This offseason for the Chicago Blackhawks was undoubtedly one of greatest and saddest in recent memory. The Hawks won the 2015 Stanley Cup over the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games, celebrating the triumphant victory in an arena filled with a sea of red.

Winning the cup may be one of the greatest accomplishments in sports, but unfortunately, in the weeks that follow, teams often suffer player losses due to the salary cap. The Hawks fell victim to this.

There were many key losses this summer that played a large role in winning the cup in 2015. Players lost to trades were Patrick Sharp, (Dallas) Johnny Oduya, (Dallas) and Brandon Saad, (Columbus) Brad Richards (Detroit) and Antoine Vermette (Arizona) were lost to free agency.

Fans will no doubt miss the presence of these players. Saad and Sharp will hurt the most, as both had exceptional playmaking ability and the skills to put the puck in the net in big moments.

However, with losses also comes additions. The Hawks received veterans that will bring a lot to table this season. Artem Anisimov, Trevor Daley, and Ryan Garbutt, highlight this group of newcomers. Anisimov will serve as a powerful penalty-killing center, and defenseman Daley should be able to serve as a great replacement for Johnny Oduya, but a better offensive player.

There were also young players added to an already very talented roster. Russian forward Artemi Panarin and Marko Dano are the key players in this bunch. Panarin’s skills are compared to that of Patrick Kane’s. He is exceptionally fast and possesses outstanding puck-handling ability.

Roster moves were not the only concerns this offseason. There is the still ongoing Patrick Kane rape investigation. In early August, Kane was accused of sexual assault at his offseason home outside Buffalo, N.Y.

The accuser claimed that Kane bit her shoulders and scratched her legs, but that was the only evidence of the case until Sep. 19.

According to The Sporting News, it was reported that there was no evidence of Kane’s DNA found on the woman’s genital areas or undergarments. Kane is not automatically free from these allegations, but this is a huge break in the case that could give him a solid chance of being proved innocent.

Two months since these allegations surfaced, Kane is getting closer to being cleared of all charges. The accuser’s mother claimed that someone had left a bag of evidence containing a DNA analysis was left on her porch. This was proved to be a hoax, and as a result the accuser’s lawyer has dropped her as a client.

It looks as though Kane will be exonerated of all charges, but nothing is official yet. It is up to the league office to determine whether or not he will be suspended or not during the investigation. As of now, Kane is ready to play and continue to be one of the game’s best playmakers.

Kane will be playing in the Hawks season opener versus the New York Rangers on Oct. 7th, where the Hawks will raise their sixth championship banner from the rafters of the United Center.

Although the team will look different this season, a core group of veterans led by Jonathan Toews and Duncan Keith should be able to make a big impact once again, along with the presence of a talented group of young players.