The Chicago Blackhawks became the first team to win two championships in the salary-cap era when they staged a rousing comeback and defeated the Boston Bruins in the sixth game of the Stanley Cup Final to hoist the treasured chalice.
Can they win back-to-back titles and three in a five-season span?
They won their first title in 2010, but salary-cap issues forced general manager Stan Bowman to dismantle that squad so the Blackhawks would be cap compliant. But instead of crying in his beer about not being able to keep his team together, Bowman went about the business of retooling in a responsible manner.
The salary cap will be sharply reduced from $70.2 million to $64.3 million next season. The Blackhawks, like all teams, have cap issues to address. However, they are nowhere near as serious as they were after their 2010 Stanley Cup run.
Start off with Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and Parick Sharp. The Blackhawks' three best forwards are all under contract for mulitple seasons.
Kane and Toews both earn $6.3 million per year and are signed through the end of the 2014-15 season, according to CapGeek.com. Shar ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Steve Silverman
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