Chicago Blackhawks: Reflecting on the Departures of 2010

Now that the prospect tournament has come to a close the Chicago Blackhawks can be optimistic about the future of the team and the quality of players in the system.  Eventually, Hawk fans will understand and appreciate the moves that had to happen in the summer of 2010.  

After the Hawks won their first Stanley Cup in 49 years there were a number of changes on the horizon.  Former Blackhawks' General Manager Dale Tallon architected a team front-loaded with lucrative contracts.  When Stanley Cup bonuses kicked in the Hawks were up against a wall and new GM Stan Bowman had to make a number of moves. 

The average Hawk fan was dumbfounded that the organization would deal such quality players.  However, in the cap era of the NHL you have to play by the rules and Bowman had to prioritize certain core players. 

A number of key players and fan favorites had to depart for other clubs.  A little over a year later, here is a reflective look back at nine players that left the Hawks in 2010 and where their careers have taken them since.

Dustin Byfuglien

I’m not sure Chicago fans were prepared for what Dustin Byfuglien accomplished in the 2010 playoffs.  

Fans always seem to forget that the Hawks' brass was considering moving Big Buff at the trade deadline.  Byfuglien coasted through most of the regular season, having on and off nights.  Fortunately, the Hawks kept him around. 

Perhaps Joel Quenneville’s finest coaching moment came when he decided to move Byfuglien to forward and park him in front of the net for the Vancouver series.  11 goals later, Buff found himself a Stanley Cup Champion. 

The first to be traded in the summer of 2010, Byfuglien was moved along with Brent Sopel and Ben Eager to the Atlanta Thrashers for Jeremy Morin, Marty Reasoner, Joey Crab and Atlanta’s first and second-round picks (Kevin Hayes and Justin Holl) in the 2010 draft.  

This past season, Byfuglien emerged as an all-star defenseman and was second in scoring for the Thrashers with 20 goals and 33 assists.  He received an extension with the now Winnipeg Jets and will make $5.2 million a year for the next five years. 

Hopefully his off-season arrest and recent weight gain will only be a blip on the radar as he continues his promising career.  

Andrew Ladd

Oh Andrew Ladd, why can’t I quit you?  While the Byfuglien trade disturbed many fans, the Andrew Ladd trade in July of 2010 broke my heart. 

You do not find too many forwards like Andrew Ladd.  He is still young, has two goals in Cup clinching games with the Hawks and the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006 and stood up for his mates in March of 2010 by taking on Ryan Kesler.  His in-zone play was terrific and he could put the puck in the net when called upon. 

Ladd was also dealt to the Atlanta Thrashers for prospect Ivan Vishnevsky and Atlanta’s second round pick (Adam Clendening) in the 2011 draft. 

In his first season in Atlanta, Ladd led the team in scoring with 29 goals and 30 assists.  Amazing that two players dealt from the Hawks' 2010 Championship team would be first and second in scoring on a different club. 

Now with the same franchise in a different city, Andrew Ladd is poised to excel in his career as a Winnipeg Jet.  A new contract extension will see him earning $4.4 million a year through the 2015-2016 season.

John Madden

I am still surprised that John Madden has yet to find an NHL home for 2011-2012.  Madden signed a one-year deal with the Hawks in the summer of 2009.  Due to cap issues the Hawks let him walk after the 2010 Cup win. 

He was a critical piece during the Hawks' run.  A fourth-line center, he did what was asked of him, killed penalties and kept the opposition off the board. 

Madden signed on with the Minnesota Wild for the 2010-2011 season and performed very well in a checking role, scoring 12 goals and adding 13 assists.  As a fourth line center that is great stuff. 

Many speculated that the Hawks would bring Madden back for the upcoming season, but they opted for Jamal Mayers instead.  At 38, Madden still has juice left and I imagine you will see him in camp somewhere very soon.  

Ben Eager

Who will ever forget Ben Eager’s game winning goal in Game 2 of the 2010 Finals?  28 seconds after Marian Hossa opened the scoring Eager, on his off wing, fired a wrist shot over the shoulder of Michael Leighton.  It was all the Hawks needed as they went on to win 2-1. 

Part of the Atlanta trade, Ben Eager was moved to the San Jose Sharks during the 2010-2011 season.  The Sharks needed some extra grit for the playoffs and this was their man.  

Eager’s season ended in the Conference Finals after a loss to the Vancouver Canucks.  This summer he signed with the Edmonton Oilers for three years at a $1.1 million cap hit per season.  As a tough, hard-nosed agitator, Ben Eager will continue to serve his role well as a pro.

Kris Versteeg

Kris Versteeg will be playing with his fourth different club in roughly 16 months since being traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs last summer. 

Versteeg was a weapon for the Hawks in their cup run coming up with a huge game winner in Game 2 of the Vancouver series and adding two goals in the Stanley Cup Finals against the Flyers.  

Following the Cup win, Versteeg was traded to the Leafs for Viktor Stalberg, Philippe Paradis and Christopher DiDomenico.    

He continued his scoring touch during the 2010-2011 season.  He finished with 21 goals and 25 assists.  

The Philadelphia Flyers picked up Versteeg at the trade deadline but lost in the playoffs to the Boston Bruins in four games. 

The Flyers traded Versteeg to the Florida Panthers this summer in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2012 or 2013 draft and San Jose’s third-round pick in 2012.  He has one year and $3.8 million remaining on his contract before becoming a restricted free agent in 2012.  

Brent Sopel

Brent Sopel was a rock on the blue-line for the Hawks.  He could play physical, block shots and would even add a goal in a Game 4 Finals' loss. 

Sopel marked another player that was shipped to Atlanta that summer and wound up another pick-up at the trade deadline.  Needing defenseman, the Montreal Canadiens acquired Sopel for the postseason.  The Habs would lose in overtime of Game 7 to the Boston Bruins in the first round of the 2011 Playoffs. 

Sopel is now headed east, across the Atlantic, to play in Russia with Metallurg Novokuznetsk of the KHL.  At 34, Sopel may end his career overseas but will always be remembered as a key contributor and a great overall guy in Chicago.

Adam Burish

The pugnacious Adam Burish was a fan favorite in Chicago.  Burish played with a contagious energy and enjoyed three seasons as a regular in a Hawk uniform.  Though he did not have his best playoffs in 2010 and did not dress in Game 5 or Game 6 of the finals, he added depth and personality to a great line-up. 

When his contract expired, Burish signed with the Dallas Stars for two years at $2.3 million.  In 2010-2011 Burish played 63 games, tallied a career high eight goals and added eight assists. 

We have not heard the last of Burish.  Still in his twenties, Burish has a solid five years left in the NHL and should continue to thrive in Dallas.

Colin Fraser

It was a shame that Colin Fraser was not able to contribute more during the Hawks postseason run, as he had a solid regular season in 2009-2010.  The Hawks were so deep that year that Fraser would only dress for three games in the playoffs. 

Fraser was traded to the Edmonton Oilers that summer for the Oilers sixth-round pick (Mirko Hofflin) in the 2010 draft.   

In 67 games in the 2010-2011 season, Fraser would only amass three goals and five points with the Oilers. 

This summer he was traded to the Los Angeles Kings, a move that was met with controversy.  The Kings' organization filed a grievance with the NHL that the Oilers did not accurately disclose the full extent of Fraser’s ankle injury.  He has one year left on a deal that will pay him $825K this season. 

Hawks' fans enjoyed watching Fraser in Chicago and hope that things work out for him in L.A. 

Antti Niemi

Antti Niemi barely beat out Corey Crawford for the back-up job when the Hawks ended camp in 2009.  After splitting time with Cristobal Huet during the regular season, Niemi found himself the starter in the playoffs. 

The rest is history. 

Niemi was brilliant and after he and agent Nick Zito went to arbitration in the summer of 2010, the Hawks could not afford to match the $2.75 million he was awarded. 

The San Jose Sharks signed Niemi for less than that but, after performing well for 60 games in the 2010-2011 season, he was granted an extension.  He is due to make $3.8 million a year for the next four seasons. 

Niemi will be the starter again for a Cup contending team.  Don’t be surprised if he adds another Stanley Cup ring within four years.