2012 Projections: Chicago

The Chicago Blackhawks are not too far removed as defending Cup champions, according to the calendar, but looking at what that team had on their roster, compared to the roster going into the 2012 season and as much as the core group of forwards and defensemen have stayed the same, the dramatic change in the supporting cast is quite remarkable.

The Blackhawks recent successes have translated well in the hockey pool over the past few years, especially the core group of players that have now been signed for the long-term and will be a part of the long-term successes (or failures) of the team down the road.  Love them or hate them, the Blackhawks look like they will play a central focus in the league for the foreseeable future.

The 2012 version of the Blackhawks have had some minor adjustments made throughout the line-up, as they have picked up some new veterans to help the already experienced group of young stars make that next step in trying to get back to the Finals.  The team will still lean on their gems, but the depth is equally responsible for their results, even if their minutes played are significantly less.

Forwards		Defense		Goalies
Patrick Kane	85	Duncan Keith	50	Corey Crawford	80
Jonathan Toews	80	Brent Seabrook	45
Patrick Sharp	75	Steve Montador	25
Marian Hossa	75	Sami Lepisto	20
Andrew Brunette	45	Sean O'Donnell	15
Dave Bolland	45	Niklas Hjalmarsson	10
Michal Frolik	35
Brian Bickell	35
Rostislav Olesz	25
Jamal Mayers	25
Dan Carcillo	10
Jeremy Morin	25	Nick Leddy	20	Alexander Salak	15
Kyle Beach	20	John Scott	5	Alec Richards	5

Pool Worthy Forwards (Inside the top 160, 40 points)
The elite players for the Blackhawks should be counted on to do much of the same in 2012, hovering around the point-per-game mark all year long for Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa.  If all four players can play more than 75 games a piece in the season, there is certainly some potential for more points, but as a projection, I think the numbers that I have are very reasonable.

Newly-acquired forward Andrew Brunette has some real potential to put up some points, but uncertainty about who he might be playing with.  If Brunette has some top six minutes in him, he'll likely be finding himself playing with a Sharp or a Hossa from time to time, even second unit power play time, so keep an eye on him.

Pool Worthy Defensemen (Inside the top 80, 25 points)
The Blackhawks are boasting an elite pairing of defensemen in Duncan Keith and Keith Seabrook, both are just as good offensively as they are defensively.  The two are also quite durable, so they become even better investments, because you know you have a great shot at them playing in all 82 games in the regular season. I'm thinking that Keith will overtake Seabrook for the team scoring lead this year.

Another off-season acquisition, Steve Montador, has some real offensive pop to his game and should be considered a good depth defenseman for your fantasy team, one that could also move into good bargain territory, if he meshes well with his new teammates.

Pool Worthy Goalies (Inside the top 40, 25 points)
In goal, it appears to me that Corey Crawford did more than enough to solidify his spot as the number one guy in Chicago, which should translate into confidence, which should translate into more wins.  Since the Blackhawks didn't go out and get a goalie that could possibly act as another starting goaltender, Crawford should have free reign over the minutes he gets.

Of course, the Blackhawks have invited Ray Emery to camp to challenge for a back-up spot on the team, but he has to earn a contract before he gets considered for an annual projection.

Pool Worthy Rookies
The Blackhawks have a couple of rookies that could possibly make an impact with the club, as forward Jeremy Morin and defenseman Nick Leddy could very well see some time to impress the coaching staff this year.  Both players saw some ice in the 2011 season, but with the depth that the Blackhawks have, quality minutes for quality young talent was hard to come by, so more time in the minors was necessary to give it to them.


Unsigned Players
None.

Key Injuries
Forward Patrick Kane underwent wrist surgery in the middle of July, but it sounds like he is ready to go for training camp, slightly ahead of schedule, which is good news for the Blackhawks.  There should be little concern for his well being going into your draft this year.