Brent Seabrook has been everything the Chicago Blackhawks could have hoped for and more since they drafted him in the first-round of the 2003 NHL Draft.
Like most NHL defensemen it took Seabrook a couple of seasons to break into the starting lineup with the big club, but once he was there, Seabrook quickly took to the increased physicality and intensity of the NHL.
Seabrook, 30, and the rest of the Hawks team are currently in a fight for their playoff lives after losing a heartbreaking Game 5 to the Anaheim Ducks on Monday night in overtime. With the loss, Seabrook and Co. are now just one game away from elimination.
As such, their sights remain firmly on the here and now.
Chicago GM Stan Bowman and the rest of the Blackhawks decision-makers, while they likely also have a heavy focus on the looming Game 6, are paid to keep one eye firmly on the future as well.
The Hawks, thanks to their recent run of success, are facing a difficult cap situation this offseason. Stars Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews are set to begin matching mammoth contract extensions which carry $10.5 million AAVs and Bowman did some major work just prior to the trade deadline this year, leaving the Hawks with about $64 million tied up in 15 players next season.
Salary must be cleared and thus trades are almost assured this offseason.
Seabrook's name has come up in connection with trade rumors recently, but according to TSN NHL Insider Darren Dreger, Hawks fans concerned over Seabrook's long-term future with the team can rest assured he isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
"Brent Seabrook, guys, is a name that some want to throw out there in trade speculation because we know the Chicago Blackhawks are facing some real tough financial decisions here in this offseason. Patrick Sharp's name is out there and has been out there for a long, long time," Dreger said while appearing on Toronto's TSN 1050 on Monday Morning, via TodaysSlapShot.com.
"But I always kind of roll my eyes when I see Seabrook's name tossed in trade speculation. Why? Because of what we're seeing right now."
Seabrook is currently averaging 26:36 of ice time for the Hawks. He's also potted five goals, added four assists and is a plus-6 in 15 games thus far this postseason.
"The Chicago Blackhawks, perhaps better than any other team in the National Hockey League, recognize that an NHL season is a marathon," said Dreger. "And of course you have to be as consistent as you can be during the regular season. But it's how you dig deep into the playoffs that defines the champion. And players like Brent Seabrook, again, always find a way to contribute."
Seabrook has been integral to the Hawks two Stanley Cup wins in the past five years - he's appeared in at least 69 games every season since 2005-06, his first in the league, other than the lockout-shortened 2012-13.
He's played a full 82-game slate five times and managed 81 games in a sixth.
As Dreger notes, he's developed a reputation for elevating his game at the season's most important moments and eating up big minutes when the Hawks need it most.
While Seabrook is likely sticking around though, there is a difficult offseason ahead. Restricted free agents like Brandon Saad, Marcus Kruger, David Rundblad and Joakim Nordstrom need new deals and there's limited space to go around.
In short, Bowman has his work cut out for him.
"So there are tough decisions. There's no doubt that Stan Bowman is going to have to make some unbelievably difficult decisions. But when I look at the blueline of the Chicago Blackhawks, I put Seabrook comfortably (laughs) in that top 4, and it's hard for me to see a Blackhawks team in the future without him on that blueline."
