Bleedin' Blue
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St. Louis Blues: Central Division To Return To Toughest Division Status

By Todd Panula

NASHVILLE, TN - MAY 07: St. Louis Blues right wing Vladimir Tarasenko (91) is shown during Game Six of Round Two of the Stanley Cup Playoffs between the Nashville Predators and the St. Louis Blues, held on May 7, 2017, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Danny Murphy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TN - MAY 07: St. Louis Blues right wing Vladimir Tarasenko (91) is shown during Game Six of Round Two of the Stanley Cup Playoffs between the Nashville Predators and the St. Louis Blues, held on May 7, 2017, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Danny Murphy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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ST. LOUIS, MO – JANUARY 02: St. Louis Blues Center Jori Lehtera (12) raises his hands in celebration and St. Louis Blues Winger Robby Fabbri (15) leaps through the air on a goal that was scored by St. Louis Blues Right Wing Vladimir Tarasenko (91) (not pictured) during the third period of a NHL Winter Classic hockey game between the Chicago Blackhawks and the St. Louis Blues. The Blues defeated the Blackhawks 4-1 on January 2, 2017, at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MO. (Photo by Tim Spyers/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Chicago Blackhawks

Who knows what the Chicago Blackhawks are doing. Who cares.

The dirty s.o.b’s manage to get the job done regardless. Yes, that is jealousy pouring through my fingertips. Three Stanley Cups after not having won for over 50 years, while the Blues still await their first will do that.

Personaly pettiness aside, the Blackhawks had a strange offseason to view as an outsider. According to Hawks fans I know, they are no less puzzled either. They are simply taking the route of trusting a management team that has given them one of the league’s best teams this entire decade.

Every year, the Blackhawks lose a piece and those looking upward hope that will the piece that knocks them off their perch. So far it has not happened.

This offseason might be different. Chicago has a knack for finding the diamond in the rough with names like Panarin coming out of the woodwork.

However, this past summer had a slightly different feel. The Blackhawks actually felt crunched by their salary cap issues, despite having the same issues seemingly every summer since winning in 2010.

Despite being second on the team in scoring, Artemi Panarin was dealt away before his contract could become an issue. Now, the Blackhawks are going Back to the Future, so to speak.

They’ve brought back Brandon Saad and Patrick Sharp. Looking to their glory days seems like a misstep for us outsiders, but the Hawks seem to know what they are doing. Who can argue with their results.

Again, many of us might hope the sweep at the hands of the Predators and an uninspired offseason might be the harbinger of doom for Chicago. Until it happens though, we can only assume they will find a way to win and be right in the mix to top the division again.

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