Haha, look...I am a White Sox fan. But honestly explain to me one thing...why do Cub fans hold Wrigley Field in such high esteem? And I'm not a fan of the Cell...but I admit that. To me, Wrigley is a dump. No parking, few exits, terrible bathrooms. I would tear it down and rebuild. It's not like you have won 8 World Series in that building and it's tough to tear down. I just don't get it. Can someone explain?
- onehundredlevel

I dont .

I wanted the Cubs to move .

(frank) Tunny . (frank) the bar owners.

You can build Wrigley West in any suburb , Des Plaines , AHeighs , Rosemont . Could have built a 50,000 seat stadium , (150,000 on the season ticket waiting list) Tons of bars , restaurants and parking garages.

Who leaves a country filled with ponies to go to a non-pony country?!
- golfbard

To your point above, which I bolded, it's true they can't stop him from retiring even if he remains with the team, but they drastically minimize their damage.
- tgentry1084

To add, Hossa retiring as a Blackhawks has far less severe cap consequences than Hossa retiring as a Flame, or a Black Knight, or whatever else he could hypothetically be.
If you trade Hossa, you create a serious risk of having to trade 19 or 88 if Hossa were to unexpectedly retire. Maybe even both.

- Hank_Greenberg

A+

It is possible that Stan is positioning the team for when the expansion draft comes?
- Tanuki

That's what I've been thinking, too. Looking ahead, beyond the salary cap.

Ugh, sorta. Meds, using foam roller, getting some rest. Same thing every few months now, looking like might need surgery at some point. Thank you.
- John Jaeckel

JJ - First, I don't post often but love the site, ours and a lot of the other posted insight and discussion.

Second, I really feel for you with your back issue. I had back problem recently and if you haven't tried it yet an epidural cortisone worked wonders for me. My back issue was a result of a herniated disk. I couldn't sleep, was in constant pain, could only make it through the day with regular Hydrocodone and would have done anything to get relief. The cortisone was like a magic bullet. Went in three weeks ago and they gave me a local which immediately gave me relief, got the shot which took less than 15 minutes.

Presto Chango, I was a new man!

Good luck, I hope you heal quickly and no surgery.

Haha, look...I am a White Sox fan. But honestly explain to me one thing...why do Cub fans hold Wrigley Field in such high esteem? And I'm not a fan of the Cell...but I admit that. To me, Wrigley is a dump. No parking, few exits, terrible bathrooms. I would tear it down and rebuild. It's not like you have won 8 World Series in that building and it's tough to tear down. I just don't get it. Can someone explain?
- onehundredlevel

I don't think it's something that can be explained. You either get it (like many baseball fans) or you don't (like many other baseball fans). I wouldn't worry too much about it.

I'm a season ticket holder. I love the damn place... even though I hate the food, the bathrooms, the 20 minutes it sometimes takes to leave, the posts, and all the other inconveniences. And I hate the ads, too. But sitting up in my seats watching the Cubs? Makes all of that worth it for me. I'd rather be there than any of the other wonderful, comfortable, new, beautiful stadiums I've been to in St. Louis and San Francisco.

I think this means we can expect to see Malkin traded to the Blackhawks by the draft.

Chris Nichols ‏@NicholsOnHockey 6m6 minutes ago
Dreger/Malkin: "He's not available. He's not." Rutherford flat-out told me (and others), 'I'm not trading Evgeni Malkin.' #Pens #Blackhawks

Chris Nichols ‏@NicholsOnHockey 4m4 minutes ago
Dreger/Malkin: GMJR told me, 'Stan Bowman and the #Blackhawks did not reach out to us to express some interest or start a dialogue.' #Pens

Give me a few minutes, I'll calculate the buyout numbers.
- tgentry1084

For a player 26 years old and over, the (1) buyout cost is 2/3 of their remaining salary owed. The (2) buyout length is two times the number of years remaining on the contract. The (3) annual buyout cost is the buyout cost divided the buyout length. The (4) yearly savings is the annual buyout cost subtracted from the salary owed. The (5) buyout cap hit is the yearly savings subtracted from the player's AAV.

Assuming Marian Hossa was bought out this summer, the following would be true:

Salary owed = $8m
AAV = $5.275m
(1) Buyout Cost = $5,333,333
(2) Buyout Length = 10 years
(3) Annual Buyout Cost = $533,333

Yearly savings and annual cap hit would be as follows:

2016-17: AAV $5.275m / Salary $4m / Savings $3,466,667 / Cap Hit $1,808,333
2017-18: AAV $5.275m / Salary $1m / Savings $466,667 / Cap Hit $4,808,333
2018-19: AAV $5.275m / Salary $1m / Savings $466,667 / Cap Hit $4,808,333
2019-20: AAV $5.275m / Salary $1m / Savings $466,667 / Cap Hit $4,808,333
2020-21: AAV $5.275m / Salary $1m / Savings $466,667 / Cap Hit $4,808,333
2021-22: AAV $0 / Salary $0 / Savings $-533,333 / Cap Hit $533,333
2022-23: AAV $0 / Salary $0 / Savings $-533,333 / Cap Hit $533,333
2023-24: AAV $0 / Salary $0 / Savings $-533,333 / Cap Hit $533,333
2024-25: AAV $0 / Salary $0 / Savings $-533,333 / Cap Hit $533,333
2025-26: AAV $0 / Salary $0 / Savings $-533,333 / Cap Hit $533,333

RE Yakupov

If EDM only wants a 3rd Rd for him I say JUMP ON THAT.
1) If you catch lightning in a bottle it cost you (basically) nothing for a solid player
2) IF he sucks we can send him to the minors. Yes eating 1.5M of space we don't have would suck BUT
3) You KNOW some idiot GM will offer sheet him and you will get back at min a 2nd round pick. If (a big IF) he blows up with a change of scenery that offer sheet will net a lot more than a 2nd.
To me a low risk high reward situation. But IMHO, I think EDM would want more than a 3rd for him.

RE Yakupov

If EDM only wants a 3rd Rd for him I say JUMP ON THAT.
1) If you catch lightning in a bottle it cost you (basically) nothing for a solid player
2) IF he sucks we can send him to the minors. Yes eating 1.5M of space we don't have would suck BUT
3) You KNOW some idiot GM will offer sheet him and you will get back at min a 2nd round pick. If (a big IF) he blows up with a change of scenery that offer sheet will net a lot more than a 2nd.
To me a low risk high reward situation. But IMHO, I think EDM would want more than a 3rd for him.
- tyweb69

And how does Stan create the $2.5 million in cap space plus sign Shaw and fill in the rest of the roster?

Imagine, though, under that scenario that the Blackhawks are looking to be competitive in the 2019-20 season and are right up against the salary cap. Marian Hossa could retire on September 30, 2019, and all of a sudden, the Blackhawks have another $8.55m/year added to their salary cap for someone who isn't playing.

While you are correct that they would see the benefit of losing his cap hit of $5.275 for the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons, the prospect of a player entering his 40s and only getting paid $1m/year not retiring seems risky. At the very least, the Blackhawks may want to have more control over his fate.

Under the same situation, if Marian Hossa waits until 2020 to retire, the Blackhawks would have to come up with $17.1m in cap space for the next season for a player that is not playing.
- tgentry1084

Thanks for clarifying!

Its very unethical to enact a "reactive" and retroactive rule that specifically targets contracts that were signed two years earlier. If I was an owner I would not have stood for it.

...Unless, they knew they'd have a way around it...

RE Yakupov

If EDM only wants a 3rd Rd for him I say JUMP ON THAT.
1) If you catch lightning in a bottle it cost you (basically) nothing for a solid player
2) IF he sucks we can send him to the minors. Yes eating 1.5M of space we don't have would suck BUT
3) You KNOW some idiot GM will offer sheet him and you will get back at min a 2nd round pick. If (a big IF) he blows up with a change of scenery that offer sheet will net a lot more than a 2nd.
To me a low risk high reward situation. But IMHO, I think EDM would want more than a 3rd for him.
- tyweb69

Jim Matheson tweeted the Oilers may trade for McNeill. EDM boy. Send him in a deal for Yakupov (more than him needed, obviously)

Jim Matheson tweeted the Oilers may trade for McNeill. EDM boy. Send him in a deal for Yakupov (more than him needed, obviously)
- ikeane

Oilers may trade for Mark McNeill, edmonton-born C who has been on Hawks farm for several years

O'Sullivan said just the opposite in that Stamkos does not want to be part of a rebuilding process. And so, the misinformation campaign begins.

At the end of the day, I think the bigger check wins out, which is probably Toronto.
- DMCsPulledHammy

I wasn't saying you were wrong... Just relaying some information. But yeah I agree with the misinformation and conflicting views. Guess we will find out soon. He would make a ton of money on endorsements in Toronto.

Jim Matheson tweeted the Oilers may trade for McNeill. EDM boy. Send him in a deal for Yakupov (more than him needed, obviously)
- ikeane

Have them take Runblad - there is another Million off the cap - so it would be like getting Yak for 1.5M.

McNeill and Runblad for Yakupov. It can't be that bad of an option, hell, we had Mashinter in the line up for half of last season.

So back to the Flames , what do we think is happening there ?

Jim Matheson tweeted the Oilers may trade for McNeill. EDM boy. Send him in a deal for Yakupov (more than him needed, obviously)
- ikeane

Yakupov might do well with a change of scenery.... He is making 2.5 though. And Eklund says Kruger going to be traded very soon.

So back to the Flames , what do we think is happening there ?
- mrpaulish

Probably Crawford and the ghost of Bryan Bickell in exchange for Brandon Bollig and Lanny McDonald's mustache.

Probably Crawford and the ghost of Bryan Bickell in exchange for Brandon Bollig and Lanny McDonald's mustache.
- kwolf68

And the hologram of Theory Fleury sliding on his back side fist pumping?

Probably Crawford and the ghost of Bryan Bickell in exchange for Brandon Bollig and Lanny McDonald's mustache.
- kwolf68

That stache tho......

And the hologram of Theory Fleury sliding on his back side fist pumping?
- SteveRain

So back to the Flames , what do we think is happening there ?
- mrpaulish

CC and maybe the (rights to Shaw) to Calgary for the #6 pick.

- kwolf68

The magic of cocaine.......

and then you walk into a strip club in Columbus..........

So back to the Flames , what do we think is happening there ?
- mrpaulish

Burke is mutating into an albino porcupine