CHICAGO, Ill. – The off season acquisition of Brian Campbell has really helped solidify the blueline for the Chicago Blackhawks. Campbell not only helps defensively, but he is one of the top tier players on the team in terms of scoring. Duncan Keith and the other young veterans make the team only stronger with age, and it shows in the standings. Speaking of stats, Chicago is in the top ten in almost every single defensive category. With that said, there is a good overlay of players who are on the verge to cracking the team. Any of the following five can be placed in a hat and appear able to come in and step right into the Blackhawks lineup without losing a beat. Today we look at the top 5 defensive prospects in the Blackhawks organization. Niklas Hjalmarsson (AHL – Rockford IceHogs)
Hjalmarsson has been a steady force within the Blackhawks organization and his numbers are slightly better than last seasons numbers with Rockford, with 10 games in hand. He has turned into a great all-around defenseman who attacks the puck and can be a playmaker. Jordan Henry (AHL – Rockford IceHogs)
Henry is also another that has been a steady force within the Blackhawk organization. On paper, he almost a cookie-cutter image of Hjalmarsson, but his penalty minutes have dropped off a lot. On the plus side, he has been helping out on the scoring end as well. Tim Hambly (AHL – Rockford IceHogs)
Here is another player in Hambly who does his job on the blueline, and if he scores, it’s a bonus. He plays a solid game and keeps the puck out of the net. Nothing fancy here, but has played a solid game for Rockford this year. Mike Brennan (AHL – Rockford IceHogs)
Brennan is the youngster of the crowd of defenseman. His game is more of the physical nature. He’ll take a penalty to give the team a boost and take the man out of the play in the corners. With this style of play, he is the only player in this group that has a negative plus/minus rating, but is still an integral part of the future of the Blackhawks. Jim Sharrow (AHL – Rockford IceHogs)
Sharrow is back in town after playing with the Chicago Wolves for parts of two seasons. He comes to the IceHogs via a trade with the Vancouver organization. He too is a stabling force on the blueline who can skate and handle the puck. One thing that he has improved on is his aggressiveness with the puck, whether he has the puck or is digging it out of the corners. His earlier tentativeness has given way to a more total physical game. Contact the author at matt.chin@prohockeynews.com
Related
You must be logged in to post a comment.