For the month of June, Last Word On Sports will be covering each team in our 30 in 30 series. Once a day, we take a look at an NHL team’s past season, what their off-season looks like, and what they could hope to achieve before the start of their 2015-16 season. Everybody wants to get better and improve upon last season’s success or downfall and NHL’s 30 in 30 gives you that analysis and preview you need to get you by during another long and grueling summer season. 30 days in June, 30 teams to cover. Starting on June 1st we start from the bottom and make our way to the very top.
Today’s team: The Chicago Blackhawks. Check out our previous 30 in 30 articles here.
NHL’s 30 in 30: Chicago Blackhawks
Finishing 7th overall, the Chicago Blackhawks posted a record of 48-28-6 to end up with 102 points, placing them in third place in the Central division and just two points behind the Nashville Predators and seven back of the St. Louis Blues. Their home record (24-12-5) accumulated for 53 points. Their away record (24-16-1) was identical to their home record in terms of games won and total game lost, accumulating 49 points. The Blackhawks are at the point in their tenure that it doesn’t matter if they finish atop the division or grab a wild-card spot, they always seem to become a monster in the playoffs. With two Stanley Cup rings in the last five years, a third in six post-season appearances would make them a true dynasty – and that’s exactly what they accomplished.
The 2014-15 Regular Season
In the last 30 years, only two teams have accomplished three Stanley Cup victories in six years. The Edmonton Oilers (1987, ’88, ’90) and Detroit Red Wings (1997, ’98, ’02) were those teams and the Chicago Blackhawks joined their level when they beat the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games to capture the 2015 Stanley Cup. Seven players on the team have been with the team for all three runs and General Manager Stan Bowman, along with Head Coach Joel Quenneville, have done an exceptional job at surrounding the core of players with a stable supporting cast, building three successful, championship rosters.
Jonathan Toews continues to be one of the premiere two-way players in the game today. While his points-per-game total was the lowest of his career (66 points in 82 games = 0.81), he’s still a key contributor to the team offensively and takes on the toughest assignments every night. Patrick Kane suffered a broken collarbone in February, which took him out of the line-up for the remainder of the season, ending a season where he put up 64 points in 61 games. His return for the playoffs saw him put up a point-per-game in 23 games. Patrick Sharp saw his ice-time reduced and while he still took a surplus of shots, his shooting percentage dropped to 7.0% which led to him scoring 16 goals last season. Rumors also circulated around his name and while many believe that will be the reason for his departure, look no further than his cap hit and his regressing production rate as to why the Blackhawks could send him out to alleviate cap space.
Marian Hossa is climbing the ladder in terms of age, at 35, but is still finding a way to produce and compliment captain Toews on the top line. While his 22 goals were the lowest in a full season since his 1998-99, he still managed to finish with 61 points to place third on the team in scoring, before adding 17 points in 23 games during the run for the Stanley Cup. One of the most valuable forwards in the Blackhawks line-up, mainly due to his versatility, is Andrew Shaw. He can play an effective role on both the wing and at center and can hang with the top-six or play a bruising role on the third line. His work ethic shows in full color during the playoffs, where he always finds himself coming up big in key situations. As the roster continues to reach and pass their peak, it’s important to bring fresh meat to the table and players like Shaw and Bryan Bickell are a nice start. Another player paving his own way is Teuvo Teravainen. Drafted 18th overall in 2012, Teravainen split time in the NHL and AHL last season but earned more playing time with the big club in the playoffs. His experience at an elite level can only help his chances to push for a bigger role next season.
There are a few players in the league that take it to the next level when the post-season comes around. Then there’s Duncan Keith. Adding to his two Norris trophies, Keith was named the MVP of the 2015 playoffs and his run was something magical. Brent Seabrook had a great run himself, and has been a force on the Blackhawks blueline for a decade now, missing just ten games in the last nine seasons and providing consistency among the ranks. Michal Rozsival was enjoying a good season for Chicago before disaster struck and his foot got caught in a groove while transitioning to skating backwards, causing his ankle to twist in a way it really shouldn’t. The injury would knock him out for the rest of the playoffs, leaving a hole to fill by youngsters David Rundblad and a returning Trevor Van Riemsdyk, who had been previously injured and hadn’t played a game since November.
Corey Crawford had some shaky moments in the regular season and more than his fair share in the playoffs, but it’s almost safe to say he’s silenced his critics, at least for the time being. Crawford’s second Stanley Cup ring and continuous support of the team has made him one of the most liked characters in Chicago. Speaking of which, one of the greatest underdog stories ever told in Blackhawks history is that of Scott Darling, a goaltender that played for the worst team in the worst pro league and struggled with demons. Fast forward to 2015, and the Chicago-native played 19 games and had his moment of glory in the post-season, helping to win some games. This leaves some doubt as to where Antti Raanta will end up, as his back-up spot has probably been taken and his services will be more appreciated elsewhere rather than in the AHL.
The Off-Season and Free Agents
Heading into the off-season, the Blackhawks have a total of ten free agents to decide on. Of the ten free agents, four of them are restricted to the team, including forwards Marcus Kruger, Brandon Saad and Joakim Nordstrom, and defensemen David Rundblad. Forwards Antoine Vermette, Brad Richards, Andrew Desjardins and Daniel Carcillo, and defensemen Johnny Oduya and Michal Rozsival are the upcoming unrestricted free agent. In terms of non-roster players, Bowman will have to decide on four restricted free agents and five unrestricted free agents.
With a little over $64 million committed to eight forwards, three defensemen and three goaltenders, the Blackhawks management will need to do some major maneuvering and possibly trade a player or two to make room for younger and more inexpensive players.
A small savings would be to deal Raanta, either at the draft or before July 1st, to avoid teams looking for a back-up goaltender on the free agent market. This would free up his $750k he is set to earn next season and open up the back-up spot permanently for Darling to take over.
On defense, the Blackhawks have three spots to fill but are fortunate enough to have a few young blue-liners ready to make a full-time commitment to being in the NHL. Van Riemsdyk and Rundblad both proved to be assets during the playoffs and can come at under $1 million dollars each. The most favorable decision would be to re-sign Rozsival to a cost-effective contract, to both fill a void and help with the upcoming youth. If not, expect some prospects to be fighting for a role with the team, like Michael Paliotta and Ville Pokka.
Their biggest dilemma comes at the forward position. There are a few contracts that can be moved and probably should, if the Blackhawks want to stay within the cap and remain competitive at the same time. Sharp has two years left at $5.9 million, but his name and experience alone will bring many teams to call and inquire about what Chicago is expecting in return. Kris Versteeg is a complimentary top-nine player that looked great with Richards and comes at a $2.2 million cap hit for next season, so he can be an inexpensive keep for the Blackhawks or a player that is easy to move for the purpose of clearing up more space. Bickell has two years left at $4 million per season and could be moved as well. He’s 29 and a good power forward to have, but may make a little too much money for what he produces.
Artemi Panarin, 23, has two years left on his entry-level deal and if he can come in and play a contributing role for the Blackhawks next season, Bowman can feel a little more comfortable with making some moves. Saad will be one of the biggest free agents that Bowman will want to lock up quickly, as an offer sheet from another team of around $6 million could really put a strangle hold on the Blackhawks cap. Next, there’s Kruger, who the Hawks hope to get under contract around the $2-3 million mark. Nordstrom could expect another deal from Bowman, but likely around the $1 million or less type of deal and if Richards can be retained, it will need to be around or less than his last deal, which was $2 million last season.
The Draft Table
It will be a rather bland draft for fans of the Chicago Blackhawks, as the team possesses seven picks in seven rounds, but no first-round pick. That pick belongs to the Coyotes, as part of the trade that brought Vermette to town. While their second-round pick (61st overall) belongs to the Flyers, as part of the Timonen deal, they received the 54th selection as compensation for unsigned 2010 selection Kevin Hayes. In all, the Blackhawks will select 54th, 91st, 121st, 151st, 164th, 181st and 211th, although it seems very likely that Bowman can add some early to mid-round picks through pre-draft trades.
With Sharp on the block and likely to be moved before the draft, it’s possible the Blackhawks find themselves picking in the first-round. At the very least, they can expect a second-round selection and in a deep draft, even that could turn out to be a gem. After both Terevainen and Nordstrom graduated to the NHL, there will be a void to fill in their prospect pool. There’s Alexander Dergachyov, a good two-way center with NHL upside, that could slip because of the years he has left on his contract in the KHL. Bowman can also look at dependable centers like Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson or Julius Nattinen. Another option is to add some beef on the wing and take a look at one of Nikita Korostelev, Zachary Senyshyn or Dennis Yan.
With decisions to be made at every position and a core still young enough to build around, the Chicago Blackhawks dynasty of three Stanley Cups in six years may not be over with just yet. Toews, Kane, Hossa, Keith, Seabrook and Crawford is as solid a foundation that you’ll ever come across and with a few tweaks and up-and-coming prospects leaving their own stamp on the team, the Blackhawks appear to not be going anywhere.
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