Patches is 6'2 215 - so Saads size and consistently scores 35ish goals with zero help. So he can potentially carry Toews and make him look like a 10 million dollar player again while you can put whomever on AA and Kane's left and AA still gets his 40 and Kane still gets his 80+

Patches putting up 65-70 points and Toews getting closer to 70 points and being able to have two lines that can score is better than having one line that can score.

ANNNNND YOU SAVE 1.5 million in cap space over 3 years which is probably when they need to think about blowing it up anyway
- fattybeef

You mean 2 years.......your "patches" is only signed for 2 more years.

And there is a nice way to get help via Las Vegas: offer them the right combo of player prospect and draft pick and have them poach the back up goalie you want, the nice Cap contracted forward or even high price veteran you want by way of trade, if you actually trade a big contract.

Everyday I read another article about how this team or even have team must trade this guy, another must trade this guy, or lose them. There are a few teams with few draft picks and can't afford the luxury of sending bonus items to Las Vegas for special considerations....Las Vegas doesnt have to play nice and soften demands It might be in their best interest to trade more than few of the players that they draft b/c they can't all be kept and might be loss if they try and send them to the minors, as their plan is two fold: get some accomplished regulars so they are can win some games but moreover stock their minor pro system with older promising kids and get more picks to get more chances for later additions in those selected guys.
- wiz1901

Love it... who would you think? Looking at some mocks:

Forwards:

Riley Sheahan ($2.075M) 25yo
Vlad Namestnikov ($1.937M) 24yo
Dmitrij Jaskin ($1.0M) 24yo
Markus Granlund ($900K) 23yo

Defense:
Brayden McNabb ($1.7M) 26yo
Jordie Benn ($1.1M) 29yo
Stephen Johns ($725K) 24yo

What would you see out there for backup goalies?

Love it... who would you think? Looking at some mocks:

What would you see out there for backup goalies?
- HawksHype

al montoya
mike condon
grubauer?

You mean 2 years.......your "patches" is only signed for 2 more years.


- SteveRain

I've noticed that a lot of Blackhawks are only signed for two more years: Panarin, Kruger, Panik, Schmaltz, Kero, Hammer, Forsling, and a lot of guys in Rockford too.

Crawford signed for 3 more.
Hossa, AA for 4 more
Nobody for 5
Toews, Kane, Keith for 6
Seabrook for 7

That's $33+ million for four players for the next six years.
To be fair, Pens have four players for five years at $32.25m
No one else is above $30m for top four paid on the team, not even this coming season, but that could change once everyone is signed.

al montoya
mike condon
grubauer?
- jt19

My first choice.

My first choice.
- DarthKane

My first choice for goalies too, but how would you rank positions. If you could get a "top" expansion player, all equal, would you go Forward, Defense, or Goalie? I'd rank D/G/F.

al montoya
mike condon
grubauer?
- jt19

Just think if it Montoya, it could be Darling all over again.

Edit (He would be the Darling of Loyola)

What about this line up:
Duchene towes hossa
parnin smaltz kane
panic lowery Hartman
jurco/Dwight king kero hayden/totto

keith seabrook
hammer beauli sign 2 years at 2mil per
kempney ruutta if sign if not gryba

Crawford
scribens or condon

AA for beailu 2018 1st 2017 5th kruger forsling and motte for Duchene
hino for lowery winnepeg needs more speed we need size
sign rutta or gryba 900k sign king 1mill
tvr goes to vegas

Don t know if money works might have tweak here and there but more size skill and speed. Thoughts?

My first choice for goalies too, but how would you rank positions. If you could get a "top" expansion player, all equal, would you go Forward, Defense, or Goalie? I'd rank D/G/F.
- HawksHype

I doubt the Hawks would get the cream of the crop from Vegas, so it all depends on who is available. But generally I'd look for a goalie first, maybe Raanta.

Just think if it Montoya, it could be Darling all over again.

Edit (He would be the Darling of Loyola)
- powerenforcer

Other than the fact that Montoya is a northsider, 33, didn't drop out of school, kick around the low minors for years and will never be a #1........then sure, they are both from "Chicago" so exactly the same

My first choice.
- DarthKane

Yup. He'd be a nice add.

I doubt the Hawks would get the cream of the crop from Vegas, so it all depends on who is available. But generally I'd look for a goalie first, maybe Raanta.
- DarthKane

Raanta is not a fan of how Hawks handled his situation. Doubt he would consider coming back.

My first choice for goalies too, but how would you rank positions. If you could get a "top" expansion player, all equal, would you go Forward, Defense, or Goalie? I'd rank D/G/F.
- HawksHype

If you got a solid to good backup goalie and a nice lower line energy guy who is tough to play against, and a couple million in cap relief, you call that a good deal, IMO.

Even if you just got picks (which would be dumb, IMO) the cap relief is not enough to solve that problem. You still have to make another move in all likelihood anyway, so might as well get a couple of secondary pieces back.

Raanta is not a fan of how Hawks handled his situation. Doubt he would consider coming back.
- roenick

If Vegas claims Raanta and trades him to Chicago he has no choice. Although I think the chances of that happening are slim to none.

If Vegas claims Raanta and trades him to Chicago he has no choice. Although I think the chances of that happening are slim to none.
- DarthKane

Probably correct, also need to consider locker room chemistry.

Just think if it Montoya, it could be Darling all over again.

Edit (He would be the Darling of Loyola)
- powerenforcer

Sounds like he may be looking for too much money.

Contract talks between the Senators and Mike Condon have not been going well, according to GM Pierre Dorion.
"Sometimes you know when talks are going nowhere and they haven't been very good so far," said Dorion. If Condon returns then he will be Ottawa's backup netminder, but it looks like he could be testing the open market. Dorion said that talks will continue to try to bridge the gap.

If Vegas claims Raanta and trades him to Chicago he has no choice. Although I think the chances of that happening are slim to none.
- DarthKane

Could he be one of the whiners getting in the ear of a few college players? I believe the Future HOF Hayes Brothers do well enough on that front.

Per sources, Leafs trying to make a big splash for a dman. They are also looking at Alzner and Orlov but Orlov looks KHL bound.

If Vegas claims Raanta and trades him to Chicago he has no choice. Although I think the chances of that happening are slim to none.
- DarthKane

Cam Ward with 50% retained for Kruger.

Cam Ward with 50% retained for Kruger.
- BINGO!

I wouldn't take Ward at 100% retained.

I wouldn't take Ward at 100% retained.
- DarthKane

Interesting, but you're probably not wrong.

Eddie Lack, then.

What if vegas took Pickard, maybe the return for Kruger could be Pickard?

Interesting, but you're probably not wrong.

Eddie Lack, then.
- BINGO!

Lack is better, but I don't think the Hawks can (cap-wise) spend more than $1 million on a backup.

What if vegas took Pickard, maybe the return for Kruger could be Pickard?
- ikeane

....Why would Vegas do that?

Interesting, but you're probably not wrong.

Eddie Lack, then.
- BINGO!

Not sure I would want him either. Maybe at the league min. for salary. Has he ever lived up to his potential?