This isn't in defense of Bowman...but just giving an overall context.
This is the list of players available last year....none of the top guys where signing here and the other low dollar reasonable deals are hit or miss. Dzingle is good but Simmons...not so much.
https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nhl...t-available-players/u7kboojz9arm1hyfajjoxkxwx
Lehner was a good signing if you think the hawks missed out on the playoffs because of Crow's injury. He is still a good signing given that you now have Ian Mitchell's D partner in Denver, a Second, and a former first-rounder in Subban (who I don't think will pan out but goalies take a lot longer than forwards or D. And with Seattle draft coming up you will have a ton of goalie options after next year.
As for the overall direction of the team this is my biggest issue with Bowman, you either need to be really bad or really good, mediocre with a high payroll is a crap way to live in any sports league.
The idea that Toews doesn't have value is an absolute JOKE. The guy scored 80 points last year and has 52 in 62 games this year. Combine that with 3 cups and a C and I don't think he would ever be a salary dump, you would get value if you decided to move him.
I'd like to see the team take a direction, either get horrible or just go for it. If you are going to go for it then you talk to Shaw, Seabrook, and DeHaan....go to LTIR. You move Smith, Maata, and Keith. If you do that you still have Debrincat, Kane, Toews, Strome, Saad, and Dach to build around (that is a decent top 6). Your Free agent D this year are led by Pieterangelo and then a slew of top 4 guys. You have Holtby, Lehner, Halak, Anderson, Markstrom if you need a goalie.
If you don't want to go for it then keep a bunch of guys and just realize that in 3-5 years your big contracts are gone, so tank and draft well (which the hawks have done) and let those rookies over develop in their leagues and then the AHL.
What you can't keep doing is finishing with the 8-10th worst spot and hoping to win the draft.
Take a direction...and the only way to do that is to clean out President and the GM. That is the only way IMO because the current group believes in this roster and that is sad really.