Hi,

My name is Dale Tallon.  And I don’t care what kind of cap trouble I’m already in: I’m going to keep signing more.  Whatever it takes for me to get the Cup THIS year. I’ll worry about this team absolutely imploding amidst my two best players being due for gigantic raises and a dropping salary cap in a year from now.  Nope, the fact that I have over $34 million now tied up in 8 players will have “zero impact on re-signing Pat and Jonathon”.

Posted by Animal Drew from A Nightmare on Helm Street on 07/13/09 at 09:23 AM ET

Hi, Dale Tallon!

It’s a pleasure to meet you. I was going to ask you about the salary cap, but it appears that Chicago is exempt from the Salary Cap this year. Best of luck in the future—you’re going to need it

Sincerely,
Laughing in Atlanta

Posted by Alan from Atlanta on 07/13/09 at 09:35 AM ET

Mr. Talon,

I’d like to take the opportunity to thank you for the masterful handling of the 2009-2010 salary cap for the Chicago Blackhawks.  Without your cutting edge management style and questionable math skills, the Colorado Avalanche wouldnt’ be able to out-offer-sheet one of the aforementioned Toews or Kane next year and make them building blocks in our rebuild.

Thanks again,
All of Your RFA’s Belong to Avs!

Posted by Mike @ MHH from Oklahoma City, OK on 07/13/09 at 10:34 AM ET

Hello,

Dale Tallon here again.  I appreciate all of the support, but don’t get ahead of yourselves Mike @ MHH…like I said, my masterful GM skills will allow me to keep spending like mad with total disregard for the salary cap.  All I have to do is get rid of some of the other **ahem masterful signings like Brian Campbell.  C’mon people, he’s worth the money!  That cross ice pass that cost Chicago the game in WCF game #2, he’d make that play a hundred more times!  Who wouldn’t want to pay someone damn near 8 million dollars a year to do that?  And I’ll unload that **ahem ahem “fair” salary that I’m paying Cristobel Huet since Khabbi has been playing so well…any takers?  What?  Nik signed with Edmonton?  Oh…well than Huet is our number one guy.  We obviously have “100% confidence” in him otherwise we would have tried to move him and his salary.  ***ahem.  Like I said, all these contracts I’m signing will have zero impact on retaining Toews and Kane next season.

Posted by Animal Drew from A Nightmare on Helm Street on 07/13/09 at 10:43 AM ET

Mr. Tallon, I must ask you this question!

What about Fernandez? Or Biron? I think those two could help you in matters both concerning goaltending, as well as the cap! I hear Philadelph… er, Los Angel… um… NY Isl… hum… well, someone is looking for a goaltender, and Huet could be theirs if you can make it happen!

Posted by Alan from Atlanta on 07/13/09 at 11:51 AM ET

Alan,

Well you see, I wanted to break the $13 million mark between my goalies so bad last year, that I paid him a salary that would not be topped by anybody.  So now, like Soupy, nobody would want their contract, even if I wanted to trade him away (which I don’t because after Khabbi left I decided that Huet was our solution in net, which is what I thought when I originally brought him in but then changed my mind when Khabbi started playing so well but then changed my mind when Khabbi didn’t play all that well against the Wings) basically, I have the right to change my mind about big time salary guys whenever I want…because I consider myself an elite GM.

Hell, maybe I’ll even go so far as to sign Fernandez or Biron anyway…salary cap?  Bah!  I bite my thumb at it.  Now where did I put that check book?

Love,

Dale Tallon

Posted by Animal Drew from A Nightmare on Helm Street on 07/13/09 at 12:32 PM ET

I’m guessing this is probably a two-way contract, and Cullen will spend the vast majority of his time in the AHL, so this signing shouldn’t affect the cap at all. Criticizing a GM’s decisions is perfectly fair, but I don’t think doing it in response to this makes any sense at all.

Posted by Muero from Ohio on 07/13/09 at 02:23 PM ET

M-O-O-N.

Posted by Alan from Atlanta on 07/13/09 at 02:48 PM ET

Career minor leaguer, two-way contract. Relax, people.

Posted by dave from chicago on 07/13/09 at 09:50 PM ET

Hi,

I am Dale Tallon and I am now out of a job.

Posted by Animal Drew from A Nightmare on Helm Street on 07/14/09 at 06:23 AM ET