With the Addition of Marty Turco, What Will the Blackhawks Have in Net?

With the one-year signing, and addition of veteran goaltender Marty Turco, the Chicago Blackhawks will no doubt be hoping that the three-time All Star can provide some of the brilliance he was once known for in Dallas.

Turco, now 34 years old, should get the call on opening night, and many hope that he can perform near, or at the level that was seen by Antti Niemi throughout the playoffs last season.

The Blackhawks are getting a much-proven player in Turco, who has been one of the best of his generation, and has been called "the smartest goalie in the league" by hockey analyst Don Cherry.

Many believe that he is the best puck-controlling goalie, and still has the tools to be a top-level player. His work ethic has been questioned by some in the past couple of years, but this could and should change with the move to the defending champions with a team that is a favorite to win before the season, and top quality personalized coaching with Stephane Waite.

Turco is also trying to win his first Stanley Cup, as he has had great seasons, and strong playoff runs but never won "the big one" in Dallas. In regards to why Turco selected Chicago, his agent said, "We spoke to four different teams and turned down different opportunities and amounts. He turned down teams with higher considerations and longer terms...Marty's priority was joining a team that could win a Stanley Cup, and he chose Chicago."

The question as to if Turco will want to play with the team is not in doubt as he has always admired the Blackhawks organization, and was a big fan of Ed Belfour as a Blackhawk when Turco was a player for the Michigan Wolverines.

The Ontario-native Turco will be the first North-American goaltender to be the top goalie for the team since Michael Leighton's lackluster 6-18-3 record as the No. 1 in 2004.

With Cristobal Huet's tenure as a Blackhawk for all intents and purposes over, it is expected that another North-American goalie in Corey Crawford will get the opportunity to finally prove himself consistently as the projected No. 2 to start the season.

It has been a long time coming for the 25-year-old, who saw his first action in 2006 but has not consistently remained on the team. Many ponder and believe that Crawford perhaps could have been the goalie to lead the Hawks to the Cup as Niemi did last season, had he gotten the chance.

Crawford, no doubt, could be put in the position to get the call later in the season next year as Niemi did. It is not expected that he will be sent down as Hannu Toivonen who is the other option is a possibility, but most likely would be a replacement if Turco or Crawford struggles greatly or they suffer an injury.

But can Turco and Crawford be counted upon to replace the team of Niemi and Huet who had such a successful campaign last season?

Yes, it would be no shock to see the duo have a great year, as most goalies would with the help that they have around them.

The Blackhawks still have a dynamic offense that is going to control the puck for the majority of hockey games. The Blackhawks' goalies last season were only expected to make on average between 20 to 30 saves a game. That is in comparison to the opponents, who were pummeled with Blackhawk shots and scoring chances.

And Turco and Crawford also will have the best defenseman in the world in Norris Trophy winner Duncan Keith, and his Olympic Gold Medal linemate Brent Seabrook.

Brian Campbell and Niklas Hjalmarsson, who are also still on the team, give the Blackhawks amazing depth on the backend, making the new goalies' job that much easier. Younger defensmen, such Ivan Vishnevskiy and Shawn Lalonde, could make the team and join imposing veteran John Scott as second and third line blueliners.

The loss of Niemi and addition of Turco is something that may make some Blackhawks fans fret, and feel discouraged about. Economically, it was for the best. Emotionally, it may hurt. But in a hockey sense it may not have been a negative, and perhaps Turco and Crawford could be better.