Even after reading the analysis of the Toronto trade I do not get it. I see they each got rid of players and bad contracts they had but why trade? Couldn't they have made those moves on their own with the contracts?

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Elections have consequences.

Columbus doesn't print money. They can't afford to pay $5.3 million to a player who can't suit up. Clarkson has essentially the same salary and can dress.

Both contracts are toxic. Columbus can at least have a player plus not have to pay for his replacement. Toronto wipes their ass with $100s so paying $5M for a guy to sit means nothing.

Not gonna get rid of Richards. We're short on forwards already and he's dirt cheap.
No benefit to moving him (realistically)

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Yeah, I know...just that without Kane as a wingman, he's even more useless now. He's had what, a decent two-week or so stretch, and that's pretty much it? And he can't play defense worth a fuck, either.

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Not a mult.

I don't know - while I am not quite as pessimistic as our resident shit-loser , I don't think the Hawks are realistically going to make it past the conference finals at the very best this season, and hopefully the brain trust isn't thinking of just going for it now without their top scorer. I would rather the Hawks either a) make some deals that help them out in the long run, or b) stnd pretty pat, as the other teams are going to try to butt rape them now that Kaner is out.

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Not a mult.

We always hear that kind of talk, but all the Hurricanes got for Sekera, who was supposed to fetch an embarrassment of riches, was a low 1st and a bust-prone prospect.

My head says the Hawks shouldn't bother going for it this year, but my heart says they have to go all out because of how grim things get starting next year. If they can allocate Kane's LTIR space toward Vermette and a defenseman, I don't know, they might be able to fake it into the second round and maybe Kane comes back ahead of schedule thanks to drinking his milk and also HGH? I don't know. What a weird position. Probably is best to just shut 'er down and realize that we got to live through the golden age of Chicago hockey and it was great.

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What? He's an UFA. That's a lot for a guy who'll only play 25ish games and playoffs.

If you're going to at least the third round, a low 1st is nothing. The Kings have prospects to spare.

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Both are huge assumptions .

Maybe it hurts them if they go out in the first and end up giving up between 15-20. If they miss the playoffs altogether, it converts to next year's draft. The point is that people were forecasting a much bigger haul for Sekera than a 1st from a team that will probably go to the Final again.

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another ridiculous assumption.

Boyle predicting a trade goes down over the next 3 hours. Thats because he knows a deal is on the table.....

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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. I wouldn't give up a 1st rounder for a rental. Definitely wouldn't do that for the Hawks now that Kane is out till at least the 3rd round.

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I will be very surprised if Raanta & Sharp are still with the Hawks come Monday. Edmonton is looking for goaltending.

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CSFMB 2014 Nascar Pick 'em Champion

We don’t have a trillion-dollar debt because we haven’t taxed enough; we have a trillion-dollar debt because we spend too much. — Ronald Reagan

Chris Pronger's wife made him ask for a trade out of Edmonton because he got caught fucking a weather bunny. It's all coming together.

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Man... we almost got both Jagr and Timonen. A 15 year old IMU would have been super excited.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

They did get Timonen.
For next year's 2nd round pick they get a 40 year old fuck with lung and leg blood clots.
What the fuck.

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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

We almost got both Jagr and Timonen.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

That first is gonna sting unless the Hawks intend to sign Vermette in the offseason; otherwise,

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Not a mult.

I dont really know much about this guy. What does he bring to the table? How will he fit in with the Hawks?

Hopefully he does not have an attractive wife

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

Think more "poor mans Toews" than "poor mans Kane".
He is not a flashy scorer, but can win faceoffs and play both ends of the ice. And score.

This is clearly the guy they targeted and they got him. Hopefully it works. I'd still like another defenseman.

Did Sharp allegedly bang another female somewhat associated with the Hawks tonight?
This shit is getting crazy

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MY. GUY.

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Archetypal two-way center. Wins faceoffs, plays good defense, is a respected leader. He was a #1 in Phoenix because they never figured out that teams need forwards. This is the best possible move. We got the best expiring contract in the league for (what had better be) a late 1st and one of many pretty-good-but-not-great defense prospects. Stan really saved his ass, and so much for all that barrel talk.

Here's something I wrote at the end of June:


Man, so close. We got Vermette, Hossa is aging his way out of the top six, Sharp is fucking his way out of Chicago, Toews and Kane's raises killed contention in 2016. Unfortunately, it was Leddy and not Oduya who got out of the way, and I had no idea that Brad Richards would come here (and then turn into a pumpkin). As for the Coyotes, they finally did admit it and have lost nine in a row in regulation heading into deadline day.

With Toews, Vermette, Richards, and Kruger down the middle, Teuvo and Shaw are forced to the wings (but not the Wings) where they belong. I can't understate how nice it is right now to have a center who is unequivocally a center.

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I'll add, though, that it's still likely that the Blues crush this team, and if so, giving up a pick in the low teens in the best first round since 2003 could be a fireable offense. So now they really have to flip the switch like the switch has never been flipped before.

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My level of caring is pretty low. That being said, I'll be seeing the team in person on Friday and Sunday. Enough beer should soothe the pain.

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Hawaii (fuck) You

You predicted a Blues first round sweep of the Blackhawks. I'll put $1000 on the other side of that bet. You in?

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CSFMB 2014 Nascar Pick 'em Champion

We don’t have a trillion-dollar debt because we haven’t taxed enough; we have a trillion-dollar debt because we spend too much. — Ronald Reagan

I don't think they'll sweep with these moves, but I'd still favor them. Too much talent, not enough injuries.

Still, it's exciting to see them go all in. Stan has to know something we don't w/r/t the cap and what outgoing players will bring back. To peace out on the best draft class in years like this, he must know that not only is there no next year, there's not going to be a few more years, either.

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CH, even with your sky-is-falling-because-the-cap-is-gonna-be-oh-so-much-smaller-than-what-was-originally-thought downerism, I don't see how these are HUGE MOVES that mean this is a make-or-break year. Even you hinted at a Vermette acquisition in the preseason, so I don't think Stan thought the window was closing, even with Kane going down (if that WAS the case, then wouldn't he have gone all Kenny Williams???). OK, so they gave up a 1st and 2nd in the upcoming draft, plus someone who'll turn out to be "a guy" in Dahlbeck - I don't see where this comes even close to mortgaging the future.

So, next season, you have a fairly healthy Toews (at least from a brain standpoint), a near-MVP in Kane, a solid Keith, a seemingly improved Seabrook (if they don't trade him in the offseason), Hammer, Saad, Crawford/Darling (?)...a pretty solid core to build around and two promising youngsters in TVR and Teuvo. Doesn't sound like a "hockey hell" type of roster to me, and the fact that the master and heir of keeping a winning hockey machine running with this kind of formula, well, I don't see anything but several more years of competing for championships.

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Not a mult.

Tha Hawks willl still be the most talented team in the NHL for the next 5 years.

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CSFMB 2014 Nascar Pick 'em Champion

We don’t have a trillion-dollar debt because we haven’t taxed enough; we have a trillion-dollar debt because we spend too much. — Ronald Reagan