Hawks GM Bowman looking at more trades

EDMONTON, Alberta — Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman didn’t sound like his trade for Michael Frolik was his last.

In fact, he made it sound like more moves were on the way.

“We’ll keep an eye on things,” Bowman said Wednesday night. “We’re certainly out there looking to improve our team. That’s probably common to every team. [But] we’re not going to shy away from making another trade if it’s there to be made.

“There were a few trades [Wednesday] but up to this point there really haven’t been many. It’s tough to make things happen. We’re pursuing it daily. We have a lot of conversations and we’re not going to stop trying to make something happen. Hopefully, it’ll work.”

Bowman made it clear multiple times that center and defense were two areas he was looking to bolster. Bowman praised Frolik for his ability play both wing and center, so that leaves defense.

It hasn’t been easy replacing defenseman Brent Sopel, who was traded to the Thrashers in the summer as part of the Dustin Byfuglien deal. Sopel was a key part of the penalty kill and a reliable stay-at-home defenseman.

Rookie Nick Leddy has emerged as the Hawks’ fifth defenseman, while Nick Boynton and Jordan Hendry have rotated in the sixth spot.

Coach Joel Quenneville altered his defensive pairings for Wednesday’s game against the Oilers. Leddy was paired with Duncan Keith, while Hendry was Brian Campbell. Brent Seabrook and Niklas Hjalmarsson were the third pair.

Bowman said the deal for Frolik has been in the works for some time.

“[Panthers GM Dale Tallon] made it known he had an interest in Jack [Skille],” Bowman said. “We’ve been working our best to get the best deal for us that was with Florida. Obviously, Dale has a history there and he feels comfortable with him. … It helped that he knew the player. It also helped us that this is a guy that we have followed for a while and we’re very high on.”