About 25 years ago—before MAGA and Alternative Facts, Hope and Change, These Colors Don't Run and other political mantra—a President got elected on the simple campaign slogan "It's the economy, stupid."
So when I was asked to write a blog on the Hawks' number one need going in to the playoffs, the title of this blog wrote itself. Especially when some suggest there's any other need, or no real need at all.
Sure, the Blackhawks have won their last two games, and scored 9 goals in those games. But prior to that, they lost three straight, and for the last several games, they've seen their goals per game plummet. Meanwhile, they've dropped to four points behind Minnesota, with three more games played.
And all this after a surprisingly strong start to the season (in terms of points garnered) that was built on a lot of late comebacks, 3-on-3 OT wins, and insanely good goaltending.
I apologize in advance to anyone who reads here with any regularity—what you're about to read is going to sound like a broken record.
The Blackhawks need a top 6 left wing, more than anything else because, quite simply, they only have one on the roster, named Artemi Panarin.
Two years ago at this time, Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa and Brandon Saad were arguably the best line in hockey.
Later in the summer of 2015, Saad took his two Stanley Cup rings and estimable talent to Central Ohio, and the Blackhawks began a two year long audition for his replacement.
While it wasn't a huge surprise that there'd be a negative effect on the line as a whole, the degree of fall off in Toews and Hossa's games over the next year was a bit shocking.
Theories abounded:
"Hossa is done"
"Toews is loafing."
"Toews is done—too many hard miles."
There is an argument that both Toews and Hossa were fatigued after two short summers in three years and a lot of distractions following the 2015 Cup.
But the names penciled in for Saad's slot also haven't exactly been Bobby Hull or Michel Goulet.
Andrew Shaw (a right wing), Teuvo Teravainen (a center who is a lot more comfortable on the right wing) Ryan Garbutt (a fourth line player), Marko Dano (a rookie who is/was better on the right side), Richard Panik (a right wing), Ryan Rartman and Vince Hinostroza (also natural right wings).
Hartman and Panik have shown some flashes, including a Hartman hat trick that included two empty net goals. But both are in reality good third line players, and neither is a natural on the left side.
Great teams, Stanley Cup winning teams, exploit superior depth through matchup advantages.
In truth, it is just way too hard to predict or project any consistent playoff scoring out of a Toews line lacking a quality left wing. Playoff teams typically go at least 4 deep in quality defensemen, and usually 5-6 deep, especially the later rounds.
Meanwhile, Hossa is playing like he's 28 again, and Toews looks to have shaken off a back injury incurred in the World Cup.
The Blackhawks, themselves, addressed their defensive depth in the offseason, by adding Brian Campbell, which in turn allowed Trevor van Riemsdyk (the 2015-16 "#4") to slide down to a more appropriate #5 role.
That's what adding quality players does—you fill one role, and sometimes another by allowing depth players to assume appropriate depth roles as well.that's what adding the elusive top 6 left wing would do: strengthen Toews' line and push Hartman and/or Panik down to where they're better—the third line.
Two years ago this month, I wrote a blog where I reported the Hawks had a keen interest in Antoine Vermette, which was met with a fair amount of skepticism, bordering on outrage.
"They don't have the cap space."
"What do they have to trade?"
And we know how it turned out.
Then last year, I reported that a series of events would take place, involving Marcus Kruger's wrist surgery and sending Bryan Bickell to the minors, that would set up the acquisition of a left wing to play with Toews and Hossa. The blowback was predictable:
"They don't have the cap space."
"What do they have to trade?"
And then the dominoes fell and they got Andrew Ladd.
The Ladd deal didn't work out as well as the Vermette deal did, but that's not the point. And Ladd did play well for a Hawk team that ultimately was undone by the aforementioned lack of defensive depth in a first round loss to St. Louis.
And so this year, when I reported a number of days ago that the Hawks were zeroed in on C/LW Matt Duchene—with a number of secondary left wing targets, the reaction has been, well, predictable.
And sure, like clockwork, Stan Bowman gave his annual "don't expect much at the deadline" speech the other day. The same one he gave at this time every year, going back to 2010. And most years, he ends up accomplishing a fair amount.
The fact is, while the conventional wisdom is the Hawks' run is over and the Cup window is closed, the executives at 1901 W. Madison Street have a salary structure and playoff income projections that are built on "the run," if you define it as "deep playoff runs," not being over.
The Hawks have a financial stake in May and June—right now. Sure, there's a salary cap, and a somewhat depleted talent pipeline, but to assume that means Bowman won't try to acquire that elusive complementary left wing (or center who can play the left side) from, say, Toronto, Arizona, Detroit, Colorado and/or a small handful more teams who may see the writing on the wall for this season, is naive.
In fact, I have heard the Hawks have inquired about Tomas Vanek and James van Riemsdyk— as well as some mention of Martin Hanzal, Tomas Tatar and Gustav Nyquist.
They will try—and, for the right player, a left wing or center who can slide out to left wing and provide a secondary faceoff option on special teams, as they did with Vermette and Ladd, they will "overpay." They almost have to.
In fact, I could see them even defaulting to a retained salary deal for Jarome Iginla or Patrick Sharp as a fall back—just to be able to do something about "scoring" forward depth, even if both players are now very long in the tooth, and Iginla is a natural right wing.
Now, there's some debate (and rumor) that the Hawks will go after a defenseman. I believe they will. After all, last year, they tried to land then-Canuck defenseman Dan Hamhuis, as well as Ladd, in the last hours before the trade deadline.
This year, I think the team is looking hard at adding a depth defenseman. Thus far, neither Michal Kempny nor Gustav Forsling have shown (thus far) they are ready for any serious playoff minutes—though both have developmental upside. And so, either could be part of the package needed to solve the left wing issue. This, in turn, may necessitate a defensive depth backfill, like one of two names I heard recently the Hawks are eyeing—Kevin Connauton and Luke Schenn of Arizona.
But make no mistake, the Hawks need to go two deep in dangerous scoring lines for the playoffs. They are 5/6 of the way there with Artem Anisimov, Patrick Kane, Artemi Panarin, Toews and Hossa.
The hole is on the port side. And it is as gaping as it's been in two years.
I'll be back with a Minnesota preview before the Hawks' next game and any other news in the meantime.
JJ
Chicago Blackhawks Blogger • 
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