2014-15 Chicago Blackhawks Preview

Oct 1, 2014 - 7:30 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - Had the Chicago Blackhawks been able to get past the Los Angeles Kings in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals, there's a good chance we'd be talking about a hockey dynasty in the Windy City.

The Blackhawks won their second Stanley Cup in four years by beating Boston for the title in 2013, and they would have been prohibitive favorites to beat the New York Rangers last spring if they could've eliminated L.A. Instead, the Kings beat Chicago 5-4 in a thrilling overtime Game 7 before dispatching the Rangers in five games for their second Cup victory in three seasons.

Although the slate has been wiped clean, there's a good chance the battle for the 2015 Stanley Cup title could go through either Chicago or Los Angeles. So maybe we shouldn't give up on the dynasty talk just yet.

Like its rivals in L.A., Chicago is built for the postseason when depth and the ability to dominate puck possession are key factors for success.

Both teams also are adept at identifying which players are essential to the winning formula, and which ones are expendable. It's a handy skill to have when dealing with a salary cap. For Chicago, it meant signing stars Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews to identical eight-year, $84 million contract extensions in the offseason while trading away fellow forward Brandon Bollig.

If Chicago does have a weakness it's the inconsistency of goaltender Corey Crawford, but even he has a Stanley Cup title to prove he's good enough to get the job done when it matters most.

FORWARDS - It's no secret Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman knows his way around an NHL salary cap. Previous GM Dale Tallon may have built Chicago's 2010 championship team, but he was fired mere months after celebrating the title due to concerns about his handling of the cap situation.

Bowman made tough decisions in the summer of 2010, letting go of players like Antti Niemi, Dustin Byfuglien, Andrew Ladd and Kris Versteeg. Without that roster purge, both the 2013 championship season and Chicago's return trip to the West finals may not have been possible.

However, Bowman may not always be able to work cap miracles, especially after locking up Kane and Toews for big money through the 2022-23 season. Both players carry a cap hit of $6.3 million this season before the number jumps to $10.5 million when the extensions kick in at the start of 2015-16.

Considering everything Kane and Toews have accomplished since entering the league as rookies in 2007-08, it's possible the duo keeps on performing at the highest of levels well into their 30s. If that is the case, Bowman's investment could look like a bargain by the time 2023 rolls around.

Toews won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 2010 and Kane followed suit in 2013. They were Chicago's top postseason performers again last spring, with Kane leading the club in assists (12) and total points (20) while Toews paced the Hawks in goals (9) and was second in scoring with 17 points.

Whether Kane and Toews are together on the same line or head coach Joel Quenneville decides to split them up, it's safe to expect big things from Chicago's two-headed monster in 2014-15.

The 25-year-old Kane, who recorded 29 goals and 40 assists during the regular season, is likely to have offseason acquisition Brad Richards, and not Toews, as his centerman at the start of 2014-15.

Richards had his contract bought out by the New York Rangers after last season and joined Chicago on a one-year, $2 million deal. The 34-year-old had 20 goals and 51 points while playing in all 82 games for New York, and added five markers and seven assists in 25 playoff games. The Rangers had buyer's remorse concerning the nine-year, $60 million contract they signed Richards to in the summer of 2011 and decided to cut the cord.

After clicking with Kane last season it seems likely Brandon Saad will continue to play left wing opposite No. 88. The 21-year-old Saad had 19 goals and 28 assists during the regular season and added 16 points (6 goals, 10 assists) in 19 postseason tilts.

Toews is one of the best two-way centermen in the league, as the 26-year-old is capable of taking on tough defensive assignments while sacrificing little from his offensive game. Chicago's captain recorded 68 points (28G, 40A) in 76 games and was again a finalist for the Selke Trophy after winning the NHL's best defensive award in 2013.

If the Saad-Richards-Kane combination pans out, Toews will likely center the top line along with wingers Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa. The line is not only counted on for scoring, but Hossa and Sharp also combine with Toews to form a formidable defensive unit.

Sharp led Chicago with 34 goals and 78 points during the 2013-14 regular season, but he had a disappointing playoffs with only five goals and five assists in 19 games. Hossa only had two goals in the playoffs, but his 12 helpers tied Kane and defenseman Brent Seabrook for the team lead in postseason assists.

The 35-year-old Hossa, who is entering the sixth season of a 12-year, $63 million contract, recorded 30 goals and 30 assists in 72 regular season contests.

Andrew Shaw had success centering Kane and Saad last season, but he'll drop to the third line to play with wingers Brian Bickell and Versteeg. Shaw posted 20 goals and 19 assists in the regular season and added eight points (2G, 6A) in the playoffs.

Marcus Kruger, a key contributor on the penalty kill, expects to anchor the fourth line with wingers Jeremy Morin and Ben Smith.

The Blackhawks are high on 20-year-old left wing Teuvo Teravainen, a first- round pick (18th overall) in 2012, but the Finnish prospect is likely to start the season at the AHL level.

DEFENSE - With stars like Kane, Hossa and Toews roaming the ice it's easy to overlook Chicago's stacked defense.

The deep group of blueliners are led by Duncan Keith, the reigning and two- time Norris Trophy winner. Keith was named the league's top defenseman following a 61-point season (6G, 55A) and he played a big role in Team Canada's gold medal win at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

Quenneville leaned heavily on Keith in the playoffs, using his star blueliner for an average of 27 minutes, 49 seconds over 19 playoff games.

Seabrook joins Keith to form one of the league's best defensive pairings. Seabrook finished second among Chicago defensemen last season with 41 points on seven goals and 34 assists. The 29-year-old Seabrook also led Chicago's D with 15 points (3G, 12A) in the playoffs despite being suspended for three games for a high hit on St. Louis forward David Backes.

Keith and Seabrook log big minutes and are an integral part of the club's offense, but the second pairing of Niklas Hjalmarsson and Johnny Oduya usually take on the toughest defensive assignments. The duo regularly plays 20-plus minutes a night and also can contribute on offense at times. Hjalmarsson notched 26 points (4G, 22A) last season, while Oduya recorded three goals and 13 assists.

Nick Leddy is a mobile defenseman with a knack for reaching the scoresheet. A former first-round pick of the Minnesota Wild, the 23-year-old picked up 31 points (7G, 24A) despite averaging only 16:22 of ice time per game.

Leddy will likely see his skating partners rotate in and out of the lineup, but veteran Michal Rozsival will definitely be in the mix. Kyle Cumiskey, a 27-year-old who hasn't skated at the NHL level since 2010-11 with Colorado, also could push for playing time along with youngsters like Adam Clendening, Klas Dahlbeck and David Rundblad.

GOALTENDING - To say Crawford is Chicago's weak link is not an insult. Even great teams need to point the finger at somebody when things don't go their way.

Crawford had another fine regular season in 2013-14, going 32-16-10 with a 2.26 goals against average and .917 save percentage in 59 games. He then recorded a 2.53 GAA and .912 save percentage in the playoffs and let in a few bad goals at key moments along the way.

The 29-year-old is not often counted among the small group of elite NHL goaltenders, but he definitely has the faith of the Chicago front office. Crawford was signed to a six-year, $36 million contract extension before the start of last season and is set to begin the new deal in 2014-15.

Antti Raanta returns to serve as Crawford's backup after going 22-13-5 with a 2.71 GAA and .897 save percentage as a rookie last season. The 25-year-old Finn was not used at all in the playoffs.

WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE - The Blackhawks have earned their status as perennial Cup contenders, and at this point anything less than a championship is considered a disappointment. Although the Kings were triumphant in last spring's Western Conference finals, the series was extremely close and a few bounces the other way could've put Chicago back in the Cup Finals. Considering no team has won consecutive Stanley Cup titles since Detroit in 1997 and '98, perhaps the Blackhawks can get the upper hand on the Kings if they meet again in the 2015 postseason. Besides L.A., the Blackhawks don't seem to have any other real threats for Western Conference and NHL supremacy unless Anaheim, San Jose or St. Louis finds a way to translate their regular-season success to the postseason. Chicago's amazing turnaround of the last several years has been fun to watch, and with the Hawks circling around another title the excitement isn't over yet.