Chicago Blackhawks 2014-15 Season Preview

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.