A second straight season without the playoffs cost a Hall of Fame coach his job.
A third season without the playoffs? There’s no way a general manager survives that, right? Considering that franchise has won three Stanley Cups this decade and still has stars like Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane in the lineup, it’s hard to envision Chicago general manager Stan Bowman holding on to his job if the Blackhawks’ next season ends around the same time in 2020.
So, yes, the pressure is now on Bowman to do something — anything — to improve a dreadful defense that plagued Chicago’s playoff hopes this season.