Blackhawks goalie tandem goes from best to worst

The Chicago Blackhawks had one of the best goalie tandems in the NHL last season; now they find themselves with one of the worst.

Last season saw Robin Lehner and Corey Crawford in net for the Chicago Blackhawks. Both goalies were making above five million for the season and were truly game changes for the Blackhawks in the net.

For this new season, Chicago will be running with most likely Malcolm Subban and Collin Delia with all things considered. Those two goalies were the starters for the scrimmage yesterday and will start in the NHL. Who will be the starter is still up for grabs.

We have talked a lot about the Blackhawks goalie situation this offseason, but now with the Chicago Bears season behind us, it is a good idea to give everyone a refresher. Goaltending has been the difference-maker for teams in the past, and the Blackhawks are no different.

The past few seasons have seen goalies come into the playoffs and put teams on their back to bring them on far playoff runs. Last season saw Dallas make it to the Stanley Cup Final in part due to the great play of goalie Anton Khudobin.

While Chicago’s goaltending situation doesn’t induce confidence for the team this season, there is a smidge of optimism for what is to come. Subban and Delia are primarily untested in the NHL, and they are around the same age that Corey Crawford was when he broke into the NHL in 2011. Plus, with a third goalie around in Kevin Lankinen, the young goalies will be competing amongst each other to play the best hockey they can.

The Blackhawks are better off with these three untested goalies than if they had a goalie like Cam Ward in net. I would rather see Chicago carry young goalies than older veterans that have a year or two left in their careers.

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Goaltending is a rather important position in the NHL. A goalie can make or break an NHL team, and while the Blackhawks do not have a netminder like Carey Price, they very well could see one of their new guys exceed expectations.

Who would have thought a year after having goalies Robin Lehner and Corey Crawford in net, the Blackhawks would turn around and start the season with Delia and Subban?