Will the Chicago Blackhawks Come Through as Stanley Cup Favorites in 2014-15?

Heavy is the head that wears the crown. The Los Angeles Kings have to look out, because everyone in the NHL is going to be gunning for them this year.

No team may have the Kings more in their sights than the Chicago Blackhawks.

While the revenge factor exists, since the Kings knocked the Blackhawks out of the postseason in overtime of the seventh game of the Western Conference Final last spring, the Blackhawks are far more motivated by the idea of winning another title.

If Chicago is victorious at the end of the season, it would be its third Stanley Cup in six years.

The Blackhawks are considered favorites for the crown this year. Odds Shark lists the odds from four different sports gambling websites, and all of them have made the Blackhawks the favorite to come away with the Stanley Cup.

A look at the roster and recent accomplishments indicates that the Blackhawks should be one of the strongest teams in the league once again, but there's another factor that could turn the 2014-15 season into another championship campaign.

It could be that the Blackhawks know the old gang won't be together past the upcoming season.

Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane signed contract extensions in July, and beginning with the 2015-16 season, each player will be paid $10.5 million per year.

Since those two players will command $21 million of the team's salary cap, the Blackhawks are going to have to find a way to get below the $69 million ceiling.

They are already committed to paying nearly $66 million in 2015-16, and while the salary cap is likely to continue rising, the Blackhawks have a big problem.

The Blackhawks have eight players who will be free agents at the end of the upcoming season (four restricted, four unrestricted), and even though general manager Stan Bowman is one of the top salary-cap manipulators in the NHL, he's not going to be able to wriggle out of this jam.

Some of those future free agents include Brandon Saad, Brad Richards, Johnny Oduya and Nick Leddy. If Bowman decides he needs to keep some of those key free agents, he may have to say goodbye to other players that are already under contract.

Obviously, he's not going to part with Toews (68 points, plus-26, plus-22.06 on-ice Corsi in 2013-14), Kane (69 points, plus-seven, plus-12.87 on-ice Corsi) or Norris Trophy winner Duncan Keith (61 points, plus-22, plus-16.40 on-ice Corsi).

He's also unlikely to part with goalie Corey Crawford (32-16-10, 2.26 goals-against average, .917 save percentage).

However, it seems like everyone else might be at risk of being traded or moved in some way.

That's why this season seems so special to the Blackhawks.

Marian Hossa (60 points, plus-28, plus-18.36 on-ice Corsi) is 35 years old, but he is still a valuable two-way player who can be the best player on the ice on any given night.

Patrick Sharp (team-high 34 goals, plus-13, plus-17.62 on-ice Corsi) can pick the corner from 40-plus feet from the net and appears to be at the peak of his powers.

Brent Seabrook (playoff overtime goals vs. Detroit and Boston in 2013, plus-16.17 on-ice Corsi) has proven to be a clutch scorer in key postseason games, while Niklas Hjalmarsson (28 points, plus-11, plus-6.77 on-ice Corsi) is one of the team's top shutdown defensemen.

While the Kings have the most obvious targets on the their back, the Blackhawks will be the measuring stick for the St. Louis Blues and Minnesota Wild.

The Blackhawks beat both of them in the postseason last year, and both St. Louis and Minnesota should be dangerous once again. The Blues are among the most physical teams in the league, while the Wild have speed, skill and the knowledge that they have improved for two consecutive seasons.

Throw in an improving Dallas Stars team and the explosive Anaheim Ducks, and the Blackhawks are clearly up against it in the Western Conference.

If they can survive that gauntlet, they will be hoping that a team like the New York Rangers or the Montreal Canadiens emerges from the East. They would much prefer either of those teams to the Boston Bruins or Pittsburgh Penguins, who appear to be the strongest clubs in that conference.

With training camp set to start in just a few weeks, the oddsmakers favor the Blackhawks. They have the star power, the motivation and knowledge that they have done it before.

They also seem to have a sense of timing that marks all great teams, and they are about to get their chance to prove it once again.

Advanced statistics courtesy of Behind the Net. Salary-cap and contract information courtesy of CapGeek.com.