Preseason Preview: Chicago Blackhawks

Well, its August and that means there's not a whole much of anything going on. That said, I'm gonna try and nail out 30 team evaluations before the preseason is underway.

Now, the Chicago Blackhawks

Team M.O.: The Blackhawks have one of the youngest rosters (if not the youngest roster) in the NHL and is absolutely fortified with the right amount of youth and veteran presence. They're very solid from front to back and play a sound two-way game that's heavily reliant on solid defense and is very much influenced by their divisonal rivals; the Detroit Red Wings. The main difference? They're a bit tougher and a bit more raw than the Wings are and that has a lot to do with the amount of youth being served.

Last Season: After not making the playoffs since 2002, the Blackhawks went fairly deep into the post season, making it to the Western Conference Finals before being eliminated by Detroit. A few off-season blunders cost Dale Tallon his role as General Manager, but with Marian Hossa in the fold, the team should get a legitimate boost from that (yes he's injured until December, but Martin Havlat was oft-injured and the team still persevered.)

Offense: Jonathan Toews is barely old enough to drink in the U.S. but is already showing signs that he'll be the Blackhawks franchise centerman from now until retirement. He has all the tools to be a star in the league. Patrick Kane does too, but his little scuffle in Buffalo could be a distraction for him this season. Patrick Sharp has blossomed on the team and is truly unsung in his ability to help the young guys develop their game at the NHL level while staying competitive. Dustin Byfuglien may not have been as prolific last season as he was during his breakout season, but he's still making a transition from a bottom-pairing defenseman to a complementary power forward. Kris Versteeg, Andrew Ladd, and David Bolland were a plesant surprise last season and are worth every penny if they can keep their production going upward. Ben Eager will provide the toughness while Adam Burish will do everything to get under the skin of the opposition. I'm anxious to see what Marian Hossa can do for the club and if he'll finally realize his Stanley Cup dreams with them. The group of forwards is otherwise pretty complete, so I wouldn't look to move anyone unless I was getting a good component in return.

Defense: As nice of a bumper crop of forwards that they have, I really like Chicago's defense. Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith need to be retained by these guys; otherwise it's going to be extremely difficult for the Blackhawks to remain relevant in their division, let alone the conference. Brian Campbell is very much prolific for the team, but you can't help but want to see him do more for the club given his current salary. Cam Barker and Niklas Hjalmarsson are developing nicely for the squad while Aaron Johnson and Brent Sopel round it out. After the RFA bungle, the team may be interested in moving Cam Barker to bring in a number 4-7 defender who can play a physical yet intelligent game.

Goaltending: Well, after doing well for Montreal and Washington, Cristobal Huet needed Nikolai Khabibulin to bail him out at times last season. When Huet had to play in the final game of the Western Conference Finals though, he was valiant in his effort and did everything possible to keep the team in the game. He needs to have that kind of intensity each night he plays for the Blackhawks, otherwise he'll end up in prime position for a buyout at the end of the season. Corey Crawford is going to get the backup job but when you consider that he's going into his fifth season as a professional, it's time for him to make the jump fro AHL to NHL. If the two of them can work together and win for the club, Chicago is all set. Otherwise, they're going to have to make moves accordingly later on in the season because they don't have much, if any, cap space going into the season.

Expectations: Well, now that the team has the potential to be compromised, these guys have to make it to the Stanley Cup Finals if they even want to have a chance of remaining together beyond this year's campagin. They're capable and with Joel Quenville behind the bench they've certainly got the right leadership. They just need to stay mature, remain healthy, and compete hard in what's become the toughest division in the league.