Stan Bowman’s Chicago Blackhawks experienced great success, capturing three Stanley Cups in 2010, 2013, and 2015 with Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews in their prime. However, from 2016 to 2020, despite Kane and Toews still performing at a high level, the Blackhawks failed to win any further championships.
This history prompts a crucial question: what went wrong, and can Bowman, now GM of the Edmonton Oilers, avoid a similar fate with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl? The Oilers, despite having these superstar players in their prime, have yet to win a Stanley Cup. The upcoming weeks are critical for the Oilers, particularly concerning Draisaitl’s contract negotiations. The terms of his contract will not only impact the team financially but will also set a precedent for future negotiations with Evan Bouchard and McDavid.
Bowman’s tenure with the Blackhawks provides valuable lessons. Initially, Bowman made pivotal moves to secure the success of the Blackhawks. He climbed the ranks from Director of Hockey Operations in 2005 to GM and VP of hockey operations by 2009. In December 2009, he signed Kane and Toews to matching five-year deals worth $6.3 million annually. At the time, this represented 11.1 percent of the NHL salary cap per player, giving Bowman sufficient cap space to build a strong team around them.
However, this cap space was still insufficient to retain all of Chicago’s talented young players. Post-2010, the team had to part with aggressive wingers like Andrew Ladd and Troy Bouwer, as well as goalie Antti Niemi, skilled winger Kris Versteeg, and the big and talented Dustin Byfuglien. The departures continued after subsequent Cup wins, with players like Dave Bolland, Nick Leddy, Brandon Saad, Johnny Oduya, and rental center Antoine Vermette leaving the team.
The most significant challenge arose in July 2014 when Kane and Toews signed their third contracts, effective from the 2015-16 season. These contracts were worth $10.5 million each, representing 15.22 percent of the cap per player at the time of signing. This escalation meant the Blackhawks were now allocating 30.44 percent of their cap to just two players, a substantial increase from the previous 22.2 percent.
This financial strain had far-reaching consequences. The team could no longer afford to retain key players like skilled wingers Teuvo Teravainen and Andrew Shaw in 2016, and future superstar Artemi Panarin in 2017. Despite Kane and Toews’s individual brilliance, the team was hampered by salary cap issues, limiting their ability to provide adequate support around them.
Bowman’s decisions were not solely responsible for Chicago’s decline; there were instances where money was not spent wisely, and trades did not yield great returns. However, the high cap hit from Kane and Toews’s third contracts was a major factor, consuming almost one-third of the cap and restricting the team’s flexibility.
Reflecting on this, one might wonder if Kane and Toews, in hindsight, would have opted for less money in 2015 to give the Blackhawks a better chance at more championships. It’s a complex issue, as there’s no fault in players choosing to maximize their earnings. The choice between financial security and the potential for further championships is a personal one, and players cannot be blamed for prioritizing their financial futures.
As Bowman now navigates similar waters with the Oilers, the lessons from Chicago are clear. The next few weeks will be crucial as the team negotiates with Draisaitl and plans for future negotiations with McDavid and Bouchard. Striking the right balance in these contracts will be key to ensuring the Oilers can build a competitive team around their superstars without being hamstrung by the salary cap. The goal is to avoid the pitfalls that befell the Blackhawks and to make the most of McDavid and Draisaitl’s prime years in pursuit of a Stanley Cup.
