The Blackhawks are used to make deadline deals, but this year may be a bit different. Chicago GM Stan Bowman told TSN’s Pierre LeBrun that he isn’t anticipating any trades prior to the March 1st deadline.
“No, I don’t think so,” Bowman said. “I’m not saying 100 per cent we’re not going to make a trade, but I’m not expecting to make a significant trade.”
As LeBrun points out, the Blackhawks do have a history of adding pieces for a run at the Cup. In 2015, the team added Antoine Vermette and Kimmo Timonen en route to a Stanley Cup championship, and they added Andrew Ladd, Tomas Fleischmann and Dale Weise prior to last year’s deadline.
However, a lack of action doesn’t mean the Blackhawks don’t view themselves as contenders. Bowman noted that the team only added center Michal Handzus prior to their 2013 Cup run, and we could see a similar approach this season. After all, Chicago is only five points behind first-place Minnesota in the Central division. Furthermore, the team’s cap situation makes it difficult to pull of a deal, and the front office isn’t inclined to give up any of their key players.
“There’s this myth that you have to make a big acquisition or else you’re not trying to win. I think that’s just a fallacy,” said Bowman. “If you don’t make one, it doesn’t mean you don’t want to win. It just means that it wasn’t the right situation for a variety of reasons.”
Of course, Bowman’s declaration doesn’t mean the front office will avoid all potential trades. LeBrun believes the team could still pursue some low-cost rentals, like Stars forward Patrick Eaves. Bowman confirmed this sentiment, noting that the team won’t shy away from any deals.
“Yeah, anything can happen,” Bowman said. “But we’ve had [internal] meetings and that’s not our focus at all as we get ready for the trade deadline.”