This is where things could get weird. Obviously, the team and fans would prefer Hossa finish his career as a Hawk, but it appears as if the future Hall of Fame winger's career is essentially finished. Perhaps it's best for the Hawks, who are constantly banging their heads against the cap ceiling, to deal Hossa away with plans for a commemoration ceremony when he's officially retired. The bigger question is whether the Blackhawks could find a willing trade partner to take on Hossa's salary even though there's a very slim chance he'll ever take a shift for them. As we saw when the Flyers dealt Pronger to the Coyotes in 2015, there's definitely a possibility. But which teams might be willing to give the Blackhawks a break? Per Cap Friendly, the salary floor for the 2017-18 season will be $55.4 million. As of right now, 14 teams are currently below that threshold. When you throw out contenders such as the Penguins, Capitals, Canadiens, Predators, Lightning and Oilers, you're left with eight teams. Let's assume Central Division foes Winnipeg, Colorado and Dallas aren't interested in helping their division rival financially and throw them out too. That leaves us with the Panthers, Devils, Sabres, Hurricanes and Coyotes as possible partners. Panther general manager Dale Tallon was the man who signed Hossa to that monstrous contract eight years ago. The Hurricanes have acquired Teuvo Teravainen, Bryan Bickell and Scott Darling through recent trades with the Hawks. The Devils and Sabres are still in rebuilding mode and could afford a draft pick or two to speed up the process, and the Coyotes have done this before and probably wouldn't mind doing it again. Hossa won't factor into any of Chicago's decisions on the ice this season, but his absence could play an enormous role in how the roster is managed.
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