The Blackhawks General Manager, Stan Bowman, should be taken to the scrap yard where all former Chicago sports GM’s go. Rusting away and wore out their welcome in the Windy City. Bowman, who suddenly has become injected with the Chicago Bulls influenza ,as his thought process has gone to Beavis and Butthead standards. John Paxton and Gar Forman should have been melted down years ago. The guy that walks on water in Cubland, Theo Epstein’s decisions have crumbled that dynasty before it ever took off. The Bears’ Ryan Pace could not pick a quarterback if his life depended on it. Now Stan the Man has been in control of a hockey dynasty that he never even created. Could he maintain it? No… Two moves by Stan at the NHL deadline that leave you scratching your head. Two moves and they got nothing in return.

The Blackhawks were sellers at the NHL trade deadline. The Blackhawks sent Defenseman Erik Gustafsson to the Calgary Flames for a 2020 3rd round draft pick. Originally from the Swedish National team and played for the Swedish Hockey League before coming to the NHL. The Blackhawks also traded goaltender Robin Lehner in a three team deal. Lehner heads to the Vegas Golden Knights. Blackhawks receive a second round 2020 draft pick. Defenseman Slava Demin who is a prospect. Plus  goaltender Malcolm Subban. The Toronto Maple leafs was the other team involved. Blackhawks will pay half of Lehner’s salary to fit the whole deal under the salary caps.

Blackhawks signed Robin Lehner  in the off-season. Lehner came off a great season in New York playing for the Islanders last year. Lehner was one of the best netminders in the league. Lehner continued to play well as he had a great first half of the season in a Blackhawks uniform. The Blackhawks signed him to a a one year deal which did not come cheap. When your team, one of your heroes from those three Stanley Cups, goalie Corey Crawford has been injured for long periods of time over the  last few seasons, it’s time to react. Those periods Crawford missed, the team was horrible. Crawford has stayed healthy this season as the Blackhawks had a nice one two punch in front of the net. Both goalies wanted to come back with the Blackhawks next year and beyond. Goalie is obviously not the problem with this team that stays at the.500 mark and will again miss another post-season berth. Crawford’s history of dealing with concussions is not the goalie I would have extended. Now that idea you had in off season will need to be addressed once again.

Then a young defenseman Erik Gustafsson who is only 27 years old was dealt. He had a breakout season last year with a 60 point season.  Gustafsson was the sixth highest scoring defenseman in the entire league. His numbers had dropped this season. If the Blackhawks knew they would not resign him after this season with his contract expiring, why not trade him during the off season and get more back for his talent when the ceiling was high. The Blackhawks were trying to squeeze one more playoff run with the Stanley Cup core. Gustafsson will be like one of those players that always happens to leave Chicago and turn into something special for another city.

The Blackhawks continue and will always be a 500 team the way they are doing things. Stan Bowman continues to shuffle players in and out of Chicago to work with that Stanley Cup core. It has not worked as they even keep bringing back players from the cup days they already traded away. When the Blackhawks young players start doing well they can not afford them. The firing of Joe Quenneville how is that working out for them? The Blackhawks are stuck in the middle with jokers to the right clowns to the left which the biggest is Stan Bowman. The Blackhawks need a tear down and complete make over. The way things are going they are heading down Chicago Bulls avenue.Just because you share the building with the Bulls  does not mean you have to operate the same way.