Surging Blackhawks make all the right moves
When the Chicago Blackhawks went on a tear in late November, winning eight in a row and 11 of 12, they did so with what seemed like an added sense of urgency.
Not, however, for the reason you might think.
Yes, the Blackhawks could be victims of the salary cap again next summer. The hefty eight-year, $84 million contracts for Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane kick in. Brandon Saad and Joakim Nordstrom, youngsters who could be key players for years to come, will be due for raises. So, too, will veterans Michal Rozsival and Johnny Oduya.
Another year down the road, Brent Seabrook's and Kris Versteeg's contracts will be up.
But the Blackhawks, winners of two Stanley Cups in the last five years, aren't driven by the thought of this being their last chance to win it all.
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They're driven because it's their next chance to win it all.
"We expect every year to win. We recognize that's a tall order to pull that off, but you've got to set your expectations high," Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman said. "I don't know internally that it's any different this year than last year. We set up to win the Cup coming off the one in 2013 when we won.
"We came up a little short last year; we had a very good season, but it didn't end the way we wanted. When we started this year, the goal was, 'Let's go all the way again.' We've got to do a lot of work to get there, though. You can't just say, 'We want to win.' You have to put in the work to get there."
After winning its first Stanley Cup in 49 years in 2010, Chicago was forced to purge its roster because of salary cap pressure. Playoff star Dustin Byfuglien, who had three goals just in the Final, was traded along with Versteeg, Andrew Ladd, Brent Sopel, Ben Eager and Colin Fraser. (Versteeg has since returned.) Starting goalie Antti Niemi and Adam Burish were allowed to walk.
Yet three years later, there the 'Hawks were, lifting the Cup.
"It seems like the organization continues to make good decisions and the right choices," said forward Patrick Sharp, one of the longest-tenured Blackhawks. "The organization finds a way to replace those players with quality NHLers, and we continue to win."
Of course, it helps that Chicago's core is Kane and Toews, two of the NHL's best players. Both are dynamic scorers, able to create shots seemingly out of nothing. And do it when the Hawks need it most, too. Kane has an NHL-best five game-winning goals.
They're both expert passers, too, as dangerous when they're setting up someone else's shot as when they're taking their own. Kane leads the 'Hawks in assists, with Toews right behind him.
Toews also is one of the best defending forwards in the league, with a Selke Trophy to prove it.
"Those two guys make everything go," Bowman said. "Any team would die to have one of them, and we've got two."
There is more to the Blackhawks (25-10-2 heading into Thursday's Winter Classic) than Kane and Toews, however. More than Sharp and Marian Hossa, too.
A big reason Chicago was able to withstand the roster overhaul in 2010 — and a less severe one in 2013 — was because Bowman and his staff have made their development program a priority. Prospects are stockpiled and carefully groomed, ensuring there is always a fresh supply of young talent to fill whatever holes the Blackhawks have.
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"There's always changes year to year, and in a lot of ways I do think that's good. You want some new blood," Bowman said. "I think that's good to have some players that, even if you do go all the way, that weren't here to experience that. They want to be hungry, they want to know what it feels like to get to the ultimate."
When Andrew Shaw scored the winner in triple overtime to end an epic Game 1 of the 2013 Stanley Cup Final, he hadn't spent a full season in the NHL. Two years later, he's a staple in the Chicago lineup.
Ditto for Saad, who has emerged as a central figure in Chicago's offense in his second full season in the NHL.
"They're smart. They let players develop in the minors," Shaw said. "They draft well, have their core set of guys, and they've had success with it."
"They want winners and they find winners," Shaw added. "They go out and find them and bring them into the organization. Those are the types of players that are going to help you win championships."
The Blackhawks reached the Western Conference finals last season, falling to the Los Angeles Kings in seven games. Despite keeping that team largely intact, Chicago began this season slowly.
"That first month of the season, I think everyone was trying to find a role within the team," Sharp said.
But when the Blackhawks headed west on the annual "circus trip" — Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey take over the United Center for about 10 days every November — something clicked. They went 5-1.
That hot streak has continued, with Chicago dropping three games in the last month, one in a shootout in Columbus.
"I'm certainly glad that we got off to a good start so that we haven't dug a hole, but we've got to keep forging ahead," Bowman said. "What we did up to this point is somewhat irrelevant as we look at the rest of the season. We've put ourselves in a good place, which is important, but we've got to keep our foot on the gas and keep going."
Because no matter how much — or how little — the roster changes, the Blackhawks' goal never does.
"That's why we're part of this," Bowman said. "We want to win."
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