2021-22 Central Division Preview: Are the Chicago Blackhawks back?

In my best Morpheus voice, what if I told you about a team that hasn’t gotten out of the first round of the playoffs in five seasons, seems to always be in cap trouble, and has operated in quasi rebuild land due to aging stars, bad contracts and injuries up and down the lineup?

Now, what if I told you that I wasn’t talking about the Minnesota Wild?

No, it’s the Chicago Blackhawks that are coming off their third postseason-less campaign in four years (24-25-7, 55 points; sixth place in Central Division), with $21 million in cap space tied up in two faces of the franchise that are each a few years into their thirties, and have spent the last couple off-seasons trying to jettison big cap numbers.

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