Here Come The Champs: 2013-14 Blackhawks Regular Season Preview

By Rob Winn in News on Oct 1, 2013 4:10PM

The Chicago Blackhawks kick off the 2013-14 regular season Tuesday with a banner raising commemorating the 2013 Stanley Cup championship season and a game against the Washington Capitals. While most Chicago sports fans were busy dismissing baseball and zeroing in on the Bears, training camp and the preseason flew by.

Marian Hossa sat out a number of games but is ready to go for the regular season. A few familiar yet fresh faces have returned in Ben Smith and Jimmy Hayes. The Hawks once again enter the season with lofty expectations. Unlike after the 2010 title, however, this time they return with most of their players from the championship lineup.

There were a few exits from the 2012-13 Blackhawks, notably Viktor Stalberg and Stanley Cup-winning goal scorer Dave Bolland. Both players contributed consistently over the years—Bolland for both Stanley Cup teams—but each can be replaced. The Blackhawks saw Bolland's productivity decline over the last few years, largely due to a string of nagging injuries. His role as third line center will be taken by used stitches salesman Andrew Shaw. Shaw can easily fill Bolland's place as a goal scorer and pest, but his defense can be problematic when he is out of position. The Hawks would like to see Shaw become more disciplined while maintaining his edginess.

Stalberg fell into head coach Joel Quenneville's doghouse throughout last season and the Hawks let him leave as a free agent. Replacing Stalberg as the third-line winger will be Brandon Saad. Once Quenneville put an end to experimenting with Saad as a second-line center, he was moved to the third line and should be able to flourish there as he learns more and matures. He was productive when playing on the top line with Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, which means he should be prolific against less talented third-line players.

Once again the Hawks enter the season with a question mark at second-line center. Michal Handzus played nicely down the stretch and during the playoff run, but it is unlikely he can maintain that level of play throughout an entire season. At 36 years old and coming off both wrist and knee surgeries, Handzus might not be able to withstand the rigors of a top-six role every night. But after Brandon Pirri failed to solidify himself in the role and was sent down to Rockford, Handzus is the only option. The Hawks just have to hope he stays healthy, but look for Pirri at some point this season.

Instead of conducting an all-out fire sale after winning the Stanley Cup, general manager Stan Bowman was able to award contracts to essential players. Corey Crawford, Niklas Hjalmarsson and Bryan Bickell were all handsomely paid for their playoff performances. Now come the lofty expectations. The Blackhawks can only hope for the same stellar defense from Hjalmarsson and goaltending from Crawford, but Bickell has had an up-and-down career. He will start the year on the top line. It is obvious the Blackhawks expect more consistent play from Bickell, however the toll of sitting in front of the net can be tough to take. It will be interesting to see if Bickell can maintain his net presence and score goals consistently. But when you're playing on a line with Toews and Kane, sometimes all you need to do is get out of the way.