This is very good news, but tempered by the rumors TVR may be shipped off (can't wait to see the return on him...wonder if we'll add in a sweetener to get rid of him). Having Soupy playing third pair and then slotting up for PowerPlays or in other game situations would give the Hawks the deepest and potentially strongest D core we've ever had. Hell,even better than 2010 when we rolled out Brent Sopel, Jordyn Hendry and Nick Boynton on the third pair.
- kwolf68

Won't Soupy play with Hammer being a lefty shot? Hammer prefers to stay home and Campbell likes to play up. Albeit, Q's blender will likely not allow for consistent pairings anyway so I guess it doesn't matter eh?!

This is very good news, but tempered by the rumors TVR may be shipped off (can't wait to see the return on him...wonder if we'll add in a sweetener to get rid of him). Having Soupy playing third pair and then slotting up for PowerPlays or in other game situations would give the Hawks the deepest and potentially strongest D core we've ever had. Hell,even better than 2010 when we rolled out Brent Sopel, Jordyn Hendry and Nick Boynton on the third pair.
- kwolf68

I just don't see them moving TVR. Good, team friendly salary, I just don't see it. I would doubt they do that. We know what we have with him. We don't really know what Kempny will turn out to be.

Man, I wonder how much StanBo knew about expansion and an expansion draft over the past couple years. It seems these NMCs that he gave away like candy at the 4th of July parade are going to haunt him.

If next year we did have a Crawford or AA or Krug, or even, tough as this sounds, Seabs, grabbed by Vegas, we could at least look to the cap room that bad event creates. But with the NMCs, we'll lose a younger, lower cost player, stay in cap hell, etc.

Or maybe Stan knew exactly about this, and wanted to give these NMCs exactly to protect them from the expansion draft (I think this is unlikely, because he could have simply protected them).
- Cmonalready

Well my take is I think Bowman has done a miserable job managing many of these deals...players are getting HUGE bank PLUS getting NTCs. If I recall no team has given out more.

That all said, I do NOT believe NTCs are totally restrictive. Soupy agreed to be traded to the dregs of the NHL after 2010. I even read (on this board somewhere) where Crawford said he'd "work with the Hawks" if he needed to be traded. So I do believe the players respect the situation and wouldn't be hard asses about it.

Still the restrictive nature of the NTCs does remove tons of flexibility from managing the team the way you may NEED to do so.

They are also in on Ladd. I have them #1 without much debate at this point.
- kwolf68

I put a little wager on them to get past ANA in the playoffs last year cuz IMO they had the best defense in the league with ANA's second. This year the NSH D will have a different dynamic and they'll have Johansson from day 1.

They are in good shape cap wise as well. The right add and this team will be heard from, assuming they get any kind of goaltending.

Is there a limit to the number of NMC's or NTC's a team can have? What if going into the expansion draft a team has more NMC's than the expansion rules allow?
- Quicky72

Not sure on that. Only limits on expansion are the number of players you can protect.
Seven F, three D, and one G.

NMCs must be protected unless they agree to waive.

NTCs are exposed.

I dont know of any GM though in practical terms that would offer ten NMCs on their roster though.

In the same way that the right-handed Ovie likes to step up from the left side circle and let the laser bomb go, Yakupov has been much of a one trick pony pro doing the same from the off handed right side.

I was about to fall asleep last night and was trying to search my feeble memories of when both lined up on the same line on the Sarnia Sting...I know Alex Galchenyuk is now am exclusive centre for the Habs but I was trying to think was Yakupov placed in the centre position when the moved Galchenyuk to wing...
wasn't Saad there too (when his injured groin wasn't a concern)...somehow my feeble mind recalls yakupov was moved to LW at times while Saad was on the RW...

...or at very least yakupov was solely used as Galchenyuk RW, that sometimes he did play the LW.

I have no ide where those sarnia DVD's are...my wife hopes I don't start looking and I throw more out...
- wiz1901

Wiz, I think you are mixing up Sarnia and Saginaw (Saad).

True but wasting money on depth players is still wasting money regardless of how much you have. Its also a 5 year deal
- Walky

You gotta love what Helm brings but as you say he is a depth guy, maybe a middle six at best, and you always have to worry if he can stay healthy.

Michael Grosso has gone crazy on twitter. Reporting Okposo to Sabres, 7 years and Ladd to Isles.

Michael Grosso ‏@RumorBreak 54s54 seconds ago

#BREAKING - Ladd to NYI. #DONE

Well. Bobby Hull was a Left shot who played mostly Left Wing. Heard he was pretty OK.

- hawk35

Maurice the Rocket Richard was a left handed shot, who played right wing.

Players who are presnet day like Kane like to have that puck and stick closer to the net


Actually less comfortable for them than on the left side...

Bickell gone and Campbell resigned. It's not even my birthday.

Pierre LeBrun ‏@Real_ESPNLeBrun · 36s37 seconds ago

As many have speculated, Brian Campbell has made his decision and it's going to be a return to Chicago. Likely a one-yr deal around $2M
- mrpaulish

This will work all day long, 365 days long!!

I just don't see them moving TVR. Good, team friendly salary, I just don't see it. I would doubt they do that. We know what we have with him. We don't really know what Kempny will turn out to be.
- onehundredlevel

I hope you're right. I really like TVR a lot. His instincts at the position are outstanding and I think he'll eventually become even more of an offensive force as he gains experience.

A rotation of Keith, Ham, Seabs, Soupy, Kempny, TVR, Gus, Rosy (along with Lurch and even Pokka in the wings) is damn impressive. I am just a big believer in stocking up defense....

I would bet revolving door, Gus, Svedberg, Pokka.

Shopping TVR may also have something to do with wanting Pokka to get some games this year.
- John Jaeckel

Can't revolve Svedberg, he'd have to clear waivers.

Wiz, I think you are mixing up Sarnia and Saginaw (Saad).
- RickJ

I sure am..thanks!

and still wondering if I EVER saw Yak on the left side whether that apparition of Saad on the right side appeared or not...

Campbell resigned.
- Hank3Henshaw

I thought he couldn't do that until noon (11 EST).

Can't revolve Svedberg, he'd have to clear waivers.
- walleyeb1

I hope he doesn't.

Shhh--- Runbad sleeps with the swedish fishes--
- jb3333

haaaa good one

we now have the Tripletts in Vancouver.

Lou Ericksson signs

In the NHL you gotta be able to handle physical play. TONS of great skaters out there who get swallowed up when the checking starts. The guy is soft. We don't have the money anyway and not even sure if he's available so I am not worried about him.
- kwolf68

People were concerned about Panarin being too small and look how strong he is. Shipachyov is slightly bigger and can play physical i've seen it in person. Also he didn't exactly have to be a physical force when he had Panarin and Dadonov on his wings. That line was special.

I hope you're right. I really like TVR a lot. His instincts at the position are outstanding and I think he'll eventually become even more of an offensive force as he gains experience.

A rotation of Keith, Ham, Seabs, Soupy, Kempny, TVR, Gus, Rosy (along with Lurch and even Pokka in the wings) is damn impressive. I am just a big believer in stocking up defense....
- kwolf68

Same. I also believe you can never have too many centers.

I hope you're right. I really like TVR a lot. His instincts at the position are outstanding and I think he'll eventually become even more of an offensive force as he gains experience.

A rotation of Keith, Ham, Seabs, Soupy, Kempny, TVR, Gus, Rosy (along with Lurch and even Pokka in the wings) is damn impressive. I am just a big believer in stocking up defense....
- kwolf68

Me too. A good NHL team needs 9 defenceman minimum to get thru a regular season and playoffs.

And when you have that many a few of them are usually excellent trade bait at the deadline that yields draft picks.

Also, let's not anoint Matt Murray as the second coming of...well, anyone. He played 13 RS games and 21 SCP games. Sure he was standing on his head to help win the Cup for the Pens, but lets not forget the great Antti Niemi. He's been average to above average since 2010. Granted Niemi's d corps was better, but still, Murray has a grand total of 34 games.

Can't judge a career based on that. Same with Darling.
- CanOCorn

Agreed, we won't know what Murray is for a few years. You have to love what you've seen, he was AHL goalie of the year (but so has Allen been) so he hasn't come out of nowhere.

He was a genuine top prospect BEFORE he won a cup as a pure rookie.

I hope he doesn't.
- JRoenick97

I take it that your aren't a big fan of Herman!

Ladd to Isles

Centre Neilson to Detroit

Osposo to Buffalo

These deals really change the balance of the divisions? nah