Versteeg to the Leafs for Prospects
So my posts keep getting eaten up-- my computer chose a lovely time to act up.
By now you've heard that Versteeg has been traded to the Leafs for three forwards (I've looked their names up so many times, you'd think I'd remember who they are. I don't.) and who we get back is really quite irrelevant. We won't know until a few years from now how those prospects will pan out, so for the sake of argument let's say they don't. Worst case scenario, where does that leave us?
- Versteeg was going to get traded whatever happened. It's the salary cap era.
- Toronto gives Versteeg the opportunity to develop as a top-six forward, which he couldn't do here. He'll be an exciting player to watch (from afar), I hope.
- But the Hawks don't necessarily have to worry. They don't face the Leafs all that much, and any meeting in the playoffs means both teams are in the Cup Finals, the chances of which may be a little slim considering the Hawks are supposed to suck after all this salary shedding.
- We still have, at the very least, Toews, Kane, Keith, Seabrook, Hossa, Sharp, and Campbell.
- And we can probably re-sign Niemi and Hjalmarsson now, too.
Are the Hawks weaker now than when the season ended? Yes.
Much weaker? No.
All things considered, in fact, it looks like we're doing the best that we can given the situation.
