Will the defense be better this year?

[Florida Blackhawks]

IMO, this is our weak link.

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[Mrfenn92]

Yes

 

[CanadianHawks]

Hard not to be improved. Yes

 

[Wally1112pac]

This...

Is an improvement over...


This.

 

[pvr]

The forwards contributed to much of the defensive deficiencies the past few years.

 

[hockeydoug]

We're just not going to see the same stability Megna and Tinordi provided last year in the dzone.

 

[Kevin Musto]

Of course.

It won't be good.

But it'll be better.

 

[Hattrick Kane]

Yes. How much better will depend on the pairings used for the majority of the season.

 

[WarriorofTime]

Should be, it was pretty paperclip last year, Murphy only played 46/82 games. Tinordi should have been waiver fodder but played 52/82 games. Zaitsev was a 6/7 and also spent half the year injured. Megna was a waiver pickup which is appropriate as he was a desperation claim and was needed 44/82 games. Korchinski was badly overwhelmed teenager that was called on for 76/82 games. Jones was out 15 games. Kaiser looked like an AHL player the first half of the season then went down and when he came back at the end looked a bit better. Phillips, Crevier, Roos, Del Mastro were AHL DMen that combined for 63 games played.

Basically with pretty ordinary injury luck, it should be better by default more or less.

 

[EbonyRaptor]

When I knew Tinordi, Megna and Zaitsev would not be coming back - I thought addition by subtraction would result in a better d-corps. However, then "over-the-hiller's" Martinez and Brodie were signed and my hopeful expectations became a little less hopeful. Considering Murphy missed a lot of time last season so getting him back to go along with Martinez and Brodie - it begs the question - are Murphy, Martinez and Brodie really all that much better than Tinordi, Megna and Zaitsev? After watching Murphy, Martinez and Brodie play in one or two preseason games each - My hope meter is flagging.

 

[Chelios]

When I knew Tinordi, Megna and Zaitsev would not be coming back - I thought addition by subtraction would result in a better d-corps. However, then "over-the-hiller's" Martinez and Brodie were signed and my hopeful expectations became a little less hopeful. Considering Murphy missed a lot of time last season so getting him back to go along with Martinez and Brodie - it begs the question - are Murphy, Martinez and Brodie really all that much better than Tinordi, Megna and Zaitsev? After watching Murphy, Martinez and Brodie play in one or two preseason games each - My hope meter is flagging.

How is this even a question?

 

[Mrfenn92]

When I knew Tinordi, Megna and Zaitsev would not be coming back - I thought addition by subtraction would result in a better d-corps. However, then "over-the-hiller's" Martinez and Brodie were signed and my hopeful expectations became a little less hopeful. Considering Murphy missed a lot of time last season so getting him back to go along with Martinez and Brodie - it begs the question - are Murphy, Martinez and Brodie really all that much better than Tinordi, Megna and Zaitsev? After watching Murphy, Martinez and Brodie play in one or two preseason games each - My hope meter is flagging.

Yes sir they are

 

[Paul Allen]

How is this even a question?

Right, 3 actual NHL dmen vs 3 AHL fodder dmen.

 

[hawksfan50]

Well there is the d-coros AND the forwards...

Can we expect better Defending from the forwards?(the caveat is always IF there are no key injuries or quantity of injuries)...

I think Smith and Mikehyev and TT help a lot ..Dickinson is fine..
Kurashecif the 2C shoukd be helped by a healthy Hall and Mikeheyev on his flanks..

However ...Bedard is NOT (or not yet) a good defending Center esoecialky if matched agaibst top lines of other teams ...Therexare 2 problems here...1.Lousy at draws.. so loses posession off the bat and has to chase to get it back...TT shoud help in that aspect .. Bertuzzi hopefully is at least average when chasing to re-gain pisession..

So Bedard was -39 at evens last season..Can he get to at least Zero with the new help on wi gs?

..we shall see..Any cut down from -39 woukd drastically help the Hawks.

If Tt takes the draws that should shield the worst aspect of Bedard's game..

As to Halk Kurashev Mikeyhev ..you hope a healthy Halloween will be average defensively and hope Mikheyev will be a lot better than average defensively ..

If kine 3 is Fokigno Dockinsonand Smith that shoukd be fine defensively..

Not sure who is on line 4 .

Would seem Nazar shoukd not be on the team if he is not in top nine.
Would surprise if they kept Spellacy despite his solid play.You do not want to rush youth loje him...needs to go down to juniors and develop hos offebse more.

So 4th line could be a problem..Do not trust AA to be particularly shuttobgcdown any line.
Overall though I expect improvement from the totality of the forwards this season.

As to the d'corps..

Well the $9.5 issue is always there..Jones is the worst in the NHL amongst any player since he came to the Hawks...

Vlasic helped him a kot last season to cut down from -39 and -38 seasons to just -15..

Hopefully Hawks score more and that helps cut the negative again...providing Martinez banks him out as well or better than Vlasoc did..
I am not so sure Martinez can do that well..

Because as we alk know,Jones is Jones and it seems when he goofs or stNds and watches pucks flying into our net,you wonder why he is miscast as a dman..does he have the hockey sense for the position regarding v defending..?

I am skeptical he does have that aptitude for goid defending.. Consistency issues.. loos of focus..poor anticipation..poir decisionsvn pinches..and subsequent gao control errors..He is more athletic reaction than cerebral and that hurts hisxBility for defending effectiveness on a consistent basis.

He pkays a lot of minutes agaivst top lines ...so given hhs lack of defending g hockey sense ,you just know he is going to be on for copious scores agaivst in total over a seadon.

So goidbkick Martinez...you are going to need it to perform miracles with Seth.

As to Murphy...it seensctgwy want to demote hom to 3 RD which ought to help reduce his minutes and that should help his defebsuve numbers...He wss so bad last season..basically a pylon...Hopefully full health and reduced rile should keep him to at least average and somewhere near zero plus /minus despite the fact he has zero offebsive impact.

Kk is an X factor .. seems hevis improved and stribgervover lsst season and no longer rookie awed or overwhelmed...But loking goidvis 1 thing..Effective impact is another..
The offensive impact still has a long way to go to see him as an essential cog...So maybe drspitevimorived defending,he shoukd go to Rockford to hine his offense ?

If he does stick,are they playong him at RD with Vlasic on 2nd pairing?
Means Brodie would have to play 3LD if Murphy demoted to 3 RD.

Too many unknowns still.

However in totality the not having Megan and Tinordi out of tge picture is an enormous defensive gain..

So again expect d-corps willbe better than last season in overall defending.


Exoect goaltending to ve better given Brossout will share tge bet with Mrazek ..Still not Elite level but shoukd be ok.

So team drfendibgbought to be better this season.

 

[statswatcher]

So team drfendibgbought to be better this season.

indeed.

 

[Putt Pirate]

Kind f more worried about O and developing that. If Luke is the correct coach for that.

 

[Joemoe]

Kind f more worried about O and developing that. If Luke is the correct coach for that.

I hope it gets better, it's getting pretty old going down two goals and the game is pretty much over at that point even if it's the first period.

 

[EbonyRaptor]

How is this even a question?

Because I watched Murphy play like Murphy doing the same short area passing ineptness that he's done for years which amount to uncategorized giveaways in the d-zone. Those poor plays lead to over-extended d-zone time and too often chances against. Murphy sucks. And then I watched Brodie play and he looks worse than Murphy.

Are Martinez and Brodie better than the 3 slugs we had last season - I hoped they would be and maybe Martinez will turn out to be - but I have my doubts about Brodie and I already know what to expect from Murphy.

 

[Chelios]

Because I watched Murphy play like Murphy doing the same short area passing ineptness that he's done for years which amount to uncategorized giveaways in the d-zone. Those poor plays lead to over-extended d-zone time and too often chances against. Murphy sucks. And then I watched Brodie play and he looks worse than Murphy.

Are Martinez and Brodie better than the 3 slugs we had last season - I hoped they would be and maybe Martinez will turn out to be - but I have my doubts about Brodie and I already know what to expect from Murphy.

I am not saying Murphy/Martinez/Brodie are world beaters here (though I feel Murphy gets a bad rap and is nowhere near as bad as people on this site make him out to me). I am saying that they are nowhere near as bad as the combination of Tinordi/Zaitsev/Megna. This should not be a controversial statement.

 

[Hawkaholic]

I am not saying Murphy/Martinez/Brodie are world beaters here (though I feel Murphy gets a bad rap and is nowhere near as bad as people on this site make him out to me). I am saying that they are nowhere near as bad as the combination of Tinordi/Zaitsev/Megna. This should not be a controversial statement.

It's not. It will undoubtedly be better with those 3 over last years 3. The only question will be if the other 3 can be the same or better.

 

[Northernhawk]

I see their defence not being the problem…

SJones
AVlasic
AMartinez
TJBrodie
CMurphy
KKorchinski
WKaiser
IPhillips
LCrevier
EDel Mastro
NAllan
ALevshunov

Pretty good dozen!

The he issue with this team is faceoffs and pick possession…two things that when the Hawks dominated, we’re really good at!

 

[Crow]

Murphy was a huge breath of fresh air at the end of the year.

 

[EbonyRaptor]

Murphy was a huge breath of fresh air at the end of the year.

I simply don't get the Murphy love. What EXACTLY does he do well - because I can tell you EXACTLY what he doesn't do well. To start - he isn't positionally sound. He gets caught or lured out of position and isn't quick or nimble enough to get back in time. His skating problems are not just lack of speed and quickness - he also doesn't have good balance which is why he loses more board battles than he wins even though he usually has the size advantage. When factoring in his poor hand/eye coordination and his poor dexterity and "feel" for the puck - he simply is terrible at retrieving the puck when the puck is around his feet and he's getting jostled by an opposing play which causes his to focus on keeping his balance more than getting his stick blade on the puck. Then, when he does get possession of the puck - his short area passing is atrocious. Those short passes that need to happen to exit the d-zone are more times than not not executed resulting in the opponent regaining control and extended d-zone time.

I could probably go on - but I'd like to hear rebuttal and something he does well.

 

[Hull2Roenick2Kane]

we have the generational talent seth jones out there. its going to be great...

 

[deytookerjaabs]

I simply don't get the Murphy love. What EXACTLY does he do well - because I can tell you EXACTLY what he doesn't do well. To start - he isn't positionally sound. He gets caught or lured out of position and isn't quick or nimble enough to get back in time. His skating problems are not just lack of speed and quickness - he also doesn't have good balance which is why he loses more board battles than he wins even though he usually has the size advantage. When factoring in his poor hand/eye coordination and his poor dexterity and "feel" for the puck - he simply is terrible at retrieving the puck when the puck is around his feet and he's getting jostled by an opposing play which causes his to focus on keeping his balance more than getting his stick blade on the puck. Then, when he does get possession of the puck - his short area passing is atrocious. Those short passes that need to happen to exit the d-zone are more times than not not executed resulting in the opponent regaining control and extended d-zone time.

I could probably go on - but I'd like to hear rebuttal and something he does well.

Murph was bad last year, his worst year as a Hawk for sure. Subtract that?

It's not a coincidence that before last year he always finished +20 over Seth Jones while not being an offensive driver himself. He's always been a beast at knocking guys off the puck which is what a Dman should be doing with proper coverage, not sure where you think he's someone prone to turnovers or losing board battles unless you're only playing johnny come lately. 23/24 was a bad go for him and he sat out half the season too. We'll see if he bounces back.