Chicago Blackhawks 2015-16 Season Primer

2014-15 record: 48-28-6, 102 points (3^rd in the Central Division, 4^th in the Western Conference, 7^th in the league)
2014-15 Outcome: Stanly Cup Champions

Player Salaries: $83,973,333 (21)
Cap Payroll: $71,168,460
Bonuses: $500,000
Cap Space: $231,540
Forwards: $43,568,000 (13)
Defensemen: $20,713,000 (6)
Goalies: $6,587,500 (2)

In: Ryan Garbutt, RW/LW (T – Dal), Trevor Daley, D (T – Dal), Liam Coughlin, C/LW (T – Edm), Michael Liambas, D (FA-Minors), Cameron SChi)lling, D (FA – Wsh), Viktor Tikhonov, C/W (FA – Ari), Corey Tropp, RW/LW (T – CBJ), Jeremy Morin, RW/LW (T – CBJ), Marko Dano, W/C (T – CBJ), Artem Anisimov, C (T – CBJ), Ryan Haggerty, RW (T – NYR), Erik Gustafsson, D (FA), Artemy Panarin, LW/RW (FA-Europe)

Out: Johnny Oduya, D (FA – Dal), Matt Carey, C/LW (FA-Minors), Stephen Johns, D (T – Dal), Patrick Sharp, LW/RW (T – Dal), Drew LeBlanc, C/RW (FA-Europe), Anders Nilsson, G (T – Edm), Cody Bass, RW (FA – Nas), Antoine Vermette, C (FA – Ari), Brad Richards, C (FA – Det), Alex Broadhurst, C (T – CBJ), Michael Paliotta, D (T – CBJ), Brandon Saad, LW/RW (T – CBJ), Antti Raanta, G (T – NYR), Pierre-Cedric Labrie, LW (FA-Minors), Spencer Abbott, RW (FA-Europe), Kimmo Timonen, D (Retired), Peter Regin, C/W (FA-Europe)

Source: Sports Forecaster

Outlook for the Season:

After winning the Stanley Cup for the third time in 6 years, Blackhawks fans spent much of the offseason oscillating between ecstatic that their team is the new “dynasty” and waiting for the other shoe to drop with respect to their overburdened salary cap. After all, with the new contracts for Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane kicking in this year, change was inevitable. The first blow of many was a blockbuster trade that sent RFA Brandon Saad and two prospects to the Columbus Bluejackets in return for a passel of players.

Two that are expected to have an immediate impact next year are centers Artem Anisimov and Marko Dano. Anisimov will slot right in as 2^nd line center now that Brad Richards has joined the Red Wings. Hampered by injury last year, his 1.9 Points/60 will be a good complement to wingers Kane and…well, whoever Coach Joel “Line Blender” Quenneville feels like putting on the left. Dano, on the other hand, spent 35 games with the Blue Jackets last year, but the majority of his time was in Springfield with their AHL affiliate. With strong possession metrics and effective production, the 20 year old Dano could easily fit in as a 3^rd or 4^th liner while he learns the Blackhawks’ system. Fortunately, he’s waiver exempt, so if the Hawks need to get him more minutes, he can be shuttled back and forth to Rockford with ease.

The second huge trade came in July, with the Hawks sending winger Patrick Sharp and prospect Stephen Johns south to Texas in return for defender Trevor Daley and winger Ryan Garbutt. Daley, 30, was coming off a career year, and is expected to help Niklas Hjalmarsson shore up the blue line, as his partner of the last few years, Johnny Oduya, left as a UFA. Garbutt, however, was less than stellar for the Stars last season, and will have to step up his game on the deep Hawks roster. Both are speedy, with plenty of special teams experience, so while neither has the firepower of Sharp, they should be able to keep up with Chicago’s fast, skillful style of play.

Another interesting addition to the roster is winger Artemy Panarin, 23. A Russian player who has spent his career thus far in the KHL. GM Stan Bowman is confident Panarin will make the jump to the NHL level, but wants to temper fans’ expectations, likening his development to that of Teuvo Teravainen. With St. Petersburg this past season, Panarin put up 62 points in 54 regular season games, and a point per game in the playoffs, where the team eventually captured the Gagarin Cup. If he can make even half that kind of impact on the Hawks, he’ll be a name to watch.

Fortunately, the cup winning tandem of Corey Crawford and Scott Darling will return in net, giving the team some much needed calm amidst a sea of change. Crawford ended the regular season with a 0.924 Save percentage and 2.27 GAA. Darling, a virtual unknown before last season, posted an impressive 0.936 Save percentage and a 1.94 GAA.

With a completely retooled offense and a much different defense, the Dynasty Blackhawks may find themselves on the outside looking in come playoff time. Still, Chicago should never be counted out, and will remain a difficult team to play against this season.

Trending Up:

Teuvo Teravainen:  This 20 year old Finn was good, but not great, in the regular season, posting just 9 points in 34 games. A natural center, he frequently found himself struggling on the wing and bouncing back and forth between Chicago and Rockford, where their AHL affiliate plays.

But then came the playoffs. Teravainen posted 2.52 Points/60 in the playoffs, fourth best on the team. He was fast and sneaky, making the third line with Antoine Vermette one of the most frustrating to play against. Look for him to keep up the scoring in the coming season, especially if he gets moved back to center.

Trending Down:

Patrick Kane: While there’s no argument about Kane’s talent or importance to the Blackhawks’ offense, the recent accusations of rape are still being investigated by Buffalo police. There has been no word yet on whether he will be suspended during these investigations should they continue into the season, but if charges are pressed, a suspension is likely coming, especially with the precedent set last season during the Voynov case.

Even if he doesn’t face charges, you have to wonder how much longer the Blackhawks will support a player who was considered a face of the franchise. After all, this is far from his first brush with the law, as he has had public issues with both alcohol and violence before. His $10.5 million cap hit is due to kick in this season, so it will be difficult for the Hawks to cut and run, but they could definitely be weighing the option.

Trade Deadline Outlook:

Still up tight against the cap, the Blackhawks will need one of two things, depending on the outcome of the Kane investigation. If Kane does play this season, they’ll be scouting for cheap bottom pair defensemen, as they were victimized by injury last year, forcing a superhuman performance from Duncan Keith. However, if Kane is suspended, it’s likely the Blackhawks will receive cap relief for his hefty salary, which they will be forced to use to find another top 6 winger to fill his spot.

Projected 2015-16 Range: Playoff Chances: Bubble

Written by Carolyn Wilke, who can be found on twitter @Classlicity

Blackhawks: Outlook | Lines and Roster | Top Prospects | Draft History | Stats | Schedule

Potential line combinations, defensive pairings, and goalies.

Teuvo Teravainen – Jonathan Toews – Patrick Kane
Artemi Panarin – Artem Anisimov – Marian Hossa
Kris Versteeg – Andrew Shaw – Marko Dano
Bryan Bickell – Marcus Kruger – Ryan Garbutt
Andrew Desjardins – Viktor Tikhonov

Duncan Keith – Brent Seabrook
Niklas Hjalmarsson – Trevor Daley
David Rundblad – Trevor van Riemsdyk
Ville Pokka

Corey Crawford
Scott Darling

Blackhawks: Outlook | Lines and Roster | Top Prospects | Draft History | Stats | Schedule

Some top Blackhawks prospect lists heading into the season.

* Different sites have different guidelines for who is a ‘prospect.’ Dobber Prospects bases their rankings on future fantasy value.

1. Artemy Panarin: Left Wing – 5’11” / 170 lbs – Chicago signed the 23-year old Russian sniper to an entry level contract as an undrafted free agent and the expectations and anticipation for his NHL impact are significant. Panarin will be given every opportunity to debut on the first line with Toews and Hossa as a replacement for Saad. He lacks ideal NHL size and perhaps that along with the “Russian Factor” explains why he went undrafted. But his offensive skills are NHL calibre. He played for Russia at the World Championship against NHL players and passed the eye test with flying colors. This past season in the KHL he scored an impressive 62 points in 54 games. Expect Panarin to come to training camp with his sights set on not only making the team but playing in a top six role immediately.

2. Ryan Hartman: Right Wing – 5’11” / 191 lbs – Hartman was over a point per game player in his junior career with the Plymouth Whalers and made the full time transition to pro last season. He played in 69 games with Rockford scoring only 37 points. Hartman also made his NHL debut, seeing five games with the Hawks. Hartman projects to be an important piece for the Hawks but perhaps not as a prolific scorer like he was in the OHL. Hartman plays a very versatile game and is able to play any forward position as well as a sound two-way game. But his real niche is his agitating and aggressive game. Hartman loves to mix things up, dig pucks out of the corners, and cause havoc in front of the net. His skating needs to improve to keep pace in the NHL and he should return to Rockford to help develop his pro offensive game some more as well. He is coming, and will be a force when he arrives.

3. Trevor van Riemsdyk: Defence – 6’2” / 188 lbs – TVR was last summer’s key free agent signing and began turning heads in training camp, where he earned a roster spot right out of the gate. Coach Quenneville was quick to sing the praises of TVR and he was quickly moving up the depth chart until a knee injury put him out of the lineup. While rehabbing from that injury, he suffered another injury that finished his regular season. In the playoffs, injuries to other players opened the door for TVR to return to the Hawks lineup. He stepped right into the Finals and did not look out of place. He is a lock to play for the Hawks this season and will be in the bottom two pairings.

4. Nick Schmaltz: Centre – 6’0” / 171 lbs – The Hawks traded up in the 2014 draft to select Schmaltz who they identified as a playmaking centre who could someday develop into the second line centre behind Toews. After three seasons in the USHL, Schmaltz went the college route last year playing with North Dakota. He had 26 points in 38 games and was also a part of team USA at the World Juniors in which he managed one assist in five games as an 18 year old. He will play at least one more year in college and can return for another go around with USA at the World Juniors as a 19 year old.

5. Ville Pokka: Defence – 6’0” / 214 lbs – Pokka was a key acquisition in the trade that sent Nick Leddy to the Islanders for salary cap reasons. Pokka enjoyed a successful season in Finland with Karpat scoring 27 points in 54 games and posting an impressive plus-32. Pokka made his North American debut with Rockford last year and did not disappoint. He played in 68 games as a rookie and scored 30 points with eight goals. The Hawks boast impressive depth on defence despite recently purging Oduya and Stephen Johns to Dallas so there is no rush with Pokka who just turned 21. Pokka will return to Rockford where he can play big minutes in all situations while he continues to gain some seasoning.

Expanded Top 10 Blackhawks prospects with videos and stats can be read here. 

Blackhawks: Outlook | Lines and Roster | Top Prospects | Draft History | Stats | Schedule

A look at the Chicago Blackhawks drafting from 2010 to 2015.

Blackhawks: Outlook | Lines and Roster | Top Prospects | Draft History | Stats | Schedule

Chicago Blackhawks 2014-15 player stats.

Blackhawks: Outlook | Lines and Roster | Top Prospects | Draft History | Stats | Schedule

A look at the Chicago Blackhawks 2015-16 schedule.

Blackhawks: Outlook | Lines and Roster | Top Prospects | Draft History | Stats | Schedule