Deeper Hawks team will return to Finals
When last we saw the Blackhawks in a real hockey game, they were within inches of completing a monumental comeback against Vancouver.
If Jonathan Toews hadn't been forced to hesitate just slightly before sliding a pass out front, Patrick Sharp wouldn't have been in as deep and Roberto Luongo wouldn't have had time to slide over. The Hawks would have eliminated the Canucks, the eventual Western Conference champs.
Instead, the Hawks lost in overtime of Game 7 and 2010-11 was in the books.
But the reality is the Hawks may not have survived another round anyway. They just didn't have the depth in any facet of the game to be considered a Stanley Cup contender.
Now the question is, have they added enough to contend next spring?
No. 2 center
The belief here is they're close to competing for the big prize again, and that GM Stan Bowman will do something before the trade deadline to ensure they can make a run.
Their biggest need is at center, where the addition of a No. 2 would place the Hawks in a legitimate conversation about the Stanley Cup.
When it matters most, the line of Toews, Sharp and Patrick Kane is as dangerous as any in the NHL, but having them together means the second line suffers.
A genuine No. 2 center would provide more balance and allow Joel Quenneville to stack that top line when he sees the need. Guys such as Jason Spezza will be available and would make a huge difference, but Spezza has a huge cap hit ($7 million) and big salary for four more years.
Still, Bowman has left himself $3 million to play with and he'll do something during the season to make a difference.
Meanwhile, Quenneville will experiment and mix and match as he always does, using Sharp and others at center, but he'll start Game 1 with rookie Brandon Saad alongside Toews and Sharp.
Kane at center will be fun to watch, since it gets him the puck more often and with more space, but long term he wouldn't seem to have the size or defensive desire to make it work.
Dave Bolland is a perfect No. 3 center and the line of Bolland, Michael Frolik and Bryan Bickell was dynamite at both ends of the ice against the Canucks.
Scoring depth
The Hawks must find more scoring beyond the usual suspects.
It would help if Marian Hossa is healthy, but someone else must add scoring depth, and Andrew Brunette was signed for that precise reason.
The fact that second-round pick Saad is still here suggests the Hawks believe they may have caught lightning in a bottle. He has nine games to prove he can perform here and it would be a huge boost if he can play around the net in the regular season the way he did in the preseason.
Ben Smith is a great story and he appears to have a knack for scoring and being in the right place at the right time, but it may be unrealistic to put the burden on him.
Frolik was terrific against Vancouver and if that player shows up this season, he could be a difference-maker.
The Hawks believe in Rostislav Olesz and Viktor Stalberg and it would be helpful if one of them could participate in the offense this season.
The defense
The Hawks are deeper on the blueline than they were a year ago, but whether they're better remains to be seen.
Niklas Hjalmarsson took a big step backward last season, perhaps unable to carry the weight of a big contract. He has the talent to help replace the puck-moving ability of Brian Campbell and should be better defensively, but he certainly didn't show it last year.
Nick Leddy is going to be a fine NHL defenseman, but will it be this season? He took big steps last year. Another jump like that and the Hawks are a better team.
Steve Montador didn't look good in the preseason, but he's in a new system and may have been trying too hard to become part of the offense, which is expected from Hawks defensemen.
Sami Lepisto also has the talent to be part of the defensive core and Brent Seabrook should be Brent Seabrook.
If Duncan Keith is somewhere between the Keith of his Norris season and the Keith of last season, the Hawks are already improved on defense.
Toughness
Everyone knows how soft the Hawks were a year ago with only John Scott, and Bowman addressed it in a big way by adding Dan Carcillo, Jamal Mayers, Sean O'Donnell and Montador, all willing to stick up for their teammates.
Carcillo and Mayers will add a lot with their grit and energy, and Mayers is a high-character player who brings a lot to the room and can do almost anything at any spot.
The goaltender
Corey Crawford was the best player against Vancouver, standing on his head for seven games. He was the reason the Hawks got back in that series.
It would not be surprising if he had some difficult times this season living up to that performance and a new contract, but Crawford is the real thing and once he gets his feet under him again he should have a great season.
The bottom line
The Hawks should be better from start to finish offensively and in goal — remember Marty Turco? — and they're deeper on defense , which should mean fewer minutes for Keith and Seabrook, keeping them fresh for the postseason.
Assuming health and the addition of a center, they should be good enough to finish in the top four in the Western Conference.
The hangover is gone, the players are rested and the team is hungry.
It says here that in 2012, the Hawks will go back to the Stanley Cup Finals.
brozner@dailyherald.com
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