The Chicago Blackhawks haven't randomly or accidentally won two of the last four Stanley Cups. They haven't gone out and bought up all the top free agents, praying to the hockey gods for chemistry and lightning in a bottle.
Chicago has drafted its last two championship teams, and the development of Brandon Pirri as a No. 2 center on the team is only the most recent example of how successful this franchise has been at drafting and developing players since 2002.
At the beginning of the 2012-13 season, the 'Hawks had a hole to fill. Dave Bolland had been traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs over the summer and the team was looking internally for a replacement. While Michal Handzus filled the role for a few games and Brandon Saad was given a short trial as a center, Chicago eventually settled on Pirri to fill the need.
If this was just a one-time instance, then perhaps we'd refrain from calling the Blackhawks draft-day geniuses, but recent history suggests that Pirri's success isn't a fluke. If anything, it's all part of the plan.
Looking at the 2009-10 Cup-winning roster, a few obvious draft ch ...
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Article written by Franklin Steele
Breaking Down Chicago Blackhawks’ Exceptional Ability to Manage Prospects
November 5th, 2013 by Franklin Steele Leave a reply »
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