Who Will The Chicago Blackhawks Use Their Two Buyouts On?

The talk of the NHL in the coming weeks is going to relate to the potential buyouts that each team will now possess as a result of the new collective bargaining agreement. Teams will be able to use two buyouts by the end of the summer of 2014 that will not count against their salary cap.

Luckily, the Chicago Blackhawks are not in a position where they would absolutely need to use these two buyouts immediately. We recently took a look at who the Blackhawks could use a potential amnesty on, but the fact that the Hawks now have the ability to buy out two players adds some intrigue to the situation.

There’s no indication that the Hawks plan to or even will use both before the final deadline, let alone before this season. But that won’t stop the rampant speculation that is sure to come as a result.

With two available, one guy that I could almost certainly see the Blackhawks moving in the direction of a buyout with is Steve Montador. He’s signed for three more years, wasn’t terribly consistent, with his performance or his health last season, and is an overpaid player on a crowded blue line. It’s almost a no brainer that he would go.

Two other members of the blue line will also find themselves in the conversation: Niklas Hjalmarsson and Johnny Oduya. I do think that there is still value in Hjalmarsson, as his contract isn’t completely terrible and he’s still very young. But fresh off of that questionable three year deal, Oduya could very well be a candidate.

Looking up top, there’s Marian Hossa and Michael Frolik. Hossa’s contract goes for nine more seasons. He’s going to see his name thrown in there as a potential buyout candidate. But if he continues to perform in the way that he did last year, I see no reason why the Hawks would look to move him off of their roster. He’s still a star.

Frolik has two years left on his deal, including this year. He hasn’t performed well, particularly on offense. However, he still has great upside if he can get that aspect of his game on track. At his age, teams are going to be willing to take a chance on him. The Hawks could move him if they wanted to. The buyout won’t be necessary in the way that it might with the likes of Montador or Oduya.

One player that hasn’t had his name out there too much his Rostislav Olesz, the forward that the Hawks received in exchange for Brian Campbell. He spent most of last year in the minors and it’s unlikely he’ll be making an impact with the big club anytime soon. With a cap hit over $3 million for two more seasons, he could definitely be on his way out the door as well.

It’s certainly going to be a fun situation to watch with the Hawks. If there was a certainty regarding these buyouts, it’s likely Steve Montador, given the crowded blue line and his recent health issues. But will the Hawks look to use both of them? We’ll have to wait and see.