4 years seems a little long, probably put a little more pressure on for more value and less retention possibly. Change that damn goal song also please lol

Four years seems long right now, but when this team if flooded with top young prospects it will have all seemed worth it. Just look up at their drafting over the next three years.

I'm very jealous of the position they're in. To draft Bedard after the first year of a rebuild? You can't reverse course so quickly. Dig in.

Hawks have to be more careful with what they do with their cap, I don’t want to be in a position where we can’t sign a big FA (AM34) next offseason because we took too much term.

You shouldn't be signing any major FA's right now. It's a waste.

You have a chance to build a real core to last. Not buy one when you're not ready. We drafted Sid after a few years of stinking and drafting high, then drafted high for two seasons after him. It all paid off.

Also keep in mind that after THIS coming season, the cap is going to start jumping back up like normal. This is the last year of only a $1M jump.

For watching him every night, even PIT fans don’t realize how bad Granlund actually is.

I think you're missing the point. This AGM isn't about the specific trades themselves, but these are the types of contracts CHI should be taking on and get paid in draft picks to do it. CHI should not be THAT concerned about getting quality players the next few years.

When we drafted Sid, we made no real signifiant moves. We signed Palffy, Recchi and Gonchar. We added better players after a couple of years. We kept drafting high and built a core.

You can't go into a rebuild for ONE season and because you got Bedard all of a sudden reverse course. One generational player, while amazing, isn't enough to grab you a cup. Just look at TOR and EDM.

19 picks in the first 3 rounds of the next 3 drafts is a pretty good draft pick stockpile.

I do agree that this UFA class isnt a great, and this should not be the year Chicago hands out long term deals. But they do need too surround Bedard with some NHL level talent.

I dont think it'll be 4 more years, but I think we should still be tanking through the 2025 draft. We have a decent bit of defensemen/goaltending built up, so we will see if theyre legit in the coming years, and realistically that will decide how long the rebuild goes.

I keep comparing this to the Pens and for good reason, but the major difference is timing. We drafted high for a couple of years before Sid, so the stockpile began before. CHI is getting Bedard the first year of a rebuild, so I can understand having some itch to surround him immediately, but I have to respectfully disagree.

If you can maybe get some mentor-like vets around him? Ok, sure. Like the way we did with Recchi and Palffy, but there should be no major gets IMO. No five or six year UFA contract. That's crazy. Signing any FA's longer than a year or two makes no sense. They don't help. Now, these bad contracts don't help the on-ice product, but you get paid take them, so it helps the long-term on-ice product.

After this season, the cap goes back up like normal, so you don't want to lock this lineup in just yet with guys who really can't help you NOW. Getting someone like a Bertuzzi, for example, really doesn't do you any good.

It behooves the Hawks to wait at least two full seasons before trying to sign any long-term FA's. By then, the cap could have increased by around $5 or $6M and these bad contracts won't be as much of an albatross.

EDIT: Lets also no forget that it's not like CHI doesn't have any quality young talent ready to make the jump. To me, it's better to let them come up and develop with Bedard than sign some meaningless FA's.

Or look at the Hawks when they drafted Toews and Kane. The Hawks will tank again this coming season, so another top 5 pick is likely in the cards. After that, the tanking will be done and they will be building to be a playoff team.

On your last point, the Hawks have Korchinski coming up next season, he's a top 2 defensive prospect in the juniors/NCAA right now...the guy is a stud. Then they have Vlasic for sure making the jump plus Reichel who's touted as a top 30 prospect. They have a lot of young talent that will need another year outside of the 3 aforementioned.

Yeah, I just think it's a waste to sign big time UFA's right now. ANA has the right idea. Let these young players develop together with a few vets around to mentor. It makes no sense to get big name UFAs now when you can continue to really build a long-term core. Bedard is still 17 lol. There is sooooo much time. Three or four years of bad contracts won't hamper anything, especially as the cap starts going back up like normal.

Leddy isn't a bad contract the blues have to move. We have little incentive to move him because we are also going to be bad next year. Leddy is fine as a #4 but he is being played on the top pair which isn't the best role for him

Agree, acquire players with a couple years of bad cap hits, but it's going to cost other teams. Example, it's more than a late 3rd rounder to move Granlund's $5M cap hit for 2 years. Hawks can also sign a few vets with the plan to flip at this year's TDL or the following. Hawks will focus on free agency going into the 2024/2025 season and the following summer. Guys like Nazar, Reichel, Kaiser, Vlasic, Soderblom, Commesso, and of course Korchinski and Bedard will all be playing in the NHL in 2 seasons plus whomever they add this draft year with another late 1st and 4 2nd rounders, plus who they draft next draft in the top 5 picks or so. Going into the 2024/2025 season is when you start adding free agents and building the team, and than filling the gaps the following free agent offseason going into 2025/2026 to compete.

Yeah, I was only half trying to sell you guys on Granlund lol, and the returns were just estimates. It was the overall impact of basically compiling currency in a time where you don't want to spend on real talent to come in.

I just see all these Hawks fans building playoff teams right now and it just doesn't make sense. It's very short-sighted.

OEL wouldn't waive

I don't think the smart one's or more regular one's are doing that. We know next season is a tank season. After next season, the Hawks start the process of adding the right free agents for the long term and the following off season (2 summers from now) is when they start making splashes.