It's so weird usually I get really mad at Superstars for leaving their teams and things like that but I honestly would be okay if Kane was like fuck it I'm done. I'd still root for him almost anywhere he went.
Oh, definitely. It was the same with Keith.
For one more year after this one.....if he loves being here so much maybe he'll just retire at that point. He surely won't be getting another player contract in Chicago. If he wants to keep playing, you would think that would be a good selling point on moving to a contender.
Honestly, if Kane wants to stay beyond his current deal, I'd be okay with it as long as (a) his game doesn't completely crash between then and now, (b) his cap hit is commensurate with his on-ice play and projected on-ice play what with him being over 35 when a new deal might kick in, and (c) any deal is not long-term nor saddled with an ironclad NMC.
Right now this year he's just shy of a PPG player, and this is the best on the team. He might not be racking up the goals like El Gato, but he's right up there with Jones the Elder in setting guys up. He's still a functioning piece.
Cap-wise, here's my take:
For Debrincat's next contract I can't see him commanding more than ~9M: He is arbitration-eligible and when it comes to players his age, he's not a PPG player, he's not a full-on 2-way player (like Toews was), and his doesn't set up as well as score goals (like Kane). Someone like Brady Tkachuck or Ryan Johansen might be a comparable and they are in the ~8M range. Draisaitl is also in that pricerange, but he can set up as well as score, which works against Debrincat.
I bring this up because if Debrincat wants to stay, I think ~9M is as much as he would get, realistically. So if his price raises from ~6.4M to 9M, that sets a baseline for how much we can spend on other players. So, let's say hypothetically Kane is willing to re-sign for 5.5M AAV. 9+5.5M is 14.5M. 6.4M+10.5M is 16.9M. The 'hawks would be up 2.4M in cap in that scenario.
Plus, looking at other expirees:
Toews is unlikely to re-sign, and if he did, it would have to be for A LOT less, like in the 3M range. either way that would be hypothetically ~7-10.5M saved.
Kubalik has to do A LOT to command much more than he's making now.
Connoly's likely gone.
Strome is likely gone--and if not he'll need to work on his game a lot to command much more that what he's making.
Dach will have to do more to command a good price for his 1st RFA deal. Kane/Toews pulled in twice as much for their 1st RFA deals and they were easily twice the players at the time than Dach is now. I think 3.5 *max*, and I'm being generous.
Kurashev is probably in the same boat as Dach.
DeHaan by all rights should be gone.
Gus should be gone--in fact, he never should have been here.
I don't see Caleb jones commanding much more than 2M.
Goaltending is a ?, but given that the 'hawks likley aren't going anywhere in the next 5+ years, they probably shouldn't be spending much on the position until they (a) develop one--and they haven't come anywhere close or (b) the rest of the skater core is ready to make a deep run, and that likely won't happen anytime soon.
It'll be interesting to see what Kubalik actually wants. He's making 3.7 million right now, his new contract will be his third NHL contract, the guy already gave the Hawks a bit of a break by signing just a two-year deal, and most importantly, the guy will be in his late-twenties this summer. In other words, it's safe to say he's going to want a substantial contract -- this contract will be his last chance to cash in, so he's going to want long-term and big dollars. To me, that's all the more reason to trade him. I mean, if the guy wants to sign a 3-year deal for 5 million per, maybe you consider it, but I can't imagine the guy will want anything less than 6-7 for 5-6 years, if not longer.
And also, I'm just not convinced that Kubalik is a guy you build a team around. He's a nice piece, sure, but I don't view him as a "core" guy. That's where this team needs to start.
Exactly. Koob's numbers haven't been there since his 1st year with us and he hasn't proven to be a core player. I don't see him making much more than he is now. If he wants a ton, we let him walk. If a decent deal can be made around him, trade him.
The mb consensus was drafting byram. Of course bowman the lesser gets the wtf pick lol. But that’s the cost of keeping a failing gm right? It took hiding sexual offenders to get rid of him when it should have just been for franchise mismanagement
Thankfully the H&RBlock Reject is no longer with us.
