Theo Fox: Offseason Primer Offseason primer for the Blackhawks: RFAs, UFAs, free agency period, entry draft, loans, and a few other nuggets.

Good stuff as always Theo. Still hoping they can come to an agreement with Crow, but Kuemper wouldn't be a bad plan B.

Kubalik will get more money, and term. I would love to see Bergevin offer sheet Kubalik at 3.5 per/4 years.......think Hawks match that, or take the picks?

Kubalik will get more money, and term. I would love to see Bergevin offer sheet Kubalik at 3.5 per/4 years.......think Hawks match that, or take the picks?
- Frozendisc

Maybe a bit more money but less term. Idk, with the flat Cap I think it's kind of hard to figure what some of these contracts will look like.

Pretty sure the Hawks would thank Bergevin and then ink Kubalik if he signed that deal.

Kubalik will get more money, and term. I would love to see Bergevin offer sheet Kubalik at 3.5 per/4 years.......think Hawks match that, or take the picks?
- Frozendisc

Bergevin has fleeced Bowman in 2 trades. An up and comer C in Danault and a 2nd for Weise and Fleischmann, and a 2nd and 3rd for a broken down Shaw. Don't think MB will want to piss off his favorite trading partner by going the offer sheet route.

Kubalik will get more money, and term. I would love to see Bergevin offer sheet Kubalik at 3.5 per/4 years.......think Hawks match that, or take the picks?
- Frozendisc

Habs only go after teams players if they think they don't have money, don't forget Wirtz family distributes alcohol and i here alcohol business is doing really well

I don't think kubalik will be offer sheeted. There are more enticing RFA's that are younger that would be offer sheeted:

Dubois
Srgachev
Gurianov
Kunin
DeBrusk
Barzal
LaBlanc
Hintz
Olaffson
Cirelli

All younger than Kubalik, some (like Cirelli, Sergachev with TB) who if offer sheeted will cause Tampa even more agina as far as salary cap woes then they already have.

Thanks, Theo - nice update.

Theo said: A silver lining of the pandemic shutting leagues down for almost half a year is that the prospects are playing again before draft day which was never the case before when the draft was in late June.

I ask: are the Canadian junior leagues playing?

Charlie Roumeleotis of NBC Sports Chicago had a point regarding Kuemper. Since he carries a 4.5M cap hit for the next two seasons, why don't they just keep Carwford and pay hm that amount instead of parting with assets to obtain Kuemper?
- boilermaker100

Charlie Roumeleotis + dim lit bulb who just regurgitates what he thinks he heard.

Why this fresh thought originates is Crawford was shocked at the managemnet's low ball offer and his reps came back with 4.5 million.
Darcy us younger and despite injuries is a guy who still has upside and is younger, and the Blackhawks are not looking for the ultimate goaltender, because they are not even on the borderlines of being considered a Cup challenger.

I don't think kubalik will be offer sheeted. There are more enticing RFA's that are younger that would be offer sheeted:

Dubois
Srgachev
Gurianov
Kunin
DeBrusk
Barzal
LaBlanc
Hintz
Olaffson
Cirelli

All younger than Kubalik, some (like Cirelli, Sergachev with TB) who if offer sheeted will cause Tampa even more agina as far as salary cap woes then they already have.
- LAHawk

Good post, I was just going to write something similar. Also, piggybacking on Dots' recent post, cash strapped teams (ARI, FLA , etc?) would be likely targets

I don't think kubalik will be offer sheeted. There are more enticing RFA's that are younger that would be offer sheeted:

Dubois
Srgachev
Gurianov
Kunin
DeBrusk
Barzal
LaBlanc
Hintz
Olaffson
Cirelli

All younger than Kubalik, some (like Cirelli, Sergachev with TB) who if offer sheeted will cause Tampa even more agina as far as salary cap woes then they already have.
- LAHawk

Part of the entire offer sheet that gets overlooked is the cost/return. Most of the players you listed, not all but most, would have big dollar contracts that required too many high round picks if the club chose to not match. I get the idea, and only speculated with Kubalik because this is a Hawks posting.

I don't think kubalik will be offer sheeted. There are more enticing RFA's that are younger that would be offer sheeted:

Dubois
Srgachev
Gurianov
Kunin
DeBrusk
Barzal
LaBlanc
Hintz
Olaffson
Cirelli

All younger than Kubalik, some (like Cirelli, Sergachev with TB) who if offer sheeted will cause Tampa even more agina as far as salary cap woes then they already have.
- LAHawk

Just to make the off season interesting for the Blue Jackets and/or Islanders, I would love to see Bergevin offer sheet either Dubois or Barzal, something like 6 x 6M to see CBJ or NYI go thru the cap maneuvering. With getting another center Montreal could deal away Danault.

Kubalik will get more money, and term. I would love to see Bergevin offer sheet Kubalik at 3.5 per/4 years.......think Hawks match that, or take the picks?
- Frozendisc

It's tough to predict how much players may sign in this new era with how the pandemic impacts league and team finances. I'll admit I was being pretty conservative on the salary values for Kubalik and Strome.

Thanks, Theo - nice update.

Theo said: A silver lining of the pandemic shutting leagues down for almost half a year is that the prospects are playing again before draft day which was never the case before when the draft was in late June.

I ask: are the Canadian junior leagues playing?
- StLBravesFan

Thanks for pointing that out! I revised the blog to be more accurate:

A silver lining of the pandemic shutting leagues down for almost half a year is that many NHL prospects -- mainly in European leagues, not counting Canadian juniors and NCAA -- are playing again before draft day which was never the case before when the draft was in late June.

Part of the entire offer sheet that gets overlooked is the cost/return. Most of the players you listed, not all but most, would have big dollar contracts that required too many high round picks if the club chose to not match. I get the idea, and only speculated with Kubalik because this is a Hawks posting.
- Frozendisc

True, but if someone offers Serachev $6.3 mil, he is more than worth a 1st and a 3rd. Of course the player has to sign an offer sheet, so I doubt if Detroit offered it if Sergachev or any other RFA would sign it.

Also with the flat cap, you don't have to overpay either. Is Cirelli worth a second rounder at $4.1? Yes he is, again causes Tampa to really think who they want to lose.

Just to make the off season interesting for the Blue Jackets and/or Islanders, I would love to see Bergevin offer sheet either Dubois or Barzal, something like 6 x 6M to see CBJ or NYI go thru the cap maneuvering. With getting another center Montreal could deal away Danault.
- boilermaker100

If Willie Nylander's AAV is $7 mil., I think it will take more than $6 mil. for either of them to sign an offer sheet.

Brock Nelson';s AAV is $6 mil.

Thanks for pointing that out! I revised the blog to be more accurate:

A silver lining of the pandemic shutting leagues down for almost half a year is that many NHL prospects -- mainly in European leagues, not counting Canadian juniors and NCAA -- are playing again before draft day which was never the case before when the draft was in late June.
- Theo Fox

Obviously, this is not set in stone and may change at any point in time, but re-tweeted by Friedman:

https://ontariohockeyleag...-dates-for-2020-21-season

I haven't seen anything from the other leagues.

Barry Trotz: "Other than our goaltender, Nick Leddy was our best player by a country mile."

Two USHL teams announce they will not play at all during the 2020-21 season due to extensive arena damage (Cedar Rapids) and the inability to host fans (Madison).

Ryan Suter is a co-owner of the Madison team.

Hopefully the Chicago Steel can continue to play.

Barry Trotz: "Other than our goaltender, Nick Leddy was our best player by a country mile."
- Theo Fox

What country is he talking about?

The Wild officially announce they will not re-sign veteran Mikko Koivu. He's solid defensively yet degrading fast offensively (37 years old now).

If Willie Nylander's AAV is $7 mil., I think it will take more than $6 mil. for either of them to sign an offer sheet.

Brock Nelson';s AAV is $6 mil.
- LAHawk

Well if CBJ or NYI offers a 2 year bridge at 4 or 5M, 6 x 6M would look good.

The Wild officially announce they will not re-sign veteran Mikko Koivu. He's solid defensively yet degrading fast offensively (37 years old now).
- Theo Fox

Don't even think about it. This screams Kunitz.

Barry Trotz: "Other than our goaltender, Nick Leddy was our best player by a country mile."
- Theo Fox

Careful. You'll get Savvy-one all juiced up.

Two USHL teams announce they will not play at all during the 2020-21 season due to extensive arena damage (Cedar Rapids) and the inability to host fans (Madison).

Ryan Suter is a co-owner of the Madison team.

Hopefully the Chicago Steel can continue to play.
- Theo Fox

I'm assuming that Cedar Rapids was because of the derecho?