Have we ever seen a Stanley Cup champion dismantled to the point Chicago was this off-season?
Yes all of the major pieces (Kane, Toews, Keith, Seabrook) are all still there, but they lost a starting goalie, a playoff hero, and key pieces to the depth that had made them so dangerous last spring.
Now, that experienced depth has been replaced with young, untested questions marks who are hungry to strut their stuff and prove that this team won't be a one-off; that these youngsters can compete just as hard and yield the same kind of results.
One of the favorites to watch because of their Stanley Cup contention last year, Chicago will be a favorite to watch this year just to see them try to stage a title defense on the run. And to see if they meet a few bold (or not so bold) predictions:
1) Marian Hossa scores 50 goals
He's never done it, but he's surrounded with plenty of talent to be able to in Chicago. Last year's pace would only have him scoring 35 in 82 games, but now that he's established himself in Chicago, no one is asking about the Cup, and there's no surgery to be coming off of, Hossa might have one ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Bryan Thiel
BT’s 10 Bold 2010-11 NHL Predictions: The Chicago Blackhawks
September 8th, 2010 by Bryan Thiel Leave a reply »
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