Jonathan Toews

Duo... Counterpart... Linemate... All have the same generalization, but nothing makes anything more clear-cut than a classic "1-2 combo." 

While mentioning a "combo", many proceed to mention cross sport equivalents.  Unfortunately, this is not one of those articles.  Hockey is unique and unlike any other sport, it can rarely be compared.  Players routinely skate with urgency in fear of losing time on the ice.

Have we ever seen a Stanley Cup champion dismantled to the point Chicago was this off-season?

Yes all of the major pieces (Kane, Toews, Keith, Seabrook) are all still there, but they lost a starting goalie, a playoff hero, and key pieces to the depth that had made them so dangerous last spring.

Last year, I looked back into the history of the Chicago Blackhawks, an Original Six franchise, and ranked the top players in the organization's great history.

Some of arguably the best players to ever play their position wore the Indian head sweater, but the Blackhawks weren't ever able to get over the hump. For 49 years, Chicago was without the Stanley Cup.

But in the spring of 2010, the Blackhawks won it all.

To win the ultimate prize in any sport is something special to behold and cherish. But, it means an extra something to win the Stanley Cup.

By most it is considered the hardest trophy to win in competitive North American team sports, and is regarded by many to be the most prestigious trophy an athlete can attain.

Some players never get a chance to hoist the Cup despite long and successful careers. And, for some it takes years and years to accomplish such as Ray Bourque and countless others.

As we get closer to the beginning of the 2010-11 NHL season, the barstool discussions over who is the best player in the game will begin again.

Is it Crosby? Ovechkin? Someone else???

And which team has more talent? Do the Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks have the most elite talent? What about the Capitals? Red Wings? Penguins? Devils?

With all of these fun questions in mind, I embarked on the daunting task of ranking the top 100 (one hundred) players in the NHL heading into the coming season.

Each circumstance requires a “what if” aspect.

What if the Portland Trailblazers drafted Michael Jordan instead?

What if the St. Louis Blues would have drafted Jonathan Toews first over Erik Johnson?

Johnson has yet to play a complete season, but has shown he can produce respectable numbers.

He has been known to be a mid-scoring defender by recently scoring 39 points in the regular season.

He even brought home a silver medal from the past Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

On Friday, the NHL made two under-the-radar announcements, one of which made a strong statement of faith in Chicago Blackhawks Captain Jonathan Toews.

Canadian Tire, the largest retailer of sporting equipment in Canada, agreed to become the League’s Official Sporting Goods Retailer of the NHL in Canada.

Today, I am going to take an in depth look at the Central division.

Detroit Red Wings

Key additions: Mike Modano, Jiri Hudler, and Ruslan Salei

Key losses: Brett Lebda and Kirk Maltby

Up front the Red Wings are a much improved group. They lost a solid player in Kirk Maltby but added two very good forwards in Mike Modano and Jiri Hudler.

As expected, regular season tickets to see the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks sold out quickly on Monday morning.

Thanks to Ticketmaster’s software and sky-high demand, most fans were frustrated by the buying experience, with many left out in the cold wondering how much they would have to spend to see a game this year.

The answer: $200.

Per seat.

Going forward for the Blackhawks many new faces will have to earn their keep and prove they can get it done.

But, for the approximately 12 to 13 players that are returning from the championship team, they will have to integrate the new players to a hockey club that reached the pinnacle of success last season.