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The Blackhawks claimed they would replace injured defenseman Seth Jones by committee, but aside from bumping every healthy defenseman one rung up the depth chart out of necessity, they actually haven\u2019t.<\/p>\n
Instead, young Alex Vlasic has taken over Jones\u2019 role, operating as the Hawks\u2019 No. 1 defensemen during five-on-five play and quarterbacking the first power-play unit (although the Hawks have drawn very few opportunities).<\/p>\n
In the four games missed so far by Jones, the NHL\u2019s time-on-ice leader before he suffered a right foot injury that will sideline him for another three-plus weeks, Vlasic has exceeded 23:30 of ice time every game and logged exactly 26:34 twice.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s definitely a big load to handle, but I feel like I\u2019ve done a pretty good job,\u201d Vlasic said Tuesday. \u201cYou\u2019ve got to pick your spots jumping up in the play and make sure you\u2019re not taking too long of shifts, especially against better teams, so you don\u2019t get hemmed in.\u201d<\/p>\n
This situation isn\u2019t ideal for the Hawks right now, but it is excellent experience for Vlasic, whom the franchise will depend on to anchor their defense for years to come \u2014 regardless of whether he, Artyom Levshunov or someone else develops into their true No. 1 defenseman post-Jones.<\/p>\n
The 23-year-old Wilmette native is enjoying another stellar season despite the Hawks\u2019 team struggles, even if he\u2019s not quite as close to Superman as he imagined back in training camp.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the \u2018D’-zone in the beginning of the year…he had a couple hiccups,\u201d assistant coach Kevin Dean said earlier this month. \u201cHe was [thinking], \u2018I\u2019m going to defend this guy and<\/i> I\u2019m going to take this pass away,\u2019 and he wasn\u2019t doing either.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s getting his brain around [the idea that], \u2018I just do my job and do it well.\u2019 And he\u2019s terrific: He\u2019s big; he\u2019s smart; he\u2019s athletic. He can skate, he can move pucks and his shot has really developed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vlasic unleashed a 101.9 mph shot \u2014 the fourth-hardest in the NHL this season \u2014 against the Ducks last week, rewarding him for his efforts this past summer to strengthen and improve his shooting. His hardest shot last season was 90.5 mph.<\/p>\n
\u201cI noticed it before training camp, just stepping on the ice watching him: \u2018Whoa, his shot [is good],\u2019\u201d Dean said. \u201cLast year, he would take five shots, and two of them would be like, \u2018Wow, that was really hard.\u2019 … But now he certainly seems more consistent.\u201d<\/p>\n
The most important aspects where Vlasic can fill Jones\u2019 shoes, however, are retrieving dump-ins and then exiting the defensive zone with possession. That can help the Hawks avoid getting stuck in the zone \u2014 a frequent problem for them.<\/p>\n
Vlasic has averaged 26.7 retrievals per 60 minutes this season, per All Three Zones. That\u2019s one of the highest rates in the league. Jones (22.9) and Wyatt Kaiser (21.9) are the only other Hawks defensemen significantly above the league average of 19.9.<\/p>\n
Moreover, Vlasic and Jones have averaged 10.2 and 10.3 defensive-zone exits with possession per 60 minutes, respectively. They\u2019re the only two Hawks defensemen significantly above the league average of 7.0 in that category.<\/p>\n
Dean has talked with Vlasic about the value of body position to help with both of those things. If an opposing forward skates behind the net to chase the puck, Vlasic can form a wall between the forward and the puck using his 6-6 frame alone.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s getting more comfortable using his body on the retrievals,\u201d Dean said. \u201cHe\u2019s a guy who can see the ice and can escape that forechecker to get time to make a play. He\u2019s only going to get better with that, too. He\u2019s not overthinking it. [When he identifies] the first option, it\u2019s on and off his stick pretty well.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the defensive zone, Vlasic does have a tendency to believe he can do two things at once sometimes. The Hawks appreciate that confidence but are trying to convince him that\u2019s not realistic; he\u2019ll be best served focusing on defending one person at a time.<\/p>\n
Boxing out around the net has been one focus area. Earlier in the season, he would devote himself so wholeheartedly to boxing out that he would turn his back to the puck at the point and have no idea where the play was headed.<\/p>\n
“[I\u2019m] learning how to box out while still having your head facing wherever the puck is,\u201d Vlasic said. \u201cYou might have to let that guy go if the puck comes to you or if the [point] guy starts skating down at you, if your forward gets beat. Because we don\u2019t play man-on-man in the D-zone, [you have to] make sure you\u2019re not solely focusing on one guy.\u201d<\/p>\n
There are situations, however, where he shouldn\u2019t leave the net-front guy to cover a defenseman skating down. The Flyers\u2019 first goal Saturday against the Hawks was one such scenario: Vlasic stopped boxing out Sean Couturier to react to wide-open Rasmus Ristolainen receiving the puck on the weak side, and then Ristolainen fed Couturier for a simple tap-in.<\/p>\n
\nRichardson breaking down this Flyers goal vs Blackhawks:
\u201cIt\u2019s kind of like a penalty kill situation when teams seam through you. [Vlasic] can\u2019t go running over there because the goalie can make the one good push but they can\u2019t\u2026make a push back.\u201d (1\/2)<\/p>\npic.twitter.com\/X091itF8RZ<\/a><\/p>\n
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) November 26, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n