thats fn chicago good by blackhawks
 

ATLANTA (AP) — The Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks and the Thrashers were awaiting NHL approval Wednesday on a multiplayer blockbuster trade that would send Dustin Byfuglien, Brent Sopel and Ben Eager from Chicago to Atlanta, according to a person familiar with the negotiations.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the trade had not received final approval from the league.

Chicago also would send a prospect to Atlanta and acquire first- and second-round picks in this week's NHL draft as well as forward Marty Reasoner and prospect Jeremy Morin.

The trade clears salary cap space for the Blackhawks and provides more experience for the Thrashers.

Chicago's Duncan Keith, who won the Norris Trophy on Wednesday night as the NHL's top defenseman, said the Blackhawks had to start making changes even though the Cup victory was still fresh in their thoughts.

"There might be some more and it's not going to be fun," Keith said. "Everybody is going to have to keep moving forward, and a lot of times that's part of the business."

As the teams awaited league approval, players involved in the deal also were left on hold.

Sopel addressed the trade on his Twitter account. He tweeted "Thank You Everyone for the Amazing Well Wishes, but this is all just Rumor and has not been Confirmed yet. But regardless I LOVE U CHICAGO!"

Byfuglien can become a restricted free agent after the 2010-11 season.

Led by young stars such as Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, the Blackhawks beat Philadelphia for their first Stanley Cup title since 1961, but they were hardly a two-man show.

With one of the deepest rosters in the league, they set franchise records for wins (52) and points (112) in the regular season while finishing second to San Jose in the Western Conference. In the playoffs, they went through Nashville, Vancouver and San Jose before beating the Flyers, but with major salary-cap issues, changes were expected.

Kane and Toews signed lucrative contract extensions with the Blackhawks in December — five-year deals worth $31.5 million each.


that sucks trade the goalie..not the team

Trading Sopel and Eager is no big deal, they were just spare parts, but BYFUGLIEN?

You can only assume that when his contract runs out, management figures he's going want to get paid like Kane and Toews, and the NHL's cap just won't allow the Hawks to keep all 3.

No one wants the contract and they have to dump $10 Million...Dumping Huet isn't enough to do that unfortunately.

The NHL Salary Cap strikes again. Parity is the true dynasty.

One of the big differences with NHL cap is that teams can't re-work contracts to move money around. It is what it is.

The only way to get out of bad contracts other than finding a sucker...er I mean trading parnter, is to send the player to the minor leagues, you still pay the contract but it doesn't count against the cap.

Thanks to Wade Redden, I am well versed on this subject.

That's exactly what they might have to do with Huet.

rangers are always good for taking on or negotiating dumb contracts on worthless players.

highly doubt someone is gonna take on huet's contract unless you make it worth their wild, ala picks and prospects. Same can be said for that ginger brian campbell. For what its worth, the hawks also traded Colin Fraser away last night as well for a later draft pick

just the price you have to pay to have the likes of hossa/kane/toews/keith/seabrook on your squad long term.... good problem to have IMO.

Buf is in for a rude awakening in the ATL

-bt-

Sounds like hockey's version of Dan Snyder and his Redskins. :D

Interesting move by the Hawks. Byf's presence alone made teams gameplan differently.

Buff in the playoffs is a different story than Buff in the regular season. I was a big fan, but I think it was a good and necessary move. Plus that Jr prospect they picked up had 83 pts LY and looks like he could be a keeper.

The Chicago Blackhawks have acquired first round (24th overall) and second round (54th overall) selections in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft and forwards Jeremy Morin, Marty Reasoner and Joey Crabb from the Atlanta Thrashers in exchange for forwards Akim Aliu, Dustin Byfuglien and Ben Eager and defenseman Brent Sopel.

With the addition of the 24th and 54th picks in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, the Blackhawks now have 10 total selections, including five in the first two rounds (24, 30, 43, 54 and 60).

Morin, 19, tied for fourth in the Ontario Hockey League with 47 goals and ranked 12th with 83 points in 58 regular-season games with the Kitchener Rangers last season. Atlanta’s second pick, 45th overall, in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, Morin also ranked second on the Rangers with 12 goals and fourth with 21 points in 20 playoff tilts, helping the club reach the Western Conference Finals. He paced the OHL with 23 power-play goals during the regular season and also earned CHL and OHL Player of the Week honors for the week ending April 18 (7G, A), which included two hat tricks.

The Auburn, New York, native captured a Gold Medal with Team USA at the 2010 World Junior Championships, collecting five assists and seven points in seven games during the tournament. Prior to making his OHL debut with Kitchener in 2009-10, Morin spent three seasons with the United States National Team Development Program (2007-2009), posting 139 points (81G, 58A) in 120 career games.

a lot of people were high on that kid when they drafted him, never could get his head screwed on though

i think overall its a fleece job for the 'hawks, sopel and eager are spare parts, and to be honest sopel really is just a body in the point, eager does what eager does. ATL had an extra 1st rounder from the Ilya Kovy trade so that wasn't hard to part with.

move also gives guys like jack skille, another high draft pick a chance to make the squad this year

-bt-

looks like some good prospects bob just hate to see them dismantle a winner..

Unfortunately, in the salary cap era it's the reality. At least the Hawks have Kane, Toews, Keith and Seabrook secured. That's a heck of a core going forward.

true ..