While Budaj as Crawford's back up isn't a bad idea, it'll take more than $650k to sign him as a UFA.

I do think Campbell comes back on a 1 year deal. I think Oduya and Sharp come back on similar deals as well.

I think you other RFA signings are in the neighborhood with the exception of Panik. I think he'll have to take around $1.5m with bonuses for 2 years to stay or have his rights traded. I think he takes a deal for less to stay and build his resume for a big UFA contract in 2 years.

I think TVR gets traded before the expansion draft causing Kruger, Tootoo, Rozsival, and Glass to be exposed and kid of forcing Vegas to take Kruger. Also, the Blackhawks don't have the rights to Darling. He's a UFA and is going to sign a contract to be a starting goalie or compete for a number one job with another team for $3-4m a year for 3 years. Unless Vegas doesn't take Kruger in the expansion draft and the Blackhawks have to shed salary to make Panarin's contract fit, in which case, I could see Crawford being traded and Darling being signed long term for $4 a year.

The Hawks will have the rights to Darling. Prior to July 1. Sharp isn't coming back. Oduya I doubt is back. Hawks have too much youth coming on to block spots for guys that fans have nostalgia with.

You might be right about Budaj, but he will be 35 next year and he may (or may not) value winning a Cup. Panik could also be traded away @ the draft if he won't sign for that little. He's playing pretty well on the top line.

Panik isn't going to be traded. Hawks found something with him. And yeah, Crawford could be moved to sign Darling at 3-4 years for 3.5-4m aav. Matter of fact, I would prefer it. But Crawford has a NMC and might not want to go to a team like Carolina who needs a goalie, and Carolina has the cap space to take on Kruger and sign Darling.

Another team isn't going to give assets away when Darling is going to be a UFA.



I hope he isn't, but I could see it happening because they're too cap strapped. If Saad can get traded away...Panik can easily be traded away.

They aren't too cap strapped to resign Panik. It's not similar to the Saad situation at all. As far as Darling, if its a deal that results in a sign and trade then yeah a team will trade a pick to get it done. Why wait until he's a UFA and there are way more teams in the bidding.

Because Darling WANTS more teams to bid.

If Darling gets market rate and he likes the team that is involved in the sign and trade then he will likely do it. Anyway, I can see the Hawks trying to move Crawford. Darling fits more into this second wave of players coming along and will be had for cheaper, is a local kid and will probably be a top 5 goalie with consistent starts. Crawford has been average since his surgery. He's one more random injury away from Chicago having a serious goaltending problem if Darling moves along to another team.

With the announcement of the cap increase to $75-76m, I think it's very unlikely that Crawford gets moved now. Also, Crawford can be traded. I believe his M-NTC clause means he has a list of teams that he can be traded to? He doesn't have a full NMC. That came out earlier this season when they were trying to figure out extending Panarin.

I agree with exo2769 that if Saad can be traded away for not taking a reasonable bridge deal, that Panik could be too. I also agree that Darling won't sign a contract for a sign and trade deal because there's likely to be a bidding war between some teams for his services.