Chapter 1 - Chicago Sunset

As Chicago entered the season it was abundently clear the goal was to hyper focus on rebuilding what was once considered a dynasty in the NHL under the leadership of players like Toews, Kane, Hossa, Seabrook, Keith and a plethora of other amazing pieces that helped them caputre 3 Stanley Cups over the span of 5yrs. Much time has passed since then and it was clear that GM Robby stepped into the Blackhawks organization that the quest to return to former glory. 

In todays article we examine the "In & Out" of the Blackhawks overall 1st year in the KPHL - A season full of controversy, fun & epic moments like an NHL record losing streak to start the year! 

"The Epic Losing Streak" - Out of the gates the Hawks were losing quicker then Donald Trumps 2nd attempt at being President. So much you could say they had to "Stop The Count" at the 13th game of the season where they managed to sneak a single point in an Overtime loss to the LA Kings. The fun times didn't stop there as it took until the 31st game of the year to finally net 2pts against the divisional rival Nashville Predators. Special shoutout to Caleb Jones for netting the 1st official GWG in franchise history under GM Jacklin. A feat that saw Caleb recieve a bonus cheque of $50 & a 2 for 1 Coupon to the best pizza place Shytown has to offer Pequods Pizza. 

"The End Of The Core" - Coming out of the roster draft the legend himself Patty Kane was retained with the goal of finding the 10 million dollar man a home on a playoff team with hopes being a return that would give Chicago a boost to their young prospect pool & after a short time the recent expansion Vegas Golden Knights stepped up in a big way! GM Gumby had 1 thing in mind & that was hit the ground running in his 1st ever season in not only the KPHL but the Sim Hockey world. Since we don't technically count his short stint in the dying animal that was the CCHL. Gumby came hard & fast through flexible moves & a tough ping pong negotiation the deal was struck at the 11th hour & much like the real life Knights they snagged another "Big Fish" 

To Vegas:
Patrick Kane (50% Retained)

To Chicago:
Prospect: Zach Dean
Prospect: Jesper Vikman
Prospect: Brendan Brisson
Ondrej Kase
2023 - VGK - Round 1
2023 - VGK - Round 2

GM Jacklin managed to in concept snag 3 1st round picks in the 23 1st, Zach Dean & Brendan Brisson. At the time GM Jacklin was noted with the following comments

"It's tough to move a guy like Patrick but our goal was to give him a shot where we felt he could do damage & potentially get another ring for his already HOF Career. Zach & Brendan have both shown great strides & we are excited for Brendan to step into the AHL for us next season & with that 1st we've anticipate it'll be in the 30-32 range but we feel we can add another amazing piece. Jesper coming along with these assets gives us another great viable option in our goalie system & you can never have too many of those given how wild goalie development can be overall"  

"The days that followed" - With the hero of Chicago safely in Vegas it became clear that the focus was on the next group of future Blackhawks & utilizing every aspect they could & a few key moves were utilized to help setup this plan. 

In: Nick Schmaltz 50% Cap Hit, Mark Borowiecki, Prospect: Linus Karlsson, 2023 - VAN - Round 2, 2023 - VAN - Round 3, 2024 - VAN - Round 2, 2024 - VAN - Round 3, Jacob Bryson, Prospect: Cole Jordan, 2024 - CGY - Round 3, 2023 - MIN - Round 7, 2024 - WPG - Round 5, Cal Clutterbuck, Nicolas Deslauriers,2024 - VGK - Round 3, 2023 - TBL - Round 6 & Nils Hoglander.

Out: Taylor Raddysh, Jason Zucker, Matt Martin, Riley Stillman & Ondrej Kase

As we close in on the end of the overall season it's clear Chicago has a handy grasp on 32nd in the league & big dreams of landing Vancouver native Connor Bedard. For narrative alone this young player could help change the direction in short order for the Blackhawks & being a native of Vancouver himself GM Jacklin would be thrilled to bring in a local product from his own backyard to build around overall.

Lots still to come but for a season that brought many laughs, wtf's & "well okay thens" it's been a blast & we look forward to the Draft Lotto & eventual Entry Draft. Special shoutout to Commish Karp alongside his BOD Chris & Dirty Pocket Pool afficianado Mikey for all their work this 1st season in what's been a great season overall! Thanks for all you've done as a team to make this possible & of course best of luck to all the playoff clubs in their quest for a sip from Lord Stanley's Mug!