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Some readers here may recall mentions on my thread and blog a couple of weeks ago around the possibility of Marian Hossa returning and/or going on LTIR.

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=85660

Well, there ya go. There was something to it.

I am being bombarded this morning with questions around what this means for the Hawks. Again, I will defer the finer points of the cap and CBA to others, but it is my belief Hossa is not officially retired but going on LTIR—which gives the Hawks a salary exemption and more room to work with should they make a move to replace Hossa for the upcoming season.

I believe we have seen the last of Hossa in a Hawk uniform as an active player. A sad, but not unexpected day for me and legions of Hawk fans. Hossa was my favorite Hawk, a great NHL player and likely his next stop is the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Without all the details, my belief also is, per the CBA, this can not just be cap relief that allows the Hawks to slide under the cap, but rather it is cap space the Hawks may use to add a replacement for Hossa, not unlike the Patrick Kane LTIR situation that allowed the Hawks to acquire Antoine Vermette in 2015—another factor pointing toward the Hawks making a big move or two in the next couple of weeks.

Bottom line, and almost regardless of salary cap issues, the "hockey math" remains the same: the Hawks—minus, Hossa, Marcus Kruger, and possibly Trevor van Riemsdyk— are not as good a team as the one that lost in the first round of playoffs several weeks ago.

I heard from my main source overnight that something could come out of left field this morning, with some "leaking" coming after 10AM.

The name I hear over and over again is that of Artem Anisimov, the teams: Las Vegas, New Jersey and Montreal. But that this point, that almost doesn't feel like a "left field move." So we'll see.

One last note, a series of nice depth moves by the Hawks the last couple of days, adding OHL defenseman of the year Darren Raddysh to a growing stable of big, puck-moving RhD prospects, including recent signees Jan Rutta and Robin Press.

I told you this was going to be an interesting summer.

Back with more as I hear it.



JJ

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