CHICAGO _ Stan Bowman isn't sold on championship windows _ or being a seller at the trade deadline like he was this year.
But the Blackhawks general manager better believe in drafts _ and free-agent signings and improvement among highly paid players already on the roster and in the long-term health of goalie Corey Crawford _ or he could be shown the door.
It's silly to suggest Bowman, and/or coach Joel Quenneville, shouldn't be given a mulligan for this lost season. They have earned at least that much.
But neither should be given a pass, either, if a 180 isn't achieved.
A season littered with "ifs" has left the Hawks in last place in the Central with a 0.2 percent chance of making the playoffs for the 10th year in a row, according to hockey-reference.com.
The team has better odds of winning the first pick in this year's draft _ 5.8 percent, according to tankathon.com.
But Bowman balked at talk that the Hawks' chances of winning in the future are in jeopardy.
"I don't know if I subscribe to that whole theory about windows," Bowman said. "Things in our sport ... they change dramatically year to year.
"Look at a team like Vegas. I don't know what you would have put their window at, but here they are leading the league. There's not an explanation for that."
There are several explanations for how a team that won 50 games last season, second-most in the league and second-most in franchise history, has fallen this far this fast.
And there are several reasons to believe the Hawks could be back in contention next season.
