Shit, he gave us so much material too.
Anyway, tonight, Kris Versteeg was the latest (and perhaps last) cap casualty from our Stanley Cup Champions. He was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs (man, they love them so overpaid wingers, don’t they?) along with Bill Sweatt (cue McClure tears) for Viktor Stalberg, Phillip Paradis, and Chris DiDomenco.
The latter two are prospects, and DIdomenico actually has some upside. Problem is, that upside is coming off snapping his femur like a twin the QMJHL, so we’ll see how he bounces back from that. Paradis is apparently not going to be much, but then the Hawks didn’t think Sweatt was going to be much either. So there.
The prize is obviously Stalberg, and the kid does have some promise. He’s a big boy, and the Hawks could use some size. He scored 9 goals in 40 games with T.O., and that’s a team that has zero creative people to get him the puck. One could conceivable see him pot 20 this year, considering.
Most of the time, the team that wins the deal is the team that got the best player. Both the major trades the Hawks have made this year, they would lose on that criterion. However, that wasn’t the point of these trades. The point was — once the Huet situation is resolved — is the Hawks will have close to $14 mildo of room. That’s with 12 players on the pro roster, as well as Beach and Dowell who could be on the big club. Skille and Bickell will probably need to be resigned, but all those hits will come in under $1 million one would have to assume.
I would guess the Hawks just add from here.