Next Year's Breakout Goalies

[VincentVega]

Ortio has the opportunity. Ramo is not likely re-signing and Hiller has been very inconsistent the last few seasons. Right now, it looks like Ortio will get the back-up job to start next season.

[ericdaoust]

Beyond the names being mentioned here, keep an eye on depth charts this summer. Opportunity > talent in so many cases. A talented prospect might have a 20% chance of stealing a starting gig if he begins the year in the backup role but those odds are just about zero if he's #4 on the depth chart.

[Moses]

I think Chicago moves a goalie in the off-season, and more than likely it's Raanta. Hard to say on his starting ability just yet.

I think that the Hawks are going to be forced to move Crawford. Their cap is a mess if they keep the players they have. They Have 7 forwards, 4 D and 2 goalies signed and only have $5.5M cap space left. Everybody knows that something has to give. Freeing up $6M is a huge first step to be able to afford an NHL forward group.

I expect that RAANTA and DARLING will be the Chicago tandem next year. They have both proved that they are capable in the Hawks net and they are both under contract for a combined total of $1.375M

http://stats.nhlnumbers.com/teams/CHI?year=2016

[Axeman33]

I think that the Hawks are going to be forced to move Crawford. Their cap is a mess if they keep the players they have. They Have 7 forwards, 4 D and 2 goalies signed and only have $5.5M cap space left. Everybody knows that something has to give. Freeing up $6M is a huge first step to be able to afford an NHL forward group.

I expect that RAANTA and DARLING will be the Chicago tandem next year. They have both proved that they are capable in the Hawks net and they are both under contract for a combined total of $1.375M

http://stats.nhlnumbers.com/teams/CHI?year=2016

You could very well be right. If Crawford keeps playing the way he is right now, I have a hard time seeing Chicago let him go though.

Time will tell.

[pmorrow]

I think that the Hawks are going to be forced to move Crawford. Their cap is a mess if they keep the players they have. They Have 7 forwards, 4 D and 2 goalies signed and only have $5.5M cap space left. Everybody knows that something has to give. Freeing up $6M is a huge first step to be able to afford an NHL forward group.

I expect that RAANTA and DARLING will be the Chicago tandem next year. They have both proved that they are capable in the Hawks net and they are both under contract for a combined total of $1.375M

http://stats.nhlnumbers.com/teams/CHI?year=2016

I think the Hawks are more likely to move Sharp before they move Crawford. I think they could get by with Darling-Raanta, but I'm not sure if that's a risk the management want to take. Who knows though, the management thinks very highly of Darling.

[jmouland]

I am watching Enroth and Neuvirth. They've both put in considerable time already and are quality puck stoppers with the right team. I think teams with questions between the pipes would be more likely to hand the reigns to one of these guys with some experience rather than a rookie. Rookies are more fun to speculate on though

[Hoopo]

Lehner will get a chance but everyone knows about him by now

They know about him, but in my experience people are really down on his potential right now. He's still suffering from concussion symptoms and cant ride the stationary bike yet, and he's coming off 2 mediocre seasons. I've even seen some speculate that he is going to be the one that becomes expendable for the Sens depending on how negotiations go with Hammond and the O'Connor situation.

Personally I think he's gong ot be fine and he's not a bad guy to buy low on if you can. But I wouldn't expect him to take the reins next year if Anderson is still around.

[Shake]

I know we're getting off-topic here a bit but I wanted to chime in here. The Hawks won't move Crawford to clear cap space. Goalie is the #1 most important position and Crawford is a good one. They will move Sharp / Bickell to clear cap space.

I think that the Hawks are going to be forced to move Crawford. Their cap is a mess if they keep the players they have. They Have 7 forwards, 4 D and 2 goalies signed and only have $5.5M cap space left. Everybody knows that something has to give. Freeing up $6M is a huge first step to be able to afford an NHL forward group.

I expect that RAANTA and DARLING will be the Chicago tandem next year. They have both proved that they are capable in the Hawks net and they are both under contract for a combined total of $1.375M

http://stats.nhlnumbers.com/teams/CHI?year=2016

[forsbergfan]

I know we're getting off-topic here a bit but I wanted to chime in here. The Hawks won't move Crawford to clear cap space. Goalie is the #1 most important position and Crawford is a good one. They will move Sharp / Bickell to clear cap space.

agreed. and i think seabrook goes too. maybe saad as well. i think next year is gonna be a first round exit for the hawks, and then the following year they'll come roaring back again, just like the first time they won the cup and had major cap problems. but that's what stan bowman is the best gm of the salary cap era.

[Daydream Nation]

agreed. and i think seabrook goes too. maybe saad as well. i think next year is gonna be a first round exit for the hawks, and then the following year they'll come roaring back again, just like the first time they won the cup and had major cap problems. but that's what stan bowman is the best gm of the salary cap era.

Seabrook is going nowhere. That's crazy talk. The only way Saad goes is if someone offers him 7 mil per year.

[Daydream Nation]

I posted this recently for those of you wondering how the Hawks will get under the cap:

Toews (10.5), Saad (4.5), Panarin (1)
TT (1), Kane (10.5), Hossa (5.3)
Shaw (2), Bickell (4), Hartman (.9)
Kruger (2), Desjardins (0.8), Nordstrom (.7)

Keith (5.5), Seabrook (5.8)
Hammer (4.1), TVR (.9)
Johns (.9), Rundblad/Pokka/cheap vet (.9)

Crawford (6)
Darling (.6)

With a trade of Sharp and Versteeg (2.2 cap hit) they get to a shade under 69 M and that's with keeping Bickell.

[Rylant]

I posted this recently for those of you wondering how the Hawks will get under the cap:

Toews (10.5), Saad (4.5), Panarin (1)
TT (1), Kane (10.5), Hossa (5.3)
Shaw (2), Bickell (4), Hartman (.9)
Kruger (2), Desjardins (0.8), Nordstrom (.7)

Keith (5.5), Seabrook (5.8)
Hammer (4.1), TVR (.9)
Johns (.9), Rundblad/Pokka/cheap vet (.9)

Crawford (6)
Darling (.6)

With a trade of Sharp and Versteeg (2.2 cap hit) they get to a shade under 69 M and that's with keeping Bickell.

It is a good plan. You use a plan similar to the one that I use in my keeper salary cap league! Pay a lot of guys a LOT of money, and then fill the rest of the roster with the cheapest guys you can find lol.

The potential problem with it is, with the increasingly smaller Canadian dollar, we aren't sure exactly where the cap will be next year. If you run close to the cap, you can get problems if you start to accumulate injuries. The player that you might need to call up from the minors now counts against the cap while the injured player heals. I think you are allowed to exceed the cap if somebody is on the IR, but once he is healed, you potentially have to send somebody back to the minors; hopefully he doesn't have to clear waivers.

As well, you are counting on a lot of guys who make the league minimum to play a full season. Hartman has played 5 NHL games so far, Panarim has played 0, Nordstrom played 38 games last year, TVR has 18 career NHL games, Johns has played 0 and Rundblad played 49 games last year. In order for this plan to succeed, each of these players has to play a full season, or at least close to a full season. I can see a few of them stepping up and making a big mark, but I am not sure all of them will next year.

Rylant

[Daydream Nation]

Rylant- The Hawks are definitely taking a step back next year due to Kane and Toews's contract. Depending on what the cap is, it could get pretty ugly but the Hawks didn't have many options. Maybe if they had waited a little longer and had an idea that cap wouldn't be as high as originally anticipated they could have signed 19/88 for a little less but that would have been risky as well. They are definitely going to have a stars and scrubs model which could work if guys like TT, Panarin, Hartmen, Johns, and/or Pokka grow up in a hurry. Personally, I think the Hawks will have to work to make the playoffs next year and are a major injury or two away from missing the playoffs.

Still hoping the cap is 71-72 M which would make a big difference.

[2014olympicgold]

If there’s goalie injuries then that’s where back-ups get a chance. Before this season no one knew how good Talbot was until the long injury. But it’s so hard to tell right now what’s going to happen with EVERY NHL goalie. Kind of a tough question to ask, so my guesses are:
Pickard in Colorado
Any goalie in Edmonton
Markstrom if he is out of Vancouver. He’s the next Dubnyk candidate. It’s pretty nuts how much his situation is like Dubnyk’s.
Schneider if they get some offense. But this will be a goalie that goes from tier 1 in talent (tier 2 in results) to elite if NJD win some games.
Vaselevsky if Bishop is hurt (but I don’t think he’s consistent enough yet. He’s a very good backup)
Tokarski (price goes down for 1+month)
Smith

[TheBadger]

My gut tells me Connor Hellebuyck will be commandeering the crease in Winnepeg next seasos... Somethin fierce