Chicago Blackhawks Open Training Camp: Let The Battles Begin

The Chicago Blackhawks made huge inroads this off-season with the acquisitions of Marian Hossa, Tomas Kopecky, and John Madden, but entering camp there are still plenty of questions that need to be answered. One of the most immediate questions is who will replace the point production lost while Marian Hossa recovers from shoulder surgery. There are several players who figure to attempt to replace Hossa's lost production, including Kris Versteeg, Andrew Ladd, and Dustin Byfuglien. The most likely of the three players to continue where Hossa left off is Kris Versteeg. Versteeg had a strong rookie season in which he scored 53 points and was nominated for the Calder Trophy. However this season Versteeg will be leaned on heavily because of the loss of Hossa. If he struggles in the preseason, look for Joel Quenneville to give Andrew Ladd and Dustin Byfuglien more ice time and as Versteeg falters. Although you might not consider this a position battle, it is a battle of ice time on t...