Staying the Course

In my previous post, I stated that I would like to see Mats Sundin join the Chicago Blackhawks. Yesterday, Mats Sundin decided to join the Vancouver Canucks and I'm pleased that he didn't join the Blackhawks. I know that's a complete 180 from what I had just posted, but after further evaluation, I feel that Mats Sundin not joining the Blackhawks is a good thing.

It is widely known that the Blackhawks have the youngest team in the NHL, with an average age of 25.65. Sure, the Blackhawks don't have many players on the team with playoff experience, but I'm fine with that. They've got Scotty Bowman in the front office to help them out. The guy has almost as many championships rings (9) as he has fingers. Joel Quenneville won a ring as an assistant coach in Colorado and has been to the playoffs many times. Brian Campbell, Cristobal Huet, and Nikolai Khabuibulin have all been in the playoffs as well. There's enough guidance in the front office, coaching staff, and locker room to help makeup for the inexperience of the other players.

While having Mats Sundin would have been great, it's not as if the Blackhawks needed him. The team is fourth in the conference, averaging 3.7 goals per game, and if they were better in shootouts, they would be contending for first in the Central against the hated Red Wings. The team has great chemistry and adding a player, even one as great as Sundin, may have disrupted the team. Sure the Blackhawks are lacking in some areas, but what team doesn't have it's flaws? I say keep the team as it currently is and ride them for the rest of the season. It's worked well thus far.