thirteen years is too long for any player

by angryandy on Dec 5, 2009 3:07 PM CST

Big contracts

Chicago Black hawk fans are giddy with these new contracts. Has anyone considered that in five to ten years there will more younger faster players in the League. Duncan Keith will not be producing in the same effect when the players coming out are stronger and younger. No franchise should ever give one player all those years under contract especially in hockey. the Kane and Toews contracts make much more sense and they are much shorter. It's good to see the hawks spend the money on these players to keep them, but are any of them seriously going to be Jeremy Roenick or Bobby Hull?

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hello, welcome to 2009

I regret to inform you that you have been in a baseball-induced coma for the last five years, and while you were asleep, a little thing called the “Lockout” and the “Salary Cap” happened in th NHL. This may be a lot to take at once, so I’ll leave it at that and when you have regained the use of most of your brain cells once more, please do your reading to catch up to what you have missed.

@ChiBlackhawks

by chiblackhawks on Dec 5, 2009 3:37 PM CST reply actions

As far as baseball-induced comas go

Being an A’s fan is about 3 steps away from being terminal.

by AirTrafficAJ on Dec 5, 2009 10:07 PM CST up reply actions

Chicago Black hawk fans

Really?!?!?

The past is for cowards and fools....

by mdiddy on Dec 5, 2009 3:37 PM CST reply actions

have you ever posted anything......

that hasn’t displayed the presence of recessive genes?

"If you're scared, go buy a dog" - Stacey King

by Hack on Dec 5, 2009 4:21 PM CST reply actions

Now he's going to do laundry just to prove you wrong

Chicagoan in the Lou.

by Mike Martin on Dec 5, 2009 5:07 PM CST up reply actions 2 recs

Keith in 13 years

There is something to be said about the fact that Keith’s speed will reduce with years and especially with the amount of ice-time the guy eats up per game. However, over the past 4+ years Keith has been in the league, I have noticed a huge imporvement in maturity with his decision making which will only get better with more age and experience. I believe Keith will still be effective at 35, but because of his poise with the puck and the added decision making abilities he will gain with even more experience.

Also, as was stated in a previous post, he will probably be the last ’Hawk to wear number 2 so yea, he is at least as good as JR and as important to the franchise as the Golden Jet.

by MoeWanchuk on Dec 6, 2009 5:38 PM CST reply actions

Keith's effectiveness

You hit the nail on the head- Keith has steadily improved and his decision-making has become one of the best in the league.

While it’s hard to imagine Keith 10 years down the road in his mid-30s (same age as John Madden is now— wow), I have every reason to believe while his offensive numbers may be on the decline, he will be one of the smartest defensmen on the ice. He might be slowing down physically, but he’ll be sharper than ever before mentally and that will be a major plus in 2020.

GO BLACKHAWKS
Witness to Mark Buehrle's perfect game July 23, 2009

by chisoxfan1473 on Dec 6, 2009 7:52 PM CST up reply actions

Kieth relies on his speed yes

But he also is very strong on teh puck as well as being able to have quick reaction and good positioning. Certainly, his speed will decline as he gets older, but I think he can keep up his puck handling and positional defense, and therefore continue to be an excellent defenseman deep into his 30s.

Coleslaw, it's what's for Picnic.

by Madlarkin on Dec 7, 2009 9:28 AM CST reply actions

Defensemen often age well

Lidstrom has garnered 6 Norris trophies- the first at age 31.

Spped will decline in later years, but Dunc’s hockey IQ, already very high, will only improve.

Cap hit in later years may not look so big – cap may be $100 million by year 10, and actual salary tapers off to <$2 mil.

by cliffkoroll on Dec 8, 2009 12:37 PM CST reply actions

You hit the nail on the head...

since by the time he gets toward the end of the contract he’ll be making about 1.5 million, it won’t seem as bad even if parts of his game will have naturally diminished.

by bluekoolaide on Dec 10, 2009 10:11 AM CST up reply actions

The cap hit

Is the average salary of the deal, if I remember correctly, therefore his cap hit next year will be the same for the 12 years afterwards, if he plays that long.

wait what?

by pepe126 on Dec 10, 2009 2:01 PM CST up reply actions

I didn't realize it worked that way

But since, presumably, the salary cap will have risen quite a bit by that time, even averaging out his salary over twelve years won’t necessarily be that big of a cap hit down the line.
I cold be wrong though-economics is far from my strong point. Right now i’m giving Bowman the benefit of the doubt that he knows what he’s doing.

by bluekoolaide on Dec 10, 2009 5:12 PM CST up reply actions