off course here is a thought if you don't keep stamkos you can keep everyone else
- todd1a

Honostly I would consider trading Stammer to try and keep the Triplets and Hedman, but management is already set on extending him.

I think we are better off paying hedman big money over stamkos! hedman had a bigger impact on this team this season. you can always find good centers a #1 defenseman is almost impossible to find.

Honostly I would consider trading Stammer to try and keep the Triplets and Hedman, but management is already set on extending him.
- jvar17

I would Toronto has some new young toys i'd like to grab from them! now!

Ah, the hometown discount thing. Been through this possibility time and again following the Blackhawks. I actually do believe the hometown discounts exist depending on the player, but they are seldom as big as the fan base would like to believe and are seldom for altruistic, team-first reasons.

These are professional athletes. They have a limited amount of time to earn their salaries which in theory will support them and their dependents for the rest of their lives. They want their children to go to college, they want to take care of their parents for all of the sacrifice they have shown, and they may want to have a business of their own after their playing days are over. It's normal. They realize the uncertainty of injury and how their performance may be impacted down the road. And they also understand the ever changing landscape of who happens to have a good team any particular year in the NHL...it's fairly fluid.

Just like anyone else, they have to weigh the disadvantages of picking up roots and moving elsewhere against the benefits of a higher contract. They may have to sell a house they really like and find another. They may have a spouse who really likes it where she already lives. They have to take the kids out of school and away from their friends. Maybe they have to move farther away from parents. Climate factors. And let's not forget many players have established endorsement deals and charities in the city of their current team.

Everything has to be weighed, and I can understand why someone would choose to stay for ___ less than what another team may be offering. I know I would consider such factors. However, I believe it is just as likely this thinking plays as much or more of a role in any hometown discount as any allegiance to an organization. Not that there isn't a sense of loyalty for some, but it is a business after all.

I just think this is reality and hope I am not being cynical.

I think we are better off paying hedman big money over stamkos! hedman had a bigger impact on this team this season. you can always find good centers a #1 defenseman is almost impossible to find.
- todd1a

Agree that Hedman should be the guy you pay first. He is an elite monster.


Disagree that you can always find good centers. Chicago has been looking for a legitimate 2C for years. You have to be strong down the middle. How many guys can give you significant offensive upside along with the defensive responsibility the position demands? NHL teams know this and that's why truly good centers are difficult to find in my opinion.

Agree fully that #1 D are rare specimens.

The STAMKOS contract will destroy the team. Much better off being deep than having elite players at that cost. Chicago will also not win the cup again with those two contracts that kick in this year. Managers will soon see with these examples that it's better, although not popular, to trade these guys for multiple talented assets before the huge contract kicks in. Tampas window is the next two years.........after that, with STAMKOS, they are done.
- Bullot

So a Stamkos contract would help the Leafs?

Also the Hawks will win another cup before the Leafs.

Good blog.

I think it's time that cap casulty stopped being used in a negative context; under certain circumstances.

No successful team will be able to keep all it's players together - a salary cap reality.

What Chicago has done successfully is much more of a cap re-balance or re-allocation. The young players that have been part of the revolving door have partially come from players traded during their annual cap culls.

The cap re-allocation is a reality that every GM of a successful team needs to embrace.

Ah, the hometown discount thing. Been through this possibility time and again following the Blackhawks. I actually do believe the hometown discounts exist depending on the player, but they are seldom as big as the fan base would like to believe and are seldom for altruistic, team-first reasons.

These are professional athletes. They have a limited amount of time to earn their salaries which in theory will support them and their dependents for the rest of their lives. They want their children to go to college, they want to take care of their parents for all of the sacrifice they have shown, and they may want to have a business of their own after their playing days are over. It's normal. They realize the uncertainty of injury and how their performance may be impacted down the road. And they also understand the ever changing landscape of who happens to have a good team any particular year in the NHL...it's fairly fluid.

Just like anyone else, they have to weigh the disadvantages of picking up roots and moving elsewhere against the benefits of a higher contract. They may have to sell a house they really like and find another. They may have a spouse who really likes it where she already lives. They have to take the kids out of school and away from their friends. Maybe they have to move farther away from parents. Climate factors. And let's not forget many players have established endorsement deals and charities in the city of their current team.

Everything has to be weighed, and I can understand why someone would choose to stay for ___ less than what another team may be offering. I know I would consider such factors. However, I believe it is just as likely this thinking plays as much or more of a role in any hometown discount as any allegiance to an organization. Not that there isn't a sense of loyalty for some, but it is a business after all.

I just think this is reality and hope I am not being cynical.
- DoubleMinor

I heard repeatedly that Toews, Kane and Saad would take home town discount contracts, but it never happened.
If both leaders of the team showed the way first and signed for say 9 mil apiece,
Saad would have probably stayed for 5.

Good blog.

I think it's time that cap casulty stopped being used in a negative context; under certain circumstances.

No successful team will be able to keep all it's players together - a salary cap reality.

What Chicago has done successfully is much more of a cap re-balance or re-allocation. The young players that have been part of the revolving door have partially come from players traded during their annual cap culls.

The cap re-allocation is a reality that every GM of a successful team needs to embrace.
- Tumbleweed

This...and I might add, the fan base needs to embrace this as well.

This blog is only access-able though your twitter feed! Can't get to it through the hockeybuzz front page.

I heard repeatedly that Toews, Kane and Saad would take home town discount contracts, but it never happened.
If both leaders of the team showed the way first and signed for say 9 mil apiece,
Saad would have probably stayed for 5.
- StargateSG1

But then again...maybe Toews and Kane took 10.5 when they could've garnered $11.5 mil elsewhere? We just don't know.

I heard repeatedly that Toews, Kane and Saad would take home town discount contracts, but it never happened.
If both leaders of the team showed the way first and signed for say 9 mil apiece,
Saad would have probably stayed for 5.
- StargateSG1

Toews is one of the greediest players in the nhl. I lost all respect for him as a person during the lockout. I even traded him from my fantasy over his comments and I still do not like Chicago because of him. I know I am a minority but I like Kane way better.

But then again...maybe Toews and Kane took 10.5 when they could've garnered $11.5 mil elsewhere? We just don't know.
- DoubleMinor

But that defeats the purpose of the meaning of "Home town discount".
"Staying with the winner" and "Having qualified supporting personnel"
comes at the coast for leaders, who should lead by example.

Otherwise, you have the Penguins, with no depth and no prospects in the system to replace the departed.

I would Toronto has some new young toys i'd like to grab from them! now!
- todd1a

And the thing is, Stamkos would fetch ALOT back along with freeing up a lot of cap space if we did trade him.

But that defeats the purpose of the meaning of "Home town discount".
"Staying with the winner" and "Having qualified supporting personnel"
comes at the coast for leaders, who should lead by example.

Otherwise, you have the Penguins, with no depth and no prospects in the system to replace the departed.
- StargateSG1

I think we are saying the same thing here. In my previous post I outlined many reasons why a player would stay for less under the guise of a hometown discount. A player may choose to stay for less as much for familiarity and convenience as for allegiance to an organization.

Agree that Hedman should be the guy you pay first. He is an elite monster.


Disagree that you can always find good centers. Chicago has been looking for a legitimate 2C for years. You have to be strong down the middle. How many guys can give you significant offensive upside along with the defensive responsibility the position demands? NHL teams know this and that's why truly good centers are difficult to find in my opinion.

Agree fully that #1 D are rare specimens.
- DoubleMinor

to be fair we have Johnson, flipper and vladdy as centers is stamkos a winger or center now ?

This blog is only access-able though your twitter feed! Can't get to it through the hockeybuzz front page.
- Artyukhin76

pay eklund his money art lol

So a Stamkos contract would help the Leafs?

Also the Hawks will win another cup before the Leafs.
- gramps

Not much of a gamble based on current situation about the Leafs and Hawks.

but the Lightning will win another cup before the Hawks.

Hawks got a break with their cap stretching deals with Keith and Hossa.

Not much of a gamble based on current situation about the Leafs and Hawks.

but the Lightning will win another cup before the Hawks.

Hawks got a break with their cap stretching deals with Keith and Hossa.
- Leafsandbolts

It helped some teams but look at the Devils who started the trend with Kovy
who left after a couple of years.

Honostly I would consider trading Stammer to try and keep the Triplets and Hedman, but management is already set on extending him.
- jvar17

me too. why not take our medicine now? it will hurt our offense but maybe get in return 2 guys that equal stamkos or close to stamkos. If we trade stamkos it will taste like medicine but in the long run it could be a great move. am I kinda a right?

You dont give up #1 C who is a 50 goal scorer or your #1 d. Then you decide who else is your core. Fore me thatis Palat and Johnson. So Killorn or Kucherov are the likely two who might be salary cap casualties. I would never give up stamkos unless he wanted to be gone. I have always said the reason the triplets became what they did was because stamkos still put up the goals with a rotating wingers while the triplets jelled.

You dont give up #1 C who is a 50 goal scorer or your #1 d. Then you decide who else is your core. Fore me thatis Palat and Johnson. So Killorn or Kucherov are the likely two who might be salary cap casualties. I would never give up stamkos unless he wanted to be gone. I have always said the reason the triplets became what they did was because stamkos still put up the goals with a rotating wingers while the triplets jelled.
- stammerman

Just wondering if Kucherov will develop into a better player than Johnson down the road, he is three years younger and seems to have Datsyukina type skill. What do you Bolt fans have to say about this?

Just wondering if Kucherov will develop into a better player than Johnson down the road, he is three years younger and seems to have Datsyukina type skill. What do you Bolt fans have to say about this?
- flyerdude17

not sure but the johnson injury told me that johnson is the most important player on the line in the finals!

You dont give up #1 C who is a 50 goal scorer or your #1 d. Then you decide who else is your core. Fore me thatis Palat and Johnson. So Killorn or Kucherov are the likely two who might be salary cap casualties. I would never give up stamkos unless he wanted to be gone. I have always said the reason the triplets became what they did was because stamkos still put up the goals with a rotating wingers while the triplets jelled.
- stammerman

Plus the opposition must pick their poison when determining D pairings and whom their shutdown checking specialist will skate against. I think it's entirely possible that the Triplets benefitted from Stamkos drawing the tougher defenders during the season.

not sure but the johnson injury told me that johnson is the most important player on the line in the finals!
- todd1a

I really believe his injury handcuffed the Lightning more than most would realize against Chicago. Maybe as dramatic as the Roszival injury caused the Hawks to ice sub par defenseman outside of the top 4. This injury had a huge impact.