Goodbye Buff, Sopel, Eager, and Frasier - You Will Be Missed

Damn, gonna have to put the player reviews on hold until next week so that I can share my thoughts about yesterday's mega deal (and today's minor one). But hopefully I'll have the final two installations on Monday and Tuesday - thanks to all of you who've been reading em!

And so the Great Salary Cull of 2010 has begun... and with a bang.

Gone are Buff, Sopel, and Eager (as well as promising power forward Akim Aliu, drafted in the second two years ago). They take with them $6.3M in salary from last year. $3M in Buff, $2.3M in Sopel, and $1M in Eager. Gone too is Frasier, who only made $700k, but might have been due for a slight raise as a restricted free agent. Eager was definitely due for a bit of a raise, being a restricted FA. Offsetting the salary they got back, that is at least $6M in savings, maybe upward of $7M depending on what Eager is locked up for. Given what he meant to a Cup champion and how the Atlanta GM said they believe Eager can be a valuable forechecker capable playing above the fourth line, he might be making much more money next season.

Back are a late first and second round pick, giving the Hawks five choices between #24 and #60 in this weekend's draft. That's pretty big. While it won't net the Hawks an instant impact guy, it will give them five difference chances to net a prospect or two who develop into something down the road. Sharp, Bolland, Bickell, Frasier, Kopecky, and Norris Trophy Winner Duncan Keith were all picked right around that 25-60 range, so there is definitely lasting impact talent to be had. And the 6th round selection might be of some value - Johnsson, Madden, Campbell, Huet, Niemi, Hendry, Brouwer, Buff, and Burish were all available in the 6th rounds of their respective drafts.

Back also is Marty Reasoner, a veteran centerman. The guy consistently scores just over 10 goals a season with about 15 helpers, takes up 13-16 minutes of ice time, and most importantly, has regularly been at or over 52% in the face-off dot. With Bolland locked into your shut-down center role, Reasoner becomes a nice 4th line pivot who you can count on to help in defensive zone face-offs and provide always-necessary depth up the middle. I can't say I had ever heard of this guy before the deal, but from the little bit I've seen of his numbers, I think he's a perfect fit for the Hawks.

Especially because his salary cap hit is $1.15M, about a hair over the league minimum. Technically that's $500k, but if you have any NHL experience or are anything of a prospect, you're gonna make a million, minimum. And when you're a proven veteran who has a valuable skill - in Reasoner's case, the ability to play center and be strong in the face-off circle - then $1.15M is as low as the Hawks could ever have hoped to spend to have this type of player.

And they certainly needed this type of player. Sure, I would have liked to see Frasier get some more time to develop, as I think he really is taking to that 4th line centerman role. But he never has been strong on the face-offs, it's not clear he has much for upside left, and as a restricted FA who made $700k last year, he's not gonna be much cheaper than Reasoner. Throw in the pick they got for Frasier, and the Reasoner addition should not be overlooked in this deal.

The final piece coming back is 19-year old forward prospect Jeremy Morin, a natural goal-scorer who supposedly may not have the physical tools (namely speed) to produce at the NHL level. Of course, they have long said that about a lot of highly accomplished goal scorers. There is a distinct skill to having a nose for the net and this guy Morin might just have it. So maybe someday he does develop into the under-athletic headsy type who fills the back of the net. Lord knows the Hawks will have more than enough playmakers to set him up. Not that I'm counting any chickens, but this is a nice prospect to get into the system.


And my take on we gave up? Given that we knew we'd be losing a number of guys from the Cup team this off-season, I'm actually pretty pleased. First off, I'm glad to have a lot of the hit all come at once - sort of a band-aid ripping off thing. There still may be more to come, and almost certainly will be, but at least now it'll be small moves driven in part by a desire to improve the club, rather than just a straight salary dump.

Second, there was a time I would have parted with a significant prospect or two to get someone to take Buff's $3M and Sopel's $2.3M hits off our cap. To have them be the centerpieces of a deal that netted us huge and necessary salary relief, two high draft picks, a prospect, and a key (and cheap) role playing vet? Wow. But that was fair market value - Buff and Sopel played outstandingly in the playoffs.

As I said in my write-ups, Sopel evolved his game to his declining skills and made himself into a crucial 5th blueliner and top PK guy. This was especially key given the loss of Johnsson, who we had brought in to do just that. Was he overpaid? Maybe a little, but not as much as I previously thought. With just a year left on his deal, Sopel's $2.3M isn't terrible for a strong PK type who can skate 17 or so minutes and has a ton of veteran leadership and teaching to offer. The thing is that it was definitely a price the Hawks couldn't afford, at least not given Sopel's limitations.

However, it is a role the Hawks will need to fill. How they do so now becomes one of the front office's top challenges this off-season. Hendry might be counted on to improve, but at best I see him as a strong #6, using his plus skating to compliment a more lumbering stay-at-home blueliner type. But to be successful on another title run, the Hawks need a #5 who can take some decent minutes, kill penalties, and be steady while doing it.

What does that cost these days? I can't say I know. But I am sure there are a number of blueliners who can fit the bill but aren't making much. The challenge is to find them - find the journeyman vet who just needs the right situation. Or the seemingly washed up guy who is ready to bounce back. This is the stuff champions are made of - where front offices find someone on the trash heap and turn him into a key contributor. That #5 blueliner spot is the Hawks opportunity for such this off-season.

As for Buff, I have to say that without question he was the guy I most wanted to see go out of the group that also included Sharp, Bolland, and Versteeg. All made $3M or more, but only one guy disappeared for long stretches each of the past two seasons. Only one guy was single-dimensional. Only one guy was wholly reliant on the players around him to make him better.

There is absolutely no question that when motivated and when put in the right place and when not facing a game plan meant to shut him down executed by players capable of doing so, that Buff is a freakin beast. He had five game winning goals in the Hawks 16 Cup victories. Wow.

As my brother rightly pointed out - there are big guys and then there are guys like Buff... actually, his point was that there aren't guys like Buff. 220 is big in the NHL. Buff is pushing 260. With the way he can skate and the decent stick skills he has, he's on a whole nother power forward level. No matter who the Hawks try to replace him with, that guy will automatically be less of a physical presence and force.

And Buff's value as a guy who can go back and skate on the blue line in a pinch cannot be ignored either. You certainly don't want to plan on having Buff back there - he's not that great and it destroys his value as a wrecking crew in front of the net - but who wouldn't love having the security that if all goes to hell, Buff can be called on to help you win games from the blueline?

Still, we were more or less here last year, too. Buff had a brilliant series against Vancouver in 08-09 and looked like he finally got it. And then he sucked again this year. Occasional flashes were overwhelmed by long stretches of mediocrity. For a guy with his size and skill, games should not go by without him making an impact. But whole months would.

So what guarantee that Buff the Beast will be back next year? And if not, can you always count on him to turn it on in the playoffs? And how much of his success this year was because teams didn't expect it? Once Buff was established, Philly game-planned for him and made him a non-entity. Only when the Hawks threw out a completely new look did Buff finally break free. Can you count on that happening every series? What if we don't see Vancouver next year, but instead the wily Wings? Can you count on Buff being woken up by a team that won't get caught in stupid head games that awake the sleeping giant?

And let's not forget the first half of the season, when a guy named Troy Brouwer was playing the Buff role, scoring goals at regular intervals due to his strong work in front of the net. Or Sharps' 36-goal performance in 2007-2008. The common denominator to those virtuoso performances? They were all skating alongside Toews and Kane.

So is it Buff that's so good, or is it playing with two of the best young talents in the entire NHL that produces superstar performances? Are you so sure that Bickell, Ladd, or Brouwer can't join those two and score 30 next year? What about Kyle Beach, the highly-talented 1st round pick the Hawks made two seasons ago, who's chomping at the bit for an NHL spot? A power forward with a mean streak and a load of skill, Beach could be ready for big things.

Yeah, none of these guys will be as big as Buff. Maybe they won't have the same theatrics. But I have every faith that whomever is riding shotgun with Toews and Kane is going to do incredibly. And I think they'll do so all season long, rather than waiting for some opponent to light a fire under them.

Finally, I'd just much rather have Sharp, Bolland, and Versteeg than Buff. Or both Ladd and Brouwer than just Buff. Those were the trade-offs here. Buff is great, I wish he could stay. But he's the guy who will least hurt the Hawks with his departure. Sharp proved himself an outstanding second line center this season, capable of doing everything and anything in the game of hockey. Bolland emerged as one of the NHL's top shutdown centerman, ready to join Keith and Seabrook in blanking any top line. Buff wasn't in the same discussion as these guys in terms of value.

Versteeg? That's the closer call, and he still well may be on his way out the door. But either way, as rare as Buff's size is, it can be replaced by a slightly smaller but still sizable forward who's willing to get dirty. But Versteeg's playmaking? I'm telling you, that's the hardest to find and most valuable thing in hockey. Someone who can create like he can - can skate to space, can execute amazing passes, and can put beautiful shots on net for deflection and rebound chances.

On top of that, Versteeg has shown himself a defensive player. That means he can be counted on to kill penalties and skate on the checking line. And when you can put a playmaker on your checking line, lose nothing defensively but create an offensive push from that group, you become very dangerous. The Hawks have had that luxury of a scoring checking line the past two seasons and they've relied on it for a ton of their regular and post-season success.

Brouwer and Ladd? Hard to tell exactly what Ladd will make moving forward, but it's possible that his salary and what Brouwer makes will be right around Buff's $3M. So would you really rather have just Buff or both Ladd and Brouwer? These are guys who've shown they can score around 20 goals and be significant offensive threats. They've shown they can be physical, be good forecheckers, and play well defensively. They're athletic and can get up and down the ice with anyone.

Can you expect the same from some prospect? I don't think so. Look at Skille, a 1st round pick who's been given chance after chance and done nothing with them. Look at nearly every prospect the Hawks had from 1996 to Kane and Toews. Hell, look at Brouwer in his first year, when he got tons of time with Kane and Toews and couldn't do anything with it. It's foolish to think you can just replace guys like Ladd and Brouwer with ease. Sure, some turnover will be necessary, but you want to do as little as possible of proven contributors.

Where Ladd and Brouwer are now, they are valuable pieces. Assuming Ladd can be had for a reasonable amount, I'd much rather slot both of those guys into my lineup than just Buff. They're gonna make two lines better and do it on every night. They're dynamic two-way guys who will adjust to whatever line you need them on. And they're gonna fill the stat sheet up a little along the way.

So yeah, it sucks to see Buff go, he'll be missed in the playoffs. But he's in the East where he can't hurt us and we'd be much worse off today if some other name was involved in that deal instead.

The third reason I'm OK with this deal is that Eager is a luxury the Hawks can no longer afford. He was an outstanding 4th liner, easily one of the best in the NHL. On most teams he would have gotten 3rd line time, at least, and should see some real opportunities with the Thrashers (although I'm not sure they have the other players necessary for Eager to really thrive as the complimentary player he always will be).

But the Hawks were in a fortunate place with so much depth that Eager was buried on the 4th line. From there he provided impressive speed and energy, a ton of hits and a real physical presence (including as a fighter, which remains necessary in the regular season slog). And I was pumped to see him score a game-winning goal in the Finals, because I knew his goal-scoring skills were always underrated.

But the time for luxuries is gone for the Hawks. No longer can they survive with a $5M back-up goalie, as they have the past two seasons. No longer can they keep all their young studs and still add the most expensive free agent on the market, as they have the past two seasons. And unfortunately for Eager, no longer can they afford to have a guy proven to be one of the best 4th liners in the league, especially once he's got a Cup on his resume. Whether part of this trade or some other, Eager was clearly not going to be someone the Hawks could afford.

Finally, as I detailed a bit above, I dig what the Hawks got back. They couldn't add any significant salary (which would defeat the whole purpose of the deal - and NO question this was a salary dump deal first), so that limited what they could get in return. But the Hawks found all three things they could - high draft picks, a prospect, and a real cheap proven vet who fills a crucial hole.

In all, the first big blow of the off-season went about as well as I ever could have hoped. More guys will go (obviously Johnsson and Madden won't be back, and both Burish and Boynton could be in the same boat) and we may even be adding a few in their place. Either way, we'll have an incredible core to compete with anyone and I've got faith the front office and ownership will give us a real chance to defend next year.