I wonder if there is a team that is looking for an Erik Karlsson but not at Karlsson's price tag, I would trade Gus for the right package. Don't know what that would be, but I think he can be bid up.

I wonder if there is a team that is looking for an Erik Karlsson but not at Karlsson's price tag, I would trade Gus for the right package. Don't know what that would be, but I think he can be bid up.

Is Seabs eligible for a buyout in the off season? If so, that has to be considered. I am a huge #7 fan, but he has clearly lost his game. Its that or totally change up the D zone coverage scheme to help him out.

I just think Perlini is lacking a high hockey IQ. Nice speed and shot, but is super inconsistent and makes questionable decisions out there. Reminds me of Stalberg.

Is Seabs eligible for a buyout in the off season? If so, that has to be considered. I am a huge #7 fan, but he has clearly lost his game. Its that or totally change up the D zone coverage scheme to help him out.
- z1990z

There is no cap relief if they buyout Seabs contract.

There is no cap relief if they buyout Seabs contract.
- LAHawk

Nice Write up Justin!!! I would explore trading Gust and forsling at the draft if no one bites hawks have Gust for one more year and lets see if he can duplicate what he has done this year or is this year a mirage. Sign Perlini to a 1 or 2 year contract no more than 1.2 million per year. Justin what would be the asking price on Gust in your opinion? Need 2 vet defense man brought in via trade or free agency, 3rd line 200ft center, trade kampf to tampa for paquette tampa probably won't be able to sign him I not as high on Kampf as others are to me he is a depth forward nothing special. Get Hayden in the mix more often next year yes it would a prove it year for him does he need to be more consistent yes but its hard to do that when u are hardly playing.
Last Bowman should and I have said it before looking at teams that will experience cap hell this coming offseason. Vegas Anahiem San Jose Washington Edmonton Winnipeg Tamapa.

Is Seabs eligible for a buyout in the off season? If so, that has to be considered. I am a huge #7 fan, but he has clearly lost his game. Its that or totally change up the D zone coverage scheme to help him out.
- z1990z

Seabs' cap hit going forward if bought out, courtesy of cap friendly.

https://www.capfriendly.c...brent-seabrook/2019-06-15

Seabs' cap hit going forward if bought out, courtesy of cap friendly.

https://www.capfriendly.c...brent-seabrook/2019-06-15
- boilermaker100

Not sure if the link works properly. If this gets you to the cap friendly buyout calculator home page, select Chicago as the team, then click on Seabrook. His buyout figures will be appear on the far right column. Note a small cap hit extending several years after his contract ends.

Kampf out for tonight's game due to Facial/Dental injury per Hawk tweet..did he loose teeth or get his jaw broken against the Kings?

Nice Write up Justin!!! I would explore trading Gust and forsling at the draft if no one bites hawks have Gust for one more year and lets see if he can duplicate what he has done this year or is this year a mirage. Sign Perlini to a 1 or 2 year contract no more than 1.2 million per year. Justin what would be the asking price on Gust in your opinion? Need 2 vet defense man brought in via trade or free agency, 3rd line 200ft center, trade kampf to tampa for paquette tampa probably won't be able to sign him I not as high on Kampf as others are to me he is a depth forward nothing special. Get Hayden in the mix more often next year yes it would a prove it year for him does he need to be more consistent yes but its hard to do that when u are hardly playing.
Last Bowman should and I have said it before looking at teams that will experience cap hell this coming offseason. Vegas Anahiem San Jose Washington Edmonton Winnipeg Tamapa.
- Scott1977

Gustaffson leaves you in a bit of a catch-22. At his current deal and his level of scoring his is a bargain, defense be damned, just on the basis of the points he is putting up. Does his offensive ability make him a top 4 defenseman though? Can he at 28 years old still improve his defense enough to warrant re-signing him to a larger contract? If his defense does not improve over the marginal improvements he has made the last month or so (improvements or Crawford masking deficiencies again?), can you afford to pay $5mil to essentially a 5th-6th d-man who is a PP specialist. Can any of the youngsters in the system provide the same offensive upside that Gus does at a far smaller cost while still having the possibility of a higher defensive upside.

It is easy to pine for a vet top 4 dman, the reality of actually being able to find one at a reasonable cost is much more difficult. Look at the current roster and understand the problem. Keith isn't a Norris quality d-man anymore, but he can arguably still be considered a top pairing D, and his cap hit is low for a top pairing guy at $5.5mil. Murphy has a reasonable hit at $3.85 for a top 4 guy. Gus is a steal based on his offensive production at $1.2. Koekkoek, Forsling and Dahlstrom are all sub $1mil deals. Seabrook who has had some better games the last month is still basically a 7th d-man/veteran presence who is being paid 1st pairing money. Signs point to him just being done. I don't think he has a Toewsian bounce back year in him. The speed of the league has left him in the dust. He was never a great skater, and age has taken away a step (or more). His game now is standing in the crease trying to block shots, or sliding on his belly trying to break up passes. He gets beat regularly wide (his 3 penalties the other night were because he just can't keep up and has to reach) and never wins a race to a 50/50 puck. The 3 young guys afford you the ability to swallow Seabrooks salary. Adding a vet D-man who provides you more than any of those 3 costs you $4-6 million most likely. Adding 2 - vet d-men means you then need to slide more minimum contracts into the forward and/or goalie side of the equation.

Fitting in a Paquette along with 2 vet d-men is most likely just not doable under the Cap. Maybe you can do it for 1 year while Gus, ADB and Strome are still on ELC's but then there are a whole lot of tough decisions to make. There needs to be some type of long term plan, not just chasing it from year to year.

I wonder if there is a team that is looking for an Erik Karlsson but not at Karlsson's price tag, I would trade Gus for the right package. Don't know what that would be, but I think he can be bid up.
- LAHawk

Great thought. Hawks should be in communication with every team willing to bid on Karlsson's services. Gus at his cap hit next year and likely at a very affordable tag could net a nice package coming back.

Big John Hayden fan here.

Hope he stays with the Hawks, but I'm wondering if he's a guy they'll move.

I just think Perlini is lacking a high hockey IQ. Nice speed and shot, but is super inconsistent and makes questionable decisions out there. Reminds me of Stalberg.
- Boisy12

Bingo. He does seem to lack the awareness on the ice that great players have.

Gustaffson leaves you in a bit of a catch-22. At his current deal and his level of scoring his is a bargain, defense be damned, just on the basis of the points he is putting up. Does his offensive ability make him a top 4 defenseman though? Can he at 28 years old still improve his defense enough to warrant re-signing him to a larger contract? If his defense does not improve over the marginal improvements he has made the last month or so (improvements or Crawford masking deficiencies again?), can you afford to pay $5mil to essentially a 5th-6th d-man who is a PP specialist. Can any of the youngsters in the system provide the same offensive upside that Gus does at a far smaller cost while still having the possibility of a higher defensive upside.

It is easy to pine for a vet top 4 dman, the reality of actually being able to find one at a reasonable cost is much more difficult. Look at the current roster and understand the problem. Keith isn't a Norris quality d-man anymore, but he can arguably still be considered a top pairing D, and his cap hit is low for a top pairing guy at $5.5mil. Murphy has a reasonable hit at $3.85 for a top 4 guy. Gus is a steal based on his offensive production at $1.2. Koekkoek, Forsling and Dahlstrom are all sub $1mil deals. Seabrook who has had some better games the last month is still basically a 7th d-man/veteran presence who is being paid 1st pairing money. Signs point to him just being done. I don't think he has a Toewsian bounce back year in him. The speed of the league has left him in the dust. He was never a great skater, and age has taken away a step (or more). His game now is standing in the crease trying to block shots, or sliding on his belly trying to break up passes. He gets beat regularly wide (his 3 penalties the other night were because he just can't keep up and has to reach) and never wins a race to a 50/50 puck. The 3 young guys afford you the ability to swallow Seabrooks salary. Adding a vet D-man who provides you more than any of those 3 costs you $4-6 million most likely. Adding 2 - vet d-men means you then need to slide more minimum contracts into the forward and/or goalie side of the equation.

Fitting in a Paquette along with 2 vet d-men is most likely just not doable under the Cap. Maybe you can do it for 1 year while Gus, ADB and Strome are still on ELC's but then there are a whole lot of tough decisions to make. There needs to be some type of long term plan, not just chasing it from year to year.
- TheTrob

Good post. I think Gus is a telling situation, given his contract and odd skill set. How they deal with him will tells us things about when they feel they'll be good again and what they really think of the kids. If the keep him, especially with an extension, it could mean they see a shorter return to relevance. Could also mean the kids aren't too close. Trade him this summer or at the TDL, maybe it is a longer trip back to relevance and/or the kids are coming sooner.

Is Seabs eligible for a buyout in the off season? If so, that has to be considered. I am a huge #7 fan, but he has clearly lost his game. Its that or totally change up the D zone coverage scheme to help him out.
- z1990z

Far too much time and angst worrying about Brent Seabrook.

He is not going to retire voluntarily, the Hawks are not going to buy him out and they can't trade him unless they take back guys like Phaneuf, Lucic or one of the turtles on the Ducks and then throw in something else to compensate for contarct term differences.

So, #7 stays on the roster and becomes the 7th or 8th defenceman and plays occasional games as an injury or 'load management' fill in. And then we can complain about that.

From the last blog:

In response to Breadman's question, not sure exactly what the options are now that Olofsson was released from his ATO. The Hawks still own his rights to do whatever they want with it until it expires so guessing he could still get signed to an NHL or AHL deal.

In response to jhawk's question, not sure if Carlsson was injured or sick. He played the entire game on Saturday night and was on the D pair that ended that game so he may have been just a healthy scratch in last night's game.
- AEL_Fox

Thanks. I just thought it was weird to hear, and then would be even weirder if he signs his elc.

Justin, why would you entertain trading Murphy? He is the best of that bunch of defenseman, and the only one that fits top 4 on playoff teams.

Thanks for the updates TC.

I think for Schmaltz, it is good. The Hawks wanted him to be a Center, but it wasn't clicking and they knew they needed to find another option that could play 2C. Strome has fit the bill. The D will need to evolve further and the Seabrook contract will continue to be a thorn. With Murphy being the Hawks best defensive dman now, it would be hard to see him go if they need to make room. The defensive progress of the blueline has been promising, but the PK needs to find an answer.

Glad to see the goaltending situation where it is. I don't think we'll see Ward or similar back for next season. I think the team will use that money elsewhere and it will be Deila/Forberg to battle for the backup job. I think that unless he falls off a cliff, Crawford will likely be resigned for a reasonable 3-4 mil deal after this one expires. I don't think he can command the big payday with his last couple seasons, but I do think he stays with the Hawks for a few more years.

Justin, why would you entertain trading Murphy? He is the best of that bunch of defenseman, and the only one that fits top 4 on playoff teams.
- vshun

What would be the point of trading him at this moment?

Stan knows his seat is getting warmer by the day,another missed playoff season next year, I bet he’s looking for a job.
I don’t think he will bring back most of the same defense corps , if he is smart he will sell high and trade Gus, I stated before, let him get his five to $6 million a year from someone else. His lackadaisical aloof attitude in the defensive zone outweighs what he puts up the points. He basically plays a beer league style of hockey. a veteran head coach like Trotz for example,would not put up with it. Also if we have a couple of kids that are close to making the teams they can serve the same purpose with offensive skill sets. Bowman has to make significant upgrades to defenseman in the off-season before he goes and throws silly money at Panerin.

Good post. I think Gus is a telling situation, given his contract and odd skill set. How they deal with him will tells us things about when they feel they'll be good again and what they really think of the kids. If the keep him, especially with an extension, it could mean they see a shorter return to relevance. Could also mean the kids aren't too close. Trade him this summer or at the TDL, maybe it is a longer trip back to relevance and/or the kids are coming sooner.
- mohel

I agree. Keeping him right now helps the team, but they could get some younger parts or picks if they move him, signalling a longer term play. It could be that they will move him since they can sell high and maybe expect Joki or someone to take a bigger role. I think Forsling was in a position to impress and make Gus more expendable if he could get his game together. The guy has the tools and shot to be effective.

Stan knows his seat is getting warmer by the day,another missed playoff season next year, I bet he’s looking for a job.
I don’t think he will bring back most of the same defense corps , if he is smart he will sell high and trade Gus, I stated before, let him get his five to $6 million a year from someone else. His lackadaisical aloof attitude in the defensive zone outweighs what he puts up the points. He basically plays a beer league style of hockey. a veteran head coach like Trotz for example,would not put up with it. Also if we have a couple of kids that are close to making the teams they can serve the same purpose with offensive skill sets. Bowman has to make significant upgrades to defenseman in the off-season before he goes and throws silly money at Panerin.
- wonthecup10

My guess is Bowman will have some slack from Management for the way he manaouvered the team around after being in cap hell in 2010 and still able to chalk up two more championships. In most cases posters can't really define what he's done wrong. I look at the Seabrook signing as the only terrible mistake he has made. I didn't care for him giving Danault away for rentals they never used but it can be argued he did that to try to bolster the lineup for the playoffs. All the other "bad" trades were done to circumvent the cap or to try to keep the championship window open. The Caggulia and Strome/Perlini trades were genius even though it hid a terrible Manning signing. I could be wrong but I think Bowman still has some time left in Chicago.

A move that could work with Gus is trading him to a cap strapped team. His salary is low and he is capable of playing a lot of minutes.

Trade him and another player that is low cost, i.e. Hayden to Vegas for Mcnabb, Clarkson who is on LTIR, and a top prospect, i.e. Cody Glass or a #1 pick. Saves Vegas about 6 million in cap space and gets us a better Dman and a pick or prospect. Clarkson is off LTIR after next year so doesn't hurt when Cat and Strome come up for contracts.

My guess is Bowman will have some slack from Management for the way he manaouvered the team around after being in cap hell in 2010 and still able to chalk up two more championships. In most cases posters can't really define what he's done wrong. I look at the Seabrook signing as the only terrible mistake he has made. I didn't care for him giving Danault away for rentals they never used but it can be argued he did that to try to bolster the lineup for the playoffs. All the other "bad" trades were done to circumvent the cap or to try to keep the championship window open. The Caggulia and Strome/Perlini trades were genius even though it hid a terrible Manning signing. I could be wrong but I think Bowman still has some time left in Chicago.
- paulr

Agreed. There's been a board meme for years that the Hawks front office is often hamstrung because of a collaborative decision making process (said in Canadian to be inclusive). If true, they're all operating from the same playbook. Imo, this gives Stan time, in addition to the reasons you give.