Bowman’s task: Keeping Blackhawks at elite level

Job security isn’t all general manager Stan Bowman received Tuesday after getting a three-year contract extension through the 2015-16 season from the Blackhawks.

Bowman has a ton of pressure on his shoulders to win at least one more Stanley Cup before then and a few of his core people begin to show some age.

The Hawks are one of the elite powerhouse franchises in the NHL now, and it’s up to Bowman to keep them there and contending for a championship year after year.

Bowman is starting his third season as GM and already has one Stanley Cup on his resume, even if some still consider, rightly or wrongly, the 2009-10 Hawks to be former general manager Dale Tallon’s team.

The fact remains that the Cup was won on Bowman’s watch, which counts for something in my book.

Bowman inherited the money mess left behind by Tallon and for the most part has done a good job navigating the Hawks through it, trying to piece together a contending team around his stars.

Bowman deserves a mulligan for last season, when he was forced to turn over half the Cup roster for financial reasons. That was too much for any GM or team to overcome, yet the Hawks made the playoffs and nearly knocked off top-seeded Vancouver in the first round.

Bowman overhauled his roster again this off-season, but now his critics might not be so forgiving if it doesn’t work out.

He has done a nice job locking up his core people — Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook and Corey Crawford — to long-term contracts for money that was hardly outrageous.

Bowman believes he has surrounded his star-studded cast that also includes Marian Hossa and Dave Bolland with a supporting group that could have the Hawks planning another parade.

“I do think once we get our full lineup together and we get some momentum behind us that we have a lot of the pieces to be a team that can challenge for the Cup,” Bowman said Tuesday.

That certainly is setting the expectations high, which is exactly where they need to be in this market.

Saad here for now:The Hawks signed 18-year-old rookie left wing Brandon Saad to a three-year entry level contract Tuesday, assuring the second-round draft pick will start the season on the NHL roster.Not only has Saad made the roster, but he will skate on the first line with all-stars Jonathan Toews and Patrick Sharp in Friday#146;s opener at Dallas.#147;It#146;s going to be awesome,#148; Saad said. #147;It#146;s pretty unbelievable. It#146;s sinking in a little bit.#148;Saad still can be returned to his junior team in Saginaw before he appears in his 10th NHL game. He cannot be assigned to Rockford as long as he has junior eligibility remaining.According to a Hawks source, if Saad is #147;only average#148; in the games he plays, it#146;s likely he would be sent back to juniors.#147;We noticed him early in prospects camp this summer,#148; Stan Bowman said. #147;Then we get to rookie camp in Oshawa and he was the best player in that group, so we were encouraged by that. Then we get here. The competition has gone up each time and he responded to the challenge.#147;You have to credit him for the hard work and determination. He#146;s earned a spot and that#146;s a good story for us. We put him in a position to succeed and he seized it.#148;Bowman set his roster at the maximum 23 on Tuesday, returning winger Jeremy Morin to Rockford and putting injured left wing Viktor Stalberg on injured reserve.Sharp, Smith to play:Patrick Sharp and Ben Smith practiced Tuesday and are expected to play in the opener.Dave Bolland (upper body) didn#146;t practice but hasn#146;t been ruled out of Friday#146;s game.#147;Bolland is doing well,#148; coach Joel Quenneville said. #147;We#146;ll see how he is (Wednesday) and there#146;s a chance he could be playing this weekend.#148;Smith wasn#146;t cleared for contract Tuesday because of the concussion he received last week from Detroit#146;s Brendan Smith#146;s head shot.Ben Smith said it made him feel better that Brendan Smith, who was suspended for eight games, apologized to him.#147;He sent me a text and it was nice of him,#148; Ben Smith said. #147;I respect that. Obviously it didn#146;t seem like it was on purpose.#148;tsassone@dailyherald.com