A New Way of Doing Business

It's a steal of a deal, depending on your perspective.

For the Chicago Blackhawks coming off a Stanley Cup championship, it has to be pleasing that not only were the team's salary cap problems essentially solved by a single deal with the Atlanta Thrashers, a first round pick was acquired in the process, plus a second rounder for good measure.

That, some would argue, is how champions remain champions. By converting veteran assets into future assets. That, and the Hawks were able to hang on to talented centre Patrick Sharp, a player many figured would have to go to make the Hawks salary cap situation work.

Then there's the Atlanta end of things. For the cost of the 24th overall pick in the draft, no better than a 50/50 shot to make the NHL eventually, at best, they acquired three meaningful pieces from the Stanley Cup champions, including the team's No. 1 right winger, Dustin Byfuglien.

Anybody who watched the Vancouver-Chicago playoff series this spring would regard Byfuglien as an impact forward, a rare combination of overwhelming size (perhaps has much as 270 pounds) and remarkable skill who was a one-man wrecking crew against Roberto Luongo and the Canucks. Plus he's just 25 years old and makes a manageable $3 million per year.

Add in Ben Eager, an enforcer and energy player who scored the winning goal in a Stanley Cup final game this year, and Brent Sopel, No. 4 on Chicago's blueline depth chart in these recent playoffs, and you have a set of enormously helpful additions to a team that desperately needs to become relevant in its market by becoming a regular playoff participant.

Given that the first and second picks given to Chicago were acquired from New Jersey in the Ilya Kovalchuk deal, that basically means that the Thrashers were able to convert their ex-captain into Byfuglien, Sopel, Eager, defenceman Johnny Oduya, young winger Niclas Bergfors and former Canadian national junior team captain Patrice Cormier.

Not bad.

So the Hawks got what they wanted, but this is also true. Playing the high wire act with the cap got them a Stanley Cup, but it also will make it much more difficult, maybe impossible, to repeat.

It's not just Byfuglien, Sopel and Eager, don't forget. During the season, the Hawks had to sacrifice 6-foot-3, 24-year-old defenceman Cam Barker to Minnesota in order to get their salary cap house in order for next season. Barker not only could have helped the Hawks in these playoffs - turns out they had enough without him - but would have been a fixture for years on the Chicago back end.

Sopel and Eager are replaceable parts, Byfuglien and Barker not so much, or at least not so easily.

In many ways, the Chicago-Atlanta swap is precisely what many in the industry have been anticipating for years, and that's the ability of one team to essentially use cap space to trade for tangible assets.

The Thrashers basically sold $4 million of cap space to Chicago for a first line winger and spare parts.

It's the business of the new NHL, still emerging five years after the lockout.

Comments

[RS]

Buff's stock is higher right now than may ever be again. Sad to see him go, but great work by Stan Bowman!

[Jeff M]

Um, Patrick Kane was the First-Team All Star RW, so it's safe to assume that "Big Buff" was not the team's first line right winger even if he played there for a bit in the playoffs. The Stanley Cup champions did not have a 34-point scorer on their top line.

[adam]

Byfuglien might be a 1st line winger in the playoffs, but he consistently fails to be an impact player during the regular season. This means the Thrash will have to make the playoffs before big Buff becomes useful.

[Carson Illidge]

An all out fleecing by the Hawks, given the circumstances. Everyone knew the Hawks' hands were tied -- yet by selling high on Buff, they were able to get rid of two cumbersome contracts, and somehow convince Atlanta to send them back two decent picks, PLUS a stud prospect in Jeremy Morin. This guy tore it up in Kitchener last season, with 83 points (and 47 goals) in 58 games -- not too shabby for a 19-year old.

With the trade of Colin Fraser today, Chicago has basically solved all their cap issues -- for now. Bury Huet in the minors, sign Ladd, Hjalmarsson, Burish and Niemi, and you've got a team very capable of repeating as champions. I think the 11th overall pick from 2008, Kyle Beach, is ready to step into Buff's shoes --
perhaps not on the first line, but here is a hulking 6'3 BC boy, who put up 52 goals in 68 games in the WHL last year, coupled with a whopping 186 penalty minutes.

This is how champions are made, indeed.

[Carson Illidge]

I should add, acquiring Reasoner was an excellent move as well. A gritty center on a very affordable contract, capable of winning big faceoffs -- ending John Madden's days in Chi-town. More financial savings for the Hawks, without losing much.

[Mike T]

actually, atlanta did not "basically [sell] $4 million of cap space to Chicago for a first line winger and spare parts."

they gave up a 1st and 2nd round pick...

[O.Boy]

Good job by Hawks. As a group playing with other talented Hawks these guys were able to add something to the team as a whole.

On their own in Atlanta, they will just fade away and really not do much to improve the Thrashers. Hawks can go out next March and pick up some toughness for playoffs if need be.

[Matt B]

What I'm still surprised about is how GMs have not had the will-power to sign more short-term contracts. I guess the player/agent have to agree to it as well, but I thought coming out of the lockout there's be much more 2 and 3 year contracts, not 10 and 12 year doozies.

[other mark]

Not sure if this comment: "Playing the high wire act with the cap got them a Stanley Cup, but it also will make it much more difficult, maybe impossible, to repeat" was meant to reflect poorly or positively on the Hawks or the league as a whole. My take would be this; the Hawks won a cup, maximizing the potential at the right time. They may not repeat next year, but will certainly contend and possible improved their chances to win again in the next 5 years. As for the league as a whole, the move demostrates in my mind a very positive development. I don't like dynasties; I prefer league parity. I think the current cap structure helps promote league parity.