Blackhawks begin restructuring - Byfuglien gone

[boris13c]

The Chicago Blackhawks (http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/clubhouse?team=chi) made a blockbuster trade with the Thrashers (http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/clubhouse?team=atl) on Wednesday, the Stanley Cup champions moving Dustin Byfuglien (http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/players/profile?playerId=3070), Ben Eager (http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/players/profile?playerId=1597), Brent Sopel (http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/players/profile?playerId=879) and a prospect to Atlanta for a first-round pick, a second-round pick, forwards Marty Reasoner (http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/players/profile?playerId=765) and Joey Crabb (http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/players/profile?playerId=3549) and prospect Jeremy Morin.

The first- and second-round picks that Chicago gets in the deal were acquired by Atlanta in the trade that sent Ilya Kovalchuk (http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/players/profile?playerId=1175) to New Jersey last February.
The prospect Atlanta is getting from Chicago is Akim Aliu.


Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman admitted that the deal was "simply a salary cap move."




http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/nhl/news/story?id=5320715


there was speculation as soon as they won the championship that they weren't going to be able to keep everyone and stay under the salary cap

I would have preferred they had optioned Huet to the minors first to clear his salary from cap consideration, THEN start making deals if needed

my guess is Huet will still be gone, one way or the other, in the most cap friendly way possible

sorry to see Byfuglien be the first top name to go, since he really stepped it up and was a beast in the playoffs

[The Infamous MK]

I knew they were gonna make some moves, but I thought they would find a way to keep 'Big Byf (Buff)'. :smh:

[boris13c]

Versteeg gone now too:


Less than a month after hoisting the Stanley Cup, Kris Versteeg is now a Maple Leaf.
Toronto acquired the solid two-way, right winger late Wednesday, on the eve of free agency, in a multi-player deal with Chicago.


The Leafs get the 24-year-old Versteeg, a key member of their championship run, along with the rights to left winger Bill Sweatt, Chicago's 38th choice in the 2007 entry draft.

Toronto give up speedy winger Viktor Stalberg, part of the Leafs' Frat Pack line, along with prospects Chis DiDomenico and Philippe Paradis.

The deal works for both teams. Toronto gets some much needed depth and offensive potential at forward while Chicago, on the heels of trading first-line winger Dustin Byfuglien and defenceman Brent Sopel to Atlanta, get further cap relief. They had just over $8 million dollars (all figures U.S.)remaining under the cap but had only 13 players under contract. Versteeg has two years remaining on his deal at $3.083 million per.


"I've been trying to warn our fans that this team we've fallen in love with isn't going to stay the same," said Chicago general manager Stan Bowman said after the deal. "No championship team does. It's kind of the nature of the world that we're in."

http://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/nhl/mapleleafs/article/830901