Chicago Blackhawks made the right move in keeping Quenneville, Bowman

Chicago Blackhawks president Joe McDonough has decided to retain head coach Joel Quenneville and general manager Stan Bowman through the 2018-19 season. It’s the right call for a talented team that is sure to bounce back next year.

In a world where teams are pulling a quicker trigger on head coaches and general managers, the Chicago Blackhawks organization made the right move in retaining head coach Joel Quenneville and general manager Stan Bowman through the 2018-19 season.

Prior to this season, the Blackhawks have made the playoffs in every campaign under Quenneville. Since 2010, they have won three Stanley Cups.

To fire Quenneville and Bowman based on one throwaway season would be ludicrous. This move would have set an unmatchable precedent for coaches through the league. Essentially, the Blackhawks would have given away a Stanley Cup-caliber coach because they’ve grown too accustomed to winning. Thankfully, this is not a discussion we need to have.

The Chicago Blackhawks are a team chock-full of talent. Superstar players Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane are not yet 30 years old, and rising star Alex DeBrincat is only 20. With this offensive talent and Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook locking down the blue line, there’s no doubt this team is poised for a bounce-back performance next season.

Goaltending has also played a part in this disastrous season for the Blackhawks. Corey Crawford sustained a concussion in December and was subsequently shut down for the remainder of the year. Backup goaltender Anton Forsberg was adequate at times, but just could not match the level of play of Crawford before he too sustained an injury.

The fact that firing Quenneville and Bowman was even being discussed is absurd. Granted, they are having a very bad season (33-37-10), but for a coach and general manager who have done so well for so long, an extra year (or three) should be viewed as a minimum for the Blackhawks to turn this around and get back to winning.

Thankfully, McDonough made the right move and kept both Quenneville and Bowman heading into next season. Give this very talented team a summer off to rest and hit the links and don’t be surprised when they are competing for another Stanley Cup next year.

Next: 10 reasons Stanley Cup Playoffs are better than NBA Playoffs

The Blackhawks made the right move here in not firing their head coach and GM, and they’ll likely be rewarded for it in 2018-19.