Pro Sports

Lots of new faces for Chicago Blackhawks heading into season

Posted September 27, 2017 7:00 am

By The Associated Press

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS

LAST SEASON: 50-23-9, 109 points. Won Central Division. Swept by Nashville Predators in first round of playoffs.

COACH: Joel Quenneville (10th season, 21st NHL season).

ADDED: F Brandon Saad, F Patrick Sharp, F Tommy Wingels, D Connor Murphy, G Anton Forsberg.

LOST: F Artemi Panarin, D Niklas Hjalmarsson, D Johnny Oduya, D Brian Campbell, G Scott Darling, F Andrew Desjardins, F Marcus Kruger, D Trevor van Riemsdyk.

PLAYER TO WATCH: Connor Murphy. The Blackhawks have several questions on their blue line after trading Hjalmarsson to Arizona and losing van Riemsdyk in the expansion draft this summer. Enter Murphy, a physical defenseman who was acquired in the Hjalmarsson deal. The 24-year-old Murphy had two goals and a career-high 15 assists last season, but also had a minus-13 rating.

OUTLOOK: The Blackhawks looked like, well, the Blackhawks right until they got to the playoffs last season. Now, after a second straight exit in the first round, the pressure is on. The good news for the Blackhawks is a deep group of forwards, boosted by the return of Saad and Sharp, and Duncan Keith remains one of the NHL's best defensemen.

Chicago Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews (19) celebrates with teammates after scoring against the Columbus Blue Jackets during the third period of a preseason NHL hockey game Saturday, Sept. 23, 2017, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Kamil Krzaczynski) The Associated Press

Article Comments

Article Comments

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.