NHL Draft 2012: Would Malcolm Subban Be a Good Fit for the Chicago Blackhawks?

Two years ago, the Chicago Blackhawks were hoisting and hosting the Stanley Cup trophy over their heads after an amazing playoff run that ended in an overtime goal by Patrick Kane against the Philadelphia Flyers.

This season, however, was much, much less exciting.

The Blackhawks were disappointed by losing to the Phoenix Coyotes, who claimed the third seed in the Western Conference this season by winning their conference. However, the Blackhawks were thought to be able to win the series by many because the two teams were fairly evenly matched, at least on paper.

But those people didn't realize the one glaring hole in the Blackhawks lineup, the one thing that put the Coyotes over them: the goalie.

In 2010, Antti Niemi helped the Chicago Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup by doing his best impression of a brick wall in front of the net. After that season, the Blackhawks refused to offer Niemi the $2.75 million he was awarded in arbitration, and he left.

Since then, the team has been looking for a goalie and have so far been unsuccessful. They seem to be pretty well balanced everywhere else on the ice. However, Corey Crawford doesn't seem to be getting the job done in front of the net.

So, at the 2012 NHL Draft in Pittsburgh, it seems to reason that the main need for the team to address is the goalie position. With that in mind, there is someone who can help the Chicago Blackhawks get back to the Stanley Cup finals.

The top choice is Malcolm Subban, who currently plays for the Belleville Bulls in Ontario. Everything about this player fits what the Blackhawks usually go for: He has NHL in his family, he is young, and most importantly, he plays in North America.

While that last one may not seem important, the Blackhawks typically choose players who are currently in North America and try to develop them into players that can be around long-term.

Along the same lines, his age is perfect for typical Blackhawks prospects. Subban is only 18 years old, which means he is young and can still be developed.

In recent years, the Blackhawks have made excellent choices with their many picks, getting young North American players whom they make a home for in Chicago and make a lot of buzz about once those players are ready to go. Even non-hockey fans knew of the Patrick Kane pick in the 2007 NHL draft.

Subban also has hockey in his family, with his brother currently in the NHL as well. This gives him a bit of experience that some other players may not have coming in right away and means his name will be pretty recognizable, especially among fans. (If only they could play on the same team like other NHL brother duos.)

In short, Subban would be a perfect fit in Chicago. He is projected to go right around where the Blackhawks are picking, and if they play their cards right, the Hawks may get themselves a franchise goalie whom they can stick in front of the net and expect to play well for years to come.

He just may be the missing piece that the Blackhawks need to get back to the Stanley Cup Finals and bring the trophy back to Chicago.