Huge Hawks fan since 1971! However, I hate most of the recent signings. Bowman will never learn! I don't care that he has his name inscribed on the Cup three times. He simply does not know how to manage nor does he have a solid plan to keep the Chicago Blackhawks an elite team for the next seven or so years. Break things up big time without breaking up the team. This roster may seem absurd. Yet without some drastic measures THIS OFF SEASON, I simply do not believe Chicago will stay relavent as far as elite teams go.

I don't forsee Chiarelli letting bowman cherry pick his roster and the Oilers future

I would argue that this team isn't even that much better than the current roster. Yes, maybe a little better up front. But the defense is still weak and you downgraded in goal.

So you must not like Seabrook or Hjalmarsson's value for a team that is not very good on their backend? I can handle that.

They are fine defensemen that would very poor asset management and future planning. Seabrook will be washed up in a couple years and oilers take on a pile of cap. Not a chance in my mind.

It really isn't about being better as much as it is about being better managed! I see talent lost all too often due to mismanagement. Leddy, Saad, JJohns, Dano, Danault, etc... They were extremely lucky when Kane got hurt as monies were then available to help buy some depth in 2015. The same was tried this year to no avail. The group is getting older, not to mention all of the extra games played by the ones counted on. Signing Seabrook for eight years is asinine ! Signing Kruger is even worse!! Panarin? He'll be gone after two seasons. Why not try a proactive approach for once and actually improve the team for the present as well as down the road?!

As far as this defense group goes, yes it would have a different look. It would be a lot tougher for the opposition to play against. It would be properly balanced handedness wise. It would be bigger, too. With the goalie equipment size being reduced, perhaps having TWO huge netminders would offset that. Remember, Andersson was part of one of the stingiest defensive teams in the league last season. He would also be half the price of CC yet his game, while still somewhat raw, would not be that much of a drop off.

Bottom line, Cap hell truly sucks. Until this GM can make better moves, the Hawks will be similar to the Redwings. An early out playoff team.

Tell me about it, friend! I hate watching Dallas because of the Johns trade! If he was still a Hawk, I woulda let Seabrook walk and use his $6.9M per much more wisely.

I think Edmonton could actually use a guy like Seabrook. He is a fantastic leader who is coming off a pretty good season. He's lost a step or two but can make up for that with the best snow angels around. To me his contract is an utter waste going forward.

I guess you're a dale Tallon fan. I wish the Oilers had that guy. Genius. More so then Chia and of course Mac stupid and stumblini.I agreen bowman is burking the Hawks like Burke burked the leafs.

Funny stuff there, bud! Uncle Dale was okay. He helped build the Hawks into what they became. He also made some questionable deals, both in Chicago as well as in Florida. It really has appeared to me that Bowman and Quenneville simply are not on the same page. Things have gone pretty good in the previous 7-8 years despite.

Honestly, I do not follow the Oil that closely. They are absolutely stacked at forwards but do seem to need some veteran defensemen to help them improve.

Burke f***** the leafs for 1 year of playoffs and the 3 regular seasons. Check out my moves for edmonton based on goal and shot suppression metrics and player experience. www.capfriendly.com/forums/thread/17479
need to fix my fourth line and find some one younger than hartnell. All of this is based on metrics and money. Moved yak and nuge a first and 2 seconds of my own picks.
I think the leafs are doing a great job rebuilding.

Yikes! Remind me not to get on your bad side.

why bad side what could i do lol.

The Brent Seabrook deal was the worst thing Stan Bowman has done to the Hawks. I once made a list of things/deals that Bowman has done/made and highlighted the good and bad. There is some good but a lot of bad.
When Bowman started with the Hawks he was dealt a great hand. Great young players and an incredible farm system. Dale Tallon and his scouting team did a tremendous job building a strong system behind the scenes. Bowman made some good trades in the beginning. He made some good signings too. But as of late Bowman has done nothing but scramble and make bad deal after bad deal.

The Toews and Kane deals. I'm not one that is going to sit here and say how awful they are or that we need to get rid of them but 8 year $80 million should have been within reason instead of the 8 year $84 million. For the players that isn't a substantial amount when you're considering all of the endorsements they get on top of that. But it gives the Hawks $1 million more in cap space each year.

The sharp deal? Really? Johns should NOT have been a part of that deal. That is arguably why the Hawks are so weak on defense.
Daley for Scuderi? Really?
Signing the most played player in the league over the last 7 years to an 8 year, NMC, monster deal, that ends when he's 38/39? Are you kidding me?

With all of the NMC and NTC deals that they have now there is almost nothing they can do to manage around the cap anymore.

I gotta say, hockeyplayer1, you are absolutely spot on! I will go further in my disdain for Bowman. He does reward Stanley Cups, we both know. Extending Bickell to his actual deal ($$$$, term, NTC) was perhaps his most other absurd signing. There is a tremendous amount of love for Marian Hossa but his deal is also killing Chicago. The current CBA allowed for contracts like his to be bought out. Instead Bowman used his second CBO on Montador who should have been "Prongered", placed on LTIR. That would have allowed a gain of Hossa's $5.3M hit since right after the '13 Cup. Instead, he will remain a Hawk until 2021even as his offensive production plummets. Had Bowman been able to trade Bickell without the restrictive clause in place and bid a due to Hossa, Saad would still be a Hawk! So would Michael Paliotta, who could have been a big body RHD if Johns HAD to be dealt. (That loss really stings with me!). I am under the belief that Bowman may never be able to work a monster deal in the Hawks favor. Maybe this is why he chooses to retain older guys like Seabrook; because he can.

Sadly, I do not see Chicago winning another Cup in these next 7 years because of the crippling Cap hell!