The cheapest deal Shaw can sign is 2.5m based on his 2015-16 salary.

Yeah, no chance.

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Team Cutler.

I was looking at the Coyotes roster just now and have a question:

If we could package Shaw & Bickell to Arizona, which of these defensemen is the most attractive?

Zbynek Michalek - 33 yrs old, 1yr at 3.2mil
Michael Stone - 25 yrs old, RFA
Connor Murphy - 23 yrs old, RFA
Kevin Cannauton - 26 yrs old, RFA

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Sherman remarked, "Well, Grant, we've had the devil's own day, haven't we?" Grant looked up. "Yes," he replied, followed by a puff. "Yes. Lick 'em tomorrow, though."

Michalek signed his deal so he could just chill out in Phoenix again after being traded away at the end of 2015, same as Vermette did. The Hawks would be Connauton's fourth or maybe fifth team; safe to say he's not second pair on a championship team. The Coyotes like seem to like Stone and will probably keep him. Murphy has a high pedigree as a first-round pick but hasn't realized his potential under the veteran-heavy Tippett.

Your choices with Bickell:
For $3,050,000 in dead cap space this year, you bury him for 2017 and are through with him forever for 2018
For $2MM in retention, you trade him away but also trade an asset away, and are through with him forever in 2018
For $1MM in dead cap space this year, you buy him out, but also pay $1.5MM in dead cap space in 2018

There's really no right answer.

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I just read that Stone tore his ACL and MCL near the end of the season, with the possibility of him not being ready for the beginning of next season. Murphy is a mobile, offensive defenseman that could pair well with Seabrook or Hammer. I like the size of both of them; just seemed Arizona is the perfect partner for taking on Bickell's contract and having two promising defensemen to get back for Shaw.

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Sherman remarked, "Well, Grant, we've had the devil's own day, haven't we?" Grant looked up. "Yes," he replied, followed by a puff. "Yes. Lick 'em tomorrow, though."

We can already pencil Datsyuk's dead cap space for the Coyotes. Taking on Datsyuk and Bickell might be too much even for them.

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By the way, if the NHL can figure out how to do expansion, the NHLPA has clarified that no-move clauses apply to exposure in expansion drafts, so if you were hoping to lose Seabrook for free by offering him to the Las Vegas Black Knights and Quebec Nordiques (HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA GOOD ONE), it won't happen.

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Elite defensive center Jonathan Toews misses out on a Selke nomination to Kopitar, Bergeron, and oof, Ryan Kesler.

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No, I forgot.

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Same sex, different habits - who gives a fucking shit
This won't make the species unfurl

They basically traded Sharp for Christian Erhoff.

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Same sex, different habits - who gives a fucking shit
This won't make the species unfurl

Hawks just signed the North Dakota college kid. Doesn't seem like a star in the making.

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Elections have consequences.

You're going to have to be more specific. Drake Caggiula? I don't see anything about that.

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It was maybe something like luke johnson?? It wasn't Drake or Schmaltzy but someone that will possibly entice them to sign.

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

Luke Johnson

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Elections have consequences.

Hmph. Fifth-round pick in 2013, got the pick from Winnipeg for Michael Frolik. Would be nice to see a return on that trade eventually.

Speaking of the Jets, boy, did they get lucky with that #2 pick. That roster is going to come together very nicely next year with a full year of Hellebuyck and the Ehlers-Scheifele-Wheeler line. Add Kyle Connor and Patrick Laine, you might have something there.

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I was just thinking about how promising Erik Gustafsson seemed earlier in the year and how he went from showing promise to being scratched all the time and singlehandedly ending the Hawks' season. Still, I hope he gets another chance. With only 68 pro games in North America, it might be too soon to close the book on him, even at 24. Give him half a season on the third pairing, and if he still can't put it together, go ahead and cut bait, but I'm gonna try really hard not to hold that goal against him forever.

Remember when we were loaded with defense prospects?

Dahlbeck: traded to Phoenix for Vermette
Paliotta: traded to Columbus with Saad for Anisimov/Dano
Johns: traded to Dallas for the privilege of not having a dude trying to fuck everyone's wife
Clendening: traded to Vancouver for Forsling, another defenseman, lateral move
Svedberg: turns out he sucks. bad

Dahlbeck is only a fungible 6/7D, so whatever. I'll take the championship, thanks. The #30 pick we gave up will probably sting more, but not as much as the #58 pick we gave Phoenix in 2014 for David Rundblad, which is a guy from the south suburbs named Christian Dvorak who's apparently pretty damn good. Giving up Stephen Johns is going to hurt us bad for years, but you knew that. Forsling could be good if he ever makes it stateside.

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I was hoping to see if TJ Brennan would ever pan out. He had a real good opportunity with the Isles until he was sent here in the Leddy trade.

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Same sex, different habits - who gives a fucking shit
This won't make the species unfurl

Nah, tweener at best.

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Clendening is a restricted FA. Also, he is more physical than the smaller Forsling. Schmaltz can be a 2nd line center or , with his excellent two way play a 3rd line center.
Pokka will be the top man in Rockford now that TJ Brennan is in Toronto. He projects to be a lesser Hjalmarsson.

There aren't any star prospects in the system but there is a lot of depth.

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Same sex, different habits - who gives a fucking shit
This won't make the species unfurl

Okay, but we need stars now, not depth. Maybe you missed it, but the rest of the division keeps adding top young talent: Forsberg in Nashville, Klingberg in Dallas, Parayko/Fabbri/Tarasenko/Schwartz in St. Louis. When the #1 center can't break 60 points, the #1 right wing is 38 years old, and the #2 defenseman is a fat piece of shit, I'm not sitting here feeling terribly assured by the fact that we can pump out a steady stream of Andrew Desjardins replacements.

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You don't have any money for any "stars". Need two serviceable D men. Average guys would be an upgrade.

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Teravainen is looking more and more like a bust, too. So is Granlund up in Minnesota, come to think of it, at least relative to the godly hype his countrymen gave him. These Finns, man, I don't know.

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Yes, they need stars now but they are not going to get them with the contracts they have now. Their core is more than enough to challenge for a cup every season.

I'm not worried about Toews breaking 80 points. I'll take 75. What he needs is two wingers who aren't 97 years old and every retread they have tried in the past two years. They also seriously need a 4th defenseman.

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Same sex, different habits - who gives a fucking shit
This won't make the species unfurl

No core is enough, and ours isn't even close at their advanced age. Young man's game.

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Two years ago I thought Minnesota would be a force to be reckoned with. SPLAT. The Blues will be next.

Winnipeg is the sleeping giant.

Thanks for reminding me of that fucking horrendous Verizon commercial with Gervais being as obnoxious and annoying as Rebel Wilson with his fancy pants british accent.

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

Stan has to get the hell rid of Seabs while bringing something(s) young and valuable back.

Hoss needs to go on permanent LTIR at some point in time.

If Bickell can not be traded then someone needs to fuck him up in camp so they can put him on LTIR all season.

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

Parise broke his back carrying the team. God only knows what fate awaits Ryan Suter.



A full year of Hellebuyck backstopping a top six of Ehlers-Scheifele-Wheeler and Laine-Little-Connor is not going to make life pleasant for Central teams, not the least of whom being the fat and satisfied Blackhawks.

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I disagree. Toews/Kane/Hossa/Keith/Seabrook/Crawford more than enough to challenge. I think you can add Panarin in there as well.

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Same sex, different habits - who gives a fucking shit
This won't make the species unfurl

He isn't going to get the opportunity in MIN to hit 90 points like he did with the Devils. The wild actually tried to put a team together. The Devils just signed people who could skate and then hoped for a miracle.

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Same sex, different habits - who gives a fucking shit
This won't make the species unfurl

Just read Ladd wants to stay for less money. Wife must like Chicago. Either was be happy or unhappy but Chris Kuc backs the story.

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Elections have consequences.