From the contenders to the bottom dwellers, every NHL team aims to have a Big 4 on their blueline. It isn't necessarily that the Big 4 are meant to be all-star caliber defenders but more so that they are leaned upon as a reliable stable of work horses to munch minutes.
The better teams will of course roll out two sets of D pairs who can dominate at both ends of the ice by locking it down defensively, flipping the ice expediently, and contributing to offensive generation whether through skating, passing, and/or shooting.
Heading into this past season, the Blackhawks were banking on a Big 4 of Seth Jones, Calvin de Haan, Connor Murphy, and Jake McCabe. Jones was a key offensive cog but the defensemen in general had difficulty scoring goals including a dismal zero PP markers.
More importantly, all four of them were inconsistent in their own zone as they looked solid one night then shoddy the next. It was rare when all of them were clicking at the same time. Some games one or two would be on point while the others were simply horrid.
With the 2021-22 season in the rearview mirror now, the Hawks must look ahead to start constructing the blueline for 2022-23. Unless general manager Kyle Davidson decides to gut the back line, it would be expected that Jones, Murphy, and McCabe are returning.
On the flipside, de Haan was shopped at the 2022 trade deadline but remained a Blackhawk. Regardless, de Haan along with Erik Gustafsson shouldn't be back. That leaves an opening in the Big 4 which could be filled internally or via trade or free agency.
If filled with an internal candidate, Riley Stillman is a viable consideration as he has 2 years left on his contract. Caleb Jones is a restricted free agent so he could get a look if the Hawks re-sign him. Stillman and C Jones could very well be the 3rd pair, too.
Bringing in a defenseman who is capable of playing on the 1st or 2nd pair could happen through a trade which a few -- or many -- should go down this summer as Davidson starts to retool the roster as part of the rebuild. Free agency is also a route worth exploring.
In the event an experienced D-man or two join the Hawks by way of trades or free agency, said players may be on a one-year plan in that Davidson could leverage deals at the 2023 trade deadline that bring back futures like draft picks and/or prospects.
Another avenue to fill in not only any vacancies in the Big 4 but also the 5/6/7 spots lower on the D depth chart is to promote prospects into these roles. Just as much as the parent club has a Big 4, the farm team also tends to have a Big 4 as well.
At the start of the 2019 offseason, the Big 4 prospects was comprised of Henri Jokiharju, Adam Boqvist, Ian Mitchell, and Nicolas Beaudin. Jokiharju and Boqvist are now in Buffalo and Columbus while the Big 4 has been overhauled save for a lone stalwart.
Now the Big 4 prospects consists of Mitchell along with Jakub Galvas, Alec Regula, and Alex Vlasic -- at least as far as youngsters at the pro level who can easily be recalled from the AHL and log shifts in the NHL on a short- or long-term basis.
So assuming that S Jones, Murphy, and McCabe are the veterans along with youngsters Stillman and C Jones who both have some NHL tread on their tires, that leaves at least one opening in the starting lineup plus at least one reserve in the 7th spot and possibly 8th.
Mitchell could have the edge as he's presently the #1 defenseman for the IceHogs. Yet, Regula and Vlasic ended the season on the Chicago roster. Like Mitchell, Regula grew leaps and bounds in his second pro season. Lo and behold, too, the Hawks defense does need another righty.
Vlasic could stand to get some AHL seasoning at least to start next season. A relative unknown in the system a year ago, Galvas has turned heads ever since training camp this past fall. He acquitted himself quite well in the AHL playing a stead, smart game on D.
Chances are that if any prospects crack the roster out of camp this fall, Mitchell and Regula are the front runners with Galvas and Vlasic as next in line. What the Hawks do with the current crop of veterans, though, will dictate how many spots are in fact available.
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Sources: Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Tribune, Daily Herald, NBC Sports Chicago, The Athletic Chicago
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