By Alex
Just when we thought we were about to witness a real genuine dynasty with the Chicago Blackhawks they turn around and say something stupid like “I love you” to go along with shedding salaries.
How good of a roster did the Hawks have? They’ve lost Adam Burrish, Ben Eager, Colin Fraser, Dustin Byfuglien, Antii Niemi, Andrew Ladd, Chris Versteeg and Brent Sopel but still retain Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp, Marian Hossa, Dave Bolland, Troy Brouwer, Tomas Kopecky, Niklas Hjalmarlsson, Brian Campbell, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook.
No doubt the departures of those eight players guts the heart and backbone of their roster. They crashed, banged and scored timely goals all year long. It’s hard to replace intangible components but not impossible. Dustin Byfuglien may prove to be the toughest to replace given his sheer size.
I don’t know if this is a Florida Marlins scenario. The Marlins dumped everyone and rebuilt from scratch. It’s their thing and do it well. The Hawks on the other hand preserved its identified core group. The question is whether this group can A) step it up a nothc, B) how much was “chemistry”was disrupted and C) it will depend on who management brings in or promotes. Such is operating a team in the salary cap era and if you make one little mistake – like, say, paying one player too much money – it can wreak havoc on how a team builds and solidifies its lineup.
Since the changes, the dynasty talk has subsided considerably. While the Hawks still possess more talent than most teams, it will be interesting how they’ll look this upcoming season. It won’t be easy with the likes of the Los Angeles Kings and St. Louis Blues set to show off their shiny toys.
And the incentive will be there to knock off #1; which is what the Hawks are.
