We're gonna have a tough time with the cap again this offseason. The cap is going down, correct? Stahlberg is as good as gone. Bickel is also unrestricted. Leddy and Kruger are restricted and due for a pay bump.

Gotta find a way to dump Bolland and free up salary elsewhere. We have some decent players knocking on the door in Morin, Smith, Hayes, Pirri as fwds and Clendening and Stanton on the blue line. Morin and Smith can provide a little grit and scoring. Hayes has the size but plays with the physicality of Eric Daze. We have no physicality on the blue line so replacing Seabrook won't be easy!

I agree with you about Q's assistants. I felt he earned the right to select his assistants after the Cup win but these guys have been underwhelming especially coaching the power play and face offs. We need help throughout the organization on face offs.

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The motto of the B&B section:

I honestly don't listen much-Reared On The Score Thu Jan 28, 2016 9:38 am

The Hawks have about $1.3MM in cap space for next year, but they also have two compliance buyouts to use, probably on Montador and Olesz. That will free up just under $6MM.

Leddy, Kruger, Leblanc, and Stanton are RFAs. The last two should be qualified and signed, no problem. Leddy will get a big raise. Kruger may get a decent raise as well.

Handzus, Stalberg, Mayers, Bickell, and Rozsival are UFAs. Mayers is done. Handzus is done. I don't want to take a chance on Rozsival over an 82-game season, not at $2MM. So basically you just need to get Bickell.

Frolik had a good year doing what he does. I'd sell high on him. That will take $2MM off the books and hopefully fetch a middle-round draft pick, which the Hawks could sorely use as they have nothing in the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th this summer.

It's gonna get tight, no doubt about it, but you think we've got it bad? Vancouver (a hair over the cap with 17 signed) and Philadelphia $3 million over with 25 signed) are on Fucked Highway. There's a lot of money across the league's respective books that will have to find places, and I don't know where those places are, because there are only so many compliance buyouts and so many teams who can afford to pay these contracts. Maybe the whole NHL is on Fucked Highway.

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I don't want to see Bickell go. Who else is going to step in and do what he does from the pipeline?

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That's my purse! I don't know you!

Probably not Jimmy Hayes, unless Bickell also does a lot of random falling on his ass, which we know Hayes can replace and surpass.

Then again, we're all in love with Bickell now, but when we had him pegged as the guy from the pipeline who would replicate Byfuglien's production, we were all annoyed that he played too soft. It's only recently--in this contract year--that he's been the power forward we needed.

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Kyle Beach!

jk jk

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That's my purse! I don't know you!

HARD HITTING ANALYSIS!
I mean, if they lost it, no way would it be a key series!

putz.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

One of the compliance buyouts has to be used on Hossa next summer. He's a productive player but there is no way he'll play out his contract with the 4 $1 million dummy years. Not doing so is totally going to fuck up the Hawks cap as there will be a $18.375 million benefit that will need to be recaptured.

They still have not won it asswipe. But this series has served to get the Hawks playing at their best again. The Wild series was a cakewalk and after nearly getting eliminated, they are playing again like the Cup contenders they are. You can feel free to stop stalking me like a jealous bitch now.

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Go Cubs!!!!

Absolutely not. You can't get rid of Hossa. I'll take my chances on the recapture getting fought and overruled. It's a bullshit rule that makes no sense in practice: you get penalized more if he retires one year short than four years short?

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I sure would hate for them to lose Hossa. He does so much on both ends to contribute. He may not score as much as he used to, but he's still a top 4 player on this team.

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Go Cubs!!!!

Also, you can just LTIR him for the last couple years with "a lower-body injury" if necessary. There's no reason to get rid of Hossa.

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I guess you can do that but I don't like the spirit of it. It reminds me of the NBA when they would take retired players and give them a nice contract to not play just so they could match salary in a trade. When people resort to that shit and can then your cap is a joke.

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That's my purse! I don't know you!

Yes, the NHL's cap is a joke, and the Hawks should laugh at it.

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Fine, but in the spirit of what the CBA intended Hossa is a perfect candidate.

The "be seen" Hawks fans going tomorrow to the UC need to watch this LAK/SJ game to see how to be an electric crowd without knowing what hockey is.

Quick was a beast tonight. If Howards gives the Hawks fits they are fucked against Quick.

Howard himself hasn't been the problem so much as the defense, which in turn will also be a bigger problem with Los Angeles.

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Twelve more hours till game time. Just wanna fast fwd to puck drop already!

And the Kings will def be a daunting task should we take Detroit out tonight. Probably the worst team matchup-wise for us in the West.

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The motto of the B&B section:

I honestly don't listen much-Reared On The Score Thu Jan 28, 2016 9:38 am

Just saw the mock conference finals schedule and if the Hawks are fortunate enough to advance they open with games on back to back nights Sat/Sun. Agressive.

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That's my purse! I don't know you!

Woke up nervous.

Stupid Rolling Stones concert's Friday and Monday. Not sure why they don't do Saturday-Tuesday. They've done two days off between single site games multiple times, why go back to back in the Conference Championship unless there's stuff at Staples Center possibly.

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Team Cutler.

Not sure how I can possibly be expected to focus 100% on work today.

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Team Cutler.

I looked at the Bruins-Pens schedule and they are going every other night. So I assume that is normal now that they have fewer games to get on tv. So after that first back to back they slide right into the off nights of Pens-Bruins every other.

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Elections have consequences.

I'm on edge.

Im cautiously optimistic but I think after having lived through and been crushed by 2 of the most disappointing series losses in history ( 84 and 03 Cub) , I never let myself become too vested in this stuff anymore. I want them to win of course but my heart just isn't in it like it used to be. Cant take the potential let down anymore. Fucking Cubs.

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Proud member of the white guy grievance committee

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

Actually as Cub fan I'm pretty relaxed. I mean the Hawks won the Stanley Cup in 2010! That's this century! This decade even! If the Hawks lose I'll be fine.

I am naturally nervous but after last game I just can't see the loss. That said I have been disappointed before.

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Elections have consequences.

4 1/2 hours.

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Team Cutler.

I understand what you're saying. I remember crying with my face in the pillow in my bedroom for a couple hours after the Cubs lost Game 7 in 03. Was only a teenager then and that was my first huge blow as a Chicago sports fan. I've been on guard ever since. The Hawks and Cubs are my pride and joy so naturally today I'm on edge. I get my hopes up but I handle defeats well now. At the end of the day, it's just a sport that I have no outcome over. If they lose, I move on. But if they win, I rejoice like a little girl.

START THE GAME ALREADY

Fuck you NBC Sports and Comcrap. Keeping televised events from your home town is a terrible business practice.

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1926-1931-1934-1942-1944-1946-1964-1967-1982-2006-2011