Watching the Chicago Blackhawks win a well-deserved third championship in six years, it was hard not to wonder if, even as the club established itself as a true NHL dynasty, it was enjoying its last hurrah.
In his postgame interview with Sportsnet's Scott Oake, Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville referenced his team being blown up after the 2010 Stanley Cup win. Looking at Chicago's salary-cap situation, it seems inevitable that the same process will occur once again.
General manager Stan Bowman may find a way to keep the team a true contender, to force a repeat and a fourth championship since 2010, but the salary cap opens a window for another club to rise and knock off the defending champions.