Chicago Blackhawks: After Abysmal Loss, It's Time To Add a Forward

Hopefully, the Chicago Blackhawks can forget about Friday night’s debacle against the Carolina Hurricanes and move on. They played very uninspiring hockey in a 3-0 loss in Raleigh. 

Though they peppered Cam Ward with 30 shots, they were not on top of their game. They had little flow, were not responsible with the puck and were not getting to the net. I may add that Nick Leddy was completely abysmal, and Viktor Stalberg has been the worst Hawk to date. 

It’s not panic time by any means. The Hawks are back at it on Saturday night against the Columbus Blue Jackets, but they look like they need an additional piece at some point this season.    

What do they need? The same thing they have needed since training camp, and that’s one more weapon up front. 

When training camp began, the center ice position was in question. It was rather alarming when Joel Quenneville placed Patrick Kane at center, but it has worked to date. Kane may very well be in the middle the rest of the year. 

Marcus Kruger has also been somewhat of a pleasant surprise as the fourth-line center. While many may have predicted this before training camp, Kruger’s September was less than remarkable and he looked destined for Rockford. 

Perhaps it is time to consider moving Kane back to wing, but after only one bad game in Carolina, he should stay there for now. You can never have enough centers on your roster or in your system, but truthfully, a scoring winger is what could get the Hawks to a nearly unstoppable level.  In four of the Hawks' last six games they have scored three or fewer goals in regulation. While their goals against have been steady, they will need more firepower. On Friday, they couldn’t score at all. 

Let’s not forget that Daniel Carcillo has been on the second line with Kane and Marian Hossa—not exactly what anyone was envisioning. It has worked for a while, but it’s hard to imagine him playing there the entire season. 

If you gave Hossa and Kane a more dynamic offensive complement, imagine what would be in store for the make-up of the Hawks’ first two lines. 

The Hawks have the prospects to make a deal, and feel free to throw Viktor Stalberg as bait as well. 

With some teams already looking like pretenders in the NHL, here is a short list of players who could fit the bill. 

Shane Doan, Phoenix Coyotes 

A name that has come up often, Shane Doan is at the end of his $4.5 million per year deal and could be moved. He has all of the ingredients the Hawks are looking for. He has leadership, experience, a knack for putting the puck in the net and is a great presence in the locker room. With the Coyotes in financial trouble and a tough year in the standings ahead of them, this would make too much sense not to consider. 

Vaclav Prospal or Antoine Vermette, Columbus Blue Jackets 

Would the Blue Jackets ever deal within the division? Maybe not, but with their 1-8-1 start, they will be desperate to shed some salary and start from scratch…again. If they would consider a trade with the Hawks, Prospal and his $2.5 million tag for the remainder of the season, it would not be too tough on the Hawks.  

The other player they will be looking to unload could be Antoine Vermette, who still has three years left on a $3.75 million deal, but needs a change of scenery. If the Hawks wanted to move Kane back to the wing, Vermette could be a hot ticket in Chi-town. 

Lee Stempniak, Calgary Flames 

Lee Stempniak is one of the more underrated forwards in the NHL, and his contract will come to a close at the end of this season. He only makes $1.9 million a year and scored 19 goals in 2010-2011. The Flames have started 3-4-1 and could continue to slide. With so many undesirable contracts on their books, Stempniak could be a player they look to unload early. 

Andrei Kostitsyn, Montreal Canadiens The Habs have not come out of the gate strong, but have won their last two contests. It’s early, but if they cannot figure it out, they may be looking to wheel and deal before the trade deadline. One of their best players has six points to date and is up for a potential pay increase. With Kostitsyn finishing up a $3.5 million a year deal and the Canadiens needing to figure out their blue line for the future, this could be a good rental for the Hawks. 

Against Columbus on Saturday night, you can bet the Hawks will be out for blood. 

Original article published on bottomlinehockey.com