Chicago Blackhawks defenceman, Brent Seabrook, has announced that he won’t be travelling to the bubble in Edmonton with the team. The 35-year-old, three-time Stanley Cup winner has been practicing with the team during the NHL’s Phase three training camps. He has also been rehabbing from surgery he underwent for both of his hips, as well as his right shoulder.
Brent Seabrook Will Not Report to Edmonton
Since his return to the ice in July for the Blackhawks phase three training camps, Brent Seabrook has been performing surprisingly well for a player who had surgery only five months prior. The team announced in late December that the veteran defenceman will miss the remainder of the 2019-20 season after undergoing surgery to repair his right shoulder. On top of that, it was announced that Seabrook would, once again, be going under the knife for surgery on both of his hips. Seabrook is an older player, so injuries and surgery to fix them are expected. However, looking at his previous seasons, one will notice the very few amount of games the veteran has missed.
Through 32 games this season, Seabrook had scored three goals and notched one assist for five total points. Over the course of the past few seasons, he has seen a decrease in his minutes as his skill took a fall, averaging a little over 18 minutes a game this season. Considering Seabrook is still looking to play the remainder of his career and rejoin the club for the start of next season, this seems to be the safest move. aggravating an injury at his age would surely put his rehab back a few steps.
What This Means for the Future
The team will definitely miss his locker room presence during their qualifying series against the Edmonton Oilers. He has worn the ‘A’ on his jersey since the 2015-16 season and losing someone with that much playoff experience going into a peculiar postseason will be a big blow to the team’s chemistry. On the other hand, his absence leaves room on the roster for a younger, faster player to fill in his role. A player like Nicolas Beaudin or Lucas Carlsson could use the minutes to prove to the team that they are ready to make the jump for the start of next season. On top of the opportunity for other players, if Seabrook is intending on playing next season, the rest and proper rehab period will surely benefit him.
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