The 2015–16 Chicago Blackhawks season was the 90th season for the NHL.
The team entered the season as defending Stanley Cup champions.
The Blackhawks finished the season with a 47–26–9 record and qualified for the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs as the #3 seed in the Central Division, but they lost in the first round to the St. Louis Blues (four games to three).
Off-Season[]
The Blackhawks faced an offseason of change after being crowned Stanley Cup Champions for a third time in six years.
Coming into the offseason, it was well known Chicago was facing impending cap space struggles and moves would need to be made.
On June 27, 2015, the Blackhawks traded backup goaltender Antti Raanta to the New York Rangers in exchange for AHL forward Ryan Haggerty.
On June 29, 2015 (two days after the trade), defenseman David Rundblad received a 2-year, $2 million contract extension.
The Blackhawks attempted to negotiate a contract for restricted free agent winger Brandon Saad who was a restricted free agent, but they were unsuccessful.
Unlikely to match any sizeable offer sheets due to cap constraints, the Blackhawks traded Saad & prospects Michael Paliotta and Alex Broadhurst to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for center Artem Anisimov, wingers Jeremy Morin & Corey Tropp, prospect Marko Dano and their 4th-round pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft on June 30, 2015. The move did not sit well with the Chicago fanbase as Saad was viewed as another top young player on the Stanley Cup-winning squad.
The next day on July 1, 2015, Anisimov subsequently signed a 5-year, $22.75 million contract with the Blackhawks.
Chicago turned to Russia a few times throughout the offseason. KHL winger Viktor Tihkonov (the grandson of the legendary Soviet coach by the same name) signed a 1-year, $1.04 million contract with Chicago on July 1, 2015. Tihkonov was returning to the NHL for the first time since his 2009 season with the Phoenix Coyotes.
Also, the Blackhawks and Edmonton swapped minor league players, sending goaltender Anders Nilsson to the Oilers in exchange for forward Liam Coughlin.
Following season-long trade speculation, the Blackhawks pulled the trigger on another trade by trading another piece of its core Stanley Cup winning teams.
Another cap clearing move, Chicago traded alternate captain Patrick Sharp and defenseman Stephen Johns to the Dallas Stars in exchange for forward Ryan Garbutt and defenseman Trevor Daley.
The 3-time Stanley Cup winner carried a cap hit of $5.9 million in each of the next two seasons which limited the Blackhawks in what they could do with free agency. A trade was expected following a down year in terms of production and the large aforementioned cap hit.
Forward Andrew Desjardins returned on a 2-year deal worth $1.6 million, taking less to stay in Chicago.
The Chicago Blackhawks extended the contracts of defensemen Viktor Svedberg & Michal Rozsival & forward Marcus Kruger.
The team lost forwards Brad Richards & Antoine Vermette and defenseman Johnny Oduya during free agency.
Regular Season[]
The Blackhawks began their title defense with an average month of October with a record of 6–5–0.
However, their fortunes increased in the months of November (7–3–1) and December (9–5–1). They finished the month of December on a two game winning streak.
Looking to keep the wins coming in 2016, The Blackhawks won their first 10 games of January, bringing the win streak to 12 games.
The streak set a franchise record for the most consecutive wins & tied the Florida Panthers win streak earlier in the season for the longest winning streak in the NHL during that season.
Team Leaders[]
- Goals: Patrick Kane (46)
- Assists: Patrick Kane (60)
- Points: Patrick Kane (106)
- Penalties in Minutes (PIM): Andrew Shaw (69)
- Plus/Minus: (+): Patrick Kane (+17); (–): Andrew Desjardins (–8)
- Wins: Corey Crawford (35)
- Goals Against Average (GAA): Michael Leighton (1.54)
Awards[]
| Player | Award | Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Patrick Kane | NHL First Star of the Week | November 9, 2015 |
| Patrick Kane | NHL First Star of the Month | December 1, 2015 |
| Corey Crawford | NHL First Star of the Week | December 14, 2015 |
| Patrick Kane | 2016 NHL All-Star Game Captain | January 2, 2016 |
| Patrick Kane | NHL Third Star of the Month | January 4, 2016 |
| Jonathan Toews | 2016 NHL All-Star Game selection (note: missed game due to illness) | January 6, 2016 |
| Patrick Kane | NHL First Star of the Week | January 18, 2016 |
| Corey Crawford | NHL Second Star of the Month | February 1, 2016 |
| Artemi Panarin | NHL First Star of the Week | April 4, 2016 |
Milestones[]
| Player | Milestone | Reached |
|---|---|---|
| Artemi Panarin | 1st career NHL game 1st career NHL goal 1st career NHL point |
October 7, 2015 |
| Viktor Svedberg | 1st career NHL game | October 9, 2015 |
| Ryan Garbutt | 200th career NHL game | October 9, 2015 |
| Trevor van Riemsdyk | 1st career NHL goal | October 10, 2015 |
| Artemi Panarin | 1st career NHL assist | October 10, 2015 |
| Viktor Svedberg | 1st career NHL goal 1st career NHL point |
October 15, 2015 |
| Vinnie Hinostroza | 1st career NHL game | October 17, 2015 |
| Tanner Kero | 1st career NHL game | October 29, 2015 |
| Erik Gustafsson | 1st career NHL game 1st career NHL assist 1st career NHL point |
October 30, 2015 |
| Viktor Svedberg | 1st career NHL assist | November 2, 2015 |
| Ryan Hartman | 1st career NHL assist 1st career NHL point |
November 4, 2015 |
| Marcus Kruger | 300th career NHL game | November 4, 2015 |
| Tanner Kero | 1st career NHL goal 1st career NHL point |
November 6, 2015 |
| Andrew Desjardins | 300th career NHL game | November 8, 2015 |
| Artem Anisimov | 200th career NHL point | November 8, 2015 |
| Tanner Kero | 1st career NHL assist | November 18, 2015 |
| Patrick Kane | 19 game point streak - American Record (later 26 games) 600th career NHL game |
November 28, 2015 |
| Michal Rozsival | 900th career NHL game | December 3, 2015 |
| Patrick Kane | 22 game point streak - Blackhawks Record (later 26 games) | December 6, 2015 |
| Dennis Rasmussen | 1st career NHL game 1st career NHL goal 1st career NHL point |
December 8, 2015 |
| Patrick Kane | 600th career NHL point | December 8, 2015 |
| Marian Hossa | 1,200th career NHL game | December 13, 2015 |
| Niklas Hjalmarsson | 500th career NHL game | December 13, 2015 |
| Dennis Rasmussen | 1st career NHL assist | December 13, 2015 |
| Brandon Mashinter | 1st career NHL goal 1st career NHL point |
December 13, 2015 |
| Patrick Kane | 1st American born player to score 20 goals in each of their first 9 seasons | December 13, 2015 |
| Jonathan Toews | 600th career NHL game | December 20, 2015 |
| Phillip Danault | 1st career NHL assist 1st career NHL point |
December 20, 2015 |
| Brent Seabrook | 800th career NHL game | December 27, 2015 |
| Artem Anisimov | 100th career NHL goal | December 31, 2015 |
| Jonathan Toews | 4th OT goal this season - Blackhawks Record (later 5 goals) | December 31, 2015 |
| Corey Crawford | 300th career NHL game | January 3, 2016 |
| Phillip Danault | 1st career NHL goal | January 8, 2016 |
| Duncan Keith | 800th career NHL game | January 10, 2016 |
| Joel Quenneville | 783rd career NHL coaching win - 2nd all time | January 14, 2016 |
| Patrick Kane | 1st career NHL hat-trick | January 15, 2016 |
| Andrew Shaw | 300th career NHL game | February 6, 2016 |
| Jonathan Toews | 300th career NHL assist | February 6, 2016 |
| Patrick Kane | 400th career NHL assist | February 15, 2016 |
| Artemi Panarin | 1st career NHL hat-trick | February 17, 2016 |
| Artemi Panarin | 1st career NHL playoff goal | April 15, 2016 |
| Trevor van Riemsdyk | 1st career NHL playoff goal | April 23, 2016 |
Transactions[]
Player Trades[]
| Date | ||
| June 27, 2015 | To New York Rangers Antti Raanta |
To Chicago Blackhawks Ryan Haggerty |
| June 30, 2016 | To Columbus Blue Jackets Brandon Saad Alex Broadhurst Michael Paliotta |
To Chicago Blackhawks Artem Anisimov Marko Dano Jeremy Morin Corey Tropp 4th-round pick in 2016 NHL Entry Draft |
| July 6, 2015 | To Edmonton Oilers Anders Nilsson |
To Chicago Blackhawks Liam Coughlin |
| July 10, 2015 | To Dallas Stars Patrick Sharp Stephen Johns |
To Chicago Blackhawks |
| September 11, 2015 | To Carolina Hurricanes Kris Versteeg Joakim Nordstrom 3rd-round pick in 2017 NHL Entry Draft |
To Chicago Blackhawks Dennis Robertson Jake Massie 5th-round pick in 2017 NHL Entry Draft |
| December 14, 2015 | To Pittsburgh Penguins Trevor Daley |
To Chicago Blackhawks Rob Scuderi |
| January 3, 2016 | To Toronto Maple Leafs Jeremy Morin |
To Chicago Blackhawks Richard Panik |
| January 21, 2016 | To Anaheim Ducks Ryan Garbutt |
To Chicago Blackhawks Jiri Sekac |
| February 25, 2016 | To Winnipeg Jets Marko Dano 1st round pick in 2016 NHL Entry Draft conditional 3rd round pick in 2018 NHL Entry Draft |
To Chicago Blackhawks Andrew Ladd Jay Harrison Matt Fraser |
| February 26, 2016 | To Los Angeles Kings Rob Scuderi |
To Chicago Blackhawks Christian Ehrhoff |
| February 26, 2016 | To Montreal Canadiens Phillip Danault 2nd round pick in 2018 NHL Entry Draft |
To Chicago Blackhawks Dale Weise Tomas Fleischmann |
| February 26, 2016 | To Los Angeles Kings Rob Scuderi |
To Chicago Blackhawks Christian Ehrhoff |
| February 29, 2016 | To Carolina Hurricanes Dennis Robertson |
To Chicago Blackhawks Drew MacIntyre |
| February 29, 2016 | To Anaheim Ducks Corey Tropp |
To Chicago Blackhawks Tim Jackman 7th-round pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft |
| June 15, 2016 | To Carolina Hurricanes Teuvo Teravainen Bryan Bickell |
To Chicago Blackhawks New York Rangers's 2nd round pick in 2016 NHL Entry Draft CHI's 3rd round pick in 2017 NHL Entry Draft |
Acquired Free Agents[]
| Date | Player | Former team | Contract terms (in U.S. dollars) |
|
| July 1, 2015 | Viktor Tikhonov | SKA Saint Petersburg | 1 year, $1.04 million | |
| July 2, 2015 | Cameron Schilling | Washington Capitals | 2 years, $1.15 million | |
| July 2, 2015 | Michael Liambas | Milwaukee Admirals | 1 year, $575,000 | |
| August 18, 2015 | Nolan Valleau | Bowling Green Falcons | 2 year, $1.335 million | |
| February 28, 2016 | Mac Carruth | Rockford IceHogs | 1 year, $575,000 | |
| May 24, 2016 | Lars Johansson | Frolunda HC | 1 year, $575,000 | |
| May 24, 2016 | Michal Kempny | Avangard Omsk | 1 year, $700,000 | |
| May 24, 2016 | Martin Lundberg | Skelleftea AIK | 1 year, $692,500 |
Lost Free Agents[]
| Date | Player | New team | Contract terms (in U.S. dollars) |
|
| July 1, 2015 | Brad Richards | Detroit Red Wings | 1 year, $3 million | |
| July 1, 2015 | Antoine Vermette | Arizona Coyotes | 2 years, $7.5 million | |
| July 4, 2015 | Cody Bass | Nashville Predators | 1 year, $575,000 | |
| July 15, 2015 | Johnny Oduya | Dallas Stars | 2 year, $7.5 million |
Players Lost Via Waivers[]
| Player | New team | Date |
| Viktor Tikhonov | Arizona Coyotes | December 6, 2015 |
| Jiri Sekac | Arizona Coyotes | February 27, 2016 |
Player Lost Via Retirement[]
- Daniel Carcillo
- Kimmo Timonen
Player Signings[]
| Date | Player | Contract terms (in U.S. dollars) |
| June 29, 2015 | David Rundblad | 2 years, $2 million |
| June 30, 2015 | Michael Leighton | 1 year, $575,000 |
| July 1, 2015 | Artem Anisimov | 5 years, $22.75 million |
| July 3, 2015 | Andrew Desjardins | 2 years, $1.6 million |
| July 7, 2015 | Trevor van Riemsdyk | 2 years, $1.65 million |
| July 9, 2015 | Dennis Rasmussen | 1 year, $575,000 |
| August 5, 2015 | Viktor Svedberg | 1 year, $575,000 |
| September 2, 2015 | Joakim Nordstrom | 1 year, $605,000 |
| September 11, 2015 | Marcus Kruger | 1 year, $1.5 million |
| September 19, 2015 | Michal Rozsival | 1 year, $600,000 |
| September 26, 2015 | Brent Seabrook | 8 years, $55 million contract extension |
| October 15, 2015 | Kyle Cumiskey | 1 year, $575,000 |
| March 3, 2016 | Kyle Baun | 2 years, contract extension |
| March 3, 2016 | Marcus Kruger | 3 years, $9.25 million contract extension |
| March 14, 2016 | Viktor Svedberg | 2 years, contract extension |
| April 4, 2016 | Robin Norell | 3 years, entry-level contract |
| April 6, 2016 | Tyler Motte | 3 years, entry-level contract |
| April 14, 2016 | Carl Dahlstrom | 3 years, entry-level contract |
| April 29, 2016 | Luke Johnson | 3 years, entry-level contract |
| May 11, 2016 | Gustav Forsling | 3 years, entry-level contract |
| June 14, 2016 | Mac Carruth | 1 year |
| June 15, 2016 | Richard Panik | 1 year |
| June 19, 2016 | Nick Schmaltz | 3 years, entry-level contract |
| June 22, 2016 | Dennis Rasmussen | 1 year |
Suspensions & Fines[]
| Player | Explanation | Length | Salary | Date issued |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jonathan Toews | Missing the NHL All-Star game | 1 game | N\A | January 28, 2016 |
| Duncan Keith | Striking Minnesota Wild center Charlie Coyle in the face with his stick (intent to injure) |
6 games | N\A | April 1 - April 13, 2016 |
| Andrew Shaw | Uttering an anti-gay slur | 1 game | N\A | April 21, 2016 |
Draft Picks[]
| Round | # | Player | Pos | Nationality | College/Junior/Club Team (League) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 54 | Graham Knott | LW | Canada | Niagara IceDogs (OHL) |
| 3 | 91 | Dennis Gilbert | D | United States | Chicago Steel (USHL]) |
| 4 | 121 | Ryan Shea | D | United States | Boston College High School (USHS–Massachusetts) |
| 5 | 151 | Radovan Bondra | RW | Slovakia | HC Kosice (Slovak Extraliga) |
| 6 | 164 | Roy Radke | RW | United States | Barrie Colts (OHL) |
| 6 | 181 | Joni Tuulola | D | Finland | HPK ([[Liiga) |
| 7 | 211 | John Dahlstrom | LW/C | Sweden | Frolunda HC Jr. (Sweden-Jr.) |