Between being shuttled between Chicago and Rockford, and a trip to the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, Nick Leddy is not only having a pretty busy season, but also showing he belongs in the NHL.

“Boy, I like what I’ve seen,” former Blackhawks’ defenseman and current TV analyst, Steve Konroyd said on the Danny Mac Show when asked about Leddy’s season. “He’s only 19-years old. And what I really like about him is his patience with the puck. It’s funny, in the NHL, so many more things open up if you’re just willing to hold on to it for another half second. And that’s tough to do, especially as a teenager. You know, a lot of times you’re holding it like a hot potato, just trying to get rid of it and make sure you’re not making mistakes.

LISTEN: Steve Konroyd On The Danny Mac Show

“I’ve seen him hold on to the puck, give a little head fake, turn the other way, buy himself another couple seconds and then make the right pass. So, he is good. I think he’s getting better each and every game. The fact that he’s paired with Duncan Keith, you know for the most part, speaks to what the coaching staff thinks about him, and they’re pretty high on him.”

Leddy has turned into a big part of the Blackhawks’ future, but it wasn’t too long ago that he was a big part of another team’s future. Leddy, along with Kim Johnsson, was sent to the Blackhawks in exchange for Cam Barker during the 2010 season.

“When you think, basically you know, [Leddy] is what we got for Cam Barker,” Konroyd said. “[Barker] is kind of a sixth defenseman in Minnesota and all of a sudden we have ourselves a top four guy in Nick Leddy. That deal has worked out really well.”