Chicago Blackhawks: Will Seabrook, Maatta defense pairing work?

The Chicago Blackhawks’ biggest question mark going into the season is their defense. Can this pair help them defend good enough to make the playoffs?

The Chicago Blackhawks are going to score some goals this season. They are a team loaded upfront with the likes of Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Alex DeBrincat, and Dylan Strome. Those are just where it starts as there is some really great depth in the lineup as well as far as the forwards go. The biggest issue going into the season as far as the lineup is the defense. They were not good in 2018-19 and it cost them a playoff berth.

This year, they are hoping that is different. They know what they are going to get from Duncan Keith and Erik Gustafsson. They also added guys like Calvin de Haan and Olli Maatta to the group to be an upgrade over what it was last season and you would think it will be. The Athletic’s Mark Lazarus wrote an article about a pairing that has Maatta with Brent Seabrook and it is a very intriguing concept.

This is a pairing that would be considered slow by NHL standards. Seabrook has also played most of his career with a partner who can provide offense and Maatta isn’t really that guy. He would be considered a defensive defenseman. Seabrook still has a booming shot but his lesser mobility will likely make him less of a dynamic defenseman and he won’t score as many points as he has in the past. This doesn’t mean that this pair can’t at all be effective though.

They are likely going to line up as the team’s third pair so they won’t be seeing any premier matchups as far as the opposition. That could be a really good thing as both guys will be in a position to succeed. They are both on the slower side but they can defend by being in the proper position at the proper time and make adjustments accordingly. If this pair plays to their strengths and develops chemistry early, could be a good pair for the team. They aren’t going to be relied on to make the big play but they can help out the team in many ways.

If the Blackhawks are going to make the playoffs this year, that means that all three pairs need to play well and this Seabrook-Maatta pair could be what separates a good unit from a bad unit. All playoff teams, for the most part, have three pairs that they trust can go out there when they are called upon and be steady. This duo has what it takes to do it.