For the first three games of their series against the Predators, the Blackhawks started six defensemen with an average age of 31.8 years.
Possibly the most startling sight in the Hawks' sweep at the hands of the Predators was that their defensemen looked their ages.
The struggles of Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane were a major problem, but you could argue that was a four-game aberration. Also, Toews and Kane are still in their late 20s and have several prime years ahead of them.
Instead, the biggest issue was something that might not improve next season _ the younger Predators skating circles around the Hawks' veteran defensemen.
If that's the future of the Central Division, that ought to keep the Hawks restless this offseason. With a lot of salary-cap space tied up in big contracts, general manager Stan Bowman might not be able to do much about it.
Duncan Keith, one of the premier defenseman in the league for a long time, is 33 and is 18 months removed from major knee surgery. Brent Seabrook, signed for seven more seasons, is 32 but for two seasons has shown wear on his treads. Brian Campbell, 38, is a free agent who could retire or go elsewhere. Johnny Oduya, 35, is also a free agent who is coming off an injury-riddled season and, by his own admission, a disappointing playoff series in which the Predators made him look like he was skating in sand.
Bowman tried to recapture the magic of previous Stanley Cup runs with that core of defensemen. It was a patchwork solution that looked good on paper but failed when it counted. Several Hawks said they couldn't quite reach the level of play they had in previous seasons. Maybe it wasn't a lack of desire or motivation. Maybe the Hawks couldn't skate with the Predators because they just weren't as fast, especially on defense.
This season the Hawks saw the emergence of some young forwards who might be contributors the next few years in Nick Schmaltz, Ryan Hartman, Tanner Kero and Vinnie Hinostroza.
But if the Hawks want to keep their Stanley Cup window open, next season and the years after are going to depend on the development of defensemen currently in the system to bolster the aging core.
Among the names are Gustav Forsling, who played in 38 games this season; Erik Gustafsson, who played in 41 games a year ago but didn't crack the roster this season; Viktor Svedberg (27 games a season ago); Ville Pokka, and Lucas Carlsson, who spent the year in the Swedish Hockey League.
But developing young defensemen is different from forwards. Young defensemen need time, sometimes multiple seasons, to become viable NHL players.
The Hawks don't have a lot of time to wait.
The Hawks think they have one young player in Trevor van Riemsdyk who could be a solid bottom-pairing defenseman, but van Riemsdyk, who is under contract for next season, could be in danger of the Vegas Golden Knights plucking him in the upcoming expansion draft. Meanwhile, the Hawks would like to re-sign Michal Kempny, but Kempny is also a free agent.
Who fills up minutes beyond the top three defensemen, and how they perform, is very much a question headed into next season and beyond.
The enduring images from the first-round exit will be the Predators skating by the Hawks, relentlessly forcing the issue in the Hawks' defensive zone. No matter whom coach Joel Quenneville threw out there, the Hawks had no answer to slow the Predators, and looking at the defensive roster next season, it's hard to determine who might be part of the solution.
