Hossa to the Hawks
If you hate the Brian Campbell contract, just wait til you get a load of this bad boy. According to Pierre LeBrun of ESPN.com, the Blackhawks have agreed to a 12 year deal with an average of $5.2 million per year with Marian Hossa. That would make Hossa a Hawk until the ripe age of 42 years old- assuming he honors all of this contract which seems highly unlikely at this point.
As if raiding Hossa from the Red Wings cabinet wasn’t enough, the Hawks also snagged center Tomas Kopecky.
Much more later, obviously.
July 1, 2009 at 12:18 pm
Right but it a lower annual cap hit and he is an absolute stud. And there may be some out langauge too..
How soon until opening day and can you make it come faster?????
it also might mean Huet has been dealt.
July 1, 2009 at 12:20 pm
I agree, and this will probably give a nice barometer of what Kane and Toews can expect. I’d think their three contracts will be almost identical. It’s just going to be humorous to see people get all bent out of shape about it.
First, Hawk fans wanted their to pay whatever for anybody. Now, they split hairs because their team throws money around like a drunken Dean Martin.
July 1, 2009 at 12:22 pm
What a joke. Get this loser out of Chicago, wasting good money on a Hossa. How sad, I would rather take my chances with Havlat’s shoulder and sign him long term than give it to Hossa. And why 12 years? He’s going to be 42 yrs old when his contract ends? How sad.
July 1, 2009 at 12:28 pm
Old man Wirtz has to be spinning in his grave
It is a front loaded 53 mil over the first 7 yrs.
And we have allegedly signed Kopecky to a two year deal.
Holyshit Batman
July 1, 2009 at 12:29 pm
So much for that old saying, “Better the Czech you know than the Slovak you don’t.” Or something.
They’re pretty similar players in terms of production, size, age. Havlat is a little younger and has been injured more than Hossa. But does this Slovak have Havlatian intensity?
I’m here to ask the trenchant questions, as usual.
July 1, 2009 at 12:33 pm
WHAT THE FUCK, THIS SHIT CAME OUT OF NOWHERE.
July 1, 2009 at 12:37 pm
Kevin, you had no problems with Havlat the first two years of his contract when he barely played 90 games? This same guy you would sign to a 12 year deal? Please….
July 1, 2009 at 12:48 pm
Amen. This is expensive but front loaded. Which means you can sign Toews and KAne with expensive but backloaded contracts. this guys stats are nearly a point per game equivalent over his career which is a lot longer than Havlat’s.
And you got another Bowman guy in Kopecky so Sami is probably gone.
Even better, TB signed Matt Walker!!!!!
I just don’t think we are done yet…
July 1, 2009 at 12:49 pm
Kane and Toews will sign for about the same much…so thats 15 million for those three. Pittsburgh pays 18 for Malkin and Crosby to put that into perspective.
July 1, 2009 at 12:58 pm
Amen
and maybe the Hawks move Campbell or Huet. It is possible then this situation becomes very, very palatable.
We still have our RFAs to deal with and like I said, I don’t think we are done yet
July 1, 2009 at 1:15 pm
How soon until he establishes a twitter account?
Lou, what makes you think they will deal Huet? Would it be in exchange for another goalie at around $2-3M? Or would they try and sign Khabi to a 1 or 2 year?
What’s the scouting report on this Kopecky? Same role as Sami? I always shudder when the media puts penalty minutes as a defining stat.
July 1, 2009 at 1:19 pm
I think that might be probable or some other contract dumping type deal or for a lower round pick but it might be more likely that they will try to move Campbell.
If the scuttle on Khabi is true, he has to move Huet and you still have the Niemi and potentially Crawford debate. So we will see.
Kopecky is a checker. A hitter and a product of Detroit’s system under Scotty Bowman’s reign so he is a guy they are familiar with. His signing probably puts Sami out and Fraser out.
July 1, 2009 at 1:31 pm
Again, I’m still having a hard time believing some team is going to give up players for Huet when there’s plenty of ‘tenders out there that will only cost them money. We’ll see though, I’ve been wrong before.
July 1, 2009 at 1:41 pm
you are probably right. Edmonton is on the Khabi wagon, so that may mean Huet stays. The only way you trade him is if you have Khabi re-signed.
I think more will happen with the Hawks.
July 1, 2009 at 2:19 pm
As long as this doesn’t prevent the long term signings of Kane, Toews, and Keith then I’ll be happy with the money and the length.
July 1, 2009 at 2:53 pm
Tampa Bay just became my second favorite team.
July 1, 2009 at 2:59 pm
From what I understand this contract counts as 5.3 mm against the cap and comes off the book if he retires before it expires becuse he signed it before he is 35.
If this is the case, then for khabi and havlat we got bolland, hossa and kopecky. I’d say we improved our team.
am I missing something here on how the contract hits?
July 1, 2009 at 3:17 pm
Lou – I think you’re right on. Net-net, the Hawks are a better team today. I’d be interested in who else the Hawks sign (including their RFA’s) and how the lines take shape. In Barker, Versteeg and Brouwer, who comes back? I think it’s the first two. With that, I don’t think that Campbell is going anywhere – I just wish there was a way to peel $2MM of his annual cap hit.
If the deal were straight up, Hossa for Havlat, I think you have to take Hossa every time, and I was hoping that Havlat would come back (he had a great season for the Hawks, but as we all know, he has a history of injury and last year was the first year he played the whole season). With any lenght of Havlats deal, it’s buyer beware (kind of like Eddy Curry).
July 1, 2009 at 3:21 pm
According to Tallon’s press conference. This signing will not impact the signing of the core of the team. He mentioned, Toews, Kane, Dunc and Seabrook by name twice. So I will believe that for now.
He also said Steeg, Brouwer, Barker, Eager, and Crawford were all tendered. He also said we are going to continue to try to make this team better. And referenced tmrw as well.
He chuckled when asked if weakening detroit was part of the plan. You know it was.
As I have been saying we aren’t done yet.
And Josh, I too am a huge TB fan right now. Although walker has to get some kudos for the finger thing.
July 1, 2009 at 3:29 pm
It’s refreshing to know that Tallon has every intention in signing Kane, Toews, Keith and Seabrook long term.
July 1, 2009 at 4:12 pm
Lou, I’m starting to like you more by the minute. My hope is for Tallon to pick up a cheap, but solid utility-type defenseman. That’s still one of our glaring needs, but I definately agree that Kopecky, Hossa, and
Bolland is a great return for Khabi and Havlat. I don’t buy into this Hossa curse bullshit either, he’s a special player and a real good acquisition and some people are acting like he’s Olli Jokinen.
Overall, today was a good day.
July 1, 2009 at 4:23 pm
AMEN.
And Aaron Johnson is not a bad utility guy and he will be cheap. I also think that we may not be done yet and Soup may be moved and maybe we sign a guy like Scuderi or go after another forward. We have some picks that we can parlay into signing an RFA if we need to.
I can’t believe we got Hossa.
Tallon said “It has been a phenomanal turnaround. We are a destination now.” Yes Mr. Tallon, you are right. You are ohh so right!
July 1, 2009 at 4:24 pm
Pahllson to CBJ at 2.65 per year
July 1, 2009 at 4:37 pm
Whew! The Antichrist that is Sami Pahlsson is gone.
July 1, 2009 at 5:00 pm
If you look at the hockeybuzz salary cap thing. Kane it making 3.3 and Toews 2.8 and Dunc 1.5
If this is right, it would take about 7 to 8MM next year to extend them next year.
It also puts us about $12.0MM under the cap for this year including bolland before we sign the rest of our guys. So we will have some money for this year and for next like Tallon said in his press conference. And that doesn’t take into consideration any trades that we make or if we buy out Sopel!!!!
We could in theory still go get one more medium priced player.
July 1, 2009 at 6:23 pm
Does this mean that if Hossa has a great year, I can start calling him Eighty-One Kenobi?
July 1, 2009 at 6:28 pm
Does this mean that if Hossa has a great year, we can start calling him Eighty-One Kenobi?
July 1, 2009 at 8:00 pm
Sorry for the double post guys, posting from my phone. Anywho, John Madden has reportedly signed on to the hawks for a one year 2.75 million deal.
I can dig it.
July 1, 2009 at 8:25 pm
We got Madden.
I think we may be done with the UFAs and now onto the RFAs.
I think Buff and Campbell may be who they try to move. And who knows with Sopel.
July 1, 2009 at 8:47 pm
SI’s columnist = Moron. B/c we signed Hossa Barker and Versteeg are gonna get offer sheets from others. Does the rocket scientist understand that then we get picks.
Bigger idiot that the columnist who’s name we don’t mention
July 1, 2009 at 9:31 pm
“Eighty-One Kenobi”
Love it, I think you should start using it now. As for potentially losing Barker and Versteeg, I’m really not too worried about it if it were to happen.
July 1, 2009 at 9:39 pm
Wow. Havlat got 6yrs and 30MM. I bet we are going to hear every Hossa contract comparison under the sun by every columnist and writer who shall remain nameless. Hossa has had multiple good years and Havlat has had one for us.
I’d like to see Steeg and Barker back but you are right it won’t be the end of the world and we will have additional picks.
July 1, 2009 at 9:53 pm
Wow is right, only 200k more for a proven 40 goal scorer who’s averaged 77 GP over the last five seasons. That’s a tasty price for just the durability alone.