Truth & Rumors > NHL

'Hawks must decide on Havlat, Khabibulin

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What happens in Montreal in the next couple of days could go a long way toward determining how the Blackhawks' roster will look for the 2009-10 season and beyond. General manager Dale Tallon and his staff are balancing preparing for the NHL entry draft, which begins Friday night, and determining the fate of several key free agents. Tallon said Tuesday prior to leaving for Montreal that he would meet with Allan Walsh, the agent for winger Martin Havlat, and Jay Grossman, goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin's agent, in the days leading up to the draft. Tallon would likely prefer to sign Havlat to a one-year deal so he has money to spend when Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith will all be eligible for new contracts after next season. The Khabibulin situation is a bit different and his return is less likely than Havlat's. The veteran goalie made $6.75 million last season and the Hawks already have Cristobal Huet signed for three more seasons.

Chicago Tribune

Nikolai Khabibulin, Getty Images Nikolai Khabibulin, Getty Images
June 25, 2009  07:59 AM ET

Ink Kane and Keith to long term deals, they are worth the price. Look at what the Pens did.

Sign Havlat to a one year deal, The wall is getting pretty pricey.

June 25, 2009  08:37 AM ET

They are going to need to sign Seabrook as well. We have Huet and I think he will be solid in net. Toews is a FA after next year too so the beloved Hawk have some work to do to keep the core of this team together for another run at Lord Stanley.

June 25, 2009  08:49 AM ET

Hes dreaming if he thinks Havlat will sign for one year at this point in his career.

June 25, 2009  09:07 AM ET

They are both gone. With the cap going down next year and so many RFA needing to be re-signed in the next couple of seasons Havlat and Khabibulin salarys won't fit in under the cap.

June 25, 2009  09:34 AM ET

It sounds like Vancouver is trying to corner the market on soft forwards, what with trying to keep the Sedins and sign Gaborik, so why not expect them to go after Havlat too?

Khabibulin has to go, unfortunately, unless they can work some fluke trade for Huet in the next 24 hours or so. He'll land on his feet in Edmonton or some place like for about $5 mill per, I would think, just based on his age.

June 25, 2009  09:44 AM ET

Wow, the Hawks have to deal with Kane, Toews and Keith after next season? This could be big problems for the Hawks earlier than we thought, especially after the contracts they gave to Huet and Campbell.

June 25, 2009  09:54 AM ET
QUOTE(#6):

Wow, the Hawks have to deal with Kane, Toews and Keith after next season? This could be big problems for the Hawks earlier than we thought, especially after the contracts they gave to Huet and Campbell.

.....and soon comes the sales pitch to Kane, Toews and Keith, "we're building a winner here", "would you like to stay for less money then you'd get on the open market"?

Tallon better start practicing his Ken Holland pitch now!

June 25, 2009  10:39 AM ET

ahh, they'll just sign Toews and Kane to 15yr contracts at $6 per or so, and not have to worry about it again. Keith will fall in place accordingly, or simply walk.

Campbell IS the problem there. He is awul defensively, and didn't put up the points to make up for it this past season. You gotta think he'll have a bounce back season next year, but that is the albatross contract that they have stuck themselves with. Lord knows how they'll relieve themselves of that thing before he retires

June 25, 2009  10:51 AM ET
QUOTE(#8):

ahh, they'll just sign Toews and Kane to 15yr contracts at $6 per or so, and not have to worry about it again. Keith will fall in place accordingly, or simply walk.Campbell IS the problem there. He is awul defensively, and didn't put up the points to make up for it this past season. You gotta think he'll have a bounce back season next year, but that is the albatross contract that they have stuck themselves with. Lord knows how they'll relieve themselves of that thing before he retires

Campbell was there 6th d-man for most of the year, until the playoffs where he played better and got bumped up to #4. But I don't think anyone will take Campbell's contract off them, unless a team like the Leafs take him if they add a draft pick.

June 25, 2009  10:52 AM ET
QUOTE(#7):

.....and soon comes the sales pitch to Kane, Toews and Keith, "we're building a winner here", "would you like to stay for less money then you'd get on the open market"?Tallon better start practicing his Ken Holland pitch now!

They can't even leave for another 4-6 years, they are RFA.

June 25, 2009  10:56 AM ET

It shouldn't be that bad to resign Toews and Kane because it is only there 2nd contract and they are RFA. They just have to sign them before July 1st of next year because if they don't, then a rival like Detroit could offer them a 10 year $9 million contract to Toews and then no way the Hawks let him go to Detroit, so they have to match it and the Hawks get into cap trouble, then they can do that for Kane too, and the Hawks have no cap space for a long time.

June 25, 2009  10:56 AM ET
QUOTE(#9):

Campbell was there 6th d-man for most of the year, until the playoffs where he played better and got bumped up to #4. But I don't think anyone will take Campbell's contract off them, unless a team like the Leafs take him if they add a draft pick.

Is that right? How can you be paying a 6th d-man $7 mil a year? With the turnovers the d-men made against the Wings, none of them earned their money.

June 25, 2009  10:57 AM ET
QUOTE(#1):

Ink Kane and Keith to long term deals, they are worth the price. Look at what the Pens did.Sign Havlat to a one year deal, The wall is getting pretty pricey.

He wont take a one year deal, he will get offered a 2-3 year deal from someone.

June 25, 2009  11:23 AM ET
QUOTE(#5):

Khabibulin has to go, unfortunately, unless they can work some fluke trade for Huet in the next 24 hours or so. He'll land on his feet in Edmonton or some place like for about $5 mill per, I would think, just based on his age.

Woo hoo!!

I'll take him.

June 25, 2009  11:35 AM ET

Kane, Toews, and Keith own that town. It is the best hockey atmosphere I have ever seen (American that is). Chicago is a great town, and now that the Hawks owner died they can be a part of the community again. They're doing it right, building through the draft adding some nice free agents here and there.

As for their own FAs, need to let them go. Hawks won't miss them too much with all that young depth, not to mention Huet in goal. They also have a good young tender waiting his turn, and that time is probably now.

June 25, 2009  12:44 PM ET
QUOTE(#9):

Campbell was there 6th d-man for most of the year, until the playoffs where he played better and got bumped up to #4. But I don't think anyone will take Campbell's contract off them, unless a team like the Leafs take him if they add a draft pick.

Wrong. Campbell was consistently in the second D group, after Keith and Seabrook, all season long.

Doesn't mean I like his contract, mind you. He was poor defensively, doesn't seem to like contact much and much worse on offense than expected. And that turnover at the blue line in OT against the Red Wings....well, that was just stinkin' brutal.

June 25, 2009  12:45 PM ET
QUOTE(#13):

He wont take a one year deal, he will get offered a 2-3 year deal from someone.

I guess someone will over pay for the guy, he's not an elite talent.

June 25, 2009  12:47 PM ET
QUOTE(#15):

Kane, Toews, and Keith own that town. It is the best hockey atmosphere I have ever seen (American that is). Chicago is a great town, and now that the Hawks owner died they can be a part of the community again. They're doing it right, building through the draft adding some nice free agents here and there.As for their own FAs, need to let them go. Hawks won't miss them too much with all that young depth, not to mention Huet in goal. They also have a good young tender waiting his turn, and that time is probably now.

The 'Hawks definitely have to take care of their young core first and foremost. Sucks to see Havlat go, but they can't afford to pay him $6M/year for 3 years again and then watch him sit out 2 of those years with injuries. And you're right about the G: The 'Hawks have two young ones in Crawford and Niemi they need to get in the big leagues.

Definitely true about the revival of hockey in Chicago. Great to see it back after a long hibernation.

June 25, 2009  12:49 PM ET

Oh, and don't forget Seabrook, Versteeg, Bolland, Brouwer, Ladd, and Sharp (the old man of the group at 27).

 
June 25, 2009  01:33 PM ET
QUOTE(#19):

Oh, and don't forget Seabrook, Versteeg, Bolland, Brouwer, Ladd, and Sharp (the old man of the group at 27).

They are looking good for the very near future.

This playoff run was good for them.

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