Yes. It is. Especially when you have nearly 15% of your cap space invested in them. The skill level in front of them, which can make or break a goalie, is forced to be significantly lower when you can't afford to keep all of them there. I assume Malholtra, Raymond, Burrows, Edler, Higgins will ask for raises when they ALL become UFAs at the end of the year.
- 1goalLordStanley

It's not nearly as big an issue as you or others would make it out to be. Is it ideal, no. Rangers have $8.2 million tied up in goaltenders, what's the big deal if the Canucks have $9.3 million tied up? Also, next year the Nucks have something like $20 million in cap space. Malhotra won't be back next year and most likely not this year, Raymond is as good as gone, Higgins probably won't be re-signed, we need to get some of our younger guys into the line-up starting next year. Burrows and Edler are the only ones who need to be re-signed.

Disagree COMPLETELY. Luongo would like nothing better than to go to the Canucks hated rival and win...a BIG middle finger to Gillis, who has chosen Schneider over him.

As far as the Hawks are concerned, the contract sucks, but he is definitely a big upgrade over what the Hawks have now. I also believe if he were to win a championship in the next few years, he would ride off into the sunset...I don't see him playing out the ten years left on the deal anyway. This version of "the core" must win now before their championship window is closed. That's why I would be fine trading Leddy for a much larger hole on this team, 2C. If I came around on Rodman playing for the Bulls, I can come around on Luongo playing for the Hawks.
- hawks2010

Difference betw Rodman & Lou is Rodman was already a champion with the '89 & '90 bad boys IIRC. Lou - no matter how it's sugar coated - is a 4 year running playoff choke.

JJ,
In your opinion, why are the hawks not getting any love from any of the remaining free agents. IMO Chicago is one of the nicest cities in the country, it's a storied franchise. There has to be a reason why fa don't wanna play here. I presented this same question a few weeks ago when the whole praise/suter debacle was going on & Al said in that case Min just offered everything they were looking for. I can buy that. But what I don't buy is that fa's don't wanna play here just cause they wanna play somewhere else. Something ain't right. You can't tell me these players wouldn't wanna play with toews, Kane, Hosea, & company.

This has to be something within the organization

careful what you wish for.... they may end up enjoying watching crawford struggle in net.

Imo The hawks need a goalie way more than gillis needs to get rid of one. with Luongo the canucks are $5 million under the cap. This is 1 of those situations where you pay a little bit more to permanently solve a need and not 1 of those situations you try to go for a steal of a deal. Jmo
- moylander

The disconnect which you are understating is this...

The Hawks may need a goal tender upgrade but they don't have to trade for Loungo.

Gillis has far few choices than Bowman. No one pays a goalie over $5 mlll per to play in 25-30 games unles they have no other choice.

The Hawks paid the mother load for another aging goal keeping in Khabibulin...top ticked the market at the time.

Then they signed Huet to a gigantic contract...

I think those two deals might be burned into the memory of Rocky Wirtz.

On Twitter@AlCimaglia

The 2 players I would love to see in a Canucks jersey would be Bolland and Marchand...... that would be glorious

Bolland, Leddy or Haljmarson and a second for Luongo would do the trick. Fix both teams needs.

What a nightmare though if Luongo goes to the Hawks and helps them win a cup..... that would kill us fans.
- CanuckforLife

If Leddy or hammer go Tanev comes this way

And to the Van guys posting here. Stop and consider Lu and compare him to our Campbell from last year. Great player. Loved him. But in the end, it was the right move to remove his big cap hit from the team. Better team can (I know, still to be seen) be built by opening up the cap space he was taking.

So stop for a minute and reflect on Lu's value. Assume no trade possibility whatsoever. Your choice is only two: a. Keep Lu and his cap hit for next 5 years, or
b. cut him for nothing, you don't have to pay him and there's no future cap hit.

Which do you choose today?? I believe the honest answer is cut him. That's the decision the Hawks had to grudgingly make with Campbell last year. We effectively cut him. If you agree, then his trade value is Montidor and Frolik. Salary dump.

Media is easy to fix. Answer the same typical response time after time until they get tired asking it. Just act as if you don't care.

You want the media to keep away just bore them to death.

"Yeah Corey and I get along great .We make a good pairing". How often do you think they will ask that if they are winning and get the same response time after time.
- VANTEL

We are talking about luongo here.........not the best with handling the media. I bet he would snap after constantly being asked those types of questions as he rides the bench. The canadian media just loves prying and prying until they get a response. Maybe last year, was fine with playing it cool, considering there would be an opportunity to leave in the off-season, but getting benched in the playoffs and all this active trade talk can not do any wonders with an already fragile minded goalie. Cmon man!

We are talking about luongo here.........not the best with handling the media. I bet he would snap after constantly being asked those types of questions as he rides the bench. The canadian media just loves prying and prying until they get a response. Maybe last year, was fine with playing it cool, considering there would be an opportunity to leave in the off-season, but getting benched in the playoffs and all this active trade talk can not do any wonders with an already fragile minded goalie. Cmon man!
- Wowo2282

That is Luongo 2010-2011 you are talking about . Luongo last year swallowed his pride and grew up.

If Gillis was forced to do a salary dump which he is not ,he would do it with the Panthers ,not the Leafs or Hawks.

If Gillis was to send Lu to Europe until a team realized they need him,Marcus Naslund is the GM of Modo.

His hands are nowhere near tied yet.
- VANTEL

The Panthers dont need Loungo, get that through your head.

The Panthers dont need Loungo, get that through your head.
- iMan27

Is that why they've been in negotiations with the Canucks for him

It's not nearly as big an issue as you or others would make it out to be. Is it ideal, no. Rangers have $8.2 million tied up in goaltenders, what's the big deal if the Canucks have $9.3 million tied up? Also, next year the Nucks have something like $20 million in cap space. Malhotra won't be back next year and most likely not this year, Raymond is as good as gone, Higgins probably won't be re-signed, we need to get some of our younger guys into the line-up starting next year. Burrows and Edler are the only ones who need to be re-signed.
- LeftCoaster

What's the big deal!!? The big deal is, Vancouver could be a much better player if the Louongo money were spent on a goal scoring forward, rather than someone sitting on the bench! No??

I never said Lu is coming here, although he would make the Hawks better most likely.

Gillis has Toronto...which may not be interested and Lu doesn't want to go there yet.

Florida- which is happening a yr too late but owner might still sign off on.

To come here it can't be hockey trade for Hawks unless Bowman is out of his mind....
This is the same team that dumped Campbell for Olesz.....

It would be deemed a salary dump and Gillis would be risking his hockey future in Vancouver if it worked out in Chgo.

The one common thread is both clubs could be getting desperate.
On Twitter@AlCimaglia
- Al

Exactly-
Campbell a very good defenseman with a bad contract- Stan gets worse than nothing for him (bec had to take salary back with a guy who can't even crack the NHL lineup).

Now we have Luongo still maybe a very good goalie but with a bad contract- Stan is going to give Gillis something of value now all of a sudden?

Everyone keeps saying get Luongo bec he will improve the Hawks, but he got rid of Campbell which made the Hawks worse at the time which is like the same difference. All I kept hearing was get rid of Campbell- good player but bad contract. Now we like good players with bad contracts?

The Panthers dont need Loungo, get that through your head.
- iMan27

Agreed. They just signed clemmenssen and have theodore for another year. They also have a stud goaltender in the minors ready to make the jump anytime now. They aren't desperate for Luongo. Maybe they have shown interest, but it sounds like its more of an overblown media story if anything. Luongo played there once, no media, wife wants to live there blah blah blah. Sounds like Luongo wants florida more than florida wants luongo

Is that why they've been in negotiations with the Canucks for him
- LeftCoaster

The East has really got stronger this offseason . Teams like Car and Wash will pass FLA with the goaltending they have. Leafs ,well truthfully, there is no hope for them for a few more years even with Luongo . Fla if they want to stay competitive have to make an upgrade.

Is that why they've been in negotiations with the Canucks for him
- LeftCoaster

Ya, sure they have. Vancouver fans are brutal. Your stuck with Luongo and his contract

Gotta laugh - if it were not so sad - anyone would suggest Bolly be included in a Bobbi Lu deal. 'Hawks already are short @ centre, why trade one of the best checking 3C's in the game, whose contract is now a bargain, for a 4 time playoff choker?

Gillis is under more pressure than the 'Hawks. SB has to quit over valuing his prospects for trades & quit being so cheap on solid 2nd tier UFA's & the 'Hawks would be just fine.

What's the big deal!!? The big deal is, Vancouver could be a much better player if the Louongo money were spent on a goal scoring forward, rather than someone sitting on the bench! No??
- Bullot

Yes I agree, if there's one to be had. With that in mind, if all Gillis is doing is wanting to rid himself of Lu's cap. IMO it would have been done already, and to an Eastern Conference team.

Keep in mind it's much easier to dump Ballard and Raymonds salaries ($6.5 million) than Luongo's if Gillis is looking to sign someone, not to mention Lu is the much better player. Plus you can go 10% over the cap during the summer, there's lots of time.

JJ,
In your opinion, why are the hawks not getting any love from any of the remaining free agents. IMO Chicago is one of the nicest cities in the country, it's a storied franchise. There has to be a reason why fa don't wanna play here. I presented this same question a few weeks ago when the whole praise/suter debacle was going on & Al said in that case Min just offered everything they were looking for. I can buy that. But what I don't buy is that fa's don't wanna play here just cause they wanna play somewhere else. Something ain't right. You can't tell me these players wouldn't wanna play with toews, Kane, Hosea, & company.

This has to be something within the organization
- abvnbyd

That's what two first round exits get you.

. Fla if they want to stay competitive have to make an upgrade.
- VANTEL

You might be right, but it isnt going to be Luongo and his massive contract.

I'm starting to realize that Stan Bowman is kind of a really bad GM. It takes a serious lack of brains to destroy a Stanley Cup winning team so badly, and he did it.
- GOODPLAYA20

\


don't blame Stan... Scotty forced the Bowman name into the job through the ouster of Tallon anc co... and while Stan wasn't perhaps ready for it... be clear with was Scotty that made this happen.

That is Luongo 2010-2011 you are talking about . Luongo last year swallowed his pride and grew up.
- VANTEL

Ya he was probably depressed from pulling himself out from under the bus too often!Or was it from his team not scoring?Either way he manned up!Can"t say the same for the rest of your stars!

100 % correct. Olesz or Frolik
- jimmy33

First time poster.

Montador could work too!

First time poster.

Montador could work too!
- nbhawkfan

No it couldn't

Ya, sure they have. Vancouver fans are brutal. Your stuck with Luongo and his contract
- iMan27

TSN's Darren Dreger reports that negotiations are ongoing, but Canucks general manager Mike Gillis "is driving the bus and the bus is in low gear." Florida didn't like the first proposal and Gillis has sent a counter offer".

JJ,
In your opinion, why are the hawks not getting any love from any of the remaining free agents. IMO Chicago is one of the nicest cities in the country, it's a storied franchise. There has to be a reason why fa don't wanna play here. I presented this same question a few weeks ago when the whole praise/suter debacle was going on & Al said in that case Min just offered everything they were looking for. I can buy that. But what I don't buy is that fa's don't wanna play here just cause they wanna play somewhere else. Something ain't right. You can't tell me these players wouldn't wanna play with toews, Kane, Hosea, & company.

This has to be something within the organization
- abvnbyd

I would imagine Winnik and forwards see the 14 NHL players under contract and wonder where they fit. As far as Hannan and Clark, who knows, they may be under offered by Stan and Company. Just my guesses. Talk about holy hijack of a thread, I can see Hawk fans are sick of the same old, same old rumors because the Canucklehead fans are all over this one saying Stan must overpay with Hammer, Bolland, and a 2nd to help Vancouver get rid of their overpaid "backup". "Maybe" Stan is offering Olesz for Tanev and Schneider and a 3rd.... This Hawk fan will believe Lu is in a Hawk sweater when my cell phone gives me the 8-10 text messages alerting me from different sources that the Hawks got Luongo. Until then, I am leaving it alone. I will save my complaining until there is no movement or Stan fills the Chicago blueline with more soft stick waving d-men.

If the bad blood is brewing now over rumors between Hawk and Vancouver fans, I can't wait to see how bad the whining is if a deal between the clubs comes to fruition