Rumor: 50% chance we see a major change on the Blackhawks roster.

Blackhawks could soon make a major change.

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 6 years ago
Rumor: 50% chance we see a major change on the Blackhawks roster.
Keystone Press

One National Hockey League analyst has made a bold prediction about the future of the Chicago Blackhawks roster, although he rates the likelihood of it at roughly 50%.

The Blackhawks face an annual cap crunch largely due to the fact that they have achieved massive success in recent years, as well as the fact that both captain Jonathan Toews and forward Patrick Kane carry massive salary cap hits.

As a result of this cap crunch, Sportsnet's Sean McIndoe believes there is a possibility that we could eventually see defenseman Brent Seabrook in a different uniform, this after already 923 career games as a Blackhawk. 

General manager Stan Bowman has made stunning moves in the past to clear cap space including trading forward Brandon Saad who at the time was coming off both an incredible regular season and a Stanley Cup Championship run, and Seabrook could soon find himself the next casualty.

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McIndoe believes that a trade to a team desperate for help on the blue line is a realistic scenario, although at a cap hit of $6,875,000 per season, one has to wonder how many contenders would have that level of flexibility. Another option is a buyout of Seabrook's contract, and given that his deal runs through 2024 that does indeed seem realistic. 

Again keep in mind McIndoe only believes there is a 50% chance Seabrook eventually leaves the Blackhawks, but that's a much greater number than you would have believed two, or even just one, season ago.

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