Salary Cap: Four more days of Kessel talk begins ... now

[IcedCapp]

Seriously, what is all this baggage Kessel has that a lot of people keep bringing up? I don't remember him punching a cabbie, getting a DUI on a boat, etc.

Reality: none

But perception in the hockey world is crazy and stupid and nuts.

 

[Ogrezilla]

If Pouliot gets moved, I think I'd be okay with keeping Martin on a team-contract contract (which would likely be a long term, back-diving contract). He doesn't seem to play a style that would fall off at an older age, he's a very cerebral player that relies on hockey smarts more than anything else. It would also set up the top-4 nicely with Letang, Maatta, Cole and Martin and it doesn't force Maatta to be playing huge minutes right after he missed a full season. Can we afford both Kessel and Martin at like $4-$5 million?

I'd be ok with it depending on cost and term. But I honestly might prefer Green if its Pouliot going out.

 

[Sideline]

So it has to be Pouliot, 1st 2016, Sutter and Scuds....

I was hoping for Pouliot, Sutter, Kunitz, and Scuderi

 

[penguins2946*]

I'd be ok with it depending on cost and term. But I honestly might prefer Green if its Pouliot going out.

But Mike Green isn't a good hockey player though. He's not Gonchar level bad, but he's still bad.

 

[Ogelthorpe]

the package won't be identical, that's the problem. It would cost more assets to get Saad than Kessel.

That's your opinion, not fact. It very well may cost more, but then again, we don't know how heavily Chi values getting out of Sharp's contract....that may be the ultimate asset for the Hawks.

 

[Jag68Sid87]

You can sorta understand Toronto's point of view here. They already have Morgan Rielly and Jake Gardiner. I'm pretty sure they'd move Gardiner if they could...but having Rielly makes Pouliot a bit redundant. Also, they don't have a great young defender which Maatta can be. So from their perspective it makes sense that they'd be holding out for Maatta. From our perspective, we need to say to Toronto, "ok, but it's going to cost you if you want Maatta over Pouliot."

Now, on Kessel, forget the contract, the main point about acquiring Kessel for us (aside from his obvious scoring prowess) is his durability. WE desperately need more guys on the ice at crunch time. IF we were to lose a Crosby in the playoffs; or if a Malkin is playing at less than 100 per cent, well at least Kessel could carry us for a round. That's major.

 

[Riptide]

I agree that might be the best way to go. We have never been sellers at the deadline in the Crosby era though, so he wouldn't just be traded for assets. Its just not going to happen. The only way he'd be traded at the deadline is if we are going all in as buyers or if a legit hockey trade came up. But if he's here in September, I'd say there's a higher than 90% chance he walks as a free agent next july.

This. If he's having a great season, I don't see JR trading him. Because we'll "need" him to have success. If we want him gone, it has to happen over the summer.

 

[Ogrezilla]

But Mike Green isn't a good hockey player though. He's not Gonchar level bad, but he's still bad.

keep him off the top pairing and I think he's fine. I also think he's more likely to take a shorter deal to prove that he's a good hockey player

 

[Ogrezilla]

That's your opinion, not fact. It very well may cost more, but then again, we don't know how heavily Chi values getting out of Sharp's contract....that may be the ultimate asset for the Hawks.

sure, that's fine. We'll just agree to disagree here.

 

[Bennett Brauer]

I'm not happy with the idea of trading Maatta or Pouliot but it seems like one of them have to be gone.

This sucks. We're just going to make our team older and mortgage more of the future doing so. Sure Martin and Gonchar can replace Pouliot, but I can't wait until 5 years from now when the window is closing and Pouliot is a 26 year old stud defenseman, Gonchar and Martin are retired and our core is out of their primes

Of course, it will be worth it if we can win Cups but it's never a given.

 

[Riptide]

I think you're underestimating how much they want to trade him before free agency opens up and he can give a new list of teams.

Do you really think that list of teams will change all that much?

 

[Ogelthorpe]

Seriously, what is all this baggage Kessel has that a lot of people keep bringing up? I don't remember him punching a cabbie, getting a DUI on a boat, etc.

Just the fact that every past coach has had negative comments about him. He's not a "bad" person, but he is hard to coach according to his past coaches.

 

[Jag68Sid87]

That's your opinion, not fact. It very well may cost more, but then again, we don't know how heavily Chi values getting out of Sharp's contract....that may be the ultimate asset for the Hawks.

Saad's not available. Kessel and Sharp are. That's the caveat.

I don't understand why Saad is being discussed. He's one of the building pieces that Chicago wants to keep.

This isn't a Boston situation, where the team will decide it's easier to trade the RFA than make moves to keep him. Chicago is smarter than that.

 

[Ogrezilla]

Do you really think that list of teams will change all that much?

probably not, but do you think they want to risk it along with risking teams signing free agents and thus not having room for Kessel?

 

[Ogrezilla]

Just the fact that every past coach has had negative comments about him. He's not a "bad" person, but he is hard to coach according to his past coaches.

Has a coach other than Ron Wilson said anything negative about him? And to be clear, nobody cares what Ron Wilson says, right?

 

[joeyjake5]

Now is the time to bite the bullet and go young and prepare for the 2016 season..

Buy out Scuds and Kunitz, and do not under any circumstance trade next year's #1 pick which has a good chance of being a top 10 pick.

To trade for a top 6 winger will only deplete an already poor prospect pool and of course cap-wise would be foolish.

Play DP, Dumo, Sundquist, Rust, KK see what they bring to the table.

Shero has really F___ed this team and JR added to it by trading SD.

THINK YOUNG

 

[penguins2946*]

keep him off the top pairing and I think he's fine. I also think he's more likely to take a shorter deal to prove that he's a good hockey player

I'm going to preface this by saying I absolutely want nothing to do with Gonchar, he's washed up at this point. With that being said, I'd rather re-sign Martin and then give Gonchar a cheap 1 year deal to play on the bottom pair (in place of Lovejoy, since Gonch is a RD) than sign Green. He's a bottom pair D that's going to want top pair money.

And no, our 1st doesn't have a good chance at being a top-10 pick. That's absolutely stupid. I just assume anyone who suggests rebuilding at this point has absolutely no idea what they're talking about.

 

[Bennett Brauer]

Now is the time to bite the bullet and go young and prepare for the 2016 season..

Buy out Scuds and Kunitz, and do not under and circumstance trade next year's #1 pick which has a good chance of being a top 10 pick.

To trade for a top 6 winger will only deplete an already poor prospect pool and of course cap-wise would be foolish.

Play DP, Dumo, Sundquist, Rust, KK see what they bring to the table.

Shero has really F___ed this team and JR added to it by trading SD.

THINK YOUNG

This is the key, mismanagement has screwed us so badly over the past 5 years, and the only way to fix it is to create a hole somewhere else. So essentially, we'll never fix the issues at hand because there will always be one thanks to Shero and Rutherford.

 

[Nakawick]

Seriously, what is all this baggage Kessel has that a lot of people keep bringing up? I don't remember him punching a cabbie, getting a DUI on a boat, etc.

Motivator Cuff issues.

 

[djt153]

this year is all about getting experience for the younger guys, regaining cap flexibility, and positioning the team to load up for 16-17.

 

[Ogrezilla]

I'm going to preface this by saying I absolutely want nothing to do with Gonchar, he's washed up at this point. With that being said, I'd rather re-sign Martin and then give Gonchar a cheap 1 year deal to play on the bottom pair (in place of Lovejoy, since Gonch is a RD) than sign Green. He's a bottom pair D that's going to want top pair money.

And no, our 1st doesn't have a good chance at being a top-10 pick. That's absolutely stupid. I just assume anyone who suggests rebuilding at this point has absolutely no idea what they're talking about.

Man, you really don't like Mike Green

let me add, I really don't want to add any of these guys.

 

[Jacob]

The only evidence I've seen of Kessel being a cancer are a few bristly encounters with the Toronto media (no surprise) and because the Bruins traded him (they're stupid). Ron Wilson had as many good things to say about him as he did bad things.


As far as trading Pouliot vs. Maatta, that's contingent on information I don't have. If Maatta's shoulder is alright and there's a high chance his thyroid issues get sorted out, I'd prefer to move Pouliot, but if Maatta has a small but significant chance of having any long-lingering problems I'd keep DP and move Maatta. The medical staff knows the answers, we don't.

 

[Ogrezilla]

The only evidence I've seen of Kessel being a cancer are a few bristly encounters with the Toronto media (no surprise) and because the Bruins traded him (they're stupid).

the fact that he's only made a few bristly comments to the media in Toronto should get the guy consideration for sainthood The guy's been treated like garbage for years and he's handled it as professionally as can be expected imo.

 

[djt153]

The only evidence I've seen of Kessel being a cancer are a few bristly encounters with the Toronto media (no surprise) and because the Bruins traded him (they're stupid).

other cancerous former bruins: seguin and hamilton

 

[joeyjake5]

this year is all about getting experience for the younger guys, regaining cap flexibility, and positioning the team to load up for 16-17.

That's what should happen, but will it!!!!!