I'd call that an undefined, inconsistent, uncommitted failed strategy linked to the uncertainty of the pandemic, no fans in the stands and very few other leagues/places to play a lot of these kids at their level. i.e. no chance to win, especially in the division they were put in.

Bowman did bring in vets like Janmark, Soderburg, Walmark, Zadorov, Pirri to go with Keith, de Haan, Seabrook, Shaw, Carpenter and it went south in a hurry without Toews and Dach.

To me Bowman is a GM who has a big hand in ruining young players, he just can't wait to put his draftees in an NHL uniform. I never liked Boqvist much but I wish him well and hope he can avoid bad injuries going forward. Noah Dobson was there for the taking and Trotz is turning him into a real defenceman who will probably play 12-15 years in the league.
- RickJ

Good post adding context that can get lost in a whole NHL season. I enjoyed reading until you got to Dobson something I just can't let go, especially Boqvist being the one taken instead.... I know the Hawks worship at the speed/skill alter to their graves but what is not to like about a 6ft 5in 225 lb kid who has 4 directional skating, plays all 3 zones and puts up 70+ points as a Dman in Major Junior?????

No deal would have been better than the last two deals. Pretty certain that option was available.
- Ogilthorpe2

Actually, Stan is at his best when he does nothing....

https://ontapsportsnet.com/2021/07/27/why-the-fleury-trade-makes-little-sense-overall-for-the-blackhawks/
- gazza53

Thanks for the link, 53. Not a damn thing I can disagree with and simply another example of StanBow unable to use his leverage and putting on display his poor risk management.


Given the circumstances of the situation at hand, this move is honestly puzzling. If Fleury was committed to playing in Chicago then this move is nice. I won’t lie, taking cap space for nothing is a loss by Bowman in my book. Again, check the Coyotes’ blue print and you’ll understand my frustration with Bowman’s lack of fleecing. He could have taken some type of asset in addition to Fleury to give the Golden Knights the cap space they wanted. Instead, he says “thanks” and kept it moving.

Throw in the idea that Fleury is now thinking about retirement and I don’t understand it. Why waste the time and effort when a player such as Darcy Kuemper is available to trade for? Certainty in free agency is nice, especially when you have objectives you’d like to accomplish. If Fleury’s decision doesn’t come quickly, any free agents the Blackhawks potentially wanted to add could be gone. Combine that with the possibility that the only “additions” they make are their own restricted free agents and you have a disaster. You have a Blackhawks roster that is not much better than it was last season. In fact, the only significant differences are a healthy Kirby Dach, Jonathan Toews, and Seth Jones in place of Duncan Keith. Yes, on paper that looks great, but this team has more holes than those three moves address.

Stan Bowman, you confuse the hell out of me sometimes. That said, it will be really interesting to see how this Fleury situation unfolds. At least we can call the future Hall of Famer a Blackhawks legend now, right?

There's a rule in Section 64 of the current NHL CBA MOU that allows players 35 years plus who are signed to contracts after 2012 to not count against the cap if they retire.

Fleury signed his latest 3-year contract at 35 in 2019. Crawford did the same.
- Popsghostly

Section 64 has nothing to do with players with a 35+ contact retiring.

Also, he signed his current deal on July 13,2018 - when he was 33.

He's definitely all over the map and that has me thinking he's definitely up to no good 😂.
Hope you are doing good bread
- BGKarras

I'm fine. Hope you & your family are well.

The Pens will throw in a vegamite sammich.
- mohel

And a new cot, many here liked it better when he was snoozing.

Look on the bright side, now Stan has no money to over spend on FA's

And really, when you think about it, other than Hossa, and maybe a few other instances, have very many high dollar FA's worked out in any sport?

Look on the bright side, now Stan has no money to over spend on FA's

And really, when you think about it, other than Hossa, and maybe a few other instances, have very many high dollar FA's worked out in any sport?
- vabeachbear

In Chicago, Hossa and Lester.

Section 64 has nothing to do with players with a 35+ contact retiring.

Also, he signed his current deal on July 13,2018 - when he was 33.
- Tanuki

Tanuki, it does, but I miscalculated his age as being 35 at the time of signing (I just looked at 2019-1984= 35). Back to application to contracts signed at age 35+:

Section 64 of CBA MOU is the rule that applies to salaries of those players 35+ for cap counting,

35+ Year Old Rule for Cap Counting

"CBA §50.5(d)(i)(B)(5) shall have no application to a multi-year SPC that has: (1) total compensation (Player Salary and Bonuses) that is either the same as or increases from one League Year to the immediately subsequent League Year, and (2) a Signing Bonus, if any, that is payable in the first year of the SPC only."

An SPC is defined as a standard player contract.

Section 50.5 (d)(i)(B) of the CBA covers the calculation of salaries towards the cap in

"(B) From the day following the last day of Training Camp until and
including June 30 of each League Year, "Averaged Club Salary"
for each Club shall be calculated as the sum of the following
amounts:"

Part of the calculation of cap amounts is (B)(5) below, which in sum, is salaries of players signed to SPCs when 35 or older.

If you go to 50.5(d)(i)(B)(5) of the CBA, it states,

"(5) All Player Salary and Bonuses earned in a League Year by
a Player who is in the second or later year of a multi-year SPC
which was signed when the Player was age 35 or older
(as of June 30 prior to the League Year in which the SPC is
to be effective), but which Player is not on the Club's
Active Roster, Injured Reserve, Injured Non-Roster or
Non-Roster, and regardless of whether, or where, the
Player is playing, except to the extent the Player is playing
under his SPC in the minor leagues, in which case only the
Player Salary and Bonuses in excess of $100,000 shall
count towards the calculation of Averaged Club Salary;"

The CBA MOU modifies the CBA wording above so that a player that has retired, i.e., "not on the Club's Active Roster" to not be part of the calculation of the Averaged Club Salary, which is the salary cap amount for the year.

and I have no interest in doing the Wscr
- wiz1901

Wrong Score. The sports news app, not the radio station.

https://www.thescore.com/...snt-want-to-play-for-them

Sorry Mate, you don’t know Ogi. There isn’t a cuisine on this earth that Ogi doesn’t make and make better than anyone, just ask him.
- paulr

Made a fabulous Thai Green Curry for lunch today. Then I flew an airplane. Did you know I could do that?

Made a fabulous Thai Green Curry for lunch today. Then I flew an airplane. Did you know I could do that?
- Ogilthorpe2

Never post & fly, especially after recent Bowman activity

I haven't posted here since . . . , well, it has been a long time. Maybe after the 2015 Cup win. Anyway, nice to know you're still here chiming in--I remember you from the Sassone/Daily Herald days. Always appreciate your opinion (and agree more often than not).

I think I am with you re. Fleury. I don't get all the anger. I can't say I really liked the Seth Jones trade, but now that it's done--and (apparently) the exact nature of the "rebuild" seems to have taken on a different look than a year ago, when they told Crawford they weren't interested and left Toews depressed and ill--so what? Why not Fleury for one year?

The team is full of fourth-line forwards and soft players like Nylander (and Suter)--they'll put a patchwork team together like they've been doing and be cap compliant.

And I am sure there will be some Ken Yaremchuks and Tyler Arnason's on the cusp of greatness in the system. And if Colliton stumbles, I am sure there is an Alpo Suhonen out there.

They might surprise us and be competitive--who knows?
- Al Secord

good to see you back!!!

Glad some of the older guard are coming back to post....always great to read your insight and I can't say I disagree....I am just not as down as the last 2 moves as so many other people...

Just a guy.

Here’s a question….

How many times last year did we say to ourselves “damn, if only this team had a goalie they could count on, then maybe they’d have a chance”?

We didn’t. Most people were pleasantly surprised At how well the goaltending held up under overwhelming fire.
- Ogilthorpe2

for all you number geeks amazing how you ignore a very shortened season and then are shocked that about the last half of the season, which still would have continued on at a whopping.....82 points......the goalies turned back into pumpkins.

if he plays it's a win for the development of the younger players......think guys like Keith, Seabrook, Hammer, Wisniewski, etc all develop if the Hawks were trotting out Craig ANderson, a very young Corey Crawford and others? Do we forget they signed guys like Patrick Lalime, Khabibulin, and Huet to help give that younger group confidence to where they were able to ride with a younger unproven goalie like Niemi and Crawford?

Think that's all a coincidence?

@emilymkaplan
NEWS: Tyler Johnson is headed to the Chicago Blackhawks.

Tampa Bay traded Johnson and their 2023 second round pick to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Brent Seabrook, sources told ESPN.

@emilymkaplan
NEWS: Tyler Johnson is headed to the Chicago Blackhawks.

Tampa Bay traded Johnson and their 2023 second round pick to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Brent Seabrook, sources told ESPN.
- pdx2ord

What?!

@emilymkaplan
NEWS: Tyler Johnson is headed to the Chicago Blackhawks.

Tampa Bay traded Johnson and their 2023 second round pick to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Brent Seabrook, sources told ESPN.
- pdx2ord

C'mon Stan! He's the worst!

What?!
- Popsghostly

Exactly my reaction

Took on $5M annual hit to get rid of a $6M ish annual cap savings???

I get LTIR rules are tricky, but just weird.

@emilymkaplan
NEWS: Tyler Johnson is headed to the Chicago Blackhawks.

Tampa Bay traded Johnson and their 2023 second round pick to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Brent Seabrook, sources told ESPN.
- pdx2ord

Crazy day. Where is Darth with the domino gif?

I thought we were at max cap after the Fleury thing

Wonder what moves are still coming, or have they confirmed he will retire?

Tanuki, it does, but I miscalculated his age as being 35 at the time of signing (I just looked at 2019-1984= 35). Back to application to contracts signed at age 35+:

Section 64 of CBA MOU is the rule that applies to salaries of those players 35+ for cap counting,

35+ Year Old Rule for Cap Counting

"CBA §50.5(d)(i)(B)(5) shall have no application to a multi-year SPC that has: (1) total compensation (Player Salary and Bonuses) that is either the same as or increases from one League Year to the immediately subsequent League Year, and (2) a Signing Bonus, if any, that is payable in the first year of the SPC only."

An SPC is defined as a standard player contract.

Section 50.5 (d)(i)(B) of the CBA covers the calculation of salaries towards the cap in

"(B) From the day following the last day of Training Camp until and
including June 30 of each League Year, "Averaged Club Salary"
for each Club shall be calculated as the sum of the following
amounts:"

Part of the calculation of cap amounts is (B)(5) below, which in sum, is salaries of players signed to SPCs when 35 or older.

If you go to 50.5(d)(i)(B)(5) of the CBA, it states,

"(5) All Player Salary and Bonuses earned in a League Year by
a Player who is in the second or later year of a multi-year SPC
which was signed when the Player was age 35 or older
(as of June 30 prior to the League Year in which the SPC is
to be effective), but which Player is not on the Club's
Active Roster, Injured Reserve, Injured Non-Roster or
Non-Roster, and regardless of whether, or where, the
Player is playing, except to the extent the Player is playing
under his SPC in the minor leagues, in which case only the
Player Salary and Bonuses in excess of $100,000 shall
count towards the calculation of Averaged Club Salary;"

The CBA MOU modifies the CBA wording above so that a player that has retired, i.e., "not on the Club's Active Roster" to not be part of the calculation of the Averaged Club Salary, which is the salary cap amount for the year.
- Popsghostly

It kind of does what you think. If the deal is front loaded, the cap hit would count.
If the SPC has the same $$ in each year, or the $$ increases, the player can retire and the cap hit goes away.

So, If Fleury was 35 at the time he signed this, then yes - the cap hit would have counted. Because his deal is front loaded. Good thing he wasn't 35 yet.

Thank you for helping clarifying this.

Stan will now trade MAF to the Pens (50% retained) for a conditional 7th round pick. #assets
- DarthKane

all you guys who defended Stan to the death now turning on him.....it's rich.....

Made a fabulous Thai Green Curry for lunch today. Then I flew an airplane. Did you know I could do that?
- Ogilthorpe2

I knew it and figured you could fly better than anyone.

And speaking of curry I made a killer Rogan Josh yesterday, but I suppose it would come in a distant second to the Rogan Josh you make. 🤷🏻‍♂️

I thought we were at max cap after the Fleury thing

Wonder what moves are still coming, or have they confirmed he will retire?
- pdx2ord

All will be revealed in time.

Crazy day. Where is Darth with the domino gif?
- I Am The Breadman

No we need the fire dumpster!!!