Will the Chicago Blackhawks' No. 2 Line Continue to Produce at a High Level?

The Blackhawks thought they made a key move when they signed Brad Richards at the start of free agency last summer.

Richards, a former standout with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Dallas Stars and New York Rangers, was brought in to man the center position on the No. 2 line. There was little doubt that Richards was a skilled shooter and passer, but there were questions about his all-around play.

Richards, 34, had been demoted or benched by the Rangers during each of the past two playoff seasons for his shortcomings on the defensive end.

Still, general manager Stan Bowman brought him aboard and head coach Joel Quenneville welcomed him to the Blackhawks.

Richards was situated as the No. 2 center for the majority of training camp, but during the final days of the preseason, he was replaced at center by edgy Andrew Shaw.

Quenneville had seen Shaw play center for Patrick Kane and Brandon Saad at various points in the 2013-14 season, including for several games in the Stanley Cup playoffs, and he liked the combination. As the regular season loomed, he decided Shaw belonged between the explosive Kane and the decisive Saad.

‘‘It was so good last year in a short amount of time, and it was right at the end of the year,’’ Quenneville told Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times. ‘‘It was almost like, ‘Do I really want to break them up?’ ’’

Charles Cherney/Associated Press

Through three games, that No. 2 line has been quite productive. Kane has one goal and two assists, while Shaw has two goals and one assist. Saad has not lit the lamp yet, but he has three assists.

The trio appears to be quite comfortable playing together.

The question is whether or not this line will continue to produce at a high level throughout the season.

The reason for that question is the man in the middle. Does Shaw really have the talent to hold on to a position between Kane and Saad? Kane is one of the best and most exciting players in the league and has proven time and time again that he can score the biggest goals at the most important moments.

Saad, a second-round pick in the 2011 draft, has superstar potential himself. He is one of the fastest skaters on the Blackhawks and also very decisive in the offensive zone.

He scored 19 goals and had 28 assists last year, and with just a bit of progress, he will reach the 25-goal mark this season. A 30-goal season is not out of the question.

Shaw does not have that kind of pedigree. He checks in at 5'10" and 180 pounds, and he is not going to intimidate anyone with his size or strength. He scored 39 points last year in 80 regular-season games, and that's his career high.

Shaw was selected in the fifth round of the 2011 draft. While he deserves credit for playing well and working his way up the ladder, he is not overflowing with natural talent.

Shaw is a hustler and agitator. He may be to the Blackhawks what Brad Marchand is to the Boston Bruins. Both players regularly find a way to agitate opponents by getting under their skin, and both seem to enjoy doing it.

Agitation and edgy play represented Shaw's ticket into the NHL and have helped him establish himself, as he is now in his fourth season with the Blackhawks.

However, as the No. 2 center, he has to produce consistently on the ice by making sharp passes to his skilled linemates and then converting his own scoring chances when he gets that opportunity.

Now that Shaw is in his current role, he plans on staying there for the long term. ‘‘It’s obviously exciting,’’ Shaw told Lazerus. ‘‘It’s something I worked for and have to keep working for it.’’

If Shaw does not continue to produce, the Blackhawks could have a pretty big issue on their hands. While they are not writing Richards off yet, he is playing center on the No. 3 line between Bryan Bickell and Ben Smith.

Perhaps right winger Kris Versteeg will jump up to the third line when he returns from his lower-body injury and give that group a bump, but that unit is not off to a good start.

None of those three have a point in the Blackhawks' first three games. Richards has not done anything to dispel the notion that his game has slipped quite a bit in recent seasons.

Quenneville noted his third line's difficulties and had some advice for Richards, Bickell and Smith to become more productive. "Just get a little bit more comfortable with each other and have more presence with the puck, patience with it, and more offensive zone time," Quenneville told Mike Spellman of The Daily Herald. 

It would seem the Blackhawks' best alternative at the No. 2 center position would be Teuvo Teravainen, who is getting time in Rockford to season his game and get more experience with playing physical, North American-style hockey.

Teravainen needs at least half a season with the IceHogs before he could be asked to adapt to the NHL. Ideally, Teravainen would get a full year of competition in the American Hockey League before he gets called up to the Blackhawks.

So, it is clear that the Blackhawks need Shaw and the No. 2 line to continue to produce.

Shaw has been working hard and the results have been there. He is more focused and serious than he was in his three previous seasons, and perhaps that will help him remain productive and secure in his position.

If not, Richards will likely get another look before the Blackhawks consider any additional moves.

With that said, the current No. 2 line is productive and functioning at a high level, and the future looks good for Kane, Saad and Shaw.