Chicago Blackhawks: Does Stan Bowman See Troy Brouwer as Part of the Core?

Chicago Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman has made quite a point of showing that he is all about attaining long-tern security with the team's "core" players.  To his credit, players that seem to fit that description have been locked up to multi-year deals.

At this point, we've been told that Brent Seabrook's contract is being addressed.  This will likely be followed up on the following season when Patrick Sharp enters the last year of his current deal.  It would appear that the 'Hawks might be at their limit with big contracts.

If that's the case, where does winger Troy Brouwer fit into the Blackhawks plans?

After a slow start this season, the 25-year-old Brouwer has become a top six mainstay and has provided tough, physical play.  Despite not scoring his first goal of the season until the season's 13th game, he is on pace for career highs in both goals and assists.  He also leads the team with 173 hits, a total that is good enough for fifth in the NHL right now.

Brouwer has settled into the top line with Jonathan Towes and Patrick Kane and has embraced the role of power forward.  The organization has had to nudge him in this direction on occasion, but over the last two seasons, Brouwer has begun to realize that being physical and taking the puck to the net will pay off for him on the score sheet.

At times in his Chicago tenure, Brouwer has had confidence issues.  As he nears completion of his third season as a full-time NHL player, he seems to be trusting in his abilities on the ice.

Maybe it was stepping up in December and January when the 'Hawks suffered some injuries.  Maybe it's a better understanding of what makes him a successful player.  Whatever it is, Brouwer believes in himself and has raised his level of play this season.  It's been fun to watch.

Now...how long do we get to watch him perform in an Indian sweater?

Brouwer is a restricted free agent at the end of this season.  He's currently making just over $one million in 2010-11.  With the way he has played this season, one would figure that he would be in line for a raise.

The past two offseasons, Chicago has had to overpay some young talent to keep them in the organization.  Qualifying offers were not sent to Kris Versteeg and Cam Barker in the summer of 2009.  The 'Hawks had to sign them to bigger contracts that they wouldn't have normally received, and ultimately that mistake led to both players being dealt.

Last summer, while Stan Bowman was "not concerned about offer sheets," the Sharks sent a three-year, $14 million offer to Niklas Hjalmarsson.  Chicago was forced to match the offer and likely lost at least one key player (Andrew Ladd, Antti Niemi) because of the inflated price on the young defenseman.

It's possible that Hjalmarsson could be traded this summer to make Seabrook's signing an easier fit under the cap.  That would make five young players that Chicago doesn't have in their lineup due to a lack of action by the organization.

Let's say Patrick Sharp follows this season with another big offensive performance.  He boosts his stock to the point of being too expensive for the Blackhawks to re-sign in the summer of 2012.  Well, that would hurt but at least I could understand why it had to go down like that.

It would drive a dagger through my heart to see the 'Hawks sit back this summer and let an offer sheet on Brouwer force them to sign him to a deal that would prevent a Sharp extension from being considered.  Or worse yet, not being able to sign Brouwer and Sharpie playing his way into a huge payday with someone else anyway.

It would be great to know that the Blackhawks are in the process of signing Brouwer to a three or four-year deal in the neighborhood of $2-2.5 million a season.  If Hjalmarsson got an offer of $3.5 million, what might some club offer for Brouwer, who is a more polished player at this stage of his career?

Losing Brouwer would be a big dent in the lineup.  Who fills Brouwer's role and puts up his numbers?  If Kyle Beach was capable of doing what Brouwer's doing now, I understand not being in a hurry to sign him.  However, Beach can't match those numbers in Rockford, let along Chicago.

The Blackhawks have a lot of pressing matters concerning their current push for the playoffs and other key RFAs and UFAs.  I hope that while tackling those matters, the organization can be more proactive in securing Troy Brouwer's future with the Blackhawks.