Blackhawks changing at the top
What is going on with the Chicago Blackhawks? First, respected assistant GM Rick Dudley departs for that hockey hotbed Atlanta.
Then, the team improperly files qualifying offers to its restricted free agents then has to overpay them to keep them in Chicago. This puts the team hard up against the cap.
In the wake of that, General Manager Dale Tallon was fired Tuesday, according to TSN. Scotty Bowman is a senior advisor to the team, and his son Stan was promoted to replace Tallon. The upheaval, and the expected drop in next year's salary cap, puts the pressure on the team to win right way.
Do you think Chicago has the talent to complete one of the great hockey revivals of recent years or do you think they will be torn apart -- a lot like a team this town roots for -- before they can win a Cup? And, which one of their top young forwards, Pat Kane or Jonathan Toews, do you think will leave next season as a restricted free agent because the team can't afford to keep both?
"I guess the difference is that one team wants to move up to the next level (winning the Cup) and the other is content with mediocrity."
I think CS2 hit the nail on the head with that one. What more has to happen to prove to Tommy G. and Larry Q. that we are in need of some changes?? Another 10th place season? Come on, eat the mic and suck it up already!
Posted by: Amy | July 15, 2009 at 03:39 PM
Poor Dale Tallon. Spent his playing career as "the stiff the Canucks were stuck with after Buffalo grabbed Perreault", and now this. If assembling a team like the Hawks, and getting them to the Stanley Cup semi-finals gets you fired, Regier must thank his lucky stars he is working for Tommy G. I guess the difference is that one team wants to move up to the next level (winning the Cup) and the other is content with mediocrity.
Posted by: CalgarySabre2 | July 15, 2009 at 03:03 PM
Chris,
I just looked it up and you're right. Besides Vanek and Stafford, it's a pretty bleak scene. I like the picks of Kassian and Myers, hopefully they'll turn it around.
Posted by: Vandy Adam | July 15, 2009 at 12:06 PM
Sabres' history of 1st round picks is not that good. They should just trade them all for five 7th round picks every year. Darcy at least gets guys that can make a roster in those rounds.
Posted by: Chris | July 15, 2009 at 11:14 AM
I still think we would have been better off dealing Vanek for those four first rounders. You know Oilers first rounders are always going to be in the 10-15 range. With the Oilers' picks and the Sabres' mid-level picks, you're looking at the likely possibility that you can trade into the top 6 four years in a row. For Vanek? Seems like an obvious move.
Posted by: Vandy Adam | July 15, 2009 at 09:01 AM
i am just sick of looking at this roster, thats all. give me kane and we can go from there. who cares about prospects, i want to win!NOW!.. as it is, i would trade anybody on this roster. 10th place seems to be an optimistic goal, at this point.
Posted by: dwight in philly | July 15, 2009 at 07:02 AM
dwight, I was liking you for a little while until you said that. We finally find some guys with descdended testes like Myers and Kassian and you want to trade them for another skilled prima donna like Kane????? Plus Vanek? Boooooooooo!!!!!
Posted by: Rip | July 14, 2009 at 11:27 PM
dwight, kane wouldn't have anyone to set him up to score his copious goals
Posted by: lounotinafghanistananymore | July 14, 2009 at 10:06 PM
It is unfortunate that the Tallon era is ending like this, even though he still has a job in the organization. The positive side is the Bowman Pedigree. He and his dad know what it takes to win. The Blackhawks will continue to do well
Posted by: Maverick | July 14, 2009 at 09:30 PM
CapGeek is fun tool to play with. Sign the Sabre's RFA's, and it's pretty easy to project them over the cap. Funny how that's never discussed.
Posted by: Jeff | July 14, 2009 at 08:36 PM
Dwight, there is no way I would give up Vanek for Kane, let alone having to give up Stafford, Myers, and Kassian. Now if you were to take Vanek out of the deal, I'd be willing to listen. Vanek is to solid of a player to just give up for Kane. Plus, if you keep Vanek and get Kane. That'll give you 2 top wingers for your #1 scoring line.
Posted by: Guido | July 14, 2009 at 07:34 PM
to answer greg!.. in a friggin heartbeat!.. kane for all those .. where do i sign?.. its a no-brainer.. you gotta be a sabre kool-aid drinker!
Posted by: dwight in philly | July 14, 2009 at 06:52 PM
Chad, I'm sure you're seeing the same thing. Their cap cushion is small and is going to dictate roster decisions throughout the year. Someone like Skille's might not be able to make the team just to save cap $. It may or may not be as bad as a few recent teams have experienced. You never know how injuries will play out.
Posted by: Jeff | July 14, 2009 at 05:50 PM
Would you do Thomas Vanek, Tyler Myers, Zach Kassian, and Drew Stafford for Kane?
Posted by: Greg | July 14, 2009 at 05:22 PM
Let's see....four #1 Sabres' draft picks for a top notch RFA. Tough call, but I think I'd give up Artem Kriukov, Barret Heisten, Jiri Novotny, and Keith Ballard for Patrick Kane....yeah, I would do that trade. Hell, I'd throw Drew Stafford in too, and make it 5 1st rounders.
Posted by: eric | July 14, 2009 at 05:17 PM
Jeff, I'm assuming a 23-man roster which, correct me if I'm wrong, is the pre-trade deadline limit. Skille's cap hit is $850k, the rest is bonus which doesn't count against the Cap. Looking at Chicago's Cap Geek roster who do you think won't be on that team? It's essentially their playoff roster. Don't get me wrong, they'll probably spend within a few hundred thousand of the Cap, but I don't think they're going to be pulling a Calgary at the end of the year to stay under.
Posted by: Chad | July 14, 2009 at 04:57 PM
They are fine, if you accept the CapGeek roster. If you do something simple, like include Jack Skille's 1.275m contract, then the room is gone. If you add more entry level contracts, they are well over. If you include their top 24 contracts, they are over. They have cap issues this year.
Posted by: Jeff | July 14, 2009 at 04:03 PM
Chicago is fine cap-wise. For this year, anyways. They caught a huge break when the rule changed this year to not counting bonuses against the Cap. After bonuses are included, their payroll is around $60 mil, but they have about $1.4 mil in cap space available.
Posted by: Chad | July 14, 2009 at 03:31 PM
Tallon was in a no-win situation. Something happens-(whether it's his fault or not) he gets fired, Bowman's son gets the job. (It's a no-brainer) It'll be interesting watching the Blackhawks figure out who they can keep and who they'll have to give up to fit under a lower salary cap. Good luck to Stan Bowman-- you'll need it.
Posted by: jan | July 14, 2009 at 03:24 PM
Both sites seem fine for cap info. CapGeek isn't counting as many contracts and is more selective about which contracts it's counting. It's easy to use CapGeek to put them over the cap. Just like Philly last year, Chicago is going to have to play cap math before each game, rather than playing their best team.
Posted by: Jeff | July 14, 2009 at 03:03 PM
capgeek.com is the best cap website.
Chicago has $1.4 M left of cap space.
Posted by: Kent | July 14, 2009 at 02:18 PM
Dude,
I can't confirm or deny that statement. I don't know about you, but the only time I've watched the Blackhawks in the last year is about four or five games in the playoffs. I do know that when Campbell was a Sabre, he laid out a lot of people, despite not being the most consistently physical player on the roster, so the notion that he "doesn't hit anyone" raises suspicions to me.
Posted by: Vandy Adam | July 14, 2009 at 01:46 PM
Greg, agreed. I wasn't bringing it up for the mckee value in the bucky comment. i was bringing it up for the connoly value. like max, i think connoly makes magic happen. but enough is enough. you throw enough of your money away you gotta know when to leave the table. he played like 2 games two seasons ago. and made what, 3 mil? absurd!!!
Posted by: lounotinafghanistananymore | July 14, 2009 at 01:45 PM
Hockeybuzz.com says the Hawks are way OVER the cap right now. True or false Buffalo News?
Posted by: soupy | July 14, 2009 at 01:29 PM
Pssh, id rather have the blackhawks problems then the sabres problems.
Posted by: joe from nyc | July 14, 2009 at 01:29 PM
Vandy Adam -- that's from 3 years ago. What have you done for me lately, Soupy????
Watch the playoffs again from this year and see how many times he didn't clear out the net, initiate contact in the corners or block a shot.
The money has made him soft.
Posted by: Dude | July 14, 2009 at 01:22 PM
This isn't about McKee. Besides, McKee wasn't an option the second they signed Montador. The team has like 9 defensemen right now. Why more? McKee is no spring chicken and probably wanted to play for a cup.
Posted by: Greg | July 14, 2009 at 01:21 PM
Greg and Steve-O,
Wait, you're supposed to KEEP captains?
Chuckster,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3Gvfr9GUC0&feature=related
Lou,
Agreed on Lloyd getting his own personal Buffalo News column. In the last "debate," Lou ripped out the "I know you are, but what am I" technique not once, but TWICE. It was magical.
Posted by: Vandy Adam | July 14, 2009 at 01:19 PM
For $850,000 Jay McKee would look pretty good as the number 5 or 6 defenseman or even a part time player. Don't know what the Sabres are thinking.
Posted by: Mark | July 14, 2009 at 01:09 PM
Sabres, not Blackhawk related. Sorry. But great point Bucky:
"Jay McKee wasn't worth the $4 million a year he was being paid in St. Louis, but he is definitely worth the $850,000 he'll pocket next season in Pittsburgh. The guy has had his share of injuries, definitely, but it wasn't as if the Penguins handed him a $1 million raise after he missed two-thirds of the games."
Posted by: lounotinafghanistananymore | July 14, 2009 at 12:22 PM
none of you have any idea what you're talking about. stupid comments. the only one that should be able to make comments is buffalo excuses. i mean lloyd marshall. he should have his own column at the buffalo news.
i think kane is the better player. and i guess the captaincy weighs heavily with why you keep toews. but i think toews will be the more consistent player for longer. doesn't happen much anymore but he could be the joe sakic that you have as the cornerstone for 20 years.
Posted by: lounotinafghanistananymore | July 14, 2009 at 12:14 PM
Like Greg said above, the Campbell contract is a key part of this situation. They grossly overpaid for a defenseman who won't hit anyone and that contract will be a noose on their neck if the cap drops like it is forecasted too next season.
Posted by: chuckster | July 14, 2009 at 12:13 PM
@MattB
Regier would not give up four #1's to get Kane. That isnt how this team does business.
Posted by: Greg | July 14, 2009 at 11:54 AM
Greg is right, someone, or maybe a handful of someones are going to have to go. But at least they're dealing from a position of strength.
They hit on their high picks and then hit the motherlode with a bunch of early picks in the '04 draft.
A couple of savvy deals (Ladd, Sharp, Fraser) and they have a positive embarrassment of riches in young talent.
Even though they won't be able to keep them all, they should get good value back in the deals they'll have to make. And if they keep drafting like they did in '02, '03, '04 & '05, they'll have a steady supply of talent coming thru the system to keep them in contention.
Posted by: Brian in Shortsville | July 14, 2009 at 11:30 AM
I can't wait for the conspiracy theorists to suggest that the reason the Sabres aren't doing anything this year is so they can make a run at Kane.
Posted by: MattB | July 14, 2009 at 11:27 AM
Like Greg said, Toews is the Captain... he stays.
Posted by: Steve-O | July 14, 2009 at 10:47 AM
Toews is their captain, he'll be back. Keith is a defensive cornerstone, he'll be back. One of two things will happen. Kane will sign an offer sheet that Chicago can't match and they'll take the picks or they'll have to trade guys like Barker, Versteeg and Byfuglen to make room for Kane. A bad situation brought on by the Campbell contract.
Posted by: Greg | July 14, 2009 at 10:43 AM
Rumor mill has the Bowman hiring being in the works for a while and all the powers that be were waiting for was one slip up by Tallon and they got it in the RFA offer mess.
Posted by: James | July 14, 2009 at 10:41 AM