Niklas Hjalmarsson was days away from becoming a San Jose Shark when Chicago Blackhawks General Manager Stan Bowman decided to match San Jose’s four-year, $14-million offer sheet on this day seven years ago.
Four days away, to be exact. Bowman, however, did not need the full week allotted to him under the then-collective bargaining agreement to decide to bring the Swedish defenseman back into the fold. Chicago, then the defending Stanley Cup Champions, had to make a series of difficult decisions that offseason as a result of an epic salary cap crunch.
Even though the Sharks did not get Hjalmarsson, the offer sheet paid off.