The Chicago Blackhawks just won the Stanley Cup last season, but this year they are emerging as favorites to win again after pulling off a number of significant trade deadline deals.
The Blackhawks came into the trade deadline in strong position to make a playoff run, but the team had some holes that needed to be addressed. General manager Stan Bowman has shown in the past that he is willing to sacrifice the future for the present, and he did that again this year at the deadline. The Blackhawks needed more depth up front, and Bowman did that by adding Andrew Ladd, Tim Jackman, Dale Weise and Tomas Fleischmann.
Chicago also had some issues on the back line this season, and Bowman addressed that by bringing in Christian Ehrhoff and Jay Harrison. The moves made by Bowman give the Blackhawks some flexibility and depth moving forward, and those are two crucial things that teams need in the playoffs. Injuries happen all the time and now Chicago is prepared after all the moves they made in the past two weeks.
The additions up front give the team some extra scoring talent down the stretch and help make the Blackhawks one of the favorites to come out of the Western Conference. The Blackhawks have been battling with the Dallas Stars and St. Louis Blues in the Central Division standings and these trades could put them over the top. The team is currently tied with the Stars with 83 points for the division lead.
The Ladd deal was the most significant trade and could have the biggest impact for the Blackhawks. Ladd was previously with the team when they won the Stanley Cup in 2010, and that familiarity should make his transition very smooth. The deal sent the Winnipeg Jets forward Marko Dano and a first-round pick in the 2016 draft, but Bowman felt it was worth it to make another title run.
The Blackhawks acquired Ladd along with Harrison and Matt Fraser, giving the team even more depth on the roster. Ladd was one of the top targets at the deadline due to his experience and leadership, and he is expected to play on the top line for the Blackhawks with Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa.
"It's a great acquisition," Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said after the deal was made. "There's a lot of familiarity. I'm sure his old teammates are pretty excited in a lot of ways."
The Ladd move may have sacrificed some future talent, but the Blackhawks could end up as Stanley Cup champions for the second year in a row because of it.
