Chicago Blackhawks and Stan Bowman received offer sheet in the past, and it's not been so long

After Niklas Hjalmarsson signed a four-year, $14 million offer sheet with the San Jose Sharks, then GM Stan Bowman chose to match the offer. This decision kept Hjalmarsson in Chicago, where he played a key role in the Chicago Blackhawks' Stanley Cup victories in 2013 and 2015.

However, matching the offer came at a cost: the Chicago Blackhawks could not retain goaltender Antti Niemi, who signed with the Sharks after leading Chicago to a Cup in 2010. Fortunately, the Chicago Blackhawks had Corey Crawford waiting in the wings, and he became their long-term solution in the net.

More recently, Stan Bowman, now with the Edmonton Oilers, found himself involved in offer sheet drama again in 2024, opting not to match offer sheets for Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway, two young players. This decision allowed the Oilers to receive draft pick compensation while preserving cap space, potentially for an extension for star forward Leon Draisaitl.

This history showcases the strategic balancing act involved with offer sheets, where teams must weigh the immediate need for talent against long-term financial flexibility.

Source: ChiHockeyNow
The Chicago Blackhawks history of offer sheets in the salary cap era