Blackhawks: All-Decade Team

Many players come from the last few seasons, but there were some notable names earlier in the 2000's.

Goalies

Starter: Nikolai Khabibulin
He is not the best goaltender in the world, by any stretch, yet the Bulin Wall stepped up throughout the big 2008-2009 season. His 2.33 GAA is solid, and he was missed after going down with an injury late in last year's postseason. The man deserves credit for being let go in the offseason, brought back because nobody wanted him, and still coming through when the Hawks needed him.

Reserve: Cristobal Huet (this season)
Sorry, I could not go with Jocelyn Thibault. Yes, Thibault was the goaltender for half the decade and put up some okay numbers. Yet, Huet has had a remarkable season this year. His 2.13 GAA, to go along with Antti Niemi's 1.79 as the backup, is a big reason why the Hawks lead the Western Conference. Huet was not good early in the season but has turned it around. He was also a solid backup for Khabibulin for most of last season.

Defensemen

Starters
1. Duncan Keith
The Blackhawks signed this man to a big contract this season for many reasons. He plays almost half the game, leading Chicago in minutes. He is quick, relentless and has the second-most points on the team. The Blackhawks' attack starts on the back end with their defenseman, and Keith is usually in the middle of the rush.

2. Brian Campbell
He may not be the unbelievable defenseman that people thought the Hawks were getting, but the 2008 free-agent acquistion had a solid 52 points last season and is on pace to surpass that number this year. He has a wicked slap shot and is a big contibutor to Chicago's power play.

Reserve
Brent Seabrook
He has been in the team's top 10 in points for three of the last four seasons. The Hawks have not had a better core of defenseman this decade than Keith, Campbell and Seabrook. Brent is not as good as the other two, but he is very physical with a good balance of offensive skills as well.

Right Wing

Starter
Tony Amonte
Now, we are going back to the earlier part of the decade. Amonte began the team's decade with 84 points, a number that has not been passed by a Blackhawk to this day. The hall-of-famer surpassed the 40-goal mark three times during his Hawk career. His teams may not have been very good, except for the 2001-2002 playoff team, but he was always a feared scorer during his time with the Blackhawks.

Reserve
Patrick Kane
He is one of the most explosive players in the NHL, and is one of the many young faces that have helped bring the league, not just the franchise, back in the spotlight. The young man has shook off some off-ice troubles this offseason and has continued to bring speed to the Hawks' attack. Kane was 19 years old in the 2007-2008 season, and he led the Hawks in points. He should lead them again this season and will probably be a U.S. Olympian as well.

Left Wing

Starter
Kyle Calder
Okay, this could be argued a bit, yet Calder was a pretty consistent player for the Hawks in the middle of the decade. He led the team in points in the 2005-2006 season and could be found in the top 10 during those middle years. He never fully lived up to his potential, but Calder deserves some credit for his contributions.

Reserve
Andrew Ladd
The current Blackhawk is not flashy in any way, but just gets the job done. He fights for the puck, helps get the big scorers in good situations and can put the puck in the back of the net himself. His 49 points last year were pretty good, and he has been a good acquisition from Carolina the last three seasons.

Center

Starter
Jonathan Toews
This choice at center position was the toughest of any, but I have to give the nod to the youngest captain in Blackhawks' history. He is third on the team in points this year, but you cannot even look at the stat sheet to know this man's contributions. He is a leader, despite being just 21 years old, and Toews should be on Team Canada in the Olympics.

Reserve
Alex Zhamnov
Zhamnov was a consistent scorer for the Hawks in the early part of the decade. He could be found near the top of Chicago's points leaders. He had 60-plus points two different times in the decade and another season with 58. Patrick Sharp could be on this list, but I need to give Zhamnov the credit he deserves.