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Blackhawks Mon Jul 01 2013
Blackhawks Wheel and Deal at 2013 Draft
After a successful parade downtown and rally in Grant Park, players on the Blackhawks began to take turns showing off Lord Stanley amongst the faithful in the Chicagoland area. Dan Carcillo took his date to a Rush Concert, parrot-headed Patrick Kane at the Jimmy Buffet concert, and the rest with upcoming dates on fishing boats and swimming pools.
While the players took in the fun, management found itself on the doorstep of the 2013 NHL Draft in New Jersey. No rest for the weary, as general manager Stan Bowman looked to secure future celebrations, while trimming salary in order to sign and resign key free agents.
The Hawks came into yesterday's draft, picking last out of 30 teams in the first round, with no second or third round selections. By the time the draft ended, the Hawks ditched over $5 million in payroll from two players and added four picks.
Up first, however, was the team's selection of West Dundee native Ryan Hartman, a right winger on the Plymouth Whalers of the OHL. Last season, Hartman scored 60 points (23 goals, 37 assists) in 56 games, which also came with 120 penalty minutes, leading the team and ranking seventh in the league.
Hartman's "spirit" on the ice has been compared to that of current Hawks' center Andrew Shaw, that meaning, he isn't afraid to mix it up. His scoring balance also should be a nice addition to the team while he gets familiar in Rockford.
"So honored to be apart [sic] of the @NHLBlackhawks organization," Hartman tweeted yesterday after donning the iconic sweater. "Couldn't be happier. I'd [sic] say the Jersey is a natural fit."
The Hawks were far from finished as reports started to surface stating Dave Bolland had been traded to his hometown of Toronto for two draft picks this year (#51 and #117), as well as a fourth-round pick in 2014. Bolland was set to make $3,375,000 next season, plus it's no secret the decline of his play, even though he did score the Cup-winning goal in Game 6 last week.
"Thank you for everything Chicago! Such amazing memories," Bolland tweeted yesterday. "I look forward to playing in front of my home fans wearing the Maple Leaf."
Right after the move, the Hawks traded Michael Frolík to the Winnipeg Jets for two picks in this year's draft, #74 and #134. Frolík was set to make $2,333,333 next season, and even though his penalty kill was spot on with the Kruger line, the money line was freed up to sign others.
As the draft continued, it was announced the Hawks signed Bryan Bickell to a 4-year, $16 million deal. The deal breaks down as such: A $1 million signing bonus, a $2 million salary next year, and then $4 million during the 2014-2015 season, with $4.5 million over the next two seasons. Bickell's success on the Toews line, paired with Patrick Kane, proved to be highly successful, hence the pay raise and security on the team which drafted him.
The Hawks' cap space now looks like this:
-League Cap: $64,300,000
-Hawks' Cap Payroll: $55,109,295
-Hawks' Cap Space Remaining: $9,545,705
The remaining cap space ranks seventeenth in the league, with the New York (Brooklyn?) Islanders leading the league with over $29 million in space. The remaining money for the Hawks more than likely will go to Marcus Kruger (restricted free agent) and Nick Leddy (restricted free agent). Not to mention, Andrew Shaw's $577,500 contract is up after next season, so securing him certainly will be an option.
The Hawks' draft continued, now with more picks than before walking through the door. One last trade concerned late and future picks, as Bowman and company sent #117 and #151 to the San Jose Sharks for #111 and a fifth-round pick next season. All of that led to the following players being added to the Stanley Cup champs.
- Round 2, Pick 51: Carl Dahlström, a defensemen from Sweden, much like Johnny Oduya and Niklas Hjalmarsson.
- Round 3, Pick 74: John Hayden, at center, who played in the U.S. National Under-18 League, and will play college hockey for Yale.
- Round 4, Pick 111: Robin Norell, (another) Defenseman from Sweden.
- Round 4, Pick 121: Tyler Motte, a centerman who will play college hockey at the University of Michigan, who had success in the U.S. National Under-18 League.
- Round 5, Pick 134: Luke Johnson, a centerman who is expected to see action in the AHL sooner than later.
- Round 6, Pick 181: Anthony Louis who can play center and right wing, and another prospect from Winfield, IL, and the USHL, and who carries with him a lot of scoring promise.
- Round 7, Pick 211: Robin Press, "Mr. Irrelevant" as he will be known, being the very last pick of the 2013 draft, played for the Sodertalje Juniors in Sweden.
It was a very busy day for the Hawks yesterday, and there's more work yet to be done, especially with free agency beginning on July 5. Will Ray Emery be dealt? What does the future hold for Viktor Stålberg? The 2013-2014 season will be here before you know it, and Stan Bowman and the rest of the organization will look to build off its fifth Stanley Cup in team history.
