Blackhawks' needs obvious during current streak
Comments (...)Go get a defenseman, Stan Bowman. ASAP. Maybe a second-line center if it's possible. A goalie probably isn't realistic, but I'm guessing you're privately nervous about Corey Crawford.
Bowman's Blackhawks are 0-for-2012, having dropped all four games they've played in January. It seems like yesterday that they led the NHL in points; now they're only third in their own division and fifth in the Western Conference. If they keep this up, the Blackhawks have to worry about making the playoffs, not about where to put the Presidents' Trophy.
Bad four-game stretches happen over the course of an 82-game hockey season, of course. It has been a frustrating time for Hawks fans, but the losing streak in itself is not the end of the world. They haven't been blown off the ice; three of the four losses have been by a single goal. Bounce back with a long winning streak, which the Blackhawks are certainly capable of doing, and we'll forget this stretch ever happened.
Without trying to overreact in the moment, however, I think several issues have been exposed within the Hawks during the past several days. In late December, I wasn't as eager as some Hawks fans for Bowman to pull the trigger on a trade. Now every time I refresh my Twitter feed I hope it's to reveal news of a difference maker coming to town.
Even after learning that forward Patrick Sharp will be out 3-4 weeks with an injury suffered during Sunday's loss to Detroit, I'd still prioritize a defenseman above all else. Even when the Hawks were putting up mediocre defensive numbers for the first three months of the season, I wasn't as sure they needed to add in back as some fans were. Now I am.
Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Niklas Hjalmarsson and Nick Leddy seemed like a solid front four. Keith and Seabrook are fine, but the Hjalmarsson/Leddy pairing has been brutal of late. Leddy, who seemed to be developing into a star early in the season. has really struggled — he's a minus-8 in the last four games and has been directly responsible for several goals.
Even worse, the Hawks' depth on defense was badly exposed when Steve Montador, who has been adequate as a No. 5 defenseman, missed a couple of recent games. Beyond him, there is very little that is encouraging in the organization. Sean O'Donnell looks every bit of his 40 years of age and couldn't play every night if the Hawks wanted him to. John Scott is a great fighter and a horrible hockey player. Sami Lepsito seemingly started the year in coach Joel Quenneville's doghouse and has never gotten out. Recent callup and demotee Dylan Olsen didn't look NHL ready.
If everyone stayed healthy between now and the end of the season, defense would be a problem for the Hawks. If any of the top five guys got seriously hurt, it would be catastrophic.
At forward, there was some good news even as we learned Sharp will miss a month or so. The concussed Marcus Kruger skated for a second straight day, meaning his return could happen very soon. Still, the Hawks are obviously better off with Sharp and no Kruger than vice versa ... and many fans were clamoring for a top-six forward before Sharp went down.
I guess the Hawks can maybe get by with Kruger, or Patrick Kane, or even Dave Bolland centering the second line (please tell me they're not going to keep Michael Frolik and his 11 points for the season there). But everything falls into place so much better if they pick up someone from the outside to fill that spot. It may cost them some young talent and draft picks, but Bowman's got to consider it.
All of the additions in the world may not make much difference if the Hawks don't get better play in net. I grew to like Crawford as he came from nowhere to play well last season, but I had reservations about making him the long-term guy. Now I'm struggling not to panic. Crawford's .901 save percentage, 2.86 goals against average and zero shutouts would be disappointing from many backups, let alone from a "franchise" netminder.
That Bowman could even find a team willing to trade a true starting goalie right now is unlikely; it's less likely that he would commit more salary and resources to the position. The Hawks are probably stuck with Crawford and Ray Emery. But it's time for Quenneville to take a second hard look at Emery. Crawford hasn't been good enough, and it's costing the Hawks precious points seemingly by the day.
For all their problems, the Hawks are still a good hockey team. Their core — which includes several slumping players who won't slump forever — is enough to offset a lot. They're very much a threat in the Western Conference if they can shore up some of their issues. That will likely remain an if, however, until Bowman makes his move.
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