I’m not sure i like how cheaply Edmonton is moving all of that cap. Seems like a generous offer for them.

I agree, but we get to move up in the 2023, we get to do right by Ian Mitchell...finally, we get two NHLers. Let's see if they can turn things around. Maybe opens up a Murphy move, idk.

Yam’s if fine, but I could do without Ceci. At the very least a zaitsev buyout has to be a corresponding move with this trade.

Why buyout? Just rip off the the band aid. Why prolong the pain? It's not like we're against the cap ceiling.

I agree, just fire Zaitsev into the sun and eat the full cap hit next season.

For two year of Ceci at over $3m per and $8m in actual $$ as well as Yamamoto for over $3m next season, I think the return needs to be better then moving up two rounds in the draft, especially when it is not moving into the first round.

I agree that it's probably time to move on from Mitchell but I sort of disagree that the Hawks didn't do right by him. To me he's probably a #5 or #6 defenseman who has unfortunately had injuries and has been passed by guys like Phillips, Vlasic, Kaiser, and coming soon Del Mastro, Allan, and Korchinski. Doesn't have any stand out skills (i.e. skating, passing, shooting). Seems like a good kid, but timing was the timing just didn't work out for him.

It saves real money, the buyout takes place over years (this and next) in which we won’t be up against the cap, and opens up a roster spot and does right by the player who can go back to Russia. It’s very similar to Brett Connolly and his buyout.

Has he had serious injuries? I don't recall that, but good Intel. I'm not always right. I thought I remembered him being a healthy scratch a bunch last year, but we kept playing Zaitsev at the end of the year.

I’m not sure on the rules but can they not just loan Zaitsev to a European professional team?

I mean, waive/assign him to Rockford and be a good example to help the kids learn how to be professionals. If he refuses, terminate the contract. I mean, I'm all for trying to do right by the players, but sometimes that "doing right" for the team/ prospects means if you're a cap dump you just get onboard.

I don’t think that’s possible.



If Zaitsev would be onboard with that process I see nothing wrong with it, but I sincerely doubt that and figure he would much rather test his luck in FA or back home. In any case since the cap hit difference is negligible and the hawks save real money and a headache with the roster spot I think a buyout as a corresponding move for a D cap dump is the most realistic option. Of course if Zaitsev can play on the third pair as a tank commander then I see no need to do anything with him!

Lol, yeah I guess I'm a bit meaner when it comes to players acquired through dumps. We don't owe them the say opportunities as we owed our draft picks/prospects. You don't go to Rockford...we terminate your contract.

You're correct that next year won't be an issue with cap space so buyout of Zaitsev might make sense, but at some point I hope we move away for prolonging the pain. Yes Owners/GMs play with real dollars and we're fans here, but the season tickets gained recently are real dollars too. At some point we need to be using that money cap for UFAs and making tbe team better. Yes, doesn't have to be this summer, but soon.

I completely agree. Mitchell was mismanaged under Bowman and has been utilized improperly under Davidson because him and Richardson like big defensemen. Which I'm not knocking them for, but I don't think he has gotten a fair shake in CHI and selling low has a large possibility of regret in hindsight.

Money should never be a real “Issue” in this market, but billionaires don’t stay billionaires without staying frugal. I imagine with all of the dead cap and backloaded Kane and Toews contracts that the Wirtz family made money hand over fist last year and with the lottery season tickets.

Yeah, but his dad is still "Dollar" Bill Wirtz.

Don't mind these moves, I do expect KD to make some manuevers at the draft though. Just don't see us making 4 (or in this case 5) 2nd round picks. I also think its more likely we move into the back of the 1st round than it is we move up from 19, like many other people are suggesting. This draft is loaded, don't see any team moving a top 20 pick without a heavy premium. Dream case for me is the hawks get Bedard at 1, obviously, then Danielson at 19, then trade back into the end of the 1st and get a big body like Charlie Stramel. Hawks need to add size big time up front. Watching stramel at the back of the 1st or Honzek/But at 19

So the 2nds in my mind would be to move up. STL had (3) 1sts, but zero 2nds. Not like within division matters for picks...I think.

I feel like between Chicago and STL it would. Especially if the the GM’s have a general idea of who each other would pick with the given selection. No way STL would let us trade up and pick Brindly.

Hawks look to add size in the 1st after Bedard, I think. And hoenstly I wouldn't rule out taking a D man. The RD prospect pool is sneaky weak. Looking at Reidenbacher, ASP, and Willander. At least 2/3 likley go before 19 but you never know

We have a lot of LD prospects that are good, but IMO our forward pool lacks game breaking talent and this draft is full of it. Maybe we flip some of those LD prospects into RD guys later or spend more secondary capital (Oliver Bonk in 2nd round?)

I’m disappointed by the Hawks handling of Mitchell as well but think taking on Yamamoto & Ceci is trying to make two wrongs a right. Unless the Hawks get paid well for each of them, they should stay away. Giving other prospects they drafted the opportunities Mitchell never got would be the way to go.

I highly doubt we have to move back into the 1st round to target Stramel, though. But, otherwise, I agree with all of this.



Do you mean CHI's RD prospect pool, or the RD pool in the 2023 draft? Cuz if you're talking about the draft, I would actually say the opposite. There are tons of promising RD in this draft, we could probably wait until the 3rd round or later and still get one with a pretty high ceiling, albeit, probably a low floor/unproven etc.

CHI’s RD pool. Sneaky very weak and not being talked about from what I’ve seen. Wouldn’t be shocked to see them target ASP or Willander

I like what we have at F more than RD by a lot though. Bedard, Reichel, Nazar, Hayes, Greene, Thompson, Dach, etc etc……. At RD we’ve got Rinzel who has always been seen as a project, and Regula who may or may not be anything. I could see KD targeting ASP or Willander for sure