When the Blackhawks were in Toronto a few weeks ago, there was a lot of talk about the Maple Leafs being sort of like the Blackhawks of 2007-08. Assuming that that’s the case, the Leafs are going to have to negotiate some of the same challenges that the Blackhawks dealt with once they get through the entry-level contract period with Auston Matthews, William Nylander and Mitch Marner. How do you pay your stars the money that stars get while icing a Stanley Cup contender?



This is a great question because it ties into bigger questions about building teams. Are depth players on championship teams special depth players? Or are they guys who can do a job in a certain slot when they’re insulated by forwards of a certain calibre who push them down the lineup and defencemen of a certain calibre who provide them with support when they’re on the ice?



In order to explore this question, I took a look at the Blackhawks forward group from 2007-08...