1: A team may want one of the best defensive centres in the league. Yes, he had a terrible year last year, but he is more likely the 20-30pt C he has been his entire career than the 4A player he was last year.
2: I'm not worried about Hossa..he isn't retiring after next year.
3: Is that why Sobotka went to the KHL? Kovalchuk? Datsyuk? For more money? hmm
4: When was the last time a team put an offer sheet in? When was the last time a team put an offer sheet in at over 7mil? Hawks would match 7.3 anyway, they can make it work for at least 1 year.
I know more about the Hawks cap situation than you do. It will be tough to sign him for anything over 7mil, but I'm not worried. Either they sign him for less than that, or they trade him for a hell of a haul.