2009-10 NHL playoff thread

[JR]

I'm being a huge fanboilooser Blackhawks fan, but I'm a little annoyed at all the celebrating going on by a city whose fanbase was openly hostile to hockey just a few years ago. I see tags hanging down from all those Kane jerseys.

They had every reason to be hostile--or at least indifferent. Old Man Wirtz almost singlehandedly destroyed the franchise

 

[Beef03]

I'm being a huge fanboilooser Blackhawks fan, but I'm a little annoyed at all the celebrating going on by a city whose fanbase was openly hostile to hockey just a few years ago. I see tags hanging down from all those Kane jerseys.

They had every reason to be hostile--or at least indifferent. Old Man Wirtz almost singlehandedly destroyed the franchise

Absolutely that hostility was deserved. Hockey wasn't the target of their frustration, just the team -- and yes there likely are plenty who are just jumping on the Hawks wagon as there is for any championship team -- but it is my understanding while the Hawks struggled miserably, the AHL Chicago Wolves flourished.

 

[RickStain]

I'm being a huge fanboilooser Blackhawks fan, but I'm a little annoyed at all the celebrating going on by a city whose fanbase was openly hostile to hockey just a few years ago. I see tags hanging down from all those Kane jerseys.

They had every reason to be hostile--or at least indifferent. Old Man Wirtz almost singlehandedly destroyed the franchise

Hostile to the ownership, sure. And maybe that's a good justification for why the team was buying its own radio airtime not that long ago.

But hanging out on Chicago sports messageboards, any attempt to talk hockey was openly mocked. I used to take all kinds of crap from a near-Chicago sports editor when I tried to sneak Blackhawks news into the wire roundup. Sports radio hosts used to get practically booed off the air if they tried to talk hockey.

I think I'm just being a cranky old fan, though, and the problem is on my end.

 

[YankeeFan]

I saw the Cup today -- practically bumped into it.

Had to do a job at the Hyatt on Wacker right off of Michigan Ave. -- pretty much right where the parade ended and where the rally was held.

I waited until around 2:30 to go, figuring the crowd would have dispersed by then.

Found a great parking spot right across from the lower level entrance, but as I pulled up, I knew something was up -- tons of cops & fans.

Well, as I guessed, they were having a lunch for the players inside. Security was keeping fans out, but I was able to go right in. They had the Cup right there in the lobby restaurant/atrium.

Pretty cool, especially considering that despite Messier & Leetch dragging the Cup to every bar in Manhattan the Summer of '94, I never saw it.

 

[Beef03]

I'm being a huge fanboilooser Blackhawks fan, but I'm a little annoyed at all the celebrating going on by a city whose fanbase was openly hostile to hockey just a few years ago. I see tags hanging down from all those Kane jerseys.

They had every reason to be hostile--or at least indifferent. Old Man Wirtz almost singlehandedly destroyed the franchise

Hostile to the ownership, sure. And maybe that's a good justification for why the team was buying its own radio airtime not that long ago.

But hanging out on Chicago sports messageboards, any attempt to talk hockey was openly mocked. I used to take all kinds of crap from a near-Chicago sports editor when I tried to sneak Blackhawks news into the wire roundup. Sports radio hosts used to get practically booed off the air if they tried to talk hockey.

I think I'm just being a cranky old fan, though, and the problem is on my end.

I can understand that frustration, just be glad that this should at least help turn that situation around.

 

[crimsonace]

The crowds for the Hawks won't come close to the Grant Park celebrations that Michael, Scottie & Co. drew during their 6 titles. Nor will they draw as big a crowd as the White Sox Parade did to celebrate the World Series in '05.

Aerial shot of parade

Oscar, your crow is waiting.

The Final drew an average 26 rating in Chicago. It's not like there are just 18,000 hockey fans in town ... Chicago has always embraced hockey. It's just that up until he died, Bill Wirtz did everything but tell them to stay off his porch (and out of his arena).

 

[Beef03]

The crowds for the Hawks won't come close to the Grant Park celebrations that Michael, Scottie & Co. drew during their 6 titles. Nor will they draw as big a crowd as the White Sox Parade did to celebrate the World Series in '05.

Aerial shot of parade

Oscar, your crow is waiting.

The Final drew an average 26 rating in Chicago. It's not like there are just 18,000 hockey fans in town ... Chicago has always embraced hockey. It's just that up until he died, Bill Wirtz did everything but tell them to stay off his porch (and out of his arena).

The city figures 2 million showed up today where as 1.75 million turned out for the White Sox. At least according to the AP story I just laid out.

 

[Double J]

Aerial shot of parade

Did Ferris Bueller crash the parade to lip-sync "Danke Schoen" and "Twist and Shout"?

 

[Double J]

I'm being a huge fanboilooser Blackhawks fan, but I'm a little annoyed at all the celebrating going on by a city whose fanbase was openly hostile to hockey just a few years ago. I see tags hanging down from all those Kane jerseys.

They had every reason to be hostile--or at least indifferent. Old Man Wirtz almost singlehandedly destroyed the franchise

Absolutely that hostility was deserved. Hockey wasn't the target of their frustration, just the team -- and yes there likely are plenty who are just jumping on the Hawks wagon as there is for any championship team -- but it is my understanding while the Hawks struggled miserably, the AHL Chicago Wolves flourished.

Too bad the same situation doesn't exist in Toronto. It might inspire the Leafs to make a similar turnaround if people started showing them the hate they've so richly ****ing deserved.

Of course, supporting Toronto's AHL team instead of the NHL team isn't much of an option, considering they have the same owner and, this year at least, have been almost as bad.

 

[Double J]

Two million-plus at this parade? Beating out the number that turned out for the White Sox? Gee.....too bad about the White Sox. We'd better move them to Venezuela. [/joecowley]

Kidding aside, the city says not only did this parade top the White Sox, it's the largest gathering of its kind, period.

If the city's estimate is correct, the multitude of 2 million that descended on downtown Chicago Friday could be the largest public gathering in a single spot in the city's history, topping the 1.5 million who attended a 1979 mass conducted by Pope John Paul II in Grant Park.

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/hockey/blackhawks/2384752,CST-NWS-millions12.article

I've seen two different figures quoted for the White Sox celebration - 1.75 million, and 350,000. I guess the city considers the latter number to be the actual gathering, and the former number to be the people who saw the celebration at some point. Regardless, the Blackhawks topped the Sox.

I can't imagine how big the crowd would be if and when Toronto ever wins another Cup, but I would have to say that two million would be a very conservative estimate.

 

[Smash Williams]

From some preliminary numbers, Chicago may be in cap hell next year. Toews and Kane likely combined to earn about $5 million in bonuses off their rookie contracts - Toews $2.15 million and Kane $2.85 million. Chicago can only absorb about $300,000 this year because they were so close to the cap to begin with, and per the CBA, the rest gets put onto next year's cap hit.

So whatever the cap ends up being (and next year, IIRC, does not have a bonus cushion built int), Chicago's cap will be $4.7 million less than what applies to the other teams in the league.

 

[Double J]

Toews' bonus for winning the Conn Smythe Trophy - $1.3 million.

 

[Smash Williams]

Towes also likely earned $825,000 in "A" bonuses in addition to the "B" bonus of the Conn Smythe awards. Kane's were the ELC maximum limits - $2 million in "B" bonuses for being in the top 10 in the league in points and assists and the same $825,000 in "A" bonuses.

The reason I'm using those numbers for Kane is his contract is allegedly very similar to Malkin's ELC, which is here: http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=16855 if you want to see all the legalese about how the bonuses break down. That contract gives you the maximum allowable of $2.85 million in bonuses for Kane's stats/league finish this year.

 

[Beef03]

From some preliminary numbers, Chicago may be in cap hell next year. Toews and Kane likely combined to earn about $5 million in bonuses off their rookie contracts - Toews $2.15 million and Kane $2.85 million. Chicago can only absorb about $300,000 this year because they were so close to the cap to begin with, and per the CBA, the rest gets put onto next year's cap hit.

So whatever the cap ends up being (and next year, IIRC, does not have a bonus cushion built int), Chicago's cap will be $4.7 million less than what applies to the other teams in the league.

Look for Huet to become the AHL's highest paid player next year which would free up $5.6 mil in cap space right there, also could see the likes of Kris Versteeg and Brent Sopel getting traded.
John Madden could also go unsigned, although I think it would be prudent for them to bring him back at a similar cap hit.

That right there would save them:

Huet 5.6, Versteeg 3.06, Sopel 2.3 mil = 10.96 mil + Madden 2.75 mil = 13.71 mil.

Also the cap is supposed to go up about $2 mil for next year.

While some players will need to be re-upped, like Eager, Hjalmarsson, Ladd, and Niemi, they shouldn't break the bank -- although niemi might get the biggest bump in salary of all of them.

There is also Jack Skille ready for fulltime employment next season and he should fill Versteeg's shoes in the near future.

Just wouldn't expect any huge sinings by them this year, but they aren't quite in a position where the entire team has to be broken up. At least that is the path that makes most sense to me.

 

[Della9250]

From some preliminary numbers, Chicago may be in cap hell next year. Toews and Kane likely combined to earn about $5 million in bonuses off their rookie contracts - Toews $2.15 million and Kane $2.85 million. Chicago can only absorb about $300,000 this year because they were so close to the cap to begin with, and per the CBA, the rest gets put onto next year's cap hit.

So whatever the cap ends up being (and next year, IIRC, does not have a bonus cushion built int), Chicago's cap will be $4.7 million less than what applies to the other teams in the league.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say it's worth it.

 

[crimsonace]

From some preliminary numbers, Chicago may be in cap hell next year. Toews and Kane likely combined to earn about $5 million in bonuses off their rookie contracts - Toews $2.15 million and Kane $2.85 million. Chicago can only absorb about $300,000 this year because they were so close to the cap to begin with, and per the CBA, the rest gets put onto next year's cap hit.

Chicago will be in cap hell next year, but I don't think their fans mind right now. The way to be successful in the cap era is to build around a core of players (6 forwards, 4 defensemen, a franchise goaltender) and then fill the 3rd/4th liners with cheaper, gritty veterans and younger players. One MUST draft well to make this happen ... it's very difficult to sustain long-term success in today's NHL.

 

[RickStain]

From some preliminary numbers, Chicago may be in cap hell next year. Toews and Kane likely combined to earn about $5 million in bonuses off their rookie contracts - Toews $2.15 million and Kane $2.85 million. Chicago can only absorb about $300,000 this year because they were so close to the cap to begin with, and per the CBA, the rest gets put onto next year's cap hit.

So whatever the cap ends up being (and next year, IIRC, does not have a bonus cushion built int), Chicago's cap will be $4.7 million less than what applies to the other teams in the league.

Look for Huet to become the AHL's highest paid player next year which would free up $5.6 mil in cap space right there, also could see the likes of Kris Versteeg and Brent Sopel getting traded.
John Madden could also go unsigned, although I think it would be prudent for them to bring him back at a similar cap hit.

That right there would save them:

Huet 5.6, Versteeg 3.06, Sopel 2.3 mil = 10.96 mil + Madden 2.75 mil = 13.71 mil.

Also the cap is supposed to go up about $2 mil for next year.

While some players will need to be re-upped, like Eager, Hjalmarsson, Ladd, and Niemi, they shouldn't break the bank -- although niemi might get the biggest bump in salary of all of them.

There is also Jack Skille ready for fulltime employment next season and he should fill Versteeg's shoes in the near future.

Just wouldn't expect any huge sinings by them this year, but they aren't quite in a position where the entire team has to be broken up. At least that is the path that makes most sense to me.

It's worse than you think.

Kane, Toews and Keith will have a combined cap hit of $9.2 million *more* next year than they did this year. Their ELCs are over and their big extensions kick in.

If reports are correct, the Blackhawks will be taking a $4.5 million cap hit from Kane and Toews' bonuses.

That's $13.7 million in extra cap hit, minus the $2 million the cap is going up, and you are now faced with $11.7 million you have to clear immediately.

But here's the catch: Ladd, Hjarlmarsson, and Niemi are all RFAs who should generate some buzz. They had a combined cap hit $3 million this season. I think they'd like to keep all three, and I think a *very* conservative estimate of the combined cost will be about $7 million, or $4 million in raises.

So that's now $15.7 million in cap space they have to clear.

And remember, any player they lose has to be replaced with someone, and that someone will probably have a cap hit of about $800k.

Hopefully Eager, Burish, Fraser and Hendry can be re-upped for about what they make now, and if not they can all be replaced with cheap guys without losing much.

Send Huet to the minors (which is a LOT to ask of ownership, I still don't know if they'd do that) = cap savings of about $4.8 million when his replacement is factored in.

Let Madden go as a UFA, replace him with a very cheap center = cap savings of about $2 million

Trade Sopel, replace him with a very cheap defenseman = cap savings of about $1.4 million

Trade Versteeg, replace him with Jack Skille = cap savings of about $2 million (Skille is an RFA too, incidentally)

We're (yes, I'm using the 'we' as a fan here) *still* about $6 million over the cap after all those moves and we've gutted our team. We are going to have to lose all those guys above, plus two more of Byfuglien, Sharp, Hjarlmarsson and Niemi. My vote would be Niemi and Byfuglien, both of whom are overrated right now because of their playoff performances, but we'll see. And if you want to replace one of those wingers with Kyle Beach, you are going to have to clear even a little more space, because Beach is on an ELC too and will cost a full $1.2 million cap hit next season.

Fortunately, it'll be one year of cap hell (where they will still have a good team filled with stars, just not as deep as this year) and then right back at it with a restocked farm system (that was already pretty deep) and fresh cap space.

Another issue - Niemi can't be waived and sent to the minors until the season starts. They have to be under the cap *before* the season starts. That could cause some problems as well.

 

[Elliotte Friedman]

The Blackhawks may be able to trade Huet. Before the deadline, Toronto offered to take him, along with a first-rounder and a player (I don't know who), but were rebuffed.

The other team that may be interested is the New York Islanders -- solely because they will need his salary to reach the cap floor.

 

[Cosmo]

Hershey leads Texas 3-2 in the Calder Cup.

Go Bears.

 

[RickStain]

I thought they could deal him at the deadline, but I worry Huet trashed his trade value by falling apart at the end of season.