This seems a lot easier to assess than most people are making it out to be.
Crawford has been injury riddled. Whether he gets shuffled off to LTIR or not, this is his last year. Not just with the Hawks, but likely the NHL.
The Hawks are trying to take a couple more kicks at the can with its core. And they can’t do that with the defense they’ve had the last few years. Offense hasn’t been an issue. Defense and goaltending has been. Enter Maatta, de Haan, and Lehner.
Lehner signed a one year deal because there just aren’t a lot of teams with starting goaltender vacancies. He enters a situation similar to last year with a potential timeshare, but also the potential to be THE guy. And if he has a great season, he signs an extension of perhaps next year some other franchise has an opening he can fit into. Lehner undoubtedly wants to win a Cup, too, and may think that he can get one in Chicago.
This is probably one of the best things the Hawks could do with $5M for this upcoming season. If it doesn’t work, they have next year to play with it. If it works, both team and player have a potential long term solution. Otherwise, both of their goaltenders will come off the books and they’ll have $11M to play with. Right about when Strome and DeBrincat will need new deals.
This has honestly been one of the best offseasons I’ve seen the Hawks have in a while.
I’d like to see Anisimov move, and if we could dump Seabrook somewhere, it’d be the most amazing offseason ever.