Dave82RWS

Hawks might also have an option of using the LTIE that they didnt use last year on Burish, Bolland and Hossa.

Correct, but thats with Hjalmarsson and Niemi signed with an amount that doesnt even exist yet. Also, like I said, Versteeg is as good as gone. There will be money to sign one or 2 defensemen that are not only better then Sopel, but cheaper. (Mottau, maybe Sutton etc). Ladd could possibly remain as well if Versteeg goes and I think they might trade Reasoner. The best thing they can have happen is to trade Huet outright, or have him go to KHL or something, but no matter what, at least half his salary will be gone. Brouwer- Toews - Kane Kopecky - Sharp - Hossa Skille - Bolland - Ladd Beach - Reasoner - Bickell (maybe still Bursih) Keith - Seabrook Hjlamarsson - Campbell Lalonde - (xxxxx) Niemi Crawford or xxxxx Thats still a pretty good team. Core is still intact, some good younger guys coming up. We will know further how it will play out when in the next few days when Hjalmarsson and Niemi get qualified.

http://www.hawkscap.com/ Note: Hjalmarsson wont get 3 mil. Niemi on the other hand might. However, he has the option of maybe taking a cheaper 1 year deal then testing free agency the following year. He will be old enough. So far the hawks have lost Byfuglien. The 4th liners are easily replaced and in fact will be upgraded by Reasoner or what they have coming up from Rockford. The hawks cap situation is off to a better start then they could have even imagined.

They have Beach, Bickell or Dowell to use for the 4th line. Each actually uses their body and can win a fight. Something neither Fraser, Eager or Burish can do. They also have Reasoner now to play center if they choose to keep him.

Might want to check yours again. Remember to remove Huets salary or at least half of it. Plus the fact that the cap went up to 59.4 Stan Bowman has come out and said since yesterday that his back is no longer against the wall. If Niemi and Hjalmarsson are signed for 3 mil or less, the hawks might have to part with only one more player. It wont be Sharp, it wont be Bolland. It would most likely be Versteeg, or for that matter Reasoner. There is also some speculation that Kane did not hit all his bonuses. No one knows yet. Everything I said in my post is true.

So the hawks firesale has included 2 4th liners, one who couldnt even crack the lineup the past 2 post seasons,and another who has a history of concussion problems, a #6 at best defensemen who cant skate and may be in his last year, and also made way too much money, and Dustin Byfuglien, who has had 3 or 4 good playoff series out of the 7 the past 2 years the hawks have been in, and who during the regular season has limited production and a certain laziness about him. In return, the hawks get a top prospect, Maddens replacemnet (If they even keep Reasoner), a 1st round pick, a second round pick, and a 6th round pick. Also, Atlanta has eased the hawks cap woes significantly to the point that after Huet is traded/buried/ or bought out, the only other move that might need to be made would be to trade Versteeg. They will also now be able to sign Hjalmarsson, Niemi and probably Ladd, and depending on how much, could mean plenty of room for a couple free agent dmen. They might actually end up better than this past season.

So you hate Kane's mouthguard, you hate Buffs celebrations disrespecting CANUCKS fans (hello?) who make it a point to keep disrespecting him, you hate Hossa because he didnt do enough to win Detroit the cup last year, (Umm Datsyuk etc), hate Campbell because he is overpaid (why do you care?), Sharp because of an accident in which he called Lidstrom to apologize, you dont like Ladds face (how abou Franzen?), and Eager is a wannabee enforcer who hasnt boarded or charged anyone yet sparks his team with hits and goals on occasion??? Seems like an immature teenagers list of excuses for not liking the other team. I know some people here just hate the fact that Detroit beating the hawks last year has turned out to be the best thing to ever happen to them. They all say that to a man, but cmon. Its ok to hate the other team or certain players (Kane, cabby, OK FINE), but the rest of your excuses to hate them really sounds childish.

The Blackhawks’ Game 1 win over the Flyers drew a 2.8 overnight rating on NBC Saturday night, up 12% from Penguins/Red Wings Game 1 last year (2.5), and the highest overnight for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final since Sabres/Stars Game 1 on FOX in ‘99 (3.7).

All of Niemi, Leighton and Boucher have been solid throughout the playoffs. It was one friggin game. Niemi also has usually rebounded well when he has had a poor game. That even dates back to the regular season.

Red Wings fans criticizing other teams fans for throwing things on the ice? How ironic. Lets see. 2 young teams with very few players with cup experience including the goalies. 6 and 7 days off between games. Not to mention a league now, including the playoffs where many goals are and have been scored. It was one game. How about the hawks settling down in the 3rd to give up a whopping 6 shots? I just love looking at all of the bitter wings fans who still believe whether they get their asses kicked or not, should be the only team allowed to win the cup.

Wings fans complaining about officiating and not getting the calls: Oh the irony of the last 15 years!

If it wasnt for Nabokov, I think the hawks would have made the third statement of the year against them.

And the previous two games against the sharks? a 4-3 and 7-2 win??? Flames? Penguins, LA, Colorado??

Theyve also beaten plenty of teams that are healthy and are very good.

#1- Ive been a wings fan for 25 years. #2- I look at their boards. Not CBH however. It is full of newbies who werent around during the teams toughest years. Seems to me real hawks fans ***** even when their team is winning. This is supposed to be a cup run year for them and most true hawks fans realize how much room for improvement they still need if they are going to win a cup. They are happy they have locked up their core, much like the wings have done for years, but cant wait to get rid of the horrendous contracts that were given to Huet and Campbell. However, even if they have a third of their roster gone next year, losing Eager, Kopecky, Fraser, Sopel, Hendry or even Barker or Byfuglien wont be much of a loss. They have guys on the farm who are better, cheaper and play harder. Im just simply amazed at the double standards around here with fellow wings fans. The wings arent the only team in the league with injury problems. In fact, there are a few teams worse off then us. The difference has been that the wings have actually played well, as opposed to Edmonton, Montreal, Minnesota etc.

"As for your excitement over beating Detroit, you just beat an AHL team, for the 1000th time. Of course Chicago was expected to win. Dare I say if Detroit had their full lineup and you were missing Kane, Campbell, Sharp, Hjalmarsson, and Versteeg in addition to Bolland and Burish, you'd say we shouldn't be happy over a win because of your depleted lineup. In fact, most of us would actually be a bit disappointed to be playing Chicago at a time where we SHOULD win, rather than having it be a great matchup." Quit bitching about the Red Wings fielding an AHL team and thats why the hawks won. Its a poor argument considering the first time they met this season it was a full Detroit lineup playing a shorthanded hawks lineup. A lineup that is still 1st or 2nd youngest team in the league and at the time had poorous goaltending. Score was a whopping 3-2

From 1955 - 1997 we couldnt say s*** either. Then things changed. They are changing in Chicago as we speak. They are trying to build a team that will be competitive for years just the way the wings did. All it took was a stone age owner to croak.

Funny you mentioned Toews and Hossa. 2 players who have missed time this year. Add Bolland, Eager, Burish, Seabrook and Barker to that list as well. Dont bother bringing up Campbell as he is absolutely awful. Most hawks fans would tell you that too. Despite all that, and having Huet and a rookie in goal, they are still 23-8-3.

Last I checked he was out for at least 4 months. No? How about Hossa playing with a bad shoulder last year during the playoffs? What a BEAST!!!By the way, when was the last time the wings had Lilja? Is he going to be the best SAD if he ever returns with his mashed potato brains? The double standards here are unbelievable. When the wings win its because they are good, but when they lose, we blame injuries, refs, or the other team for something etc etc. Its ashamed that so many wings fans sound like Flames, Canucks, Oilers, Leafs fans etc.

Your comparing players who are hurt on the hawks with wings who arent with the exception of Fillppula all the while forgetting how important those players are to the hawks. Its understandable that the wings lose because they have serious injuries, but for any other team its not. I get it!! Though still ignoring the fact that the wings have actually played better with the injuries, then when they did when they were healthy. The got swept in Europe by the Blues for cryin out loud.

So now you will compare players who are injured on different teams with each other? As if Bolland adds less to the hawks then Fillpula adds to the wings? Or Barkers 40pts last year compared to Lebdas 16, as well as being 4 years younger? Get real.

Miller Brew acts as though they won and makes excuses for the loss all in the same post!

A full Chicago lineup? They are without their 2nd line center, their 4th line center, their #4 defensemen and Eager. Not to mention they have not played one game this year with a full lineup. They fielded a team tonight with Brent Sopel and Jordan Hendry and one of their D pairings. Thats putrid, but they have played solid D and have been getting the goaltending. How come no one talks about the fact that the wings were actually playing worse WITH most of the guys who are injured in the lineup, while playing better without?