Comparing the Blackhawks to the Florida Marlins is downright stupid

I know. The Blackhawks are 23 days removed from winning the Stanley Cup, and  Stan Bowman is crossing faces off the team photo like  Ace Ventura. It’s a lot to handle for ‘Hawks fans to see pieces of a championship team sent packing by management for financial reasons.

Nobody wanted to see it, yet everyone expected it. Now, nobody wants to accept it. Well, get over it. Panic all you want, but you knew this was coming — and there may be more, too.

The Atlanta Blackhawks Thrashers will sport at least five Stanley Cup rings next season with  Dustin Byfuglien,  Brent Sopel,  Ben Eager and now  Andrew Ladd (who has another ring with Carolina). Combine those departures with the trades of  Kris VERSTEEG! to the Toronto Maple Leafs and  Colin Fraser to the Edmonton Oilers,  then add  Adam Burish’s defection to the Dallas Stars, and you’ve got the recipe for one hostile fan base.

Yes, the Blackhawks are ridding themselves of salary by dumping it on other teams at cost of losing contributors to a Stanley Cup champion. But to compare the ‘Hawks to the Florida Marlins, who broke apart two World Series championship teams? C’mon.

From  Puck Daddy  Greg Wyshynski:

"Worst Dismantling: The trade of Andrew Ladd to the Atlanta Thrashers marks the sixth player from the Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks to be traded this offseason. The Florida Marlins comparisons are starting to inch toward validity."

I normally agree with 90 percent of what Wyshynski writes. But to use the word “validity” in regards to the comparison is down right ridiculous. Trading players is one thing, but the Blackhawks have their core intact — something the Marlins failed to do. If this was meant as a joke, great. It should have been mentioned as such.

If any of Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, Marian Hossa or  Brent Seabrook were sent packing, then the comparison could be “valid.” Count  Patrick Sharp,  Antti Niemi and  Niklas Hjalmarsson as large pieces of the puzzle who are staying in Chicago to defend the title, and you’re still looking at a hell of a contender.

The main point is this: I’m not sure if the Blackhawks are a worse team with these subtractions. The hockey world lauded the ‘Hawks depth last season and through the playoffs. A team with depth can rid itself of some spare parts. Replacing the aforementioned traded commodities with suitable NHL-ready players whose names may not be as familiar isn’t such a bad thing. People forget they complained about Byfuglien and Versteeg during roughly 50 regular season games. Because they scored some goals in the playoffs means they’re irreplaceable? Gimme a break.

Before everyone blows a fart in the direction of Stan Bowman’s face, they should do a bit of research. Byfuglien was once your whipping boy for being lazy, and Versteeg was an unknown until he came out of nowhere as a regular and Calder Trophy finalist two years ago.

What’s to say the next wave of role players can’t win your heart? After all, the Marlins dismantled their ENTIRE roster and won another World Series. The Blackhawks are letting go of replaceable assets, not the core. In my book, this is still the best team in the Western Conference, hands down.

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