Friedman on potential UFA bidding war for Seabrook

Elliotte Friedman was on Edmonton’s 630 CHED on Friday afternoon.

On which of Patrick Sharp, Bryan Bickell or Brent Seabrook is the most likely to move, given the Blackhawks’ cap situation:

“I think you could make a good argument for all three of them, really.

“Patrick Sharp I would say is probably No. 1. Joel Quenneville and him – unless some sort of unforeseen circumstance exists where Joel Quenneville is not the coach the Blackhawks next year – it’s pretty obvious that he’s very deep in Quennevilles doghouse. He’s got one year left on his contract. I think he might be frustrated enough, depending on how this works after the season, to try and help facilitate something. I would say he’s No. 1 on my list.

“Bryan Bickell would probably be No. 2, just in the sense – I know the coaching staff really likes him. They like what he can bring. He’s a big body. You need size, particularly in the Western Conference. But I think there’s an understanding that his contract might be a luxury they may not be able to keep.

“Seabrook – now, you’re going to get different arguments on this because I really do believe that there are people who look at it and say, ‘This decision is over. Brent Seabrook is going somewhere else.’

“I do believe the Chicago Blackhawks are going to try to see if they can keep him. If they have to clear out Sharp and Bickell to keep Seabrook, I can see a situation where that can exist. They recognize that Brent Seabrook is a very important part of their team. He’s a heart and soul player. He’s an unselfish player. He does a lot of things without getting any attention. They love him in Chicago and he’s a flexible guy who can play several different roles.

“I really do believe if they can find a way to get that done, then they’re going to get it done. The problem they’re going to have is how much money is Brent Seabrook willing to leave on the table. You know the Edmonton Oilers would throw lots of money at him. You know the Dallas Stars would throw lots of money at him. At some point, Brent Seabrook is going to have to sit down and decide what’s important to him.

“And I never begrudge an athlete for taking the money. No. 1, if somebody is going to give it to you, what are you supposed to do, say no? And No. 2, your prime earning years, you only have so many of them as a pro athlete.

“But he’s going to have to sit down and say to himself and his family and everybody else, ‘What do I want? I know I can make more on the free agent market than I can in Chicago.’

“But can the Blackhawks and him come to a number where he’s willing to say, ‘Okay, I’m going to stay here for that.’

“Because you know and I know the amount of teams that are going to bid at this guy is going to be enormous, just as it’s going to be big if Johnny Boychuk hits the market in July.”

Source: 630 CHED/ Transcript: Nichols on Hockey

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