Mid summer — Catching up with the Hawks

Only one of 30 teams enters a new campaign as defending champion but it is becoming a popular occurrence for the Chicago Blackhawks.

The team has claimed the cup three times in the past six seasons, but has yet to to put back-to-back championships together.

In some ways this past season’s run to the Cup was similar to the 2009-10 season as there was almost as much talk through the playoff run about who would be able to stay on the Salary Cup-challenged team as there was of the task at hand.

It’s been just over a month since the team tasted champagne from the mug, but a lot has happened since. However, despite some gutsy moves and tough decisions that have seen some key players moved, there is no way the Hawks don’t enter the 2015-16 season as among the Cup’s top contenders.

Generally, most who spoke about the franchise speculated players like veterans Patrick Sharp and Johnny Oduya would be among those on the block, but the one player everyone was certain would stay with the team was Brandon Saad.

But the 22 year old Pittsburgh native was the first to leave when it became apparent the team and the player’s agent would not be able to agree on a contact. He was part of a huge deal on the eve of Free Agency that saw the Hawks trade his rights to Columbus along with Alex Broadhurst and Mike Paliotta for veteran forward Artem Anisimov, Jeremy Morin, Marko Dano, Corey Tropp and a fourth round pick next summer.

The Hawks looked to get this started quicker, putting Patrick Sharp on the block almost immediately after the season ended. But it was generally understood the team was looking for a first round pick and another player and that price proved too steep.

So, instead of making a wave at the NHL Draft, the Hawks instead had a somewhat quiet day, having already traded away its first round (30^th Overall) pick to Arizona at the trade deadline for Antoine Vermette. Ironically, Vermette won a Stanley Cup, then headed straight back to the desert as a free agent. The Hawks’ first pick actually came 54^th overall and was a Compensatory pick for losing previously drafted, but never signed free agent, Kevin Hayes.

The Hawks selected 18 year old Graham Knott, a Toronto area native who this past season put up 43 points (25 g, 18a) in 59 games with the Niagara IceDogs of the OHL. While he is likely a season or more away, Knott is an interesting addition and promises to be a solid power forward in the future for the team.

Both Sharp and Oduya did end up going later. Sharp, who played a part in all three of the team’s Stanley Cup wins, moved on to Dallas along with minor league defender Stephen Johns in a deal that brought defenseman Trevor Daley and forward Ryan Garbutt.

While Oduya was still a member of the Hawks at the time, it was expected Daley would ultimately replace him and that came to pass a few days later when Oduya also moved on to the Stars as a free agent signing.

There were some other minor deals as well, but these were the key ones leading into the heart of the summer. In mid-July the Hawks invited 57 to its annual Prospects Camp. Expect many of those, including all seven of the players drafted earlier this summer; 2014 First Round pick Nick Schmaltz and several others, to be among those selected to the Chicago Rookie Team that will take part in the annual Pre-Camp tournament at Traverse City, MI Sept.11-15.

There they will be looking to shine in front of team brass enough to earn an invite to the team’s pre-season camp that will immediately follow the tournament.