Five Recent Stan Bowman Moves That Are Now Helping The Blackhawks

1 of 3

Dominik Kubalik #8, Chicago Blackhawks Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports /

The Chicago Blackhawks have made many moves in the past that put them in rebuild mode, but they also made some good decisions.

Things are coming together for the Chicago Blackhawks. After entering what looked like a long rebuild, they seem to be turning the corner and very well could be back in contention within the next two seasons. While there are still some missing pieces in the lineup, the ‘Hawks are well on their way.

The Chicago Blackhawks very well could be a playoff team this season. While it does still seem hard to imagine, the ‘Hawks’ chances of making the playoffs get better every game. Pretty soon, that could become a reality, and in large part, some recent moves are why the team finds themselves in this position.

There have been many bad moves in the past by Stan Bowman to make the Blackhawks a struggling team, but there have also been several moves that are now paying off. Let’s go over five deals Bowman made that are now working out for the franchise.

1 Ryan Hartman trade – 2018 trade deadline

In 2018, the Chicago Blackhawks sent Ryan Hartman to Nashville for a prospect and a couple of draft picks. While Victor Ejdsell has not turned into much in the NHL, the two draft picks Chicago got from Nashville for Hartman have.

The ‘Hawks gained a first and fourth-round pick from the Predators. The first-round pick was the 27th overall pick in the draft and turned into Nicolas Beaudin. The fourth-round pick was the 120th pick in the draft and ended up being Philipp Kurashev.

This trade at the time showcased a willingness to rebuild despite the franchise never wanting to admit to it at the time. Hartman has bounced around a few teams since the deal, while Beaudin and Kurashev are well on their way to becoming NHL regulars in Chicago.

Mattias Janmark #13, Chicago Blackhawks (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

2. Mattias Janmark contract – 2020 offseason

This past offseason has shaped the Blackhawks. Through all the moves, the team is now in a better position than they were a year ago today, and that includes adding Mattias Janmark.

Janmark signed a one-year deal with Chicago after going on his run to the Stanley Cup Final with the Dallas Stars. While Janmark was pretty much only a defensive forward for Dallas in the bottom six, he has done a lot more in Chicago.

One of the main reasons Janmark decided to sign with Chicago is that he could play in several different situations on a team that did not have a lot of depth. There was an opportunity that he could prove to be something more with this team, and he has risen to the occasion.

Janmark has 12 points so far this season, including seven goals. Chicago is lucky to have him around.

3. Not re-signing Corey Crawford during the 2020 offseason

The decision not to re-sign Corey Crawford this past offseason caused a lot of uproar amongst fans. Crawford has been with the team for a long time, and he helped get Chicago two Stanley Cups along the way. After all the hard work Crawford did for this team, seeing Stan Bowman let him walk away stung.

It did not help that Chicago was now going to lean on Malcolm Subban, Collin Delia, and Kevin Lankinen a year after Chicago had Lehner and Crawford. Going from those two elite goalies to three unproven net minders hurt, but now it seems like the right decision.

The ‘Hawks seem to have their next long-term franchise goalie in Kevin Lankinen. Lankinen has been playing a Calder Trophy caliber performance through the first half of the season, and hopefully, he only gets better with more time. Even Subban has grown on the fans as he has been great in the organization’s backup role.

If Bowman did not move on from Crawford, the ‘Hawks would still be a few years removed from finding a long-term starter in Chicago as Crawford did not have a lot much NHL time left in him.

Ryan Carpenter #22, Chicago Blackhawks (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

4. Signing Ryan Carpenter to a three year one million dollar contract in July 2019

Ryan Carpenter has been a very hard-working player since joining the Chicago Blackhawks during the 2019 offseason.

After years of the Blackhawks struggling, Carpenter took a chance on going to Chicago after having a bad few seasons in San Jose. The deal has worked well for both sides. Carpenter has done an excellent job on the fourth line playing a shutdown role, and Chicago is getting some depth to fill out their lineup.

I hope at the conclusion of his contract; the ‘Hawks choose to re-sign Carpenter during the offseason of 2022.

5. Bringing in Pius Suter and Dominik Kubalik

The Blackhawks overseas scouting has been magnificent the past few years. From Artemi Panarin to Dominik Kubalik, the ‘Hawks are proving that finding capable wingers to fill out their lineup is not a challenge. Even Pius Suter fits into this group very nicely.

It is not like other teams did not know about Panarin or Kubalilk when trying to find NHL talent. A lot of other teams also scouted these guys, but Bowman was the one who did an excellent job getting them to come to Chicago and excel within the system of play here.

Bowman’s only issue with these types of assets is getting them to stick around for the long-term picture. Hopefully, Suter and Kubailk will be members of the ‘Hawks organization for a long time to come.

Home / Editorials