This is what I was thinking. Stan overpaid Crawford but underpaid Hjalmarsson. Overall we keep 2 quality players and I am one happy Blackhawks fan!
- DarthKane

Me too!

#1 Goalie is a more premium position than a 3rd D-Man. I love Hammer, I really do, was afraid we'd lose him and am delighted he's sticking around. However, he's not a big hitter and not much of an offensive player and I don't know if any team would really be comfortable with him as their #1 D-man. So I don't know how much more a solid positional D-Man really could command on the open market.

I hope the cap goes up high enough to retain all three.


Who knows, maybe an extension for Shaw is in the works? Wouldn't that be a hell of a way to end the week?
- EKolb13

It would be great to have 3 re-signings this week and I think it would make sense to re-sign Shaw. I would say 3 - 4 years at $1.5 million per.

It would be great to have 3 re-signings this week and I think it would make sense to re-sign Shaw. I would say 3 - 4 years at $1.5 million per.
- DarthKane

That would be great, but I wonder if they'll need to do a bridge deal for cap reasons? However they work it, the FO has shown me they know WTF they are doing.

Congrats Hammer....WELL PHUCK'N DESERVED !!!!

Pierre LeBrun tweeted that the deal is for $4.1 AAV. If that's true that is a fantastic deal!
- DarthKane

I guess it's time for me to get a Hjalmarsson jersey................

It would be great to have 3 re-signings this week and I think it would make sense to re-sign Shaw. I would say 3 - 4 years at $1.5 million per.
- DarthKane

LOVE the Hammer cap hit.

To put it in perspective, that's less than Jason Garrison, Kevin Bieksa, Braydon Coburn, Anton Volchenkov and ME Vlasic. Fantastic deal.

As for Shaw, no way he signs at 1.5. I could see him re-signing at 2 mil per for 2 years.

This is only slightly more than what Predators paid bridge player Roman Josi, who is three years younger less of a all around player, but playing for team frightened of losing more players after they develop.


Third time reprinting this:

If Hammer wants to continue to have a chance at winning and playing with guys who as a unit make the game easy, he figures it out and stays. (He did want this! So good for us.)

If hammer wants the best deal he can get more and go play in a city where they will expect him to be a first pair type in all phases, and the team around him will be less skilled, and not that close to knocking distance.
...we all, including Bowman have no control over that if he wants to go.

The Blackhawk Cap has become even clearer now...everyone else due for re-up knows where the numbers are and can starting "figuring" things out.

The first game Leaf babies versus Blackhawk tots is tomorrow and no mentions of ways for us to see the games even on the maple leaf site.... I know everyone is going to be on their toes to find channels feeds and streams in the next 24 right?
- wiz1901

Catch the games here: they will be televised and I believe in HD. You will have to pay, this is a subscription service, but very reasonable for what you get. Get a longer term subscription and pick up most or all of the Hawk preseason games, AHL and NHL regular season for MUCH LESS than Center Ice.

http://www.hockeystreams.com/ref/51981

I was hearing Chelsea Dagger in my head after reading the Hawks extended Hammer! Wow! Did NOT see this one coming! Happy September 4th!

To put it in perspective, that's less than Jason Garrison, Kevin Bieksa, Braydon Coburn, Anton Volchenkov and ME Vlasic. Fantastic deal.
- andru2797

and only Marc Edward Vlasic can be considered comparable on the sheet.

As for Shaw, no way he signs at 1.5. I could see him re-signing at 2 mil per for 2 years.
- andru2797

Yeah, Shaw hates being in Chicago, hates the opportunities he and the team made for him, he will hold out.
Come on, he would play just to play!

The only thing unresolved for me is knowing more of the on ice story that the players thought was so funny about Hammer and how he reacted, after the goal was taken away in Detroit before regualtion ended.

The players supposedly got a big kick out of Hammer, and I guess I never got the enitre story straight...

Didn't post after the deal for Crow because what hadn't already been said. Like most others I didn't think the timing along with the $ and term made sense.


But now I can relax, my favorite defender has been retained for 5 more at a great price.

and only Marc Edward Vlasic can be considered comparable on the sheet.


Yeah, Shaw hates being in Chicago, hates the opportunities he and the team made for him, he will hold out.
Come on, he would play just to play!

The only thing unresolved for me is knowing more of the on ice story that the players thought was so funny about Hammer and how he reacted, after the goal was taken away in Detroit before regualtion ended.

The players supposedly got a big kick out of Hammer, and I guess I never got the enitre story straight...
- wiz1901

What a killer moment that was. Game 7, change left in the third, tie game.. you see Hammer floating in open ice into the offensive zone, I start smacking my brother's Father-In-Law who is seated next to me up in our seats.. BAM! Goal goes in, Madhouse goes insane only to have him tell me, "Mike, look down.. they're calling it off".

Heart sinks...

Hawks win! Seabs!!!

BLISS!!!

That's where I'd put it at the low end. Who knows, he could have gotten as high as $6 million per season?
- EKolb13

Great news. Nice work Stanbow!

Tell me the cap is not significantly moving up the next 2 years now. No way they could do this otherwise.

I guess it's time for me to get a Hjalmarsson jersey................
- droe411

Ditto. My thoughts exactly.

Any coincidence they announced the deal today? Look at the date

Any coincidence they announced the deal today? Look at the date
- yobwoc03

Why? They didn't announce Crawford's contract on the 50th....

Why? They didn't announce Crawford's contract on the 50th....
- StLBravesFan

Haha Zing!

Why? They didn't announce Crawford's contract on the 50th....
- StLBravesFan

Damn...now we have to wait until the 65th for Shaw's re-signing!

Damn...now we have to wait until the 65th for Shaw's re-signing!
- DarthKane

We'll never hear about Kane's....

Didn't post after the deal for Crow because what hadn't already been said. Like most others I didn't think the timing along with the $ and term made sense.


But now I can relax, my favorite defender has been retained for 5 more at a great price.
- yobwoc03

The paranoid in me asks, why did he sign so cheap?

Maybe his lack of offensive stats says he's really NOT a Top-2 on another team, that his best place is #3, and the league knows it.

He lucked into a set of circumstances with the offer sheet - Wilson wanting to (a) stick it to the Hawks, and (b) hoping to wind up with either Hjalmarsson OR Nieme (which he did).

Just glad the top-3 are locked up and here for at least 3 more years.

Ditto. My thoughts exactly.
- Ogilthorpe2

I feel like an entire day of posts obsessing about Hammer leaving was wasted....

More like an entire day was wasted posting about Hammer leaving.

Something was wasted. Phuck it.

The paranoid in me asks, why did he sign so cheap?

Maybe his lack of offensive stats says he's really NOT a Top-2 on another team, that his best place is #3, and the league knows it.

He lucked into a set of circumstances with the offer sheet - Wilson wanting to (a) stick it to the Hawks, and (b) hoping to wind up with either Hjalmarsson OR Nieme (which he did).

Just glad the top-3 are locked up and here for at least 3 more years.
- StLBravesFan

He took a discount and still gets to win a few more times.
But essentially I think it is safe to assume that the puck carriers, big booming shot from the point guys and the true elite defenders now have been financially separated from the quick all-around skilled at defending and blocking type that Hammer typifies.

4 mil a year isn't too greedy, but you don't have to go back far to remember Vancouver's offensive first defense-weak Christian Ehrhoff left for Buffalo to cash in at 4 mil, and that vet rob Scuderi is paid 4 mil. and Kyle (cough) Quincey, and Victor Hedman. along with Oliver Ekman-Larsson too.

Only one of those guys is one I would consider trading for Hammer.

So maybe this deal is also "is what it is"--- fair market to stay and play with good teammates for awhile longer...

So 56 million is the space to get Toews Kane (at ten mil a year) Sharp Hossa Bickell Crawford Keith Seabrook, and Hammer. The rest goes to the other players

So with this signing you now have $60 Million for 14 players in 2014-15.

What do you guys think that cap is going to realistically go up to? That is still 9 more guys to fill out a roster, and a few RFA's to sign, backup goalie........