Drake_Marcus

Note that a trade of Byfuglien or Versteeg won't get them out of cap hell because the player needed to replace them would bring them back over the cap. The only viable choice to dump and replace with a scrub is Sharp. That would leave them about $636,000 below the cap. That's good because I didn't include a 13th forward in that roster above, and as such you'd have to leave at least $500,000 free for him. The new lines would be: FORWARDS Jonathan Toews ($6.300m) / Patrick Kane ($6.300m) / Marian Hossa ($5.275m) Kris Versteeg ($3.083m) / Dustin Byfuglien ($3.000m) / Dave Bolland ($3.375m) Troy Brouwer ($1.025m) / * Adam Hobson ($0.503m) / Tomas Kopecky ($1.200m) * Peter MacArthur ($0.500m) / Scrubs McGee ($0.500m) / * Bryan Bickell ($0.500m) DEFENSEMEN Brent Seabrook ($3.500m) / Duncan Keith ($5.538m) * Niklas Hjalmarsson ($2.000m) / Brent Sopel ($2.333m) * Jordan Hendry ($0.725m) / * Jassen Cullimore ($0.500m) Scrubs McGee ($0.500m) GOALTENDERS * Antti Niemi ($3.000m) / Scrubs McGee ($0.500m) Bye bye depth. They can't take those bonuses off the cap because they were due for the 2009-2010 season but Chicago couldn't put them on the cap that season and they carried over. I'm not sure who exactly is getting the bonuses-- I'm going by an article in the Globe and Mail. I know Toews gets $1,300,000 of the bonuses and I assume Kane would have a Cup bonus in his contract.

Here's what I got without buying players out or trading players. I used the minimum cost scrubs from their system to fill any vacant roster spots. I re-signed Niemi and Hjalmarsson to contracts in the low end of the estimations most people are making for those two. I felt that they were players Chicago would feel that had to sign. AUTO-GENERATED CAPGEEK.COM LINES FORWARDS Jonathan Toews ($6.300m) / Patrick Kane ($6.300m) / Marian Hossa ($5.275m) * Bonuses ($4.000m) / Patrick Sharp ($3.900m) / Dave Bolland ($3.375m) Kris Versteeg ($3.083m) / Dustin Byfuglien ($3.000m) / Tomas Kopecky ($1.200m) Troy Brouwer ($1.025m) / * Adam Hobson ($0.503m) / * Bryan Bickell ($0.500m) * Peter MacArthur ($0.500m) DEFENSEMEN Brian Campbell ($7.143m) / Duncan Keith ($5.538m) Brent Seabrook ($3.500m) / Brent Sopel ($2.333m) * Niklas Hjalmarsson ($2.000m) / * Jordan Hendry ($0.725m) * Jassen Cullimore ($0.500m) GOALTENDERS Cristobal Huet ($5.625m) / * Antti Niemi ($3.000m) CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (these totals are compiled using the bonus cushion) ROSTER: 22; CAP: $58.8m; PAYROLL: $69.326m; CAP ROOM: $-10.526m BONUSES: $0.000m Chicago can buy Huet out: --> Cap hit: $1,875,000 (Savings $3,750,000) --> Savings minus scrub to fill his spot = $3,250,000 Then they can buy Campbell out: --> Cap hit: $2,380,958 (Savings $4,761,917) --> Savings minus scrub to fill his spot = $4,511,917 Cap Position after buying both players out = -$2,764,083 New lines: AUTO-GENERATED CAPGEEK.COM LINES FORWARDS Jonathan Toews ($6.300m) / Patrick Kane ($6.300m) / Marian Hossa ($5.275m) Kris Versteeg ($3.083m) / Patrick Sharp ($3.900m) / Dave Bolland ($3.375m) Troy Brouwer ($1.025m) / Dustin Byfuglien ($3.000m) / Tomas Kopecky ($1.200m) * Peter MacArthur ($0.500m) / * Adam Hobson ($0.503m) / * Bryan Bickell ($0.500m) DEFENSEMEN Brent Seabrook ($3.500m) / Duncan Keith ($5.538m) * Niklas Hjalmarsson ($2.000m) / Brent Sopel ($2.333m) * Jordan Hendry ($0.725m) / * Jassen Cullimore ($0.500m) Scrubs McGee ($0.500m) GOALTENDERS * Antti Niemi ($3.000m) / Scrubs McGee ($0.500m) CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (these totals are compiled using the bonus cushion) ROSTER: 21; CAP: $61.6m; PAYROLL: $69.326m; CAP ROOM: $-2.764m BONUSES: $4.000m BUYOUTS: $4.256m

So: --> You're $2,700,000 off on the bonus structure --> Hjalmarsson will get somewhere in the realm of $2,000,000 so you're $1,200,000 off there --> The league minimum is for this year is exactly $500,000 now... so that's cutting it pretty tight for all of those scrubs. Even then you're looking at 5 to 8 players on their roster making the league minimum. That is a ton of scrubs to have on one roster and still claim to have significant depth. Note that Chicago's potential rookies have salaries that float near or above $1,000,000. --> Niemi will command somewhere between $3,000,000 and $4,000,000. Let's be generous and say 3 mil. That's another $1,000,000 off --> Hendry made $650,000 last season so I think your estimate on his salary is fair. --> You'll have to leave at least a tiny bit of room for call-ups and stuff due to injuries. Let's say that's $250,000. This all totals up for $5,150,000 more on the cap. After taking off the cap room you had left that means you're: Still $4,065,000 over the cap. Keep trimming the roster down This is interesting...

Actually the total bonus owed to their players from the Cup win is $4,000,000.

No. The Hawks were one OT goal away from having to go to game 7... I'd say it was a pretty competitive series.

That goes so far against the idea of parity that you might as well just abolish the cap all together. The whole point of the salary cap was to give non-contenders the same level playing field as Cup winners. I would've been so on board this train in the summer of 2008.

By the way-- turns out that the Hawks have to pay $4,000,000 in bonuses as a result of their victory and every penny will be counted towards their cap next season. Here's the source:

That's a nice change of pace in TO.

The Wings need a guy who's best attribute is their positioning and defense. They need a veteran who can anchor Ericsson's play and allow him to play his game without worrying about getting burned as much (something Lilja was ok for but Lebda was horrible for). Ericsson is an offensive d-man by nature so they need someone who can be the Stuart to his Kronwall (so to speak).

Here's a good example of what I was talking about when I said that I don't think simply sending Huet and Campbell to the minors forever is a viable solution: That's from Spector's Hockey. Cheechoo is an extreme example of Huet's problem (except Huet ended the season with good numbers, even if his year long numbers were crappy in places). The idea that you can bury healthy, relatively young, overpaid players in the minors is a fallacy.

A) Nylander was injured for half a season and was sent down when he got healthy under the guise of a training stint. B) Nylander was exposed to re-entry waivers at least once and entry waivers twice (if I remember correctly) C) Nylander was actively shopped to European teams once it was clear no one in the NHL would take his contract. D) Nylander struggled to produce in the NHL when given a shot Huet was strong at the end of the year this year and Campbell was an Olympian.

And they're sleeping with one of our exes (Kopecky).

That should be the main jersey. I love the retro look.

That's because you're looking at the trade after Leino exploded offensively. The fact remains that he played his way out of Detroit (which sucks because if it weren't for the cap they could have waited longer on him) and was a healthy scratch most of the time in Philly. He didn't even play all the games in the playoffs-- he only got on the roster because of an injury. No one predicted he'd explode offensively and if they knew he was going to he wouldn't have spent so much time as a healthy scratch both here and in Philly.

Inbeforebodyhair.

The best part is that Toews is always there to provide a juxtaposition for Kane's douchebagadry

We also got a 5th round pick. Based on his NHL play that's the most likely reasoning.

His current cap hit is friendly for what he provides but this guy will expect more then $4,000,000 on the open market... he's got to be the cockiest son of a ***** on the ice (aside from Kane). Ok... it's really not that easy, but sure, he'd be nice to have on the team. Unfortunately the entire NHL would love to have him and he's going to cost a fortune to sign.

Seriously though, Quenneville is a terrible coach.

What's his upside? He's a physical stay at home d-man... I'm not so sure that's worth picking in the 1st round on this team given the puck possession style they play. A guy like Stuart plays the same game but is capable of making a good first pass.

That's pathetic. They win the Stanley Cup and they're still thinking about us instead of their own frigging team? Chicago is like a creepy obsessed old girlfriend that won't go away.

Meh... I'd rather they just went to the classic jersey worn in the 60's. The 90's jersey looks cool enough but you might as well go with the ones they actually won Cups wearing.

Note that this is intended to provide competition for the 6th defensemen spot in training camp as well as provide depth in GR for call-up purposes since all the mature defensive prospects down there are gone. Article by Ansar Khan

I should've added "young and untattooed" to my list

Did you try throwing crappy players in? Meech and the rights to Lebda should turn the tide. That's definitely a move I can get behind. The compensation in picks would be very small as well-- a 2nd rounder if I remember correctly (maybe as low as just a 3rd round pick).