What will happen with Crawford, Kubalik, Strome and others?
If there's one thing we've learned over the last few years, it's to expect the unexpected when it comes to the Blackhawks during the off-season.
After all, we saw:
• The jaw-dropping trades of Artemi Panarin and Niklas Hjalmarsson just before the 2017 draft.
• Vinnie Hinostroza, Jordan Oesterle and Marian Hossa's contract all get shipped to Arizona.
• Andrew Shaw return via trade.
• Henri Jokiharju go to Buffalo for Alex Nylander.
• The stunning addition of Robin Lehner on Day 1 of free agency last year, giving the Hawks $11 million worth of goalies
So attempting to read GM Stan Bowman's mind about the Hawks' future now that they've been eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs would be a tall task indeed.
But, hey, that's why I get paid the big bucks. Here's a list of players - in order of importance - that Bowman must make critical decisions on before next season begins:
Corey Crawford
Status: Unrestricted free agent:
Everything begins right here. If Crawford's not coming back, who will be in net? You have to believe Bowman has a Plan A and a Plan B, but what are they? My gut tells me Bowman's a bit leery of Crawford's concussion history and may be willing to offer just a one-year deal. If Crawford accepts, it solves the netminder dilemma in the short term and allows Bowman to explore other long-term solutions at his leisure. If Crawford declines, Bowman must figure out what other path to travel down.
Brandon Saad
Status: One year remaining with a $6 million cap hit
Trading the 27-year-old forward for draft picks or prospects is the easiest way to alleviate the Hawks' salary-cap dilemma. But can they get enough in return to justify moving him? If not, keep him and see what transpires. Saad's a solid player who might just be worth extending for another five years if the price is right.
Dominik Kubalik
Status: Restricted free agent
Once he was given a larger role in early December we saw Kubalik unleash his remarkable offensive skills in impressive fashion. He scored 24 goals in the last 41 games while averaging just over 15.5 minutes of ice time. After the goaltending situation, Kubalik is by far Bowman's biggest priority. Would the soon-to-be 25-year-old be willing to accept five years and $25 million? If I'm the GM, I might roll the dice and go that route. Kubalik has shown enough to justify that kind of deal. The other option is something in the 2-3 year range, but after that you risk losing Kubalik to any of the other 31 teams.
Dylan Strome
Status: Restricted free agent
Strome (12G, 26A in 58 games) struggled with his consistency this season, not that all of it was his fault as Jeremy Colliton took him out of his customary center position and put him on the wing. I can see a 2-3 year "prove it" kind of deal that carries around a $3.5 million cap hit.
Olli Maatta
Status: Two years remaining with a $4.083 million cap hit
Maatta really helped himself with a strong postseason. That's good news for the Hawks, who might be able to move him via trade. If that doesn't pan out, then the D-man is still a great buyout candidate because he'd only cost an average of $680,533 against the cap for the next four seasons.
Drake Caggiula
Status: Restricted free agent
A feisty forward with some offensive upside, Caggiula also comes with concussion risks. He's played in just 95 games the last two seasons.
Zack Smith
Status: One year remaining with a $3.25 million cap hit
The veteran forward is a nice depth player who was a big help on the revamped penalty kill. Smith's certainly a trade candidate, but he could also be bought out. Another option is to place him on waivers. If he clears, the Hawks could assign him to Rockford and save $1.075 million against the cap.
Slater Koekkoek
Status: Restricted free agent
Koekkoek carved out a significant role in the second half of the season. He shouldn't cost much more than $1 million a year, so it makes sense to extend a two-year offer to provide some nice depth.