the trade for Shaw, nylander and Matta. just might get Bowman finally fired. reverse those trades and we have 2 more draft picks and Joki and Kahun and 6 mil extra in cap space.

keith-Boquist
Gus-murphy
KK-Joki

Clearly Kahun is having a better year then Nylander.
- kmw4631

I'm not usually one to spend too many brain cells on hindsight "what if" fantasies ... but what if Stan had been able to acquire deHaan before the Maatta/Kahun trade - he may not have made that trade. I would rather have Kahun and Joki than Nylander and Maatta.

LOL what? The Hawks got lucky to SWEEP that team?

Game 1? 40+ shots each team- SOGs fairly even, Sharks had 5 powerplays to Hawks ZERO
Game 2? Both teams SOG in 20s, Hawks with a PP advantage this game
Game 3? Both teams high SOG, Sharks enjoy decided PP advantage 6-2
Game 4? Hawks sweep out the pretenders, allowing only 18 shots on goal.

Niemi played good in this series, but don't pretend it was some sort of fluky win by the Hawks. The Hawks were the better team, clearly.
- kwolf68

I meant they caught lightening in a bottle with a hot goalie not the team play.

Those deals would not have been done without the complete buy-in by Rocky, with input on the marketing side by McDonough. Look at Theo, he had carte blanche, until he didn't. As to the overpay, remember who Toews and Kane's agent is Pat Brisson, the Scott Boras of hockey.
- LAHawk

Stan definitely had a gun to his head it was rumored they came down from $12.5 each. Stan was in a tough spot for sure.

I bet San Jose and Dallas were wishing Niemi was average all those years they were in cup contention with him in the nets. He cost both teams a lot of wins during the playoffs. Remember Dallas had Niemi and Lehtonone at an AAV combines of $10.5 mil. WOOF
- LAHawk

Stan made the right move axing Niemi going with Crow. Darth will say it was Scotty's plan.

Stan definitely had a gun to his head it was rumored they came down from $12.5 each. Stan was in a tough spot for sure.
- rpeters01

These are Brisson's top 10 clients salary wise,and year contract sign..You can say except for MacKinnon, they are all overpays

John Tavares $11,000,000 $77,000,000 (2018)
Chicago Blackhawks logo Patrick Kane $10,500,000 $84,000,000 (2015)
Chicago Blackhawks logo Jonathan Toews $10,500,000 $84,000,000 (2015)
Los Angeles Kings logo Anze Kopitar $10,000,000 $80,000,000 (2016)
Pittsburgh Penguins logo Sidney Crosby $8,700,000 $104,400,000 (2013)
Philadelphia Flyers logo Claude Giroux $8,275,000 $66,200,000 (2014)
Nashville Predators logo Matt Duchene $8,000,000 $56,000,000 (2019)
Anaheim Ducks logo Cam Fowler $6,500,000 $52,000,000 (2018)
Colorado Avalanche logo Nathan MacKinnon $6,300,000 $44,100,000 (2016)
Colorado Avalanche logo Erik Johnson $6,000,000 $42,000,000 (2016)
Buffalo Sabres logo Kyle Okposo $6,000,000 $42,000,000 (2016)

Notice although Crosby's AAV is less than Kane and Toews, the total dollar amount of his contract is greater because it was signed under the old rules, 12 years. Crosby will be 37 when this contract is over. There is a significant recaupture penalty (like Keith) if he decides to retire early.

These are Brisson's top 10 clients salary wise,and year contract sign..You can say except for MacKinnon, they are all overpays

John Tavares $11,000,000 $77,000,000 (2018)
Chicago Blackhawks logo Patrick Kane $10,500,000 $84,000,000 (2015)
Chicago Blackhawks logo Jonathan Toews $10,500,000 $84,000,000 (2015)
Los Angeles Kings logo Anze Kopitar $10,000,000 $80,000,000 (2016)
Pittsburgh Penguins logo Sidney Crosby $8,700,000 $104,400,000 (2013)
Philadelphia Flyers logo Claude Giroux $8,275,000 $66,200,000 (2014)
Nashville Predators logo Matt Duchene $8,000,000 $56,000,000 (2019)
Anaheim Ducks logo Cam Fowler $6,500,000 $52,000,000 (2018)
Colorado Avalanche logo Nathan MacKinnon $6,300,000 $44,100,000 (2016)
Colorado Avalanche logo Erik Johnson $6,000,000 $42,000,000 (2016)
Buffalo Sabres logo Kyle Okposo $6,000,000 $42,000,000 (2016)

Notice although Crosby's AAV is less than Kane and Toews, the total dollar amount of his contract is greater because it was signed under the old rules, 12 years. Crosby will be 37 when this contract is over. There is a significant recaupture penalty (like Keith) if he decides to retire early.
- LAHawk

Stamkos got away...

Devils just signed Gallant, so for those of you hoping he'd replace JC, too late

https://twitter.com/NJDev.../1222944964260376576?s=20

maata is not having a better year then Joki even if you call it a tie you save 3 mil on Joki. he tired to patch things with 3 guys that are constantly hurt. is anybody shocked that shaw is out of the season? if you can predict something to happen then you cannot complain when it does. Shaw gets hurt every year and everybody knew he was 1 hit away from maybe being out of the league and we traded for him with 3 years left on his deal?
- kmw4631

So by that same line of thinking, would you not trade for Crosby or Toews? EVERY player in the league is 1 hit away from never playing again. Yes there are some that might be a bit more susceptible, but every player is in danger of getting a concussion and being out for a year or more.

Devils just signed Gallant, so for those of you hoping he'd replace JC, too late

https://twitter.com/NJDev.../1222944964260376576?s=20
- pdx2ord

Happy he got another job, but I'm not shedding any tears that the Hawks stayed away. If they never fired another coach in season (performance related) I would be ecstatic. There is the odd occasion where it helps, but overall, it just craps on the whole year.

Yes.... I'm very aware that the Blues won it all last year.

Devils just signed Gallant, so for those of you hoping he'd replace JC, too late

https://twitter.com/NJDev.../1222944964260376576?s=20
- pdx2ord

Lavi or Hitch if there is a change, I think more fans want Bowman gone before JC?

Devils just signed Gallant, so for those of you hoping he'd replace JC, too late

https://twitter.com/NJDev.../1222944964260376576?s=20
- pdx2ord

Says it is a parody account in their Twitter name info.

Says it is a parody account in their Twitter name info.
- 35Tony0

OMG - hahaha

I fell for that trick again. Sorry, all! Will try to be much more careful. Thanks, Tony0

After I posted my long litany, I should of just followed your advice, saved my energy.
- LAHawk

The talks of the moves that have been made recently and in the past have been beaten to death over and over and over and over and over and over and over...again and it's just not worth it. Either you understand each move why they were made at the time or you don't. There's only one or two deals (Danault and Joki; though we get what he was trying to do with Joki getting a potential Top 6 forward even though we feel he could have done better) that we can all pretty much agree we don't understand. The rest had legit reasons whether we like it or not.

Lavi or Hitch if there is a change, I think more fans want Bowman gone before JC?
- wonthecup10

According to the Sun Times today they do.

These are Brisson's top 10 clients salary wise,and year contract sign..You can say except for MacKinnon, they are all overpays

John Tavares $11,000,000 $77,000,000 (2018)
Chicago Blackhawks logo Patrick Kane $10,500,000 $84,000,000 (2015)
Chicago Blackhawks logo Jonathan Toews $10,500,000 $84,000,000 (2015)
Los Angeles Kings logo Anze Kopitar $10,000,000 $80,000,000 (2016)
Pittsburgh Penguins logo Sidney Crosby $8,700,000 $104,400,000 (2013)
Philadelphia Flyers logo Claude Giroux $8,275,000 $66,200,000 (2014)
Nashville Predators logo Matt Duchene $8,000,000 $56,000,000 (2019)
Anaheim Ducks logo Cam Fowler $6,500,000 $52,000,000 (2018)
Colorado Avalanche logo Nathan MacKinnon $6,300,000 $44,100,000 (2016)
Colorado Avalanche logo Erik Johnson $6,000,000 $42,000,000 (2016)
Buffalo Sabres logo Kyle Okposo $6,000,000 $42,000,000 (2016)

Notice although Crosby's AAV is less than Kane and Toews, the total dollar amount of his contract is greater because it was signed under the old rules, 12 years. Crosby will be 37 when this contract is over. There is a significant recaupture penalty (like Keith) if he decides to retire early.
- LAHawk

It would be hard to find a real hockey man/woman that thinks Crosby doesn't earn every penny of his $104M deal.

He's underpaid and is still the best player in the game.

Happy he got another job, but I'm not shedding any tears that the Hawks stayed away. If they never fired another coach in season (performance related) I would be ecstatic. There is the odd occasion where it helps, but overall, it just craps on the whole year.

Yes.... I'm very aware that the Blues won it all last year.
- Chunk

Difference being Blues went in-house with Berube who had been coaching in the A and as an assistant coach for the past 3 years. He knew the players and they knew him

It would be hard to find a real hockey man/woman that thinks Crosby doesn't earn every penny of his $104M deal.

He's underpaid and is still the best player in the game.
- RickJ

People tend to forget how that deal was far and away the highest paid deal at that time. Same with Kane and Toews and the cap was projected to go up significantly until the Canadian dollar struggled to grow which capped the league for awhile there

It would be hard to find a real hockey man/woman that thinks Crosby doesn't earn every penny of his $104M deal.

He's underpaid and is still the best player in the game.
- RickJ

In my opinion, if Crosby was getting $10.5 million like T+K, the Penguins don't win their last two cups. Honest question: If a player is getting paid what he is "worth", but his team is extremely unlikely to win due to the fact he is getting that much, is he really "worth" it?

It would be hard to find a real hockey man/woman that thinks Crosby doesn't earn every penny of his $104M deal.

He's underpaid and is still the best player in the game.
- RickJ

My point is under the new CBA, limiting the term to 8 years, Crosby's AAV would be $13 million. I agree well deserved. how would Toews and kane's AAV at $10.5 look like to Crosby's $13 million?

By what metric?
- LAHawk

PTS, Corsi, Fenwick, ETC they only thing that Matti has done more is a extra Minute per game and blks. I said they have been roughly the same and Joki is 5 years younger making 3 mil less.

In my opinion, if Crosby was getting $10.5 million like T+K, the Penguins don't win their last two cups. Honest question: If a player is getting paid what he is "worth", but his team is extremely unlikely to win due to the fact he is getting that much, is he really "worth" it?
- tazer_and_diet

Projecting in hindsight is a wasted exercise IMO, especially about salaries. The Pens have by far the best 2 centermen in the league and just as important an owner who knows talent and its value and keeps them because they are the key to winning year after year. They fill around Crosby and Malkin with forwards of a modest cost to the cap. Even Phil Kessel came at a bargain because the Leafs ate half his salary. All they gave up was a 3rd liner, Kapanen to get him. Once they were done with Phil, he got a plane ticket to Arizona.

And further to that, their last Cup was won with 'overpaid' Kris Letang out for the season injured. When the time comes, Lemieux will instruct Jim Rutherford to dump him too. It won't be a decision related to Crosby or Malkin's wages, who are both "worth it", in fact underpaid.

People tend to forget how that deal was far and away the highest paid deal at that time. Same with Kane and Toews and the cap was projected to go up significantly until the Canadian dollar struggled to grow which capped the league for awhile there
- Savetheembers33

Jamie Benn $9.5 mil for 8 years in 2016 age 30 (no cups)
Kopitar $10 mil for 8 years in 2016 age 31
Subban $9 mil for 8 years in 2014 age 30 (no cups)
Toews $10.5 mil for 8 years 2014 age 31
Kane $10.5 mil for 8 years 2014 age 30
Malkin $9.5 mil for 8 years in 2013 age 32
Crosby $8.7 mil for 12 years in 2012 age 31
Ovechkin $9.5 mil for 13 years signed in 2008 age 33 (no cups at the time)

Now 22 players with cap hit $9 mil plus.

My point is under the new CBA, limiting the term to 8 years, Crosby's AAV would be $13 million. I agree well deserved. how would Toews and kane's AAV at $10.5 look like to Crosby's $13 million?
- LAHawk

T&K would be about 25% cheaper on an individual basis. Their agent would never have gone for that.

And what if Crosby had decided to risk the injury factor and chosen to sign one year contracts only? He would have received the 20% maximum salary allowed by the CBA for every season. And if Pittsburgh didn't want to pay it, somebody like the Rangers or Kings or Leafs or Canadiens surely would have.

Projecting in hindsight is a wasted exercise IMO, especially about salaries. The Pens have by far the best 2 centermen in the league and just as important an owner who knows talent and its value and keeps them because they are the key to winning year after year. They fill around Crosby and Malkin with forwards of a modest cost to the cap. Even Phil Kessel came at a bargain because the Leafs ate half his salary. All they gave up was a 3rd liner, Kapanen to get him. Once they were done with Phil, he got a plane ticket to Arizona.

And further to that, their last Cup was won with 'overpaid' Kris Letang out for the season injured. When the time comes, Lemieux will instruct Jim Rutherford to dump him too. It won't be a decision related to Crosby or Malkin's wages, who are both "worth it", in fact underpaid.
- RickJ

Adding to this.... signing Crosby in the summer of 2012 was a huge risk after only playing 41 games in 2010/11 and 22 games in 2011/12. If he was healthy in those years he would have received a much larger contract. He also has 5 years left on that contract. I hope his body holds up.

PTS, Corsi, Fenwick, ETC they only thing that Matti has done more is a extra Minute per game and blks. I said they have been roughly the same and Joki is 5 years younger making 3 mil less.
- kmw4631

I started writing a long post about your original comment, that Stan should be fired for his off-season.. I will sum up my thoughts, I think he had a sneaky good off-season. I don't think there was one move that he could of made to make this team a Stanley Cup contender this year, which by your definition means he failed. Whether the Hawks make the playoffs this year or not, the team is better.