This is the first in a series of musings about what would happen in the NHL should certain things happened or not happened. Our introductory article is about what the Blackhawks would look like had they not signed Bryan Bickell after the 2013 Stanley Cup.

First of all, what would have happened to Bickell? Well, in the 2013 playoffs, Bickell was second in the playoffs with nine goals and had eight assists for seventeen points. He had a +11 rating in those playoffs as well. Bickell was one of the top free agents after those playoffs, with names like Vincent Lecavalier, Valtteri Filpulla and David Clarkson. Wow was that a bust year. So he would have gotten a contract, probably a big one – but again, for the purposes of this article, not from Chicago. So where? Well, numerous teams were looking for that one extra piece to put them over the top – Pittsburgh, Washington, and numerous others were on the market. But I believe Bickell would have stayed in the West – signing a nearly identical deal to the Blackhawks contract – 3.75 mil, four years from the San Jose Sharks.

The question would remain in everyone’s mind – was Bickell finally displaying his talent, or was he a product of the system – the question would still be answered the same way. It’s pretty easy to score when your linemates are Toews and Kane.

The Blackhawks now lose what they believe to be a good player and a good locker room presence – for all his faults, that’s what Bickell is, a good locker room presence. So how do they replace what they’ve lost? They too hit the open market – signing Clarke MacArthur to a 2 year, 3 million dollar deal. Now you may be asking, why would Stanbo sign MacArthur? Taking a look at the Blackhawks’ left wing depth without Bickell, you see that the Hawks would be left with very few options – Saad, Sharp, and Morin. One of those things are not like the others. So the lines become Sharp-Toews-Hossa, Saad-Handzus-Kane, MacArthur-Shaw-Versteeg and Regin/Nordstrom/Teuvo-Kruger-Smith/Bollig. Quite a bottom line.

Now we watch as the MacArthur contract plays out for the Hawks. Two years is a very short amount of time – his contract would be up, and he would have signed elsewhere. But in those two years, MacArthur actually contributes to the team, and maybe the dynasty has one more cup under their belt. They certainly win in Anaheim faster than 7 games. MacArthur gets what he came for, a cup, and the Blackhawks are able to have a true transition player. MacArthur assumedly leaves after his contract expires, much the same way other Hawks players have done.

Which means the Hawks have cap space. Serious, actual, cap space. Which means the trades we attempt aren’t done under pressure. Versteeg and Nordstrom are still shipped off before this season – although for a much better price. This leaves the Hawks with the following holes: ??-Toews-Hossa, Kane-??-Panarin, Shaw-Kero-Teuvo, and Desjardins-Kruger-??. There are so many question marks left over because the cap space devoted to Bickell has had a significant impact on the Chicago Blackhawks. The one move I have elected to keep on the team is Smith traded for Desjardins. Kane still gets injured, and so the Blackhawks still go deadline shopping. Whoever is brought in is gone however. Because there’s a choice Stanbo must now make: Sharp or Saad.

Because of good decision making, Stanbo’s decisions now become harder. We lose less but we still lose. Theres high chances that we end up without Panarin, Anisimov, and Dano. It’s guranteed that the makeup of the team is not the same. It’s currently hard to imagine the team without these players. Panarin and Anisimov are part of the reason Kane is as good as he is this season. Dano plays like the future of the franchise. It’s not terrifying to imagine a Shaw, Tuevo, Dano led Blackhawks.

We have cap space, but not enough for both. I have made it a choice between Saad and Sharp, not including Oduya, because as much as Stanbo would have loved to keep him, both of the wings, who had a bigger impact, are expensive players. Oduya leaves, but because he leaves before our choice is made he goes to Buffalo. Now Stanbo’s choice: the member of our core, who has led the team to three cups, helped out during the dark ages of Dollar Bill, and has provided the team with consistency, veteran leadership, and scoring, but has had problems with puck luck and controversy the past year? Or do you go with the member of the future, who has provided scoring, youth, and two way play but will be an expensive resign and has only truly emerged by playing with Toews and Hossa or Toews and Kane?

It’s an incredibly difficult question. In the end, Stanbo elects to keep the A. Sharp remains on the team. Saad is still traded, because the return is just too big. Because what return we might possibly get is also incredibly hard to analyze, we will go with what we know. Saad is traded for Anisimov and Dano. Lines now look like this: Sharp-Toews-Hossa, Panarin-Anisimov-Kane, Dano-Kero-Teuvo, Shaw-Kruger-Desjardins. The defense would be without a consistent third pairing. Or would they? With the extra cap space the Hawks chase a sixth defenseman – Christian Ehrhoff. While waiting for Rozsival to come back, we use a combination of Gustaffson and Svedberg, allowing our youth to develop alongside our proven veterans.

But like I said, this is just ponderance on what might have happened. The Bickell contract has provided an impact on the roster and a lesson for Stanbo, and has shaped the Hawks and will continue to do so, even as Bickell lingers in Rockford. There are positives to the contract, but there may have been positives had we not signed him.