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Chicago Blackhawks: An extended look at the new guys

By Vincent Parise

UNIONDALE, NEW YORK - JANUARY 20: Robin Lehner #40 and Matt Martin #17 of the New York Islanders celebrate victory over the Anaheim Ducks at NYCB Live at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on January 20, 2019 in Uniondale, New York. The Islanders shut-out the Ducks 3-0. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
UNIONDALE, NEW YORK - JANUARY 20: Robin Lehner #40 and Matt Martin #17 of the New York Islanders celebrate victory over the Anaheim Ducks at NYCB Live at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on January 20, 2019 in Uniondale, New York. The Islanders shut-out the Ducks 3-0. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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Chicago Blackhawks Olli Maatta
(Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) /

Olli Maatta

Olli Maatta is another guy the Blackhawks are hoping can come in and help them defend. He can’t skate as well as some other defenseman on the team but he can win puck battles and get the puck up the ice. He wasn’t the move defensively that we wanted when it happened, and they gave up a good young player in Dominik Kahun to get him but looking back it looks better after the de Haan trade.

Adding Maatta and de Haan is a major upgrade defensively to the worst defensive team in the Western Conference from 2018-19. They hope that Maatta can be the best version of himself. He struggled towards the end of his Pittsburgh Penguins career and that led to him being traded so a change of scenery might re-light the fire.

Maatta is a two time Stanley Cup Champion so now adds that pedigree to a Blackhawks blue line that needs it. Of course, there is Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook who know what it takes to be good players so hopefully, Maatta can bring some of that too.

He had the exact same offensive stats as de Haan with one goal and 13 assists for 14 points, so it is an addition to try and help to keep the puck out of their own net. It is good to see that they are adding guys to try and reduce the goals against and recognized the problem to fix it.

Maatta’s addition is also something that can also lower each guys role on the blue line as well. If everyone is put in a position to succeed then that is how you build a good team. Hopefully, these additions on the blue line are ones that allow the coaches to do that.

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