If you want to have a good fantasy hockey team, chances are that you will have at least one Chicago Blackhawk on your roster. Here are the top five Hawks for fantasy purposes.
1. Patrick Kane, Right Wing
One of the best scorers in the game, 2013 Conn Smythe Trophy winner Patrick Kane will help you tremendously in the goals and assists program. He was a point-per-game player last season, as he had 29 goals and 40 assists in 69 games. He also is not afraid to throw the puck at the net, and will pay huge dividends for you if your league counts shots on goal.
2. Jonathan Toews, Center
Arguably the best player in the world, the Blackhawks captain is ranked slightly below Kane for fantasy purposes because he is more of a two-way player. He can also help you out in many ways, though, as he will score nearly as many times as Kane and will also have a high plus-minus rating because of his terrific defensive ability.
3. Patrick Sharp, Left Wing
Toews and Kane are the biggest names, but Sharp actually led the Blackhawks in scoring last season. He netted 34 goals and added 44 assists with a plus-thirteen rating and a team-leading 313 shots on goal.
2013-14 was the 32-year-old's best season of his career thus far, so don't expect him to duplicate those numbers exactly. Nevertheless, he has been extremely consistent over his tenure with Chicago and could be a very valuable asset to your fantasy team.
4. Corey Crawford, Goalie
Crawford is one of those players whose fantasy value is higher than his value in real life. He is a middle-of-the-pack goaltender in terms of talent in the NHL, but he is one of the better fantasy goaltenders since he plays on such a good Chicago team.
The Blackhawks are a top puck-possession team and also a very good team defensively. Because of this, there will not be many shots on Crawford and, thus, less goals against. Chicago's skill will also help get you a good amount of wins if you have Crawford as your keeper.
There is a thorn to the rose, however, as the low shot totals will certainly give you a lower save percentage from Crawford.
Nevertheless, the fact that Chicago is one of the league's best teams makes Crawford a very valuable fantasy goaltender.
5. Duncan Keith, Defensive
Keith may be the best all-around defenseman in hockey, as he makes significant contributions on both sides of the puck. Unlike some other defensemen, Keith takes a boatload of shots (he had more than Toews last season) and can play an offensive style game without forfeiting his defensive awareness.
Because of his two-way play, Keith ended up with a plus-22 rating last season (remember, he is always out there against the opponent's top forwards) while also leading the Blackhawks in assists with 55.