NHL Chicago Blackhawks

Chicago Blackhawks Have a Serious Salary Cap Problem

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By @ChanceyPaul

Stan Bowman

Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports

To be sure, it’s already been mentioned numerous times in the media and on this very website. But the Chicago Blackhawks have a difficult decision to make when it comes to their salary cap hit. The Hawks are currently $2 million over the salary cap and have a loaded lineup filled with stars. The common agreement is that the Blackhawks need to deal a few players to get back under the line. The problem is finding who is going to go.

Right now the consensus seems to be that either Nick Leddy or Johnny Oduya (or both) will have to go. Both are in the final year of their contracts, carry a $2.2 million and $2.7 million cap hit, respectively, and cutting ties with them would make sense. Also thrown into the mix are veterans Michal Rozsival, Kris Versteeg and even Patrick Sharp (an idea, which for the purposes of getting this out of the way right now is quite frankly laughable, short-sighted and bone-headed). They would be replaced by prospects such as Klas Dahlbek, Adam Clendening or Stephen Johns.

As of right now, general manager Stan Bowman has not said anything about who they are planning to deal. Multiple reports have put the Blackhawks as being patient about the salary cap, a strategy that is much smarter and more sound than what they did in 2010 and 2013 after their respective Stanley Cup wins. It should be noted that Bowman was hired because of his ability to get the Hawks under the salary cap while keeping important pieces.

To be clear, I would prefer a player like Versteeg be dealt. The Versteeg experiment failed miserably going down the stretch, as the winger saw reduced ice time and drew heat from fans. Rozsival adds a veteran presence, and Leddy has speed. Oduya was hampered by a broken foot. As you can see, there are no easy answers in this conundrum.

For now, fans and media will have to speculate what Bowman and his team are planning. Bowman is likely to trade a Leddy, Oduya, Rozsival, etc., for prospects and then bring up prospects to fill the gaps. Given the depth of the team, the salary cap hit might not be too bad, but Bowman will have to be smart about it.

Paul Chancey is a Chicago Blackhawks writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ChanceyPaul and add him to your network at Google+.

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