Edmonton Oilers Target: Brent Seabrook
Edmonton Oilers General Manager Peter Chiarelli has checked off a lot of important boxes, since taking the helm. But one thing has so far eluded him: A true, top-pairing defenceman, to do a lot of the heavy lifting this season, and in years to come. That is, perhaps, until now.
Word leaked out Wednesday afternoon that the Edmonton Oilers have talked with the Chicago Black Hawks about D-man Brent Seabrook. Just how serious those discussions were, or how far they have progressed, at this point, is conjecture. But it is not hard to read the tea leaves on this one and piece together a plausible scenario that would deliver the former Olympic Gold Medallist to The City of Champions. Would the big, right-handed Stanley Cup Champion be a good fit? Gee…do you think??
The Black Hawks are in a world of hurt, in the salary cap era. It’s all well and good to have Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane on those gaudy, long-term contracts. But one of the side effects of locking up several of your marquee players in that fashion is a club squeezed for cash in almost every other roster spot. And with all due respect to Seabrook, he is not the Hawks #1D…Duncan Keith is. So something’s gotta give in The Windy City.
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That is where the Edmonton Oilers (potentially) come in. Here is a club that does not have what Seabrook would bring, it has young talent on inexpensive contracts that would give the Hawks some cap relief, and the Edmonton Oilers have some cap room themselves plus the ability (with a buy-out) to create even more. If Peter Chiarelli engineers this properly, he could theoretically bring on a bigger contract like Seabrook’s.
Brent Seabrook has only this season remaining before he is eligible to become an UFA, and right now he is an absolute bargain at $5 million per season. At just 30 years of age and with his numbers and resume, Seabrook will be able to command both term and salary, probably in the $7+ million dollars range, over 5 or 6 years. And that, my friends, is what Chicago likely cannot afford.
My educated guess is that the situation is this: The Edmonton Oilers had already chatted with Chicago when they acquired Anders Nilson, and at that time inquired about Seabrook. They have now followed up with a rough outline of a proposal, and (this is key) a request to speak to Seabrook or his people. In order for this deal to make any sense at all to the Oilers, they would:
-need Seabrook to be willing to waive the terms of his limited No Trade Clause. In previous seasons, in Edmonton, this may have been unlikely, but in the Connor McDavid era? Not so much.
-have to talk contract with him, as you are not trading the assets required to get him if there is no guarantee that Seabrook does not walk after this season. That would be one expensive rental.
If Seabrook, The Oilers and The Black Hawks have agreed to the above terms (and that is a BIG “if”), then the price-tag would be steep: A 1st Round pick in 2016, an NHL-ready prospect, plus another roster player.
Projecting forward, a deal like this says that Peter Chiarelli has a clear mandate to speed this Edmonton Oilers re-build up, big-time. Be bold, without saying so, and carry a big, big stick.
Often, where there’s smoke, there’s fire. And considering the source, the smoke is thick.
We live in interesting times, Oilers fans.