Jonathan Toews And The Rest Of The Core Are Fucking PISSED At Stan Bowman For Off-Season Moves
Well you knew this was coming because Stan doesn't care about, communicate with, or respect the guys who make him look good. The Athletic got quotes from the Captain about the dismantling of the Blackhawks and all signs pointing towards a rebuild. They are...pretty damning
As one source close to the veterans put it, “They’re pissed. The core guys have had enough.”
“It’s sad,” Toews told The Athletic. “It’s really disappointing. Crow has given so much to this team. I feel he was ready to bring more in the next few years and still be a big part of this group. He had that mindset that he could help this team go deep in the playoffs again, and there’s no doubt that he could.”
Here is my knowledge of how Stan deals with the players...he doesn't. He's a beta. He gets nervous around them. He doesn't really communicate with them and he doesn't value their opinions. Remember this quote from earlier in the year when he was asked if he would consult them?
“Yeah, their job is to play hockey, not so much to manage a team,”--Bowman
Well I am sure they'd rather just do their job which is to play hockey, but when you have 5+ years of screwing up what they and others built then they probably feel like they need to speak up and be heard. And you know what...these are some of the greatest hockey players of all time. They are nerds for hockey. They know what it takes to win. They know who is good. Who is hard to play against. They would be a tremendous resource for any GM that wasn't so insecure about his role, his last name, and his failed plans. The fact is that Bowman doesn't see them as a resource on or off the ice. It's almost like he resents their success at this point. Which is why he wants to rebuild and start over so he doesn't have to hear about them or his dad or Dale Tallon or John McDonough ever again.
Kane made it clear how he felt too
“I think it’s good to ask the players what they think, to be honest with you. We’re the ones who are playing every night. We see what’s going on in the locker room. That would be a good road to go.”--Kane
Maybe if Stan had consulted with Toews and Kane prior to the summer of 2017 he wouldn't have traded Panarin for Saad to begin with. Instead, Stan just points the finger at everyone else. Filibusters Danny Wirtz over coffee in the bubble with tales of the global oil market keeping the cap flat, John McDonough making him trade Panarin. John McDonough making him sign Seabrook. Knowing full well that Danny Wirtz and McDonough aren't fans of each other. Bowman spins this yarn and at the end of it he convinces Danny that the best way back is through a total rebuild.
Let's assume that is true for a second. Did Bowman not think that when entering the bubble? If he did then why the fuck would he let a top 10 goalie rush back from Covid-19 help steal a series and remove his team from a 12.5% chance at the #1 pick and at worst the 8th pick. A pick that would better help the rebuild. The Hawks finished 12th with the team Stan thought would win(he tried his best to win. Don't forget that. His plan was to win and make the playoffs in 2020 to save his job. That's why he signed Lehner, traded for Shaw, de Haan, Nylander, and Maatta). Nobody expected the Blackhawks to make a deep run. Barely anyone thought that they would beat Edmonton. Stan had MONTHS to come up with this plan. Crawford's covid gave him the perfect excuse. Instead he fucked everything up. No forethought. No plan once again.
Stan is a lawyer. A snake oil salesman. His greatest skill is convincing people that he should have still have his job. He won a power-play against Joel Quenneville. He convinced McDonough to fire Joel and give him an extension(in secret). Then turned around and blamed McDonough for all of his missteps and apparently he had the perfect audience for that message in Danny Wirtz because Danny is allowing him to blow up a team that still has a core good enough to compete at the highest level. He has done the equivalent of coming into an NFL team as a GM, retaining the coach for two years, then firing the coach, then the following year drafting a quarterback. Convincing Danny Wirtz of this latest plan which is sure to fail has given Bowman a long run way. Somehow nobody at 1901 W Madison noticed that he has been "rebuilding" since at least 2017.
Bowman has failed at that rebuild. He's had plenty of time, draft picks, and money to make this team competitive. He still has a true 1C in Toews who is a Selke guy and still scores at roughly a point per game pace despite dragging guys like Nylander on his wing for the majority of the season. He still has the best right wing in the game. He had TWO top 10 goalies and walked away from both of them. He still has a top pair dman with Duncan Keith. We JUST saw those guys compete and succeed at the highest level and dragged their teammates to a bubble series win against McDavid and Draisaitl. This team needs a true 3C, a true top 4 defenseman to go with Keith, de Haan, and Murphy, a goalie(should've been Crawford), a top 6 wing, and then maybe some additional beef. If Stan had managed his assets properly those guys would already be on the team. It wouldn't be impossible to add to this group in the off-season. Instead he dropped a bomb on the team and now we are re-entering the Dark Ages. Hell of a start to a new era.