Chicago Blackhawks Reaction: Marian Hossa Will Not Play in 2017

The story broke late last night that Marian Hossa might be forced to retire due to a complication from a skin medication. This morning the Blackhawks have made it official.

My Reaction: This is a Tragic Story

My reaction is one of sadness. Hossa is one of the greatest players to ever don the Hawks sweater. This is just tragic way for all-time great to end his time in Chicago.  We might not get to see Hossa strong on the puck ever again. It was always such a great feeling to see Hossa dominate a shift with his play.

There were times when he would go into beast mode on the ice and change the course of the game with his play. He also taught younger players how to back check hard on the ice. Hossa was an elite defensive forward with a great work ethic on defense.

Hossa might be the greatest free agent signing in Chicago sports history. Think about that for a second, He was not drafted by the Hawks but signed here and delivered. He helped delivered three Stanley Cup Championships in six seasons. Can any other free agent in Chicago history say that?

He also is responsible for one of the greatest playoff goals in Blackhawks history.

He will enter the Hockey Hall of Fame having spent the most games in his career with the Blackhawks. He scored his 500th goal, played his 1,000 game, and scored his 1,000 point in a Hawks uniform. He had 186 goals and 229 assists. He is and will always be loved by Blackhawks.

This is a very sad day.

This Is Not A Conspiracy

After my feeling loss subsided for a moment, my brain went to the conspiracy side of things. People will think that It seems very convenient that Hossa will not be able to play in 2017-18, especially with Hawks in need of salary cap space.

This should be banished from people’s minds, If Hossa does retire before his contract ends, it hurts the Blackhawks salary cap situation. When Hossa signed his mega-deal with the Blackhawks, the NHL instituted a salary cap penalty for teams that had players sign deals to circumvent the cap. The team will face a 3.675 million dollar salary cap recapture until Hossa contract’s end in 2020-21 if he retires before the deal ends.

Also if the Blackhawks wanted Hossa out, why didn’t they ask him to waive his no trade clause and then work out a deal with Vegas. This is not a forced retirement despite some people’s beliefs.

Short Term Ramifications

This hurt the Blackhawks for this up coming season. Hossa had a resurgence last season scoring 26 goals and was the third leading scorer on the team. The Hawks now have to replace a top penalty killer and a top SIX forward two days before the NHL draft. I do not expect the Hawks to find a player of Hossa’s caliber in free agency.

They will however get more cap space from Hossa not playing. The Hawks can place him on Long Term Injured Reserve (LTIR) for this season. It is unclear how much cap relief they will get for this move.

Stay Tuned for Marian Hossa Reaction and all other Blackhawks news.