Chicago Blackhawks 2014-15 Season Preview

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CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS

Jun 1, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews (19) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal against the Los Angeles Kings during the first period in game seven of the Western Conference Final of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

2013-14 RECAP

The perennial powerhouse Blackhawks showed their might yet again, finishing with another 100 point season (107 to be exact), but that was only good enough for 3rd in the tough Central Division.  After beating St. Louis and then Minnesota in the first and second round respectively, they fell to the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Los Angeles Kings in 7 games in the Conference final.

Jun 4, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; New York Rangers center Brad Richards (19) warms up before game one of the 2014 Stanley Cup Final against the Los Angeles Kings at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

CHANGES

IN –  Brad Richards

OUT- Michal Handzus, Brandon Bollig

The Blackhawks have become the poster franchise for how to build a team.  Keep the stars happy and fill in the rest of the roster with cheaper players who want to be there and will play for less knowing the opportunity to win is there.  There isn’t much turnover on the roster and the top end talent that is still entering their prime are locked up for a long time.

Mar 25, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Blackhawks left wing Teuvo Teravainen (86) reaches for the puck against Dallas Stars center Dustin Jeffrey (11) during the first period at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

3 BIG QUESTIONS

1.  How good will Teuvo Teravainen be? – The young Finnish prospect would be a full-time NHLer on almost any other club, but the depth of the Hawks means he will have to fight for his ice time. He got his feet wet in both the AHL and a 3 game stint in the NHL after spending most of the season in Finland, and will compete for a roster spot this camp.

2.  Will David Rundblad ever pan out?  – The player is a former Swedish league top defenseman, but has been given up on by 3 NHL teams – St. Louis, Ottawa and Phoenix – and has been traded on three different occasions.  He hasn’t been able to get full-time NHL duty in 4 North American seasons.  He is still relatively young at 23, but time for him to step up is running out quickly.

3.  Is lack of turnover hurting prospect development?  Usually consistency is a good thing, but there isn’t much room on such a stable roster for the prospects in the system to get much of a chance.  Players like Mark MacNeill and Matt Carey need opportunities for advancement and that isn’t happening much with the stability of the Hawks.  I know its nit-picking but it is a factor.

Jan 28, 2014; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Chicago Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville reacts to a call during the second period against the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports

PREDICTION

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The Blackhawks core is still entering its prime, so that is bad news for the rest of the Conference.  The road to the Stanley Cup will continue to run through Chi-town, and any given season the Hawks could raise another Stanley Cup Banner.  In fact, the culture of the Hawks has developed into the fact that anything less than the Cup is a failure.

1st Central Division

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