Team MVP Jonathan Toews - C With ma..."/> Team MVP Jonathan Toews - C With ma..."/>
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Chicago Blackhawks 2015-16 NHL Preview

By Josh Hill

Jun 18, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Blackhawks goalie Scott Darling (33) kisses the Stanley Cup up during the 2015 Stanley Cup championship rally at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 18, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Blackhawks goalie Scott Darling (33) kisses the Stanley Cup up during the 2015 Stanley Cup championship rally at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports /
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4. player. 94. <p class=. Central. Western Conference. Chicago Blackhawks

Team MVP

Jonathan Toews – C

With major questions surrounding what is going to happen with Patrick Kane, the Blackhawks will lean on Toews perhaps more so than they ever have in the past. Luckily for them, their captain has proven he can be a leader the team needs and deserves. That’s all something that will be truly tested this season with both the distraction with Kane and the key losses all over the roster.

Chicago lost big pieces of their Stanley Cup roster, and Toews is going to need to come through both as a leader in the lockerroom and a star on the ice — both things he is well equipped to do.

Best Case Scenario

The Blackhawks didn’t have super high expectations entering the postseason last year but they surged to win another Stanley Cup in epic fashion. Granted, a lot of things happened to fall in their lap and you can’t always count on that happening but this team is clicking in ways that only happen few and far in between in NHL history.

That doesn’t mean they’ll for sure continue the dynasty, but the Blackhawks are the best team in hockey and have pieces like Toews, Corey Crawford and Duncan Keith in town — possibly Patrick Kane — and that’s a core that isn’t to be taken lightly at all.

Worst Case Scenario

The big question mark is how much of a distraction the Patrick Kane situation is this season. Worse case scenario is that the Blackhawks will take a step back in the midst of the distraction and more importantly take a dip on the ice without his game changing ability.

Without Kane on the ice, the Blackhawks lose a dimension and that’s something that could hold them back from winning a Stanley Cup. They won’t miss the postseason unless the wheel absolutely and completely fall off — and even then they might still be in — but a Stanley Cup might not be in their future.

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