5 Lineup Changes the Chicago Blackhawks Should Consider for the New Year

Even with a brutal 5-1 home defeat suffered at the hands of the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night, the Blackhawks have been rolling this season.

They have strung together an 11-2-1 streak as they prepare to play at Colorado on Saturday night in their first post-Christmas action. They are in first place in the NHL's Central Division, and they are in second place in the Western Conference behind the Anaheim Ducks.

The Blackhawks have their eyes on the prize, and they won't be satisfied unless they bring home their third Stanley Cup in six years in June.

Head coach Joel Quenneville has made a career of making the right moves, and he has already had to deal with injuries to goalie Corey Crawford and explosive scorer Patrick Sharp. Quenneville clearly knows how to push the right buttons in order to get the proper results.

But that doesn't mean the Blackhawks couldn't use a little fine tuning. With that in mind, we offer five lineup adjustments that Quenneville and his coaching staff should consider as the new year approaches.

Move Patrick Sharp Back to the First Line

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Patrick Sharp missed more than a month of action after he suffered a knee injury in early November.

The Blackhawks survived the absence of last year's leading scorer quite well (11-3-0), and that prevented the team from rushing Sharp back into the lineup before he was fully ready to play again.

Sharp scored 34 goals and grabbed 44 assists last year, and his instincts and skating speed allow him to finish off scoring opportunities as well as create them for himself and his teammates.

When Sharp resumed playing on December 9 at New Jersey, Quenneville eased him back into action on the team's third line. He has recently been taking the No. 2 center role between Patrick Kane and Kris Versteeg, since Brad Richards has missed the last two games with an upper-body injury.

However, the Blackhawks would best be served by putting Sharp on the top line with Jonathan Toews as his center and Marian Hossa on the right wing. Brandon Saad is currently skating at left wing on this line, but the line's overall productivity would improve with Sharp taking his spot.

Give Ben Smith a Shot on the Third Line

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Ben Smith is an important role player for the Blackhawks. He provides energy whenever Quenneville sends him out onto the ice. He also kills penalties and plays right wing on the team's fourth line.

Smith is worthy of even more ice time than the 14:06 he is getting per night. He has scored five goals and earned three assists, and he deserves time on the No. 3 line that is centered by pesky Andrew Shaw.

Veteran Daniel Carcillo has been seeing quite a bit of action at right wing on that third line, and he has scored four goals and earned three assists. Carcillo is making a solid contribution, and he also has a plus-five rating, but Smith is a more versatile and impactful player.

The Blackhawks would be better off with Smith on the third line and Carcillo on the fourth line.

Sit Down Bryan Bickell for at Least Two Games

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Bryan Bickell continues to be one of the NHL's most enigmatic players.

He struggles badly in the regular season, but he has a history of turning it on in the playoffs. That's why general manager Stan Bowman and Quenneville have not washed their hands of the 6'4", 233-pound winger who sometimes appears invisible on the scoresheet and on the ice.

With his size and strength, Bickell should be banging bodies, crashing the net and increasing his team's production. Bickell has scored four goals and earned seven assists in 35 games this season.

If he was not a player who had scored 16 goals in the last two playoff years, we would advocate dumping Bickell and his $4 million annual salary. However, that would not be prudent, even though Bickell regularly causes Quenneville and the coaching staff consternation.

Bickell should be benched for at least two games so he gets the message that his regular-season performance is not acceptable.

Return Brad Richards to the Lineup When Healthy, But...

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Brad Richards missed the Blackhawks' last two games prior to the Christmas break with an upper-body injury.

While Richards had a bit of a slow start, his play had picked up in recent weeks prior to his injury, and he has scored six goals and earned 12 assists. While this is not stellar production, he seems to fit in nicely between Kane and Versteeg on the second line.

Richards does a nice job of recognizing scoring opportunities, and he has the ability to fire stretch passes that cause problems for opponents.

The Blackhawks are a stronger team when he is in the lineup. In addition to his primary duties, he also mans the point on the team's No. 2 power-play unit.

However, Richards is not a sure thing. His lack of speed caused the Rangers to bench or demote him in each of the last two playoff years, and the Blackhawks should be prepared to do the same if he starts to slow down at any time.

Bowman must keep his hand on the trigger and be prepared to make a trade for a better No. 2 center if he does not believe that Richards can keep up—and if prospect Teuvo Teravainen is not considered ready.

Give Corey Crawford Four Consecutive Starts

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Corey Crawford was pulled by Quenneville on Tuesday night after he gave up three goals from 13 shots against the Winnipeg Jets. It was his worst performance in what has been an excellent season.

The start against Winnipeg was just his second since suffering a leg injury in an off-ice fall while attending a concert in Chicago.

Crawford needs to get his rhythm back and his game in order once again. He is the team's No. 1 goalie, and if the Blackhawks are going to have an excellent start to the new year, they need Crawford back in form. Crawford has a 12-6-2 record with a 2.00 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage.

Quenneville must give him the time he needs to get comfortable. He needs at least four straight starts for that to happen.