#StanBowman

[3sportsguns]

Blackhawks Starting Something

Sunday night the Chicago Blackhawks were able to stay alive in the best of seven series against the Las Vegas Golden Knights. Despite the 3-1 deficit it is impossible for even the most pessimistic Chicago fan not to be encouraged by what they're seeing. Most people pegged Vegas to make quick work of Chicago, and it could end in five, but it has been a fight.

There's no denying Las Vegas is the deeper and better team, but somehow Chicago has managed to hang around except for one period. The Golden Knights put game one away in their normal fashion with a 2-0 period but games two through four have Vegas and Chicago tied at 7-7 with game two going to overtime. It took a Herculean effort from Corey Crawford, stopping 48 of 49 shots, in game four to keep his team alive and he has been peppered plenty, but the Blackhawks have had their chances.

Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith are the experienced vets with three Stanley Cups, but despite that general manager Stan Bowman has the youngest team in the NHL playoffs. Chicago, as the 12 seed, upset the fifth seeded Edmonton Oilers and did so behind some huge contributions from some of the kids like Dominik Kubalik. Kubalik had five points in the decisive game one win over the Oilers.

After the 2010 cup Bowman tore down the team and had to rebuild around the core of Keith, Kane, Toews and others that ultimately lead to championships in 2012 and 2014. However, chasing competitiveness locked the team's roster and hijacked the salary cap as the Stanley Cup core didn't have the help to get back, look no further than the sweep by Nashville. Bloated contracts and the No Movement Clauses, learn your lesson Bowman, handicapped what could be done and it has just been a waiting game since 2015.

Chicago is playing with house money since they wouldn't have even gotten in to the playoffs in a normal season, let alone getting a shot at one of the Stanley Cup favorites. Crawford was late to training camp but played biggest in the closeout game against Edmonton and to stave off elimination in game four against Vegas. That was championship winning Crawford and he'll be needed if Chicago is going to survive another night with the Blackhawk defense letting a lot of traffic around the crease.

In the four games Patrick Kane only has four points, three came in the overtime loss. Jonathan Toews only has one point, neither of them with goals. Brandon Saad just has an assist, Dominik Kublik just one goal, Kirby Dach a goal and an assist and Alex DeBrincat only a goal and assist (thank goodness he finally saw one go in on the great play to get the empty netter). Of course Vegas is focusing on Kane and Toews but the captain's offensive output is why they got through Edmonton.

Regardless, of what happens the rest of the series the Blackhawks are clearly building something. This team feels a lot more like post-2010 with the right veterans in the place and some kids stepping up to balancing out the main guys. Moving in past the play-in games is just valuable expereince for DeBrincat, Dach and Kubalik.Of cours

e it wouldn't be a Blackhawks off season without some tough contract decisions to make. The cap is expected to stay stagnant just above 82 million with Kane, Toews, Keith, Seabrook, DeBrincat and Saad combining for almost 46 of it. Crawford is a free agent with goalie sketchy behind him and Dylan Strome, Dominik Kubalik, Drake Caggiula and Slater Koekkoek all restricted free agents. There's no way Kubalik isn't back but anyone else could be up in the air. Could the expansion draft help? Will there be a buyout coming?

It's not quite 2010 because of the non-tear down BUT it's much close to after the first Stanley Cup then it is trying to keep buying competitiveness. Cup favorites for next season, maybe not there yet, but there's definitely a new core being put in place that could find Chicago back in familiar territory while Kane and Toews are still productive.

[stromeuh]

kahun tagged kubalik in his pushup challenge insta story... its been like a yr since the trade but @ stanbowman you fucked up big man

[worldnewsinpictures]

Stan Bowman: "I relied on the direction of my superior that he would take appropriate action. Looking back, now knowing he did not handle the matter promptly, I regret assuming he would do so.". No apology to the VICTIMS???? That's why his ass needed to go.... Do you have an opinion on this? Share it! HERE -> https://worldnewsinpictures.com/stan-bowman #StanBowman #StanBowmanLooking #ThatsShare #ThatsShareHERE #Bowman #relied #direction #superior

[colinhughessimp]

@stanbowman if you trade my boy Kruger now too, you will face my wrath, and that is not something you want to do boy

[camerajoejoe]

DragonCon 2014 on Flickr.

[3sportsguns]

Off the Ship Chicago

This off season has watched hockey and baseball cornerstone franchises sputter in inconsistency and try and pull one over on fans. Both are in Chicago and the 'leadership' tried to deny what was really happening, though that's if you believe Stan Bowman and Jed Hoyer know what they're doing to begin with.

This isn't condemning the choice to rebuild because that is a legitimate option on the table for the Blackhawks and Cubs, but if you're going to trade your top trade piece it ought to fuel that option and help build to the next competitive team. Instead Brandon Saad was traded for no young players or draft picks and Yu Darvish went to San Diego for some young players, but none of the Padres top 10 prospects and none of them pitchers. How does that even make sense?

Stan Bowman had some legitimate cap issues to deal with and the nuclear option of shipping off Toews or Kane was never going to be the option, but the goal was to open up some space on the blue line and find some money. Instead he saved almost no money while doing nothing at goalie and adding another defensive player. Every move since has been a vet as the team tries to cmpete in the murder's row of a new division; Carolina, Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, Florida, Nashville and Tampa.

As a fan I was happy to see them upset Edmonton in the extended playoffs and that was as one of the youngest teams in the 24 team playoff field. However, it did cost them the possible number one overall pick and clearly myself, and Bowman, got excited about the future of the team. Now this team won't have Kirby Dach for a few months and Toews will miss the start with an illness. If the team went the course with kids then you could build on what you did last year, but Bowman won't do that as he feigns contention.

Speaking of the farm system, how frustrating is it to see the Padres get Darvish and Blake Snell and trade only one of their top seven prospects? They're joining the Dodgers as the team in on every big trade yet still has a top farm system. The brain trust for the Cubs tore it down and built a championship contender and then, like the Hawks, traded a bunch of their kids and depleted the farm system. If Epstein, Hoyer and McLeod could draft pitching where would this team be?

The nuclear option is on the table for the Cubs as everyone is on the table to be moved with Davish now gone, Jon Lester bought out, Schwarber non-tendered and Kris Bryant, Wilson Contreras, Javier Baez, Anthony Rizzo all possible to be moved. If they're gonna tear it down they need to target pitching, pitching and more pitching. Instead they salary dumped their biggest trade chip for boom or bust prospects with very little minor league experience. Two big trades in Chicago and two big 'What the heck are they doing?!'

The Cubs are not alone in this as they're just the most recent team to demonstrate their cheapness, and of course no fan is going to know the inner workings of what's really happening, but fans are not idiots. Bowman alluded towards a rebuild and every move has suggested otherwise. Meanwhile every time Cubs owner Tom Ricketts talks it's normally an excuse as to why the team isn't going to improve and usually pisses off fans. It's like watching Jerry Reinsdorf with the Bulls while GarPax ran them despite needing to go MANY years before they were finally let go. Does the owner even care about winning?

The Bulls may finally have the right staff in place but they're still a non-story, the Bears may have to bring back Mitch Trubisky and yet the embarrassments of the fandom is the Cubs and Blackhawks, teams that won championships in the last decade. There will be enough talent for the Cubs and Hawks to be competitive as they muddle around in no man's land all to justify the price gouging they'll do on tickets instead of doing what's best for the teams. It's time to jump off the ship Chicago fans.

[3sportsguns]

Are the Blackhawks Actually Rebuilding?

When Stan Bowman said Corey Crawford wasn't coming back, and are going with Colin Delia and Malcolm Subban, it seems to signal a rebuild. Then the next day the Blackhawks sent Brandon Saad to Colorado. It all would seemingly signal a rebuild, but are they really?

One of the goals for the season was to clear up some spots on the blue line for the returning Brent Seabrook and some of the kids. Shipping off Oli Maata was a start but in the Saad trade Chicago took back defensemen Nikita Zadorov and Anton Lindholm. The trade did save Chicago about 1.5 million but what did it accomplish? Bowman traded his best trade chip and got back no picks or young players.

Trading Maata and Saad and letting Crawford walk added up to about 10.5 million dollars in cap space, but Dominik Kubalik signed a two year deal with a  cap hit of 3.7 million. That's a big move that needed to get done but goalie looks weak and the Blackhawks lose about 20 goals a season from Saad. I'm still hopeful for Dylan Strome, who was tendered a contract, Kirby Dach looked promising in his rookie season and Alex DeBrincat needs a bounce back but what is the actual direction for Chicago?

Stan Bowman's comments have alluded to a rebuild, and so have the players being moved, but is Chicago actually rebuilding? There's no room right now for another young defenseman to get playing time and Bowman hasn't acquired any picks or young players. With the suppressed cap situation for the upcoming season also, how many moves does Bowman actually have left?

Crawford signed a two year deal with the New Jersey Devils for a 3.9 million dollar cap hit. That seems like a contract the Blackhawks could have fit in and given themselves competent goal tending for the 2021 season. But it's a rebuild, alright go through with it. Get as many kids seasoning as you can, but instead Bowman got another defenseman in his prime.

I know it's blasphemous to even talk about trading Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews or even Duncan Keith, and I don't want to see them gone, but what's the direction. If they're staying in Chicago then Bowman shouldn't be wasting their seasons. Now, I'm not necessarily saying trade the picks and farm to build a non-playoff team to fringe playoffs, but how about a consistent direction?

Chicago was one of the youngest teams in the expanded playoffs and saw the kids step up but also saw just how far away they were. Another season of that with the defense featuring kids would have made sense as the core of the Stanley Cup teams is their to elevate the team, but instead Bowman is making moves that signal trying to go both ways. Getting another in his prime defenseman without a competent goalie makes no sense. It's also wasting another season to evaluate any of the prospects to see what you have.

Bowman has put the Hawks in cap hell with no relief in sight and that hinders what he can do, but leadership needs to pick a direction and see it through. Stan is clearly terrified of bottoming out for fear of losing his job in the fans so instead Chicago will be wallowing in no man's land, not a threat for the Cup and not getting premiere picks.

Calvin de Haan or Connor Murphy look likely to move, possibly both. Speculation, and probably a fantasy, but things got ugly in the post season between Marc-Andre Fleury and Las Vegas. Now that two year seven million dollar cap hit is too much for the Blackhawks but the Golden Knights have been looking for a defenseman in free agency. Could their be a match there that improves the goalie situation for Chicago, gets rid of the locker room distraction and gets Vegas a quality defenseman?

Zack Smith and Andrew Shaw combine for 7.1 million this season, Shaw has two years left, and are both buyout candidates but will Bowman do it? On reason Drake Caggiula wasn't tendered a contract was because he was similar to Shaw, who is likely unable to be moved. Can he stay healthy? Will Smith contribute anything?

Regardless of what Bowman has said of the direction for the Blackhawks he has put Chicago in a position of having more questions than they started with. Loyalty has been a big reason the Hawks have found themselves in cap hell, see Bryan Bickell contract and subsequent trade of Teuvo Teravainen to move him. Moving on from Crawford seemed like a final change in that but I'm not so sure. I'm not confident in the direction of this team and it likely will mean very little success for the remaining primes of Kane and Toews.