Agree... you guys have some challenges down the road... The diamonds in the rough are fewer and farther between - cant win forever and detroit's in a really bad spot now with the city and all... Gotta feel for you a little-but only a little... as Edmonton has been that way since the 1990s- we are hopeful we just need to mature...
- saskoil21

Detroit needs two things right now to put them into a good playoff contention spot for the next while: a top 2 defender and a true center. Wingers, bottom 9, 2-7 defensemen and goalie (Mrazek, not Howard) are covered. Really excited about Mantha.

no one is taking Hossa with that deal. Bickell will go to Florida, obviously, and Sharp will be easy to move for futures.
- DoubleDown

5.275 AAV cap hit for Hossa isn't that bad. Even on the decline in 3-4 years, its a good hit for that production he brings. He's tradable for the forseeable future.

The Hossa deal is the one that will be the hardest to get rid of. What does he have, another 7 or 8 years left? He'll retire before that, but still.
- hankthetank

no more protection from that though. that's what makes it unmovable.

no more protection from that though. that's what makes it unmovable.
- DoubleDown

Wasn't that for 35+ contracts?

Detroit needs two things right now to put them into a good playoff contention spot for the next while: a top 2 defender and a true center. Wingers, bottom 9, 2-7 defensemen and goalie (Mrazek, not Howard) are covered. Really excited about Mantha.
- YzermanIsTheMan

Thats the thing- the top 2D are so damn hard to find/get- I could see Yandle being had for the right price...

I think you're being too generous. I think he's a bottom pairing dman making nearly the most money in hockey. I can't recall other dmen making mistakes, but I have seen first hand Dion making them. I'm glad he had to go on national t.v. to apologize for his ill timed pinch against Boston in the playoffs. I can't believe he's gotten away with it for so long. I mean you see all the time players having to go on national t.v. to apologize for mistakes they made in the game.

It's because of Darren Dreger being Nonis' brother or father or roommate (I can't remember) that Dion has got away with it.

Typical Leafs fans complain that Dion has only played with Gunnarsson, Aulie, Kostka, Schenn, Franson and Komisarek. Well guess what Weber was stuck with Suter, Keith stuck with Seabrook, Doughty stuck with Muzzin, Chara stuck with Hamilton, Pietrangelo stuck with Bouwmeester so Dion should do just as well.

I blame the Leafs organization, who are, in general, evil and don't give anything back to the NHL. There really should.be a system in place where the Leafs, with all the money they have, have to give to some of the smaller franchises that give tickets away for free. Just my two cents.
- walshyleafsfan

Gunnar or Jones?
Gunnar or Seabrook?
Gunnar or Muzzin?
Gunnar or Hamilton?
Gunnar or Bouwmesster?

Bouwmesster made team Canada...Webbers just amazing...Hamilton is great....Muzzin is a way better player all round than Gunnar....Jones or anyone on Nashville is probably better than Gunnarsson.

This is the worst post I have ever (frank)ing seen.

Thats the thing- the top 2D are so damn hard to find/get- I could see Yandle being had for the right price...
- saskoil21

I could too, but he's not a legit top 1-2 dman for a team desperate for the cup. Need someone of Kronwall's caliber or better, which will be intensely hard to find.

no more protection from that though. that's what makes it unmovable.
- DoubleDown

If the cap stays the same next season, the Hawks will have $3 or $4 million to spend to re-sign Kruger, Saad, Leddy and Runblad amongst others. Cap will likely increase slightly. Hawks may be looking to deal. Time to take advantage!

If the cap stays the same next season, the Hawks will have $3 or $4 million to spend to re-sign Kruger, Saad, Leddy and Runblad amongst others. Cap will likely increase slightly. Hawks may be looking to deal. Time to take advantage!
- hankthetank

Wings will take the burden of Keith's contract to help them. We'll even give them Quincey, Bertuzzi's rights, and a 1st.

Pretty hefty price for Kane and Toews but the cap will continue to rise and another lock out should come after the current CBA expires so...
- hankthetank

Thats true about cap increases.
The salary cap has gone up 77% in 10 years and actual inflation has been 23% in that time. Salaries will continue to increase at rates much higher than we expect.
A $6m salary 10 years ago is worth $10.6 million these days, which is what Toews and Kane got.

Wasn't that for 35+ contracts?
- YzermanIsTheMan

used to be. now a team has to carry the difference between salary and cap hit on their cap for the remainder of the deal.

Thats true about cap increases.
The salary cap has gone up 77% in 10 years and actual inflation has been 23% in that time. Salaries will continue to increase at rates much higher than we expect.
A $6m salary 10 years ago is worth $10.6 million these days, which is what Toews and Kane got.
- Leafs__Meh_Okay

And to think we just came off a lockout exactly 10 years ago because people were getting way too much and the capfloor was a result. Stupid Federov.

All it takes is the right trade to replace someone like Patrick Sharp or Marian Hossa. Its doable.
- YzermanIsTheMan

Hossa is signed until he is 41 at a cap hit of 5+ mill. No one will touch that contract.

used to be. now a team has to carry the difference between salary and cap hit on their cap for the remainder of the deal.
- DoubleDown

So if Player retires with a 5 million cap hit but is paid 3 million in actual cash that season after he retires, the team owes 2 million to the player? Did I get that right?

Hossa is signed until he is 41 at a cap hit of 5+ mill. No one will touch that contract.
- xShoot4WarAmpsx

Cap floor teams will in a heart beat. His production, diminished or not, and his leadership factor make 5 mil easy to swallow for a few years if you're not a cap ceiling team.

In case it hasn't been mentioned, the Cup Champs that year were the Blackhawks.

And to think we just came off a lockout exactly 10 years ago because people were getting way too much and the capfloor was a result. Stupid Federov.
- YzermanIsTheMan

"too much..." you left out a very key part of that sentence my friend.
they were getting too much of the revenue share. now with these salaries, it doesn't matter. the revenue split is the same. these deals? that's money that is going to the players, one way or the other. Toews and Kane aren't taking money from the owners with these deals, they're taking money from fellow players.

So if Player retires with a 5 million cap hit but is paid 3 million in actual cash that season after he retires, the team owes 2 million to the player? Did I get that right?
- YzermanIsTheMan

doesn't owe the player. the player doesn't get paid. it just has to carrry that cap hit. it's punishment for back diving deals.

Gunnar or Jones?
Gunnar or Seabrook?
Gunnar or Muzzin?
Gunnar or Hamilton?
Gunnar or Bouwmesster?

Bouwmesster made team Canada...Webbers just amazing...Hamilton is great....Muzzin is a way better player all round than Gunnar....Jones or anyone on Nashville is probably better than Gunnarsson.

This is the worst post I have ever (frank)ing seen.
- BoTtLePoLiCe

T'was my impression of the kind of posts i expected to see.

Love how the Phaneuf trade poll was led by :
"Yes, trade him for whatever you can get" instead of the logical choices like "Yes for the right price" or "No keep him"....This tells you all you need to know about the majority of retarded hockey fans.

"too much..." you left out a very key part of that sentence my friend.
they were getting too much of the revenue share. now with these salaries, it doesn't matter. the revenue split is the same. these deals? that's money that is going to the players, one way or the other. Toews and Kane aren't taking money from the owners with these deals, they're taking money from fellow players.
- DoubleDown

Thats true. It'll be sad if the Hawks have to let someone like TT or Saad walk in the future because of these contracts.

"too much..." you left out a very key part of that sentence my friend.
they were getting too much of the revenue share. now with these salaries, it doesn't matter. the revenue split is the same. these deals? that's money that is going to the players, one way or the other. Toews and Kane aren't taking money from the owners with these deals, they're taking money from fellow players.
- DoubleDown

But the owners will find a way to cry that they can't field teams that can compete when their team (and in a few years a handful of teams will have a 10M+ player and another high salary or two along with it) has to fill 6 forward spots and at least 2 d-men with crap.

Love how the Phaneuf trade poll was led by :
"Yes, trade him for whatever you can get" instead of the logical choices like "Yes for the right price" or "No keep him"....This tells you all you need to know about the majority of retarded hockey fans.
- Mushton89

Hmmm... Must have been banned in May - nice ALT name

doesn't owe the player. the player doesn't get paid. it just has to carrry that cap hit. it's punishment for back diving deals.
- DoubleDown

Gotcha. Yeah, if Hossa retired, thats a big hit to carry then starting in the 2017-18 season.

But the owners will find a way to cry that they can't field teams that can compete when their team (and in a few years a handful of teams will have a 10M+ player and another high salary or two along with it) has to fill 6 forward spots and at least 2 d-men with crap.
- stashu

Considering what the NFL and NBA are shelling out for their star players not even in the top 5 in the league today... NHL players like Toews- seem like a bargain... I still cant get over Bosh offered 22 mill per...