Blackhawks successful trip masks the loss of Bolland

Bolland's back surgery forced Joel Quenneville's hand when inserting Hossa into the Hawks' lineup.  With a healthy Bolland, Quenneville would have been able to split up the Big 3 of Kane, Toews and Hossa and thus balance the lines.  Instead, the Blackhawks are now an unbalanced offensive club that will rely heavily on the top line.  I assure you that the current lines were not what the Hawks brass envisioned when they inked Hossa to the most lucrative contract in Blackhawks history during the summer.  Unfortunately, Coach Q does not trust Kris Versteeg to center a line that includes either Kane or Hossa.

Instead, Versteeg has been miscast as a center between Patrick Sharp and Dustin Byfuglien.  I feel bad for Steeger.  He does not appear to enjoy the responsibilties attached to being an NHL center and it shows in his play.  Versteeg will always attempt a skilled manuever even when the simple play is the best option.  He holds the puck too long and the result is often a turnover with the opposition heading the other way.

By putting Kane, Toews and Hossa together, Quenneville has also placed additional pressure on Sharp to carry the second line as it's main scorer.  Sharp is a very good player, but he's also a streaky scorer and the second line will suffer during his long droughts.  I've heard enough of Sharp having great scoring chances.  It's time for him to finish some of his opportunities. 

The first line will be fun to watch, but they will also be shut down on certain nights.  Sharp and Vertseeg need to capatilize on the opposition's weaker defensive pairings.

The trade rumors will continue to swirl, but don't hold your breath waiting for a deal.  Too many clubs such as the Hawks are right at the cap making trade talks more difficult to consummate.  However, there is no doubt the Blackhawks will need to stike a deal for a center if they have serious aspirations of claiming the Stanley Cup.

While Bolland may return for the playoffs, the Blackhawks should know better than to stake their future on an achy back.  The Hawks were clearly aware of Bolland's back issues during last season's playoffs so it is also fair to question their knowledge as to the extent of the injury when they signed Bolland to a lucrative extension earlier this year.  After holding back information regarding Hossa's shoulder injury, Stan Bowman and his staff are now fair game when it involves injury cover-ups.

The Blackhawks will most likely continue to make the best of a bad situation.  To be clear, I am in agreement with Quenneville and the current lineup.  Moving John Madden up a line makes no sense.  Madden is one of the best third line centers in the NHL.  To move Madden would equate to weakening yourself in two key areas.  The current roster lacks a true second line center.  Andrew Ebett failed to impress leading to his relocation to Minnesota and Thomas Kopecky has also been dissapointing in his minutes at center.

Versteeg may be the best option, but it's not a very good one.  The Hawks will be fine in the short term, but the long term prognosis will remain questionable until Bowman provides an answer.  I can criticize Bowman for leaving the Hawks unprepared for Bolland's injury, but he'd just blame Dale Tallon for the oversight.  However, it's Bowman's club now and it's time for him to prove his worth.