Well, I don't have all of those answers, but I definitely have a few good guesses. Let's get started!
What do I do now?
Well, that's a great question, young grasshopper. There is still a lot of hockey being played right now and in the near future!
Stanley Cup Playoffs/Finals
Okay, so it's not the Blackhawks. But, playoff hockey is the best hockey you'll ever watch (in my opinion), and it's kind of cool to watch games that in scheme of things, don't mean a whole lot in regards to the Hawks. You can put the game on while you're cooking something, studying, writing, lounging, whatever, and not have to worry about missing something crucial--it's not your team playing!
I personally think the fun teams to watch are the Stars, Blues, Capitals, and Sharks. Those teams I think have kind of come out of the wood works this year and really stepped up their games. I'd love to see a Caps/Stars SCF, but we'll see how things pan out.
All Stanley Cup Playoffs games are either on NBC or NBCSN, and the full schedule is here. The Stanley Cup Finals start on May 30 on NBC.
Ice Hockey World Championship
Surely watching some worldly hockey can be fun! International hockey gives you a break, again, from the stress of watching a Blackhawks game--there's nothing at stake. You can watch it and cherry-pick the teams or players you want to watch/root for, or you can just watch it casually!
Plus, if you still miss the Blackhawks, Panarin is playing for Russia! We'll get to see him interacting with other Russian players and playing a different style of hockey than I think we're used to seeing him in.
Forward Vincent Hinostroza and draft pick Tyler Motte (University of Michigan) will also be in Russia for the Championship, playing for USA.
I'm not sure if it'll be broadcast in the United States, but I'm sure NHL Network will at least give highlights/coverage. It runs from May 6 through May 22, so there's lots of hockey to be played yet.
Blackhawks Convention
The Hawks do a fun little convention every summer, and this summer is no different! Seriously, these conventions always bring a lot of fun and excitement to the organization during the sometimes boring off-season. Panels are the best part, since it allows the fans to connect with the players on a whole new level. Plus, the guys are hilarious and give out some pretty ridiculous answers.
The convention is July 15-17, and though it's not broadcast anywhere, so many people take photos and videos, and the Blackhawks definitely put up some of their own. I'd bet the Hawks' Snapchat will be there, too.
World Cup of Hockey
Also another great hockey tournament with lots of Blackhawks players on rosters! This one isn't until September, just before the preseason games start, but they will give us a little taste of hockey at the end of the summer!
To recap, here's who the Hawks have in the World Cup:
CANADA: Toews, Crawford, Keith
USA: Kane
RUSSIA: Anisimov, Panarin
EUROPE: Hossa
FINLAND: Teravainen
SWEDEN: Hjalmarsson
So, that's nine players to watch--and, the teams have only chosen 16 players thus far. Teams have until June 1 to select the rest of their roster. I think Seabrook has a good shot at getting on Canada's roster, and I think Kruger might have a shot for Sweden's roster.
The World Cup of Hockey starts September 17, and will be broadcast on ESPN.
Who's staying? Who's going?
It's hard to say, you know. I don't think anyone expected the Blackhawks to trade away Patrick Sharp, Jonny Oduya, or Brandon Saad. But, it happened. That's just the nature of the off-season free agency and open trades.
But, there is a set list of guys who likely won't be going anywhere. Along with that is the toss ups, then the guys who probably won't stick around.
Definitely Staying
Well, to put it simply, our core. Bowman has done an exceptional job of creating a core of players who know how to lead a team, who know what they have to do to get the team to the next level.
On this list are: Kane, Toews, Seabrook, Keith,, Hossa, Hjalmarsson, and Crawford. All have won the three cups (aside from Crawford), and are going to probably stay Hawks for a long, long time coming.
Some other players I think will definitely stick around: Teravainen (Q liked his progress this season), van Riemsdyk (ditto), Darling (he was pretty incredible this year--and has proven to be a great backup for Crawford), Kruger (just signed a 3-year deal), Anisimov (a great center for Kane), and Panarin (obviously). These guys all stepped up when need-be, and I think they're all great additions to the Blackhawks.
Toss-Ups
Sadly, the Hawks can't keep everyone. I wish they could, and I know they wish they could, but the salary cap is going to be a struggle this off-season.
The hope is to keep as many guys as they can. Obviously, the two most glaring opportunities are Shaw and Ladd. If they could find a way to keep both of them, that would be incredible. I'm just not sure if even Magic Man Stan Bowman can make it happen.
Mashinter would be nice to keep, too. He's a good defensive forward, and I think once he gets going, we could get some more depth on the bottom two lines. I think Panik played exceptionally well towards the end of the season, especially in the playoffs. He really proved himself, and I think he could stick around.
Svedberg is just awesome. If the Hawks could keep him, that'd be great. He's a big, big guy, and the Hawks don't have a lot of big guys on the team. Hell, Gustafsson impressed me. I don't think he's the best D-man we have, but he's pretty good and I liked him in the third defensive line. Desjardins is another player like Shaw and Kruger (his linemates, incidentally) who plays defensively as a forward. I wasn't crazy impressed with him, but I do like him, and the Desjardins-Shaw-Kruger line is kind of a one-two punch line that the Hawks need.
I think Rasmussen, Hinostroza and Rundblad will stay, but probably down in Rockford for the time being. I like the lot of them, and I think with a little more experience, they could each be pretty skilled players. Will they stay? Not sure.
Likely Won't Stick Around
Now, let me preface with this: none of these players are bad. I just don't think they melded well with the Hawks, or maybe would work better on another team. These players have their good games, but just didn't really work for the Hawks.
Roszival is up for free agency this summer, and it'll be interesting to see what the Hawks do with him. He wasn't the greatest for us this season, and he's getting up there in age. We'll see what happens with him.
Bickell has made it clear he wants to be traded so he can play in the NHL, rather than the AHL, which is where he's been since January. He has been great for the Hawks in years past, but I think it might just be a good time for a change in scenery for him. Plus, if we can get rid of his contract, Shaw might become more of a possibility.
The other trade-deadline players like Fleischmann, Weise, and Ehrhoff were good in theory, but I don't think they worked really well with the team. I think Weise was finally getting into his groove in the playoffs, but I wouldn't count on him returning. Fleischmann scored a few times in March when things were looking grim, but again, I'm not sure he'll stick around. And, gosh, I'm not even sure when Ehrhoff played last.
What's next season going to look like?
Like everything else in this post, I don't have a damn clue. So many things are up in the air right now, especially regarding free agency, but I think the Hawks are determined.
This is not how they wanted to go out. They aren't typically a team to get knocked out this early. I think they'll use that to push harder next season.
I've said this a million times: this is a special team. They have done great things in the past, and will continue to do great things in the future. Will they win another Stanley Cup before the core retires? I don't know. I definitely think they can, and I know they do, too.
What they did this season was unbelievable. Losing Sharp, one of the best players we had; Oduya, one of the best defensive players we had; and Saad, the future of the organization... Well, to be fair, things looked grim at the start of the season.
But the Hawks came out and decimated. Kane with his 26-game point streak. The 12-game winning streak. Crawford with a league-topping seven shutouts. Kane with two hat tricks and Panarin with one, too. All of that was crazy. Like I've said, guys stepped up when they needed to.
Remember, they played without Duncan Keith for a few games twice this season. They played without Toews when he was suspended after the All-Star game. They played without Hossa for quite a few games. Seabrook was sick, Panarin was sick, Anisimov was sick--all of these injuries and illnesses didn't stop the Hawks.
They had some pretty bad stretches, believe me. The end of January and all of March were just dreadful. It had me wondering if they'd even make the playoffs.
But, they did the impossible. And they can do it again. Four cups in eight years? Yeah, I think they can do it.
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