Chicago Blackhawks: What to look for during the 2018 convention

Here are a few things that you, the Chicago Blackhawks fan, should be on the watch for at this year’s convention.

The 2018 Chicago Blackhawks convention began on Friday, July 27th at 5 PM CST. There is excitement in the air, and here are a few key subjects you should pay extra close attention to.

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First and foremost, the Blackhawks have to focus in on their goaltender Corey Crawford. Crawford had his season cut short by — what Blackhawks training staff say — an upper-body injury. Crawford also posted a record of 16 wins and nine losses last season. Not too shabby for a guy who only played in 28 games and started 27 of those.

Many media outlets attending the 2018 convention believe Crawford has sustained a concussion-like injury. Although last December was the final game of Crawford’s 2017 campaign, the cameras will without a doubt be zeroed in on the Blackhawks goalie for answers.

Another avenue for the Blackhawks to consider taking  after the 2018 convention would be to unload a couple of contracts that many believe are not worth keeping. And at the top of the list is Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook.

Seabrook is signed through the 2023-2034 season. Last season, his offensive help numbers dropped to only seven goals and 19 assists. That is a far cry from the 2015 season where he posted 14 goals and 35 assists. If the Blackhawks are smart, they will find a way to dump his contract before they are dealing with an Alfonso Soriano-type deal that basically drains your funds for little return. This offseason and 2018 convention would be the perfect time to start exploring that option.

And last but not least, Duncan Keith may have to say farewell also. Last year, Keith put up an abysmal two goals with only 30 assists in 82 games. Either the Hawks have to decide to give these can’t-hack-it-anymore players one more chance, or it is time to move on directly after the 2018 convention.

So, if the Blackhawks do not get it into the next gear soon, will this be the end of an era? And if so, how many more seasons will Chicago fans have to wait until the next run at the Stanley Cup? In my opinion, the Hawks will have a bounce-back year and they will find themselves in the Conference finals. Here’s to hoping another run begins now.