What if the Blackhawks never broke up the Cup core early?

The Chicago Blackhawks won three Stanley Cups in six years (2010, 2013, and 2015). They built a dynasty through drafting the right players, making smart trades, and building a solid core of players. But after their last Stanley Cup win in 2015, the front office made some tough decisions.

Many fans still wonder: What if the team had kept the core together?

Big contracts led to big changes

After winning the Cup in 2015, the Blackhawks gave large contract extensions to Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. Brent Seabrook and other veterans were also locked in with big deals.

Those contracts came with no-movement clauses, which made it hard to move players and manage the salary cap.

To stay under the cap, the team traded key players like Brandon Saad, Andrew Shaw, and Niklas Hjalmarsson. Chicago also let go of backup goalie Antti Raanta and winger Patrick Sharp. These moves had weakened the roster.

The Artemi Panarin trade changed everything

One of the most talked-about moves came in 2017, when Chicago traded Artemi Panarin to Columbus for Brandon Saad. Panarin was one of the best scorers on the Hawks and worked well with Kane.

Losing Panarin hurt the team's scoring depth and marked the start of a steady decline. The Blackhawks missed the playoffs over the next few years, except for 2020, when they lost in the first round to the Vegas Golden Knights. The window for another Cup slowly closed.

What could have been?

If the team had kept the full core together, including Panarin, they might have remained competitive through 2018 or 2019. Kane and Panarin could have formed one of the league's top scoring duos. With Hossa still active, and Toews playing strong defense, the team might have made more playoff runs.

But there were trades. Veterans like Seabrook and Toews began to fall off. Their high salaries made it hard to add fresh talent. Even with the full core, the team may not have had the same depth as before to win another Cup.

The rebuild begins

By 2022, the Blackhawks committed to a full rebuild. New general manager Kyle Davidson traded away key players, including Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat. Jonathan Toews left the team after his contract expired. The goal was to free up salary and build around young stars.

The rebuild became more promising when Chicago won the draft lottery in 2023 and selected Connor Bedard. Along with top prospects and more cap space, the Blackhawks are working toward future success.

Was it the right call?

Keeping the Cup core together could have brought more playoff games and kept the Blackhawks competitive. But with aging stars and little cap room, the Hawks had to make some changes.

On the bright side, Chicago is giving itself a fresh start. The process will take time, but fans will see winning hockey again.