We’ve spent a lot of the offseason looking ahead to the upcoming season and beyond with our prospects rankings and looking at Jeff Blashill’s systems. Today, we’re going to do one of my favorites and look back. I love history, and covering the Chicago Blackhawks gives me plenty of chances to examine one of the most storied franchises in hockey.

This franchise’s Golden Era was obviously the 2010s, when the Blackhawks won three Stanley Cups in six seasons. Those teams were stacked with Hall of Famers. Marian Hossa and Duncan Keith have already been elected, and they will undoubtedly be joined by Brent Seabrook, Patrick Kane, and Jonathan Toews. Those teams also had excellent secondary players, such as Patrick Sharp, Andrew Shaw, and Niklas Hjalmarsson, to help with the heavy lifting.

With so many talented players on those three championship teams, it was easy to get lost in the mix. So, we’re going to look back at the five most underappreciated players of those squads.

No. 5 – F, Brad Richards

Brad Richards wasn’t in Chicago for a long time, but he was here for a good time. He signed with the Blackhawks in the summer of 2014 and immediately took over the second-line center role. He formed excellent chemistry with Kane, as the two were attached at the hip for much of the season. Kris Versteeg spent the most time as the left winger on that line, with Sharp getting 16 games in that spot, too. Richards had 12 goals and 37 points in 76 regular-season games.

The 2004 Conn Smythe amped up his game for the postseason run, scoring three goals and 14 points in 23 playoff games. He was fifth among forwards in 5v5 time on ice. Bryan Bickell moved into the left wing slot with Richards and Kane for most of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs. That line wasn’t the greatest defensively, but they outscored opponents 6-4 at 5v5. Richards filled the second-line center role for the entire season, a spot that was in heavy rotation in years past. He brought another veteran presence with a championship pedigree to an already impressive locker room. Richards was a perfect fit for the 2014-15 team.

No. 4 – D, Michal Rozsival

The Blackhawks signed Michal Rozsival just before the lockout started in 2012. The veteran defenseman was brought in to solidify a top-heavy defensive corps. The addition of Rozsival and Johnny Oduya at the previous trade deadline gave the Blackhawks elite depth on the blue line. During the whirlwind 2013 season, Rozsival spent most of the season paired with Oduya, but also spent some time with Keith and Nick Leddy. He posted a combined 58.6 Corsi for percentage (CF%) in the regular season and playoffs in 2013. It was his shot that deflected off Dave Bolland and Shaw that won Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Boston Bruins.

Fans began to realize the value of Rozsival during the 2015 postseason. He suffered a severe ankle injury in Game 5 of the Second Round against the Minnesota Wild, ending his season. With the veteran out of the lineup, the Blackhawks had to rely on the shell of Kimmo Timonen and an inexperienced trio of David Rundblad, Kyle Cumiskey, and Trevor van Riemsdyk to fill out their bottom pair. Thanks to a Herculean effort out of the top four, including a Conn Smythe performance from Keith, the Blackhawks found a way to win their third championship.

No. 3 – F, Michal Handzus

Michal Handzus made his first stop in Chicago when he was acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers for Kyle Calder in 2006. He got off to a great start with three goals and eight points in eight games before suffering a season-ending injury. He signed with the Los Angeles Kings the following summer. At the 2013 trade deadline, he was traded back to the Blackhawks by the San Jose Sharks for a fourth-round pick.

Handzus eventually worked his way onto the second line, where he centered Sharp and Kane for much of the 2013 postseason. He provided a solid defensive presence, which allowed his talented wingers to excel in the offensive zone. They created 60 scoring chances at 5v5, the second-highest total on the team. He played a big role in the comeback against the Detroit Red Wings in the Second Round. He had an assist on the opening goal of Game 5. In Game 6, he tied the game in the opening minute of the third period. He stretched his point streak to three games with an assist on the opening goal of Game 7. While Seabrook’s overtime goal in Game 7 is most remembered, the Blackhawks never get there without the play of Handzus.

No. 2 – F, Marcus Kruger

There was never anything flashy about Marcus Kruger’s game. A fifth-round pick in 2009, he used his 200-foot game to carve out a place on two of the greatest Blackhawks teams ever assembled. Kruger and Michael Frolik formed a great defensive duo on the fourth line of the 2013 team. They were also two of the team’s best penalty killers, leading a unit that had a 90.7% success rate and only allowed seven power-play goals in 23 games. Kruger took all the tough assignments, starting over 75% of his postseason shifts in the defensive zone. He still contributed three goals and five points.

His role didn’t change much for the 2015 run, but his defense became even more critical with the issues on the blue line described above. For much of the postseason, he was like a third defenseman on the ice during the most important defensive shifts of the game. His biggest moment came in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals when he beat the Anaheim Ducks with his first career overtime goal. While Kruger rarely found the scoresheet, he did many of the things that often go unnoticed but are essential to winning a championship.

No. 1 – G, Corey Crawford

As the years have passed, Corey Crawford has earned more respect for his accomplishments with the Blackhawks. But, during the runs of 2013 and 2015, he didn’t get the flowers he deserved both nationally and here in town. There was a national narrative during the 2013 playoffs about his weak glove hand. And you heard from pundits and fans alike that any goaltender could have won on those Blackhawks teams. Fans repeatedly called for Ray Emery or Scott Darling to start games, while Crawford did nothing but win.

Even Kane said Crawford should have won the Conn Smythe in 2013. He went 16-7 with an astonishing .932 save percentage (SV%). While that team could skate anyone out of the building and dominated puck possession, when they did slip up, No. 50 was there to bail them out. In 2015, Crawford struggled in the opening series against the Nashville Predators and lost his job to Darling for four games. He returned in relief during Game 6 and stopped all 13 shots he faced in the series-clinching win. He never looked back from there, posting a .924 SV%, and allowed only three goals in his four victories over the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Stanley Cup Final.