Most Probable

Team: 2017-18 Chicago Blackhawks

Initial Creation Date: May 5, 2017

Published: May 5, 2017

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

So I have gotten over the "trade a big contract" idea. The Hawks don't have any good tradeable contracts except Panarin's and it doesn't make sense to trade him. $6M for a top 10 scorer is a great contract. The return would have to be incredible for it to make sense.

This is the most realistic and probable team for next season. They will almost certainly have to go with a 22 man roster like they did in 2015-16.

Panik may not be resigned and may instead be traded for picks or to move up in the 1st round of the draft.

If DeBrincat doesn't make the roster someone like Motte, Hinostroza, Fortin, or Matheson will move up.

In a perfect world Dylan Sikura signs with the Hawks in camp after realizing he could have a roster spot. He could very well end up being a great addition to next years roster.

The Hawks could end up with another great free agent signing that helps them also. They seem to get one nearly every year.

I honestly can't see Roszival being on the roster next year. I see Pokka or Gustafsson holding one of those roster spots.

If the cap is over $75M, say closer to $76M, I think Panik resigning for a 2 or 3 year deal at $2.5-$2.75M AAV is much more likely.


* ON DeBrincat*
He just won the Red Tilson Award as OHL's most outstanding player. In the last 20 years there have been only 5 Red Tilson winners who have not been atleast .5 point per game NHL players (2 others that were goalies). One was a defenseman (Ryan Ellis). Of those 5 players only 3 posted OHL PPG above 1.74 for one season. That is DeBrincat's average over 3 seasons. One of those, Connor Brown (23yrs), has .47 PPG in the NHL. Another, even smaller than DeBrincat, is putting up .75 PPG in the KHL. The last, Corey Locke, somehow never broke into the NHL dispite putting up .89 PPG in the AHL over 639 games.

Wondering who some of the other names are from the last 20 years? Marner, McDavid, Trocheck, Seguin, Tavares, Perry, Boyes, Campbell, Legwand.