NHL Trade Rumors: Blackhawks Must Acquire Goalie with Corey Crawford Struggling

With goaltender Corey Crawford struggling to play well consistently this season, the Chicago Blackhawks need to acquire a goalie at the trading deadline if they want to return to the Stanley Cup Final.

However, general manager Stan Bowman isn't looking to make a move for a goalie at this point. CSN Chicago recently shed some light on Bowman's thinking.

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No, Bowman is not looking for a goaltender. While he admits the Blackhawks’ netminders could be better – Corey Crawford was pulled after allowing five on Thursday – he’s confident that they’ll rebound. He’s also not willing to make drastic changes.

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After a nice rookie season, Crawford hasn't developed how the Blackhawks would have liked him to in his sophomore season. The team is on a five-game losing streak, which was highlighted by an 8-4 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday. After that loss, Chicago was defeated by the mediocre Calgary Flames, 3-1.

Not only are good teams dominating the Blackhawks goaltenders, some of the worst teams in the Western Conference like the Oilers are having their way against Chicago.

Not only has Crawford struggled this season, his backup, veteran Ray Emery, has also been inconsistent. Take a look at their stats head-to-head:

Player	GP	W	L	OTL	GAA	SV%
Ray Emery	20	11	4	2	2.73	.904
Corey Crawford	39	18	13	5	2.94	.900

Emery's record isn't bad, but his GAA is not what it has to be for a Cup contender like the Blackhawks. Both goalies' save percentage numbers are also pretty weak.

We've seen what bad goaltending can do to very good teams in the playoffs, like the Philadelphia Flyers the last few years for example, so Chicago has to be bold and make a move for a reliable goaltender before the trading deadline, preferably one with playoff experience.

Goaltending hasn't been the only issue for the Blackhawks over their recent stretch of losing; the defensive play hasn't been up to par. According to CSN Chicago, Bowman is looking for a defenseman, but with so few teams out of the playoff race yet, there aren't many sellers right now.

Bowman will look to improve his club, but if no changes are made the Blackhawks can still compete.

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“I like our personnel,” Bowman said. “We’re trying to upgrade; it’s not like we have guys playing who can’t play in the NHL. We have guys who can improve on their level of play. At the same time we’re trying to enhance our group instead of completely remake it. I think time will tell on that. There are a lot of teams looking for a defenseman, and you never know.”

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Fortunately for the Blackhawks, their offense likely won't need to be improved before the deadline, but finding a goaltender and a defenseman would be ideal for Bowman. But like he said, many teams will look for a defenseman before the trading deadline. With few good ones out there, the teams that are trading them will ask for a lot in return.

A veteran player like Evgeni Nabokov, who led the San Jose Sharks to the playoffs many seasons in his career, could be a good fit in Chicago. He now plays for the New York Islanders, who are pretty much out of the playoff race in the East. Ryan Miller of the Sabres is a long shot, but given his struggles in Buffalo, a change of scenery may benefit him.

The Blackhawks can take a chance that Emery and Crawford can turn it around and play better and be reliable members of the team, but that's a risky move considering Chicago is good enough to win the Stanley Cup if their goaltending improves a bit.

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Nicholas Goss is a Boston Bruins Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and was the organization's on-site reporter for the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals in Boston.