Chicago Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman has had the uncanny ability for years now to somehow find a way to squeeze his uber-talented rosters under the NHL salary cap. Bowman’s willingness to trade or let walk valued players with high-priced contracts only to replace them to the same effect with affordable veterans and young players has enabled the team to become the NHL’s dynasty franchise over the last decade. However, heading into 2017-18, has Bowman finally put himself in a position that he can’t get out of?
The NHL’s salary cap limit for next season has not yet been decided, but early indications are that it could remain flat or rise only a minimal amount. Based on 2016-17’s $73MM ceiling, the Chicago Blackhawks would be more than $4.5MM over the cap if the season started today (via CapFriendly). That total includes a total of 13 forwards, seven defenseman, and two goalies, ten of which will make under $1MM next season. What it doesn’t include is new contracts for restricted free agents Dennis Rasmussen and Tomas Jurco, the possibility of bringing back veteran defenseman Brian Campbell, or the Blackhawk’s major need for a backup goalie, which will only off-set the cap by Jeff Glass’ $600K contract.
Of course, Chicago does have some assistance this off-season in the form of the Expansion Draft, in which they will lose someone’s cap hit. The team certainly hopes that that cap hit is from Marcus Kruger. Kruger has played an important role for the Blackhawks as a two-way specialist and reliable third-line center, but at over $3MM annually, he’s just not affordable. Rumor has it that the team is willing to move picks and players if it means that the Vegas Golden Knights will select Kruger, but there is no guarantee that Vegas will take the bait. Defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk has been offered up as a companion to Kruger for the Knights, which at $825K for a top-four defenseman would be a major loss for Chicago. However, if the Blackhawks want to protect forwards like Ryan Hartman or Richard Panik in the Expansion Draft, they currently would have no choice but to expose van Riemsdyk. Thus, the team really lacks the leverage to command any deal where the Knights take Kruger to get van Riemsdyk and such a deal may not even come to fruition. Chicago will do all it can, expansion-wise or not, to move Kruger, but it’s far from a done deal.
Even if they are successful in moving Kruger, the Chicago Sun Times’ Mark Lazerus opines that this may not be enough if the cap doesn’t go up significantly; and he’s not alone. Lazerus states that there is rampant speculation that the team may be forced to move a bigger name than Kruger to become cap compliant. Kruger’s salary would (currently) still leave the Blackhawks in the red and even he and van Riemsdyk wouldn’t do it. Bowman could use roster management to get under, but it would leave the team with little to no flexibility in the free agent market and even for in-season call-ups and demotions. Instead, one of Chicago’s core players might need to move. Lazerus knows that neither Brent Seabrook or Artem Anisimov have been asked to waive their No-Movement clauses to be dealt elsewhere and it’s hard to imagine the team trading many of their other No-Movement players like Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, or Corey Crawford. Marian Hossa may as well be immovable as well, given that the 38-year-old has four years left on his contract at $5.275MM per. That leaves defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson, who Lazerus believes could very well end up on the move. Hjalmarsson is the only high-priced player on the roster without a true No-Movement clause, as he has a limited No-Trade in which he can submit a 10-team list of destinations. This gives the team some flexibility to make a move they couldn’t with the others barring a waiver. Hjalmarsson carries a $4.1MM cap hit, which alone is insufficient, but in addition to Kruger and possibly others would get the Blackhawks where they need to be.
If it potentially takes Hjalmarsson, Kruger, and van Riemsdyk – two of Chicago’s top-four defenseman and a key penalty killer – along with goalie Scott Darling, already a cap casualty this off-season, to get under the salary cap for next season, is Bowman’s system really still working? Perhaps more than any other team in the NHL, Chicago is hoping for an unexpected bump in the salary cap for 2017-18. If that doesn’t happen, the Expansion Draft could just be the beginning of the Blackhawk’s shedding of key players this summer.
As hard as it would be trading Kane my be there best option see what you can get but don’t do it less you get a star , a top prospect and atop draft pick or 2 that would cut about 8 million for them
The league has effectively used an inert and inadequate salary cap to destroy the most dominant roster in the league. There’s really not much Bowman can do about it anymore. I would still hold on to Kane for the duration. He’s a generational player still in his prime.
I agree I wouldn’t won’t to trade him but but Gris really one of the only ones that has a great trade value (Teows is beyond tradable he’s probably a top 5 maybe 3 player )
*he’s
Actually Chicago did it to themselves by using around 25 percent of their room on three players.
Chicago did what any quality franchise is supposed to do: drafted and developed two very talented young players, and rewarded them for bringing Cups back to Chicago.
The league promotes too much player movement with a subdued salary cap.
Allowing teams to keep their homegrown talent rewards franchises who excel in scouting and development.
The current financial structure merely rewards inept teams who throw money at other teams’ talent they can’t develop themselves.
Maybe Trade any guy that’s going to be in Minors under contract.
Ya but that doesn’t really clear a lot of cap space those kinda of players are in the 1 /1.5 million range
Bowman has lacked an ability to trade expiring contracts, or players he knows are set to be FA’s 1 to 2 years out. He’s let several key role players go for practically nothing. While I understand the hawks are always in the hunt for another cup, bowman has done more wrong than he has right. We have lost so many pieces over the years and the depth continues to be depleting each and every year. It’s not just the NHL’s garbage cap. It’s a league that I’m not sure will ever be as profitable as the NBA, NFL, and MLB. The NHL can be so much better. between Bettman and the Lack of interest in smaller markets I’m not sure it will ever achieve the greatness is can be.
It doesn’t matter whether you trade away “expiring contracts” or let them walk for nothing. The outcome is still the same: no continuity or depth of experience throughout the roster. The Hawks have had tons of young talent. The problem is the loss of experience and continuity (chemistry) which makes it nearly impossible to win multiple championships. Make no mistake, the jealousy and apprehension towards Chicago is at an all-time high right now. Making the Blackhawks “go away” has been on the list of agenda items for the NHL.