YOu did not answer my question.

Spanky said he was a top 4 d man on an elite team.

you said no he wasn't.

I asked how you can argue that when he just proved it this year. He was the 4th best d man on a team that just cemented their place in hockey history as a dynasty.

You don't like him, great. You don't think he is good, wonderful. But you cannot argue that he is not a top 4 d man on an elite team. He just proved that this year.

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

Wrong again. During the regular season, Johnny was average & had some lousy games. In the SCF he was great.

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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

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That right there is some deep analyses.

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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

Plural

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Yea. Cut me some slack. I'm halfway to hammered out on the deck smoking a Monte Cristo.

Hawks! Woo!!!

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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

Depends on how much you have to pay to keep Saad. Assuming you keep Saad and Tuevo can develop into a 2nd Line C, giving up Sharp and Bickell is not going to be a huge loss. I'd rather they keep Oduya as a depth D man than have half of your D men basically rookies (TVR, Paliotta, Pokka if they don't resign Rundblad and Cumiskey)

I think you'll also start seeing vets (not just vets, but good ones) who don't really care about the money want to come to the Hawks to just win a Cup. (Danny Briere and Martin Erat come to mind)

UFA:
Richards - Gone
Carcillo - Gone (please)
Oduya - Gone (Hi Oilers!)
Roszival - Gone
Vermette - Gone
Andrew Desjardins - Gone?

Desjardins was a solid addition to the 4th line with Kruger and Shaw. He'd be nice to keep but I imagine some idiotic team like Calgary will toss $1.5 million his way. Oduya would be great for continuity but I think it's one of those things where it's wise to move on 1 year too early than 1 year too late. He had a nasty stretch in the spring which was reversed after his injury and subsequent time off to rest. A team like the Oilers probably has a suitcase of money waiting for him. They've been looking for defensemen for half a decade now. When they do develop one like Petry they then flip him for pennies on the dollar. Oh Oilers.

RFA:
Kruger - keep
Saad - keep
Nordstrom - keep (ugh)
Erixon - no opinion
Rundblad - keep (meh)

Luckily GMs are conniving cocksuckers who collude to keep down RFA salaries otherwise we'd be fucked here. I wonder if Saad/Bowman is thinking bridge contract or long-term deal. It's counterintuitive to call a plug indispensable but Kruger fits the bill. He solidifies the bottom pairing and contributes on the penalty kill. The Hawks will need some veteran leadership for the 3rd/4th lines with the influx of rooks coming. Plus, the PK was absolute shit when Bowman flipped Frolik. There needs to be some stability down there. Nordstrom is cheap, fills in at Rockford and is a Q guy. Erixon, uh no idea. He was a hot prospect a few years ago. Probably gets a shot after coming for Morin? Rundblad stays? Does Bowman cut bait on a guy he paid a 2nd for?

Trade:
Raanta - Darling took his spot. He'll be flipped for a low round pick.
Bickell - I think we're going to have do eat some dough here unfortunately. He's marketable at $2M.
Sharp - Two more years at $5.9M is hefty price for a guy's 34 and 35 y/o seasons.
Crawford - not sure if his value will be any higher. I don't actively seek to move him. I don't a trade happening as much as I want to escape that $6M charge.

Looks like Crawford has a limited NTC. I'm sure all these teams that could absorb his contract are on the no-trade list. He's on the team for next year!

^^^ That's pretty much spot on.

My defensemen ranking season & playoffs:

Keith


Seabs / Hammer




Oduya



TVR



Roszival


Rundblad
Timmonen

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Not a mult.

I took at look at 2015 UFA list. Oh my god, spare yourselves. You're going to want to vomit.

Chicago waived Erixon and Toronto claimed him. The Byfuglien trade tree is now dead.


http://www.generalfanager.com/freeagents if you dare...

Mr. Carrie Underwood at center in the Brad Richards role? That's probably the best we can do. Free agency is sort of over.

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You think Richards won't re-sign?

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Proud member of the white guy grievance committee

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

I'm not sure I want him to re-sign. We have a bad track record of keeping guys around one year too long. Mind you, Brad Richards is not in the same tier of players as Michal Handzus, Jamal Mayers, Andrew Brunette, and Brendan Morrison, but I suspect he's looking for more than one year, and I don't want the Hawks to make that commitment.

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Eh, no kidding. Well, that trade sucked ass.

Dustin Byfuglien, Ben Eager, Brent Sopel & Akim Aliu

for

Marty Reasoner, Joey Crabb, Jeremy Morin, Kevin Hayes and Justin Holl

I was pretty upset when Bowman turned around and sent Reasoner to FLA. He would've been a great depth in 2010. But I think he made too much money.

I'm pleased NYR didn't make the Cup and the Hawks won. Screw you Hayes. Diva shithead.

Yeah, that guy has to feel like a real asshole. At least it means we draft at #54 instead of waiting all the way to #91.

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He is good though and a flat out awesome #4 dman. Stop saying stupid shit.

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

Trade: Bickell, Sharp, Crawford AGREE. All 3 traded if possible. Bickell will be the toughest. Raanta I would keep. He's an inexpensive quality backup.
RFA - Kruger and Saad have to stay. The others...meh
UFA - Oduya is a good player, but not great. I don't break the bank for him and some other team will pay for him....he's likely gone. Vermette, Richards, Kimmo, Roszival, Carcillo all gone...no worries.

Desjardins is interesting...I thought he stepped up this series and played well. I'd keep him if the money is reasonable.

I really look forward to a full youth movement. S-T Veterans to plug holes can be acquired any time. Next year we may make the playoffs, but it should be all about getting younger guys around 19, 88, 20, 2, 4.

Seabrook....I'd still keep him. Unless there's multiple defensive yoots, he'll be needed.

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Does Spaulding watch games from different years than you guys?

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2018
#ExtendLafleur
10 More Wins

Apparently.Johnny O, Crawford, and Kane all suck.

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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

Anaheim has 18 players signed and $21MM to spend. Mother of fuck, they're gonna offer-sheet Saad.

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I wonder if this Mike Reilly thing is actually going to happen. Left shot...sounds like he should fit in nicely and be quite good if he can keep improving/maturing on his defense. He would also be entry level money IIRC which is awesome for a cap strapped team.

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

I'd say Chicago is #3 on the list behind Minnesota (played at the U, dad owns part of the team) and New York (it's New York). Reilly would be very nice to have, but with Johns set to debut and van Riemsdyk expected to continue, that would be a lot of youth for one blue line. He might have to be okay with proving himself in Rockford initially, and that's the reason we lost Kevin Hayes. I want to make sure we get a proven veteran for the third pairing before we promise him playing time.

For what it's worth, Reilly seems to have a much higher ceiling than TVR, who was a refreshingly steady hand to start the year, but probably not going to be a dynamic puck-mover or shutdown extraordinaire, especially with the serious injuries he's already racked up. If we sign Reilly and he kicks ass in camp, maybe TVR has to get demoted to Cumiskey's tweener status.

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https://twitter.com/BrianHedger/status/611891625355276288
Brian Hedger

Heard from a good source who says Sharp will be traded next week. It's been expected, but that's still a big name to lose. #Blackhawks

Washington Capitals perhaps?

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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

Washington, New Jersey, and Calgary seem most likely to me. The Hawks won't trade within the division, so rule out Nashville and Winnipeg. With a limited no-trade, I'd expect Sharp to rule out Phoenix based on the lease/ownership shitstorm going down. Anaheim is a longshot because it doesn't make sense for the Hawks to enrich a team that's already this good with this much cap space to spare.

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What can we expect to get in return for Sharp?

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

Picks/prospects, can't afford to take on a roster player until we know what Saad and Kruger are getting. I'd say no higher than a second-round pick, maybe a toolsy change-of-scenery project player like Rundblad.

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We can expect cap relief. I'm sure a pick or two will come with, but this is about the cap.

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oh I get that. I was not expecting players that will be on the roster.

And I think they will be just fine without Sharp next year. They got the best years out of Sharp and if he can give them cap relief then it is time to move him.

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