"Last year's team had 101 points, and there was a lot more to give," Bowman told the paper. "Even if we brought back the exact same roster, there are ways to be better with that same group. We've got Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Sharp, Marian Hossa, Brent Seabrook, Duncan Keith, Dave Bolland -- the list goes on.
"(And) we have Andrew Shaw for a full season. We've got Brandon Saad, who is going to be pushing for a big role on our team, and Daniel Carcillo, who missed half the year. I'm not saying that we're simply going to stand still. There is always the possibility of making acquisitions through trades or other free agents."
Bowman did acquire depth defenseman Sheldon Brookbank and battled hard to land veteran goalie Martin Brodeur, who chose to re-sign with the Devils earlier this week.
Though the Blackhawks failed to sign the winningest goaltender in the league, Bowman made it clear that he still holds a great deal of confidence in his two netminders Corey Crawford and Ray Emery.
"We're very comfortable ... with our goaltending," Bowman said. "It's like talking to Zach Parise and Ryan Suter; it doesn't really disparage your crop of defensemen or forwards. . . . I don't think you'd be doing your job if you didn't talk to them."
However, speculation suggests that team officials are pressuring Bowman to upgrade the roster, especially since the team missed out on Parise, who chose location over the imposing offer that was made by the Hawks.
"It really didn't come down to a financial offer," Bowman said." Ultimately, it came down to a family decision. You have to respect that."
Although the biggest pieces are now off the market, Bowman stated that he keeps working the phones to improve his roster for next season.
"We're going to keep pursuing different things," he said. "It's only July 4 -- the summer hasn't played itself out yet."
