Kris Versteeg is still in the playoffs. Dylan Olsen and Jimmy Hayes have been playing 36 holes a day for over a month. It would seem the Blackhawks made out well in the trade that brought Versteeg back to Chicago after 2.5 seasons in Florida. Or did they?
Florida GM Dale Tallon must have really wanted Versteeg out of town if he agreed to pay $2.2 million of his salary through next season, so there may be some addition by subtraction in Sunrise.
Olsen and Hayes paid immediate dividends upon arriving in Florida, making Tallon look like a genius. But Olsen caught the injury bug and Hayes struggled to earn consistent ice time...UNTIL...former head coach Peter Horachek decided they needed a big body in front of the net on the power play. Hayes fit the bill perfectly. His 11 goals in 53 games were a direct result of him getting into the dirty areas on the PP and his massive 6'6", 220 lb. frame was very tough for opposing defensemen to deal with. How much that is worth moving forward remains to be seen, but this RFA could be a very valuable 4th line RW in the future.
Dylan Olsen came out of the gate on fire with the Panthers. Many of us in the media were looking at each other with astonishment as he showed great toughness and a good offensive game. After arriving in early December he recorded a point in 6 of 7 games from the 5th-17th, including 3 goals, but quickly fizzled out. He only played 4 games between Dec. 31st and March 1st due to injury/Olympics, and never got his early mojo back upon returning. But he's only played 72 NHL games so he surely will improve and grow into his abilities. As another pending RFA, how much is that potential worth?
Versteeg's numbers were, well, very Versteeg-like this season. His 36 points in 81 games this year and 3 points in 12 playoff games are quite pedestrian in relation to his salary. Those kinds of numbers and questionable attitude were worth paying to get out of town as far as Tallon was concerned.
It looks like Tallon made the right decision. When this trade originally happened it screamed (partial) salary dump. Hayes and Olsen could be perennial AHLers or one/both could be good, reliable players starting next season. Either way, it was a worthy risk to take when the Panthers are probably two years away from making any real noise in the league. That coincides perfectly with Versteeg's salary coming off the books.
It would be surprising if Tallon did not offer Olsen and/or Hayes. While a 3rd or 4th line RW is not hard to find on the market, a player with Hayes' size is. If he can be had for $1 million per, it should be a done deal.
Potentially strong two-way defensemen do not grow on trees, so it would be even more shocking if Tallon did not offer Olsen a contract to continue to grow within the organization. He has about 200 NHL games left to really come into his own, so the verdict is still out on the type of player he can be.
Kris Versteeg seems to have plateaued in terms of production, and at times seems disinterested in the game. Tallon likely agrees with this assessment, which is why Steeger is elsewhere.
As the Panthers continue to build towards the near future, certain players do and don't fit the culture Tallon is trying to create. Versteeg wasn't one of them. Olsen and Hayes should be given every opportunity to fill that void as well as others that will be created when some of the older players start to leave town.
Despite my criticism, Versteeg was always great with me in my meetings with him and I wish him and the Blackhawks nothing but the best.
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