Deal averages $3.75M a season which sounds great for a number one goalie, but with Khabibulin turning 37 during the first year of this contract and probably good for no more than 50 games tops, the Oilers better have a solid plan to back of Khabibulin or Oil fans will be hating that deal quickly enough.

Rumors abound today that the Hawks and Oilers were in trade negotiations for Cristobal Huet.  The Blackhawks would have much rather traded Huet and signed the more popular Khabibulin, but obviously those talks broke down and Edmonton went with Khabibulin.

You're left to wonder whether or not the Hawks were the indirect losers in the proposed trade involving Ottawa, Edmonton and Dany Heatley.  The trade; Andrew Cogliano, Dustin Penner and defenseman Ladislav Smid to Ottawa for Heatley, is in limbo due to Heatley being undecided on waiving his no trade clause to go to Edmonton.  The trade has been on the table for less than 24 hours but considering the timing (12 hours before UFA period begins) and Heatley's demand to be dealt, he's screwing with a lot of different teams, not just Ottawa and Edmonton, right now.  It seems Heatley is biding time perhaps hoping another, more desirable, organization steps up with a better offer to Ottawa.  At this time the Oilers probably weren't willing to part with any more assets while waiting to hear back from Ottawa and Heatley.

Dale Tallon will speak to the media at 4pm press conference. 

ChrisBlock@TheThirdManIn.com
Twitter.com/ChrisBlock

TSN is reporting the Blackhawks are in hot for Marian Hossa.  I don’t see Hossa gambling on another one-year so this would have to be the first of many moves should the Hawks pull it off which would be a heck of a coup for Tallon getting the top free agents back-to-back summers.  Still, this is hard to believe because there’d have to be enough money left over to retain Khabibulin (which would be a mistake) and that means not taking any rich contracts in return on a potential Huet deal.

Also, if Josh Mora’s blog post from yesterday is accurate (he’s heard of Versteeg and his agent wanting Patrick Sharp-like money this summer ($3.9M) and that’s a sign of insanity) Versteeg’s played his last game as a Hawk.  Which is fine with me.

UFA signings through the first hour.

- Mattias Ohlund going to Tampa Bay.  7 years. $24.5M ($3.5 per cap hit)

- Radek Dvorak re-signs with Florida.  2 years. $1.7M per

- Vancouver will be active today.  Marian Gaborik is heavily rumored to be heading there.  Which has been rumored since the before the ’08-09 season even began.  The Sedins each re-upped for five years and $30.5M a piece.  That’s a 6.1 million cap hit for both.  If they sign Gaborik and get the Luongo deal done at some point before the season starts, that’s about all they can do.

Things happening late last night you may have missed:

- Jay Bouwmeester agrees to 5 years in Calgary to be with his girlfriend.  Take it from me, if he takes all five of those years to propose he'll really be unrestricted at the end of that deal.  $6.68 annual cap hit for a total of $33.4M.

- Rob Blake back in San Jose for another try.  1 year, $3.5M – TSN reports

- Bill Guerin – 1yr $2M with Pittsburgh

- Jere Lehtinen – 1yr $1.5M re-signing with Dallas

-- Alexei Kovalev has re-signed with Montreal for two years.  Awaiting the money.  2-years, $4.4M a season according to the National Post.  Kovalev's agent insists the deal isn't done yet (12:20pm)

- Jacques Martin will need a better plan than playing Scott Gomez and Alexei Kovalev together.  That’ll work as well as Jagr-Gomez.

Today's a day I for sure wish the new site was ready by but this thing is completely out of my hands at this point.  Should be within a couple of weeks which is probably better timing to work out the kinks.

- Brian Burke shook up the world in hour two luring Colton Orr away from the Rangers.   Four years, a total of $4 million.  Orr's the rugged winger who knocked Niklas Hjalmarsson out opening night at MSG in October, which ultimately led to Hjalmarsson losing his spot in Chicago until being recalled after the Wisniewski-Pahlsson trade.  By the way, Petri Kontiola is without a contract in Anaheim today.  Second year in a row now Toronto signs a no-talent Ranger (Ryan Hollweg) for too much money.

- Florida Panthers at least do one thing right today.  They re-sign RFA David Booth to a six year $25.5M deal.  That's a cap hit of $4.25M which is just about right for him in that market.  All Booth does is shoot and score goals.  He's capable of little else but they need him.

- Darren Dreger of TSN is now saying (12:55pm) that Hossa to Chicago is a done deal.

BLACKHAWKS SIGN MARIAN HOSSA - 12 YEARS - $62 MILLION - TSN reporting (1:00pm)

- Hawks lose (though I'm sure many wouldn't call it that) Matt Walker to Tampa Bay.  You can always count on the Lightning to overpay for bad defense.  Walker signs for 4 YEARS - $1.7M per year [6.8 total]

- Ty Conklin leaves Red Wings for St. Louis - 2yrs - $1.3M per [2.6 total]

- Craig Anderson goes from FLA to Colorado - 2yrs - $1.8M per [3.6 total]  Anderson lost his shot at the Team USA roster by skipping the World Championships not wanting to risk injury and lose out on a big UFA deal.  I'm not sure you can characterize 1.8 million as a disappointment (Peter Budaj is still with the Avs) but I'm sure he was hoping for more.

- TOMAS KOPECKY is also leaving Detroit for Chicago - 2yrs - $1.2M per [2.4 total] to center the Hawks third line presumably.

TSN Free Agency Tracker

I’m missing my dad’s heart procedure for day one of the 2009 free agency period so we’d better get something good out of this day or I’m gonna feel sympathy.  As it is now I’m either officially securing my place in hell or assuring I’m stricken with a similar ailment in the very near future.  Perhaps all those recent blackouts are something I should advise a physician of.

A part of me selfishly thinks the best thing that could come out of this day would some Western Conference team throwing a bunch of dough at Martin Havlat so I can laugh at dopey Blackhawks fans for the next decade while they boo Havlat and cry “but he tweeted me that he wasn’t selling his place in Chicago and there was nowhere else he wanted to be but a Blackhawk.”  Losers.

How come it is every time that new Touch of Gray ‘Just For Men’ “Best of Both” hair coloring commercial comes on I think of John McDonough?  The “my hair says experience…. But my hair says energy” commercial.  You know the one.  “Now I look I know what I’m doing….”

I had weird dream last night.  The Blackhawks hired Mike Peluso and Dave Manson straight out of 1989 to mentor Kyle Beach and Akim Aliu in behavior on the road and around the town.  Street and violent crime rates skyrocket.  All four become folk heroes and go on to star in a Johnny Depp movie….  The Hawks call 2^nd round pick Brandon Pirri up to the Hawks but he says he’d rather play a year in the UHL instead….. Dale Tallon, surely convinced by NHL Network incessantly running Game 7 replays of the 2004 Finals to re-sign 37-year old Nikolai Khabibulin, trades Cristobal Huet today but five minutes too late and loses Khabibulin as Dean Lombardi laughs his ass off somewhere in LA.  In response, John McDonough orders Tallon to sign every goaltender D.T. can find and the Hawks, in 2009, wind up with a goaltending carousel of Ed Belfour-Jimmy Waite-Bob Sauve-Jacques Cloutier and Lars Weibel with Antti Niemi and Corey Crawford stuck platooning in Rockford another year.  Somehow the Hawks still manage to have the most expensive goaltending in the league….  The Hawks re-sign every one of their restricted free agents for 30 percent above market value, sign Marian Hossa and Scott Niedermayer to the richest contracts in league history, then play all 82 of their games this year in against the Chicago Steel, Chicago Wolves and Blackhawks’ Alumni teams….. Joel Quenneville finally shaves off that silly mustache and phony toupee to reveal himself to be Bob Murdoch…. Rocky Wirtz hires Roger Nielsen as associate Senior Advisor.  Nielsen returns in afterlife and too insists Dale Tallon fire Denis Savard…. McDonough institutes the inaugural “Toga Night” at the United Center in 2009-10 and by the hands of satan we’re faced with the sight of Eddie Olczyk and Pat Foley announcing the game from the 300 level in backless togas…. Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane sign on a spokesman for the new Keith Brown Condom. “Ripped, Ribbed and Lubricated. Taught yet Breathable”….. Dale Tallon has actually already been fired; John McDonough’s just waiting until after Europe to tell him…..

This will be the place to catch all the news and analysis of day one of NHL free agency,  Actually, its not “thee” place, rather a place as from time to time I may duck away from the computer for:

- My afternoon teleconference-bang with AOL chat friends I only know as L.Durham, R.Palmeiro, C.Sandberg, Dominatrices Kitaen-Finley and Mistress[a]-Rod.
- If I’m not too dehydrated after that I’ll close all the windows, put on six layers of cotton, crank up the heat and ride the elliptical while watching greek gangster movies in subtitles.
- Eddie Olczyk’s kids come over at three seeking attention they don’t get from their father.
- For lunch I eat tuna, drained and dipped in fat free ranch dressing.
- At five-thirty I enter a private s.chat room with Z. Sambolin, R.Magers and C. Marin with G.Zee moderating.
- Sometime this afternoon I’ll have to walk over to Stan Bowman’s house and return that calculator he’s been bugging me about for over a year for.
- Call Adam Burish and Jack Skille. Taste of Chicago tonight. Bang hot chicks.
- At six I’ll call the hospital and make sure my dad checked out under his own power and in one piece.  Closure.

Much more as the situation develops….

ChrisBlock@TheThirdManIn.com
TheThirdManIn@sbcglobal.net
Twitter.com/ChrisBlock

-- Dave Bolland’s official cap hit will come in at $3.375M annually, not the $3.6 number that was floated after TSN’s initial report at the draft on Friday.  That’s better, but still at least a half a million too much for what Bolland brings to the table at this point.  There are people defending the deal on the basis he’ll be worth it and more in years three through five, but paying based on expectations is a dangerous thing and restricted free agency is there to help prevent stupidity and control payroll structure.  In 2008-09, Bolland was a third line center with a first line winger, which elevated him to second line center status.  If Havlat doesn’t accept the one-year deal and out of the picture, you’re paying Bolland based on the belief he makes his wingers better.  It’s an arbitrary thing.  He’s well-rounded and dependable which makes life easier for his linemates, but can you really say his presence elevates Andrew Ladd or Dustin Byfuglien’s game?  If not that contract is a failure.  Until the cap goes up into the 70 million range, and with the high-end money being committed to the Toews, Kane, Campbell and Keith’s, the next tier of salaries will begin with this Bolland contract.  And now he must live up to a deal most would say he’s yet to earn.

Our payroll chart updated with Bolland's new paper 

-- Two Blackhawks, thirty-two others invited to Team USA 2010 Olympic orientation camp August 17-19 at Seven Bridges Ice Arena in Woodridge, IL.  Orientation roster here.  Brian Burke’s no James Wisniewski fan either apparently.  Burke’s shooting up my list of favorite people lately.  This is no surprise as Wisniewski was a healthy scratch at the World’s in the spring of ’08.  Though ‘Wiz’ disputes that.  Dustin Byfuglien and Patrick Kane are the lone Hawks’ representatives.  Mike Modano, Brian Rafalski, Jamie Langenbrunner, Chris Drury and Tim Thomas are the old guys.

Hawks video coach gets same gig with US Olympic squad 

-- The guys from over at HockeeNight have their latest PuckCast up here.  This week’s guest is Julian from Pension Plan Puppets, a Toronto Maple Leafs blog.

I’ll be joining CT and “Forklift” once again next week to discuss all the latest Blackhawks news including whatever becomes of the opening week of free agency, the draft, day one of Blackhawk prospect camp (which I may attend), the salary cap and much much more I’m sure.

-- Johnny Oduya re-signed with New Jersey today.  That’s a UFA blue liner whose name has been brought up by some as a backup plan hoping the Hawks could deal Brian Campbell for Marty Havlat’s replacement.  No confirmed details yet.

ChrisBlock@TheThirdManIn.com
TheThirdManIn@sbcglobal.net
Twitter.com/ChrisBlock

In drafting Froese of the Everett Silvertips (where Kyle Beach played half of last season) with their fourth pick, the Blackhawks were sure to make mention that Froese enjoyed playing with Beach.  So they’re in full defense mode on Beach today.

You’ll notice they drafted a lot of guys based on upside (exactly how they draw their player contracts up coincidentally) and raw ability seeing with the exception of Froese and Gilbert, the rest of the picks were spent on guys not playing college or major junior level hockey.  That said, don’t expect any of these kids for another three seasons.

I’m on wedding duties the rest of today so I’ll return tomorrow with more on this and everything else Blackhawks.

ChrisBlock@TheThirdManIn.com
TheThirdManIn@sbcglobal.net
Twitter.com/ChrisBlock 

This is priceless.  So the Blackhawks use their second round pick (59^th overall) to select Ontario Junior Hockey League (one step below OHL) center Brandon Pirri.

What’s funny is minutes later a story goes up on Blackhawks.com written by NHL.com writer John McGourty with Pirri and how his plan all along was to stay out of Major Junior and dominate the lesser league so he’d get noticed.  This looks like a face you can trust.  Originally size was the excuse.  Pirri was 5-8 and 155 pounds when he was first drafted by Sudbury of the OHL as a 15-year old and not much taller and 160 pounds the next year.  Then prior to this past season, Pirri was closer to six feet and 170 pounds but still elected to stay in Junior ‘A’, a league he’d dominated for two years.

At least he’s honest.  Pirri will be attending Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (R.P.I.) in the fall and most draft prospects will diplomatically state their intentions in avoiding the OHL, WHL or QMJHL is to maintain college eligibility.  Not Pirri.

Step one – get noticed.  Step two – get bigger.  Step three – get drafted.  Step four – develop into a pro.  Even if part of the equation meant being an admitted bottom-feeder.

Pirri is smart and knows what works best for him.

“In college hockey, with the shorter schedule, it will work to my strengths,” Pirri told NHL.com’s John McGourty.  “I’ll have more time to work out, get bigger and stronger.  When I go to play pro hockey, I’ll be physically ready to play against men.

“I’m a good student but I chose RPI more because I really believe in the coaching staff, that they’re going to get me to the level I need to be a dominant hockey player.  I’d like to play pro hockey as soon as possible.  When I go play pro hockey, I want to be ready when that time comes.”

Sounds like the kinds of things Akim Aliu was saying prior to last year.  Hopefully he commits himself to the university, his coaches and teammates, not solely professional aspirations or there could be trouble.

For future historical purposes, the Hawks picked Pirri two spots ahead of Chicago Steel defenseman Philip Samuelsson (6-3, 198), the son of Ulf Samuelsson.

Rensselaer competes in the ECAC (or Ivy) league out East with Princeton, Harvard,

Yale, Brown, Cornell, etc.

-- The big news of the day so far has Darryl Sutter and the Calgary Flames acquiring rights to impending unrestricted free agent Jay Bouwmeester in exchange for defenseman Jordan Leopold and a third round pick.  While that sounds like a lot (and it is) for a player who they’ll only have four days of exclusive rights to get a deal done before he hits the open market, keep in mind that a Bouwmeester signing will induce a Dion Phaneuf trade with Toronto and Ottawa as two possible destinations.  Phaneuf for Heatley would be fair but Calgary may not be able to afford Heatley’s $7.5 million cap hit should Bouwmeester get an annual 7.5M deal of his own.  The answer to who centers for Heatley on the Red Mile is Mikael Backlund.  If Sutter does sign Bouwmeester, his blue line will look much different than the one the Hawks saw in the Conference quarter-finals.  With Leopold and possibly Phaneuf out, Adrian Aucoin is also expected to walk potentially leaving Bouwmeester, Robyn Regehr, Cory Sarich, Jim Vandermeer and Mark Giordano.  Missing Regehr was an x-factor for Calgary down the stretch and a healthy Cory Sarich is an improvement over Aucoin.  Giordano can really move and was missed versus Chicago and Vandermeer’s an average depth guy.

ChrisBlock@TheThirdManIn.com
TheThirdManIn@sbcglobal.net
Twitter.com/ChrisBlock