Chicago Blackhawks: 3 keys to success for Nick Seeler

Key 2: Be willing to play in the AHL

While it’s nice that he was around the team a lot, Seeler probably would have preferred to play. Considering how last season panned out, it might be worthwhile for him to head to Rockford and play some games there. Months without playing are probably nagging at him, and he almost certainly wants to just get back on the ice, even if it means doing so for the IceHogs.

This is probably not what he’s after, but at least he’ll be playing. That has to be better for a guy that’s a healthy scratch more often than not. Also, it’s not really in Chicago’s interest to keep players out for too long. At some point, even if he doesn’t start in the AHL, expect Seeler’s name to come up once the Rockford shuffle starts and players start being moved back and forth from team to team.

If Chicago goes this route with Seeler and sends home to Rockford, he’d have to go through waivers since his contract isn’t a two-way deal. It’s probably a risk Bowman would be willing to take. There are already too many players on defense to reliably clear a path for the organization’s prospects. Should this happen, and Seeler was claimed, it would really have made his time in Chicago kind of pointless. He played in a total of 6 games for the Blackhawks. Even if it means playing in a less competitive league, Seeler would have to want to play more than half a dozen games. In Rockford, he almost certainly would.