More speculation on the Chicago Blackhawks, including the future of Andrew Shaw, in your NHL rumor mill.
Has forward Andrew Shaw played his final game with the Chicago Blackhawks?
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: In a recent mailbag segment, Mark Lazerus responded to questions over possible offseason moves by the Chicago Blackhawks. Most of the questions involved restricted free agent center Andrew Shaw. With the Blackhawks already investing around $69 million next season in 17 players, Lazerus believes Shaw will probably have to accept a significant pay cut to remain with the club. Even a qualifying offer of $2.5 million could be too expensive for the Hawks. Though Shaw wants to stay, the Blackhawks must shed salary (possibly by moving left wing Bryan Bickell’s $4 million salary for next season) to make it happen.
Lazerus doesn’t expect the Blackhawks to trade promising forward Teuvo Teravainen but no longer considers him as untouchable as he was a year ago. He doesn’t completely rule out the possibility of Teravainen being traded, perhaps by packaging him with Bickell.
Of the UFAs, he believes Richard Panik is the one worth retaining. He wants to return and Lazerus suggests he could be re-signed to a six-figure salary.
Lazerus also wonders if former Blackhawks defenseman Brian Campbell might consider returning for one season on the cheap. He also suggests buying out Bickell’s contract wouldn’t hurt efforts to retain Shaw or Andrew Ladd. He doesn’t see the Hawks trading goaltender Corey Crawford.
CHICAGO TRIBUNE: Chris Kuc reports Andrew Shaw hopes to return with the Blackhawks. GM Stan Bowman declined to speak out Shaw’s future with the club, saying more will be determined once the salary-cap figure for next season is revealed in June. Meanwhile, UFA left wing Andrew Ladd said he’s open to returning with the Hawks at a discount.
Chris Hine reports Bowman believes some of his younger players must step up into larger roles if the Blackhawks are to continue competing at a championship level. That includes those currently on the roster and some in their farm system. Bowman singled out players such as Ryan Hartman, Mark McNeill, Vincent Hinostroza, Tanner Kero and Ville Pokka as possibilities to make the jump onto the big club next season.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: According to Cap Friendly, the Blackhawks have over $66.9 million invested in 17 players for 2016-17. Assuming a cap ceiling of $74 million, they’ll have just over $7 million in cap space. Even if Shaw is willing to accept a hometown discount of $3 million annually, that eats up nearly half of their remaining cap space. Maybe Bowman can convince him to accept a one-year deal worth $2.75 million with the promise of a lucrative long-term starting in 2017-18. If not, he might not have any choice but to trade him.
Ladd is completing a five-year deal worth $4.4 million per season. I don’t see him accepting that much or less to stay in Chicago. Even if he accepted $5 million per, the Blackhawks can’t afford him. I expect Ladd will be hitting the free-agent market on July 1.
Bowman could shock the world and trade Crawford, but I don’t see that happening. He’s a core player who backstopped them to two of their last three championships. They believe in him. I’m not convinced Campbell will return to Chicago. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if he took a discount to remain with the Florida Panthers for another season or two.
Bowman will try hard to move all of Bickell’s remaining salary. That could mean adding a sweetener into the deal, like perhaps a second-round draft pick or one of his top prospects. Failing that, I expect Bickell will be bought out. I’ll be very surprised if Teravainen gets moved. Panik should be an affordable re-signing, but he’s already earning $975K and has arbitration rights this summer. Maybe he accepts another $975K deal for next season with the promise of a nice raise in 2017-18. As for the rest of the roster, I think Bowman’s tipped his hand as to his intentions, looking for two or three of the kids in his system to earn roster spots next season.
Niemi was the starter for the first cup in ’10 not Crawford. Crawford has been the starter for 2 cups.
Sorry havent finnished my coffee misread….
Copy that. I’m so hung over not ready for hot liquids yet.
?
Bickell is bought out freeing up 3 miilion in cap space.
Shaw signs for 3 maybe 3.5.
Ladd walks as a UFA.
Panik & Rasmussen are qualified & get 10% raises.
That gives Chi 11 forwards, 6 D & 2 goalies & about 6 mil in cap space. Polka is promoted & Chi signs 1 depth Dman & either promotes 2 4th line forwards or signs to bargain basement UFA’s.
Taravanen stays & Chi has 23 players signed for the 2016-17 season. Factor in the carry over bonus’s for Panarin & Chi just squeaks under tha cap with a teeny bit of wiggle room. In or around a mil.
I still think they can move Bickell with the right incentive. Its not a pretty contract but I think there are a team or 2 that could gamble on him if they were to get something else out of the deal….it may need toinvolve multiple players and some salary being held.
The issue for me is cash as always. No 1’s taking Bickell with out a serious incentive.
Even if Chi ate 1/2 his salary 2.25 & 1/2 his cap hit 2 mil I still don’t think he can be moved with out some other sweetner.
The buy out provides greater cap relief this season & following expansion the 2nd year of the buyout isn’t as problematic.
Do you want Bickell even at a 2 mil cap hit & 2.25 cap hit?
The kitty of prospects in Chi is getting pretty small. Not sure they should be giving up any more to unload Bickell. Bite the bullet & buy him out.
My reasoning for thinking that way is what we see time and time again, the NHL is a league of 2nd and 3rd chances. Bickell had a terrible year but there will be a gm or 2 who if the opportunity presented it self would take that contract on with a secondary or nice bonus piece on top if it was a low enough cost. Up to this season Bickell has proved himself to be a pretty consistent close to 30 points big body grinding type player ya he is a little overpaid for what he brings but I think the basis of all this buyout or unmoveable contract talk is being based on 1 bad year….Im not sure there wont be a couple gms or coaches for that matter who would be willing to look past it for a player like that if the cost eas negligible or there was something else in it for them.
Toronton seems like a team who could take Bickell and a draft pick or quality prospect and walk away happy.
I think Chicago gets better cap relief just buying him out & not having to give up anything to entice another team to take him. The most Chicago can eat is 1/2 his salary. That would leave 2 mil on the books. Buying him out only leaves 1 mil on the books in each of the next 2 seasons & following expansion Chicago’s cap pressure is significantly reduced.
If bought out another team would sign him as like you I agree he is an NHL player & can play a role for someone in the NHL. Only issue is his salary & cap hit.
U have to get a number 4 dman that coach Q trusts, so if u have to trade Teuvo to get him so be it, let’s get stronger on the back end first
Good chance Tyler Motte makes the team this fall .
Sorry should read. Do you want Bickell at 2 mil cap hit & 2.25 salary?
I think I read if they just buy him out it would be a 1 mil cap hit next season. Rather do that than trade him, a pick and half his salary.
Bickell will be headed to NJ or CAR. NJ will be pretty far below the cap floor with everyone they will let walk away, and really just Palmieri as a big re-signing. Even if Bickell is on 4th line, NJ could use the picks to restock or allow them to move up in other deals. Plus he’s an expiring contract, so one year of a high salary that can be used in 17-18 once Bickell is done.
NJ won’t have any issue hitting the cap. No team does or has since the implementation of the cap in 04-05. By the time NJ signs their 6 RFA’s promotes Zacha to full time NHL player & signs a few UFA’s in what is the best UFA market in years they will be comfortably above the cap.
Nor Carolina for that matter.
Striker,
Absolutely agree with you… I hear so much chatter surrounding teams taking on bad contracts/players to reach the cap floor, but there really isn’t an absolute NEED by any team because as you said once they resign RFA’s and even add a free agent in the off season practically all the teams have reached the floor. The teams that will trade for Bickell will do so because of the asset Chicago is adding into the equation, whether that be a 2nd round pick, ect. Just my opinion. I don’t think teams are looking at the Bickell situation and saying “we need that player” or “we need his cap hit to help us reach the floor”… it’s more like “if we absorb this cap hit this year we’re getting a 2nd round pick next draft”
Off topic yet again…who would win a hot dog eating contest between Ken Hitchcock and Bruce Beaudreau? And how many hot dogs would it require?
I’m not worried about Chicago. They lost by one goal in Game 7 against a very hungry team. They’ll be fine next year. You can always fill those secondary and tertiary holes at the deadline and they’ll make the playoffs with the core. Calgary might take Bickell if they didn’t have those two albatross’ on defense and a goalie to sign.
On that note, what are Monahan and Gaudreau going to get? What does that leave? What sayest thou Striker?
In or around 7 mil per. As you know I bridge everyone so as to allow for longer retention before they become UFA’s even if it means spending more today.
Do you mean what will Calgary have left in Cap monies?
Yeah. I was hoping they’d both be under 7mil (Hall and Seguin), but yeah around there. Looks like they’ll have roughly 11mil+/- for 6 players, which includes 2 goalies. Yikes. Perhaps 10mil for 5 players if that new guy isn’t factored in yet, Pribyl.
Id agree with bridging Monahan, but I could 6nderstand the thought processes behind buying up some of those UFA years for Gaudreau to save some room down 5he road if possible,
Arnie Consopolas,
Those Taylor Hall and Tyler Sequin contracts are difficult to relate to because they’re both fantastic steals (deals) for the teams… the salary for those types of players have gone up. Striker is right inline with what they’ll see, around $7m per.
I give both players what ever it takes to keep them happy as long as not stupid. Biggest concern for me is retaaining them for as long as possible. That means keeping them as RFA’s coming out of these next deals so they can then be signed to 3 year deals.
Pay them 5.5 to 7 mil per on 3 year deals now then sign to 8 at full market value after.
Striker,
Makes sense, bridge the deals and then sign long term before they have the full UFA status
Bridging them is wishful thinking, both those players are about to hit home runs and their new contracts are going to take them to UFA Status.
Monahan 8 years x $7mill – $7.5mill
Gaudreau 8 years x $7.5mill – $8mill
That’s my guess,
As for the goalie I don’t see the Flames taking a big contract or signing Reimer I see Ortio with a cheap experienced back up.
Play-offs seem like a long shot again next season so hopefully they play it safe get another high draft pick and see how the summer before expansion plays out.
I’m surprised no-one has really talked about the assets that were moved by Chicago at the deadline after the recent 1st round exit in the playoffs. Ladd, Fleischmann, and Weise MOST LIEKLY won’t be retained in the off season. The Blackhawks have no 1st or 2nd round picks this season and their prospect pool POST-DEADLINE was rated by Bleacher Report as 30th in the league and described it as shallow and lacking of any elite talent. Mostly because the majority of their talent is up on the team now.
Cap related concerns…
Chicago Blackhawks has the top 3 highest salary/cap hit going into the 2016-2017 season. The Pittsburgh Penguins and Los Angelos Kings beat out the Blackhawks by a few million but the biggest different is both of those teams have more players signed for next season than the Hawks. Also, I feel Chicago needs to add a solid defenseman for next season, which is really what they should’ve done at the deadline instead of adding the above 3 players (Ladd, Weise, and Fleischmann).
*** Baby Update ***
Doing well, looking like he may be able to come home this Wednesday. Wife is doing well… although she’s quite bored at the hospital, the men have it easy as I’ve been on vacation this week. Did a lot of fishing in the white mountains northern New Hampshire. Been detached from technology since Thursday, which has been nice.
Chad.
I certainly addressed it on more than 1 occasion but to reinterate. Chicago should have traded fro Hamhuis not Ladd. Had they I think they would have beat StL. As for Weiss & Flash who cares the price paid wasn’t extreme & depth helps when juries hit.
That said moving forward with the foundation in place 7 the 3 young dman ready for expanded roles all will be fine. The cap is tight but with success that’s the cost.
Chicago will be right there again for another potential long long next year.
Striker,
I know you have and by no-one I mean very few… obviously some have addressed it but I think it’s certainly a cause for concern when you’re so close to the cap ceiling and will have difficulty addressing the immediate needs of the team without making a somewhat significant roster move (moving Bickell or buying him out). You are absolutely right about Weise and Fleischmann though, the price paid wasn’t extreme… still was a 2nd round pick 2018 and a former 1st round prospect in Danault, but he hasn’t shown much in terms of prospect talent since being drafted.
I don’t doubt Chicago and next season but I think it’s a wake-up call… the western teams that made it to the 2nd round look very strong and Dallas I feel will only get better as the seasons go by. I felt Chicago was almost a shoe in for the West but I’m rethinking heavily, we’ll see what the off season has in store for them but I see some of these other western teams and they look strong.
they tried but Vancouver balked on bixy
First, Bleacher Report is always FAR from accurate indicator of most things. The Hawks are not looking to replace their high end core, and the farm will continue to provide bottom en talent and trade fodder. The thing about every teams glowing prospects is..they are “prospects.” The ceilng can be high but after chances at the NHL level they can be less prospective if they can’t preform at an NHL level. From a fan perspective, it is wonderful to surmise just how GREAT say a Jimmy Vesey will be…but until the player shows they can bridge that talent chasm day after day, game in and out, and then finally at the playoff level, he is just a prospect…
Bill,
True, take it for what’s worth… Bleacher Report can be inaccurate like many reports are including analysts of draft prospects. Chicago HAD one of the better farm systems in the league over years and it glaringly showed through as they were up against the cap many off seasons and seemingly got better because they brought up these young players. All I’m eluding to is that Chicago has a cap issue, much like they have in the past but the difference I see this off season as opposed to previous ones is that their prospect pool is all but diminished and certainly not what is was even a few seasons ago… as well they’re not picking until the 3rd round this draft and they didn’t have a 1st round pick last draft either. Eventually paying the price to build a team for a run at a cup does hurt the team, fortunately for Chicago they’ve seen a lot of success in recent years plus they had a stacked pool of talented young players, which have added to their success. I think now you’ll see some bumps in the road and it started by being bounced in the 1st round. Just my opinion though =)
I really like Ladd but think he may have screwed himself by asking for too much in Winnipeg, being traded to a team that has no cap space available to resign him. His performance was not that of a 6 mill player…..maybe 4.5 with term or 5 with no term. I really think he outfoxed himself and that is unfortunate as I think he is a real team player and leader that got screwed around in Winnipeg.
What Ladd was or is asking for is the going rate for the type of player/production. Now, this season I feel he did have a down year in terms of point production… as the past 2 seasons seemed to improve and I felt this season he was going to have a better year. Contract years can do that to a player, stress surrounding the need to perform, plus I don’t think the talk about him on the trade block helped either. I still think though he’s going to get right around what he’s looking for, maybe a bit less but I don’t think it impacts too much. Also, I never felt Chicago was ever going to resign the player. I think many of the teams who had him in their deadline plans were likely going to let the player walk regardless. He was a finishing piece to a stanley cup run.
Yeah. I was hoping they’d both be under 7mil (Hall and Seguin), but yeah around there. Looks like they’ll have roughly 11mil+/- for 6 players, which includes 2 goalies. Yikes. Perhaps 10mil for 5 players if that new guy isn’t factored in yet, Pribyl.
… well Anti Raanta has been resigned by NYR. Cross him of your lists of potential free agent goaltenders
So…Craig Button has Chychurn being picked at 12th. A pick I would love for Ottawa to get. Most other mock drafts have him going 7,8 or 9. I wonder what the odds would be for Ottawa to trade up to that area. Perhaps packaging Hoffman and their 12th.
Jeff Noel,
I think the chances he goes 12th is slim to none… Chychrun and Sergachev are the top 2 defenseman in the draft. We all know how valuable defenseman are and these two are projected to be top pairing talent (maybe in a few seasons) but nonetheless I expect them both to be top 10… Around 6-8 spots.
Now about Ottawa trading up, very possible they do. Not sure that the asking price would be 12th and Hoffman as you mentioned is an attractive package… Could need more, who knows. Rumor was last draft Boston in fact offered all 3 of their 1st round picks to move into the top 10 and were turned down. I think moving up in the draft in the NHL is much more difficult than say the NFL. The top 10 picks are coveted. Many who write for the Oilers think their 4th overall pick is worth the moon… Some Toronto fans think the 1st overal (Auston Mathews) is worth OEL + or Strome, 7th overall, and a future 1st or Dvorak also. I think the NHL has always place a high value around 1st round picks, the asking price for those picks can get rather ridiculous if you ask me… But that’s my opinion lol
Just what Ottawa needs. Another offensive D when they already the best in Karlsson, a very good one in Ceci and probably a third in Chabot. What they NEED is a hairy-assed F – preferable a LW – with a mean streak!
George O.
I think what we’re seeing in the NHL is more defenseman fitting that mold of “offensive” first… the league is morphing into this fast paced, tape to tape, blue line to blue line type play and these faster, offensive defenseman, regardless of size are becoming more coveted. Although, I do agree with you that a stronger, hard nosed LW would help the Senators as well.
Chychurn is said to be an excellent two way defensman. The complete package big and skilled. Everyone needs that.
Can someone please enlighten me into Auston Matthews…? I’m not sure if it’s a Toronto Fans Lust or fairy dust that has people in love with this player or what. I see a great player, lots of potential, will undoubtedly go #1 but people are placing him ahead of Jack Eichel in talent / skill set.
Looking at this kid, and I’ve watched probably hours of film on YouTube and from hockey online media… He looks a lot like Dylan Strome 1.5 version. His numbers are good, played in U18 National and the NLA. Strome put up huge numbers and dominated in the OHL. I also feel the OHL is one of the tougher and stronger leagues for prospects and talent. I typically feel players that come out of the OHL are much more developed and the performance there is something to hang your hat on.
The general word is that Matthews would have been taken 3rd last year just behind Eichel.
He chose the Swiss league to play against men rather than dominate the minors.
It was considered a bold move, not an easy option.
BUT, he has never been exposed to a season of more than 40 games whereas Strome has – for some time too. How will he react to the grind of an 82-game schedule? I also don’t think the Swiss league, even if it is men and not boys, is on a par with the Swedish or Finnish Elite leagues or the KHL in terms of calibre.
I’ve read some similar things as well, 3rd overall if drafted in 2015… he chose the NLA and posted solid numbers 36gp – 24g 22a. I would have liked to have seen him play in one of the other leagues that have generated top 3 talent in recent drafts such as the OHL… I’m not sure about the NLA, not very familiar with the league nor do I know of any players recently to come out of there as a successful top end talent. Who knows, he’s no doubt a can’t miss player but how high his talent will go and translate at the NHL level will remain to be seen. I’ve just seen a lot of people refer to this kid as the next coming of Gretzky as many usually do when the draft approaches. I just don’t see this draft having the types of talent previous drafts have held… it may prove to be a bit deeper in terms of comparable talent but I don’t see the high end talent that previous drafts have had. I’d like to be wrong though.
George O.
He did play quite a few games the previous season though but it was not to the level of the leagues that hold players typically drafted in the 1st round. He posted great numbers but he was playing against players that weren’t to his level in my opinion. Probably why he decided to go to the NLA and try his skills there.
@Mbat12 Your right about Matthews going 3rd if he was in last years draft. Only because Arizona was picking 3rd at that. He didn`t pick the swiss league because he wanted to play against men. Matthews went only because he got paid 400000.00 dollars. He missed the draft last year by 2 days and he got cheated out of a big pay check. That`s the main reason
Hes a Centre/RW with skills, size, brains and determination -all round player & has led teams hes played on.
Cant miss prospect. Leaf will pick him AND NOT TRADE HIM lol)
Leafs signed Nikita Zaitsev
Next is Stamkos replacing lupul/ robidas / bozaks contracts
And some drafting/trades for Goal / Dman
Should be an interesting team sooner rather then later
assbackwards,
I also doubt they’ll move the pick, but in saying that I also feel the pick is movable in terms of a realistic return. This isn’t like last season where Connor McDavid was on the board. I’m sure a team or multiple teams will call to inquire. I think it’d be smart for Toronto to at least listen. Some fans have floated around ridiculous returns for the pick, which are all fantasy dreams IMO… OEL and a 1st round pick is not reasonable, or realistic.
Trade:
To NJ Devils: J. Lupul
To Leafs: Ryan Clowe
Devils get a player who can play for them, with 2 years left on his contract.
Leafs get a player who’s career is over and put him on LTIR for the next 3 years clearing $5.25 million from their cap.