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Cory Crawford’s Chicago Blackhawks career has officially come to an end. The Blackhawks net-minder ends a 17 year tenure with the team that drafted him way back in 2003. Crawford and the team could not agree on a one year deal, so both camps have parted ways and the New Jersey Devils swooped in and signed the 35 year old to two year deal worth 7.8 million. It was a tearful goodbye as the Blackhawks let Crawford walk out the door. This is after 488 regular season starts and add an additional 96 post season starts that help collect two Stanley Cups. Crawford is the only Blackhawks goalie in history to have won multiple cups. What is the plan, Stan Bowman? What will Crawford bring to the Devils?

For the Devils, the team adds a veteran goalie which is Cory Crawford with gasoline still in the tank to form a tandem with last season rookie 23 year old, Mackenzie Blackwood. The Devils were able to buy out veteran goalie Cory Schneider’s contract which will free up salary cap, and obviously gets New Jersey a replacement between the pipes. Cory Crawford could help mentor Mackenzie, who was 8-2 between the pipes in his last ten games before the league shut down from the Covid. Cory Crawford brings a .917 save percentage which he did between the pipes last season for the Black Hawks, who don’t have a good defense. The Devils defense is shaky. Besides the two cups, Crawford brings leadership to this Devil team along with grit and determination. Crawford had to fight through the Covid and then made the bubble for the playoffs, with like only a week to get back in game shape. Plus, not playing games for months due to shut down. Crawford was sharp in the play in round as the Black Hawks had no problems versus the Edmonton Oilers. Then Crawford put up some good battles versus a Vegas team that had all kinds of weapons and talent.

The beginning of last season the Black hawks probably had one of the best goalie tandems in the league. The Black Hawks signed Robin Lehner who was coming off a excellent season in net for the Islanders. The Black Hawks had to bring in someone else because Cory Crawford was missing multiple games from concussions in previous seasons. Crawford stayed healthy and Stan Bowman traded Lehner to the Vegas Golden Knights at the trade deadline. This was before Covid and the Blackhawks needed to jump over multiple teams at the time with not many games left on the schedule to even sniff the playoffs. The Covid virus actually helped the Blackhawks get to the bubble and be a part of the playoffs since the league expanded the post season due to not finishing the regular season.

You would think after all of that, the Blackhawks would have brought back Cory Crawford. Whenever the regular season begins, the Blackhawks went from two veteran talented goalies that both wanted to be in Chicago, to young guys like Colin Delia and Kevin Lankinen that lack experience. The Blackhawks did re-sign Malcolm Subban, who was a piece back from the Vegas trade, which involved Robin Lehner. Stan better have a plan. If he thinks just shedding high salary and picking up cheap veterans along the way is enough, this team will not be going anywhere. If he plans on building a younger team around super stars Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, then this team will need to get rid of all the aging core from those Stanley cup teams. In my opinion, Stan Bowman should have done that quite awhile ago, like how the Pittsburgh Penguins keep on doing it year after year building around Sid “the Kid” Crosby.

Meanwhile, Cory Crawford will not be forgotten for what he did wearing the Indian head. Crawford finished his Chicago career with 260-162-53 record. Crawford’s numbers in his career for the Blackhawks include a stifling .918 save percentage and a stingy 2.45 GAA. Crawford had 26 shut outs and 52 playoff wins. Crawford was a 2 time all-star and a 2 time winner of the William M. Jennings trophy. Crawford is third in the Blackhawk franchise in wins, only trailing greats Tony Esposito and Glen Hall. Some day the team will hang his number from the rafters at the United Center. For now, Crawford will be running with the Devils in Jersey, where he might end a brilliant career between the pipes.