2010-11 NHL Season Preview: Chicago Blackhawks

The story of the 2010 NHL off-season has been the mass exodus of talent in the wake of the Chicago Blackhawks first Stanley Cup win in 49 years. It is a sad reality of the salary cap era in the NHL, as championship teams have trouble staying together long enough to become a dynasty. Despite the numerous trades and free agent departures, the Chicago Blackhawks still have a wealth of talent that could allow them to repeat as Stanley Cup champions.

Long Term Deals
The Chicago Blackhawks were very smart in locking up several key players into long term deals. Captain Jonathan Toews sticking around long term is excellent, as Toews is only going to get better as he enters his prime. Same with Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith, both of whom are young enough to develop past the already impressive game that they play.

Marian Hossa is also locked in for the duration of his hockey career, as is Brian Campbell. Both players have seen better days, but if injuries do not factor in it would come as no surprise if either had another career year in the near future.

While they do not have the same marquee value as a Hossa or Toews, the Blackhawks also have several depth talents that are signed at least through the end of 2010-11 and could end up coming back for more. Dave Bolland is in for four more seasons, and is developing into a great stay-at-home forward. Second line center Patrick Sharp has two more, and serves as a great complement to Jonathan Toews.

On defense, Niklas Hjalmarsson was signed to a hefty offer sheet that should see him remain in Chicago for four more seasons. The deal looks a little overpriced at the moment, but Hjalmarsson could surprise many.

Brent Seabrook's deal expires at the end of the 2010-11 NHL Season, but he will only become a restricted free agent. Putting money on the Chicago Blackhawks clearing space to keep Brent Seabrook would be a very safe bet.

Changes
Almost every defensive forward has departed Chicago in order to clear cap space. That includes Andrew Ladd, Dustin Byfuglien, Ben Eager (all to the Atlanta Thrashers), John Madden (Minnesota Wild), Kris Versteeg (Toronto Maple Leafs), Colin Fraser (Edmonton Oilers) and Adam Burish (Dallas Stars). That severely hurts Chicago's depth, which is what made them so deadly last season.

Viktor Stalberg was the only NHL ready player that Chicago got back in return, and he will be called upon to make some significant contributions. Stalberg actually played quite well for the Toronto Maple Leafs last season, and 15-20 goals should not be out of the questions, especially if given the right line mates.

The other big addition to the forwards was Fernando Pisani. If healthy, Pisani can provide a great punch that even last season's Blackhawks did not have. Too bad Fernando Pisani is injured more often than not.

Only one real change comes of defense, with Brent Sopel being a part of the blockbuster Atlanta Thrashers deal. The Chicago Blackhawks decided to bring in massive defenseman John Scott in the case of injury, but the bulk of Sopel's playing time will probably be filled by Nick Boynton and Jordan Hendry.

What Is Going On In Net?
The most confusing situation in the 2010 off-season has been Chicago's goaltending situation. After winning the Stanley Cup it was widely expected that restricted free agent Antti Niemi would return to the Blackhawks and start for the team for a long time. That did not happen, as an arbitrator awarded Niemi a deal that the Chicago Blackhawks did not feel was appropriate.

So Antti Niemi signed a deal with the San Jose Sharks and former Dallas Stars net minder Marty Turco was brought in to fill the void. At first it looked as though Cristobal Huet would be splitting time with Turco, but further salary cap issues have forced the Chicago Blackhawks to loan Huet to another league in order to avoid another cap penalty. That opens the door for Corey Crawford, who has been sitting in the minors far too long.

Tough to Repeat
The closest any team has come to repeating as Stanley Cup champions in recent years has been the Detroit Red Wings' defending Lord Stanley's Mug against the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2008-09. The Penguins took down the mighty Red Wings to claim the Cup for themselves that year, spoiling any chance of a repeat.

The Chicago Blackhawks, while retaining a lot of great talent, has clearly been downgraded from last season. The depth is not the same any more, and the goaltending situation could either turn out very well or very badly.

With born leaders like Jonathan Toews and Duncan Keith on the team it is hard to imagine the Blackhawks do not make the NHL playoffs in 2011. There is still just too much young, dynamic talent to ignore. Another deep playoff run is pretty much a sure bet, though Chicago will have to try and fight from a much lower seed than last year.

Predicted Standings
Central Division: 3^rd
Western Conference: 7^th
NHL: 12^th

Depth Chart

Forwards
Troy Brouwer - Jonathan Toews - Patrick Kane
Viktor Stalberg - Patrick Sharp - Marian Hossa
Jeff Taffe - Dave Bolland - Tomas Kopecky
Bryan Bickell - Jake Dowell - Fernando Pisani
Jack Skille

Defense
Brent Seabrook - Duncan Keith
Niklas Hjalmarsson - Brian Campbell
Nick Boynton - Jordan Hendry
John Scott - Ivan Vishnevskiy

Goaltenders
Marty Turco
Corey Crawford

Sources

http://www.nhl.com
http://www.tsn.ca
http://www.espn.com
http://www.hockeydb.com
http://www.nhlnumbers.com