The Chicago Blackhawks didn’t waste any time making moves after their ticker-tape parade. The champagne was barely dry in Patrick Kane’s fluffy mullet before the Hawks had dealt Stanley Cup hero David Bolland to Toronto.
Chicago also sent Michael Frolik to the Winnipeg Jets. Both players were moved in exchange for draft picks, which translates loosely into "salary cap space." Chicago has been down this road before. General manager Stan Bowman wasted no time at all when he dismantled the 2010 Stanley Cup winners, sending key pieces to zip codes across the NHL. Don't be surprised if he uses the same blueprint on this team.
The core has remained intact since that last Chicago championship. The aforementioned Kane, captain Jonathan Toews, Patrick Sharp, Marian Hossa and Duncan Keith comprise the heart of the Hawks roster. All are locked into contracts with Chicago for the next two years. Kane and Toews have matching deals that expire in the summer of 2015 while the other three are all attached with deals over the next five years.
As I have mentioned (many times) before, the last back-to-back champions were the 1997 and 1998 Detroit Red Wings. If Chicago wants to have a shot at a similar feat, they’ll need to follow a few steps from yours truly. Hope you are paying attention Stan Bowman.
After shipping out Bolland and Frolik, everyone knew that the Hawks would focus their new pocket change on pending free agent Bryan Bickell. Bickell obliged, admitting he had no interest in hitting the open market. He signed a four-year deal/extension that will pay him $4 million per year.
Bickell was the most important player for the Blackhawks to keep in the fold, showing a keen nose for the net with some clutch goals in the postseason. The Hawks didn’t overpay to keep him around and will still have a few bills left over to give to Marcus Kruger, their only restricted free agent.
Standing pat isn’t going to be enough for the Blackhawks though. I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see them deal Hossa or one of their high dollar defensemen. Chicago currently has 22 players under contract, including two goalies now. Nikolai Khabibulin replaces Ray Emery as the backup, returning to city he called home from 2005-2009.
Bowman has to decide if he is going to make a serious run at a repeat this season or risk losing a lot more after next year. Chicago will want to lock up Kane and Toews to long-term deals sooner than later. At 24 (Kane) and 25 (Toews) respectively, their next deal will be the most expensive and the longest. In order to keep both players, legitimate consideration needs to be made about moving players soon.
In addition to the two marque forwards in the windy city, the Blackhawks will need to open up their checkbook for the hero of their 2013 championship, Corey Crawford. The Hawk goaltender elevated his game in every round of the playoffs and will have “Stanley Cup winner” on the resume when it comes time to negotiate his next contract. Crawford enters the final year of his deal this year, and the 28-year old will almost certainly command double the $2.8 million he is currently making.
So while the immediate picture in Chicago looks great, the clouds of change are on the horizon. Sure the temptation and opportunity to repeat as champions is great, but Bowman has shown the ability to build and rebuild a winner. Don’t be surprised to see the Blackhawks as major players this summer with the bigger picture and future of the franchise in mind.