I would also like to add that when Stan had to blow up the 09-10 team the returns were underwhelming. Yes, Stan's back was against the wall, but the team has nothing to show for Buff, Ladd, et. al. from that first sell off. Even the draft picks they acquired didn't pan out. I'm not very confident in this management group's ability to navigate a rebuild.

I think the team's amateur scouting and drafting has improved, but their pro scouting and ability to improve through trades is highly, highly suspect.
- Larmer

Other than 2 Stanley Cup wins you're absolutely right.

Colliton's still needs talent around him. Will Stan make that happen this season? I'm excited to see what Colli can do, but Stand needs to make a deal sooner rather than later.
- SoftServe

Absolutely but why not do that when the HOF coach is still leading the team?

Might it be easier for Bowman to make successful moves now that he has his coaching staff onside?
- 67hawks

That is what I was going to add, that Bowman can go add anything he wants now without Q benching/not playing them because he didn't like/want them.

Get Panarin back! Schmaltz, Saad, Forsling and a 1st round pick

Another day - another mass killing by a gunman.
- StLBravesFan

Another day of you moaning and groaning. Dude seriously Shut up with this already...

That is what I was going to add, that Bowman can go add anything he wants now without Q benching/not playing them because he didn't like/want them.
- ToewsdNKanefusd

So were Manning and Kunitz guys that Q wanted?

Get Panarin back! Schmaltz, Saad, Forsling and a 1st round pick
- nickmo2699

Why not add Boqvist just to be sure?

Man you must be downing that Kool-aid. All kidding aside I hope you are right, however I just don't see that happening especially when you have a front office that is so dishonest and dysfunctional. A front office that can make a trade but a Hockey Trade that helps the team. Just look at the garage they got over the summer. I just don't have the faith in the front office. Yes Coach Q deserves some blame however he was not the problem he just got thrown under the bus. Hopefully JC can get the most out of the team as currently constructed.
- BGKarras

It must have been really hard for you to even say “Yes Coach Q deserves SOME blame...” SOME blame? For his firing? Q always wanted his buddies around as Assistant Coaches so he could run everything. That’s on Q. Awful PP, Awful PK. On Q. Who plays? and Who plays together? On Q. Choosing to run players out of town? On Q. This actually sounds like Q demanded and had complete control of the team at the on-ice level. Consequently, SOME blame doesn’t go near far enough - Q is TOTALLY to blame for his firing.

Other than 2 Stanley Cup wins you're absolutely right.
- paulr

Fair, the Hawks won two cups. I guess I forgot how much Joey Crabb, Jeremy Morin, Marty Reasoner (Jeff Taffe), Kevin Hayes, Justin Holl, Mirko Hoefflin, Jimmy Hayes, Chris Didomenico, Philippe Paradis, Victor Stalberg (eh…maybe?), Ivan Vishnevskiy, and Adam Clendening helped push the Hawks over the top in 2013 and 2015.

I am super excited for the game tonight! I predict a hat trick for Kane!

That is what I was going to add, that Bowman can go add anything he wants now without Q benching/not playing them because he didn't like/want them.
- ToewsdNKanefusd

While this maybe true Stan still
Grossly over paid for timonen. No one else was bidding for him

Trade panarin even though he was good and q played him.

Trading tt to lose the Bickel contract was unfortunate but no one knew he was sick.

Trading danult ended up bad but on paper you could see what he was trying to do.

Kane and toews were 2 of the best in then game when they signed. Coulda woulda shoulda signed the for less easy to say after the fact.

I think what bothers me the most was the way the front office blamed most of this on Q. With Stan getting a pass on the mistakes he made.

Over paying seabrook and trading panarin being his biggest mistakes to date.
I fear what his next one will be

Fair, the Hawks won two cups. I guess I forgot how much Joey Crabb, Jeremy Morin, Marty Reasoner (Jeff Taffe), Kevin Hayes, Justin Holl, Mirko Hoefflin, Jimmy Hayes, Chris Didomenico, Philippe Paradis, Victor Stalberg (eh…maybe?), Ivan Vishnevskiy, and Adam Clendening helped push the Hawks over the top in 2013 and 2015.
- Larmer

I just looked this deal up too, and you beat me to the post. Buff returned exactly NOTHING that ever helped the Hawks, including the 13 & 15 Cups.

Colliton's still needs talent around him. Will Stan make that happen this season? I'm excited to see what Colli can do, but Stand needs to make a deal sooner rather than later.
- SoftServe

Why does he need to make any deals. At the press conference McD and Stan indicated they believed this was a playoff team. They have Murphy and Forsling nearing healthy status. They have their #1 goaltender back.

Take a look at their schedule thru mid December, we are going to find out really quickly. I see them in 7th place in the Central fairly soon.

So were Manning and Kunitz guys that Q wanted?
- SoftServe

Doesn't it seem that way to you? Bowman went and got Q guys that he wanted to put out there, and Q kept putting those guys out there, and look where he is now. Sealed his own fate...if this is true, but certainly seems plausible.

Fair, the Hawks won two cups. I guess I forgot how much Joey Crabb, Jeremy Morin, Marty Reasoner (Jeff Taffe), Kevin Hayes, Justin Holl, Mirko Hoefflin, Jimmy Hayes, Chris Didomenico, Philippe Paradis, Victor Stalberg (eh…maybe?), Ivan Vishnevskiy, and Adam Clendening helped push the Hawks over the top in 2013 and 2015.
- Larmer

I think you may be on to something. After your enlightenment I now wish the Hawks had not won two more cups but had won those trades instead. Stupid Blowman, imagine him losing those trades when the world knew he wasn't cap compliant and gave him pennies on the dollar. I bet Uncle Dale would have got back Crosby, Malkin, Doughty and had those teams eat large parts of those contracts just so they could help the Blackhawks.

I just looked this deal up too, and you beat me to the post. Buff returned exactly NOTHING that ever helped the Hawks, including the 13 & 15 Cups.
- scottak

I know, right? I listed the total returns for Buff, Eager, Sopel, Ladd, and Versteeg including the players drafted with the picks acquired in the trades.

I just looked this deal up too, and you beat me to the post. Buff returned exactly NOTHING that ever helped the Hawks, including the 13 & 15 Cups.
- scottak

This all started with someone stating that Stan got Nothing for them, but my argument is any GM would have gotten nothing for them, as the rest of the league knew the situation the hawks were in.

Why does he need to make any deals. At the press conference McD and Stan indicated they believed this was a playoff team. They have Murphy and Forsling nearing healthy status. They have their #1 goaltender back.

Take a look at their schedule thru mid December, we are going to find out really quickly. I see them in 7th place in the Central fairly soon.
- RickJ

The bottom 6 is garbage...

Why not add Boqvist just to be sure?
- paulr

It must have been really hard for you to even say “Yes Coach Q deserves SOME blame...” SOME blame? For his firing? Q always wanted his buddies around as Assistant Coaches so he could run everything. That’s on Q. Awful PP, Awful PK. On Q. Who plays? and Who plays together? On Q. Choosing to run players out of town? On Q. This actually sounds like Q demanded and had complete control of the team at the on-ice level. Consequently, SOME blame doesn’t go near far enough - Q is TOTALLY to blame for his firing.
- Z3Hawk

Honestly I would rather have Rocky clean house with everyone involved. No it was not Hard for me to say that Q deserves some blame because I agree with everything you said above and I'm not your typical "Q" backer so don't assume that I was. However Stan is at more to blame because it starts with him with all the bad Trades, Contracts, and the Draft choices. Q did what he had to do with what was given to him and that is all on STAN...if it wasn't for his dad do you think he would be a GM here or anywhere else for that matter I think not. Hopefully this works out with a New voice (JC) at times while watching this team play last year and over the weekend in Canada it seemed like this Team stopped playing for "Q"

This all started with someone stating that Stan got Nothing for them, but my argument is any GM would have gotten nothing for them, as the rest of the league knew the situation the hawks were in.
- ToewsdNKanefusd

Has any other GM been in that situation so that we can compare? Legit question - I don't know off the top of my head. If not, why not?

My original point is that Stan has a suspect trade history and if the Hawks are indeed in rebuild mode where they are going to sell off assets, I'm not confident in this management group to get maximum value.

While this maybe true Stan still
Grossly over paid for timonen. No one else was bidding for him

Trade panarin even though he was good and q played him.

Trading tt to lose the Bickel contract was unfortunate but no one knew he was sick.

Trading danult ended up bad but on paper you could see what he was trying to do.

Kane and toews were 2 of the best in then game when they signed. Coulda woulda shoulda signed the for less easy to say after the fact.

I think what bothers me the most was the way the front office blamed most of this on Q. With Stan getting a pass on the mistakes he made.

Over paying seabrook and trading panarin being his biggest mistakes to date.
I fear what his next one will be
- Abadseed

Every GM makes mistakes, nobody is perfect. I think the good that Stan has done outweighs the bad, especially since some of the bad moves that people bring up were really due to the cap, and not his fault. Plus, if rumors be true, and the front office is run more by committee than just by Stan, then you can't really place all of the blame on him for any of the bad. My evidence that a lot of what is ailing the hawks had to do with Q is how players that he "ran" out of town played better for the teams they went to: daley, kempney, hartman, hinostroza, duclair, etc.

the Panarin trade is looking not so good right now, but lets wait until at least the end of this season to give Saad a chance to bounce back, especially with a new coach.

I think you may be on to something. After your enlightenment I now wish the Hawks had not won two more cups but had won those trades instead. Stupid Blowman, imagine him losing those trades when the world knew he wasn't cap compliant and gave him pennies on the dollar. I bet Uncle Dale would have got back Crosby, Malkin, Doughty and had those teams eat large parts of those contracts just so they could help the Blackhawks.
- paulr

Why is it either/or? Why is the choice between getting a better return on Buff, et. al. or winning two more cups?

Honestly I would rather have Rocky clean house with everyone involved. No it was not Hard for me to say that Q deserves some blame because I agree with everything you said above and I'm not your typical "Q" backer so don't assume that I was. However Stan is at more to blame because it starts with him with all the bad Trades, Contracts, and the Draft choices. Q did what he had to do with what was given to him and that is all on STAN...if it wasn't for his dad do you think he would be a GM here or anywhere else for that matter I think not. Hopefully this works out with a New voice (JC) at times while watching this team play last year and over the weekend in Canada it seemed like this Team stopped playing for "Q"
- BGKarras

But that is the argument, I don't think Q did do everything he could with what was given to him. I think he stubbornly stayed with the same schemes and such, even though he didn't have the players to execute.

Yes. Yes it is.

I wonder if JC got any sleep last night.
- Justin Lowe

No chance!