It was an unusually long offseason for the Chicago Blackhawks. After a first round playoff exit at the hands of the St. Louis Blues back in April, the Blackhawks were left with a longer rest period then they are accustomed to. Some believe the extra rest will be good for the Hawks, who have played more hockey in the past four years than any team ever has during a four year span. Others believe it is the beginning of a possible decline for the  Hawks due to the dreaded NHL Salary Cap.

During the NHL offseason, the Blackhawks had their annual salary cap crunch. On June 15th, the Hawks traded forwards Bryan Bickell and Teuvo Teräväinen to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for a 2016 2nd round draft pick and a 2017 3rd round draft pick. The move was made purely to move Bickell’s ludicrous cap hit of $4 million off of the Blackhawks’ salary books, and although it succeeded in doing that, it cost the Blackhawks a young and promising forward in Teräväinen. A week later at the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, the Blackhawks traded versatile forward Andrew Shaw to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for two 2nd round draft picks in the 2016 Draft. Shaw was a fan favorite in Chicago, and used his agitating style of play and net-front presence to become a key contributor on the Hawks’ Stanley Cup teams in 2013 and 2015. The Blackhawks are going to miss his personality on the ice as well as in the locker room.

The Blackhawks worked to limit the blows of those departing players by adding new, similar players.

Four days after the Hawks traded Bickell and Teuvo, they signed 2014 1st round pick Nick Schmaltz. Last season, Schmaltz scored 46 points in 37 games as a sophomore at the University of North Dakota, helping the Fighting Hawks win the 2016 NCAA ice hockey national championship. Like Teuvo, Schmaltz is a versatile forward who can play both center and wing anywhere in the top six or bottom six forward groups. It will take Schmaltz some time to adjust to the speed and rigors of the NHL, but the Hawks are hoping he will be an effective replacement to Teuvo.

The Hawks also signed forward Jordin Tootoo to a one year, $750,000 contract. The Hawks will look upon Tootoo to duplicate Shaw’s agitating style of play on the fourth line this season.

The Achilles heel of the Blackhawks last season was their inconsistent scoring lines and their lack of defensive depth. Throughout last season, the bottom defensive pairing was a revolving door that was frequented by Michael Rozsival, Trevor Daley, Rob Scuderi, Erik Gustafsson, and Viktor Svedberg. The Hawks wanted to find a defenseman that can solidify the bottom pairing.

On July 1st, they signed free agent defenseman Brian Campbell to a one year, $1.5 million contract. Campbell previously played with the Hawks from 2008-2011 and was a part of the Hawks’ Stanley Cup team in 2010. Campbell is a solid defenseman who has good puck moving skills and the ability to make the transition plays the Hawks were unable to make last season.

The Hawks also signed 26-year-old Michal Kempny to a free agent contract. The defenseman from the Czech Republic had a solid season last year in the KHL and uses his strong frame to break up opposing rushes. He’s also not afraid to lay big hits on opposing players.

During Training Camp, Blackhawk fans were formally introduced to 20-year-old Swedish defenseman Gustav Forsling. The Hawks acquired Forsling in a trade with the Vancouver Canucks back in January 2015 that sent Adam Clendening to the Canucks. Forsling impressed the Blackhawk coaches enough during training camp and six preseason games to earn a roster spot on opening night. Forsling is a fast skating defenseman who is a good puck handler and can also chip in offensively.

With the additions of Campbell, Kempny and Forsling, the Hawks should have a much improved defensive unit. The performance of the new forward additions along with how balanced each line is scoring wise will determine how successful this season will be for the Blackhawks.

The Hawks have six rookies on their opening night roster; Nick Schmaltz, Tyler Motte, Vince Hinostroza, Ryan Hartman, Gustav Forsling, and Michal Kempny. How Schmaltz, Motte, Hinostroza and Hartman contribute offensively will be a major key to the Hawks’ success. Head coach Joel Quenneville has been known to be impatient with younger players, and if any of them fail to meet expectations, they will find themselves in Rockford playing in the minors before they know it.

Last season, the Hawks were powered by their second line of Artemi Panarin, Artem Anisimov and Patrick Kane. Most of the Hawks’ scoring came from that line. If they want to be successful this season, that can’t happen again. The Hawks need consistent scoring from all four forward lines in order to compete for a playoff spot. Expect Quenneville to be creative with his forward groupings early on to see who fits where.

The Blackhawks missed out on trading for former #1 overall pick Nail Yakupov, so for now they have to make due with the forward group they have. If the Hawks get off to a good start in the regular season, expect the roster to remain relatively untouched. However, if they struggle out of the gate, major changes could be made.

For now, the Hawks are hoping to catch lightning in a bottle and compete for their fourth Stanley Cup championship in eight years.