Analogy time

Say you want to buy a house. It's an older home and the current owner is asking more than fair value. You make an offer, as do several others looking at purchasing it. All offers are refused and counter-offers are unproductive.

Then, you find out the owner must sell in order to avoid foreclosure. The time before this happens is limited and the clock is ticking.

So, Sharp, Versteeg, Bickel or a all of them must be traded or you'll lose a combination of assets including Oduya, Krug and Crawford. The worst part, you still hold onto your debt and liabilities if you don't settle.

I'm not suggesting Sharp is worthless or that he won't fetch fair value, it's that Chicago are running out of bargaining chips.

Just as I write this, watch some GM come up and over-bid on Sharp...because it happens all the time
- elcabong

To continue, however you realize your house will never be the best house in the neighborhood. It never wins the price for best landscaping, never makes the cover of the magazines, it's never as good as the neighbors house. However, the neighbor has a great antique, and if you had it, it just might make your house the best house in the town, and you know all the other homeowners would be jealous of you new found fame. Shouldn't you buy that antique?

BTW, analogies almost never work flawlessly.

Just got an email from a co-worker who works in our Chateauguay office:

Hi there! We just got news from the city that Cory Crawford will be here on Sunday with the Cup!

The unspoken consideration in all of this is Artemi Panarin's cap hit. If bonuses count, then his contract takes up $3.2m in cap space at the beginning of the season, that puts the Blackhawks about $4m over RIGHT NOW (he's not officially on their roster at the moment so most of the salary cap websites don't have that number in their calculations.)

The Blackhawks can cover that salary if they trade Bickell. But the question is how much of his salary can they clear in a deal. The more the better.

Then, if they want to resign Oduya and Kruger, and it seems like they do, they need to trade either Sharp or Crawford. Again, the question is how much salary will they have to take back in either of those deals. If none, then they can probably get away with just trading one of them and keeping Versteeg.

But if they need to take back some salary in either the Bickell or Sharp/Crawford deals, then they're going to need to trade Versteeg and/or the other of Sharp/Crawford or maybe Shaw.

So maybe the preferred scenario is to trade Bickell, Versteeg, and Crawford, but that might not be enough to keep Sharp so maybe all four need to go or maybe it's Bickell, Crawford, and Sharp; hopefully Shaw doesn't get added to the mix too. It'd be nice to keep either Sharp or Versteeg to have some more experience with Q's system on the top two lines. But at this point it seems like at least 3 or 4, maybe 5 of Bickell, Versteeg, Crawford, Sharp, Oduya, Kruger, and Shaw will not be with the team to start next season.
- matt_ahrens

I've asked this several times and seen bloggers post answers on both sides of this.
Does anyone have good, solid, factual info on whether the Panarin bonus counts against the 2015/2016 cap? I had read some conjecture that indicated a relatively new wrinkle that the bonuses now count against the cap as "earned until not earned". The implication being if there's a bonus for, say, playing 50 games, that bonus counts against the cap until the player misses his 33rd game.

Please dont post opinion responses. Only interested in someone enlightening me and the board with the FACTS on this question. Thx

Aren't Morin and Tropp both on one way deals?
- tredbrta

All a one-way deal means is that you are paid the same in the AHL that you are in the NHL. As long as they clear waivers (if they are waiver eligible), they can be sent to Rockford. And if their cap hit is $900k or less, it doesn't count against the NHL cap while they are in the AHL.

SHARPS DEMAND-A few thing would lead me to imagine his demand was that that he wants the panther org. to spend a certain amount of $ on the cap that is significantly higher than it is now, for the remainder of his contract there to increase likelihood of them bringing in big name contracts to win. For a few reasons.
1. JJ said, if he (JJ) we're in panthers org he wouldn't have too much issue with it (by default it would most likely ensure more goals being scored)
2. That demand IS something ALL owners and mgmt. would have to sign on to
3. Sharp would like to keep winning, doesn't want to just go and lounge in FL at end of his prime
4. CANNOT be the immediate resign demand rumored as he's not eligible to be renewed until July 1 next year

Good start to the day here....now just need to see a Cards victory tonight

No Tank offer sheet as expected. Check back in with you guys later this week.
- stljam

Go Royals!

All a one-way deal means is that you are paid the same in the AHL that you are in the NHL. As long as they clear waivers (if they are waiver eligible), they can be sent to Rockford. And if their cap hit is $900k or less, it doesn't count against the NHL cap while they are in the AHL.
- BreakoutHockey

When Morin and Tropp get sent down, I could see them getting picked up by another team who is willing to take a chance that either might fill a role. Let's not go apepoop when that happens!

SHARPS DEMAND-A few thing would lead me to imagine his demand was that that he wants the panther org. to spend a certain amount of $ on the cap that is significantly higher than it is now, for the remainder of his contract there to increase likelihood of them bringing in big name contracts to win. For a few reasons.
1. JJ said, if he (JJ) we're in panthers org he wouldn't have too much issue with it (by default it would most likely ensure more goals being scored)
2. That demand IS something ALL owners and mgmt. would have to sign on to
3. Sharp would like to keep winning, doesn't want to just go and lounge in FL at end of his prime
4. CANNOT be the immediate resign demand rumored as he's not eligible to be renewed until July 1 next year
- Trammelt

You are right on #4.

Viola has already given DT the green light to spend to the cap if it improves the team (and he's verified this publicly).

Most likely, Sharp wanted assurances that, if FLA were not solidly in the playoff picture at the trade deadline, that he would be moved to a contender.

When Morin and Tropp get sent down, I could see them getting picked up by another team who is willing to take a chance that either might fill a role. Let's not go apepoop when that happens!
- DMChi2010

They don't have to clear waivers if they start in Rockford.

You are right on #4.

Viola has already given DT the green light to spend to the cap if it improves the team (and he's verified this publicly).

Most likely, Sharp wanted assurances that, if FLA were not solidly in the playoff picture at the trade deadline, that he would be moved to a contender.
- gmurban

If true, that's interesting and pretty crazy that a player can actually have that kind of pull.

If true, that's interesting and pretty crazy that a player can actually have that kind of pull.
- Hank3Henshaw

Eh, it was just something he wanted if he waived his NMC. Not much pull really, he can now just say no.

Eh, it was just something he wanted if he waived his NMC. Not much pull really, he can now just say no.
- JRoenick97

Ahh. Gotcha.

I've asked this several times and seen bloggers post answers on both sides of this.
Does anyone have good, solid, factual info on whether the Panarin bonus counts against the 2015/2016 cap? I had read some conjecture that indicated a relatively new wrinkle that the bonuses now count against the cap as "earned until not earned". The implication being if there's a bonus for, say, playing 50 games, that bonus counts against the cap until the player misses his 33rd game.

Please dont post opinion responses. Only interested in someone enlightening me and the board with the FACTS on this question. Thx
- Cmonalready

I've laid out how performance bonuses work in an above post, but for the purpose of salary cap compliance, the answer is that his performance bonuses effectively* do NOT count against the cap until he earns them. Once he earns them, they count against this year's cap. Any bonus that exceeds the cap space the team has this year will count against next year's cap.

* They do technically count against the cap, but a team can exceed the cap by about $5m (7% of this year's cap) if the overage is attributable to performance bonuses.

Good start to the day here....now just need to see a Cards victory tonight

No Tank offer sheet as expected. Check back in with you guys later this week.
- stljam

This isn't a Blues thread.

Be this a lesson to GM's across the league. This little fiasco brought to you by the NMC/NTC that is given out with every NHL contract it seems. Good god. What seemed like a fairly easy thing of trading Sharp has turned into this. The Dallas deal looked good, but word was Sharp said no?

Just wow....

When Morin and Tropp get sent down, I could see them getting picked up by another team who is willing to take a chance that either might fill a role. Let's not go apepoop when that happens!
- DMChi2010

I promise I won't. If fact. I have create a shrine for exactly that to happen.

If true, that's interesting and pretty crazy that a player can actually have that kind of pull.
- Hank3Henshaw

Stop looking at this as a fantasy GM, and look at it through the eyes of a real player and real GMs. Patrick Sharp negotiated a NTC in his last contract. He likely gave up a few $$ in salary to gain that clause. Now the Hawks want (need) to trade him. He has a family he will have to move. He has developed friendships on the team and in the Chicago area. He has a contract he signed based on choices he made (could be choosing a "winner", or school districts for his kids or whatever).

Today the Hawks want to trade him to Florida.
Is it reasonable that he might want an assurance that Florida will commit $$ to a competitive team? Is it reasonable that he might ask for an assurance that his family not have to move again within, say, 2 years?

Be this a lesson to GM's across the league. This little fiasco brought to you by the NMC/NTC that is given out with every NHL contract it seems. Good god. What seemed like a fairly easy thing of trading Sharp has turned into this. The Dallas deal looked good, but word was Sharp said no?

Just wow....
- z1990z

Can you imagine if bowman just stuck with dealing with the 10 teams on sharps list?

When Morin and Tropp get sent down, I could see them getting picked up by another team who is willing to take a chance that either might fill a role. Let's not go apepoop when that happens!
- DMChi2010

That will be a positive IMO. Entire Morin cap hit goes elsewhere. I think Tropp may be on a 2 way deal though and his hit is $625k.

Be this a lesson to GM's across the league. This little fiasco brought to you by the NMC/NTC that is given out with every NHL contract it seems. Good god. What seemed like a fairly easy thing of trading Sharp has turned into this. The Dallas deal looked good, but word was Sharp said no?

Just wow....
- z1990z

Time to say screw it, just trade him to wherever you can for whatever you can get.

Be this a lesson to GM's across the league. This little fiasco brought to you by the NMC/NTC that is given out with every NHL contract it seems. Good god. What seemed like a fairly easy thing of trading Sharp has turned into this. The Dallas deal looked good, but word was Sharp said no?

Just wow....
- z1990z

a) We have no concrete proof that there is a fiasco of any sort. b) It's fine to be militant about no NMC/NTC, but are you as a GM prepared to not get the player that you want/need because you are the one GM taking a supposed stand against giving them out?

I've laid out how performance bonuses work in an above post, but for the purpose of salary cap compliance, the answer is that his performance bonuses effectively* do NOT count against the cap until he earns them. Once he earns them, they count against this year's cap. Any bonus that exceeds the cap space the team has this year will count against next year's cap.

* They do technically count against the cap, but a team can exceed the cap by about $5m (7% of this year's cap) if the overage is attributable to performance bonuses.
- darklighter

I believe this explanation is correct. That is why u see bonus figures posted to the next season on NHL cap sites.

Came for hockey talk. Got science. Are we moving on to Literature next?

Came for hockey talk. Got science. Are we moving on to Literature next?
- TTtime

We can. Thoughts on Beowulf?

Just trade this guy and dump his demands and his salary....enough already.