Keith also made some comment at some point during the summer about being really close to Johnny Oduya, as in, best-friend close, sitting together on every flight, etc. Seemed a little weird given the Seabs-Keith relationship. Maybe they are no longer closer and refuse to play on the same line together. Hence the 2-4, 57-7 poopty pairings this year. Or maybe we're all reading too much into this.
- DMChi2010

Probably. We need some real hockey news to focus on

Per my "sources" (female friends who party with the players, do those count? ) not only has Q been lax in this area but some of the players helped facilitate their teammates' infidelities
- maria_wyeth

If you hear an announcement that training camp for the Hawks is being moved to Nunavut or Svalbard, Norway you know than Q and Stanbo have identified the problem and are dealing with it.

Players facilitating other infidelities - doubt it. Do you think Patrick Kane shares his address book?

Probably. We need some real hockey news to focus on
- maria_wyeth

Ya...I would suggest we refrain from commenting on the players personal lives. I get that it could impact the locker room but at this point suggesting anything specific would be even more highly speculative than reporting trade rumors. If there is an issue in the locker room I'm sure Q, Stan and everyone else will do their best to make it better. That doesn't necessarily mean that somebody would be traded.

Probably. We need some real hockey news to focus on
- maria_wyeth

This all getting too much like "Hush Hush".

Off the record, on the QT, and very hush hush.

Ya...I would suggest we refrain from commenting on the players personal lives. I get that it could impact the locker room but at this point suggesting anything specific would be even more highly speculative than reporting trade rumors. If there is an issue in the locker room I'm sure Q, Stan and everyone else will do their best to make it better. That doesn't necessarily mean that somebody would be traded.
- DarthKane

You are wise, I'm sorry, I will quiet my gossipy mouth

Plus it would appear that any locker room "issues" from this past season probably had to do with lack of chemistry and not enough practicing and not anything to do with anyone's personal life.

Now that there have been so many players on record about the lack of practices I wonder what Q does in response

Ya...I would suggest we refrain from commenting on the players personal lives. I get that it could impact the locker room but at this point suggesting anything specific would be even more highly speculative than reporting trade rumors. If there is an issue in the locker room I'm sure Q, Stan and everyone else will do their best to make it better. That doesn't necessarily mean that somebody would be traded.
- DarthKane

How about some hockey-specific speculation:

I'm guessing Dallas will extend Benn this summer, how much money do you think that's gonna take? Which of their Dmen UFAs do they keep?

Do the Blues keep Backes?

How about some hockey-specific speculation:

I'm guessing Dallas will extend Benn this summer, how much money do you think that's gonna take? Which of their Dmen UFAs do they keep?

Do the Blues keep Backes?
- maria_wyeth

Jamie or Jordie? I would like to see Jordie sign with the Blackhawks.

Jamie or Jordie? I would like to see Jordie sign with the Blackhawks.
- DarthKane

I expect they'll be extending Jamie, I'm curious what sort of money it will take. He's the captain, but not a center, and with the flat cap I don't expect him to get Kopitar money, so I'm not really sure who a comparable player/salary would be (I'm also wondering if whatever Stamkos' ends up getting will affect it)

I would like Jordie as a Hawk too, but they're paying him significantly less than Russell, Demers, and Goligoski right now so I wonder if they try to keep him as a more cost-controlled player in any new contract than the others

If you hear an announcement that training camp for the Hawks is being moved to Nunavut or Svalbard, Norway you know than Q and Stanbo have identified the problem and are dealing with it.

Players facilitating other infidelities - doubt it. Do you think Patrick Kane shares his address book?
- RickJ

Maybe I am a bit younger than most posters on here but I think that is something a decent amount of guys do when they are out throwing a few back with their boys. Mix in summer weather and good looking women and some peer pressure. Pretty slippery slope.

The '10 cup team had some boys that partied it up. I lived in Lincoln Park during that cup run. You'd see a few of them out and about. Still bums me out that team had to be broken up. So many different personalities on that team. Added a little extra fun to hockey.

What exactly happened according to your source?

And yet they came together and won a Cup? Because Keith was playing out of his mind since he was pissed off? But somehow going through an expensive divorce this year didn't get him pissed off enough to play well?
- DMChi2010

I have asked about that.

In 2015 when they won the cup, Keith was seeing his son regularly. Now that the divorce is underway, the ex has been screwing with his visitation - and that has been killing him - and it showed in his play - he was definitely distracted.

Not to mention that she is trying to bleed him dry - playing the victim - and he is not completely innocent in all this.

He is from Western Canada - from a small town. People that know him claim that there is something "a little off" about him. But I think it speaks more to where he was raised. People from that part of Canada are not known as "normal" - but I think that's because large parts of that side of the country are very rural.

I have asked about that.

In 2015 when they won the cup, Keith was seeing his son regularly. Now that the divorce is underway, the ex has been screwing with his visitation - and that has been killing him - and it showed in his play - he was definitely distracted.

Not to mention that she is trying to bleed him dry - playing the victim - and he is not completely innocent in all this.

He is from Western Canada - from a small town. People that know him claim that there is something "a little off" about him. But I think it speaks more to where he was raised. People from that part of Canada are not known as "normal" - but I think that's because large parts of that side of the country are very rural.
- dahawks8819

That's why I will never do family law. Nasty nasty stuff.

I expect they'll be extending Jamie, I'm curious what sort of money it will take. He's the captain, but not a center, and with the flat cap I don't expect him to get Kopitar money, so I'm not really sure who a comparable player/salary would be (I'm also wondering if whatever Stamkos' ends up getting will affect it)

I would like Jordie as a Hawk too, but they're paying him significantly less than Russell, Demers, and Goligoski right now so I wonder if they try to keep him as a more cost-controlled player in any new contract than the others
- maria_wyeth

I would guess that Jamie gets between $7 - $8 million per season.

As for Jordie, the Stars only have 4 defensemen from last season still under contract for 16/17 - Klingberg, Oduya, , Nemeth, and Johns. I wouldn't be surprised if the Stars re-signed Goligoski. I think Jordie would be a good low-cost option for the Stars and if if makes Jamie more likely to re-sign then he'll be staying in Dallas.

Oh that's interesting, I don't recall if I ever heard who the other player fighting in that scenario was but if I had to pick a player most likely to get into a fist fight my money would be on Seabrook, in a team leader/locker room enforcer capacity
- maria_wyeth

It was in February - when the Hawks were in Boston - and lost I believe the score was 6-1.

Stan Bowman raced down to the locker room to help diffuse it - and Scott Powers reported that the doors were closed to the media for about 45 minutes - 35 more than usual. And when the doors opened, every player was unusually silent.

That's why I will never do family law. Nasty nasty stuff.
- bhawks2241

100%. I do dependency, which you might think would be worse, but it's usually not. Somehow 90% of my worst cases are heinous custody battles that should have stayed in family law court

100%. I do dependency, which you might think would be worse, but it's usually not. Somehow 90% of my worst cases are heinous custody battles that should have stayed in family law court
- maria_wyeth

You know both firm's are racking up billables. The nastier it gets the more it costs. At the end Keith probably gets stuck with both legal bills.

I can understand how it could affect his play. You have to understand how draining mentally a divorce can be. That mental drain affects you physically as well. When you don't have that mental edge your workouts suffer. Your in-game physical performance suffers.

Unlike normal people who go through a divorce that really only need to use their brain's at work. Keith needs to be at his peak mentally and physically. Not making excuses but I can see how it would affect him. Despite his best attempts.

Anyone who has been an athlete at one point or another, even in high school, you know that if you aren't all there mentally or if you're mentally fatigued from class or personal life issues, it causes your physical performance to suffer.

I'll refrain from anymore hockey talk that is more on the personal side of things.

You know both firm's are racking up billables. The nastier it gets the more it costs. At the end Keith probably gets stuck with both legal bills.
- bhawks2241

That's definitely one of the things that make these cases worse. Dependency cases almost never have private counsel. Almost all the family law cases we end up with do, which means I get inundated with nonsense emails that I'm sure were written for no reason other than to bill for it, and they will often refuse to settle even when it would be best for all of the clients involved

ETA: what kind of law do you do?

Chris Nichols
‏@NicholsOnHockey
Dreger/Radulov: "... A couple of NHL sources have indicated he wants two years at $7.5 million per." 2/2

http://offthebench.sports...if-the-cap-allows-it.html

I thought Campbell coming back was already off the table? Didn't he say he wanted to stay in Florida a bit ago?

Chris Nichols
‏@NicholsOnHockey
Dreger/Radulov: "... A couple of NHL sources have indicated he wants two years at $7.5 million per." 2/2




- DarthKane

this might be one of the best gifs you've posted

That's definitely one of the things that make these cases worse. Dependency cases almost never have private counsel. Almost all the family law cases we end up with do, which means I get inundated with nonsense emails that I'm sure were written for no reason other than to bill for it, and they will often refuse to settle even when it would be best for all of the clients involved

ETA: what kind of law do you do?
- maria_wyeth

Commercial litigation and commercial collections. Not the best stuff out there but at least it's not consumer collections.

If you mean "value" as to what you value, you have a point.

But the people responsible for shaping this roster and dealing with a tight cap have a slightly different definition of "value".

If trading a core player - or a few of them - gives them cap relief and adds back role players they need - then the front office would see that more as value than you might.
- dahawks8819

What I see as value? I see value in not moving picks, prospects or NHL rostered players for NHL players that a coach will not use like Weise/Daley/Garbutt, but that's just me.

Point is the market for goalies is more than likely flooded this offseason with a lot of variation and complication, #1 being the expansion draft in two years, but if you are looking for an elite goalie and Crow is available he's your guy at a fair cap hit, IMO of course.

Commercial litigation and commercial collections. Not the best stuff out there but at least it's not consumer collections.
- bhawks2241

Plus litigation has got to be more interesting/fun than transactional practice (at least that's what I tell myself)

I would guess that Jamie gets between $7 - $8 million per season.

As for Jordie, the Stars only have 4 defensemen from last season still under contract for 16/17 - Klingberg, Oduya, , Nemeth, and Johns. I wouldn't be surprised if the Stars re-signed Goligoski. I think Jordie would be a good low-cost option for the Stars and if if makes Jamie more likely to re-sign then he'll be staying in Dallas.
- DarthKane

still stings

I guess not so much in the current cap world especially if it stays flat for a few seasons, but locking Benn up through his prime at anything less than $8m looks like a steal

I'd have to be totally overwhelmed by the offer, to trade Keith. I MO. The team needs to ADD to the back line, not deplete it.

I'd have to be totally overwhelmed by the offer, to trade Keith. I MO. The team needs to ADD to the back line, not deplete it.
- tompo1015

Also part of the reason trading Seabrook would be a mistake IMO

Plus litigation has got to be more interesting/fun than transactional practice (at least that's what I tell myself)
- maria_wyeth

Tell myself the opposite!