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Blackhawks confident salary cap casualties aren’t calamitous

Blackhawks confident salary cap casualties aren’t calamitous

BUFFALO, NY – No matter where Chicago Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman went, he always felt suffocated against the ceiling. But after the first round of Friday’s NHL Draft in Buffalo, he had finally found some space to breathe.

“We have enough cap room now. We don’t have a salary cap problem,” he said.

In the last week and a half, the Blackhawks purged forwards Bryan Bickell, Teuvo Teravainen and Andrew Shaw from their payroll, the latter sent to the Montreal Canadiens to kick off the draft in exchange for two second-round picks. In the process, they opened up what is now $6 million in cap space with a few forward spots yet to fill.

Specifically the ones that Shaw and Teravainen occupied last season.

“We’re trying to look forward. We’re trying to make the situation as best as it is with the salary cap,” said Bowman.

“Roles change. Opportunities are there. You have to give next year’s team a chance to forge its own identity. It may not match up exactly with last year’s team, but that’s OK.”

In 24-year-old Shaw, the Blackhawks lost one of the vital ingredients to their last two Stanley Cups: a gritty physical pest who did the dirty work around their opponent’s net.

“He was a warrior for us, so it was a difficult decision. It was a tough phone call to make,” admitted Bowman. “It was evident long ago that something was going to have to give, with the money that we have committed and the salary cap being what it is. We looked at a lot of different options. This was the one that made the most sense.”

But Bowman said he’s not looking to find a player that perfectly replicates what Shaw provided. Just like he didn't for Patrick Sharp or Brandon Saad or any number of other vital Hawks that were foreced out due to the salary cap.

“I think one of the traps you fall into is saying ‘this guy is going to replace that guy.’ It’s going to be a new group,” said Bowman. “You have to give the young players in our system, who have been waiting patiently, you have to give them some spots to compete for.”

So maybe there’s someone in Rockford that plays the game like Shaw. Maybe newly signed college forward Nick Schmaltz can provide some of Teravainen’s offense. Maybe there are more moves to be made for the Blackhawks to fill out their lineup.

It’s become an annual rite for Bowman: Purge beloved Blackhawks due to salary constraints and then use their organizational depth and slim cap space to reload.

More often than not, Bowman and his staff find the right reinforcements.

“A year ago at this time, no one knew who [Artemi] Pararin was,” he said of the newly crowned rookie of the year.

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Greg Wyshynski is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter. His book, TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE PUCK, is available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.

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