When Chicago announced on Thursday that blueliner Brent Seabrook would be undergoing season-ending surgery, there were cries of conspiracy from many hockey fans who felt the Blackhawks were attempting to force Seabrook and his contract into retirement in order to rid itself of his high cap hit. A new report from The Athletic says nothing could be further from the truth.
According to reporter Scott Powers, both Seabrook and his contract will be back. His report says the 34-year-old has missed just 15 games due to injury in the last 13 seasons.
This is Brent Seabrook finally facing reality. These are injuries that have been building over time. As one source explained Thursday, “These are surgeries that are overdue.”
Seabrook will be undergoing three surgeries in the coming weeks; one on his right shoulder on Friday, on his right hip early January and his left hip early February.
There is no guarantee Seabrook comes back a different player and looks more like his old self. That's obviously the hope. But he is still having three surgeries in a short span and will require months of rest and rehab. Time isn't on his side, as he'll turn 35 in April.Still, this was necessary for Seabrook and the Blackhawks if there's any chance for him to be a productive player over the course of his contract. He has four years left on his deal, which includes a $6.875 million cap hit, after this season.
Speculation started running rampant after the Blackhawks made the veteran defenseman a healthy scratch for a stretch of games in November. Many felt the team was setting Seabrook up for early retirement in order to lessen his cap hit as his play has dropped off considerably over the last few seasons.
Chicago also announced that fellow blueliner Calvin de Haan would also be undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery and both he and Seabrook would be placed on long-term injured reserve. The move frees up $11.425 million in cap space for the remainder of 2019-20. Whether GM Stan Bowman will use that space to bring in other players in an attempt to take a run at the playoffs this season remains to be seen. With the team sitting near the bottom of the Western Conference at the moment, it's likely Bowman is looking at more long-term plans.
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