Your right!..........so we can unload at the deadline once we are out of the playoff race, teams will over pay for that shot at the chalice just like we did........only prolly alittle smarter. Call me negative if you want boys, but smart hockey fans know right now , that with what we have right now and the. As they are called glaring holes in some spots , Q will ride thecrap out of his vets and come march they will be just plain beat down and wore out.
2nd thing here is the draft,in Chicago, these guys just roll the dice for this year and if they are out of it they can unload ?????? Gain significant cap space, possibly get a lotto draft pick , take the hit for a season , fans will. Be pacified with the 3cups, the core could still be some what strong the following Sept . And who knows what kind of cap space they can have going into FA July 1, 2017, McD will market the hell out of that draft come next spring anyway. Plus a big plum is Tazer gets a whole season of the great Panik on his wing plus some of the other line ups dreamt up on these boards. Unless there is a great poker hand atStans Table , I don't think my theory is that far off for a season boys????? You tell me! I'm listening !
- wonthecup10

The Hawks had 12 guys selected to play for teams in the World Cup - so they must have some fairly good players? Yet you are writing them off before the season even starts. I think I'd rather watch for a month or so, might be surprised. And this gang of NA kids who can really skate might lead somebody to believe a few younger kids in the Chicago lineup might help more than hurt.

you way over pay at the trade deadline for guys that never really get comfortable in the system did Weiss and Flech a upgrade over what danult would have brought in the playoffs? No and we would have have the extra 2nd round pick and danult on as the 3-4 line center who is clearly a upgrade over Moose. Ladd was not bad in the playoffs but it was not like he was one our best players. Maybe middle of the road and we gave up a 1st and AB prospect for him. The only real advantage is teams are more likely to eat some of the contract late in the year then they would in OCT. 95% of the time you look back at a trade and are very underwhelmed how much the add to the team. I would rather swap SVED or GUS or POKKA or HARTMAN or TVR for a LW in OCT-NOV and let him get to know how to play with his linemates and in q's style.
- kmw4631

Going for it all at the TDL was what we all wanted. The best group of Forwards on paper. Yet, they were never used how most of us thought they should. Our better prospects are gone and here we sit with having to fill the holes with lesser "prospects" so to speak. Unless you move a core guy your NOT going to get quality back. Here we are. We all knew it was going to come down to this at sometime. Thank you Buttman you @#$%^&* and your @#$%^&* salary cap!!!

Going for it all at the TDL was what we all wanted. The best group of Forwards on paper. Yet, they were never used how most of us thought they should. Our better prospects are gone and here we sit with having to fill the holes with lesser "prospects" so to speak. Unless you move a core guy your NOT going to get quality back. Here we are. We all knew it was going to come down to this at sometime. Thank you Buttman you @#$%^&* and your @#$%^&* salary cap!!!
- Matt_Foleys_bro

It's not Bettman's cap.

It's Rocky's - and Jacob's in Boston - Snyder's in Philadelphia - and Tanenbaum's in Toronto - and 26 other owners....

Bettman works for them.

Desperation would be signing a bunch of guys to PTOs. The Hawks obviously aren't that desperate and are okay rolling with what they've got. Some important facts....

1) The D is not featuring any young rookies, so the risk is reduced in terms on complexity of the role people may have to play. It is MUCH easier for a young guy to step in at forward than D.

2) The Hawks have pretty much every part of the PK coming back. (and much of the PP cast too) so special teams should be fine.

I think at some point you just have to just trust that the team knows what they are doing. So the Hawks will fill a couple holes with younger players, it isn't anything that new really. Better that than overpaying a broken down vet who can't skate or floats most nights. If the Hawks bring up a guy or two that play with grit and puts the effort in shift after shift, they should be fine.

Also, remember that as the core gets older, you won't necessarily want to plug in more "old" players. Hawks can't afford players in their prime (the inflated contracts to the core guys eliminate that) so you can either sign young guys or old past their prime guys. If the Hawks want to inject some youth and speed, they go young.

It's not Bettman's cap.

It's Rocky's - and Jacob's in Boston - Snyder's in Philadelphia - and Tanenbaum's in Toronto - and 26 other owners....

Bettman works for them.
- StLBravesFan

The point is that the cap is screwing us...whether self-inflicted or not.

Hoss scores on Crow - that's an angle I don't think we've seen him make in a while? He's still got some left in 'im.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/h...core-tracker-eur-1-can-2/

The point is that the cap is screwing us...whether self-inflicted or not.
- Matt_Foleys_bro

Self-inflicted or not, the hard cap isn't going away anytime soon.

The Hawks had 12 guys selected to play for teams in the World Cup - so they must have some fairly good players? Yet you are writing them off before the season even starts. I think I'd rather watch for a month or so, might be surprised. And this gang of NA kids who can really skate might lead somebody to believe a few younger kids in the Chicago lineup might help more than hurt.
- RickJ

I'd like to bank on what you are saying , but management may be rolling the dice a bit,all I am saying is that it could go either way and don't be surprised if these guys have a miss year like the Kings did in the past. Their core is alittle older although still potent. There is a reason no PTO's in camp, maybe by design is all I'm sayin. With uncle John in the mix sometimes he looks past the upcoming season. He just maybe settin that table for the draft and FA come 2017, just guessing that is all.

Self-inflicted or not, the hard cap isn't going away anytime soon.
- EKB13

And that sucks....

And that sucks....
- Matt_Foleys_bro

Get used to it.

Get used to it.
- EKB13

Reckon we all don't have a choice.

Two goals aside, Toews is looking the best he has in the World Cup so far. He wasn't fight and battling along the boards as effectively in the earlier games, but he seems to have it going tonight.

Get used to it.
- EKB13

Sad but true. We also aren't the only team hurt by the cap.

Sad but true. We also aren't the only team hurt by the cap.
- DarthKane

^this. There were a lot of teams making cap moves this year, and there are what ~10-12 teams with less cap space than the Hawks right now.

^this. There were a lot of teams making cap moves this year, and there are what ~10-12 teams with less cap space than the Hawks right now.
- breadbag

The future of hockey....

Hoss scores on Crow - that's an angle I don't think we've seen him make in a while? He's still got some left in 'im.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/h...core-tracker-eur-1-can-2/
- pdx2ord

Our whole 1st line - all 2 of them - is having a great night tonight:

https://twitter.com/NHL/status/778774718711300096

The future of hockey....
- Matt_Foleys_bro

More likely the future of major pro sports. The NFL has a hard cap now, if I'm not mistaken. The NBA has had some sort of salary cap for some time now, but not a hard cap.

EDIT: I'm sure Sage will set me straight on the NBA cap.

I'd agree with this. Sadly enough it will probably (IMO) be TVR considering he is the only known commodity at the NHL level that is worth anything to be quite honest.

Hawks will obviously want to keep frosling around, and pokka has looked pretty good in limited time on a bad finland team in the WCOH (last i saw him at least)

leaves Gus Gus, frankensteins swedish cousin, Rozy all to be on the docket. top 4 is set but its a matter of seeing who fits into the bottom pair between those three and MK. should be an interesting camp

Was reading the most recent Red Wings blog about Kronwall. To paraphrase... 35 and recovering from knee surgery and states that his pain is somewhat persistent. Kronwall, Green, Dekeyser... I wonder if there can be a deal with this team. Especially for RH Dmen. Can the Hawks pry a good forward out of there?

Ek I just don't see McNeill sticking. Q was seemingly less than impressed with the lad, or he would have played more than the 1 game cameo. Further, there has to be a reason he was one of the last 1st rounders in his draft class to make his NHL debut.

Ek I just don't see McNeill sticking. Q was seemingly less than impressed with the lad, or he would have played more than the 1 game cameo. Further, there has to be a reason he was one of the last 1st rounders in his draft class to make his NHL debut.
- Sundevil

Sticking on the roster is one thing. Q actually playing him is a whole different matter.

Was reading the most recent Red Wings blog about Kronwall. To paraphrase... 35 and recovering from knee surgery and states that his pain is somewhat persistent. Kronwall, Green, Dekeyser... I wonder if there can be a deal with this team. Especially for RH Dmen. Can the Hawks pry a good forward out of there?
- 93Joe

Detroit could be a team to watch when it comes to trading a D-man...

Toews great tonight...waiting on that idiot Coyote's blog about denigrating him.

Also, remember that as the core gets older, you won't necessarily want to plug in more "old" players. Hawks can't afford players in their prime (the inflated contracts to the core guys eliminate that) so you can either sign young guys or old past their prime guys. If the Hawks want to inject some youth and speed, they go young.
- breadbag

Truth bomb