Archive for October, 2010

Ben Smith to replace the injured Marian Hossa

October 29th, 2010 by Leigh Michael Dengis

Ben Smith at rookie tournament in London, Ont. (Claus Andersen/Getty Images)

The Blackhawks recalled 22-year-old forward Ben Smith from Rockford to replace Marian Hossa in the lineup. In case you missed it, Hossa was injured in Wednesday night’s game against the Kings, and will be sidelined for a couple of weeks with an upper-body injury. Smith will make his NHL debut against the Oilers tonight in front of the home crowd. Stan Bowman and company likely bypassed some of the bigger names currently stationed in Rockford because promoting Smith comes cheap.

Smith is a gritty, two-way forward who will have no objection to mucking-it-up down low. The Hawks signed him to a two-year contract following the Golden Eagles’ National Championship run, where he was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Frozen Four tournament. In eight games with the IceHogs this season, Smith has one goal and three assists with a minus-3 rating. We have him ranked as the #18 prospect in the Blackhawks’ system.

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Marian Hossa out a couple weeks with upper-body injury

October 28th, 2010 by Leigh Michael Dengis

Marian Hossa left part-way through the second period in Wednesday night’s 3-1 victory over the Kings, after he was hit by forward Jarret Stoll. Initial reports have Hossa missing two weeks with an upper-body injury. Got to love the vague description. Anyways, it sounds like the injury is to either his shoulder or arm. Aggravating his surgically repaired shoulder would be the last thing the Blackhawks need right now.

Loosing a two-way winger of Hossa’s caliber will obviously hurt on both ends of the ice. Coach Quenneville said a player be called-up from Rockford (AHL) to replace right winger before Friday’s game against the Oilers at home. Jeremy Morin would be the ideal choice, but he was hurt over the weekend.

Campbell eying his return

Brian Campbell could return to action as soon as this weekend from a sprained right knee. He started skating over the weekend, and has been practicing with the team. Campbell will play with a knee brace for the remainder of the season, which they say won’t hinder his skating and speed.

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Paging Brian Campbell

October 25th, 2010 by Leigh Michael Dengis

It has always fascinated me how quick momentum can shift within the game of hockey. Not just over the course of a game (example: Blackhawks lose a 2-0 lead going into the second period on Saturday), but how a team’s perception is altered over a weekend (example: Blackhawks lose two games in two days to division foes). Everything was gravy a few days ago, but the Hawks are in the middle of a three-day lay off feeling bitter about the one they let get away.

Following Saturday’s 3-2 loss to the Blue Jackets, Jonathan Toews said,

“I have to try not to run my mouth and say things I’m going to regret right now I’m a little worked up right now. This is a similar loss to that game against Nashville in our own building. There’s no way we throw away that game it’s two big division points.

“Giving up a goal with 30 seconds left and taking a five-minute penalty is not the way we want to finish the second period. It seems like that’s when we started letting off the gas pedal. If we’re going to score 2 or 3 goals a night, we have to find ways to be smarter defensively.”

Going into the second period up two goals, the Blackhawks began playing protect-the-lead hockey. If might have worked last year, but that crap don’t fly when you allow 40 shots on the night, as they did against Columbus, with 20 of them coming in the third period. The Hawks are 24th in the league with 34.1 shots allowed per game.

Knowledgeable fans know this, but the following needs to be said for all the meatballs out there, as well as newcomers to the sport. Goaltending is not the Hawks’ issue. The tandem of Marty Turco and Corey Crawford have a healthy .918 save percentage, which ranks eighth best in the league. It’s been the team’s overall defensive play, but it’s the Hawks’ shallow blue line has been exploited.

The return of Brain Campbell to the lineup should help remedy some of the issues regarding the Hawks’ blue line. One obvious reason is that he’ll provide Coach Quenneville with more depth at the position. Nick Boynton will see less than 20 minutes a game on the third paring, Jassen Cullimore will be assigned to Rockford and the oafish John Scott will be a healthy scratch some nights.

Having Campbell back on defense will bolster the Blackhawks’ transition game, and overall play in the offensive zone. Puck possession was key to last year‘s success, which Campbell played an important role in that aspect of their game. Controlling the puck they way they did was why they out-shot opponents in almost every games, and why the Hawks had the fewest shots against last year with 25.1 per game.

Campbell skated for the first time this weekend since injuring his knee, and should be game ready to play in a week or two.

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Five thoughts about five Blackhawks

October 22nd, 2010 by Leigh Michael Dengis

Hossa's second goal vs. St. Louis in Game #7 (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

It’s two weeks into the season, the Blackhawks have rattled off four straight wins to find themselves sitting atop the central division after a slow start. We’re eight games in, a tenth of the season behind us, and we’ve learned a few things about the 2010-11 version of the team thus far.

Marian Hossa is a beast

We finally get a chance to see what a healthy Marian Hossa looks like, and it resembles greatness. He has always been this good, but this is the first time he has played at this level in a Hawks’ jersey. I can only compare it to Alexander Ovechkin. Every time Hossa gets the puck, you get the feeling that something great is about to happen, and he has yet to disappoint. He was the reason the Blackhawks won both Game #3 in Buffalo and Game #7 vs. St. Louis in come from behind fashion.

Hossa spoiled us, and our expectations have been raised. Now that we’ve been treated to hockey such as awesome as this from the Slovakian right winger, we should never expect anything less. Hossa is on pace for 70-plus goals and 40-plus assists.

Marty Turco will do

Marty Turco has successfully wiped everyone’s memory of Antti Niemi. In six appearances, he has a record of 4-1-1 with a 2.42 GAA and .929 SV%. Keep in mind that Turco is seeing an average of 35.2 shots against per game — the Hawks averaged 25.1 in 2009-10 — with a thin blue line in front of him. What impresses me the most about our new 35-year-old goaltender are the long up-ice passes. In Monday’s game against the Blues, Turco hit Bryan Bickell square in the chest, as he stood on the offensive blue line, from the crease.

Our new Brent Sopel is…

…Nick Boynton. Yea, he has his flaws, and in a perfect world he’d be skating on the third pairing with either Jordan Hendry or John Scott. But for what he is, I’ve been relatively pleased with the job Boynton has done so far this season. He is the league leader in blocked shots with 23 in seven games, and is averaging over 22 minutes a night.

In Wednesday’s 2-1 (SO) victory over the Canucks, Boynton was on the ice for 27:38 — of which 2:27 was on the penalty kill — behind only Duncan Keith in time-on-ice.

Nick Leddy wasn’t ready

When the news broke last weekend that Nick Leddy was assigned to Rockford, I smiled. Not because it gave me the opportunity to say, I told you so, but because it’s what’s best for the 19-year-old defenseman at this point in his career. The speed of the game at this level was too fast for Leddy. He was tentative when it came to making or receiving a pass, his decision making was sub-par and his positioning, which is the most important aspect of playing defense, left a lot to be desired. If Jassen Cullimore is brought in as your replacement, that’s humbling.

Jack Skille can play

It took the former first round draft pick long enough to prove he belonged in the NHL, but he’s been a source of energy on the fourth line with Viktor Stalberg and Jake Dowell. Skille is making the most of his current situation, and it’s only a matter of time he gets promoted. He was a candidate to be this year’s whipping boy, but John Scott has a firm grasp on the title.

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Top twenty Blackhawk prospects: Fall 2010

October 15th, 2010 by Leigh Michael Dengis

Our first installment of prospect rankings for the season have been expanded to twenty players, from the usual ten. The regular guidelines for making the list are still intact – under the age of 25, and less than 40 games played at the NHL level for skaters and 20 appearances for goalies. For more information and statistics regarding every player in the Blackhawks’ system, check out our In the Organization page above.

A lot has changed since the Spring 2010 rankings due to the addition and subtraction of so many players this off-season.

1. Kyle Beach (LW)
Date of Birth – January 13, 1990
Team – Rockford IceHogs (AHL)

If a general manager praises a player for his tenacity after jumping then injuring a five-foot something Norwegian at prospect camp, thus knocking him out of commission for about four months, things become very clear. Beach is a Stan (and Scotty) Bowman favorite, no matter how dense he is. He’ll spend most of the year in Rockford, with a few trips up and down I-90 this season. (Previous Rank: 1)

2. Jeremy Morin (LW)
April 16, 1991
Rockford IceHogs (AHL)

Looks like Bowman got himself a gem in the Dustin Byfuglien to Atlanta trade. Morin was close to breaking training camp with the Blackhawks, but the experience he will gain playing in the AHL will prove to be beneficial. The kid is a natural scorer, but his skating could improve. Morin was a member of the gold medal winning American team at the World Juniors in 2009, and is a lock to make the team once again this year. (NR)

3. Dylan Olsen (D)
January 3, 1991
Minnesota-Duluth (WCHA)

He’s got all the tools. He is big, physical, skates well and is a natural playmaker from the point. Olsen will spend another season at Minnesota-Duluth, and is a candidate to make the Canadian under-20 national team for the World Juniors. Olsen will compete for a spot on the Hawks’ blue line next fall, at the earliest. (3)

4. Shawn Lalonde (D)
March 10, 1990
Rockford IceHogs (AHL)

He joined the IceHogs for eight regular season and three post season games last year, and will play the majority of his games in Rockford this season. Primarily known as an offensive defenseman, Lalonde provides some pop as well. He has great up-ice vision, skates well and is destined to be a power-play quarterback. (2)

5. Marcus Kruger (C)
March 27, 1990
Djurgardens (SEL)

The Swede is wearing the “A” for Djurgardens at the ripe age of 20. On top of being an on-ice leader, Kruger is a playmaker whose instinct is to pass first. His head is always on a swivel, and is constantly looking for the open man. Kruger is also an asset in the defensive zone. The Blackhawks signed him to an entry-level deal this summer, but missed training camp with a foot injury. (5)

6. Nick Leddy (D)
March 20, 1991
Chicago Blackhawks (NHL)

Despite seeing some improvement from the 19-year-old defenseman in the first four games of the season, on the job training isn’t something you want from a guy playing fifteen minutes a game in the NHL. Leddy could use some seasoning in Rockford to work on his board play, strength and overall decision making. (4)

7. Kevin Hayes (RW)
May 8, 1992
Boston College (Hockey East)

Kevin was drafted out of Noble & Greenough High School in Massachusetts this spring. He accelerated his schooling in order to be draft eligible, as well as join his older brother Jimmy (see below) at Boston College this fall. Kevin was a crowd pleaser at this summer’s prospect camp because of his speed and all-around hockey ability. (NR)

8. Brandon Pirri (C)
April 10, 1991
Rockford IceHogs (AHL)

He left Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute after his freshman year for the bright lights of…umm…Rockford. Pirri happens to be another Bowman favorite, luring him away from collegiate ranks this summer with an entry-level deal. He’s a nice little player (6‘0“ 160), but has a long way to come to be a regular in the NHL. (8)

9. Brian Connelly (D)
June 10, 1986
Rockford IceHogs (AHL)

Connelly was named the IceHogs’ Rookie of the Year last season. In 78 games, the defenseman scored four goals and 31 assists. His 35 points was good enough for sixth best in the AHL among blue liners. Connelly doesn’t have a ton of hype surrounding him like other prospects in the system at the position, but he’s a solid two-way player. (10)

10. Jack Skille (RW)
May 19, 1987
Chicago Blackhawks (NHL)

Yep, Skille is still considered a prospect. It finally looks like the 23-year-old forward found a home on the Blackhawks’ roster. He has been one of the better players on the young season, and provides a nice balance skill and energy as a bottom-six forward. Skille has yet to scratch the score sheet, but if he continues at this pace the ponts will come. (7)

11. Ivan Vishnevskiy (D)
February 18, 1988
Rockford IceHogs (AHL)

Vishnevskiy came to Chicago when Andrew Ladd was shipped to Atlanta, and is now with his third organization. Like many Russians he skates well and is skilled, but it’s been four years since he was drafted in the first round (27th overall; 2006) and the sheen is beginning to dull. Vishnevskiy is part of the deep defensive prospect pool in Rockford, and will have a hard time standing out above the rest. One thing that will set him apart from the rest is experience. (NR)

12. Jimmy Hayes (RW)
May 8, 1992
Boston College (Hockey East)

Kevin’s older brother was acquired by the Blackhawks during the 2010 draft weekend from the Maple Leafs. The fact that Brian Burke let a big forward (6’5” 210) such as the elder Hayes go, should raise a few eyebrows. Toronto’s general manager drools over these sorts of players. Jimmy is a big, physical power forward with an offensive upside. (NR)

13. Ludvig Rensfeldt (LW/C)
January 29, 1992
Brynas J20 (SuperElite)

Rensfeldt is tearing up Sweden’s 20-year-old junior league. In eight games so far, he has seven goals and eight assists. It’s only a matter of time before he gets called up to the SEL. Rensfeldt is a player to keep an eye on. The 18-year-old is a talented player, and it will be a couple years before he’s ready to cross the Atlantic for good. (NR)

14. Bryan Bickell (LW)
March 9, 1986
Chicago Blackhawks (NHL)

Bickell is a tough, physical winger, but he doesn’t have much in the way of skill. He has a nose for the net, but won’t be anything more than a bottom-six forward. Not that there is anything wrong with that… (NR)

15. Byron Froese (C)
March 12,1991
Red Deer Rebels (WHL)

He is very raw in appearance, but gets the job done with his physical and offensive play. In nine games played for the Rebels on the young season, Froese has netted three goals and tallied twelve assists. His numbers so far this season are a little deceiving – the kid can score. Froese had 29 goals with the Everett Silvertips in 2009-10. (NR)

16. Igor Makarov (RW)
September 19, 1987
Rockford IceHogs (AHL)

Makarov caught the eye of fans at training camp, but just fell short of making the Hawks’ roster. The Russian winger has been an enigma in his short career. He is quick and a great level of skill, but needs to be stronger on his skates and battle harder along the boards. For the last two years in the KHL, he was an unproductive bottom-six forward. I have my doubts whether Makarov will stick in the NHL, if he ever gets there. (NR)

17. Philippe Paradis (C)
January 2, 1991
Prince Edward Island Rocket (QMJHL)

Of the prospects that came over in the Kris Versteeg trade, Paradis performed better at prospect camp and training camp, which isn’t saying much. He was selected in the first round (27th overall; 2009) by the Hurricanes solely on potential. Paradis might make it to the NHL one day, but it will be a long and bumpy road that gets him there. (NR)

18. Ben Smith (RW)
July 11, 1988
Rockford IceHogs (AHL)

The former Golden Eagle doesn’t necessarily have all the tools, but his work ethic is second to none. Smith was important cog in the Boston College machine, which national championship in 2010. He was named the Frozen Four MVP. He has a nice career ahead of him as a bottom-six forward, and a penalty kill unit specialist. (NR)

19. Joe Lavin (D)
July 17, 1989
Notre Dame (CCHA)

Lavin is already half-way to becoming a hockey legend. The 21-year-old was arrested for supplying alcohol to minors at a party in his honor. He was not disciplined by the team, however. Lavin is a strong skater, plays the position well and has a wicked shot from the blue line. (NR)

20. Justin Holl (D)
January 30, 1992
Minnesota (WCHA)

The tools are there, but the 18-year-old could be more refined. He is an offensive minded defenseman, skates well and likes to jump in as the fourth forward. Holl’s overall defensive play needs a lot of work, and he’ll get the necessary playing time at Minnesota. The Blackhawks will give him a few years to fill out his frame (6‘2“ 170) before they come knocking. (NR)

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Niklas Hjalmarsson gets two games for Pominville hit

October 12th, 2010 by Leigh Michael Dengis

Pominville carried out on a stretcher (AP Photo/David Duprey)

The Blackhawks came from behind to defeat the Sabres 4-3 for their first win of the season. The story of the game isn’t Marian Hossa’s two goal performance, but rather Niklas Hjalmarsson’s hit on Jason Pominville in the first period. Hjalmarsson received a five-minute major for boarding and a game misconduct for the hit. Pominville was carted off the ice and diagnosed with a concussion. For the hit, judge, jury and executioner Colin Campbell suspended the Swedish defenseman two games.

In my opinion, Hjalmarsson’s suspension is a game or two too long. Remember Alexander Ovechkin’s hit on Brian Campbell last year? Ovechkin was suspended two games for shoving Campbell into the boards. Hjalmarsson came in hard from the blue line with the intention of knocking Pominville off the puck. It was a shoulder-to-shoulder hit, and the Sabre didn’t brace himself for the amount of force and awkwardly banged his head against the glass.

Aside from the outcome, the same sort anyone can find in every other game without any level of discipline. There was no intent to injure and Hjalmarsson is not a repeat offender, but the only reason he will miss two games is because Pominville was concussed. The only questionable aspect of the hit was whether the puck got to Pominville in time, which is always up to interpretation.

In his first game back from serving the two game suspension, Hjalmarsson and company will face the Sabres at home on Saturday. This may be an understatement, but things should get interesting in the rematch. There have been a few threats coming out of Buffalo already.

A thin blue line

The season isn’t even a week old, and Hawks’ blue line depth has been thoroughly tested. Campbell was knocked out for four-to-five weeks in the pre-season with an knee injury, Nick Boynton was suspended for his throat slash gesture and now Hjalmarsson will be watching the game from the press box. For the next two games, the Blackhawks will be without their second defensive pairing.

I’ve been one of Nick Leddy’s harshest critics, but I’ll admit that the 19-year-old has shown signs of improvement. I just wish he wasn’t learning on the job. Giving substantial minutes to Leddy, Boynton and John Scott is worrisome. The Blackhawks shots against total (34.0) needs to come down in order for the Blackhawks to win consistently this season.

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Blackhawks’ opening night roster set

October 5th, 2010 by Leigh Michael Dengis

The Blackhawks have cleaned up the roster, and appear to have their opening night roster set. Hannu Toivonen was assigned to Rockford after he cleared waivers on Saturday, and Jeremy Morin will join him on the IceHogs after being demoted on Monday. Morin will benefit from getting top-six minutes in the AHL, which he wasn’t guaranteed in Chicago. Ryan Potulny and Jassen Cullimore were placed on waivers Tuesday morning. As it stands the Hawks have a 22-man roster, which includes the injured Brian Campbell.

Projected opening night lineup

Kopecky – Toews – Hossa
Brouwer – Sharp – Kane
Stalberg – Bolland – Skille
Bickell – Dowell – Pisani

Keith – Seabrook
Leddy – Hjalmarsson
Hendry – Scott

Turco
Crawford

Injured – Campbell
Suspended – Boynton (1 game)

A short Nick Leddy rant

Nick Leddy is not a NHL-ready defenseman, yet the organization is rushing him into the lineup in place of the injured Brian Campbell. It takes years for a defenseman to hone his craft, and I saw nothing from Leddy in prospect camp or during the pre-season that would prove he’d be the exception to the rule.

There is no way the kid can hang with the big boys when the begin playing for keeps. Leddy was drafted out of high school, and only has one year at the collegiate level under his belt. In 30 games at Minnesota, he scored three goals with eight assists. Leddy is better suited for the Canadian Hockey League at this point in his development, not thrust into the pressure cooker that is the NHL.

Random opening night notes

- Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa looked great playing together in the last few games of the pre-season. Hossa appears to be healthy, and ready to dazzle fans with jaw-dropping plays. Tomas Kopecky will try his best to keep up.

- Troy Brouwer will stick somewhere in the top-six. From what I saw, it looked like he improved his play in front of the net this off-season. He was battling with defenders, screening goalies and was in position to re-direct pucks.

- The penalty kill will be spearheaded by Toews and Hossa, followed by Dave Bolland and Fernando Pisani. Patrick Sharp, Troy Brouwer and Jake Dowell will also see playing time in shorthanded situations.

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More cuts, and notes from the underground

October 1st, 2010 by Leigh Michael Dengis

In the latest round of roster cuts, the Blackhawks assigned forwards Kyle Beach, Igor Makarov, Brandon Pirri and Ben Smith with defenseman Brian Connelly to Rockford (AHL). Yep, this is the second time this fall that Pirri will make the 90 mile drive to join the IceHogs training camp. He was re-called for last night‘s exhibition game in St. Louis, while goaltender Alec Richards was demoted.

As it stands the training camp roster sits at 26 players, and the Hawks’ brass will need to trim four more players from the roster before the season starts. Jassen Cullimore and Hannu Toivonen are as good as gone, but prospects Jeremy Morin and Nick Leddy have a fighting chance to stick around when camp breaks.

Jack Skille is day-to-day with an arm injury he suffered against the Blues, and Nick Boynton is suspended for one game because of his throat-slash gesture. Morin will be skating with Jonathan Toews Patrick Sharp and Patrick Kane in tonight’s game vs. the Penguins.

Training camp roster –

Forwards (14) – Bryan Bickell, Dave Bolland, Troy Brouwer, Jake Dowell, Marian Hossa, Patrick Kane, Tomas Kopecky, Jeremy Morin, Fernando Pisani, Ryan Potulny, Patrick Sharp, Jack Skille, Viktor Stalberg, Jonathan Toews

Defensemen (9) – Nick Boynton, Brian Campbell, Jassen Cullimore, Jordan Hendry, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Duncan Keith, Nick Leddy, John Scott, Brent Seabrook

Goalies (3) – Corey Crawford, Hannu Toivonen, Marty Turco

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Eight fantasy relevant Blackhawks, plus sleepers

October 1st, 2010 by Leigh Michael Dengis

Fantasy drafts are well underway, and the Blackhawks have eight players that should find their way on to a team in every possible format. For the purpose of this article we’ll stick with the standard 6 x 4 category league. Goals, assists, plus/minus, penalty-minutes power play points and shots on goal for skaters, and wins, goals-against average, save percentage and shutouts for goalies.

Patrick Kane (RW) – He led the Blackhawks in scoring last year, and is poised to break the century mark in his fourth season. Kane has pin-point accuracy with his wrist shot, and could see 35-plus goals on Chicago’s top line. Not much of a scrapper, but he can produce in each category. Kane has the potential to be the best fantasy right winger this year. (2009-10: 30 G, 58 A, +16, 20 PIM, 29 PPP and 261 SOG)

Marian Hossa (RW) – Despite playing on the second line, Hossa can produce a point-per-game, had the potential to reach the 40-goal plateau again and rack up the shots on goal. He has dropped on many draft boards because he only played about two-thirds of the season (57 games) recovering from shoulder surgery. Hossa would be a steal if he fell to third round. (24 G, 27 A, +24, 18 PIM, 7 PPP and 199 SOG)

Jonathan Toews (C) – Notoriously a slow starter, the fantasy hockey world hopes Toews’ hot stick that propelled Team Canada to a gold medal and Blackhawks to the Stanley cup hasn‘t cooled. Two seasons ago he was snakebit, and last year he suffered from post-concussion symptoms. Despite playing at the deepest position, you’re going to want to grab him early. Expect big things from Captain Serious. (25 G, 43 A, +22, 47 PIM, 22 PPP and 202 SOG).

Duncan Keith (D) – He may not be the fantasy juggernaut that is Mike Green, but the reigning Norris Trophy winner will be a top point producer on defense. There isn’t much selling needed when it comes to Keith. He’s one of the hardest working players out of the ice each night, and he won’t have any trouble living up the lofty expectations. Keith it near or at the top in every category. (14 G, 55 A, +21, 55 PIM and 213 SOG)

Patrick Sharp (C,LW) – Playing on the Blackhawks’ second line with Hossa for a full season will add to this already solid fantasy value. As will the duel position eligibility at center and left wing. Sharp will help owners across the boards, minus the penalty minutes. The pretty boy doesn’t like to get his hands dirty. (25 G, 41 A, +24, 28 PIM, 16 PPP and 266 SOG)

Marty Turco (G) – Turco is no longer the elite fantasy goalie he once was at the ripe age of 35, and is far from worthy of being drafted anywhere in the first five rounds. He’ll be productive for the Blackhawks because of their puck control style of play. Turco will be a great No. 2 goaltender on any fantasy roster, and should start anywhere between 55 to 65 games. (22 W, 2.72 GAA, .913 SV% and 4 SO)

Brian Campbell (D) – 2009-10 was a bit of a down season for the puck moving defenseman. Owners can normally rely on Campbell for 50-plus points this year. He was forced to miss a handful of games down the stretch because of a broken collarbone. Campbell will be the quarterback of the first power-play unit, and see around 20 minutes a night per usual. (7 G, 31 A, +18, 18 PIM, 11 PPP and 131 SOG)

Brent Seabrook (D) – Much of what Seabrook does on the ice doesn’t translate to the fantasy game, and he will never the sexiest fantasy defenseman. He’s still young, but with five full seasons in the league don’t expect a jump in offensive production. Seabrook will have a point total in the 30s, but his stellar plus/minus rating gives him value. He will also rack up a decent amount of penalty minutes and see time on the power-play unit. (6 G, 24 A, +20, 59 PIM, 6 PPP and 129 SOG)

The Sleepers –

Troy Brouwer (RW) – Brouwer will have the role of being the muscle somewhere within the top two lines in Chicago. Coach Quenneville will need him to battle in the corners and in front of the net each night. As a result his penalty minutes and goal totals should be on the rise this year. Brouwer could see time on the power-play as well. (22 G, 18 A, +8, 66 PIM, 13 PPP and 116 SOG)

Dave Bolland (C) – There might not be anyone on this roster with as much to prove as Bolland at 24-years-old. There are lofty expectations for the pivot, who signed a long-term deal with the Blackhawks last summer. Bolland is coming off a season where he missed 43 games due to back surgery, and showed signs of what could be. From all accounts, Bolland is going into the season healthy. Oh, and there is a chance he centers the second line with Hossa and Sharp. (6 G, 10 A, +5, 28 PIM, 2 PPP and 52 SOG)

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