The Chicago Blackhawks were buzzing initially in their road game against the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday. They were up 3-0 near the end of the second period after an Ilya Mikheyev goal that was assisted by defenseman Alex Vlasic (primary) and center Jason Dickinson (secondary).
The Hawks blew that lead in a 4-3 shootout loss, but the defensemen made an attempt to keep their team in the game, combining for six shots on goal.
It’s not like a forward’s shot production — Connor Bedard let eight shots fly and Frank Nazar had four against the Wild — but the defensemen have shown what they can do in the offensive zone this season. The Hawks would say that’s a benefit.
“I don’t think you can undermine production from anybody in the lineup,” Dickinson said. “If we can get everybody involved, everybody pulling their weight, it just makes it a little bit easier on everybody instead of always turning to the same few guys to put the puck in the net.”
Hawks defensemen have seen offensive boosts under new coach Jeff Blashill. They have more chances to handle the puck, especially when Blashill ran seven-defensemen lineups earlier in the season.
Wyatt Kaiser has already hit career highs in goals (five), assists (seven) and points. Artyom Levshunov is in the top five among NHL rookies in assists with 19.
“Against some good teams, playing against (opponent’s) top lines, it’s sometimes tough to get in the O-zone, it’s tough to generate, and you want to be careful with how you do it because you don’t want to be too risky or anything,” said Vlasic, who is seeing less ice time this season but has matched his shot percentage, meaning he’s shooting more. “When the opportunity presents itself, I’ve been doing a pretty good job of trying to contribute.
“A lot of it comes from shooting pucks from the point in the O-zone, low to high. Making sure that we have a big emphasis on putting everything we get to the net and creating chaos that way.”
The top pairing has been taking what it can get. Vlasic and Louis Crevier have launched nine shots on goal in the last three games. In Crevier’s first two seasons, he had 36 shots in 56 games. Through 50 games this season, he has taken 75 shots.
Crevier turns the puck into a bullet whenever he sees the green light. He’s one of four skaters to have multiple 100-mph shots this season, his fastest of 102.41 mph (Nov. 18 against the Calgary Flames) the fifth-hardest in the NHL.
It’s not an attempt you want to be in front of when it flies.
“(I) took a step from last year (offensively), so that’s the biggest thing for me,” Crevier said. “I’m not focusing on points more than getting pucks on net and trying to create opportunity because you can’t really control points and goals.
“(My shot) is something that I use a lot, but I’m not always trying to shoot my hardest. I’m trying to put pucks on net, and sometimes it creates the same amount, or more chances than my hardest shot, so (I) evaluate every situation.”
There may be a new era of defensemen that’s arriving in the NHL, such as New York Islanders rookie Matthew Schaefer, who has had forward-like production in his first season in the league.
The 2025 No. 1 draft pick has 34 points (13 goals, 21 assists) in 52 games. On Nov. 2 he became the youngest defenseman in NHL history to have a multigoal game and is one of two 18-year-old defensemen in history to reach 10 points through 12 games (Phil Housley).
Schaefer could be a rare case, but will running up the stat sheet be a necessity for future defensemen?
“I think you need some of those guys, but you need also some more defensive guys,” Crevier said. “You need those in hockey, soccer, in every sport.”
Added Vlasic: “I think a team needs a combination of everything. If you look at (the Florida Panthers) that’s won the last two years, they haven’t necessarily had that No. 1 offensive D-man. They have a lot of two-way guys, a lot of guys that know how to play defense first.”
Indeed, those traditional defensemen still exist. The Hawks faced one Tuesday in Quinn Hughes.
The former Vancouver Canucks captain shoots when he deems fit, but he wouldn’t be one of the NHL’s top blueliners if he didn’t put defense first. He logged 27:49 of ice time versus the Hawks with one shot on goal and an assist.
“Quinn Hughes is a smaller guy, but defensively he’s so good with his stick and his feet,” Vlasic said. “(He’s) able to strip guys from pucks then transition and kind of catch the other team off guard.”
Whatever the role of a future defenseman is, Hawks blueliners will try to stay consistent with their game and be the best version of themselves.
“There’s a lot of things (that make elite defensemen),” Crevier said. “When your teammates have confidence in you, I think that’s something that means a lot for defensemen.”