The Chicago Blackhawks finished the 2016-17 season with the best record in the Western Conference. Chicago recorded 50 wins and finished with 109 points to edge out the Minnesota Wild by three points at the top of the Central division. Unfortunately for Blackhawks fans, it didn’t matter at all come playoff time as Chicago was swept by the Nashville Predators in the opening round. The Blackhawks turned the page in the offseason and will now turn their attention to contending for a Stanley Cup in 2017-18.
How They Finished Last Season
Chicago looked like a legitimate Stanley Cup contender after finishing first in the Western Conference in the regular season. However, the Blackhawks were completely outclassed by Nashville in the postseason as they were swept in four games. Scoring was a major issue for Chicago as they managed just three goals in four losses to the Predators.
What Changed In The Offseason
The Blackhawks made a number of changes in the offseason. Some were out of necessity as they continued to deal with salary cap constraints. Others had more to do with shaking up the forward core. Marian Hossa was placed on long-term injured reserve, which freed up some salary cap space for Chicago to work with. The Blackhawks traded Artemi Panarin to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Brandon Saad and backup goalie Anton Forsberg. Then Chicago brought back veteran Patrick Sharp and signed Tommy Wingels. The Blackhawks are hoping that Saad and Sharp can provide a much-needed veteran presence while young players like Nick Schmaltz and Ryan Hartman play bigger roles. Alex DeBrincat is the wild card among Chicago’s young forwards after tearing it up in junior. It will be very interesting to see if he can make an impact with the Blackhawks this season.
Most Valuable Fantasy Hockey Asset
Kane followed up the best statistical season of his career with the second-best statistical season of his career in 2016-17. Kane had 34 goals and 89 points, including 23 powerplay points for Chicago last season. While he won’t have Panarin on his line, Kane could play with either Sharp or DeBrincat at even-strength and should continue to put up strong numbers on the powerplay. After a pair of monster seasons there is no doubt that Kane should deliver another productive year for fantasy owners.
Rising Star
One of the reasons the Chicago Blackhawks are able to be competitive year over year is the fact that they do such a good job of finding and developing prospects. The next Blackhawk that’s on the rise is Nick Schmaltz, who should on the team’s opening-night roster.
Schmaltz was the Blackhawks first-round pick back in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. The Wisconsin native managed to net 28 points in 61 games last season. But remember that the Blackhawks were a team that was loaded with veterans last season. It’s not as if they had plenty of room for Schmaltz to step in and play big minutes. The fact that he was able to contribute so much in limited time is a great sign for his upside.
Remember that the Blackhawks lost a number of veterans this offseason. Artemi Panarin is now with the Columbus Blue Jackets and Marcus Kruger now plays for the Las Vegas Golden Knights. That means Schmaltz should see a big bump in his ice time, which was around 13 minutes last season.
There’s a slim chance he plays with the big boys on the top line but more likely is that he is one of the guys rounding out the second or third lines.
Regular Season Win Total Outlook
One year after posting 50 wins, the Blackhawks NHL regular season wins total line has been set at 44.5. That means even if Chicago wins five fewer games they will still go over the total. There is a chance that the Blackhawks could be even better than they were a year ago and while reaching 50 wins won’t be easy they should still be able to hit the 45-win mark. Chicago is still one of the teams to beat in the Western Conference and there is no reason to expect a major drop off in their win total for 2017-18.
Pick: Over 44.5 Wins
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