Sharp Stick In Buffalo's Eye? (sharp)

sharp

Sharp Stick In Buffalo's Eye?

By GARTH'S CORNER

Mar 26, 2015 • 6:39 pm

0comment-bubble

Its inevitable.

The Chicago Blackhawks are staring down the gun barrel at having to part ways with several of its veteran players.

The Blackhawks are a cap team. They have won the Stanley Cup twice in the recent past. That was then. This is now.

The shrinking salary ceiling and the diving Canadian dollar are factors that will cause the winds of change will be blowing through Chicago this summer.

There's only so much money to spread around. Such is life when a team wins multiple Stanley Cups in a short period of time. After the lift comes the letdown.

The brand new jumbo contracts of Pat Kane and Jonathon Toews kick in in October. Each player will be $6.5 million cap hits for the next eight seasons. Bowman and Hawks ownership are committing monster money to their two franchise players, thus, there won't be much disposable money in Chicago for many years to come. You cannot argue with the ginormous contracts of Kane and Toews. Without the dynamic duo, the Hawks don't win two Stanley Cups and resurrect NHL hockey west of the Mississippi. The NHL is a more profitable league when it's major market teams are swimming. Chicago is the gateway to the west coast of America.

What's more, forwards Brandon Saad, Marcus Kruger and Joakim Nordstrom will be entering restricted free agency this summer. Bowman is likely going to trade away young, productive players. Instead, he will concentrate on off loading veteran players with big salary cap hits in order to achieve salary cap compliance in 2015-16.

Hawks GM Stan Bowman has some unkind decisions to make and it appears that winger Patrick Sharp will be among the first wave of Hawks players to be shown the door this summer. Sharp will be 34 in December and is a $6.5 million cap hit for the next two seasons. I'm thinking that the Hawks are willing to keep Marian Hossa and pass on Sharp. Hossa is a $7.9 million cap hit for the next four seasons.

Sharp still has a lot of tread left on his tires and has a lot of magic still left in his composite hockey stick. He'd be a perfect mentor for Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel in Buffalo. Sam Reinhart, Zemgus Girgensons, Tyler Ennis, Marcus Foligno Nic Deslauriers, Rasmus Ristolainen and the rest of the young core of the Sabres would certainly benefit from Sharp's experience and professionalism.

Tim Murray would be wise to add Sharp to his leadership core that already includes Brian Gionta, Josh Gorges, Cody McCormick, Zach Bogosian, Evander Kane and Pat Kaleta. Murray will have cap space and he will be aggressive in his acquisition of veteran leaders to add to his young, talented core group.

Two other Hawks who may be loading moving vans this summer are Kris Versteeg and Bryan Bickell.

Versteeg is a $4.7 million cap hit for one more season and Bickell is a $4 million cap hit for the next two seasons.

TSN's Bob McKenzie told TSN 104 in Vancouver today that he thinks like I do. Sharp is as good as gone.

“Sharp will be gone (from Chicago). Sharp’s gone. Sharp is gone for sure.

“I think they’ll be able to keep Hossa around. But I think Bickell is probably at some point is likely to be gone. Versteeg is likely to be gone."

Stan Bowman has drafted well over the years and has stocked AHL Rockford with some young sticks of dymanmite who will be given the chance to earn jobs in Chicago next season.

Out with the old, in with the new.

“The worst case scenario is if you do really well in the American Hockey League for an organization like Chicago, somebody else will figure it out and they’ll want you. So it’s just a matter of developing and having an opportunity."

***

Great photo shop by @BradleyGelber. I literally snorted and laughed out loud when this beauty rolled across my Twitter feed. I love it!

***

The Blackhawks will also have tough decisions to make on veterans Brian Bickell and Johnny Oduya.

Stan Bowman has drafted well over the years and has stocked AHL Rockford with some young sticks of dymanmite who will be given the chance to earn jobs in Chicago next season.

Out with the old, in with the new.

“The worst case scenario is if you do really well in the American Hockey League for an organization like Chicago, somebody else will figure it out and they’ll want you. So it’s just a matter of developing and having an opportunity."

***

Mikhail Grigorenko looked like he belonged on Buffalo's second line in Dallas on Monday night. The 20 year old looked right at home between Marcus Foligno and Brian Gionta. Grigo set uo Gionta for a goal in the 4-3 loss.

Ted Nolan liked what he saw from Grigo on Monday moreso than any of the young Russian's other games in Buffalo this season.

Grigorenko told Sabres.com on Thursday that he's happy that Ted Nolan has been especially tough on him this season. Nolan won't deny that the kid has oodles of skill and talent. What the coach wants to see more from Grigo is tenacity, battle, and urgency. Nolan isn't looking for Grigorenko to drop gloves and toss the mitts nor does he want him to run opponents through the glass with thundering body checks. Nolan want to see the kid hold onto puck and take it with purpose and confidence to the nasty areas of the ice where 90% of the goals are scored in today's NHL.

“Everyone wants to see me succeed in this organization. Everyone has their ways and Teddy, he thinks being hard on me is only going to help me,… Grigorenko said. “It looks like since I’ve been back, I’ve been playing the best I’ve played this year. I guess it worked so I’m glad he was hard on me.…

Nolan is going to reward Grigorenko with some second unit PP time against Arizona tonight.

“I took a couple one-timers there. They put me on the power play there, so I just wanted to make sure the one-timer’s there and hopefully I’m going to take a couple shots during the game,… Grigo said.

***

Zach Bogosian and Patrick Kaleta will make their long anticipated returns to the starting lineup tonight.

Bogosian has missed the past six games with a lower-body injury. Kaleta has not played since Febraury 10 following surgery to remove a bone chip from his knee.

PK36 knows that he has eight more opportunities to show Ted Nolan and Tim Murray that he can still bring the noise in compliance with his pugnacious standards.

“Any time you sit out, it’s tough. You never want to sit there and watch. You always want to be on the ice and play, but sometimes that’s the way it goes,… he said. “I feel good right now and just try to have a good strong finish to the season.…

**

Matt Hackett will start his second straight game tonight vs. Arizona. Mike Smith will start for Arizona. Hackett made 40 saves in the loss to Nashville on Saturday night. He's been hobbled by a sore knee.

**

Jerry D’Amigo's season appears to be over. He underwent facial surgery to repair the damage that resulted from Craig Smith's ignorant and dangerous slash to the face on Saturday night.

Smith received a double minor and a $5,000 fine for breaking D'Amigo's face.

The NHL Department of Player Safety can be a pain in the ass with its wild inconsistencies. I would have suspended Smith 3 games for his act of idiocy and the careless use of his stick.

Per Sabres.com, ame day skate trios and D pairs:

Moulson – Larsson – Ennis Dalpe – Varone – Hodgson Deslauriers – Ellis – Kaleta

Benoit – Bogosian Weber – Ristolainen Zadorov – Meszaros

Hackett Lindback

***

The Arizona Coyotes have issued the following statement regarding Nick Boynton, Coyotes radio color analyst, who was arrested at a Buffalo casino on Wednesday night.

“Early this morning, Coyotes radio color analyst Nick Boynton was involved in a situation at a Buffalo casino. A police investigation is underway. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and until the continuing legal process is completed, we will have no further comment. Mr. Boynton has been placed on a leave of absence.…

According to reports, Boynton was arrested after a struggle with security.

Boynton played 16 years in the NHL and retired in 2011.

***

Show Comments
Loading...
Loading...
0
Show comments for this article