Sportsnet 590 The Fan: Elliotte Friedman on the Jeff Marek Show on what are the next steps for the Chicago Blackhawks after they’ve lost Taylor Hall for the season. Will they want to take on some bad contracts if they get a sweetener added to the deal?
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Marek: “Can the Chicago Blackhawks now play Kingmaker? We talked about negotiating from a position of strength and Kent Hughes picking up first round draft picks, etc. You know, you’re the Chicago Blackhawks now and you’ve met this news about Taylor Hall.
What now if you’re Chicago? Are you all of a sudden open for business? We’ll take your bad deals, we’ll also take your prospects and your pics.
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Friedman: “You know, I actually had reached out to them night about Hall. There were some rumors going around like this was gonna happen. I’m, I’m sorry to see it. Like, I know, I know, he was excited to play with (Connor) Bedard this year and that was kind of the goal. So you know, I’m just, unfortunately for Hall that this has happened to him.
You know, the one thing about the Blackhawks is they were very public about the fact that last year that they weren’t just going to be taking bad contracts anymore unless it was really made worthwhile to them. That they kind of, like Arizona stopped doing it. They said, okay, we want to continue we want to try to win some games and so we’re gonna, we’re gonna go that way.
Chicago. I mean obviously, their position is different. They’re just at the bottom and that they’re trying to start to crawl their way out of it a little bit. But I think, they had also said no, a message that they were like, no, we’re not, we’re not going to be a dumping ground anymore.
Now, that doesn’t mean you don’t take a look at whatever opportunities are, are there for you. But I’m just wondering if they’re gonna take like a facilitator that make a deal where it’s really not that painful for them.
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Yeah, but I’m not so sure they’re going to want to take the bad, the big time contracts. So I think it just depends on what you’re asking. Like, if to get a deal done, yes. To take a contract they really don’t like, I’m not so sure they’re thrilled about that idea.