Steve-O: The only reason I ask the question is because it keeps being mentioned that we should follow the Chicago, Pittsburgh model of rebuilding.And both those teams had top players still on ELC’s (Malkin, Kane, Toews etc). Once players started to get paid, the supporting cast gets weaker. Which makes it difficult to win the cup.Hall is going to get paid in 2 years (next year being the last of his ELC). I figure he’s going to get Doughty money. The way that Eberle has been playing, he’ll get paid as well. I figure Hemsky money (4ish per with maybe a couple UFA years in there). Paajarvi won’t get paid money like that, but wouldn’t be surprised to see him get Cogliano money (2mil per I think).So right there you have 13/14 mil on 3 players. Plus defense and goaltending need to be upgraded.Then in a year, you have the Nuge getting paid.At some point, they are going to need to go for it, and it might make sense to do it when the stars on the team are not pulling in big bucks yet so you can fill out the roster with better talent.At least that was what I was thinking. Not saying we go for it next year, but if we don’t it’ll be harder and harder to keep the team together.If any of that makes sense.

yeah i understood what you were saying and my point was that you dont manage or plan things in that way. the most you can do as a manager is get a good read on your group and patch holes conservatively as you allow for things to become cohesive. summers seem to be where teams tinker the most and not pay too much for it -unless they are overpaid ufa’s. this is because players have summer and camp and pre season to get used to the new digs. during the year i wouldnt think a team would gel fast enough to do more than 4 moves over the season. so if you have more than 4 weak spots…. you will be in for a good draft pick.

lets take this year for example. if hemsky and whitney come back strong for the second half i believe we are a playoff team. frankly without them we have the pieces to do it. i dont think any skater EXCEPT for rnh and smyth are even performing up to the standards we expect of them points wise. and we are 2 games above 500 beating quality teams.

chicago made some noise in the playoffs their first year back in the picture, then went and fixed holes in the off seasn and make aquisitions at the next deadline. thats how you do it. you are proven to be close, you have studied the animal, and you fill in the needs/lack00ings.

tambi might take 20 years to read his team. but thanfully there are no less than 4 guys who analyze this roster and give input into player movement.

However, that brings me to another point. Earlier this year, Mayor Mandel complained that there was too much road construction going on in this city lately and had mentioned putting a stop to it for a while (and really, you can’t seem to drive 10 blocks here without running into road construction). This kind of comes at a “convenient” time…. “we need to stop with the road construction.. but we have this infrastructure money.. might as well use it”. Maybe a little planned, perhaps. At any rate, I’ll be happy to see a new arena here and I’ll be happy to see less road construction for a year-ish… so I’ll turn a blind eye.

And then reading this makes me wonder a whole lot.

I better not see my property tax go up…

And both those teams had top players still on ELC’s (Malkin, Kane, Toews etc). Once players started to get paid, the supporting cast gets weaker. Which makes it difficult to win the cup.

Hall is going to get paid in 2 years (next year being the last of his ELC). I figure he’s going to get Doughty money. The way that Eberle has been playing, he’ll get paid as well. I figure Hemsky money (4ish per with maybe a couple UFA years in there). Paajarvi won’t get paid money like that, but wouldn’t be surprised to see him get Cogliano money (2mil per I think).

So right there you have 13/14 mil on 3 players. Plus defense and goaltending need to be upgraded.

Then in a year, you have the Nuge getting paid.

At some point, they are going to need to go for it, and it might make sense to do it when the stars on the team are not pulling in big bucks yet so you can fill out the roster with better talent.

At least that was what I was thinking. Not saying we go for it next year, but if we don’t it’ll be harder and harder to keep the team together.

If any of that makes sense.