The Chicago Blackhawks currently sit in fifth place in the Western Conference standings. With 64 points, the Blackhawks are tied with the St. Louis Blues and trail the conference-leading Detroit Red Wings by 3 points. All three teams have played 49 games to date. After tonight's game with Nashville, the All Star break will begin for the Hawks.
So how can the Blackhawks improve their record in the second half of the season and secure the number one seed in the Western Conference???
- They must play better on the road.
The Blackhawks are 10-9-2 on the road and 19-5-4 at home. After tonight's game, there will be 32 games left in the season. Out of these 32 games, 20 will be played on the road. Report indicate that Patrick Sharp will be ready for the first game after the All Star break. Perfect Timing. The second half for the Hawks starts with a nine game road trip. This will prove to be the most important stretch of the season. The Hawks will face Vancouver, San Jose, Colorado, Nashville, and the New York Rangers during this trip, all of which are current playoff teams. If the Hawks can win 3 of these 5, it would be a solid road trip. The remaining teams are Edmonton,Calgary, Phoenix, and Columbus. The nine game stretch will set the tone for the remainder of the season. If the hawks can steal 6 of these 9 games, it would be a tremendous victory and a huge step in securing the number one seed.
2. Acquire another top 6 forward.
The Blackhawks arguably have the best top 4 forwards in the league with Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp, Johnathon Toews, and Marian Hossa. The Toews and Kane line should be fine with Viktor Stalberg on the left wing. But the Blackhawks could really use a second line center for the Hossa and Sharp line. The future for Marcus Kruger may be bright but if the Hawks want the number one seed, they may want to acquire another center. Also, Jimmy Hayes and Andrew Shaw have played very well but it is likely that at least one of the two will hit a wall at some point during the second half. So what names are being mentioned in trade rumors?
1. Derek Roy, Buffalo Sabres- Roy has underachieved this season. After registering 35 points in 35 games last year, Roy has taken a dive during the 2011-2012 season. He has 25 points in 46 games and the Sabres cannot be happy with his play. The Sabres may look to trade Roy because the club is having a terrible season and change is obviously needed. However, Roy has proved he is a very capable top line center and if the Hawks can grab him at the right price, it may put them over the top.
2. Ryan Getzlaf, Anaheim Ducks- Getzlaf has also had a rough start to his season and his numbers have significantly decreased since last season. In 67 games last year, Getzlaf scored 76 points. It looked as if he was on his way to becoming a superstar. But this season, he has only 34 points in 47 games. To add to this, he has a -15 plus/minus. The Ducks may be willing to part ways with Getzlaf. The asking price for Getzlaf will be enormous but if the Hawks can add him to their top 6, the sky is the limit.
3. Jeff Carter, Columbus Blue Jackets- Although Carter is out with a separated shoulder and considered week to week, he should be ready for a comeback sometime around the start of the second half. Carter was a big acquisition for the Blue Jackets in the off-season but he has not been close to the type of player they hoped for. Carter is the least likely to end up with the hawks because he is currently under contract thought the 2021-2022 season after signing an 11 year, $58 Million contract extension last year. That's $ 5.27 million a year and it is unlikely the Hawks can afford this, but if they can dump some money, Carter would be a dream acquisition.
4. Other possibilities include Tomas Plekanec of the Montreal Canadians, Sam Gagner and Ales Hemsky of the Edmonton Oilers, and Frans Nielsen of the New York Islanders.
With the acquisition of one of these players or if another player becomes available toward the trade deadline, the hawks will position themselves for a powerful second half push.
This isn't to say the hawks can't win with the team they have because they most certainly can. But with one of these talented second line centers, the Hawks would become an even more dangerous team.
If the Hawks can improve their road record and acquire one of these players, there is no doubt in my mind they will secure the number one seed. This will give them home advantage throughout the playoffs where they are 19-5-4 on the season and a clear path to the Stanley Cup Finals.
Lets start with a win vs. Nashville tonight. GO HAWKS
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