Stock Watch for Top 6 Forwards for the Chicago Blackhawks

The Chicago Blackhawks have been talking about making a Stanley Cup run in 2014-15 for months.

Long before they got to training camp in September, the Blackhawks made their feelings known. The loss to the Los Angeles Kings in the Western Conference Final was still stinging, and the team wanted to reclaim the Stanley Cup title for the third time in six seasons.

After a slow start in the first month of the season, the Blackhawks have been reeling off victories. They are 15-3-0 in their last 18 games and have moved to the top of the Central Division with 22-9-1 record. They are second in the Western Conference, trailing only the Anaheim Ducks.

The forwards have been producing. While the Blackhawks were averaging 2.33 goals per game in their first 12 games, they have been averaging 3.45 goals per game in their last 20.

Patrick Kane, who has been producing consistently, is at the top of the scoring list. In this piece, we'll look at the Blackhawks' top six forwards and examine their stock for the foreseeable future.

While Patrick Sharp is not currently playing on either of the top two lines, he is included in this piece because it seems obvious based on past production that he will return to a top-six spot before long.

RW Patrick Kane

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2014-15 Stat Line: 32 GP, 15 G, 17 A, 32 PTS as right wing on Blackhawks' No. 2 line.

His Season so Far: Patrick Kane has been the team's leading scorer this season, and he has shown that he wants to be as spectacular in the regular season as he has been in the postseason throughout his career. Kane is on his way to breaking through the 35-goal mark, which would be a career high. He has never scored more than 30 goals in a season.

Stock-Watch Report: STEADY

More than the numbers, Kane's game is all about making big plays at key moments. He has gotten off to hot starts before, but there have been times where his scoring tails off. However, when the Blackhawks are playing an important game, the feeling is that he will make a play—either scoring a goal or making a pass—that leads the Blackhawks to an pivotal victory. 

As a result, he should continue to be one of head coach Joel Quenneville's most important players, even if his scoring tends to flatten out.

C Brad Richards

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2014-15 Stat Line: 32 GP, 6 G, 12 A, 18 PTS as center on Blackhawks' No. 2 line.

His Season so Far: It was a slow start for Richards, as he did not score his first goal for the Blackhawks until the 11th game of the season. It appeared that the bargain-basement signing was going to bring about a bargain-basement result.

Richards shook off his slow start, and he has fit in quite well between Kane and left wing Kris Versteeg. He's not the fastest skater at this point in his career, but he knows how to set up his teammates and can take advantage of his own scoring opportunities. 

Richards scored 15 points in a 17-game span from Oct. 30 through Dec. 5, but he has gone cold since then. He has not scored a point in his last six games.

Stock-Watch Report: FALLING

Richards knows what to do, and he is fitting in well with his teammates. However, he has been an up-and-down performer this year and is on a cold streak right now. It may last a while before he finds his stride again.

LW Kris Versteeg

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2014-15 Stat Line: 28 GP, 8 G, 16 A, 24 PTS as left wing on Blackhawks' No. 2 line.

His Season so Far: Kris Versteeg has played well above expectations so far, because nobody thought he would be the team's third-leading scorer at this point in the year. 

Versteeg scored 10 goals and 19 assists in 63 games last year, and it seemed likely he could have ended up as a salary-cap casualty if he didn't pick it up. However, instead of looking a step slow and failing to cash in on his opportunities like he did last year, Versteeg is skating brilliantly and going to the front of the net, where he can take advantage of his opportunities.

Versteeg has been a pleasant surprise for Quenneville and the coaching staff.

Stock Watch Report: RISING

The longer Versteeg plays well, the more his confidence should grow and his performance should remain high. The key for Versteeg is remaining healthy so he can continue to grow and play impressive hockey.

RW Marian Hossa

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

2014-15 Stat Line: 32 GP, 6 G, 15 A, 21 PTS as right wing on Blackhawks' No. 1 line.

His Season so Far: It has been quite frustrating for Marian Hossa thus far in the 2014-15 season. While he has been playing hard and skating as well as he has in recent years, he was not putting the puck in the net with any regularity until recently.

Through the first 19 games of the season, Hossa appeared snake-bitten, as he had only scored two goals. He has picked it up slightly since then with four goals in his last 13 games.

Even though the puck hasn't been going in the net the way it usually does—he scored 30 goals last year and has reached that mark eight times in his career—Hossa continues to play hard in the defensive and neutral zones.

Stock Watch Report: RISING

His track record is too good for Hossa to remain in a scoring slump the rest of the way. He has found the back of the net on just 6.2 percent of his shots this season but has a career shooting percentage of 12.6 percent. Look for him to start climbing back up the ladder the rest of the season.

C Jonathan Toews

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2014-15 Stat Line: 32 GP, 12 G, 16 A, 28 PTS as center on Blackhawks' No. 1 line.

His Season so Far: Jonathan Toews is the captain of the Blackhawks, and he never takes the ice and gives anything less than 100 percent. When he is on the ice, he is the Blackhawks' most dominant player and is ready to do whatever it takes to win a game.

If he has to shut down an opposing center, he will do it. If he has to win a key face off (56.8 percent), he will find a way to get it done. If it means carrying the puck the length of the ice and setting up a teammate for a surefire scoring opportunity, Quenneville can depend on him. Toews will also take the scoring responsibility if the Blackhawks need a goal in the late stages of a game by going to the front of the net.

There has been no letdown in his effort or his productivity this season.

Stock Watch Report: STEADY

What a sense of relief it must be for Quenneville to look at his bench and see Toews. He plays with intelligence and abandon. He may not find himself on the list of the top scorers in the league, but he always ranks with the game's best players. He proves he belongs there on an every-night basis.

LW Brandon Saad

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2014-15 Stat Line: 32 GP, 7 G, 14 A, 21 PTS as left wing on Blackhawks' No. 1 line.

His Season so Far: The 22-year-old Brandon Saad is in his third full season with the Blackhawks, and after scoring 10 goals as a rookie and 19 goals last year, the hope was that Saad would approach the team's top players in scoring and overall production this season.

The speedy and explosive Saad has not gotten to that level yet. He had a slow start that saw him score two goals in his first 17 games. He looked lost at times and was not playing with the same kind of confidence that had marked his play previously.

However, Saad has since righted the ship and has scored four goals in his last nine games. He is skating impressively, and his scoring opportunities are starting to come with regularity.

Stock Watch Report: RISING

Saad appears to be over the worst of it, and there's no reason to think he won't continue to raise his game and improve.

However, there is reason to think that he won't remain on the top line for much longer. Patrick Sharp has returned from his knee injury, and last year's leading scorer is likely to move up to one of the top two lines shortly. He could very well take Saad's spot and bump him to the third line.

RW Patrick Sharp

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2014-15 Stat Line: 18 GP, 4 G, 7 A, 11 PTS as right wing on Blackhawks' No. 3 line.

His Season so Far: Patrick Sharp was sent to the injured list in early November during a 5-0 victory at Montreal. That game was the start of the team's turnaround this season, but Sharp went down with a knee injury in the third period of that game.

Luckily for Sharp, who scored 34 goals and 44 assists last year, he did not suffer any ligament or muscle tears, which would have kept him out of action for a long time. He missed about a month, and while his scoring numbers are down, he is skating with his signature speed. 

Sharp has a burst to the puck, and his offensive numbers should start to skyrocket in the near future.

Stock Watch Report: RISING

Sharp has one of the best shots on the team along with tremendous goal-scoring instincts and a commitment to winning. It's just a matter of time before he finds his stride and scoring touch, which should inevitably see him return to one of the top six spots shortly.