NHL will allow for two contracts to get amnesty at the end of the year. Not sure of the final details. Thoughts? Hjalmarsson and Hossa? Hjalmarsson is a complete fuck-up at times. Hossa is contracted through the next visit by Halley's Comet.

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Hossa and Montador.

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This

Just started looking down the roster and remember all the crap that is still around. Hopefully Frolik is unable to return from Europe... ever...

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The Hawks can wait to use amnesty as Bowman unfortunately has been a responsible manger of the salary cap. This two buyout horseshit bails out idiot teams like Vancouver, Buffalo and Calgary.

I love that Calgary's ownership was a major force behind the lockout while at the same time being exactly the kind of spendthrift Hail-Marying team that caused the poor teams to be so hawkish on the lockout in the first place. However many times they play the Oilers this year, I hope they get lit up like a Christmas tree in every one.

Montador is a goner at the end of the year. Hossa could be gone after 2014 if his contract is restructured by the new variance rules, which would be a shame. Olesz is gone if we can't hide his cap hit in Rockford anymore.

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Kane and Toews

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Stop trolling.

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Stacy and her mom.

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Proud member of the white guy grievance committee

It aint the six minutes. Its what happens in those six minutes.

Doug Gilmour

Anybody privy to whether teams are still allowed to stash shit contract in the AHL or overseas under the new CBA?

If so, I don't see any reason the Hawks need to use either amnesty anytime soon. This year's salary cap will be at 70.2 million. Right now the Blackhawks are sitting at a 64.5 million cap payroll leaving them around 5. 7 million to play with. Steve Montador hasn't been cleared to play and can be put on injured reserve/list ala Chris Pronger to create even more space. That still leaves a Nick Leddy/Brookbank/Rozsival 3rd pairing which isn't too shabby. The possible weak link in the D corps would be the Oduya/Hjarlmarsson 2nd pairing if Hjarlmarsson continues to play average hockey.

Next year's cap will be at 64.3 million. The Hawks won't have to break the bank really for any of the players that are up. Stalberg (UFA), Kruger (RFA), Leddy (RFA) are all up and the two RFA's won't cost much with the gentlemen's agreement between GM's. Bickell, Mayers, Emery and Rozsival are the ones unlikely to return who are all UFA. This is the year where an amnesty of Montador and/or trade of an expiring Hjarmlmarsson/Frolik makes sense to create extra space. Hopefully Hayes, Clendening, Saad, Morin and Pirri will all be ready to step in to play at their cheap price.

I don't know about that. Does Doug Wilson still hate us for firing Dale Tallon? Maybe he'll offer Nick Leddy $20 million this time.

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Carlos Boozer

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So salary cap circumvention shenanigans have been totally shut down with this CBA. No more burying bums in the AHL or Europe.

So let's welcome back Rostislav Olesz to the Hawks salary cap balance sheet!

Even with the re-introduction of his 2.25M cap hit the Hawks have 3.5M million in wiggle room this year. Next year his 2.25M hit will be a burden with the cap dipping to 64M. But burning one of the two amnesties to rid his last year would be a hard pill to swallow.

CH, I think the Hawks can escape the back-end of the Hossa cap hit by pulling a Pronger/Savard. While Pronger's and Savard's shit is real the Hawks could put Hossa on LTIR with concussion symptoms once he becomes old and unproductive to skirt the cap hit.

I think the Hawks need to be near or at the ceiling for hiding Hossa on LTIR to work. LTIR doesn't add cap space, it just lets you stay under the cap, if that makes any sense.

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Kuc reporting that Montador got a concussion in practice. Gotta think we've seen the last of him, whether it's LTIR or buyout.

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goodbye so long auf wiedersehen farewell

Source: Blackhawks' Montador not close to return
By Chris Kuc
Tribune reporter
11:11 a.m. CST, January 16, 2013

Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Steve Montador has not skated with teammates for weeks with symptoms related to a concussion and is not close to taking the ice, according to a source.

The source said Montador is not able to elevate his heart rate without symptoms returning but has shown improvement in recent days. The 33-year-old apparently will concentrate on becoming healthy in every day life before deciding the next step in his playing career.

Montador was injured in a game against the Colorado Avalanche last February and returned for one game -- March 27 against the New Jersey Devils -- before being shut down for the rest of the season. He worked out with team personnel and other injured players -- including Marian Hossa -- during the lockout and was medically cleared by the team. Montador then suffered another head injury after colliding with a teammate during an informal practice shortly before the lockout ended.

They can buy out Montador before Saturday now. His cap hit would be on the books for the year, but then it would be off for next year. Probably best just to LTIR him and then take the buyout, though. The early compliance buyout only really makes sense for Wade Redden and Scott Gomez, who aren't injured but just need to be made to disappear. Funny how New York and Montreal were able to big-swingin'-dick their way into fixing those boo-boos.

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Why do hockey concussions last for months or years, but football concussions last 2-3 days? No wonder football players get CTE.

I think the biggest thing to come out of that article was the "SOURCE". It exists. Take that WSCR...