I think Crawford is good, but Darling is good too. AND DARLING IS CHEAPER. That's why you trade Crawford cuz the Hawks need cap space money. Toews and Kaners new money starts next year.

How long is darling under control before he is a free agent. Is it like baseball? How does this hockey shit work?

Being good is one thing...being able go wire to wire in a momentum changing semi final playoff game, thats the stones you pay for.

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

Agreed, but they still might have to trade him this summer. At least his value will be sky-high if he keeps this up.

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Curious Hair, do the Hawks control Darling a few years before they have to pay him? I know he's older, but he's still a rookie, right?

Do they have arbitration and shit like that before free agency like in MLB.

Having to trade him doesnt make Darling better, just more cap friendly...I understand , they think their defense is what makes a goalie better...and maybe they are right....but its one thing to come into a game down 3-0, but to shut out a team in a game 3 like that is damn big.

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

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Power is always in the hands of the masses of men. What oppresses the masses is their own ignorance, their own short-sighted selfishness.
- Henry George

He'll hit unrestricted free agency after his new contract expires because he'll be over 27. Cost control lasts through seven years of service or age 27, whichever comes first.

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When does his contract expire?

Summer of 2017. He was on a one-year deal this season and signed a two-year extension during the season. $587,500 cap hit for those two years. $6MM for Crawford.

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Ok. Cool. Gotta trade Crawford to get that difference in money.

I'm sure the Hawks would try to trade him to the East. Even take a little less over a Western Conference team.

The Hawks strategy should be to draft the best available goalie with their first rounder in this draft. Then dump Darling in 2 years when they have to pay him. Plug in the kid.

They didn't pay Antti Niemi after the first Cup. I thought that was Bownen's strategy. Find a goalie. Whomever. Never pay them big money when they are due. But he paid Crawford.

I thought they were dumb to let nieme go at the time. And I don't get why they then paid Crawford a few years later.

First of all, they don't have a natural first-round or second-round pick. They traded the first for Vermette and the second for Timonen. (They have a compensatory 2nd from not signing Kevin Hayes.) Second, drafting goalies in the first round is very stupid. You pick them up in later rounds or sign them undrafted.

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Niemi went to arbitration and San Jose broke the gentlemen's agreement and offer-sheeted Hjalmarsson so that we had to choose between one of the two. We chose right. They chose wrong.

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I guess you told me.



You wait. One day I'll know hockey!!!!

Yeah vaguely remember that. Didn't Niemi want 3M or something at the time? I love me some Hjalmar.

It's okay. The New York Islanders made the same mistake and they're an actual team, I think.

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