Today is a very sad day. Hossa was STILL a 200ft beast for the Hawks this past season. Hoss Boss will be dearly missed on the ice, and in the locker room. Bowman now has some room to maneuver the Cap to improve the team, and he needs to make big moves to replace the huge loss of Hossa and the depth losses of Kruger & TVR.

So you can bet your ass the Blackhawks will be all of 5.25m over the cap then drop Hossa on LTIR.

Jay Zawaski‏Verified account @JayZawaski670 30s30 seconds ago
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Teams are allowed to be 10% over the cap until the season begins. This could explain AHL deal for Raddysh yesterday too. Cap uncertainty.

Sorry I didn't realize I needed to spell things out clearer. My point and my opinion: Hossa will retire (for money reasons), he will likely play in Russia for much more than the $1 million that he will make from from the Hawks under LTIR. But that's just my opinion, even if it's not shared by the blog author or others here.

BTW: I've never heard of an allergy medication that is life threatening unless we're talking about a Biologic that although can increase risk of other infections, isn't considered a medication that's dangerous or have long term high risks either. Typically Biologics are used for auto-immune disorders, not skin allergies. And I've never heard of something so unheard of medically on the allergy issue (that seemingly everyone has anymore), that it cant be discussed. Is he on Chemo pills for a skin allergy for Pete's sake? Doubt it.

I lived with and known people for years who've dealt with serious allergy issues of all sorts (internal and external) and never was the medication they were forced to take ever considered life threatening or dangerous to take long term. Even if this is textile contact dermatitis caused by the synthetic materials of hockey equipment, there is plenty of medication for it that isn't life threatening or high risk and I'm pretty sure that if it was a known serious issue with him, the league could allow him special equipment made of material that didn't effect him.

There's too much "according to sources", "declined to comment", "couldn't be reached for comment" and "not disclosing" going on here at a time when his contract means little to him now, the Hawks roster cap issues coinciding with the expansion draft and current FA signings for me to buy this is just an unfortunate thing popping up now even if he does have an allergy.

Allergies being some kind of reason or not aside, in MY OPINION, this is more about Hossa not wanting to play 4 more years for only $4 million dollars, more than the Hawks wanting to get rid of most of his salary somehow with a LTIR designation. He scored 26 goals last season. I can think of other players more deserving of showing the door regardless of their age and cap hit on that team than Hossa.
- NJPensfan

Oral immunotherapy.

Now you have. But I digress.

I don't think it was life-threatening. As I read it, the medication he was taking could have had a cumulative negative effect on his health over time.

If he was taking Humira or Enbrel, for example, adverse events include immune system breakdown and lymphomas.

Anyone predicting a full-on retool/rebuild with this squad hasn't been paying attention to the happenings at 1901 W. Madison. NOT A CHANCE this occurs.

Oral immunotherapy.

Now you have. But I digress.

I don't think it was life-threatening. As I read it, the medication he was taking could have had a cumulative negative effect on his health over time.

If he was taking Humira or Enbrel, for example, adverse events include immune system breakdown and lymphomas.
- John Jaeckel

1) NEVER was reported to be life threatening. It was just part of his narrative that he believes is fact.

2) Don't you just love all the Doctors on this board who know better than Dr. Michael Terry? You know. One of the better Doctors in the country.

Today is a very sad day. Hossa was STILL a 200ft beast for the Hawks this past season. Hoss Boss will be dearly missed on the ice, and in the locker room. Bowman now has some room to maneuver the Cap to improve the team, and he needs to make big moves to replace the huge loss of Hossa and the depth losses of Kruger & TVR.
- EnzoD

He needs to maneuver just to get the Hawks AS GOOD as last year (which I argue wasn't even that good, Paper Tiger). You have to replace Hossa, Kruger and TVR. A shutdown PK center, a first line to third line winger who plays a mad 200 foot game, and a solid 5th D. JUST TO GET back in that conversation will eat up whatever cap space we have. Bowman still needs to use his balls this Summer.

Well, with the Hossa news, the Hawks MUST trade AA, Panarin, Seabrook, and Toews to get max cap relief and valued return.

Well, with the Hossa news, the Hawks MUST trade AA, Panarin, Seabrook, and Toews to get max cap relief and valued return.
- StutzBlackhawk

HA! Yeah, hopefully this puts to bed all the calls to trade Panarin

Mark Lazerus has an article about "The Gunk" which is what it was called in the 70's. Go read it. It's interesting and horrible. Besides the actual rash, getting too many cortisone and steroid shots can be a real problem. So, it's actually two-fold. Rash and meds.

Anyone predicting a full-on retool/rebuild with this squad hasn't been paying attention to the happenings at 1901 W. Madison. NOT A CHANCE this occurs.
- CaptainBlackhawk

Depends how you define retool. Agreed on rebuild. Not happening for another couple years.

Standing pat would be a disaster from both a hockey and marketing standpoint. The trades/deals will happen because McD wants the spotlight and the excitement back.

If they just start the prospect hype again and sign Sharp . . . pfffffffffft . . . and they know it.

Strap in, it's gonna be a wild ride.

Lifting the cup and being able to play are two different things. Would have rather seen Letang in the line-up than the cap space (plus assets traded away) used for Hainsey/Streit.

It's a shame concerning Hossa as he was still playing at a high level.
- threeman

And the same for Pronger. While he shared in a charity game, it's not the same as an NHL game

My point was to that jabroni Pens fan who went on and on that Hossa is going to play in Russia and he's faking

Had minor surgery a few weeks ago and was taking high dose IB rather than going the MMA route. Had a bleed this AM that was hard to stop. All while tweeting and blogging about this. Some days it sucks to be me.
- John Jaeckel

Yikes! Hope you're doing better, man.

Today is a very sad day. Hossa was STILL a 200ft beast for the Hawks this past season. Hoss Boss will be dearly missed on the ice, and in the locker room. Bowman now has some room to maneuver the Cap to improve the team, and he needs to make big moves to replace the huge loss of Hossa and the depth losses of Kruger & TVR.
- EnzoD

still my favorite Hossa image.

NJPensfan thoroughly examined Hossa and it is his medical opinion Hossa is fine

HA! Yeah, hopefully this puts to bed all the calls to trade Panarin
- Panarin27

That could still happen. Not super likely, but not out of the realm of possibility.

I think some fans really need to wrap their heads around the concept of RETURN in a trade.

If Bowman makes any trades this summer, they will be more of the value for value variety that Hawk fans have not seen from this management team, as opposed to selling salaries off for draft picks, which they have.

Draft picks don't help the hawks next season, and that's what it's all about today, tomorrow, the rest of the summer.

Good, quick read

http://chicago.suntimes.c...-tom-reid-out-of-nhl/amp/

So assuming the league buys this LTIR move, the maximum I understand the 'Hawks can gain here is being as close to the cap as possible without going over. Akin to the NHL's version of "The Price is Right". Come on down, Stan Bowman! Is my CBA interpretation the same as others here?

Depends how you define retool. Agreed on rebuild. Not happening for another couple years.

Standing pat would be a disaster from both a hockey and marketing standpoint. The trades/deals will happen because McD wants the spotlight and the excitement back.

If they just start the prospect hype again and sign Sharp . . . pfffffffffft . . . and they know it.

Strap in, it's gonna be a wild ride.
- John Jaeckel

>Agreed
>And, at some point, they will need at least one additional playoff warrior
>Could get him as late as the deadline in the spring

That could still happen. Not super likely, but not out of the realm of possibility.

I think some fans really need to wrap their heads around the concept of RETURN in a trade.

If Bowman makes any trades this summer, they will be more of the value for value variety that Hawk fans have not seen from this management team, as opposed to selling salaries off for draft picks, which they have.

Draft picks don't help the hawks next season, and that's what it's all about today, tomorrow, the rest of the summer.
- John Jaeckel

Yep. Panarin and Hammer ( ... are the two best likely trade chips to maximize return.

If they get bank and bang for Panarin then move him, but it has to be a net gain.

I very seldom post but this time I think |I must. To the haters from other fandoms I say Get a life. I'm 75 years old this coming December and have been a Hawk fan since I played pee wee hockey for the Blackhawks back in the very early 50's. That being said, having a chronic disorder is no fun. I've had 5 documented Cancers 4 different skin and prostate and luckily have survived them all. The disorder that I have suffered with the most is 42 years of Crohn's disease. Its Chronic and can severly dissable a person. Last year I lost a chunk of bowl to this disease.
This isn't meant to be a pity post but just a post for the hope that the haters stop for a moment and if you have your health then count your friggen blessings.

And the same for Pronger. While he shared in a charity game, it's not the same as an NHL game

My point was to that jabroni Pens fan who went on and on that Hossa is going to play in Russia and he's faking
- PatShart

I understand, and that was one guy's opinion. I think Hossa has a legitimate issue that will keep him off the ice.

The gained cap space will allow the Hawks to not have to sell off more key assets (Hjallmersson, Anisemov, etc) to be cap compliant (cap going up $2mil helps as well) but will still leave them with having to replace 20+ goals plus all the other intangibles Hossa brought. Will be interesting to see how things play out.

So assuming the league buys this LTIR move, the maximum I understand the 'Hawks can gain here is being as close to the cap as possible without going over. Akin to the NHL's version of "The Price is Right". Come on down, Stan Bowman! Is my CBA interpretation the same as others here?
- blackhawk24

The Blackhawks would not have put out a statement unless the league wasnt already on board.

All time favorite Blackhawk memory?
Hossa on the backcheck.

All day, every damn day.*

My prayers go up that Hoss gets healing.


*it even beats Tony O's 15 shutout year, in my eyes.

With Hossa on LTIR, what is the actual cap penalty? Is it $1MM?

Ugh.. that doesn't even take into account his production level. Terrible, terrible news.
- CaptainBlackhawk

Go to capfriendly.com they have a tool to calculate LTIR.

It is my educated guess he is going on LTIR. Nothing has been announced specifically either way to the best of my knowledge.
- John Jaeckel

He has to. It's cap-suicide any other way. I don't want to see him go like this. He is a great player! How many 38-yr olds are at the top of the league in true two-way play?