Blackhawks: How Stan Bowman created a successful retool

In an all-too-familiar move, the Blackhawks re-acquired Andrew Shaw from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for a handful of future draft picks.

For whatever reason, Stan Bowman absolutely loves pursuing former Blackhawks, and often times, to a fault. These deals rarely work out for the 6-time Stanley Cup Champions, however, these was the cards Hawks fans have been dealt.

By no means is Andrew Shaw a poor hockey player or a bad addition to the team, as he is a gritty player who provides an energy spark, physical presence, and can put up solid numbers in the score sheet. The issues with acquiring Shaw lie in the cap hit and the price that Bowman paid to get the Mutt back in the Windy City.

Shaw had a career year in 2018-2019, recording 47 points in 36 games for Montreal. Because of this, Bowman had to pay what is probably and over-valued price for the 28-year-old. Giving up second and third round picks is never a great thing for a franchise, especially when those picks could be in the earlier part of their respective rounds. Shaw also comes with a $3.9 million cap hit until the Summer of 2022, which inhibited Chicago from going out and signing any big fish in free agency, much to the dismay of those looking for Bowman to be aggressive in the free agent market this past summer.

If Shaw is able to come back from injury and play the way he did last year for the Canadiens, however, this deal will look much better for Chicago. When he is in the game, the Blackhawks always have a more energized and physical play style, even when the points are not coming in bunches for the two-time Stanley Cup Champion. This is a move that still needs more time to be analyzed, however, the Blackhawks certainly are not looking to run away with this trade.