Thankfully we have a full 82-game regular season this year instead of last year’s lousy lockout result. Teams have finished their pre-season games, cleaned up their rosters and are ready for another year to compete for one of the greatest trophies in all of sports, the Stanley Cup.
One team faces, arguably, the greatest challenge, repeating a Stanley Cup victory. And that team is, you guessed it, the Chicago Blackhawks. Only this year, the Blackhawks have just as much firepower and just as much of an opportunity to win it all as any other contender.
Regular Season Roster
After a solid pre-season, the Blackhawks Organization has made its moves and finalized their roster for the beginning of, what hopes to be, another fantastic season.
Johnny Toews will lead “the boys” through another successful season; this is an obvious fact any Hawks’ fan could state. However, the question at hand is, who will be “the boys” this season?
“The boys” consist mostly of Hawks from last season, which is a huge benefit especially when considering the new salary cap restrictions. Names like Hossa, Toews, Kane, Saad, Shaw, Keith, Seabrook, Hjalmarsson, Leddy, Bickell, Bollig, and Crawford will be returning to the lineup.
Even though the Hawks are returning key veterans, they will look to new and youthful players to add to their success. These players will include: Jimmy Hayes (RW), Joakim Nordstrom (C), Ben Smith (RW), Michael Kostka (D), and Ryan Stanton (D).
Notice Brandon Pirri was not listed. This came as a surprise to me considering Pirri’s talent and all the hype that followed. I for sure thought that Brandon Pirri would be the answer for the, competitive and open, center role. However, due to an injury and lack of play, the Hawks have decided to send Pirri to Rockford and have kept 21 year-old center, Joakim Nordstrom, on the active roster.
Joakim has had a great pre-season and has obviously impressed the coaching staff with his talents. He has earned his spot on the roster and will probably play in a decent amount of games this season. I think he will be a healthy scratch for the most part unless injury is involved. I am looking forward to seeing how Nordstrom will compete at the professional level.
Another new face on the roster is defenseman Michael Kostka. Kostka played in 35 games last season for the Toronto Maple Leafs and registered 8 assists, a -7 rating, and 27 PIMs. This 27 year-old was acquired this offseason via Free Agency and will be a healthy scratch to back up on the blue line.
In addition to Kostka, the Hawks blue line has another new addition this year. Ryan Stanton has been called up to the Hawks’ roster after playing in Rockford for several seasons. He has played in one NHL game which was last season where he was a +1 rating on the ice. Stanton has a lot to prove before he finds himself in a consistent amount of games for the Hawks. Stanton will join Sheldon Brookbank and Michael Kostka as healthy scratches for the Hawks’ defensive core.
Guys like Ben Smith and Jimmy Hayes have now officially made the regular season roster after appearing sporadically over the past few years. Ben Smith will definitely contribute to the Hawks’ offense this season and I can’t wait to watch him do it! Smith has shown his offensive capabilities at the NHL level several times and will continue to do so, but will do so now on a more consistent basis considering his roster position.
Jimmy Hayes will also be a consistent contributor for the Hawks. He has played in 41 games for the Hawks since the 2011-12 season and has registered 6 goals and 7 assists in his NHL totals. Look for Jimmy and his 6’ 6” frame to throw around the body, and hopefully the puck, all over the ice this season.
Opening Week
The Blackhawks will open the 2013-14 season against the Washington Capitals on October 1st. I know that this paper will be out after this game takes place, however I think the Hawks will beat the Caps to kick off the year. Hopefully my predictions are right! The Hawks will then play the Tampa Bay Lightning on October 5th. I hope you are all as excited as I am for this season! The Hawks have a tremendous opportunity ahead of them to repeat. Can they do it? I sure hope they can!
LET’S GO HAWKS!
Frank Markasovic
Sports Editor
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