The Chicago Blackhawks are still shopping for a defenseman, an update on Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Matt Carle, plus limited cap space prevents the Minnesota Wild from making a big deal.
Blackhawks still seek a defenseman.
CHICAGO TRIBUNE: Chris Kuc and Chris Hine report the Blackhawks continue to aggressively shop for a defenseman. While Duncan Keith (knee surgery) and Michal Rozsival (ankle injury) are both close to returning to action, a source claims they’re pushing hard to add another blueliner via trade. The respective returns of Keith and Rozsival will give the Blackhawks nine defenseman, leading coach Joel Quenneville to say a move will have to be made to reduce that number.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blackhawks were reportedly seeking a defenseman before Keith was sidelined. Once their two injured regulars return, they’ll obviously have to move out a blueliner or two. Demotion to the minors is one option. Perhaps the ‘Hawks will demote one of their spares and package the other as part of a larger deal to bring in a better-skilled rearguard? No word on who the ‘Hawks are targeting or who they’re offering up, though I suspect recently demoted winger Bryan Bickell could be part of it. Hopefully we’ll discover new information over the next couple of days.
Update on Matt Carle.
Can the Lightning find any takers for defenseman Matt Carle?
TAMPA BAY TIMES: Joe Smith reports Lightning defenseman Matt Carle isn’t bitter about being a healthy scratch in a couple of recent games. The subject of trade speculation, Carle said his preference is to keep playing with the Lightning. He recently had a conversation with GM Steve Yzerman. While keeping what was discussed private, Carle said the club has treated him like professional. He has a modified no-trade clause and carries an annual cap hit of $5.5 million through 2017-18.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Carle may wish to stay in Tampa Bay, but if he wants more playing time he could end up accepting a trade. However, his annual cap hit is difficult to move at this point in the season. The decline in his performance this season also doesn’t help.
Wild lack cap space to make a major trade.
TWINCITIES.COM: Chad Graff reports Minnesota Wild GM Chuck Fletcher said his club lacks the salary-cap space to swing a significant trade to bolster their forward depth, which took a hit when Zach Parise was sidelined by a knee injury. “It’s hard to make trades at the best of times because you’re trying to find a team that has what you need, and they need to need what you have,” Fletcher said. “That’s hard enough, nevermind balancing out the dollars. But now it has to be a dollar for dollar trade as well.” The Wild are among half of the NHL’s 30 teams currently sitting with less than $1 million in salary-cap space or receiving cap relief due to long-term injuries.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: That’s a reality consistently overlooked by some rumormongers. If the dollars don’t fit, you can’t make a trade. That’s why there’s so few trades during the first half of the season, why most trades done in-season occur within a month of the trade deadline, and why most of the big trades take place from mid-June to early-July. It’s been that way since the imposition of the salary cap, and it’s not changing anytime soon.
Just because there is a salary cap, doesn’t mean the teams need to spend to the limit. Its like the dollar is burning a hole in their pocket and they must get rid of it. I think teams will be better suited if they spent up to 75% of the cap allowing themselves more room for maneuvering during the season.
I tend to agree, but, the problem is, the accusations of collusion would spring-up quickly should the majority of teams take that route.
Actually most teams plan ahead on the cap and project what they think it will be and what they think their young players will want.
Some t4ams knowing they have room over the next 2-3 yrs can sign a player to a contract that takes up that vacant cap space.
It would be very difficult to ice a complete and competitive team using only 75% of the cap, think how much better Ottawa could be if the owner spent to the cap, it also severely limits your trade possibilities. The cap is there might as well use it all, smartly however.
I don’t know; Ana, $7.3m, Wpg, $11.6m, NYI $6.3m and Nash $11.2m seem to be doing fine. Yes I know where Anaheim is sitting presently but won 4 in a row and certainly will be challenging for the cup.
Those numbers are still well below 75%. 75% of 71.1 million would be just shy of 18 million of available cap space. I wouldn’t be so quick to put Atlanta/Winnipeg on that list. I think both teams in the cap era have combined for about 4-5 playoff appearances, and if I’m not mistaken….ZERO series wins.
***Atlanta/Winnipeg and NYI’s****
In case you didn’t know, the avs also made the playoffs a couple of years ago, as did Calgary last year…. 1-2 short lived playoff runs over a decade does not equal “doing fine ” in the cap era.
That is not the past, 1 year doesn’t erase the last 9-10 years.
75% was just a number, I referring to leaving enough cash in the bank so your not hindered from making that big acquisition. And yes im putting wpg on the list, in case you didn’t know, they the jets made the playoffs are trending up and play in the toughest division in hockey. I’m not referring to the pass; i’m referring to the present.
Anaheim is a 4-horse machine – Perry, Getzlaf and Lindholm and Vatanen. And that is showing up now on a regular basis, including last night when a rookie took them to the cleaners. I wouldn’t be too sure of them challenging for anything.
“Smartly however” … and there’s the rub eh? There are quite a few teams for whom “smartly” does not apply, stuck with bloated contracts combined with long terms who they just can’t get of to clear space.