Salary Cap: Salary Cap Crunch Part 4: The Hawks Won the Cup... and a $71.4 M cap

[GGGHawks18]

I say lock up Saad long term now. You sign him to a bridge contract now and he continues to improve, couple years you can be paying him 7-8 million. Rather take the 5.5-6.5 now long term rather than 7-8 million in a couple years.

 

[Hawksfan2828]

I say ink him long term, 5yrs at 3M/y

That's too much. 3 years, 6 million.

He's a 4th line center.

Maybe 2.5 max.

 

[hockeydoug]

I say lock up Saad long term now. You sign him to a bridge contract now and he continues to improve, couple years you can be paying him 7-8 million. Rather take the 5.5-6.5 now long term rather than 7-8 million in a couple years.

I can see why that would be preferable.

I would rather not gamble though. They have a bunch of decent young players. Keith, Toews, Crawford, and Keith are in their prime, Seabrook and Hossa might not be worth much in a couple years and the d prospects are unlikely to be breaking the cap in 2 years. I say take the bridge (if Saad is up for it) and try to contend instead of gambling on the future with a safer contract on Saad.

 

[Blackhawks]

That's too much. 3 years, 6 million.

He's a 4th line center.

Maybe 2.5 max.

Prepare to be surprised, doubt he is taking anything less than 3

 

[Sarava]

I say lock up Saad long term now. You sign him to a bridge contract now and he continues to improve, couple years you can be paying him 7-8 million. Rather take the 5.5-6.5 now long term rather than 7-8 million in a couple years.

Sounds like you are reporting Mark Lazerus's tweet.

Mark has a good point, but if you want to pay Saad for a longer term contract - it will force more salary to be moved from the cap.

Would people be comfortable trading Corey Crawford, in order to lock Saad down for 5-8 years? I'm not sure who else would be expendable enough to make room for Saad getting a bigger contract?

 

[hockeydoug]

I say ink him long term, 5yrs at 3M/y

4th line centers at that much are a huge gamble.

Besides, Marcus is pretty much some sort of zombie roadkill player. I'm a big fan, but I'm not about trust somebody to be able to keep getting up after getting steamrolled once a week, all season, every season.

I hope it's only a 2mil cap hit.

 

[b1e9a8r5s]

I'd be great with a bridge.

 

[hockeydoug]

Prepare to be surprised, doubt he is taking anything less than 3

The list of players under 200lbs that never scored 30pts making 3 million is very short.

 

[Sarava]

4th line centers at that much are a huge gamble.

Besides, Marcus is pretty much some sort of zombie roadkill player. I'm a big fan, but I'm not about trust somebody to be able to keep getting up after getting steamrolled once a week, all season, every season.

I hope it's only a 2mil cap hit.

Yeah I wouldn't go much past 2 mil on Kruger. If he wants 3 mil, then the Hawks should just move him and groom Danault to replace him. There is way too much salary tied up in the core, to be paying 4th liners 3 mil.

 

[Illinihockey]

4th line centers at that much are a huge gamble.

Besides, Marcus is pretty much some sort of zombie roadkill player. I'm a big fan, but I'm not about trust somebody to be able to keep getting up after getting steamrolled once a week, all season, every season.

I hope it's only a 2mil cap hit.

The Hawks know the formula, you pay your stars huge money and everyone else little. The teams that struggle with the cap are the teams that pay average players above average money (like the mistake we made with Bickell). Hawks didn't pay Bolland, didn't pay Frolik, and hopefully won't pay Kruger. You have to be able to fill those 3rd and 4th lines with players from your system on ELC's or cheap RFA deals. I agree you can't give Kruger over 2, maybe 2.5.

 

[Toews2Bickell]

We've been saying this for a week now. Saad gets 3.5-4 on a bridge or 5+ on a long term deal. Either he is underpaid now or in the future, he can't have both. It all depends if we can rid Bickell without retaining money, Sharp package, and what Kruger resigns for. I think Kruger gets 2.5m/yr for 4 years.

 

[Blackhawks]

The list of players under 200lbs that never scored 30pts making 3 million is very short.

The list of centers that shut down the best lines of opposing teams in the playoffs game after game and are making less than 3Mill is very short

 

[GGGHawks18]

Sounds like you are reporting Mark Lazerus's tweet.

Mark has a good point, but if you want to pay Saad for a longer term contract - it will force more salary to be moved from the cap.

Would people be comfortable trading Corey Crawford, in order to lock Saad down for 5-8 years? I'm not sure who else would be expendable enough to make room for Saad getting a bigger contract?

Yes, but he does make a very good point. Either way, I just want to get Saad locked up soon, although I think it is best to go long term with him.

 

[Hawksfan2828]

Prepare to be surprised, doubt he is taking anything less than 3

Have we learned nothing from the Bickell contract?

I love Kruger but 3 mill is way too much. If we pay him 3 million you will be crying about it a year from now. Mark my words on that. He will be trade bait when we have to sign Seabrook.

If he is going to go he can go now. I don't want to see that happen but, if it means we can sign Oduya then I take Oduya over Kruger any day.

 

[Blackhawks]

Sounds like you are reporting Mark Lazerus's tweet.

Mark has a good point, but if you want to pay Saad for a longer term contract - it will force more salary to be moved from the cap.

Would people be comfortable trading Corey Crawford, in order to lock Saad down for 5-8 years? I'm not sure who else would be expendable enough to make room for Saad getting a bigger contract?

Well it keeps going back to the same point, its the same pressure point and that is Crawford's contract, it has to be moved if not this year then by next. But NOW is the time as he is most valuable.

 

[Sarava]

Well it keeps going back to the same point, its the same pressure point and that is Crawford's contract, it has to be moved if not this year then by next. But NOW is the time as he is most valuable.

He has a full NMC and the one known team out east to need a goaltender have their man now. I don't know if they could move him even if they wanted too at this point.

 

[WJSN]

Hawks have leverage with Kruger. If he gets an offersheet, Hawks get a 2nd rounder in compensation. That's not a terrible return for him. Or Hawks can be patient with him. 4th line center that plays 13min a night, 17pts in 82g. I seriously doubt he gets anything more than 2.5mil in arbitration. Probably in the low 2's.

 

[Hawksfan2828]

We've been saying this for a week now. Saad gets 3.5-4 on a bridge or 5+ on a long term deal. Either he is underpaid now or in the future, he can't have both. It all depends if we can rid Bickell without retaining money, Sharp package, and what Kruger resigns for. I think Kruger gets 2.5m/yr for 4 years.

I go with the bridge deal as long as it's 3 years. 3-years at 4 per is fine with me. I would gamble with the cap - it should go up in the next 3-years.

In 3 years Hossa could be sitting in the booth on LTIR.

 

[hockeydoug]

The list of centers that shut down the best lines of opposing teams in the playoffs game after game and are making less than 3Mill is very short

Don't forget he plays 4th line minutes while often having a top shutdown pair with him in those situations.

He's extremely effective, but he's still a limited role player at the end of the day.

 

[Blackhawks]

Don't forget he plays 4th line minutes while often having a top shutdown pair with him in those situations.

He's extremely effective, but he's still a limited role player at the end of the day.

I hope so, 2M for 3 years will be great, but I am sure the agent will work it out higher arguing the best PKer, shuts down other top lines in the playoffs, can improve, etc.

 

[Hawkaholic]

Marcus Kruger was in the top 9 in TOI in the playoffs. he is much more than "just a 4th liner"

 

[Hawkaholic]

Ya "top ten" in yours and Courtney's dreams lol

Except every stat and eye test tells you you are wrong about him in every way.

 

[Toews2Bickell]

I go with the bridge deal as long as it's 3 years. 3-years at 4 per is fine with me. I would gamble with the cap - it should go up in the next 3-years.

In 3 years Hossa could be sitting in the booth on LTIR.

I'm sure it would be 2. Saad is worth 5 now with guys like Soderberg getting 5. If he takes a 3 year deal that is just more surplus value for the Hawks. The Bjugstad deal would be a nice comp on a long term deal. 30m/6yr.

 

[here come the]

The list of centers that shut down the best lines of opposing teams in the playoffs game after game and are making less than 3Mill is very short

Kruger doesn't shut down the best players (Toews plays harder comp but even if we ignore that). Had by far the highest GA/60 on the team in the playoffs. And he was on the ice for the lowest number of GF/60. I like Kruger and he has a really hard job, but you're massively overrating his actual impact. Also had the highest GA/60 in last year's playoffs and the second lowest GF/60. Like tons of people have said, you kill yourself by falling in love with depth, and that's exactly what Kruger is. I'd say 2.2 is my limit.

 

[Hawksfan2828]

I'm sure it would be 2. Saad is worth 5 now with guys like Soderberg getting 5. If he takes a 3 year deal that is just more surplus value for the Hawks. The Bjugstad deal would be a nice comp on a long term deal. 30m/6yr.

2 years would be fine. The Hawks really don't have any major contracts in 2 years except for TT.

A bridge deal would make allot of sense... 2-years 10 million - done!