After the draft, I will tell you my John Candy and Kurt Russell stories or how i drove gretsky teddy green and esa tikanen and Kevin Lowe to the marriott downtown.

Shoot I should even be on here now...I've got about 8 more hours of draft work ahead of me...
- wiz1901

John Candy Kurt Russell and teddy green!

Blackhawk Up ‏@Blackhawk_Up 1m
Per Mayor Rahm Emanuel: "A Ferris Bueller's Day Off for the entire city"

I definitely believe JJ that the Hawks are probably up to something at the draft. Since Bowman has been the GM, he's always been very active at or right around the draft. Buff/Campbell/Brouwer deals all went down at the draft. I won't be shocked if something has already been agreed upon but SB is insisting it not go down until after the parade on Friday.

I also expect the Hawks to have an answer from Bickell by this weekend or sooner. Some of their moves or non-moves will depend on if he stays or not. If he wants to test the UFA market (which means 99% he won't be back) then it would benefit the Hawks to deal his rights at the draft and get a pick for him. Right now they have the last pick of rd 1 and then after that not a pick until rd 4 (so basically a 2nd rd and 5th rd pick). Personally I don't think you pull the trigger on a Bolland/Leddy/Frolik trade until you know Bickell's status.

Next Year

Core: Forwards
Toews
Kane
Hossa....if he does not retire
Frolick
Kruger
Saad
Bickel .....signs this week for 3-3.5 Million
Shaw
Total $30 Million

Questions:
Leblanc
Handzus
Stalberg
Bolligg

Moved or retiring:
Mayers
Carcillo
Bolland

Rockford ....Trade Bait or starting in Chicago next year:
TT
Smith
Denault
LeBlanc
McNeil
Hayes


Core Defence and Goal:
Seabrook
Keith
Hammer
Oduya
Crawford
Leddy...... Could sign for 3 million

Total $$26 million

Total @ $56 million
Cap @$64


Questions:
Rosie.... Think he moves on based on age
Leddy ... Still think they sign him but seems not.
Emery.....Back up somewhere else possible starter.
- PEIHawkFan

No comment on the above...
I just want to know,
when I mention Cows in Charlottetown, Kings Castle Provincial park and the Brad Richards golf outing, the great fish place in Peters, where they "grow"the , the potato museum, the Wine bottle cathedral and the NE corner where they harvest the seaweed, or the Wisconsin Dells like area where the Ann from Green Gables was written, you NEVER acknowlege me!

Why did I come up there to see Bernier play if I can't discuss all the cool things I did...you hate me dontcha?

Who knows at this point but, as more and more teams hear Leddy is on the market (which is probably already known) teams will line up and the one who is willing to overpay will get him. Could happen Saturday night on the eve of the draft or right before it on Sunday.
- UnnamedSource

Still hoping Hawks sign Leddy because if not we will regret it. Bowman is proud of the Barker trade for Leddy so to let him go now would negate the move. So I say he stays.


With the improvement of Hammer they now bring him along as the number 5 guy

John Candy Kurt Russell and teddy green!
- captainserious

Teaser: If it wasn't for Teddy Green, I would have never gotten the stick Grets promised me for the ride....

I think this might be the hockey tweet of the year,it was tweeted when everyone mentioned Bergeron's ribs,cartilage,shoulder and now hole in lung:



@stace_ofbase: So what most of the San Jose Sharks play without heart every postseason.
- captainserious

It's funny because it's true.

That's ok. He looks like a nasty MFer.

The Hawks need to shed a lil salary right ? Hawks are beefing with Leddys agent right ? The Hawksbarely used Leddy right ? That #7 pick looks delicous and Edmonton needs ready D help right now.
- mrpaulish

Don't get me wrong, I'd be happy to have him. Edmonton would love Leddy, I'm sure, since they seem to be trying to build the Junior Blackhawks, but what guarantee is there that Nurse doesn't get snagged ealier? Possibly at 5 by Carolina? They need defensemen as well.

Still hoping Hawks sign Leddy because if not we will regret it. Bowman is proud of the Barker trade for Leddy so to let him go now would negate the move. So I say he stays.


With the improvement of Hammer they now bring him along as the number 5 guy





- PEIHawkFan

Good point and it is the one thing that could keep Leddy in a Hawk uniform. Leddy is Bowmans crown jewel.

I've thought about this when I heard the buy-out was happening. If he could be had on the cheap, I actually wouldn't mind him as a Hawk. He's another "smurf," but plays with an awful lot of heart and I think he's still got some mileage left.

One interesting thing about the compliance buyouts that I heard yesterday is that they aren't necessarily lump sum, i.e. the team can stretch them out over a number of years - I think I read that Bryz's buyout is going to be like $1.6M over the next 14 years or so. Not too shabby, but I think this will impact the amount of money some of these buy-out victims are willing to settle for on a new contract. Not sure there'll be many guys itching to sign $1.5M deals if they're only seeing a minimal paycheck from their buyout....


Still the market might dictate that they have to, so time will tell.
- FredoXV

I believe you are right,it doesn't have to be lunp sum,and the flyers will be payin Bryz for a while....still not as bad as the Mets paying Bonilla 1.19million anually until 2035 Travis Yost tweeted that yesterday, hilarious!!

Could be possible,i think Tallon just like everyone else thought Terravainen was goin to be a top 5 pick,or top 10, can't remember exactly where he was projected,but he fell,not sure why, i bet Wiz might have some insight as to why Terravainen fell so much in the draft
- captainserious

I thought he fell because teams were concerned about his lack of height/size?

Seems to me Barkov who is touted for the 6th pick and Carolina would be our best move up in the draft because he would suit the second line Center spot and he is big,
skilled and ready.

Carolina are Center heavy.

Should be a fun few days
- PEIHawkFan

In my humble opinion there is NO WAY Barkov is on the board that late!!!!

Barkov was the 9th leading scorer in the finnish pro league at 17 and had a bum shoulder! He is very quick for big man and has great hands...and is so s t r o n g that he is gonna be instant problem for defenders in the NHL ,and I believe he and Valeri Nichuskin will pay really soon. Now there's TT centre...maybe that is why Tallon is trading for TT..oops he used the pick he was gonna get Barkov with to get TT....

No comment on the above...
I just want to know,
when I mention Cows in Charlottetown, Kings Castle Provincial park and the Brad Richards golf outing, the great fish place in Peters, where they "grow"the , the potato museum, the Wine bottle cathedral and the NE corner where they harvest the seaweed, or the Wisconsin Dells like area where the Ann from Green Gables was written, you NEVER acknowlege me!

Why did I come up there to see Bernier play if I can't discuss all the cool things I did...you hate me dontcha?
- wiz1901

Thanks for the travel log. Don't recognize half of it but I will take your word on it.Maybe Richards is a Hawk next season.

If you venture to the Island please look me up and the golf is on me. 902 888-7000

Google. Eagles Glenn Cavendish

This is the first of I've heard of talk of bad attitude, work ethic, etc. Perhaps he might not be "Canadian humble"?

My take on the Colorado situation is that it's being driven by the new HC who is fresh out of QMJHL same as MacKinnon. Makes sense to me that the Av's goes with a player that HC knows first hand about. Also I think MacKinnon is closer to being NHL ready then Jones. Remember folks Jones has only played one year of Jr's.

I'm of the mind if the Hawks do get the chance, pick Jones and let him develop his game with another year with the Winterhawks and then moving him up.
- Beaver-Warrior

Maybe McKinnon replaces Stastny, in Roy's mind. Would they trade him with one year left on his contract at 6.6M? Buy him out?

Teaser: If it wasn't for Teddy Green, I would have never gotten the stick Grets promised me for the ride....
- wiz1901

This story is gonna be a great one..I can sense that..By the way Wiz, was the goal light on all night after Bolland netted the winner on Monday?

How weird is it that Chicago just won the cup and we are all here debating potential deals to have Chicago move up in the draft? Are we spoiled? YES! Starting to feel entitled? MAYBE

With that said, regardless of what does or does not happen with the draft, Chicago looks to be a contender for years to come !

And that makes me an extremely happy fan ! We are lucky guys
- Ballam

You hit the nail on the head spoiled we are, and acting entited..

Blackhawk Up ‏@Blackhawk_Up 1m
Per Mayor Rahm Emanuel: "A Ferris Bueller's Day Off for the entire city"
- philco28

Thanks, Rahm. Except for me. I work right on Grant Park, but I'll be further north on Friday videotaping a social media conference. FML.

Beach is gone. No way the Hawks are tendering him a contract.
- QStache

If they have room for the contract you finally get Beach and Cap money where he gets a chance ot move up if he gets himself under control....granted a long shot...he did start showing signs, he back slide to becoming more intersted in the encounters in the attack zone even when the puck was in transition back down on the Icehogs

In my humble opinion there is NO WAY Barkov is on the board that late!!!!

Barkov was the 9th leading scorer in the finnish pro league at 17 and had a bum shoulder! He is very quick for big man and has great hands...and is so s t r o n g that he is gonna be instant problem for defenders in the NHL ,and I believe he and Valeri Nichuskin will pay really soon. Now there's TT centre...maybe that is why Tallon is trading for TT..oops he used the pick he was gonna get Barkov with to get TT....
- wiz1901

I think you are right
Carolina draft 5th and Barkov may go as high as three

Ryan Stanton is the most NHL ready D man in the system, and he is at best a #6 guy. This is why getting Jones would be huge. And he starts with an entry level contract to boot.
- Return of the Roar

I said so a month ago that if there was any team that Seth Jones would be an easy fit with it would be him being the new Leddy on the Balckhawks...but I do not know how you take him over Drouin....

Good point and it is the one thing that could keep Leddy in a Hawk uniform. Leddy is Bowmans crown jewel.
- UnnamedSource

At the end of the day it might come down to paying Leddy or paying Hammer. Leddy has the higher ceiling but Hammer is a better d-man right now and is a great "break in case of emergency" #2 guy when Seabs has his head up his ass. If the Hawks can get a nice young cheap forward/center for Leddy, then I can see them pulling the trigger.

I definitely believe JJ that the Hawks are probably up to something at the draft. Since Bowman has been the GM, he's always been very active at or right around the draft. Buff/Campbell/Brouwer deals all went down at the draft. I won't be shocked if something has already been agreed upon but SB is insisting it not go down until after the parade on Friday.

I also expect the Hawks to have an answer from Bickell by this weekend or sooner. Some of their moves or non-moves will depend on if he stays or not. If he wants to test the UFA market (which means 99% he won't be back) then it would benefit the Hawks to deal his rights at the draft and get a pick for him. Right now they have the last pick of rd 1 and then after that not a pick until rd 4 (so basically a 2nd rd and 5th rd pick). Personally I don't think you pull the trigger on a Bolland/Leddy/Frolik trade until you know Bickell's status.
- dan9189

They had a deal basically done in March for Bickell (insanely low $ too), but then it got derailed. Last I heard, they were zeroing in on something very similar to Hjalmarsson's current deal. Bickell could do better in UFA, but he goes to a worse team and probably a worse market. My info, from a sourece close to his family is he wants to stay in Chicago, and the Hawks have him as top priority. So I see that getting done—but the $ and timing forces some other issues.

That clock is ticking.....and fast.


I hope he stays a year, but if he's back next year, AND the Hawks use both CBOs this summer.....Bowman royally f'd himself.
- SteveRain

It ticked starting at 1:30 when Kane skated through 4 Bruins and that started the demise of a year of your negativity.

If two championships in 4 years still has you complaining with the start of the next re-build i feel there is no hope for any of us to post answers to you without you being again unsatisfied.

They had a deal basically done in March for Bickell (insanely low $ too), but then it got derailed. Last I heard, they were zeroing in on something very similar to Hjalmarsson's current deal. Bickell could do better in UFA, but he goes to a worse team and probably a worse market. My info, from a sourece close to his family is he wants to stay in Chicago, and the Hawks have him as top priority. So I see that getting done—but the $ and timing forces some other issues.
- John Jaeckel

I know you have it as 90% Bickells stays in Chicago, but I don't think it's that high...if someone like the Oilers or Habs come in at 4.2-4.5 million per over 4 years then we're hosed.

What folks are missing and won't seem to accept is there is ALWAYS some GM out there ready to "overypay" for named free agents. Bryan made a name for himself in the post-season. Went from enigmatic role player who sometimes didn't show up to a high end power forward with soft hands, a great shot and superior toughness and heart....in 16 wins alone Bickell goes from bench fodder to a Top 6 role on ANY team in hockey...

THAT is worth bucks...maybe not all teams would pay it, including the Hawks, but I have a bad feeling he's going to get a monster offer from someone and we WONT be able to match it.

I HOPE I am wrong. But the guy was part of the group that just spearheaded a team to the Cup, rest assured someone wants some of that sweet action.

My guess is the Hawks give the minimum QO and it is up to Sheehy from there.
- Return of the Roar

Actually I like that idea, and I like the chances of NO TEAM biting...