My take on Sharp and the Hawks going forward. This has to be an all in year for the Hawks. This WILL be the last season the team will be together like this, maybe the last time in a while that we have the skill and depth that many teams desire.

If you get rid of Sharp, you're making your team worse. The top 2 lines we have right now will go against anyone and produce. We have a shut down 3rd line, a decent 4th, and an outstanding defense. Also, you didn't add Richards on a one year deal if you aren't going all in. I would do the bare minimum to get below the cap. If all that is, is Rozy and Steeg, I would do anything to get that done. Give me a few nose bleed tickets to get it done.

Next year the team will be without a combination of Sharp, Leddy, Oduya, Bickell, or even more. If by not trading them now you lose some leverage in trade talks, so be it. In the end, I will take a loooong playoff (or Stanley Cup) for a lesser return come next offseason.

We won't see this caliber of team for some time, given cap restraints, so why not play the best team we can this season and give it one last shot. We have some depth who can replace what we'll lose next year, but it obviously won't be the same team.

As I've said, this team needs to keep Sharp, get just below the cap, and give this team one last strong run. Go Hawks!

You know what really burns me is that the NHL didn't put in some type of discount for home grown players in the last CBA. with the exception of being able to add another year that really isn't much. would have been nice to have say a francise player exemption or a cusion of some sort for players that your organization has developed and drafted.

My take on Sharp and the Hawks going forward. This has to be an all in year for the Hawks. This WILL be the last season the team will be together like this, maybe the last time in a while that we have the skill and depth that many teams desire.

If you get rid of Sharp, you're making your team worse. The top 2 lines we have right now will go against anyone and produce. We have a shut down 3rd line, a decent 4th, and an outstanding defense. Also, you didn't add Richards on a one year deal if you aren't going all in. I would do the bare minimum to get below the cap. If all that is, is Rozy and Steeg, I would do anything to get that done. Give me a few nose bleed tickets to get it done.

Next year the team will be without a combination of Sharp, Leddy, Oduya, Bickell, or even more. If by not trading them now you lose some leverage in trade talks, so be it. In the end, I will take a loooong playoff (or Stanley Cup) for a lesser return come next offseason.

We won't see this caliber of team for some time, given cap restraints, so why not play the best team we can this season and give it one last shot. We have some depth who can replace what we'll lose next year, but it obviously won't be the same team.

As I've said, this team needs to keep Sharp, get just below the cap, and give this team one last strong run. Go Hawks!
- HawksHype

This is logical. We can easily get below the cap by getting rid of Versteeg, Leddy and Rosival. That is about 6-7 million in salary which frees up little less than 5 million to replace them while also adding cap flexibility for a possible move.

Trading Sharp is maybe a bad idea (unless someone really gives us a great offer) and trading Oduya I think is a worse idea. If you trade either, now you are looking at replacing a Top 4 D man OR a Top 6 winger.

If you move Rosy and Leddy you merely need to work on your third pairing unit and anyone remember 2010? It's not like the third pair was much. We had Hendry on it, then went out and got Boynton. If one of the kids like Dahlbeck, Rundblad, or a holdover like Brookbank can't carry the mail, we could easily go out at the TDL and get Boynton V2.0, a cheap guy on the end of his deal that can play some decent minutes.

I'd much rather try to patch up the third pair than working on replacing Sharp 75 points or wondering what our 2nd pair with Hammer and whoever would look like.

Next summer we trade Sharp. In retrospect I think even next year, even with our NEED to move him teams will line up for him and we'll get a decent return. A top 6 winger, HOPEFULLY coming off a Cup and a good year at decent price with only 2 years left on his deal? He'd easily fetch something way more than Campbell, who was paid 7million+ five years ago and had all kinds of years left on his deal.

While Rosy and Steeg would be totally dump moves, Leddy would be a dump, but could possibly net us a L3 or L4 Center (ala Zach Smith) which improves our team, because I still think we are one center short from having the team we need (I so wish Danault was ready, I am such a fan of him and I think he could be a perfect L3-C or even L4).

It would definitely suck. I'm hoping a few teams would really want a 2-time Cup champ, great sniper and leader to help them take the next step. Like you said he just came off a great year. Hopefully a few teams feel he is what they need and get a little bidding war so we get something
- tomcat24

the problem is, if you get rid of Sharp for cap hit, you can't get anything of equivalent value in return otherwise there is no the point.. So either accept getting a bag of pucks in return, or dump all the dead weight you can to get some cap space, then make a few strategic acquisitions or assignments. Really, this "trade sharp because we have to" mindset is bushleauge bs.

Yup.

And the chances of one of the Mickey Mouse Club (i.e., the Hawks full blown posse of sub-6 foot, 170 pound, fast, skilled prospects) becoming another Patrick Sharp, as opposed to a legit top 6 center man who can win in the corners against Jeff Carter, Patrice Bergeron, Getzlaf or Ryan Kesler is MUCH higher.

Sharp is replaceable, if not by Saad right away then maybe Schmaltz or take your pick (someday).

Meanwhile, who do you replace Seabrook with? I think you find a way to pay Seabrook.
- John Jaeckel

get rid ok bicks and versteeg - that'd be all upside and entirely ZERO performance consequence

More expendable than Bickell??
- ozzzie19

he has almost ZERO impact most games.

Yzerman made some slick moves. His team is at or near the cap limit and looking better. They have lots of kids and Yzerman isn't trading Drouin. I wish Bowman could make that trade.
- jhawk59

So do I. He is as close to untouchable as a prospect there is, though. I wouldn't mind trading him for a top prospect but I don't see it happening. A solid bottom 6 and a really good nhl-ready prospect would be a good haul

This is logical. We can easily get below the cap by getting rid of Versteeg, Leddy and Rosival. That is about 6-7 million in salary which frees up little less than 5 million to replace them while also adding cap flexibility for a possible move.

Trading Sharp is maybe a bad idea (unless someone really gives us a great offer) and trading Oduya I think is a worse idea. If you trade either, now you are looking at replacing a Top 4 D man OR a Top 6 winger.

If you move Rosy and Leddy you merely need to work on your third pairing unit and anyone remember 2010? It's not like the third pair was much. We had Hendry on it, then went out and got Boynton. If one of the kids like Dahlbeck, Rundblad, or a holdover like Brookbank can't carry the mail, we could easily go out at the TDL and get Boynton V2.0, a cheap guy on the end of his deal that can play some decent minutes.

I'd much rather try to patch up the third pair than working on replacing Sharp 75 points or wondering what our 2nd pair with Hammer and whoever would look like.

Next summer we trade Sharp. In retrospect I think even next year, even with our NEED to move him teams will line up for him and we'll get a decent return. A top 6 winger, HOPEFULLY coming off a Cup and a good year at decent price with only 2 years left on his deal? He'd easily fetch something way more than Campbell, who was paid 7million+ five years ago and had all kinds of years left on his deal.

While Rosy and Steeg would be totally dump moves, Leddy would be a dump, but could possibly net us a L3 or L4 Center (ala Zach Smith) which improves our team, because I still think we are one center short from having the team we need (I so wish Danault was ready, I am such a fan of him and I think he could be a perfect L3-C or even L4).
- kwolf68

With that cap hit teams will be wary how Sharp fits under their cap. There will be some teams interested but you are not going to receive a whole lot for a 34 yr old. How many good years would he have left? Unless Chicago takes part of the salary cap hit, then a Bowman can try for a higher pick or better prospect. Be the other GM. What would you surrender? You know the position Bowman is in. The value with Sharp is more for the one last playoff run than his trade value afterwards. Agree?

The plot thickens.... It would be nice to get a good return for Leddy. Something should happen next week I hope
- tomcat24

Any.. Any return for Leddy.

Who suggested that?
- Ogilthorpe2

You.

I'd prefer a multiplayer deal, that is part salary dump part hockey trade .....

Chicago needs a salary dump
Ottawa needs help on D and the 'hard' winger that B Murray is looking for....


To Ottawa : Sharp ($6M) + Oduya ($3.4M)
To Chicago : Smith ($1.9M) + one of Gryba ($1.2)/Borowieki (~$1.2M)

- GadesnSens[EDIT that was a bit lopsided even for a homer ..... add Peumple to address the lack of propsects I've been reading here]

thats a net savings of about $6M for Chicago assuming Peumple stays in the minors for another year

a bit?

Quick question - If Ryan Smyth is still available, couldn't you trade Bickell and bring Smyth in for 1/2 the salary and get a little better play around the net?
- powerenforcer

He retired. And talk about slow.

[color=green]To Ottawa : Sharp ($6M) + Oduya ($3.4M)
To Chicago : Smith ($1.9M) + one of Gryba ($1.2)/Borowieki (~$1.2M)
- GadesnSens[EDIT that was a bit lopsided even for a homer ..... add Peumple to address the lack of propsects I've been reading here][/color]



Elbows sorta answered this one above, but clearly they have legalized pot in Ottawa.


I think my favorite part of this lopsided mess was the later "throw-in"of MATT PUEMPEL , though if you didn't recognize the misspelling you more than likely passed over it.

Ready in a year???? If Puempel is an NHL regular next year that team doesn't go to the playoffs.
I guess all the views I saw of him in Kitchner showed me he still was lacking a game when he didn't have the puck.

But despite that- the Senators decide to just cut their losses and ship him to Chicago as a throw in for Oduya and Sharp? No wait and see if the kid can add more to his game than his shot and offensive end.

That makes the "trade' for fantasy like!

The problem with trading Leddy is he is the same age as Johns and Cleading but he has three years of NHL experience. I am still left that oduya is the guy to trade. I go back to when they signed him for three years I thought he has going to be traded before his third year.

With that cap hit teams will be wary how Sharp fits under their cap. There will be some teams interested but you are not going to receive a whole lot for a 34 yr old. How many good years would he have left? Unless Chicago takes part of the salary cap hit, then a Bowman can try for a higher pick or better prospect. Be the other GM. What would you surrender? You know the position Bowman is in. The value with Sharp is more for the one last playoff run than his trade value afterwards. Agree?
- jhawk59

Yes I agree and I don't think we'll get a king's ransom next year. I don't know how much we'll get next year for Sharp, but he'd be a perfect fit on many teams that could use that veteran leader who can score. He scored 75 points last year, he doesn't play a physical game and his wheels are still top-end. He'll still be a very valuable player after next season for a two-year run for someone. And 5.9 for his cap hit next year with only two years remaining may look like a bargain depending on team and need.

In the end, I think trading him (or Oduya) would be debilitating toward the Hawks chances to win another Cup. I would be more "willing" to trade Sharp than Oduya, because I don't think we have a top 4 D-man who is ready (at least not one that is yet to be proven), but I would feel very comfortable with a top 6 of:

Bickell/Toews/Hossa
Kane/Richards/Saad

But...if you keep Sharp then he can slot in L1 moving Bick to L3 or you could put Sharp on Line 3, essentially creating another high-end line. A Sharp/Kruger/Smith line flashed all kinds of potential in the Cup finals.

Any.. Any return for Leddy.
- Elbows15

The problem with trading Leddy is he is the same age as Johns and Cleading but he has three years of NHL experience. I am still left that oduya is the guy to trade. I go back to when they signed him for three years I thought he has going to be traded before his third year.
- Shak50

Horrible idea to trade Oduya, you fracture what was one of the best d pairs going last year, a pair who had impeccable chemistry together and routinely played shutdown d against the other team's best. If you want a legit cup run you keep 27 and 4 together one more year instead of sending Leddy out to get totally overrun in his own zone having to play against the other team's best.

Leddy in the Top 4 has disaster written all over it.

Horrible idea to trade Oduya, you fracture what was one of the best d pairs going last year, a pair who had impeccable chemistry together and routinely played shutdown d against the other team's best. If you want a legit cup run you keep 27 and 4 together one more year instead of sending Leddy out to get totally overrun in his own zone having to play against the other team's best.

Leddy in the Top 4 has disaster written all over it.
- kwolf68

Yes.

The problem with trading Leddy is he is the same age as Johns and Cleading but he has three years of NHL experience. I am still left that oduya is the guy to trade. I go back to when they signed him for three years I thought he has going to be traded before his third year.
- Shak50

S-h-a-r-p

You.
- Elbows15

Bullpoop.

Bullpoop.
- Ogilthorpe2

sharp for Eller and a 2nd? Montreal would make that trade before Stan could hang up the phone.

Eller makes Bickell look like the model of consistency. He seemingly has everything to be a rock solid player and I like his potential. But in reality all he should cost is Leddy.

No matter the personal reasons, Sharp is a 1st line wing talent and a consistent 30 goal scorer. FFS Bolland just signed a deal for 400K less a year. I love Bolly too but there is no way he even close to the player Sharp is.

Sharp is A piece that should garner multiple assets in return. Not something you add to.

The problem with trading Leddy is he is the same age as Johns and Cleading but he has three years of NHL experience. I am still left that oduya is the guy to trade. I go back to when they signed him for three years I thought he has going to be traded before his third year.
- Shak50

If the Hawks are going to go all in this year, Oduya is most assuredly NOT the person to trade. A huge part of their strength the last two years is they had two shutdown defensive pairings.

If Oduya goes, who is Hammer's partner? Move Leddy up? Move Hammer back to LD and move up Roszival? Start Dahlbeck or Johns on the second pairing?

All of those might be viable options for the long run, but not on a team that's all in to win this year.

If the Hawks are going to go all in this year, Oduya is most assuredly NOT the person to trade. A huge part of their strength the last two years is they had two shutdown defensive pairings.

If Oduya goes, who is Hammer's partner? Move Leddy up? Move Hammer back to LD and move up Roszival? Start Dahlbeck or Johns on the second pairing?

All of those might be viable options for the long run, but not on a team that's all in to win this year.
- NewToHockey

If Oduya is traded, Seabrook and Hammer will be drawing straws to see who plays with Leddy to start the season.

I would rather trade Rozi &Versteeg if at all possible.

Here's a trade proposal for every team in the East (if possible).

http://bit.ly/1t5Xw0c

These are all cap compliant and I took into account both teams needs. Some had to be a little more creative than Stan may be capable of.

Enjoy.