Looking Back And Grading Stan Bowmans’ 48 Most Influential Trades That Shaped The Blackhawks

Stan Bowman went down in a flaming pile of garbage. He did, however, manage the Blackhawks to three Stanley Cups. So was Bowman as bad of a general manager as Blackhawks fans make him out to be? This we will look into as we revisit any trade of significance Stan ever made and grade them. Let us find out just how bad Mr. Bowman was.

Trades/Grades:
(They are all going to be listed by what the teams were getting in return)

1) 05/05/09
Chicago acquires: 2011 2nd round pick #43 overall (Brandon Saad) 2011 3rd round pick #70 overall(Micheal Paliotta)

Toronto acquires: 2010 second-round pick #32 overall (Jared Knight)

Grade: B+

Stan’s first trade was good. He got the better player in Saad. He was also able to get an extra pick thrown in. Saad goes on to play a vital role in those Cup runs.

2) 02/12/2010
Chicago Acquires: Nick Leddy and Kim Johnsson

Minnesota Acquires: Cam Barker

Grade: B

Bowman was able to take the draft pedigree of Barker and Flip him for a smooth-skating defenseman in Leddy. Barker wouldn’t have the longest of NHL careers playing just over three hundred games. While Nick Leddy would go on to win the Stanley Cup with Chicago in 2013.

3) 06/23/2010

Chicago Acquires: Joey Crabb, Jeremy Morin, Marty Reasoner, 2010 first-round pick #24 overall (Kevin Hayes), and 2010 second-round pick #54 overall (Justin Holl).

Atlanta Acquires: Dustin Byfuglien, Ben Eger, Brent Sopel, and Akim Aliu

Grade: C+

It’s pretty fair in value (excluding the fact Chicago would never sign Hayes). This was also a move that was done because of the cap, and Bowman got ample value in return

4) 06/25/2010

Chicago Acquires: 2010 second-round pick #35 overall (Ludvig Rensfeldt) and 2010 second-round pick #58 overall (Kent Simpson)

Islanders Acquires: 2010 first-round pick #30 overall (Brock Nelson)

Grade: D+

At the time, it wasn’t bad “value,” but looking back, Nelson was the only NHL player in this deal. Both players for Chicago did pan out.

5) 06/30/2010
Chicago Acquires: Philippe Paradis, Viktor Stalberg, and Chris DiDomenico

Toronto Acquires: Kris Versteeg and Bill Sweat

Grade: C

The real swap here is Versteg for Stalberg. Pretty even trade. It worked out better for the Hawks in the long run

6) 07/01/2010
Chicago Acquires: Ivan Vishnevskiy, and 2011 second-round pick #36 overall (Adam Glendening)

Winnipeg Acquires: Andrew Ladd

Grade: D-

Ladd was a very solid top-six forward that brought a lot of leadership to a team. He should have gotten a first-round pick in return for Ladd at the bare minimum. Glendening would go on to never work out in Chicago.

7) 02/09/2011

Chicago Acquires: Micheal Frolik and Alexander Salak

Florida Acquires: Jack Skille, Hugh Jessiman, and David Pacan

Grade C+

Bowman was able to bring in a great penalty killer who would also happen to score a sweet penalty shot goal versus the Redwings in the playoffs on the way to lifting Lord Stanley’s Cup.

8) 06/24/2011

Chicago Acquires: First-round pick #26 overall (Phillip Danault)

Washington Acquires: Troy Brouwer

Grade: B

He was able to get the correct value at the time from Brouwer. Bowman would go on and screw up with Danault that will be on this list later on.

9) 06/24/2011

Chicago Acquiers: Rostislav Olesz

Florida Acquires: Brian Campbell

Grade D-

The only positive for Chicago with this trade was the cap space. Olesz played six games for the Hawks…..

10) 06/27/2011

Chicago Acquires: 2012 seventh-round pick #204 overall (Judd Peterson)

Florida Acquires: Tomas Kopecky

Grade: F

how could he not find around a fifth-round pick for an NHL-caliber player? Just another dump-off by garbage man Stan.

11) 02/27/2012

Chicago acquires: 2012 fifth-round pick #149 overall (Travis Brown)

Rangers Acquires: John Scott

Grade: B+

Look, he was able to get a fifth-round pick for big John Scott, who could only fight… he was a one-time NHL all-star though.

12) 02/27/2012

Chicago Acquires: Johnny Oduya

Winnipeg Acquires: 2013 third-round pick #91 overall ( JC Lipon) and 2013 second-round pick #61 (Zachary Sanford)

Grade: B+

It was a good amount of draft capital, but Oduya would go on to play in the top four of Chicago’s defense on the way to two Stanley Cups in 2013 and 2015. Oduya would also become beloved by Hawks fans. Who doesn’t love to shout OOOOddduuuuyyaaaaa.

13) 04/01/2013

Chicago Acquires: Michal Handzus

San Jose Acquires: 2013 fourth-round pick #111 overall (Robin Norell)

Grade: B

This was Handzus’s second stint in the Windy City, having played eight games in the 2006-2007 season. Handzus would play two seasons this time around, winning the Cup in 2013. He would score a huge double-overtime goal versus LA in the 2014 western conference finals.

14) 06/30/2013

Chicago Acquires: 2014 fourth-round pick #98 (Fredrik Olofsson), 2013 second-round pick #51 overall (Carl Dahlstrom), and 2013 fourth-round pick #117 overall (Fredrik Bergvik)

Toronto Acquires: Dave Boland

Grade: B+

Even though they botched the picks, the trade was a good return for a solid third-line forward who could get under opposing players’ skins. Bolland was also the first player to be traded after scoring the Stanley Cup-winning goal.

15) 06/30/2013

Chicago Acquires: 2013 third-round draft pick #74 overall (John Hayden), and 2013 fifth-round pick #134 overall (Luke Johnson)

Winnipeg Acquires: Michael Frolik

Grade: C

This was mainly a cap dump. Bowman got what he could get and moved on to clear up around 2.33 million at the time. Chicago had to dumb off salary this offseason.

16) 06/16/2013

Chicago Acquires: 2015 sixth-round pick #164 overall (Roy Radke)

Los Angeles Acquires: Daniel Carcillo

Grade: C

The “Carbomb” (Carcillo’s nickname), well, was just that a player that recked havoc and maybe chipped in offensively once in a blue moon. Its average value for his style of player.

17) 11/14/2013
Chicago Acquires: Kris Versteeg and Philppe Lefebvre

Florida Acquires: Jimmy Hayes and Dylan Olsen

Grade: D

This time around, Versteeg wouldn’t work out as well. He and Coach Q wouldn’t always see eye to eye, and overall just a bad trade on the ice. For the fans, it was nice to see the 2010 rapper back in red and black again.

18) 02/06/2014

Chicago Acquires: Petter Regin and Pierre-Marc Bouchard

Islanders Acquires: 2014 fourth-round pick #118 overall (Igor Shesterkin)

Grade: C-

I just wanted to point out Bowman traded the pick away that turned into a solid goaltender who is still relatively young. Something Chicago was missing till they drafted Commesso.

19) 06/27/2014

Chicago Acquires: 2014 first-round pick #20 overall (Nick Schmaltz) and 2014 sixth-round pick (Ivan Nalimov)

San Jose Acquires: 2014 first-round pick #27 overall (Nikolay Goldobin) and 2014 third-round pick #62 overall (Justin Kirkland)

Grade: D+

This was a lot to give up to move up seven spots for a player who would be traded away a few seasons later.

20) 10/04/2014

Chicago Acquires: T.J. Brennan, Ville Pokka, Kent Simpson, and Ander Nilsson.

Islanders Acquires: Nick Leddy

Grade: D-

For Bowman to trade away Leddy, who would go on to be a great offensive defenseman who would play big minutes for new york and get four prospects that would never work out, shows you why the Blackhawks have very few prospects.

21) 02/27/2015

Chicago Acquires: Kimmo Timonen

Philadelphia Acquires: 2015 second-round pick # 61 overall (Jeremy Bracco) and 2016 second-round pick #52 overall (Wade Allison)

Grade: F

Yes, The Hawks would go on to win the Cup, and he would be the first player not named Toews to lift the Cup… but ultimately, he didn’t play that much, and when he did, he was not effective. Bowman gave up two high draft picks. A player of Wade Allison’s (once he gets healthy)caliber would be a nice prospect to have for Chicago. Again an overpayment by Bowman.

22) 02/28/2015

Chicago Acquires: Antoine Vermette

Arizona Acquires: Klas Dahlbeck and 2015 first-round pick #30 overall (Nick Merkley)

Grade: B

On the way to selling the whole future, this move would work out. It would add the center depth that Chicago needed for the Cup run, and Vermette would go on to score a few massive goals for the Blackhawks in the playoffs. Just ask Tampa fans they will remember.

23) 06/27/2015

Chicago Acquires: Ryan Haggerty

Rangers Acquires: Antti Raanta

Grade: F

Raanta was a young goalie who, at the time, showed starter potential. For Bowman to not get a draft pick or an NHL regular is just a massive underpayment for Raanta at the time.

24) 06/30/2015

Chicago Acquires: Artem Anisimov, Marko Dano, Jeremy Morin, Corey Tropp, and Anatoly Golyshev

Columbus Acquires: Brandon Saad, Michael Paliotta, and Alex Broadhurst

Grade: D

Saad was a young player who had just broken out in the playoffs scoring huge goals. Bowman turned him into an okay second-line center, and that was it. A pattern is forming where Bowman gets fleeced on trades involving more prominent named players. Bowman needed to get a for sure locked and loaded offensive center here for Patrick Kane or get a high draft pick to replace what he traded away in the previous offseason.

25) 07/10/2015

Chicago Acquires: Trever Daley and Ryan Garbutt

Dallas Acquires: Patrick Sharp and Stephen Johns

Grade: D

The value was there just didn’t get the right players. Nether would work in Chicago, and Sharp would have a few excellent seasons in Dallas. Bowman didn’t get fleeced here but didn’t find the right players for the Hawks at the time.

26) 09/11/2015

Chicago Acquires: Dennis Robertson, Jake Massie, and 2017 fifth-round pick #135 overall (Kristoffer Gunnarsson)Kris Versteeg, Joakim Nordstrom, and 2017 second-round pick # 88 overall (Keith Petruzzelli)

Carolina Acquires: Kris Versteeg, Joakim Nordstrom, and 2017 second-round pick # 88 overall (Keith Petruzzelli)

Grade: F

Again, this move was to clear the cap because Bowman was like Oprah with the money signing players. Chicago again had to give up high draft capital just to move a little over two million in cap space. This isn’t the only time Carolina would take advantage of Stan.

27) 12/14/2015

Chicago Acquires: Rob Scuderi

Pittsburgh Acquires: Trevor Daley

Grade: D

Not much to say here; Daley simply never fit. He lost all his value, just another miss-handled asset by Bowman. He should have at least got a draft pick since he trades them all away.

28) 01/03/2016

Chicago Acquires: Richard Panik

Toronto Acquires: Jeremy Morin

Grade: C+

Panik would go on to have a nice season the following year for the Blackhawks, producing twenty-two goals and totaling forty-four points. Morin wouldn’t go on to do much. This was one of the times Bowman found a player that fits what the Hawks needed at the time.

29) 02/25/2016

Chicago Acquires: Andrew Ladd, Matt Fraser, and Jay Harrison

Winnipeg Acquires: Marko Dano and 2016 first-round pick #22 overall (German Rubtsov)

Grade: C+

At the time, Chicago was loading up for a Cup run. The Jets also retained money on Ladd’s deal. Bowman once again gave the future up, but they were going for their fourth Cup, so I can’t blame him. It just didn’t work out.

30) 02/26/2016

Chicago Acquires: Tomas Fleischmann and Dale Weise

Montreal Acquires: Phillip Danault and 2018 second-round pick #38 overall (Alexander Romanov)

Grade: F-

This is one of the most lopsided trades ever. Chicago got two fourth-line players who didn’t pan out for the Blackhawks, while Montreal would get a second-line center. Danault is also one of the better defensive forwards and is good in the faceoff dot…. sound like something the Blackhawks have been searching for?

31) 06/15/2016

Chicago Acquires: 2016 second-round pick #50 overall (Artur Kayumov) and 2017 third-round pick #88 overall (Keith Petruzzelli)

Carolina Acquires: Teuvo Teravainen and Bryan Bickell

Grade: F-

This was quickly one of the worst trades Bowman made. Bowman gave up a young Teravinen that was a top-six forward lock. Teuvo has gone on to score 332 points in his young NHL career. The Blackhawks have struggled to score over the past few years, and a twenty-seven-year-old wing would have been nice to have. Stan made this move just to clear a little cap space. Just think about the Kane and Teuvo wing combination that could have been.

32) 06/24/2016

Chicago Acquires: 2016 second-round pick #45 overall (Chad Krys) and 2016 second-round pick #39 overall (Alex DeBrincat)

Montreal Acquires: Andrew Shaw

Grade: B+

Bowman did at least fleece the Canadians following that horrendous trade. Shaw was a good gritty player who brought energy and heart. With that said, he was indeed a solid third-line forward. Getting two second-round picks was crazy value considering the 3.9million dollar cap hit Shaw came with. Plus, Alex DeBrincat.. enough said.

33) 04/28/2017

Chicago Acquires: 2017 third-round pick #90 overall (Evan Barratt)

Carolina Acquires: Scott Darling

Grade: C-

I thought at the time Darling could fetch a second-round pick. Who knows if that was available or not. Overall it was just an okay trade.

34) 06/23/2017

Chicago Acquires: Connor Murphy and Laurent Dauphin

Arizona Acquires: Niklas Hjalmarsson

Grade: D+

The value was not far off. What makes this bad trade is it was made out of emotions. Chicago had just got swept after being the one-seed, and Bowman got weak knees and panicked, making huge moves that didn’t need to be made just yet.

35) 06/23/17

Chicago Acquires: Brandon Saad, Anton Forsberg, and 2018 fifth-round pick #170 overall (Michael Callahan)

Columbus Acquires: Artemi Panarin, Tyler Motte, and 2017 sixth-round pick #170 overall (Jonathan Davidsson)

Grade: F-

This is easily the worst trade Bowman ever made, and he should have lost his job on the spot. He also continued his love of bringing old players back… do I need to say more? Just despicable!

36) 02/26/2018

Chicago Acquires: Victor Ejdsell, 2018 first-round pick #27 overall (Nicolas Beaudin), and 2018 fourth-round pick #120 overall (Phillipp Kurashev)

Nashville Acquires: Ryan Hartman and 2018 fifth-round pick #131 overall (Spencer Stastney)

Grade A-

Ryan Hartman is finally breaking out this year but considering at the time, he had not been the best, and this was great value for Hartman. Bowman hitting on Kurashev helps when looking back on this trade. If Beaudin turns out to be a top-four defenseman, this may be Bowman’s best trade.

37) 11/25/2018

Chicago Acquires: Dylan Strome and Brendan Perlini

Arizona Acquires: Nick Schmaltz

Grade: B

The value is correct. Bowman also had the right idea trying to find a second-line center that could create offensively with Kane…. it just hasn’t worked out so far for Strome in Chicago.

38) 06/15/2019

Chicago Acquiers: Olli Maatta

Pittsburgh Acquires: Dominik Kahun and 2019 fifth-round pick #151 overall (Aku Raty)

Grade: D

Maatta just brought too much of a cap hit for the player he was. Bowman was always trying to find a defenseman and was willing to overpay on both sides of the trade market and the contract side… in this case, it came with both.

39) 06/24/2019

Chicago Acquires: Calvin DeHaan and Aleksi Saarela

Carolina Acquires: Anton Forsberg and Gustav Forsling

Grade: B+

DeHaan has been one of the better spots on a horrendous Blackhawks defense over the last few seasons. Bowman was able to take on a slightly older DeHaan and his contract of 4.55 million and give up very little in assets.

40) 06/30/2019

Chicago Acquires: Andrew Shaw

Montreal Acquires: second-round pick #48 overall (Jan Mysak), 2021 third-round pick #76 overall (Tyson Hinds), and 2020 seventh-round pick #203 overall (Chase Bradley)

Grade: D

Here we are again, Bowman trading for an ex Blackhawk player. Now I love Shaw just as much as the rest of you, but we all knew he wasn’t worth his cap hit. Bowman would once again overpay for a player who was being overpaid.

41) 07/09/2019

Chicago Acquires: Alex Nylander

Buffalo Acquires: Henri Jokiharju

Grade: F

What was Bowman even thinking? That all I have to say here. BAD.

42) 02/24/2020

Chicago Acquires: Malcolm Subban, Stanislav Demin, and 2020 second-round pick #46 overall (Drew Commesso)

Vegas Acquires: Robin Lehner and Martins Dzierkals

Grade: C-

Lehner should have gotten Chicago a first-round pick. Considering his past, this is a blessing.

43) 10/10/2020

Chicago Acquires: Nikita Zadorov and Anton Lindholm

Colorado Acquires: Brandon Saad and Dennis Gilbert

Grade: D+

Panarin has now turned in to Zadorov…. This trade isn’t graded at a D because of this. The value of Saad should have netted you a for sure defenseman or high draft pick, not Zadorov who was a top-six defenseman who just ran around trying to hit people and was a liability in his defensive zone.

44) 07/12/2021

Chicago Acquires: Caleb Jones and 2022 third-round pick

Edmonton Acquires: Duncan Keith and Tim Soderlund

Grade: B

The huge factor in this trade was not retaining money on a contract everyone thought was too high. Keith has a sizable cap hit, and Bowman was able to move him and bring in a young Defenseman in Jones who can be an everyday defenseman in this league. He also helped bring in his brother Seth Jones.

45) 07/23/2021

Chicago Acquires: Seth Jones and 2021 first-round pick #32 overall (Nolan Allan)

Columbus Acquires: Adam Boqvist, 2021 first-round pick #12 overall (Cole Sillinger), 2022 first-round pick, and 2021 second-round pick #44 overall (Aleksi Heimosalmi)

Grade: B

Seth Jones is the best player in this trade, he is also a number one defenseman in the NHL, and they are hard to find. Bowman did give up everything and more for Jones. Jones was also signed and locked up for eight years following the trade giving the Blackhawks their top defenseman for years to come. The only way this one turns bad is if one of those picks turns into a superstar.

46) 07/27/2021

Chicago Acquires: Marc-Andre Fleury

Vegas Acquires: Mikael Hakkarainen

Grade: A+

This is the best trade Bowman ever made. Too bad Vegas had no other options, and this was just luck. It fell into Bowman’s lap. The Flower’s smile alone is worth this trade. Adding the Vezina-winning goalie is always the right choice.

47) 07/27/2021

Chicago Acquires: Tyler Johnson

Tampa Acquires: Brent Seabrook ( just his cap hit )

Grade: D-

Why move Seabrooks money that can just go on LTIR like Tampa has it and use the money versus trade for a player who is overpaid and underperforming. Bowman had zero abilities working the cap, and I wonder if he truly understood it at all.

48) 07/28/2021

Chicago Acquires: 2022 third-round pick

Calgary Acquires: Nikita Zadorov

Grade: C

Overall, this trade is boring, and Bowman was washing his hands of the bad trade he made previously. But I have just this to say. Artemi Panarin was ultimately turned into a third-round pick.

Final Thoughts:

Stan Bowman did make some nice trades during his tenure as General Manager of the Blackhawks. When you break down his grades, he finishes with:
A=2
B=13
C=11
D=14
F=8
Bowman was just never able to get the correct value out of any significant asset. His emotions would get the best of him in a plethora of ways, from panic trading after playoff losses or bringing back old faces. It’s clearly a good thing that Bowman won’t lead the Blackhawks as they head into the NHL trade deadline.