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The Chicago Blackhawks were living a bit of a charmed life when it came to their cap crunch this summer, in the sense that they controlled the salary dumping: Dustin Byfuglien(notes) to the Atlanta Thrashers, Kris Versteeg(notes) to the Toronto Maple Leafs, and so on.

What they didn't have was a rival aggressively take advantage of their cap situation by attempting to poach a restricted free agent with an offer sheet ... until today. TSN's Gord Miller reports that the San Jose Sharks have signed defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson(notes) to a 4-year, $14 million offer sheet that would increase his cap hit from $600,000 to $3.5 million annually.

Chicago has a week to match the offer or settle for a first- and a third-round pick from San Jose.

You may remember Hjalmarsson best from his atrocious Game 4 performance in the Stanley Cup Finals, but he also had 17 points in 77 games for the Blackhawks last season for a plus-9. He was fourth among Chicago D-men with 19:39 average ice time per game, and was also fourth in shorthanded ice time (2:09). He's also just 23 years old, and has impeccable taste in sweaters and companions (thanks, Google Images).

What a way to put the screws to the team that knocked you in the Conference Finals.

The Sharks have seven defensemen under contract (via Cap Geek), but you can envision Hjalmarsson being a second-pairing guy in that group. From the Sharks and GM Doug Wilson:

"We feel Niklas is a top-three defenseman in the National Hockey League," said Sharks Executive Vice President and General Manager Doug Wilson. "We saw his abilities first-hand in the playoffs last season and he was an important piece of a Stanley Cup-winning team. He is a solid player that would be a good fit on our team now and in the future."

Jon Swenson from Sharkspage offered this take:

It is a great move by the San Jose Sharks and GM Doug Wilson to put the screws to a financially strapped Blackhawks franchise. After winning a Stanley Cup Championship and having several players hit performance bonuses, the Blackhawks lead the NHL with a 2010-11 salary cap penalty of $4.15 million due to overages.

The 'Hawks gave him a qualifying offer and made resigning both Hjalmarsson and goalie Antti Niemi(notes) a priority after July 1. The Blackhawks currently only have four defensemen under contract. They did acquire Ivan Vishnevskiy(notes) in the Byfuglien trade, who could help next season, and have some prospects in the system.

The Blackhawks were vulnerable, and the Sharks chomped on "Super Nintendo" Hjalmarsson (the reference, by the way).

It's about time we had some aggressive poaching this offseason; now which diabolical GM tenders an offer sheet for Niemi?

(Ed. Note: The Niemi line was supposed to be a joke, but for clarity's sake: He can't get an offer sheet having gone to arbitration, and thanks to all that pointed that out. Not as embarrassing as having Kopecky's photo on the post for 20 minutes, but nonetheless.)

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

Dude, old news



July 9 somethin something:somethin somethin

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mechaphil

So it seems even with a QO handed out, other teams can sign RFA's to offer sheets, because what I got from the CBA was once a QO was out, the only team to be able to sign him until it expires is the team that offered it out.

So anyone who thinks Kaleta is getting an offer sheet, well he sure hasn't been offered one yet, and he can't since he is going to Arbitration anyways.

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No worries on Patty K leaving... he IS on the 2010/11 roster.... unless Darcy trade's him...lol

Patty can work out in 3 way, in my understanding of club issued arbitration ...

1 - They came to an agreement before arbitration

2 - The arbitration verdict comes in and Patty accepts it on a one year deal

3 - The arbitration verdict comes in and Patty accepts it on a two year deal

oh ok 4 .... Darcy trades him? in which case SabresBills fan and B&Y are right and Darcy is the worst GM EVER in ANY sport, even worse than Tom Donahoe.... Of course Im both guessing (can Darcy still trade him, his rights?) and JOKING! Because that would be a dumb move for what he brings, even if he does get the inflated $1.4 mill that the minny 4th liner got (can remember his name, cutterbock, clusterfuck... something)

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what twitter has in speed it lacks in depth.

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

Darcy can walk away from the arbitration dealings if he wants to also. Actually I'm not sure about team issued ones, I know player issued ones the team can walk away and let them go, a la JP Dumont's hearing.

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unless its a $7 million dollar award, darcy would be silly to walk away from Patty K... it'll probably end up being around a million give or take a few hundred grand....

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(Shots fired)

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"Counting all the assholes in the room, I'm definitely not alone!" ~ Michael Poulsen, Volbeat, Still Standing.

Quoted to reinforce.

Dark side...

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You guys can pick on Twitter, but in the end, I know the news before all of you so *shrug*

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mechaphil

I'm more a fan of getting my news right, not getting it first. Twitter quite often fails in that regard.

Twitter often does get the news right. It's the 140 character limit people perceive as inferior.

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mechaphil

To get back to this aspect of the story, am I the only one here that thinks that $3.5 million/year is just a little bit insane in the fucking membrane for these numbers? I mean, it took me a while to embrace the NHL again after the lockout, but they just seem intent on doing it all over again from what I see.

Like House Ordos in the Dune games?

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"...they came down into the stands and asked if I knew how to do play by play. I said...No. But. I'll take a shot at it if you want".- Rick Jeanneret

Intent is a foregone conclusion, they ALREADY are doing it all over again.

2003-04 $1,830,126
2007-08 $1,906,793

And that's from three seasons ago after doing a quick search. Some estimates from the 2009-2010 season has the average NHL salary at $2.7M.

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mechaphil

You're a fuckin nerd, Carl...you need to find more excuses to hang out out here more

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mechaphil

Blackhawks are matching the offer. There's speculation that Patrick Sharp, the easier to move, and/or Brian Campbell, the damn-near impossible to move, may be on the market.

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mechaphil

For the record, players WILL have to get moved is Hjalmarsson stays with the Blackhawks. His annual salary will be $3.5M and they have $116K in cap space. Fuuuuuck.

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mechaphil

Campbell has that NTC, can name 8 teams if he would accept a trade to, doubting he'd leave.

Sharp is a possibility, but I have a strong feeling Bolland and Seabrook are the easiest for them to move; behind Sharp. whom they've already said they do not want to move at all, and really can't blame them after the playoff run he just had.

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"She's like plan C after an 18 pack"

Squanto 7/27/2010