I think it's an incredibly stupid system to employ, but if someone tasked me with building a team around that system it would need two things to work.
1. Strong defensemen that can consistently win board battles (something you touched on, and something we just do not have outside of Boychuk)
2. All 4 centermen must be top notch defensively to cover for the roving defensemen. Again, something we lack outside of Cizikas.
As for the forwards breaking out lower, I think you mean like when they (weak side forwards) swing low in the zone to give the defensemen a passing option, and so the forwards leave the zone as a group? I agree that is essential.
The whole thing stinks of "I'm going to try something I saw XYZ do and if it doesn't work it's because the players aren't learning". Some of the best advice I've ever gotten in life: Keep it simple, stupid. Defense isn't rocket surgery, and despite what some may think their goaltenders should be good enough to cover many typical mistakes, just not when they are coming 3X every shift. There is not a defensive scheme I'm aware of that makes any sense, where both your defensemen bail on the front of the net. There's a reason why no one does it, and when they do the results are similar.