Quoting: ChiHawk
Flat cap for 4 years, what are you talking about? Flat cap for 2 years then it goes up. Once Seattle revenues hit the books also, it will increase.
The Hawks aren't treading water. If you think Boqvist, Mitchell, Debrincat, Strome, Kubalik, Dach, Nylander (this year's draft pick), Beaudin, Regula, Vlasic, Kurashev, Barratt, Hagel, Highmore is treading water then you should analyze other teams. Hawks are retooling on the fly, have one of the youngest teams right now in the NHL, and easily top third of the NHL in good players/prospects 25 years old and younger. Again, factually they are one of the top 10 youngest teams in the NHL right now.
I just checked that, you’re spot on with the cap. Flat for two years then could go up. However, I’m still skeptical considering how much the cap has gone up (or rather hasn’t) in the recent years. Wasn’t the cap suppose to be at least 83 mil this year until the elevator clause was used to get it to 81.5?
As for treading water, the results don’t show that. You are, with the players you mentioned, very clearly pointing a promising young future. That’s great! That doesn’t mean that as it stands, nothing has changed. Points projection wise, I’m pretty sure this year’s team was almost even with last year’s team. Yet, thank god the NHL gifted us a playoff spot for the sake of ratings. It’s also fair to point out that half those players on that list have proved almost nothing except that they show promise. Keep in mind, I love young talent, and I love teams that build through them. But, as I’m always reminded by you, these youngsters need to prove it first. I’m more worried about the old timers like Keith and seabrook that are standing in their way. I won’t even get into how much I fear JC coaching them.
It’s a great pool they’ve created, especially on defense. Offense still needs pieces though and I don’t know what’s happening with goaltender. They have promise, but that doesn’t mean they’ve stop treading water. Palat has no reason to come here, and that’s fine. We should just stay the course and keep growing through the draft and developing our prospects.
Btw: just out of curiosity, if Kane and toews, hypothetically, retired this year, are suggesting the players we have now would be a playoff roster?