2015-16 record: 47-26-9 (103 points)
Lost to St. Louis in Conference quarterfinals
Captain: Jonathan Toews
Individually, the Chicago Blackhawks players were award winners, as Patrick Kane became not only the first U.S. born player to win the Art Ross Trophy, but he also took home both the Ted Lindsay and Hart Trophies as MVP, as voted by both the players and the press, respectively, while teammate Artemi Panarin took home the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year. As a team, however, falling well short of the ultimate goal of the Stanley Cup, one that would have made them the first back-to-back winner since Detroit turned the trick in 1997 and 1998 is one that will not sit well with them. As it was then, the salary cap struck again, this time, forcing the Blackhawks to try and find replacements for guys like Andrew Shaw, Teuvo Teravainen, and letting rental Andrew Ladd walk. Their replacements are likely coming from within, as some of the prospects that have bide their time in Rockford should be ready to go.
Up front, it's still the Patrick Kane-Jonathan Toews show, as Kane finally stayed healthy long enough to win the scoring title while Toews remains the man that steers the ship when it comes to on-ice and locker room leadership. Adding Panarin prior to last season was a major plus, as he was the second leading scorer on the team. However, secondary scoring will be needed, as the gap between Kane and the fourth leading scorer (Brent Seabrook) was almost 60 points. Given that youth will have to be served, expect around three or four rookies to be around for the duration of the season, so the bottom six spots are going to be varying. On the blue line, things are much more in place, as the top-four of Seabrook, Duncan Keith, Niklas Hjalmarsson, and Brian Campbell will take up the majority of the time. Michal Roszival, Trevor van Riemsdyk, and Michal Kempny will vie for the final two spots, though Ville Pokka will also be in the mix for one of two spots remaining. In goal, Corey Crawford is the starter and Scott Darling is the backup, so nothing has changed since the middle of their last Stanley Cup run. The power play was the second best in the league, but fixing a penalty kill that ranked 22nd is imperative if the Blackhawks hope to win another Stanley Cup this season.
Prediction: 3rd in the Central Division
A longer summer after three straight seasons of at least making the Conference Finals figures to make the Blackhawks more motivated and well-rested. However, is the salary cap finally taking a toll on their window of opportunity to win another Stanley Cup? The Blackhawks have been counted out before, and we all know the results some years, so it wouldn't be wise to bet against them even in an increasingly tough Central Division.
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