1:00 Hour 3 on what just might be a hallucination of a day
1:02 Dreger and McKenzie reporting that it’s a long-term deal, and the cap hit will be just over 5 million. Deal could be as long as 12 years.
1:03 The 5 million hit is almost certainly a steal, but if it’s 12 years? I mean, 12? I’ll be dead before he’s a free agent.
1:05 Matt Walker has just signed a four-year deal in Tampa. How many brain bubbles can I have in a 10-minute span?
1:07 I’m literally at a loss for words now. It’s all so scrambled. Hossa at a tick over just 5 million is a fine number, and if I was willing to go that high for Havlat, you’d have to be for Hossa who’s simply a better player. But 12 years? Unless it’s totally front-loaded? We’ll need details. I think people also need to widen the focus past Hossa’s playoff performance last season. As I’ve said, the year before he was a mastadon (yeah, i did), and had two years in Ottawa where he was a point-per-game in the playoffs. Maybe this deal signals the end of Patrick Kane here, though I don’t know that it does. If Buff can be jettisoned, possibly Sharp might have to go to (McClure just had a stroke) the core can be kept.
1:14 I’m trying to find ways to justify 12 years, and it’s hard. The only thing I can cling to is that there’ll be a new CBA in a couple years time, and maybe that changes things.
1:16 Also, if Hossa comes in at a 5.2 hit, then Kane and Toews don’t. Toews will look like a Richards deal, which I believe is around 5, and Kane probably just around there, which would only bump up your cap numbers by a few million. So many questions…
1:19 Dreger reports that the first 7 years of the deal are worth 53 million, meaning the last 5 are worth 1.8. Can someone explain how a buyout might work after the seventh year, if the system is still the same?
1:21 Brought up in the comments, and we have to focus on it. Hossa’s not going to play until he’s 42. If he retires after the big money is spent, and this looks like a seven year, 35 million dollar deal (cap wise) what would you think?
1:24 TSN reporting the Hawks have also signed Tomas Kopecky and his broken face, which means Pahlse is headed for the exit door.
1:31 TSN reporting that Kopecky arrives at 1.2 per, which is probably cheaper than Pahlse would have come, and Kopecky is a few years younger. Don’t have a problem with this one.
1:33 Kopecky isn’t as good in the circle as Sammi, and would never have been asked to do the defensive assignments with Datsyuk and Zetterberg. Does this mean Bolland assumes that role? Toews too? Interesting stuff.
1:38 Dreger now saying that it’s 59.3 million over the first 8, leaving the last four at less than a million per. Same difference.
1:40 McGuire’s doing that standing-too-close-to-the-host-thing again. Do you think TSN anchors have a bonus in their contracts about doing stand-ups with Pierre? I would certainly negotiate one.
1:44 Something else to consider, this gives the Hawks two more Olympians, as Hossa and Kopecky will be on the slovakian squad. Makes me urpy, ask the 2005-06 Senators how having a ton of Olympians works out.
1:49 Pagnotta says a Huet deal is imminent, which might free up more money. Khabby can’t be getting anything more than two years, and we better fucking pray that Niemi or Crawford prove they can handle 30 starts
1:53 Knuble to Washington for 2.8 and Brashear to the Rangers. That’ll be an interesting dressing-room entrance.
1:57 With Walker gone, the Hawks have a third-pairing to address. (I don’t want to work! I just want to bang the Beauchemin drum all day!!!!)