On Gus - perhaps, earlier in the process, Stan could have gotten more - a couple of seconds, a 2nd and a fourth.... - but (as I've said here before) I see Gus as a "one-hit-wonder" - one productive offensive season in a pro career that goes back now 20 years, including Sweden and Rockford, with known defensive issues. If he's supposedly good at running the PP, how come the Blackhawk PP is so bad?

Lehner - as you say, who knows what the real story is? The rumors go from his side offering to sign a 3-year deal with the Hawks, to wanting big dollars / big term without any compromise, to wanting $7/7 with only 3 years on a NMC/NTC....One question I have is how come the Isles weren't willing to give him the term he wanted last summer - and apparently, no other team was willing to commit last summer? A Vezina finalist should have gotten closer to what he wanted than that.

Unfortunately, there was no market for goalies this TDL - I don't think any changed teams other than Lehner and Subban - and Lehner's contract demands (which he made well-known over the past several months) may have contributed to the lack of an competitive market for him.

So - with all of that - I gave Stan a solid "B" for his TDL results - he didn't do anything that he wasn't expected to do, but he also did accomplish what he set out to (altho he seems to have over-estimated what the return would be) and the return was as expected.
- StLBravesFan

Alec Martinez got two 2nds, I believe. Would you rather pay that price for him, or Gus?

The margin between playoff team and one that Just misses isn’t that big. Just look at the standings and you’ll see a Hawk team that even after that woeful road trip isn’t completely eliminated from contention.

I think the only team with that current honor is the Wings.

Now if you’re talking about contending or a legit contender like the Hawks were every year during their run say maybe with the exceptions of the two years following the 2010 Cup...that’s a different story.

With some growth from some of the young players and the continued retooling/reshaping of the roster they could be back in the playoffs possibly even next season, but not likely contending for at least 2-3 more.

You keep pointing to them having no high end forward prospects on the the farm. It’s because they are up and playing. I would think the next couple drafts that that will likely be the focus but hoping they always take BPA whether it’s a fwd or dman.
- HawkintheD

If a couple of players revert to THEIR mean in a positive way, the Hawks could have sufficient top-6 / top 9 talent in Chicago next season: Toews, Kubalik, Kane, Saad, AdB, Strome, Dach, perhaps Nylander (a big "perhaps"), Caggiula for the third line....

Not excessive, not deep, still work to do - but a lot of this teams near-term future depends on AdB and Strome returning to last year's form, Dach continuing to improve.

I can tell you the Canes weren't interested in giving up assets for a rental goalie who turned them down last summer and is more likely than not to do the same this one.
- BINGO!

that is the consensus view and it makes alot of sense...

The return for Gus was fair, we all know his limitations and he's not the type of d-man teams seek out because he'll put them over the top. Gus will be on the 3rd unit playing protected minutes and PP time.

I don't think the return for Lehner was bad, I don't think we can expect much more for a rental goalie. My issue is that the Hawks didn't re-sign him. We'll never know what the contract demands on either side will be, but I have to believe there was a reasonable option available. I don't believe the "3 year deal" story nor do I think Lehner wanted a crazy long term deal.

My only hope is that there is a plan to acquire a solid young goalie to play behind Crawford for a couple years then take over the reigns (i.e. Ilya Sorokin).

Ty-Cam,

Maybe the other defensemen went earlier because the buyers wanted them more than Gus? Other teams are at least as good as internet posters in the area of talent evaluation.

On Lehner.....Colorado and Carolina had the need and the assets to easily outbid Vegas. Yet they chose not to. Why?
- mohel

Carolina - late on the clock - got Skjei for a 1st. They certainly could have had Gus for a 1st. They didn't bite.

Gus... Meh
Lehner … a lot of questions. How was he fitting into the locker room and with the core and the coaching staff? What was he really asking for in dollars and term? When it looked like he was being traded did he lower his demands for $ and term? Were other teams allowed to talk to his agent about a new contract. When they heard his salary and term expectations and evaluated their chance of re-signing him plus what they would have to give up to get him did they walk away? Is he a true rental for Vegas? (I do not see him signing there.) Having said that I am ok with the 2nd round pick and retaining part of his salary. Vegas probably forced them to take Subban. Unless he plays a few games at a high level I do not see the Hawks re-signing Subban. They can waive him and send him to Rockford if they want to take a look at Lankinen and/or Delia. Personally I would like to see Lankinen play 3 or 4 games this year. Demin is another depth dman. If he makes it great. If not no big deal. It would have been nice to get a depth forward prospect instead of dman. Let's hope Demin is like Caggiula or Kubalik (an under the radar move that pays off).

It would have been nice to move Maatta for a 3rd round pick to clear additional cap space. Maybe they do that before the draft.

I can tell you the Canes weren't interested in giving up assets for a rental goalie who turned them down last summer and is more likely than not to do the same this one.
- BINGO!

Exactly. I'm sure Colorado had similar thoughts. At the end of the day, Colorado and Carolina chose not to outbid Vegas. Some want to blame Stan for that, which seems highly illogical....

I wouldn't be surprised if Lehner ends up back with the Hawks next year. Where else is he going to go to get close to what he wants in dollars and in term? I am sure he doesn't want a 1 or a 2 year deal, and he certainly does not want to be in a 1A, 1B situation next year. I really don't see him signing back with Ottawa and or Buffalo, 2 teams that can use a #1, so where else would he go? Plus you are going to have Holtby out there, I believe Markstrom is going to sign back with Vancouver, and if he doesn't it is because they can't make the numbers work, would Lehner take less than what Markstrom wants?
- LAHawk

I will have more on all of this when I have a goaltender breakdown.

Right now, reading between the lines and based on what I've heard, I don't anticipate Lehner being back.

Then again, things change... some of those changes might be in the Hawks front office. That could surely change some things.

hawks have 46 million in 6 players: toews, kane, seab, keith, adb and saad next year..

that leaves about 38 mil for 17 players = 2.3 mil per

shaw on ltir and possibly moving smith or matta gives them some additional flex

So after Bowman gives these players raises, ADB's new contract kicks in, and Bowman gives Crawford essentially what he is getting now, we end up with the same team next year. Scary!
- 67hawks

Maybe that is a sign to rebuild...maybe we should not resist fate and enjoy the top draft pick like we did in '06 and '07 when we drafted Toews and Kane.

Carolina - late on the clock - got Skjei for a 1st. They certainly could have had Gus for a 1st. They didn't bite.
- StLBravesFan

Indeed. Coulda had Gus for a 2nd and saved their 1st. Still didn't bite.

I will have more on all of this when I have a goaltender breakdown.

Right now, reading between the lines and based on what I've heard, I don't anticipate Lehner being back.

Then again, things change... some of those changes might be in the Hawks front office. That could surely change some things.
- Tyler Cameron

if lehenr is right (a big IF) that stanbow did not even offer a contract...not happening this summer either...

Maybe that is a sign to rebuild...maybe we should not resist fate and enjoy the top draft pick like we did in '06 and '07 when we drafted Toews and Kane.
- catrisc

the hawk brass does not see it that way...they will continue with with tinkering around the edges...

Stan Bowman just on WSCR sports radio Chicago. As usual he played things close to the vest and didn't reveal anything earth shattering.

Said he accomplished what he wanted to do by moving 2 UFA's, wouldn't comment on the details of the Lehner negotiations, hasn't written off the season since the team may go on a hot steak and make the playoffs, has some ideas who the #1 goalie will be next season (didn't name names), is trying to balance the short term and long term goals of the organization (whatever that means), wouldn't comment on whether his contract was extended last summer, likes the job Colliton is doing, hasn't approached "directly" the players with NMC's.

I'm looking for a link to the podcast. I'll post if I can find it.

Maybe that is a sign to rebuild...maybe we should not resist fate and enjoy the top draft pick like we did in '06 and '07 when we drafted Toews and Kane.
- catrisc

Here is a sign of a rebuild... The Hawks have 11 players on their NHL roster 25 or younger. Mitchell is 21 and probably will sign and be on their roster next year. We will have a top 10 pick this year.

the hawk brass does not see it that way...they will continue with with tinkering around the edges...
- bogiedoc

That could be. We'll see what happens this summer with guys like Saad and Maatta.

Ty-Cam,

Maybe the other defensemen went earlier because the buyers wanted them more than Gus? Other teams are at least as good as internet posters in the area of talent evaluation.

On Lehner.....Colorado and Carolina had the need and the assets to easily outbid Vegas. Yet they chose not to. Why?
- mohel

Great points.

Heck, I like a lot of those defencemnen more than Gus. ha.

Carolina apparently didn't offer much because they got the news that Mrazek and/or Reimer will be back in a couple weeks. They better hope so because they are counting on Anton Forsberg and Nedeljkovic to help them get into a playoff position in a pivotal time.

I really thought there was something there with CAR and it looked like the unfortunate injury news was a strike of luck for Stan.

Thought the Hawks would entertain taking on James Reimer while eating 50% of Lehner to make the $$ work for CAR.

In return a late 1st rounder or a 2nd rd and a higher end prospect would been ideal in my opinion.

GM Waddall did not see it the way I did. That's why he's an NHL GM I guess and I'm not.

I dunno if I knew what the market was on Gus except for the fact he didn't carry lots of salary.

I guess I could gam on the options of the athletic talking heads, Lazuras and Powers, but I honestly think think they have about as much insider understanding as all of us here.

At one point earlier in this season I convinced myself Gus was just what a playoff team would need.

I did feel that teams were going to be less interested in letting their first rounders carelessly go elsewhere for Gus to play a less than solid all-around game for them, but add attacking moxie.

I did notice that the bigger heavier playing defenders went first, because playoffs might be a marathon where you win with backline attrition.

Lehner is a greater unknown and for the life of me, I never thought he would be traded to be the backup to Fleury.

Athletic joins the ranks of the gossip rag locl newspaper scribes (which they were before the joined the Athletic) with this rumored below:

So, StanBo tried to take Carolina to lunch by asking for 2 #1s....

Honestly, there is no way, if I was a journalist I could "report" this gossip, because of the past returns at the deadline for any position...did the athletic boys hear that from the Carolina side b/c I just don't see the idea or the leak.

Carolina was all in, but they decide that Brady Skjel, Sami Vatanen, and Vince Trochek get them there and the goal will take care of itself?

So, Don Waddell changed to where he wanted to send the first rounder that was burning hole in his suit, and Lehner was no longer worthy?
(More likely he never was after the summer rejection Lehner's representation gave Waddell.)

Or maybe he was never worthy after his play in the last stretch, his contract demands, or that he is clearly a rental that they weren't gonna sign long term?

The allure of a signed long term defender (Brady Skjel) who is not long in the tooth (25) and locked in until the end 2024 at a very reasonable $ 5,250,000 is a longer term move albeit maybe a risky one, but the loss of the Hurricanes own first rounder via a trade like this seems more cost certain than taking a tire kick of Lehner or Gus.

I am just saying.
Me thinks Lehner was clear he wants to get paid, would take less (than what the possible overpay?) to stay with the SS Blackhawk re-launch.

The draft is about having the chance to be right on these young kids in the later rounds, and by retaining that 1.1 Mil of Lehner's current deal the Hawks allowed Vegas to get a solid backup and relief guy in exchange for the Penquin's 3rd rounder, and a young college defender in Californian Slava Demin, who I am sure they have seen a lot of while visiting Ian Mitchel.
Demin plays big has good feet and there is the at least another year that he can improve his game to where he looks like a guy who might be a pro player, or not.

Subban was a helpful space clear withe the 1.1 mil to get the 3rd rounder.

I dunno...I don't know what other real alternative offers where there, just that like StanBo if I see there is limited alternatives< I try and work the most I can from Vegas who are clearly looking at now after firing their Gallant coach and feeling neervous that their window is only now.

Maybe it works out these minor adds, b ut I dont be grudge StanBo for making the deals...if he had been unable to get n nothing done, then I would start to worry that he is out of his depth in the personal arena.

Maybe as an oldster, that was a fan of all those weak Hawks teams where management wasn't going to extend guys at a market rate, let alone get more quality adds, that heard the front office post trade deadline year after year say, "We tried, but..."

This at least qualifies as a try....


because right now I see4 the Hawks getting Theo Rochette a really good Quebec Junior League centre with Pittsburg pick, and withe big Finn defender, Joni Jurmo with their third rounder, Russian wing Bogdan Trineev, who was a revelation at the Five nations Tourney, where this big winger displayed much improved feet and and oversall skills, or if it is Edmonton's current slot, USA-NDT forward Dylan Peterson.
https://www.draftsite.com/nhl/mock-draft/2020/

Indeed. Coulda had Gus for a 2nd and saved their 1st. Still didn't bite.
- mohel

Skjei is signed for 4 more years after this season and is 25 years old, rather than a 27 year old pending UFA.

A breakdown of Malcolm Subban:

https://www.secondcityhoc...TfkdX2KlhZY5YjUELkx2ElgoA

Stan Bowman just on WSCR sports radio Chicago. As usual he played things close to the vest and didn't reveal anything earth shattering.

Said he accomplished what he wanted to do by moving 2 UFA's, wouldn't comment on the details of the Lehner negotiations, hasn't written off the season since the team may go on a hot steak and make the playoffs, has some ideas who the #1 goalie will be next season (didn't name names), is trying to balance the short term and long term goals of the organization (whatever that means), wouldn't comment on whether his contract was extended last summer, likes the job Colliton is doing, hasn't approached "directly" the players with NMC's.

I'm looking for a link to the podcast. I'll post if I can find it.
- boilermaker100

I believe this translates to "Rocky and McD said they need to be able to sell tickets in the rebuild".

FWIW, I wouldn't go that route.... Rip off the Band-Aid.

Flames.

Avalanche, Hurricanes, maybe somebody else like Maple Leafs can possibly make space for him, if they believe he’s the man to help them make the next step.
- stonefire

If the Avalanche didn't want him now, why would they want him in the offseason. They just re-upped Francouz and have Gurbauer, they seem happy with that tandem.

Carolina has cap space problems, they only have $8 mil. in cap space to sign 6 players. Plus the AHL goalie that starts with an N is their future #1.

Toronto would have to trade Anderson to even think about Lehner. That could possibly happen, but they have to find 4 more quality NHL defenseman with what little cap space they have before they can think about adding money for goaltending.

If a team is going to spend big money for a goalie, I would think they would be going after Holtby first.

San Jose could sure use a goalie, but talk about cap hell, and who is going to take 4 more years of Martin Jones at $5.75 mil/per.

Calgary might be a stop but first they only have 2 NHL defenseman signed next year, and they do have Riitich on the cheap.

I just don't see who is going to pay Lehner big bucks for term. Maybe he thought he had the Hawks over the barrel, he might be a late FA signing on a short term contract again next year.

Skjei is signed for 4 more years after this season and is 25 years old, rather than a 27 year old pending UFA.
- BINGO!

I wasn't blaming Carolina, I wouldn't take Gus if my whole blue line was wiped out by Ebola.

I will have more on all of this when I have a goaltender breakdown.

Right now, reading between the lines and based on what I've heard, I don't anticipate Lehner being back.

Then again, things change... some of those changes might be in the Hawks front office. That could surely change some things.
- Tyler Cameron

I certainly look forward to this post!!
I'll say here the only hockey mountain McDonough has left to climb would be as a NHL-wide position as a promoter, and the league really, really needs this.

Lehner played the same game last summer when he signed in Chicago. The Isles supposedly screwed him over by not coming back to him when he wanted to think about their offer. He loved the Isles fans and his teammates there too. Yesterday, he was willing to take less to stay in Chicago at a three year term, loved the fans and his teammates here too. Thought he did a great job here, but honestly we probably will never know exactly who is telling the truth, but this is kind of becoming a theme with Lehner. Management is always to blame and he loves his teammates and the fans in the cities he plays for. The same great guy that routinely blasted teammates is not perfectly innocent is my opinion in the Isles' and Hawks' situations.