The Chicago Blackhawks, who are methodically tearing down what was a promising franchise that happened to stumble last season, didn’t qualify two under-performing restricted free agents, Red Wings forward Dominik Kubalik or Washington Capitals forward Dylan Strome.
Now both players have moved on, and Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson offered the following “this is why we didn’t sign ’em” rationale to the Chicago Tribune’s Phil Thompson:
Strome and Dominik Kubalík were restricted free agents with arbitration rights, and neither were tendered qualifying offers.
Kubalík signed a two-year deal ($2.5 million cap hit) with the Detroit Red Wings and Strome inked a one-year deal with the Washington Capitals for $3.5 million.
“It was more the uncertainty around cost,” Davidson said. “Both had arb rights, and so the arbitration process just brings a little bit more uncertainty and it drags out a little further into the summer.”
Davidson wants to stay flexible with his budget.
“Again, it’s not easy walking away from good players and good people as Dylan and Dominik are,” he said, “but we just felt this was something that gave us more certainty in our budgeting.”
Kubalik, 26 had a $3.7 million cap hit last year, but a $4 million salary, so he would have had to be qualified at that number, and Strome, 27, had a $3 million cap hit, but a $3.6 million salary, etc. etc.
There’s some logic to Davidson’s remarks, especially given Kubalik’s drop-off, but I’m still shocked that the Hawks didn’t make any attempt to retain their rights.
I guess it’s one team’s loss, another team’s gain.
