Well... Calder Trophy finalist Kris Versteeg chose not to go before an arbiter, and signed a deal similar to that of Cam Barker (3yrs, 9mil). The good news is that none of these players became UFAs. The times they are a-changin' for the Blackhawks organization. The players desire to re-up before taking a dip in the always lucrative waters of Free Agency, shows their faith and commitment to this organization. Chicago is the again the toast of the NHL, and players desire to be here.

 

 

The bad news is that these hefty raises only reinforce the obvious fact that we need to shed salary. Big Buff should be traded. We have a number of guys in the system who can do what he does. I think Troy Brouwer can easily take the place of Byfuglien. Also, don't forget that Beech and Aliu are right around the corner. I'd say they are about a year away from making it to the big show. The Hawks also have to find a way to get rid of Sopel, even if it means putting him on waivers / buying him out. We NEED to have the money to sign Toews, Keith, and Kane (in that order).

 

 

TRADE

 

I haven't heard much of trade rumors surrounding the Hawks this week. I'm sure this minor clerical error put those talks on the backburner, but we all know Dale is looking for some help on the blueline. Go Get'em Tally, and don't forget to give them Sopel!