Throughout this summer, the Blackhawks’ defensive unit was somewhat unpredictable, as no one knew how the newcomers would fit in with the somewhat limited existing talent on the roster. The blue line was an afterthought in general, with much of the focus of the media being on the completely overhauled offensive group.
While no one could predict how the Blackhawks would fill out its defensive group, one part that was a near certainty was a top pairing of Alex Vlasic and Seth Jones. The two spent almost all season together last year and were just about the only successful part of that woeful blue line group.
At Monday’s training camp practice, Chicago made it clear that might not be the case again this season. The Blackhawks shockingly switched up their defensive pairings Monday, and the changes are more than just an experiment – they’ll be in effect to open the season next month.
At first glance, this lineup is simply experimental. After all, that defensive grouping is pretty far from what everyone projected throughout the summer. However, Jones spoke with Tab Bamford of Bleacher Nation afterward and confirmed that he and Vlasic would be split up by the coaching staff. He also said he would indeed be starting the season with free-agent acquisition Alec Martinez, and the two have been predominantly working together in practice.
Another pairing that has been working well together in training camp is the combination of Wyatt Kaiser and veteran Connor Murphy. I didn’t have Kaiser sneaking into the lineup but projected him as a potential seventh defenseman. With how comfortable the two have looked together, it looks like that will be the bottom line in Chicago to start the season.
In Kaiser’s place I had initially projected Kevin Korchinski. The big 20-year-old was one of the players to watch in this training camp. He was forced into an NHL role last season because he wasn’t old enough to spend time in the AHL, but now that he’s old enough, he may be sent down to develop a bit more. However, he’s spent quite a bit of time with Louis Crevier so far, who was one of the lowlights of a terrible Blackhawks team last season. With all the new talent being brought to Chicago, there’s no chance the team uses Crevier again. That’s a pretty indicative sign that Korchinski is headed to Rockford.
So who’s left? In between those two lines are Vlasic and TJ Brodie, who could make up a great tandem this season. Vlasic put on one of the best performances of any defensive defenseman in the league last year, so I’d like to see him get as much ice time as possible. Brodie could probably keep pace on this potential top line; he’s an aging veteran but was strong in 78 games in Toronto last season. Even if Vlasic and Brodie make up a second pairing, the top two will be essentially interchangeable, which is a great problem to have.
As a refresher, here’s what the Blackhawks’ defensive pairings could look like in the season opener. If Jones’s comments are accurate, this lineup should be fairly firm, with only minor changes expected over the next few weeks.
Seth Jones – Alec Martinez
Alex Vlasic – TJ Brodie
Wyatt Kaiser – Connor Murphy
Isaak Phillips
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