The San Jose Sharks signed Chicago Blackhawks restricted free agent Niklas Hjalmarsson to a four-year, $14 million offer sheet.

The Blackhawks have seven days to match or they will lose Hjalmarsson and receive a first-round and third-round pick in return.

"Teams realize Chicago's position with the salary cap, and Niklas is a good, young player on the rise," Hjalmarsson's agent, Kevin Epp, said.

Rutroh Sharks given the Hawks the Scrum Shocker. As a Sharks fan I like this pickup as he is the type of Dman the Sharks will need this year to help block the screen door guarding the net. That said I always find it weird to cherry pick rfa's.


In other sharks news Nabokov apparently now plays in the khl. I think everyone saw him exposed in the Olympics and playoffs and don't want any part of the pony show.

Sharks. Wings and Wild have all contacted Modano about signing a one year deal.

Thats pretty interesting considering he is from Michigan and has played in Minnesota before. Will be watching to see where he ends up.

Or if. :-)

Yup if, but you got to think ggoing to a team with a shot at the cup may be appealing.

Then why is he talking to the Sharks?







I keed, I keed!! :-) :-)

Damn nothing like a kick in the nuts on Sunday morning.
El Principe with morning coffee no service calls pending browsing forum. Blame kicked in the balls: r

ESPM is picking Vancouver as the early favorite to come out of the West next season.

Vuck the Fanucks. :-)

Well they will have to go through sj or Chi. Talk about revenge if they go through Chi. Although with no byfugly it wont be as sweet.

I can't see the Hawks losing a 7 game series to the Sedin sisters and the Crybaby. :-)

Crap Hawks siged hjalmarson(sp).

Sharks are going to have a long year.

Still a wise move by Doug Wilson, as the GM of arguably the Hawks biggest competitor nest season. Niemi has an arbitration hearing in a week and a half, and a big award puts the Hawks is salary cap trouble again. They will have two options....keep Niemi and move another player, or let Niemi become a free agent and take their chances on a veteran FA like Turco or Theodore.

Please please please no! I am hoping we can keep Niemi.

If it comes down to keeping Niemi and losing Patrick Sharp, I am for bringing in a veteran goalie and keeping Sharp. The Blackhawks gave up the least shots on goal last season, and although I would love to keep Niemi as well, but if the price is Sharp, I would let him go.

Wondering if the old sign and trade will occur. Got to imagine they will want Niemei more. So wonder if they use Hjalmarsson for trade or someone else if forced to pay Niemei. You know hes getting a raise.

Those arbitrations are rough on the player. A young goal tender (all goalies are off in the head) Likely wont like what is said about his game.

I don't see the Hawks trading Hjalmarsson, but then again I am not a GM. I think the Niemi or Sharp moves are more likely, though if they trade Sharp I won't be happy at all.

Well the sharks need a goalie and a dman. That said they are likely keeping what they have in net. :-)

So the sharks need D. Man I hope they can find a trade.
Demi Tasse and morning coffee. My new Sunday morning work ritual. :-)

This will get interesting....

I was surprised that they rejected the contract. I thought the Hossa contract was pretty obvious about trying to go around the cap and I remember him even making a comment about that. I guess the 17 years on Kovalchuk was a little too much for the league.