This Cap hell will be more like after 2013 then 2010 for a couple reasons. they don't have to shed THAT much cap and their prospect pool is much deeper with many NHL ready options to plug holes. 2013, they moved a couple pieces in Bolland & Frolik in trade and let Stalberg & Emery leave as free agents. This year I expect 2 out of the trio of Sharp/Bickell/Versteeg to be traded and UFA's Oduya, Vermette, & Rozival to go elsewhere. The Hawks signed one of the top young scorers in the KHL as a free agent Panarin who some dub the Russian Kane. Not sure I buy that or that he can replace Sharp as a top 6 LW, but he may be an option there and should at the least provide some depth scoring as a bottom 6 guy. Mike Reilly from the Rodents is pulling a Justin Schultz and using 4 years out of high school to be a UFA and many think he will sign with the Hawks. Teravainen is ready to emerge as a player. Saad is a blossoming star (and already replaced Sharp as the top line LW when Sharp went down). Hawks have multiple forward prospects who've already gotten a taste or are knocking on the door (Nordstrom, Hartman, Danault, Ross, McNeil) and lots of dmen that are ready or close(TVR earned a spot out of camp and fought all the way back from multiple injuries to finish in the lineup for the Cup, Johns, Paliotta, & Pokka.
Move Sharp and Bickell for futures. Resign Saad & Kruger for something around 6-7 million per (depending on term...they could end up even lower if they get Saad on a 1 or 2 year bridge deal). Resign Richards for a similar 2 million (Rangers are still paying big money in a buyout and winning is addictive for guys that don't necessarily need the money). Plug Panarin and one kid forward into the lineup. Plug 2 of TVR, Johns, or Reilly into trio of Keith/Hjalmarson/Seabrook and you still have 2-3 million to plug a solid d man into the roster.
