The theme for the Chicago Blackhawks this offseason is change after they were swept by the Nashville Predators in the Western Conference First Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season. Chicago made two blockbuster trades June 23, hours before the start of the 2017 NHL Draft following the season in which they were 50-23-9 and led the conference with 109 points but failed to win a playoff game. Defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson, a three-time Stanley Cup winner with the Blackhawks, was traded to the Coyotes for defenseman Connor Murphy and center Laurent Dauphin. Chicago later traded left wing Artemi Panarin, forward Tyler Motte and a sixth-round pick in the 2017 draft to the Columbus Blue Jackets for former Blackhawks forward Brandon Saad, goalie Anton Forsberg and a fifth-round pick in the 2018 draft. Cost was a factor; Murphy (five) and Saad (four) each has more years left on his contract than Hjalmarsson (two) and Panarin (two). Murphy (24) is six years younger than Hjalmarsson (30), which also factored into the trade.
"[Murphy is] a young guy," Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman said. "He's played in [258 NHL games]. I think he's just about to enter the prime of his career. I think he's ready now to take that next step."
The concern is that a defense that was overmatched by the Predators in the postseason has become even more inexperienced. Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook and Michal Rozsival are the only returning defensemen who've won the Stanley Cup, and Rozsival, 38, isn't likely to play much. Chicago also lost defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk who played 58 games last season but was selected by the Vegas Golden Knights in the NHL Expansion Draft. At least three defense spots will be filled by players with a year or two of NHL experience, including Gustav Forsling and Michal Kempny. Up front, the Blackhawks are counting on Saad reconnecting with center Jonathan Toews to form a potent top line with Richard Panik at right wing. Saad played in Chicago for four seasons, helping the Blackhawks win the Cup in 2013 and 2015, before he was traded to Columbus on June 30, 2015.
"I think we're a little bit similar in the way we play, with our style," Saad said of himself and Toews. "[He] can play off the rush, but he can protect the puck very well down low. That's something I think we did fairly well together, with puck possession [and] wearing teams down before making them pay."
The Blackhawks lost veteran right wing Marian Hossa, who announced June 21 he would miss the season with a progressive skin disorder that could end his career. Looking to fill the void, Bowman signed free agent forwards Patrick Sharp, Tommy Wingels and Lance Bouma on July 1. Sharp played 10 seasons with Chicago (2005-15) and won the Cup three times. He had hip surgery March 28 that ended his season with the Dallas Stars.
"Physically, I feel great," he said. "It's been four months since the surgery to the hip, so I'm right on schedule. The season that I had last year, I don't think I've ever been as motivated to get back to the level I think I can play at."
Chicago also traded backup goalie Scott Darling to the Carolina Hurricanes on April 28 for a third-round pick in the 2017 draft, and signed two players from the Extraliga in the Czech Republic, defenseman Jan Rutta and forward David Kampf. A group of prospects will compete for roster spots in training camp, including forwards Alex DeBrincat and John Hayden. Chicago also made changes off the ice. Assistant Mike Kitchen and Ted Dent, who coached their American Hockey League affiliate in Rockford, were fired in April. Ulf Samuelsson and Don Granato were hired as Blackhawks assistants, and Jeremy Colliton was hired to coach Rockford.
"We have some new faces, and that's one thing I try to keep reminding people," Bowman said. "We're trying to create some new chemistry."
1. Struggles in the faceoff circle
The Chicago Blackhawks ranked 29th in the NHL with a faceoff winning percentage of 47.5 percent last season. Rather than evaluate a team's or player's success on the draw based on a subjective opinion of which team touched the puck first, many hockey statisticians consider how many shot attempts were generated or allowed within 10 seconds of each one. That is the basis of the net shots post faceoff (NSPF) statistic developed by Craig Tabita of Puck Base. NSPF is a team's shot attempt differential within 10 seconds of a player's faceoffs at 5-on-5, minus how a League-average player would have performed after the same number of offensive, defensive, and neutral zone draws. Center Artem Anisimov's NSPF of minus-40.04 shot attempts ranked second-last in the NHL, ahead of Mark Scheifele of the Winnipeg Jets (minus-40.95). Even Jonathan Toews, who had a faceoff percentage of 54.9 percent in traditional terms, ranked sixth-worst from this perspective, with a NSPF of minus-33.11 shot attempts.
2. Getting physical
After finishing with the fewest hits for the third time in the past four seasons, the Blackhawks added two of the League's best among available free agent forwards in Tommy Wingels and Lance Bouma. Because a player's hit totals can be affected by such factors as ice time, manpower situation and the different rates hits are determined from one team's set of scorekeepers to another, the best way to evaluate players is with the adjusted even-strength hits statistic (AESH). Introduced by Iain Fyffe in the book, Stat Shot: The Ultimate Guide to Hockey Analytics, AESH is an estimate of how many hits a player would throw at even-strength for a typical NHL team. Gathering hitts data from the past three seasons and applying Fyffe's formula, Bouma ranks 19th in the NHL with an AESH of 13.75 hits per 60 minutes, and Wingels ranks 37th (11.55).
3. Corey Crawford stacks up
Is Crawford one of the League's elite goalies? He didn't receive a vote for the Vezina Trophy last season, has never placed higher than fifth in Vezina voting and his career save percentage of .918 ranks tied for 15th among the 65 active goalies who have played at least 50 games. However, his underlying numbers suggest he may be one of the League's top four goalies. Over the past three seasons, Hockey Reference ranks Crawford ranks fourth (39.4) in goals saved above average (GSAA) tied for fourth (34.8) with Tuukka Rask of the Boston Bruins in goalie point shares (GPS), and third in quality start percentage (62.9) among goalies who have played at least 50 games. GSAA is calculated by multiplying a goalie's shots faced by the League-average save percentage, and subtracting that from a goalie's actual number of saves. Quality starts are awarded in any game when the starting goalie's save percentage was above the League average, and GPS is Hockey Reference's proprietary, all-in-one metric.
The Chicago Blackhawks have been eliminated in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs the past two seasons after winning the Stanley Cup in 2015. As a result, there were numerous personnel and roster changes this offseason. There will be new faces in training camp, as well as on the coaching staff, who could have an impact on the success of the Blackhawks this season.
1. Did they make too many changes?
Chicago acquired 10 players through free agency and trades, including former Blackhawks forwards Brandon Saad and Patrick Sharp, and traded defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson and left wing Artemi Panarin. Veteran right wing Marian Hossa will also miss the season with a skin disorder. General manager Stan Bowman fired assistant coach Mike Kitchen, and Ted Dent, the coach at Rockford, Chicago's American Hockey League affiliate. Ulf Samuelsson and Don Granato were named assistants, and 32-year-old Jeremy Colliton was named Rockford coach.
2. Will Jonathan Toews return to peak form?
Toews, 29, has failed to reach 60 points in each of the past two seasons and has one goal in his past two playoff appearances. However, he could receive a boost if he's reunited on a line with Saad, his teammate from 2011-15, and forward Richard Panik, who he played with last season. Chicago is banking on Saad, Toews and Panik forming a potent top line, led by Toews.
3. How do they offset the loss of Marian Hossa?
Hossa, 38, played a key role last season. After playing on a line with Toews, he shifted into more of a checking role on the third line. Hossa had 45 points (26 goals, 19 assists) in 73 games, including his 500th NHL goal, but didn't have a point in four playoff games. His puck possession has dipped the past three seasons, but Hossa is a strong skater who plays a two-way game and sets a good example for young players. That will be tough to replace, even though it would provide Chicago relief against the NHL salary cap of $75 million if he is placed on long-term injured reserve; Hossa's contract carries a salary-cap charge of $5.275 million, according to CapFriendly.com.
How acquired: Selected with No. 39 pick in 2016 NHL Draft
Last season: Erie (OHL): 63 GP, 65-62-127
DeBrincat, 19, has dominated the Ontario Hockey League for the past three seasons with Erie. Playing with highly skilled linemates, he had 332 points (167 goals, 165 assists) in 191 regular-season games. A junior teammate of Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid in 2014-15, DeBrincat had 104 points (51 goals, 53 assists) in 68 games. DeBrincat needs to prove his size (5-foot-7, 165 pounds) will not limit his effectiveness. He uses a keen hockey sense, quick shot release and grit to overcome it, and is a skilled passer. Adding strength and speed will be essential.
Projected NHL arrival: This season
2. Gustav Forsling, D
How acquired: Trade from Vancouver Canucks on Jan. 29, 2015
Last season: Chicago: 38 GP, 2-3-5; Rockford (AHL): 30 GP, 1-7-8
Forsling, selected by the Canucks in the fifth round (No. 126) of the 2014 NHL Draft, made the Blackhawks roster last season and quickly became a favorite of the coaching staff. However, the 21-year-old had trouble keeping up with the speed of the game and was sent to Rockford of the American Hockey League. He finished the season in the AHL with a minus-13 rating. Entering his second NHL training camp, the Blackhawks hope Forsling (6-0, 186) can transition into a dependable two-way defender.
Projected NHL arrival: This season
3. Dylan Sikura, C
How acquired: Selected with No. 178 pick in 2014 NHL Draft
Last season: Northeastern (NCAA): 38 GP, 21-36-57
Sikura, 22, will return to Northeastern University for his senior year rather than sign an entry-level contract with Chicago, meaning he can become an unrestricted free agent next summer if he opts not to sign with the Blackhawks. Sikura (5-11, 158) potentially could step into a regular role in Chicago. He showed impressive skills during development camp and has good speed, hands and vision.
Projected NHL arrival: This season
4. Henri Jokiharju, D
How acquired: Selected with No. 29 pick in 2017 NHL Draft
Last season: Portland (WHL): 71 GP, 9-39-48
Jokiharju, 18, was one of five defensemen Chicago took with their nine picks in the 2017 NHL Draft. A right-handed shot, he draws early comparisons to Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith for his skating and ability to play big minutes. Jokiharju needs to add strength, work on his shot from the point and improve defensively, but his offensive talent was apparent last season as a rookie with Portland of the Western Hockey League. Jokiharju (6-0, 180) was injured playing for Finland in the World Junior Summer Showcase in Plymouth, Michigan but is expected to build off his first season in North America.
Projected NHL arrival: 2019-20
5. John Hayden, F
How acquired: Selected with No. 74 pick in 2013 NHL Draft
Last season: Chicago: 12 GP, 1-3-4; Yale (NCAA): 33 GP, 21-13-34
Hayden, 22, is a versatile forward with good size and strength, capable of playing all three positions. After completing his collegiate career at Yale, he signed with the Blackhawks on March 12 and quickly earned a bottom-six role. He played one game in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, when Chicago was swept by the Nashville Predators in the Western Conference First Round. Hayden (6-3, 223) should have an inside track to filling a roster spot with the Blackhawks entering training camp and could play his way into a significant role.
Projected NHL arrival: This season
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