How accurate has Zawaski been lately? He called a surprise core player moving out a few weeks ago;a His source is in the know and Z deserves some love.
- Bjm84

Jay's a good guy and has had a good summer, I don't think he got this first though.

All that said, I have heard the rash/allergy thing is legit. He has also absorbed a ton of injuries the last few years: back, neck, knee, any of which could possibly medically qualify him for LTIR.
- John Jaeckel

Thank you for staying on top of these things, (and probably sitting on a lot more that you are asked to keep confidential).

Actually, Tred, HIPPA laws basically mean that his medical condition are none of their damn business.
- Tanuki

His source was that a core player would be TRADED.
- CaptainBlackhawk

I believe so. Not to blast my own horn, but I think the link in the blog was the first public mention of this.

Be interesting how the league handles this. Blackhawks fans all assuming they'll be allowed to just LTIR Hossa and avoid the cap hit. But league could easily force them to face the cap recapture penalty and only LTIR his salary too.

Don't forget, Kovulchuk's contract with NJ was completely legal under the last CBA, and they still were heavily penalized for trying to sign it. The league can enforce the spirit of the CBA, not the letter of it. Unlikely in this case, but with Hossa dealing with this injury for years and only retiring when he was paid less, you never know.
- Antilles

As much as I hate the Devils, that was a bullpoop rule and penalty when they tried to sign him.

Then again, it was equally bullpoop when they rescinded the penalty right before it took effect.

We can.

Hop in.


- Atomic Wedgie

LOL, post of the year nominee.

Lou Lamoriello is the King of Circumvention.

So to really PO fans around the league, the Hawks will probably sign Kovalchuk for a couple of years to replace Hoss and play with his pal Panarin.
- RickJ

Radulov?

I believe so. Not to blast my own horn, but I think the link in the blog was the first public mention of this.
- John Jaeckel

Yep - Zawaski was reporting on a TRADE of a core player. Regardless of the fact that his "source" was being circumspect, he was speaking about a trade of a core player.

In about 25 minutes this blog is going to be on fire !!


Cant wait for the Vegas moves to start being public

Does this mean he will live out his next 4 years on LTIR? Could you shed some light on how the rest of this will likely play out?
- headyhedman77

Best guess, I am not a CBA-geek

See: Pronger, C. to floor team

Radulov?
- Mr Ricochet

Radulov is even better but he wants long term.

Not at all. I'm not saying it's fabricated. I'm simply saying that a chronic issue suddenly becoming critical at the same time that his salary tales a nosedive seems very coincidental. Do you disagree?
- jmatchett383

On the advice of counsel - I plead the 5th.

$5.275th to be exact.

Sure thing.

Some OTC meds are just as dangerous if not more so if taken incorrectly.
- Tuke17

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.

HoF guy that will be missed. He had a great career and I think we could see his contract still get traded.
- breadbag

I'd have to agree that is a very strong possibility in the very near future. Won't be surprised to hear he waives his NMC and then the contract goes to Car/Ari/LV or another cap-floor team.

Best guess, I am not a CBA-geek

See: Pronger, C. to floor team
- John Jaeckel

didn't datsyuk's cap hit get traded last year to az for a 1st (i think there was more to the deal but those were the main pieces). Not saying it'll happen but the possibility is there i guess?

I believe so. Not to blast my own horn, but I think the link in the blog was the first public mention of this.
- John Jaeckel

The blog said Hossa would play this year; and Hossa eventually going on LTIR to dodge cap recapture was first floated by Hawks fans about 30 seconds after the rule was announced when the CBA was signed lol.

Actually, Tred, HIPPA laws basically mean that his medical condition are none of their damn business.
- Tanuki

That's inconvenient. Maybe one of the docs is a blows fan and will leak?

Some more context from Elliotte Friedman

http://www.sportsnet.ca/h...ed-final-nhl-game/sn-amp/

On the advice of counsel - I plead the 5th.

$5.275th to be exact.
- tredbrta

It will all be verified by league chosen Doctors anyways, part of the CBA.

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

His cap hit is $5.25 million. I believe the Hawks can use part of that (up to the actual cap) to sign or trade for a replacement. By itself, it does not get them under the cap. See Kane/Vermette, 2015. Pretty sure.

To all the Chicago fans, sorry to hearing about Hossa. I can remember enough Sabres players who were out because of these types of non-contact/hockey injuries and it sucks from a fan standpoint.

To all you other zipperheads that think this was from the imagination of Stan Bowman to circumvent the cap, you are plain and simply stupid. The health of a player is not a joke, or something to manipulate.

The other idiots who think that Chicago is putting him on LTIR instead of having him retire and are even more stupid than the other zipperheads. The teams cannot force a player to retire, and they can't put someone on LTIR who is not medically incapable of playing.

And I thought some of the posters on the Sabres' bloggers sites were stupid...

I'd have to agree that is a very strong possibility in the very near future. Won't be surprised to hear he waives his NMC and then the contract goes to Car/Ari/LV or another cap-floor team.
- Hossa2theHOF

I think LV will hit the cap floor with how many salary dumps are looking to be going that way based on rumors. Just a thought tho.

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

BRUTAL NEWS. I could give a chit about being cap compliant when you subtract warriors and great hockey players. THAT'S HOW YOU WIN. With these type of players.

He also needed to retire on his terms...preferably walking away after a fourth Cup.

Oh well whatever, we can all celebrate we got more money to burn.

it's too bad we can't go back in time and force the Blackhawks to make the Hossa contract an 8 year 58 million dollar deal for a cap hit of 7.25 mil a year instead of the 12 year 62 million dollar deal with a 5.2 mil cap hit that the league let the Hawks get away with all these years.

it's bullpoop
- jimbo83

How is it bullpoop? It was legal at the time. So what exactly did the Hawks get away with?

Radulov is even better but he wants long term.
- RickJ

This is so new coupled with me being so slow on the uptake I have to slowly go through the possibilities. But my first thought is a guy who just had 40k wiped off his credit card and now has options in his life without the crippling debt. Hope he learned his lesson and spends very wisely going forward.