Chicago Blackhawks: The Summer Camp roster feels good
Defense
The Blackhawks are a team that is known right now for having a suspect defense. They weren’t good all season long as far as defending their own net. Some of them are exceptional at creating chances on the offensive side of the puck but the defense has been a weakness for this team since winning the Stanley Cup in 2015. It is an interesting group that has a mix of youth and a bit of veteran leadership.
- Nicolas Beaudin
- Adam Boqvist
- Lucas Carlsson
- Calvin de Haan
- Duncan Keith
- Slater Koekkoek
- Chad Krys
- Olli Maatta
- Connor Murphy
- Alec Regula
- Brent Seabrook
- Nick Seeler
There isn’t much there anymore in terms of star power. Duncan Keith was one of the best defensemen in the world for a long time but has since lost a bit of a step. He is still a great player but nothing like he once was. Brent Seabrook really hasn’t been that good at all lately at all and he is coming off a few injuries. They both might be impactful for a while in the playoffs because of their experience but eventually, this team needs to help themselves in this department.
Getting Calvin de Haan back from injury might really help a lot. He didn’t play that much for the Hawks at all this year after coming over in a trade. There is a chance that he even comes in and is their best defenseman. That isn’t saying much but he could absolutely have a big impact on this series.
Two younger defensemen to keep an eye on are Connor Murphy and Adam Boqvist. Neither of them has any Stanley Cup Playoff experience but they are both pretty talented guys. If they can both stay healthy in these games, they could be the difference in their six-man unit being a train wreck or actually halfway decent. The depth on this blue line isn’t great but they might have just enough there to make it work.