Chicago Blackhawks: Last chance for Hawks core to win another Cup?
By Ryan Sikes

With the roster appearing to be set, is the 2019-2020 season the last chance for the current core of Chicago Blackhawks to win another Stanley Cup?
The Chicago Blackhawks 2010 Stanley Cup victory was the team’s first in 49 years, thus ending nearly half a decade of futility. They followed that with two more Cups in 2013 and 2015. None of that would have been possible if the Blackhawks had not done such a great job of drafting players.
The team had been bad for so long until they selected Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane in the first round in 2006 and 2007, respectively. Add to this Marcus Kruger in 2009, Brandon Saad and Andrew Shaw in 2011, Ryan Hartman in 2013 and Nick Schmaltz in 2014. All were major contributors to the Hawks winning their three Stanley Cups in six years.
Unfortunately since then, they have been without a playoff victory since the 2016 postseason and have not made the playoffs the past two seasons. The Blackhawks got hit pretty hard in the 2015 offseason trying to get under the salary cap for the following season, losing Johnny Oduya, Andrew Desjardins, and Brandon Saad.
They have re-tooled but have also made a few boneheaded moves trying to re-acquire players that they probably should not have. The Blackhawks had a budding superstar in Artemi Panarin and traded him to get Saad back. That being said, they have a bright future with guys like Alex DeBrincat, Erik Gustafsson, Dylan Strome, and Dominik Kubalik supporting their main core of players.
That’s been the general theme of re-stocking role players to support Kane, Toews, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, and Corey Crawford. Now Crawford, who has been really good in his career with the Hawks, has battled concussion issues the past couple of seasons. He’s also entering his final year under contract with the team and likely won’t be brought back.
The front office has done a nice job of making sure the goalie situation is in good hands when Crawford’s time is up acquiring Robin Lehner from the Islanders and Collin Delia is at the ready in Rockford. Crawford has been a constant for the Blackhawks since becoming the everyday goalie during the 2010-2011 season.
With the St. Louis Blues being the defending Stanley Cup champions and other teams within the division extremely competitive in Winnipeg, Dallas, and Nashville, it’s going to be extremely difficult for the Hawks to win another cup with the current core group of guys.
dark. Next. Has team done enough to address defensive woes?
Entering the 2019-2020 season, the Hawks have 50-1 odds to hoist another Stanley Cup. Does that mean it’s impossible? Heck no. However, they are going to need to shore up their defense signficantly this season if they want to have any shot at another title.