If one is to believe ESPN's Pierre LeBrun, Stan Bowman is working on a multi-year contract extension for Patrick Sharp.
Meanwhile, Tim Sassone of the Daily Herald, as well as ESPN Chicago's Jesse Rogers, are floating the rumor that the Hawks are shopping impending RFA Troy Brouwer.
If one, but not the other, is true, that's one thing.
If both are true, there's a cause and effect relationship there that Hawk fans should be very concerned about.
As Rogers pointed out and I've been saying for months, the surprising rise in the salary cap does not magically "solve" all the Hawks" cap issues. They still have them.
And every time the Hawks sign an existing rostered player to a huge extension— even though it makes for those big "One Goal-y" press conferences the Hawk marketing guys love so much— big chunks of the Hawk salary cap (and salary cap room increases) are going to nothing more than maintaining the status quo.
And these contracts cost the Hawks other players. It's a choice. Give player A a huge raise, or keep Player B.
But the party's been over for over a year, Hawk fans. This is not the same team that won the Cup in Philly. It is not a team that's favored to win the Cup this year or even to win the West.
It was a 97 point team this past season. One point less than the L.A. Kings. A team that is going out and making seismic moves to improve itself.
Do the math.
Yet the powers at 1901 W. Madison seem to be planning another party to announce a contract extension for an existing player— one of the stars of the ad campaigns year after year—adding more cap commitment to the top 8 or so players on the team— and the most top-heavy salary structure in the NHL, without question.
Which, if we are to believe the rumors floating about, would be financed by trading away a player who's average 19 goals and over 200 hits the last two seasons (something that is very hard to do— much less to replace— in hockey).
This on a team that traded away hundreds of hits in the persons of Andrew Ladd, Ben Eager and Dustin Byfuglen the previous summer— and replaced them with the skyscraper on skates, John Scott.
Do the math. Again.
Now, as I've always said, anyone can be traded. And you can't freak out about it without knowing the return. I remain open-minded that the changes Bowman himself alluded to in the press yesterday are good ones.
But understand, if those changes include creating cap room for Sharp's extension— then by necessity, they will be limited in scope and impact. Because the Hawks will have less money to work with to make changes elsewhere.
Like the hundreds of blocked shots and hits they lost in the summer of 2010— and didn't replace. Two things that matter in the playoffs almost or as much as scoring goals.
Like the true 2nd line center Marian Hossa has needed for the last two seasons.
And now possibly, replacing Brouwer (and UFA Tomas Kopecky), the two players and really the only two on the roster, who could be counted on to go to the front of the net and stay there.
But let's see what Bowman has up his sleeve the next few weeks. It could end up being a net improvement for the team, even with Sharp's extension chewing up more of the Hawks' limited cap space. Could be.
Or not.
You can't get meaningfully better without adding talent— much less losing it—while adding salary for existing players. At least not the way the Kings are getting better, for example.
In which case, I'll say it now— get the most out of the Sharp contract extension press conference. It could be the highlight of the coming year (unless you're satisfied with finishing 8th in the conference again).
Thanks for reading,
JJ
Chicago Blackhawks Blogger • 
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