Blackhawks defense takes hit with Seabrook, De Haan out for season

The Chicago Blackhawks are already a bit shorthanded. They’ll be even more shorthanded because defensemen Brent Seabrook and Calvin de Haan are both out for the rest of the season.

The Chicago Blackhawks were dealt a significant blow on their blue line on Thursday when the team announced that veteran defensemen Brent Seabrook and Calvin de Haan would both miss the remainder of the season.

This is a crushing loss for a young Blackhawks team that has struggled defensively, as the Hawks have lost two well-respected, experienced players who served as mentors to many of the team’s young players.

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While Seabrook is not the player he once was during the glory years when the Hawks won three Stanley Cups, he is still a useful player and a leader in the dressing room. He has served as a mentor and invaluable resource to many of the team’s rookies and younger players, even welcoming stud rookie Kirby Dach into his home.

Though Seabrook has served as an occasional healthy scratch, and both his offensive production and defensive play have taken a hit, he is still a serviceable player who the team’s defensive prospects can learn from. He will always be a Blackhawks legend and fans will remember him for his several years of stellar play on both sides of the puck, and as a key contributor on those legendary championship teams.

Calvin de Haan, though a newcomer to the Blackhawks, is a steady, veteran defenseman who has been a key presence on the Hawks’ defense. De Haan was one of the few bright spots on many disappointing Islanders teams. He consistently performed well on teams that were among the worst in the league defensively, as this was before Barry Trotz and Mitch Korn landed on Long Island and magically solved all the Islanders’ defensive and goaltending woes.

Furthermore, he was a reliable blue-liner on a stacked Carolina Hurricanes team that reached the Eastern Conference finals last season after a long playoff drought. He was having an excellent season prior to the injury, averaging nearly 20 minutes of ice time and posting a +10 plus/minus rating on a team that has allowed a very high number of goals and shots on goal per game.

With Seabrook and de Haan out long term, many of the Hawks’ young defensemen will have an opportunity to play bigger minutes and make an impact. Highly touted rookie Adam Boqvist could now have a permanent spot in the lineup once he returns from injury, and will have the opportunity to cement himself as a staple on Chicago’s blue line for years to come.

Younger veterans Connor Murphy and Olli Maatta should have a chance to play major minutes and show Stan Bowman whether they are part of the solution moving forward. Lastly, in what is shaping up to be a lost season for the Hawks, defensive prospect Ian Mitchell who is currently playing at the University of Denver could be motivated to sign early and get some NHL games under his belt, showing the Blackhawks brass that he should be a mainstay on the roster next season.