The goal for every team in professional sports is to win the ultimate prize, a championship. One of the ways to do that, is to build a roster from the ground up, and keeping the best players under contract while putting the proper pieces around them. The Chicago Blackhawks have done that for a while now, and have seen plenty of success.
After five straight seasons of missing the playoffs, the run started for the Blackhawks in the 2008-09 season. They were incredible, winning 46 games and totaling 104 points. Although they didn’t win it all that year, they lost to a Red Wings franchise that had all the guidelines to build a successful team.
During the following year, the Blackhawks continued to take the league by storm and were 30 games over .500. They were led by their young studs Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, along with their young defensemen Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook. Not to mention that they had two All-Star snipers in Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa. That highly talented team went on to win the franchise’s first Stanley Cup since the 1960 season.
Chicago made the postseason the next two years, but were bounced out early as they didn’t make it past the first round in either year. Then there was the possibility of a full-season lockout during the 2012 season, but the NHL resolved the issue making a 48-game schedule. No team could have been happier for that decision than the Blackhawks.
Chicago started the 2012 season with an incredible streak, as they won 11-straight to begin the year, along with recording a point in 24 straight games, a new NHL record. With that hot start the Blackhawks cruised to another division title and locked up the one-seed in the West. The Blackhawks steam rolled through those playoffs and won their second Stanley Cup in four seasons.
Coming off another great season, the Blackhawks didn’t disappoint as they won another 46 games in 2013. They finished third in the division, and clinched yet another playoff spot. They won their first two series rather easily as they beat both the St. Louis Blues and the Minnesota Wild in six games respectively. Unfortunately for Chicago, they ran into a destined Los Angeles Kings team that beat them in seven games.
Many thought that would be the end of the Blackhawk’s run, but it made them stronger than ever. Chicago remained one of the top teams in the league this season, as they won 48 games. Although the ‘Hawks showed some struggles throughout the playoffs, they still found a way to win as they won the Western Conference yet again, and were headed for a matchup against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Tampa Bay was on fire and proved that they were one of the best teams in hockey, but Chicago was too much for them. The Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup in Game 6 last night for their third Cup win in six years. But the big question is, does it end here?
During the upcoming offseason, the Blackhawks only have a few players to really worry about re-signing — Johnny Oduya, Brandon Saad, and Brad Richards. While I think they will let Oduya walk, I think Saad should be a priority since he is only 22 years old, and had an incredible Stanley Cup Playoffs. There's a chance Richards will be back with the team because he only signed for $2 million last offseason, so I don’t see his price being too high if he wants to be back.
No one can really argue what Chicago is doing, because the Blackhawks front office has clearly put together an incredible team other than those players listed. Chicago has been great during this stretch because of the young talent they got through the draft and free agency. That talent starts with Toews, Kane, Keith, Crawford, Hossa, and on down the list. The front office has done such a good job, that these players are under contract for at least the next four years. Sure, money will be tight from year to year in trying to add more talent, but the Blackhawks have their key core of seven or eight players.
The Blackhawks have had a great run over these last six seasons, but it doesn’t seem like it will be slowing down anytime soon. Sure, they will have some readjusting to do with their roster in terms of money next season, but for the most part, all of the important pieces are there. They will not only continue to be one of the best teams in the West, but in the entire NHL. Hats off to you Blackhawks front office, you have done an incredible job in building this dynasty.