Part 1 below. Parts 3 thru 5 above
To answer the question on how much the cap will be, nobody will really know for sure what the Hawks cap number will be next year until sometime early next week. However, we do know that the cap will be between $59 and $59.5M or so. For the rest of this discussion I’m going to assume $59M for the NHL in 2010-11.
However, there is one big issue that is coming into play for the Hawks cap number. This deals with the belief that in 2009-10 Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane hit their bonuses and these must be carried over to 2010-11 as the Hawks were pressed right up against the cap last year. If Toews and Kane hit all their bonuses, it’s possible that $4M will be carried over to the Hawks cap in 2010-11. Talk about having a jagerbomb right before the night ends, the Hawks will definitely be feeling the sting of these bonuses this year.
Nobody knows for sure if it’s going to be $4M that comes off the Hawks cap. The CBA is vague in regards to how the Long Term Injury Exemption (LTIE) can be used to help offset this. The Hawks had Dave Bolland, Adam Burish and Marian Hossa on the IR at points during 2009-10 and the LTIE can be claimed retroactively. Whether or not this will help the Hawks is unknown at this point. Plus, the Hawks had around $300K under last year’s cap so that will eat up some of the $4M. With this in mind, and nobody sure about the bonuses quite yet, I’m going to say that it’s approximately $3M that comes off the Hawks cap in 2010-11 for the purposes of this discussion.
In my blog before the playoffs, I placed the Hawks players in groups. This can be seen here.
Also, I ranked 7 players from the “secondary core” in that entry in terms of importance to the Hawks going forward. This is the group from which the Hawks are going to have to trade a body or three in order to get under the cap. At the time of the original entry I reserved my right to change my mind on order of importance. With that said, here’s the rankings after the Stanley Cup run.
1)Patrick Sharp – Sharp had a great playoff run and deserved some consideration for the Conn Smythe. His versatility to play both center and wing and in all situations is of incredible value to this team. He has become one of the best two-way players in the game. The Hawks offence really took off once Queneville moved Sharp to center. That said, he is the player that would fetch the most in a trade, so it has to be considered if there is a great offer on the table. Stan Bowman has said they do not want to trade Sharp and I don’t blame him.
2) Niklas Hjalmarsson – “Hammer” continues to improve and has proven he can be a top 4 defenseman on an elite team. While he did have his struggles at times (Game 4 against Philly comes to mind), he was for the most part solid in the pressure cooker of the Stanley Cup playoffs at the age of 22. Scotty Bowman may not be a GM, but he knows hockey talent and when he says this kid is going to be a great player, I defer to the opinion of the guy with 12 Cup rings. Hjalmarsson is an RFA and must be signed.
3) David Bolland – Bolland struggled for most of 2009-10 after recovering from back surgery. However, once the playoffs started he elevated his game and played the role of shutdown center to perfection as he frustrated the Sedins, Joe Thornton and Mike Richards. “The Rat” also chipped in offensively as well. Bolland is a smart, all-around player and provides significant value to this team. He ranks ahead of the next two players on this list because the Hawks currently lack depth at center.
4) Antii Niemi – The kid from Finland was a rock for the Blackhawks during their Cup run. He is still raw as he doesn’t have much NHL experience but the talent is there. His importance to the Cup victory cannot be understated. However, with the amount of goaltenders on the market and more teams following the “Detroit” model (not spending a lot on goaltending), he is replaceable to me. It will all depend on the contract negotiations and how much he wants.
5) Dustin Byfuglien – The light switch turned on for Buff in the playoffs as he was an absolute force in the final three rounds. If Byfuglien plays with that kind of intensity and focus on a more consistent basis, he’s higher than Niemi on this list as players with his skill set don’t exactly grow on trees. However, that’s the issue with Buff, consistency. Believe me when I say that I don’t want to trade him. But it might be a perfect sell high point on Buff. Just make sure to trade him to the Eastern Conference.
6) Andrew Ladd – Ladd again had a solid playoffs and is a great “glue” guy to have on your team. At age 24 and with 2 Stanley Cup rings, he could be this generation’s Mike Keane-type player. On the Hawks however, he’s a 3rd line player because of the great depth the Hawks possess. And to pay $2-2.5M on a 3rd liner is a luxury that the Hawks do not have right now. For this reason, I expect Ladd to get dealt.
7) Kris Versteeg – Versteeg can dazzle one moment and then make you want to throw your remote into the TV the next. He had a very good playoffs for the Hawks though. Like Ladd, the Hawks do not have the luxury to pay a 3rd line player $3M per season. I like Versteeg’s ability to play in all situations, and whatever team trades for him is going to get a very good player. Plus there will be less singing in the Hawks locker room. Best of luck to you Steeger.
No comments:
Post a Comment