Chicago Blackhawks Morning Links- The Quiet Calm

Good morning Chicago Blackhawks fans, It’s August 4th and guess what, there isn’t much going on in NHL or Chicago Blackhawks news.

Welcome to the dog days of summer for NHL news and especially Chicago Blackhawks news. You know it’s slow when the Chicago Blackhawks beat writers are begging for questions on Twitter because they are stuck on a plane somewhere using all of their bonus miles.

The thing about this upcoming season for the Chicago Blackhawks is will they be the team that played so well in January and February after picking up a bunch of OT wins in November last season. Or will they be the team that couldn’t find the net in the Nashville series that was incredibly frustrating.

I’m pretty sure they will be somewhere in between those two examples and be a 2nd or 3rd team out of the Central Division behind Nashville in the standings come next April.

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• Three Takeaways from the Blackhawks’ Win vs Vancouver
• Blackhawks: Why Derek King is the Right Coach moving forward
• Marc-Andre Fleury Carries the Blackhawks to a 4-2 Win vs Seattle
• Instant Reaction: Blackhawks top Kraken for first time in history

They still have enough talent on the roster to score goals against weak opponents, but the huge question mark will be the 4th, 5th and 6th defenseman on the team.  I feel like Connor Murphy will be better than expected, but won’t live up to Niklas Hjalmarsson‘s worth.  The rest is a crapshoot with which youngster going to step up this season.

I believe in the potential of Michal Kempny and Gustav Forsling, but now we have to see it consistently on the ice game in and game out.

Yes, it’s the defense that has me worried when there isn’t any other Blackhawks news out there this summer that’s for sure!

Here are some morning links to start your Friday morning. 

Don’t forget to sync your calendar to your phone for this upcoming season news and games (Blackhawks)

What to do with the regular season standings in the NHL (Faxes from Uncle Dale)

Nashville Predators Captain Mike Fisher calls it a career (Committed Indians)

Patrick Kane talks about hockey camp and Artemi Panarin trade (CSN)

Which players around the NHL are poised for a breakout season (Bleacher Report)

What was the importance of Mike Fisher to the Predators (Predlines)

The Minnesota Wilds salary cap picture is starting to come into view (Hockey Wilderness)

Who is the real Kevin Hayes (Blue Line Station)

Next: Has the Cost of Winning Caught Up To The Fans

Tony Granato will coach Team USA at 2018 Olympics (Puck Daddy)