The NHL Draft is well underway in Philadelphia right now and that means we’re starting to hear more and more trade being made as teams jockey for draft position and also try to shed cap space ahead of free agency beginning on July 1st.
Pucks and Pitchforks
One team looking to try and find cap space while also keeping their team as intact as possible are the Chicago Blackhawks. They nearly made it back to the Stanley Cup again this season but like the last three years they’re having to make tough decisions on t he future of current players.
Chicago made a decision on the future of Brandon Bollig, as they’ve traded him out west and north of the border to the Calgary Flames.
"Bollig was sent to the Flames in exchange for the 83rd overall pick on Day 2 of the NHL Entry Draft. It was a bit of a surprise, but not when it came to the salary cap. The Blackhawks are right up against the cap, which is expected to be at $69 million for the 2014-15 season."
It’s not a giant loss for the Blackhawks as Bollig wasn’t all that productive for the team in the postseason and ended up getting suspended in the series against the Minnesota Wild.
Chicago takes the 83rd overall pick int he draft as a result of the trade and the Flames add a veteran who may help get the motor running on a team that is starting to show a lot of promise with the picks they’ve been making the last few years.