Blackhawks: How Stan Bowman created a successful retool

After being swept in back-to-back playoff series in 2016 and 2017, Stan Bowman and the Chicago Blackhawks needed to revamp the roster in a major way.

Of course, these things do not happen without some turbulence. Since being swept by Nashville in the first round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the team has yet to make it back to the playoffs. In that time, the Chicago Blackhawks saw their first losing season since the 2006-2007 campaign. With numerous questionable moves and continuous disappointment, it seemed as if the Blackhawks dynasty had completely come to an end.

There have been times where Stan Bowman has made extremely questionable moves as the general manager of the Chicago Blackhawks, as many fans feel that he is the reason for the team’s recent struggles and perpetual battle against the NHL’s salary cap. These criticisms do not come without reason, as there have been a multitude of failed experiments in the Bowman era.

However, the 2019-2020 season has certainly had a different feel. For the first time since the 2016 campaign, there is an aura around the United Center that brings back memories of trophies and banners. The Hawks are fighting for a playoff spot and look something as they did in the earl-2010’s. Looking back at some of the moves made by Stan Bowman between 2017 and today, perhaps fans judged some of these prematurely.

This slideshow will go through each major move since 2017 that made the Blackhawks what they are today and why the team is now set up to be competitive both now and in the future. Each slide will provide a synopsis of how each transaction affected the Blackhawks and if the move was a wise one or not.