Can the Chicago Blackhawks Build Upon Their 2009 Revival Season?

(Photo by David Banks/Getty Images)

A prime story of the 2008-2009 NHL season, the Chicago Blackhawks regained their place among the elite teams and established themselves as a top team of the present and likely the future.

In a league struggling to maintain relevancy (thanks to a commissioner that makes Vince McMahon running the XFL look astute), having an Original Six team in a major market regain relevancy gave the NHL a badly-needed boost that executives openly celebrated.

However, the system currently in place (one that caters to the teams that cannot keep up) potentially jeopardizes this story from realizing its proper conclusion.

The same young players that fueled the Blackhawks revival will quickly hit free agency and create a massive salary cap challenge that Dale Tallon (or his replacement) needs to carefully navigate.

This offseason alone, the Blackhawks have to address unrestricted free agents like Martin Havlat, Nikolai Khabibulin (very unlikely to return because of Cristobal Huet’s contract), and Sammy Pahlsson, attempt to protect talented young restricted free agents Kris Versteeg, Dave Bolland, and Cam Barker, and possibly acquire a center to balance the scoring lines.

Looming over any moves made this offseason are Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, and Duncan Keith, who all hit free agency a year from now and will be looking for hefty new contracts of their own. Therefore, all contracts negotiated this offseason will likely take that fact into consideration.

Priority Number One: Re-Sign Havlat

Already in negotiations with Havlat’s agent, the Blackhawks plan on keeping their leading scorer—as long as the annual salary remains stays near (preferably a little below) his 2009 $6 million mark.

Previously struggling to stay in the line-up, Havlat played 81 games this past year and put up a career high 77 points. Of added value, Havlat often played on a line with Bolland and Andrew Ladd that went up against the other teams’ top scoring line—and he still registered an impressive plus-29.

Before this season, Havlat had not played in more than 70 games since his second year in 2002.  This lack of durability led to Ottawa trading him for less than market value. The last thing a team facing future cap issues needs is for a major investment to miss significant time due to injury.

That being said, Havlat’s versatility that allows him to play either on a top scoring line or this year’s group—which acted more as a checking line—makes him a player the Blackhawks need to retain.

Priority Number Two: Attempt to Lock Up the Young Players

Luckily for the Blackhawks, the financial problems around the league due to the economy may curb the frenzy for restricted free agents previously seen in past years. Still, key young players like Versteeg, Bolland, and Barker could be attractive to other teams and it only takes one opposing GM to put the Blackhawks in a major bind.

Versteeg, a finalist for the Calder trophy, finished second in rookie scoring behind Anaheim’s Bobby Ryan. He can play both on the wing and at center, and looks to be a solid top-six forward that will play on both specialty teams units.

His size (just 5'10", 169 lbs.) may scare some teams away—but in today’s NHL skill trumps size, and Versteeg thrives in an up-tempo system. At just 23 years old, he should cash in despite the tough economic environment, and it would behoove the Blackhawks to sign him/match any offers barring a monstrous opposing offer.

Bolland, a skilled center capable of playing on both a scoring or checking line, emerged playing next to Havlat and Ladd and possesses the same versatility as Versteeg. A capable penalty killer and power-play option (including playing as a point man on some power-play units), Bolland’s upside could be attractive to certain teams looking for younger options.

In a perfect world, the Blackhawks would re-sign Bolland and acquire an offensive-minded center to allow Bolland to remain the top defensive-minded option. However, cap restraints and other teams’ interest in Bolland may not allow that to happen—and may force the Blackhawks into a tough predicament.

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