Dallas Stars’ Enemies: Looking Into Chicago Blackhawks
By Josh Clark
The Dallas Stars are aiming to go far this coming season, but let’s not forget that they are still in the rough and tough Central Division. How will they fare against the Chicago Blackhawks this year?
Every NHL offseason presents an opportunity for every team to get better or worse. But which teams improve and which decline? That depends on a variety of factors spanning from management decisions, to contact disputes, and even the availability and status of certain players.
The Dallas Stars know the offseason well, and they have proven to make the most out of each of the past four. They traded for Tyler Seguin in 2013, traded for Jason Spezza and signed Ales Hemsky in 2014, traded for Patrick Sharp in 2015, and extended captain Jamie Benn for eight years last month.
With all of these moves, the Stars are in good position to make a run. Last season, they ran the table in the Central Division and escaped the regular season with a record of 50-23-9 (109 points) and the first overall seed in the Western Conference going into the playoffs.
They slid into the Western Conference semifinals, where they lost in a seven-game bout with the St. Louis Blues. Still, the season was a delightful success.
Now the Dallas Stars are returning for another round, and hopefully have more fuel in the tank than the last time around. Led by an all-star offensive cast of Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, Jason Spezza, and Patrick Sharp, Dallas looks poised to lead the league in scoring once again (3.23 goals for average last year).
The defense has a bigger, stronger look to it with the addition of Dan Hamhuis, and the goaltenders Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi should be more prepared to run the two-goalie system this season than they were last year.
All in all, the Stars look ready to string together an impressive year in 2016-17.
But, as mentioned in the first sentence, there are 29 other teams who could have improved just as much, if not more.
The Central Division is highly regarded as the toughest division in the NHL, and the Dallas Stars have had a front row seat while learning this lesson for the past three years. Only this past year, they seemed to be the teacher instead of the student.
However, that does not mean that the Stars will be able to breeze through the division again this coming season. So Blackout Dallas is going to do a series recapping the offseason moves of each of the other six Central Division teams and how those moves could affect the team’s success not only against Dallas, but in the division overall.
First up, we will start off with one of the Stars’ newest rivals, the Chicago Blackhawks.
Last season
Record: 47-26-9 (103 points), finished third overall in division
Postseason: eliminated in first round by the St. Louis Blues in seven games
The 2015-16 Chicago Blackhawks took a step back from their 14-15 selves. Now, it’s obviously difficult to not take a step back after winning the Stanley Cup in the season prior, so it was somewhat expected.
After defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games in the 2015 Stanley Cup Finals, the Hawks were met head on by their salary cap troubles. It was finally time to pay the piper, and Chicago had to cough up some valuable players to balance out.
Among those lost were Brandon Saad, Brad Richards, Patrick Sharp, and Johnny Oduya. The Stars were lucky enough to grab two of those players (Sharp through trade and Oduya through free agency), which ultimately helped bolster their lineup.
Bottom line: the Hawks fell well short of where they had once been this past season.
What did they gain this offseason that’s noteworthy?
One of the Blackhawks’ biggest acquisitions this offseason was signing D Brian Campbell in free agency. The 37-year-old defenseman signed a one-year, $1.5 million deal with Chicago on July 1st.
Campbell was a target for many teams going into the offseason, including the Stars. He’s a veteran presence on the blue line that rarely gets hurt and can efficiently move the puck. He’s an offensive force also, tallying 95 points in his past three seasons. He can also help out on both special teams units. He is an older defenseman, but is showing no intentions of slowing down.
The Blackhawks also re-signed D Michal Rozsival to a one-year extension worth $600,000 AAV. He’s provided a declining veteran presence on the Hawks blue line over the past four seasons. He is now 37 years old.
They also signed 33-year-old F Jordin Tootoo. When looking at the Blackhawks offense, it is a mystery why they would sign Tootoo. The right winger barely has 150 points in 673 NHL games, and posted a career high 30 points back in 2011-12. Tootoo is known more for his ability to get scrappy with opponents and rack up the penalty minutes. This is definitely a strange signing.
What did they lose this offseason that is noteworthy?
Chicago traded F Teuvo Teravainen and F Bryan Bickell to the Carolina Hurricanes for picks. Teravainen produced a significant punch this season for the Hawks on offense and he will be sorely missed.
The Blackhawks traded F Andrew Shaw to the Montreal Canadiens for two draft picks in the early portion of the 2016 NHL entry draft. Whether people accept it or not, Shaw gave the Hawks a spark that only certain players can supply while producing 30+ points a season.
When two players (Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane) take up over a fourth of the cap space available, the team eventually feels a heavy pinch.
In the end, the Blackhawks lost some minor pieces and gained some. But overall, the Hawks seem to have gotten a tad worse, at least on paper. There is no way to tell just yet, but things don’t look good for the Windy City in the middle of a stacked and loaded Central Division.
How might the Stars fare against them?
The Stars and Hawks will encounter each other five times this coming season (three in Chicago, two in Dallas). Last year, the Stars had very little trouble handling Chicago, going 4-1-0 against them and outscoring 20-11. It was the highest goal differential for the Stars against any team in the Central.
must read: Can The Stars Win The Central Again? Here's Why
The Blackhawks are hurting in their bottom-six on offense. Not to mention that the Stars offense is at the same strength level as it was last year when it averaged four goals a game against the Hawks. That’s a lot of strain to rest on a goaltender, even of Corey Crawford‘s caliber.
All in all, it looks like Chicago might have to use this year to adjust and find their footing again. A lot of changes have happened to the club in just one calendar year, and it’s going to take some time to mesh and find chemistry. Dallas should have no trouble battling past them, though anything is possible considering Chicago is a “wild-card” type of team. You never know what they are going to produce.
Next: Stars May Have Some Trouble Locking Up The Central This Year
We will have more coverage on the remainder of the Central Division teams as the week goes on, so stay tuned to Blackout Dallas for more! Until then, just keep crossing off the days on your calendar until hockey is back!