Hawks may need to cut some cap with trades

Monitoring each NHL team’s proximity to the NHL’s $56.8 million salary cap has become a daily routine.

The Chicago Blackhawks are a great example of a team whose payroll indicates that moves are coming and good players could have to go.

The Blackhawks have 13 players under contract for 2010-2011 and a committed payroll of $43 million. Assuming the cap stays the same, that leaves roughly $15 million for Chicago to re-sign ten restricted free agents and two potential unrestricted free agents in John Madden and injured forward Adam Burish.

Star forwards Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, along with defenceman Duncan Keith are among the Hawks’ free agent class.

Full insider report here