Where would the Chicago Blackhawks be without GM Stan Bowman? Thatâs a fair question with a dim answer. In his fifth year in the driverâs seat in the Windy City, Bowmanâs proficiency has withstood the wrecking ball otherwise known as the salary cap. And for a star-studded roster, thatâs anything but an easy task â even for Chicagoâs mad genius.

The Making Of The Blackhawksâ Mad Genuis
Stan Bowman isnât a stranger to numbers. In fact, his competency in number crunching was visible before he ever spent a day as GM of the Blackhawks. Chicagoâs mad genius first joined the Blackhawks organization in 2000 where he served in a role that enabled him to perfect his skill for not only managing numbers, but evaluating talent as well.
âBowman played an integral role in acquiring the talent that brought the Stanley Cup to Chicago in 2010. Following the championship run, Bowman was named to Crainâs Chicago Business â40 under 40â Class of 2010. The prestigious announcement is given out to 40 business executives under the age of 40 in the city of Chicago each year and recognizes the tremendous accomplishments of the individuals chosen.
âBowman graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1995 with degrees in finance and computer applications. When he arrived at the Blackhawks in 2000, Bowman worked extensively on financial budgets and developed programs to track player movement and player evaluation.â â Blackhawks Bio
At age 36, Bowman assumed the role of general manager for the Blackhawks, making him the youngest GM in the league. And although Bowman tasted success right out of the gate as GM with a Stanley Cup, he knows what itâs like being in the basement.
The son of legendary head coach Scotty Bowman spent a decade as an assistant in the organization; 10 years that included only two playoff appearances and a cancelled season due to a lockout (2004-05).
âThereâs no shortcut going from a bad team to an elite team,â said Bowman. âWe did it the right way. The only thing I hearken back to is, if you have to take advantage of drafting players early, you have to make sure youâre drafting the right guys, and you have to make sure youâre developing those guys. Thatâs the way you build a franchise. Itâs hard to pluck players from here or there and just become a good team.â
Chicagoâs Mad Genius Taking On The Salary Cap

After Bowmanâs honeymoon period as a Stanley Cup-winning GM, the Montreal native solidified himself as an NHL executive by gutting the very team that brought Chicago their first Stanley Cup in over 40 years. The Blackhawks were looking for a way to cut over $4 million, and that was just to break even.
With Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp, and Marian Hossa in-expendable, Bowman sent Dustin Byfuglien, Andrew Ladd, and Kris Versteeg packing. Bowman also made the decision to allow goalie Antti Niemi to walk, where he would ultimately end up signing with the San Jose Sharks for $15.2 million after a $2 million trial year.
The goaltending decision proved to be another casualty to Bowmanâs midas touch. Although the Blackhawks failed to even reach the Cup Finals in 2011, Crawford went 33-18-6 in his first year as the starter. And despite going 3-4 in the playoffs that year, Crawford did turn in a shut out to go along with his .927 save percentage.
The Mad Genius and Another Roster Showdown
Of course the Blackhawks had their army of goal scorers, along with a solid defensive unit that featured Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, and Brian Campbell. This obviously made losing the earlier mentioned easier to digest. But after winning a second Stanley Cup in four years, the mad genius faced a different type of roster structuring.

After Bryan Bickellâs career high 17-point playoff performance, Bowman rewarded the left winger with a hefty $16 million deal over four years. Bickellâs $4 million cap hit may not seem like much, but for a roster with heavy dough committed to multiple stars, itâs easy to understand the questioning of the deal.
Itâs easy to say that Bickellâs season to this point has been a dud. Itâs been an irritating year, battling injuries and fighting for ice time. Bickellâs 12 points in 51 games may give some the chance to criticize Bowman for such an outrageous contract, but given his playoff performance from the largest sample size, and the alternative, the jury is still out on the decision to not only retain Bickell, but to pay him $4 million-a-year.
ââWhen I think of myself as a hockey player, I feel Iâm a playoff kind of guy,ââ said Bickell. ââThe regular season is important, but the playoffs is the most important time. Thatâs where the physicality goes up a level, and it tends to bring more out of me. It sparks me.ââ
To keep Bickell, Bowman traded Michael Frolik and Dave Bolland, along with allowing the Nashville Predators to sweep up Viktor Stalberg. And although Bickell seems to be as lost right now as Steve Urkel without his glasses, Bolland and Stalberg have been equally disappointing in their new homes. Bolland, who scored Chicagoâs game-winning goal in game six of last yearâs Stanley Cup Finals, has appeared in only 15 games this season due to injury, while Stalberg has accumulated 15 points with a minus-11 rating for the Predators.
Thereâs no question, however, that the Blackhawks have missed Michael Frolik. In 69 games with Winnipeg, Frolikâs 35 points and two game-winning goals proves how valuable 26-year-old was and is. But that doesnât mean Bowmanâs decision to trade Frolik wasnât meticulously planned.
Enter Ben Smith, who is not only a year younger than Frolik, but a cap hit of a little more than half-a-million dollars. Not only has Smith provided some offense with 21 points, he has also recently moved from the right wing to center, filling a hole thatâs plagued the Blackhawks of late.
âHeâs gotten better each and every day this season,â said head coach Joel Quenneville. âHeâs gotten more responsibility as heâs gone along here, and we tried him at center last game. It was a short addition there, and he looked comfortable. It seemed to help. It worked again (Sunday), so we gave him more responsibility and we liked what we saw.â
The Drafting Of A Mad Genius

With the salary cap in effect, itâs virtually impossible to build a consistent winner in the NHL by free agency alone. Building through the draft has become a blueprint for success in not only the NHL, but the NFL as well (another salary capped league). Bowman has used a combination of free agency, trading, and drafting right to keep the Blackhawks in contention throughout his tenure.
âIf there are deals to be made weâre not hesitant to do that,â explained Bowman. âIt would have to be the right fit. ⊠Weâre always trying to improve our team and sometimes thatâs just keeping your picks. Sometimes itâs making moves, whether itâs trading picks or players.â
Itâs been the strategy of a mad genius that has not only landed players such as, Marian Hossa, Johnny Oduya, Nick Leddy, and Andrew Shaw. Bowman has also positioned himself for success in previous drafts, trading Torontoâs second-round pick in 2011 back to the Maple Leafs in exchange for a pair of picks. The significance of that particular deal is fixed on Brandon Saad, who was chosen with the 43rd pick of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. Yes, one of the picks Toronto sent Chicagoâs way to regain their own 2nd round selection.
Bowman has gone on to select other highly touted prospects as well. Names like, Teuvo Teravainen, Adam Clendening, Phillip Danault, and Ryan Hartman give the Blackhawks a favorable grading among other NHL farm systems, even with the departure of Brandon Pirri.
âEven with Brandon Saad graduated to the NHL, the Blackhawks forward prospects pack an offensive punch with Teuvo Teravainen and Brandon Pirri among a deep and talented group of center prospects. Mark McNeill and Phillip Danault are not far behind them in terms of skill and each brings a smart, well-rounded game to the table as well. Ryan Hartman and John Hayden are two of the five forwards drafted by Chicago in 2013 that have mitigated the impact of the teamâs graduations in recent years. The defense also remains a strength. Adam Clendening is an offensive force in the AHL and Notre Dame senior Stephen Johns is a standout prospect with a nasty physical game.â â Hockeyâs FutureÂ
https://twitter.com/CRoumeliotis/status/351481376220000256
Everybody who criticized Stan Bowman for taking apart the 2010 Cup Champs needs to recognize that he knows what he's doing .
â All In Illinois (@ChiTownSports) June 26, 2013
The Blackhawks may not be as dominate as last seasonâs team, but 92 points through 68 games is hardly the result of incompetence. Many questioned Chicagoâs mad genius, though, at the trade deadline. The Hawksâ biggest acquisition via the trade market was Kris Versteeg earlier in the season. And with Central Division rival St. Louis pulling off a blockbuster trade before the deadline, many wondered why Bowman refused to join in the frenzy. Still, others put their trust in the man thatâs proven knowing when to hold âem and when to fold âem.
Andy is a contributor for The Hockey Writers, covering the Philadelphia Flyers. He holds a Bachelorâs Degree in Communications from Walsh University. He enjoys spending time with his family, golfing, and reading. He is married with a daughter. You can follow Andy on Twitter @ADudones.
I am still mad at a few decision this âmad geniusâ has made during his tenure. He should have kicked Brian Campbell to the curb after the 2010 Cup in order to have kept Ladd, Niemi, and Byfuglien.
Also, getting rid of Pirri was a stupid mistake. Itâs far easier for a gifted offensive player to improve defensively then for a strong defensive player can improve offensively.