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Could Alex Vlasic become the Blackhawks\u2019 version of Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin in the future?<\/p>\n
It took Anders Sorensen and Rod Brind\u2019Amour \u2014 the two teams\u2019 coaches \u2014 each a moment to think over the proposition Monday, but then it clicked in their brains, too. They both see the likeness.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a great comparison,\u201d Sorensen said. “[They\u2019re] similar body types [with] similar range.\u201d<\/p>\n
Said Brind\u2019Amour: \u201cLike Slavin is for us, [Vlasic is] underrated a little bit. [He] doesn\u2019t get talked about as much because of the other guys that they have on their team. But the value of the player is probably as good as any.\u201d<\/p>\n
Perhaps it is possible \u2014 on the extreme best-case end of the bell curve \u2014 that Vlasic could develop into a superstar defenseman like Nashville\u2019s Roman Josi or Tampa\u2019s Victor Hedman. But that\u2019s unlikely to the point of being almost unrealistic.<\/p>\n
Vlasic developing into someone like Slavin, who has steadily anchored a balanced, stout Carolina defense for a decade now, might represent a more plausible \u2014 yet still excellent \u2014 outcome.<\/p>\n
They\u2019ve never played together or even met, although Vlasic, 23, does know Slavin\u2019s younger brother, former Hawks depth forward Josiah Slavin. But there\u2019s a chance the two could finally be teammates on Team\u2009\u2009USA in the 2026 Winter Olympics.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s somebody that I\u2019ve always looked up to and seen how good he can be just by playing a simple game,\u201d Vlasic said.<\/p>\n
Slavin returned the compliments.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a really good skater,\u201d Slavin said. \u201cHe might have a little more offense than I do, from what I can tell.\u201d<\/p>\n
Slavin\u2019s three assists Monday in the Hurricanes\u2019 4-3 overtime win against the Hawks gave him 18 points in 47 games this season, one point more than Vlasic. And Slavin has been a decent secondary playmaker throughout his career, setting a career high of 38 assists in 2021-22.<\/p>\n
In recent years, the Hurricanes typically have paired him with a more offensive defenseman, such as Brent Burns. The Hawks will probably do that with Vlasic, too, if Kevin Korchinski or Artyom Levshunov develops as expected into a top-pairing weapon.<\/p>\n
Both Slavin and Vlasic specialize in the defensive zone. Vlasic (6-6, 217 pounds) is bigger than Slavin (6-3, 207), although neither is particularly physical. They instead rely on their long reaches to break up plays.<\/p>\n
Slavin has arguably revolutionized stick-based defending in the NHL. Vlasic is following in his footsteps there, with similarly agile skating and smart positioning.<\/p>\n
Last season, Slavin ranked second among NHL defensemen with 71 takeaways while Vlasic ranked fourth with 60. This season, Slavin leads the league with 39 and Vlasic ranks eighth with 30. Unsuspecting opposing forwards with several feet of separation often find themselves suddenly dispossessed by perfectly timed and placed poke-checks.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s most remarkable, however, is how rarely each commits penalties despite using his stick so actively. Slavin is by far the NHL\u2019s least-penalized defenseman over the last six seasons. Vlasic had just one penalty in his first 36 games this season before getting whistled three times in the last 11 games.<\/p>\n
The biggest difference between the players is in what they do after breaking up plays and regaining possession in their own end. Vlasic excels at breakout passes to move the puck in transition. According to All Three Zones, he\u2019s tied for eighth in the NHL this season in defensive-zone exits. Slavin instead sticks to Brind\u2019Amour\u2019s system and focuses more on low-risk clearances.<\/p>\n
In the years ahead, Vlasic still has to prove he can match Slavin\u2019s consistency and ability to contribute to team success. But he\u2019s on a promising track. And for the Hawks, building a strong defense around a Slavin-esque cornerstone wouldn\u2019t be too difficult.<\/p>\n
Although Vlasic\u2019s stick usage is the foundation of his defensive excellence, the Hawks have recently encouraged him to work on being more physical, too.<\/p>\n
\u201cI need to start finishing through the body and throwing my weight around,\u201d Vlasic said. \u201cI definitely am not trying to throw big open-ice hits or anything like that. … I\u2019m learning how to play the body but, at the same time, have my stick in a position where I\u2019m not compromising [its] ability.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s tough sometimes. In order to throw a hit, you kind of have to change your angle and your body position, which sometimes eliminates the ability for you to get the puck with your stick. I\u2019ve got to learn different times when it\u2019s more beneficial for me to either try to get the puck or focus on the body.\u201d<\/p>\n
After being credited with only 28 hits in his first 43 games this season, Vlasic has recorded 11 hits in his last four games. The Hawks as a team have seemingly been more physical ever since hard-nosed rookie forward Colton Dach arrived.<\/p>\n
“[Alex is] a big, strong guy,\u201d Sorensen said. “[We\u2019re] not looking for him to run around, but when he\u2019s in those battles, [he needs] to be firmer and be more aggressive.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sorensen isn\u2019t worried about Vlasic having to choose between defending with his stick or with physicality, either.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can do both,\u201d he added. \u201cIf your angle and your stick is good, you usually end up arriving through [the opposing player\u2019s] hands and then through their body. Doing those things usually go hand-in-hand.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Vlasic and Slavin play similar defense-first styles with ranginess and discipline, making the latter a good model for the former as he continues developing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":11365,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,10,11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11364","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-chicago-blackhawks","category-nfl","category-san-francisco-49ers"],"yoast_head":"\n