Latest on Brent Seabrook and Cody Franson, plus updates on the Senators and Stars.
Don’t expect Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook to be a trade candidate this summer.
No Seabrook trade this summer?
TSN 1050 (VIA TODAY’S SLAPSHOT): Darren Dreger is skeptical about suggestions the Chicago Blackhawks could trade defenseman Brent Seabrook in a cost-cutting move this summer. While Dreger acknowledges the Blackhawks face some difficult decisions this summer, he feels Seabrook is invaluable to their defense corps.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blackhawks will have to dig deep to re-sign Seabrook, who is eligible next summer for UFA status and could cost over $7 million annually to retain. However, that’s a concern for next summer. The ‘Hawks will look at other options (most likely Patrick Sharp and Bryan Bickell) as trade bait this year.
Franson interested in Maple Leafs and Canucks.
SPORTSNET: Luke Fox cites recent interviews with pending UFA defensman Cody Franson indicating he’s interested in returning to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Franson spent almost four seasons with the Leafs until dealt in February to the Nashville Predators. Franson, a BC native, also mused over the possibility of signing with the Vancouver Canucks.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Franson might be willing to return to the Leafs, but it remains to be seen if their new management wants him back. The Canucks need to get younger and faster on their blueline, but they’ll have to shed salary if they’re to add a blueliner like Franson.
Busy summer for the Senators?
OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports Senators management plans for a busy summer. GM Bryan Murray has been fielding calls from “five or six teams” with interest in his goaltenders. After re-signing Andrew Hammond, it’s assumed the Sens will move Craig Anderson or Robin Lehner. The Edmonton Oilers, San Jose Sharks and Buffalo Sabres could be seeking help between the pipes. The Senators will also be in the market for a top-six forward.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Murray could use Anderson or Lehner as bait for a top-six forward.
A list of possible free-agent targets for the Stars.
THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Washington’s Mike Green and Joel Ward, San Jose’s Antti Niemi, Winnipeg’s Michael Frolik, Chicago’s Johnny Oduya, Calgary’s Karri Ramo and Boston’s Adam McQuaid could be among the Dallas Stars’ free-agent targets this summer.
Re: the UFAs the Dallas Stars will target – I think that just shows how weak the class is this summer. Sure, some of them are nice supporting players but neither are game-breaking players. Re: Franson coming back to Toronto, I’m quite frankly suprised he is saying that in light of all the contract hassles he faced with the team. No doubt he played his best hockey with Toronto but when he left to a ‘real contendor’ he seemed to come back to reality. Not sure he would be an asset at this point, but either way not worth the money he would be trying to get.
With Vermette, Richards, Roszival, Oduya, Timmonen, and Cumiskey all gone next year, the Hawks first need is to keep the most underrated dman in the league, Brent Seabrook. All the wors GM in the league, Bowman can always screw it all up. Hopefully, Stephen Johns, Trevor VR, and Mike Reilly ‘( if he does not sign with Columbus) make up the bottom 3 on defense next winter.
Danault and Teuvo will play at centre. And if they trade Bickell the. Maybe they get a prospect or allow McNeil to come up.
BTW, the Hawks would be ahead in this series if they had a true 5th and 6th Dman!
The worst GM lololol smoke another
Worst GM in the league? 2 cups in 5 years and right there in the running every year. What exactly is your definition of success as a GM?
Chicago has numerous young Dman coming, Paliotta, Dahlstrom, Stevens & not the least of which is Forsling. You might remember Forsling, Stan Bowman moved Chicago’s best D prospect to get him from Vancouver. He was only selected in the 5th round last season by the Canucks but he shocked the hockey world at this years WJC to lead the tournament in scoring for Dman & finish 8th overall doubling the next best Dman in points. He’s a few years away but he’s a stud.
You mentioned Reilly who has basically said he wants to go to Chicago. They also have a young Dman in van Riemsdyk who if not for injury would have played all year in Chicago.
The cupboard at forward also isn’t bare. They have Baun, Hartman, Schmaltz, McNeil, Rasmussen & in Danault they have s olid checking center coming.
I guess winning 2 cups in 5 years & being on the cusp of going to the Stanley Cup for a 3rd time in 5 years isn’t enough for you. That for me almost spells dynasty & if they make the final & win the cup it does. To think Chicago has already had to gut their roster once due to cap constraints yet still won another cup & will be forced to make some hard decisions again this summer is amazing success. Stan Bowman has done a masterful job of building a serious contender & the current team is young with the exception of Hossa & Sharp who will be a cap casualty this summer. Lossing Sharp sucks but Saad has taken his position with Toews & Hossa & Taravainen is ready to assume significantly more responsibility as well.
I didn’t like the Bickell signing either nor expending significant picks for the likes of Vermette & Timonen but Chicago feels they have the team to win the cup again now & are all in like it or not. Vermette’s OT goal alone in almost makes the cost bearable.
Bowman has done a masterful job of building Chicago into a perennial contender & has restocked the pipeline with players to have the bodies to move in as losing players to the cap has dictated. With 2 cups in 5 years what more could you possibly ask for. I`m fairly certain the goal of all 30 teams is to win the cup & Bowmans`already accomplished that twice in a really short period of time & Chicago will continue to contend for years to come.
Seabrook needs to be signed more than any other pending free agent especially now that the Hawks are thin on defense because Bowman has gutted his minor league defense.
When Seabrook hook up together against the Ducks, you see what they are the best pairing in the NHL. Why Coach Q does not play them together? Not sure but Roszival, Timmonen, Rundblad, and Cumiskey does not help.
I agree they can’t let him go but boy oh boy they will be giving up a top prospect to get rid of bickell and versteeg. They gave up a first and second I believe for vermette. All these decisions are biting them in the arse. Or teams could not trade with them and watch them figure it out themselves
If Seabrooke wants to test the market he will get $8M year. If he stays with the hawks-will he take a home town discount?
To add to that, if the new contract was front-loaded to the maximum for the first half and then trailing off at the end, Seabrook would really set himself up with a lot of cash, regardless of when he wanted to retire.
Like This:
$11M
$11M
$7.75M
$7.75M
$7.75M
$7.75M
$5.5M
$5.5M
Who knows if Seabrook would play the whole 8 years until he retire? Seabrook would collect an average of $8.83M if he played 6 years of that contract. If Blackhawks presents him with that, I believe he foregoes his UFA and sign.
My contract suggestion was a 8year, $64M contract. I believe Seabrook would sign it if structured like that. There’s no recapture penalty for retiring earlier on that contract.
You could front-load it even more within the rules. The following is also $8M cap hit:
$10M
$10M
$10M
$10M
$7.5M
$6.5M
$5M
$5M
If Seabrook decided to retire after 5 years, he would have earned $9.5M annually. I believe Seabrook would sign a contract structured like that.
Once Vermette, Richards, Oduya, Roszival, Tmimmonen, Cumiskey, Rundblad, and hopefully Shaw or Bickell, the Hawks will have to sign the most underrated dman in the league, Brent Seabrook. Seabrook and Keith are the top pairing in the NHL.
Bowman is the worse GM in the league who has gutted his prospects in the AHL and given up a first rounder for Vermette and a second rounder for Timmonen.
Hopefully, Stephen Johns, Trevor VR and Mike Reilley if he does not sign with Columbus shore up the new blue line in Chicago next year. This team is better than the Ducks but are playing short handed because of Timmonen and Cumiskey! All Bowman’s fault when Dan Petry, Cody Franson, SEKERA, and so many other NHL caliber dmen were available for the Hawks. Too bad because the way Toews and company play up front and Keith and Seabrook play on the blue line, they deserve another shot at the CUP.
Couldn’t agree with you more. Brent Seabrook is not only under rated by most, imo he’s the true leader on that team. He’s the one who calm down Captain Serious when he takes one of his cry baby fits. The article says Seabrook could cost over $7M per season, I would take the word could out of the statement he’ll easily get that money. Also agree that Keith and Seabrook is the best one two punch in the league. Love to see Seabrook in a Bruins sweater.
I agree. Seabrook would easily fetch $8M as a UFA. But I believe that he may sign with Blackhawks for $8M cap hit if contract is heavy front-loaded. That way he would maximize profits if walking away from the game earlier than contract length. Look at my above proposal for $64M over 8 years.
Who is DAN Petry?? Hard to take you serious when you do not know your players.
Also how can a player be “the most underrated” when he is in the top 5% in the league for his position? Perennial All-Star, warrior in the playoffs and multiple Cup champion, Olympic Gold… That kind of confuses me…and I am no Blackhawk fan.
If franson were to resign to a very team friendly deal, say… 4 years at 4-4.5 million, then I would have no problem with that ASSUMING the leafs deal phaneuf first. Replacing phaneuf with franson makes a ton of sense, as we could be saving 2+ million towards the cap. Going forward with
Reilly franson
Gardiner polak
Percy Robidas
as your top 6 on a rebuilding team will be both economical(less than 19 million for the bunch) and allows each younger dman to be paired with someone they can learn from.
It also allows guys like Matt Finn and Peter Granburg to start the year with the marlies, something which benefits both player and club.
Franson was a good fit with the Leafs and technically just coming into his prime. If Phaneuf is moved I would take him on for a reasonable amount. They still have to ice a team, and Babcock has more pride than to play for last place. One reason why Ted Nolan was fired, poor guy.I would even hold Percy in the minors (a la Detroit model)for another year and give Tim Erixxon a chance. he was a really good prospect who has been tossed around like a pillow. Stable environment, good coach, has matured a couple of years. Could be a decent depth guy for the future. Please keep Robidas and Polak to keep mentoring this D as they come along. Real Pros.
Look at what Franson said at Vancouver radio and on his twitter. It’s presumed Franson and his agent has a set price point and will go for a lot of money judging from their comments. He won’t come in cheap. You can forget anything below $5M. That’s where negotiations start.
I know the Ottawa media thinks that Lehner will bring back a bigger return than Anderson. I doubt that very much but unlike Lyle I doubt either guy will bring back a true top-6 forward. Anderson could bring back a marginal top-6 guy I suppose, but will he bring back one with the potential to score more than the 27 goals that Hoffman scored this past season? The competition for top-6 forwards is fierce and Anderson is worth more to the Sens than just about any forward who might realistically be made available to them in return. Added to this is the fact that if Anderson is moved then Lehner has to start, because although he’s shown promise as a starter, he’s not very good in the backup role.
On the other hand, for a developing team like Buffalo or Edmonton Lehner is probably worth late a first round draft choice or a pick and a prospect. Anybody who thinks this is too a high a price for a goalie who has not yet played a full season in the NHL should consider the fact that he is a lot farther along the NHL development curve than any goalie such a team could draft with that same draft pick. And this isn’t exactly a great draft year for goalies.
Just wanted to comment that your perceived trade values are very fair. You’re probably on the money with your assessments.
I also consider Anderson would fetch a little bit more than Lehner. I don’t know how Murray feels about him though. From the outside looking in, it looks like a no brainer Lehner is the odd man out. But I don’t know if Murray has a longer term plan in mind where Lehner is perhaps pivotal.
if your dealing with murray buyer beware
And that bit of biased wisdom is based on what exactly?
from watching murray over the years SNEAKY
Giving Seabrook and extension at $7M/yr is not really digging deep. It is only $1.2M more Cap hit than he is now, $5.8M. Granted they have other people to resign now, but a $1.2M range increase is not that big of a deal.