The Chicago Blackhawks have consistently been one of the NHL's most interesting stories this year, and not just because their wingers are going around punching cabbies over $.20. No, it's because the team that their front office put together, while formidable, is virtually guaranteed to push them over the cap next year, which is going to mean big changes in their core group of players.

So the Blackhawks are in a big "Win Now!" mode, and so far, that's exactly what they've done. They trail only the San Jose Sharks in the Western Conference standings with three games in hand, and they hold a five point margin in the Central Division over Nashville and Columbus, with Detroit still lurking around as well. A lot of their success has to fall at the feet of goaltending duo Cristobal Huet and Antti Niemi, who have both been far more consistent than I would have allowed prior to the season.

All that is set to change this week however, as off-season acquisition Marian Hossa is finally ready to make his debut for the Blackhawks, coming off a four-month stint on the IR rehabbing a shoulder injury. Having signed a 12-year deal worth $62.8M, it's no exaggeration to say that Hossa is one of the principle causes of their looming financial crisis. With the team already in first place in the division, some are rightfully wondering if his addition was even necessary in the first place. And what's the rush, anyway? Hossa has opted not to ease back into things with a stint in the AHL, a process that is normally somewhat customary.

Looking at the man himself however, it does seem like he's more or less ready to go. He's been practicing with the team for a few weeks now, so that probably offsets the lack of an AHL trip. He also seems to be comfortable with the locker room. When Dustin Byuglien jokingly joined the media in grilling him after a game in San Jose, Hossa remarked, "That's why I was talking about maturity. The difference is this is one of the youngest groups of guys I've ever played with. It's lots of fun in the dressing room. It's a different crowd than it was in Detroit. It might be a little bit more mature there, but it's fun in the (Hawks') room."

But what kind of impact will he have? My initial thought was that there was no way that coach Joel Quenneville would risk the chemistry developed by their top line for the sake of Hossa. Patrick Kane has made long strides this year in terms of his puck possession and finishing abilities, where in the past couple years he was only known as a playmaker. Shoving Hossa on a line with him and Jonathan Toews not only appears like they're putting all their eggs in one basket, but it would seem to depress Kane's emerging scoring abilities by putting another finisher on that line. And yet, that's what they're doing.

It's difficult to argue with a coach when his team is playing their best hockey in years, but I'm going to do just that. Put him on the line with Andre Ladd and Patrick Sharp. Ladd did really well last year with Martin Havlat, who Hossa is basically replacing, and having Hossa on the ice would take the scoring pressure of Patrick Sharp, who has been in a bit of a slump to start the season. That way you preserve the success of the top line while plugging Hossa into a productive role.

Regardless of the should haves and could haves, this is a pretty sweet situation for Hossa. He finds himself on a Stanley Cup contender... again, with little initial investment on his part. Unless the team totally self-destructs around him, he is basically a made man.

Follow Chris Chester on Twitter: http://twitter.com/chrisbchester

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