Bryan Bickell’s huge postseason is the kind of thing an unrestricted free agent-to-be loves to have happen. After all it means a big payday from a team in need of physical scoring.
Bickell, however, says he might want to stick around in Chicago as he told the press today and do so with a hometown discount. As for what that “discount” might entail, that’s up for debate.
Bickell is coming off a three-year contract that paid him $1.625 million total. After putting up nine goals and eight assists in the postseason after having 9-14-23 in the regular season, he’d be poised to cash in in a big way.
That said, going from a cap hit that was in the neighborhood of league minimum to one, likely, in the multi-millions doesn’t strike many as a discount. If he’s willing to ignore big money offers from other teams to just stay in Chicago, that’s more like staying loyal than offering a discount.
For what it’s worth, the gang at Bovada.lv laid even-odds that Bickell would land with the Detroit Red Wings in free agency. Might be time to throw a few bucks on the Blackhawks.