Hawks' GM explains why he couldn't keep Byfuglien
With the popularity of the Blackhawks through the roof since they won the Stanley Cup, general manager Stan Bowman understood he would be disappointing some part of the team's fan base no matter which star he decided to trade.
Bowman said Thursday he didn't want to deal the popular Dustin Byfuglien, who went to the Atlanta Thrashers in a nine-player swap, but acknowledged that the Hawks' significant salary cap problem forced his hand.
"I would argue that anybody I choose to trade is a fan favorite," Bowman said. "We just won the Stanley Cup and you've got a lot of players who the fans have fallen in love with, and rightfully so
"I don't know that there's any player that I would have traded who would have not registered with a group of fans. Buff's a very likeable guy. He's a great person and has that smile and personality and is a guy I'm sure fans gravitate to, but he's one of many. I could go down and name off the guys and say if we trade this guy there's going to be a lot of people unhappy."
While Bowman would have preferred to keep the 6-foot-4, 257-pound power forward who scored 11 big goals in the playoffs, it's the GM's job to manage the salary cap as well as try to keep the Hawks a Cup contender for many years.
In exchange for Byfuglien, defenseman Brent Sopel, free agent left wing Ben Eager and prospect Akim Aliu, the Hawks got from the Thrashers a first-round draft pick, a second-round pick, winger Jeremy Morin (Atlanta's second-best prospect), veteran center Marty Reasoner and the rights until July 1 to unrestricted free agent forward Joey Crabb.
"You kind of just have to do your job and that is to address the needs of your team in relation to the current state, with the cap, versus the future and the prospects," Bowman said. "You can't get sidetracked with sentiment and what not because we have a job to do here and that's to make sure the Blackhawks remain at this level for many years to come.
"There was a lot of interest in Buff. Obviously he's a really good player and he had an excellent playoff, which is probably fresh in a lot of people's mind. The only reason we were trading Buff was not because of his performance or because we don't like him, it was simply a salary cap move, and in order to make it work we couldn't take players who make a lot of money back."
The No. 1 draft pick (24th overall in Friday's first round), and the 19-year-old Morin are keys to the deal for the Hawks.
Morin, a New York native, had 47 goals and 83 points in 58 games in juniors last season for the Kitchener Rangers and was ranked Atlanta's second-best prospect by The Hockey News.
Even Thrashers GM Rick Dudley hated to part with Morin.
"Morin is a miserable (son of a gun) who is a pure goal scorer," Dudley said. "They don't come around easily."
Morin signed an entry-level contract with the Thrashers on June 1, and will come to camp with a shot to make the Hawks' roster.
"We got a (heck) of a player in Jeremy Morin," said Bowman. "He's somebody that nobody really knows anything about yet, but our scouts know a lot about him and this is a guy who scored 47 goals in 58 games in junior hockey, which is pretty impressive. He's got an incredible set of hands."
Whether or not the Hawks need to deal one more key player will be played out over the next few days.
"We're continuing to look at ways to ensure this good season we had continues for many years to come, and to do that you've got to rebuild through the draft," Bowman said.
"This is not just a one-year phenomenon. It's not like we just have some decisions this year with the cap but then for the next five years we're all set. It's going to be a recurring theme for us as we hopefully have good year after good year."
NHL entry draftWhere: Staples Center, Los Angeles When: First round today, 6 p.m. (Versus); Rounds 2 through 7 on Saturday at noon (no TV). What to watch: The Hawks have the 24th and 30th picks in the first round. They have three second-round choices at Nos. 43, 54 and 60. The Hawks own 11 picks in total.Tim Sassone's mock top five1. Edmonton: Taylor Hall, LW, Windsor. He's a dynamic game-breaking talent. 2. Boston (from Toronto): Tyler Seguin, C, Plymouth. The top two-way player in the draft. 3. Florida: Cam Fowler, D, Windsor. Tallon needs better luck with this Cam.4. Columbus: Erik Gudbranson, D, Kingston. Jackets need a stud on the blue line.5. N.Y. Islanders: Brandon Gormley, D, Moncton. A safe pick for the Isles. For more on the draft, read Tim Sassone's blog at dailyherald.comFalse20001557"I would argue that anybody I choose to trade is a fan favorite," Bowman added.Joe Lewnard | Staff PhotographerFalse <div class="infoBox"><h1>More Coverage</h1><div class="infoBoxContent"><div class="infoArea"><h2>Stories</h2><ul class="links"><li><a href="/story/?id=390014">Bigger roles for a few Hawks with Buff and Eager gone <span class="date">[6/24/10]</span></a></li><li><a href="/story/?id=389919">Hawks make another deal, sending Fraser to Edmonton <span class="date">[6/24/10]</span></a></li></ul></div></div></div>