The Chicago Blackhawks were the Chicago Black Hawks prior to the1986 NHL season, the second two words officially joined afterwards for reasons that are not clear and naturally with no impact on the team's play. The changes they made this year however were player changes for clear monetary reasons and it has been suggested that the impact on the team's play will be great.
But here's the news: the shake-up has been overblown.
The Hawks lost Dustin Byfuglien, Andrew Ladd, Brent Sopel, Ben Eager, all with Atlanta now, Kris Versteeg (Toronto), Colin Fraser (Edmonton), Adam Burish (Dallas) and John Madden (Minnesota). And despite becoming the first rookie goalie to lead his team to a Cup since Ken Dryden with the Montreal Canadians in 1971, Anti Niemi is gone. But with the players Chicago still has the losses may have little impact.
Chicago Still Uber-Talented with Toews, Kane, Sharp, Hossa, Keith and More
Consider the talent Chicago still has: Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Brent Seabrook, Marian Hossa, Patrick Sharp, Brian Campbell, Troy Brouwer, Dave Bolland, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Tomas Kopecky and Norris Trophy winner Duncan Keith. Of those no less than 7 can be considered stars: Toews, Seabrook, Kane, Campbell, Keith, Sharp and Hossa.
And an outstanding veteran in Marty Turco to replace Niemi.
In Toews, Kane, Hossa and Sharp Chicago has one of the league's top four forward groups and in Seabrook, Keith, Campbell and Hjalmarsson they may have the best four defense grouping in the NHL. Others like Bolland, Brouwer and Kopecky have shown they are ready to be strong NHL players.
Most Players Traded and Gone Will Not Be as Missed by Stanley Cup Champs
Of players lost Eager, Fraser, Burish and Madden can be replaced. With the exception of Madden, 37 and not as effective as he was when he was with New Jersey, these players were healthy scratches some nights in the playoffs; Fraser played only three games of the 22 the Blackhawks played on the way to their first Stanley Cup since 1961.
Byfuglien Will be Missed by Hawks
It comes down to the following four: Kris Versteeg, Andrew Ladd, Brent Sopel and Dustin Byfuglien. Sopel is a journeyman, a strong veteran presence for young players but the Blackhawks have a Cup now and their poise has increased tenfold. Sopel won't be missed.
Meanwhile Ladd had 17 goals, Versteeg 20 goals and Byfuglien17 goals and 34 points. Those numbers can be replaced but the biggest issue is replacing the biggest player, Byfuglien, a terror in front of the net in the playoffs, especially against the Vancouver Canucks and Philadelphia Flyers in the Stanley Cup final. But he's just one player.
Stan Bowman Added Players to Organization and Has Talented Youngsters
G.M. Stan Bowman added size with 6'8' John Scott, Viktor Stalberg (from Toronto in the Versteeg deal) and have others waiting like Jack Skille, Bryan Bickell and Jake Dowell. Scott, Skille, Bickell, Dowell and Stalberg are young and each has some NHL experience.
They also have prospects like Nick Leddy and Kyle Beach. Beach scored 52 goals in 68 games for the Spokane Chiefs last season, adding seven more in seven junior playoff games and getting three in four playoff games with Chicago's AHL affiliate, the Rockford Ice Dogs. He might be ready now.
The evidence suggest that the changes Chicago has made this summer may have no more impact than the change from Black Hawk to Blackhawks, which is another way of saying that the wait between the Hawk's 2010 Stanley Cup and their next could only be one year.
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