Chicago Blackhawks: The Final Piece to The Puzzle

Over the past several years, the Chicago Blackhawks have been rebuilding their roster into a Stanley Cup caliber team. As of right now, the Hawks are looking sharp but are still missing one last piece to complete the reformation of a franchise.

The Blackhawks have loads of talent up front between Sharp, Toews, Kane, Versteeg, Hossa, etc. On the blue line, they have great offensive defensemen in Keith, Barker, and Campbell as well as a top 10 defensive defenseman in the NHL in Brent Seabrook.

So whats that final addition Chicago must add sometime this upcoming season to truly be the best of in the Western Conference?

The answer is a stay at home defensive defenseman who shows leadership, tenacity, isn't afraid to drop the gloves, and can chip in on offense here and there.

There are several players out there that I have considered would be a great addition to the Chicago Blackhawks, starting with Sheldon Souray.

Sheldon Souray

Sheldon Souray is the skating, breathing, and living definition of what is mentioned above. Souray is one of the games slightly under-rated players that would it perfectly on Chicago's roster. He is 33 years old and has great leadership qualities, hence the "A" on his jersey. Souray's is one of the toughest players in the NHL and sticks up for his team mates. When Kane, Toews, or Versteeg are getting picked on, who does Chicago have to protect these kids? With Souray on the ice with them, opposing players will think twice before messing with anyone. Souray also has one of the best slap shots among NHL defensemen and totaled 53 points (23-30-53) in the 2008-2009 season.

The only problem with Souray is his hefty $5.4 million contract for the next 3 years. If Chicago, like they have mentioned, are willing to move Sharp or Versteeg and drop Brent Sopel, they might just have what it takes to get Souray.

Cory Sarich

Cory Sarich is another of the the best defensemen in the league when it comes to toughness. His 112 penalty minutes last year were good enough for 7th in the NHL among defensemen. He is always willing to protect his team mates, shows his toughness, and doesn't show any signs of weakness. Until they mentioned it on T.V., who honestly knew he played the entire first round of the playoffs last year with a broken foot? With a $3.6 million contract for the next 3 years, Sarich might be a better bid for Chicago. Calgary might also be willing to give him up for Versteeg or Sharp considering they lost Cammalleri this off season too.

Willie Mitchell

Willie Mitchell is another great leader who contributes a great deal to a young Vancouver squad. He might go un-noticed to a lot of people watching a Canucks game, but he certainly sticks out to me as a solid defensemen who is always willing to take risks for his team, taking his +29 rating and 125 blocked shots last year.

Craig Rivet

Craig Rivet, the current captain of the Buffalo Sabres, who be a great addition for Chicago in order to teach the young guys like Brent Seabrook, Duncan Keith, and Cam Barker another thing or two. Rivet is a very consistent defenseman who puts away 20-40 points per year, but is more noted for his physical play and defense. With a young group of defensemen and a hefty $3.5 million contract, getting Rivet might be a problem.

Keith Ballard

Keith Ballard has made a name for himself over the past few years as a reliable defenseman to have on the team. Between his +14 rating, 172 hits, and 136 blocked shots last season, Ballard could be a top 10 defensive defenseman. His toughness is something everyone would love to have, but with a current contract of $4.2 million signed all the way through the 2014-2015 season, and the recent loss of Jay Bouwmeester, he looks to be settled in Florida for while.

Steve Montador

Montador might be Chicago's best option, even though he just signed a new contract with Buffalo. At a very affordable $1.55 million for the next two seasons, the Blackhawks might want to take a very close look at acquiring Montador. His 143 penalty minutes last year finished 2nd in the NHL among defensemen. Although penalty minutes aren't necessarily a good thing, his 13 fighting majors show he protects his team mates well, isn't afraid to drop the gloves when needed, and would definitely send a packed United Center into a a frenzy.

As the 2009-2010 season is around the corner, these are just a few options Chicago has to consider. They only ave Ben Eager to protect their young guns, so they might want to make a push at a physical defenseman. Also, with Brian Campbell's end-to-end rushes and common defensive mistakes, one of these guys as his partner would sure make up for him.