Are the Chicago Blackhawks still title contenders?

After a disappointing season are the Chicago Blackhawks still title contenders, or closer to a rebuild?

It’s been an interesting year for the Chicago Blackhawks.

After dominating the NHL for the past decade, the Blackhawks missed the postseason for the first time since the 2007-08 season. Key players were starting to show fatigue, goalie issues lingered all season and the team seemed unmotivated at times.

The team still has two of the leagues best forwards in their prime years, so a full-on rebuild should be out of the question. General Manager Stan Bowman still believes this team can get it done, and his offseason moves show that.

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The Blackhawks used six different goaltenders last year. When Corey Crawford went down, multiple replacements were tried without much avail. Bringing in Cam Ward was a quality move on Bowman’s part.

Ward’s pedigree includes a Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe Trophy with the Hurricanes. Age has caused some regression, but he still has the ability to be an effective back-up for Crawford.

Defensively, the Blackhawks showed a lot of weakness. Lacking a true top-four, teams took advantage of Chicago’s blue line. The team has managed to draft some solid defensive prospects the past couple of seasons in Henri Jokiharju, Adam Boqvist, and Nicolas Beaudin. But, these guys still need time to develop.

Brandon Manning provides a temporary, two-year filler. Offensively, Manning doesn’t offer much — 19 points in 65 games last season. His true value is what he brings in terms of physicality, which is something the Blackhawks often lacked.

Even more important is his 0 +/- rating, which would have been third-best among Blackhawks’ defensemen. Manning also averaged about 18 minutes of ice time. This alleviates a lot of work off of Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith.

Manning is 28 years-old, so his low ceiling doesn’t mean a long-term top-four spot. However, once prospects start coming up, he could fit into the third pairing very well.

Many of the Blackhawks’ top forward prospects showed promise last season. With the speed and skill they displayed, they’ll likely land in the top six — leaving a void in the bottom six. Enter Chris Kunitz.

Kunitz has managed to remain productive on very good teams, despite his age. He fits perfectly into the third or fourth line. Along with scoring ability (29 points last season), Kunitz isn’t afraid to throw the body or get down to block shots. His defensive ability allows him to be an asset on the penalty kill as well.

Next: Pros and Cons of Kunitz deal

While things have slowed down recently, the moves are not likely finished. The Blackhawks are still a few pieces away from getting back into the Central Division race. The biggest of those pieces is another short-term defensive signing or trade.