I like the Toews trade -- captain for captain and a deal that would help both organizations. Chicago can't get away from the Seabrook and Keith contracts, so they need to find some breathing room beyond Hossa retiring. With Hossa out, the Hawks have $11M to sign eight players.

My two faults:
1) I think you're underestimating Galchenyuk and overestimating Bellows in this deal. I think you'd get more from AZ, COL or LAK.
2) You have about $9M in unspent cap space and no solution for Shaw and Byron being out until December. Surely you can shore up the lineup a bit more

Love the captain trade !

Agree with your on both points, I'd say remove the 2nd on the chucky trade

Also, not convinced on Tkatchuk @ 3OA and don'T think Dibson is there @11, I think you go with goal scoring and needs something like Zadina/JK. If you're lucky, you get Hugues at 10 but I doubt it happens

Toews trade is actually bad for both teams in my opinion. The hawks would get out of Toews contract, but wouldn't have a 1C to replace him with. and for montreal, they would lose a 40 goal scorer on a cheap contract and take on toews's contract. secondly, the hawks don't need to get out of keith's contract and can get out of seabrook's if they retain somewhere around 2m or whatever. Thirdly, anisimov will get moved, 4th, they would have roughly 16.5m to sign 7 players of which if you actually look at the players that they need to sign, it is all depth players that won't get 8m all together also you have not put into account the extra 5m in cap space that is expected throughout the league. the hawks are way better off than you think they are.

I think you're dreaming that there'll be takers for Seabrook if you shave $2M. Maybe $3M in two years, when the end of that contract is in sight. Keith is fine for now, but he's a depreciating asset. No doubt the Hawks can stay OK, but they actually have assets in Toews, Keith, Crawford and Kane who, when dealt, can help them avoid a repeat of 1998-2008 (the post-Savard years) when the team made the playoffs just once in a decade.

obviously the hawks would have to put more pieces than just a salary retention, i was just using the salary retention merely as a cap situation. Kane is in his prime still. kane i think will be a good player up till he retires because of how his game is. Toews i agree may have to get moved but ONLY if the hawks want to go for tavares or something like that. the hawks are not goign to trade him if they don't have a #1C to replace him immediately.

I agree, sort of. The Hawks would have to decide whether there's still a 2-3 year window to win another Cup with Kane, Keith and Crawford, at which point getting Max for Toews and saving $6 to $8M would be crucial. Or, if they think they can win with this core and are willing to mortgage a little future, again Pacioretty (discounted for a year) would make a lot of sense. What doesn't make sense is allowing the team to age out and not either go for top draft picks or the brass ring.

well you would only save that money for one year, then you are really saving 3-4m overall. the hawks won't win a cup without a g ood 1 and 2 center. the hawks could hypothetically trade for pacioretty a different way all together and keep toews if they have no other options available. we will have to see though. i don't think trading toews for pacioretty would help the hawks get another cup anymore than just keeping toews

Except you'd have Pacioretty AND $8M for Stastny, who would likely put up just as many or more points than Toews.