2009-10 NHL Season Preview: Chicago Blackhawks

by James Mirtle on Sep 17, 2009 3:30 PM CDT Comment 11 comments

M. Spencer Green - AP

Who's in: Marian Hossa, Tomas Kopecky, John Madden
Who's out: Martin Havlat, Nikolai Khabibulin, Sami Pahlsson, Matt Walker

Outlook: You can't argue with the ‘Hawks success of late, but their method of getting there continues to be curious.

Chicago's first big sign of tumult in the summer came when a handful of restricted free agents failed to receive qualifying offers on time, a paperwork debacle that resulted in slightly larger contracts for the likes of Cam Barker and Kris Versteeg and, ultimately, with GM Dale Tallon being replaced by his assistant, Stan Bowman.

And then there was that whole Patrick Kane incident with the cab driver to cap it all off.

That mess followed the ‘Hawks becoming one of the biggest players in the free agent market, however, as they signed away Marian Hossa and Tomas Kopecky from the rival Red Wings and added dependable defensive forward John Madden on a cheap one-year deal.

The loss of Havlat up front should mean that the scoring duties will fall to the youngsters (especially while Hossa recovers from off-season shoulder surgery that will keep him out until at least late November), and Huet gets the No. 1 role in goal by default with Khabibulin off to Edmonton.

How those transitions play out will be a big part of the 'Hawks season, but I expect Chicago to remain one of the league's highest-scoring teams and at long last begin to challenge Detroit for the Central Division title.

X-factor: Cristobal Huet

For a more in-depth Blackhawks preview, visit Second City Hockey
For more NHL analysis, check out the McKeen's Hockey Yearbook

Poll

Where will the 'Hawks finish in the Western Conference this season?

1

40 votes

2

66 votes

3

34 votes

4

91 votes

5

34 votes

6

13 votes

7

8 votes

8

1 votes

9

4 votes

10

1 votes

11

0 votes

12

0 votes

13

0 votes

14

1 votes

15

12 votes

305 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

I’d worry more about Huet if Crawford and Niemi weren’t waiting in the wings. They can either push him to play consistently well the way he and Khabibulan pushed each other last year or either of them can step in and play his best game just as Huet did last year in the stretch run and as he did when Khabibulan went down.

What does worry me is the effect of the 20 cent fiasco on a pretty young team. I think it could go either way: they could ignore it with the elan of youth or it could eat away at them. Same thing with the Talon mess. Fans will have to hope that time and other distractions like Olympic camps will do the job I guess.

The Hawks have a team that is poised to really take off this year. Let’s hope there’s no launch delays.

by BJLB on Sep 17, 2009 3:45 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Funny, we’re worried about completely opposite things. I think Kane’s cab ride and the Stan Bowman hiring are already out of the players’ minds entirely (Bowman spent a LOT of time with the Hawks’ AHL team and knows all the youngsters very well, and Kane even boarded with him … it’s not like Tallon and Bowman are good witch/bad witch).

I’m most worried about what happens in the 30 or so games Huet doesn’t play. Crawford and Niemi are as yet just good prospects; no one has any real clue if they’re good NHLers. I’m sure their competitiveness and desire are very high, as you allude to … but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re going to win.

by ChicoMaki on Sep 17, 2009 5:08 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

“it’s not like Tallon and Bowman are good witch/bad witch”

No, it’s not the personalities that concern me, it’s the after effects: these are young players who had a coaching change four games into the season and then a GM change a couple of weeks after the draft, and I wish I could say both were of the smooth and seamless variety. That’s quite a different landscape in 10 months. Then comes the cab ride distraction…

Young guys need stability, I think; but as I say I’m hoping that maybe their inexperience will allow them to ignore it all. I hope so.

As for Crawford and Niemi, I think you’ll see when they get their chance that they’re the real deal. Hope the hockey gods grant us a superb season by Huet, but although I know he can step up bigtime it’s consistency that really pays the bills.

What can I say. I worry about these things. I’m a fan. Deadly combination a few days into training camp.

by BJLB on Sep 17, 2009 9:20 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

James I beg of you, these 30 teams in 30 days kind of junk… TSN, NHL and a couple other blogs that are not nearly as good as yours have already done it. I’m tired!

by k3vi0 on Sep 17, 2009 5:09 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

this is actually 30 teams in 15 days...

Blue and Gold (of Buffalo)

by Ebscer on Sep 17, 2009 5:28 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I hear you. I’m not devoting a ton of space to these things — just a quick blurb and a poll.

The real reason I’m doing it is that next week I’m going on vacation for quite a while and need something to post while I’m gone. I know it’s not that exciting, but I need a break!

Blogging on hockey at fromtherink.com

by James Mirtle on Sep 17, 2009 5:43 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

“TSN, NHL and a couple other blogs that are not nearly as good as yours have already done it. I’m tired!”

But with James on FTR you get his comments and a poll to consider and debate as well as three excellent links.

Don’t waste time with pale imitations.

The best is always worth waiting for.

by BJLB on Sep 17, 2009 9:43 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs

#15 really???

Stay classy Detroit

Praise Him!!

by Hawk is God on Sep 17, 2009 6:18 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Heh, don’t worry, this has been happening on all of them.

Blogging on hockey at fromtherink.com

by James Mirtle on Sep 17, 2009 7:32 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I’ll bet it isn’t even a hockey fan – someone who hates the sport and has an odd compulsion to vote that all teams will stink next year. :)

Maybe a NFL fan whose team looks really, really bad so far, or has a key injury already – maybe even a Chicago Bears fan, for that matter!

"For myself I am an optimist - it does not seem to be much use being anything else." -- Winston S. Churchill

by Baroque on Sep 17, 2009 7:43 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

1st in the West and 1st Overall

Ladies and Gentlemen the President’s Trophy (although accomplishing this feat in 91 wasn’t such a good thing).
With Toews, Kane, Hossa, Sharp, Bolland, and Versteeg the Hawks have all the weapons necessary to win shoot em’ up style of games, but with the tandem of Keith and Seabrook to go along with Campbell, Barker, Hjalmarsson, and A. Johnson the Hawks also posess the defensive posture to win the 2-1 games as well. The goaltending tandem of Huet and Crawford may keep some Hawks fans up at night, but in the end both should be solid enough to help the Hawks continue their successful drive towards the top spot in the Western Conference.
They showed a tremendous amount of poise in reaching the Conference Finals especially given that the Hawks seemingly bucked the trend that consistantly had them fall behind in playoff games only to respond with comeback after comeback.
With 1 playoff season under their belt and the drive to take it one step further look for the Hawks (despite Hossa’s injury) to come flying out of the gates and continue to control the Central Division throughout the season. Granted there will be some bumps in the road, but all the pieces are in place for a run at the President’s Trophy this season.

It's never about the eventual destination, but rather the long journey and its challenging obstacles that are presented and what it takes to overcome them, that makes the taste of success all the more worthwhile!!!

by hawks61 on Sep 17, 2009 9:23 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs