Chicago is one of the great stories in the NHL today. A team that was a solid playoff contender for decades, the Blackhawks had fallen off in recent years. However, strong drafting and a commitment to developing young talent has put Chicago in a position to make a return to the playoffs. Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews are two of the best young players in the league today, and veteran players like Martin Havlat and Marty Lapointe are talented leaders who can guide these young prospects.
Chicago made one of the biggest splashes in the free agent pool, when they signed star defenseman Brian Campbell to an eight year deal. Campbell is one of the top offensive defensemen in the league, and with a contract of eight years, will likely be spending the prime of his career in the Windy City. After picking up Andrew Ladd at the trade deadline, the Blackhawks re-signed the tough winger to a three year deal, adding further depth up front.
Chicago may have created some controversy in net by signing standout young keeper Cristobal Huet, while Russian great Nikolai Khabibulin was stillon the roster. However, Khabibulin will likely provide Chicago with a solid piece of leverage to use in a future trade to add further talent to their roster.
The Blackhawks made a controversial draft pick in fiery Kyle Beach. Beach is regarded as one of the most talented players in the 2008 draft crop, but his attitude issues and off-ice activities have been called into question. Hopefully, he matures in the NHL. If he does, Chicago will have three of the top young players in the NHL not named Malkin, Ovechkin or Crosby.
