end of the season)... Bickell, Mayers are as good as gone... Kruger/Leddy RFA's. Bring up some of the young kids to replace the UFA's and we have a roster next year under the cap.

 

[PatrickShart]

I agree that Hossa is still a stud player, and 5mil is nothing as far as a cap hit.



But just looking at players north of 30 on the Hawks, if there was to be a "buyout" to get out of a long term deal, his would be the only one. He and Keith are the only "lifetime" deals on the Hawks, and Keith's younger and D can play longer. Plus he doesn't have Hoss' injury history.



With Kane, Shaw...possibly Teuvo in a few years on RW....it may make Hossa 'expendable' (for a lack of a better word), down the stretch.



I wouldn't want him gone, love him on the Hawks and they're better when he's in the lineup...but I wouldn't be completely stunned/shocked if he was mentioned as a buyout possibility.

 

[Ton]

I just can't imagine there isn't a team out there willing to trade for him though. I wouldn't buy him out, period. The Hawks are fine with his cap hit.



I wonder if any team will try buying out their players and restructuring their contracts to circumvent the cap. Teams would be stupid not to take advantage of that and that is the only scenario I can see someone like Hossa "bought out"... otherwise unless he really struggles with head injuries this year I don't think they'll let him walk.

 

[PatrickShart]

I was thinking that too...there has to be something in there where if you buy someone out, you can't resign them?