Blackhawks' Cap Issues Build

With the signings of Cristobal Huet and Brian Campbell, the Blackhawks are really looking to make a serious run at the playoffs and the Stanley Cup.

However, for the first time in a while the Blackhawks also find themselves over the cap.

According to nhlnumbers.com, the Blackhawks are currently $2.508 million over the cap and recently General Manager Dale Tallon has said that he would like to add another top nine forward to the mix.

So with this in mind, who do the Blackhawks move to make room for a trade and to get under the cap?

The obvious answer is Nikolai Khabibulin, who is making $6.75 million this season. Despite the signing of Huet, Tallon has stated that he plans to go into this season with the "goalie-tandem" of Huet and Khabibulin.

There would be a few suitors for Khabibulin's services such as the Los Angeles Kings, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Ottawa Senators. The Kings seem like they would be the perfect partners for a trade because they are under the cap floor and need a goalie stop gap until top prospect Johnathan Brenier is ready, presumably in the 2009-2010 season.

Another route the Blackhawks could choose to go is trading Robert Lang, who makes $4 million this season and is a free agent after the season. Lang is a veteran center who experienced a good season in his first year with the Blackhawks tallying 54 points in 76 games last season.

Although Lang has a fairly large salary, for a 37-year-old second line center, it would seem as though it would be counterintuitive for the Blackhawks to trade someone out of their top nine to get another top nine player.

All and all the best move the Blackhawks could make is to trade Khabibulin, freeing up cap space for another top nine forward and getting Corey Crawford some time in the net at the NHL Level.