The Chicago Blackhawks made the Stanley Cup playoffs last year for the first time since 1997. And they did it with virtually the same lineup as the year before. Without any major additions this offseason -- and the loss of Tony Amonte -- can Brian Sutter lead the Hawks into the postseason and past the first round?

ESPN.com asked for your thoughts about the Blackhawks. Here is an edited sampling of your responses:

I grew up a Hawks fan, but losing Amonte (and kicking his butt on his way out the door) was the last straw. First (Chris) Chelios, then (Ed) Belfour, then J.R. (Jeremy Roenick, and now this. I sure hope (Eric) Daze doesn't blossom to a 40-goal, 40-assist player whom the fans love because that just means he will be the next player on his way out -- after the customary lip service to the fans from Wirtz and Co. I don't care if the Hawks make they playoffs again next season, they've already lost my fandom with yet another knife in my back.

Mike Chen
San Jose, Calif.

Once Eric Daze started scoring early in the season, he became a marked man. Second line or not, he finally decided this year that he would use his 6-foot-6, 230-pound stature to actually gain this thing called good positioning, so that he might actually take some decent shots, and wow ... when he gave himself some good shots ... he scored a lot. Surprising, isn't it? Basically, if the Hawks can pick up Theo Fleury to replace Tony Amonte, and receive a repeat performance behind the bench from Sutter, I see no reason why they won't be right there competing for a playoff spot again next year.

Chris Baker
St. Louis

As a die-hard Hawks fan this is hard to admit, but I think last year's playoff run was a fluke. If they make it this year at all, it'll be at the bottom. Sutter is a great coach, but he is working on a shaky platform. The team is continuously crippled by a terrible front office not committed to winning -- shown by the Amonte loss, among other things. There's enough talent (Daze, Zhamnov, Klemm, Sullivan), good young talent (Bell, Calder), and solid support players (Housley, Thomas, Nylander) to give me hope, but not much else. Thibault is too inconsistent and the team is loaded with underachievers. And now with Amonte gone, all the "heart" has to come from Steve Sullivan -- who you just gotta love.

Joe Goudreau
Minneapolis

Now that Blackhawks fans' inaugural Brian-Sutter-postseason-hangover has subsided, the delirium tremors of reality have set in. No doubt, the Hawks will again be a hard-working club fighting for the final playoff spot in the West, but this year they'll come up short. For once, I really can't blame Bill Wirtz for not overspending on an in-house free agent (in this case, Tony Amonte). With the trio of play-making pivotmen who's talents rival "The Three Tenors," the wingers will be provided plenty of scoring chances. Eric Daze is a key; can he step up and bag 45-50 goals? Scoring should not be a problem. The long-in-the-tooth, the defensive corps is fairly solid and combines a nice blend of physical play and puck-moving strength. To me, the glaring weakness is still in net. Why the Hawks have not made a bid for Byron Dafoe is beyond me. Unless the presence between the pipes is upgraded, I think the Oilers, Ducks, and Flames will claim that eighth playoff position, and Mike Smith can once again resort to spending his offseason scouring the Maple Leafs reject list for roster additions!

Don Sonck
Carlsbad, Calif.

What goaltending problems? Mike Smith says that a bunch of teams have been trying to get Thibault. I say, let them have him! I would rather them start Passmore or work on a prospect just so I no longer have to listen to what a great goalie he is. Wins don't mean anything with a goals-against average above 3.00.

Marty Loftus
Salt Lake City, Utah

I think the Hawks will do quite well this year. I definitely think that they have the potential of getting by the second round in the playoffs. But the other Western teams are just too strong. The usual perennial favorites, like Detroit, Colorado, and Dallas, are just too good, and until Chicago has a GM similar to these three teams, they will never be a real Cup contender.

Alfonse Marco
Lake Forest, Ill.

This team will miss the playoffs. The teams at the fringe (Vancouver, Phoenix, Edmonton, Dallas) will all be better. Meanwhile, my Blackhawks essentially swapped scoring threat Tony Amonte for scoring debt Sergei Berezin, when everyone knows that this team did not score often at the end of the season and couldn't put a hole in Brent Johnson with bazooka. Expect Brian Sutter to take the fall for this come April 15th. Eric "Daisy" Daze has never put two solid years back-to-back, either.

Steve Forstneger
Chicago

This team has the worst ownership in sports. The Wirtzes do not care one bit about winning or their fans. The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior. Well then, consider Belfour, Chelios, Roenick, Amonte, the list goes on and on ... dating all the way back to Bobby Hull going to the Winnipeg Jets! To the Wirtz family, it is all about money, and I am confident that most of Chicago knows that at this point!!! Keep the seats empty!!!!

Thomas Whalen
Columbus, Ohio

I love how the Hawks have decided to build on the momentum of their first playoff appearance in five years by letting their best player go in free agency, not signing anyone to replace that player's points, and essentially standing pat with a team that was ousted quite easily by the St. Louis Blues, a real NHL playoff team. Basically, it makes no sense, and the Hawks will see that they made the playoffs by luck and the grit of a new "real" head coach. Although I applauded Brian Sutter's effort in 2001-02, there is no way he can duplicate the effort with this same lineup.

Todd Doyle
Chicago

I think that, even with the loss of Amonte, the Hawks can make the playoffs. Amonte didn't produce as he has in the past, so others stepped up. It would be nice to see another scorer come to Chicago, or a goaltender, but that may not happen with this ownership. The Hawks now have the confidence that they can make the playoffs, and a city that supports them. They will be back in the playoffs.

Andy Glatfelter
Elon, N.C.

Last year was a miracle in itself. Sutter made the team perform better than they should have early in the season and then they hung on to clinch a playoff spot they should have wrapped up about a week earlier. This season, with the loss of Tony Amonte, the Hawks have absolutely no threats on the ice whatsoever. Eric Daze and Alex Zhamnov don't strike fear into opponent's hearts when they are so easily shut down. Unless Sutter can pull another rabbit out of his hat, we could be in for one of the worst seasons in recent memory.

Mark Nemec
Lombard, Ill.