Comparing our new-look blueline to Cup-winning Blackhawks Bluelines of years past

OvermanKingGainer

#BennettFreed #CurseofTheSpulll #FreeOliver
Feb 3, 2015
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It's interesting how after these trades every player on our blueline now has a direct comparable on the Blackhawks' runs


Mark Giordano - somewhere between Brian Campbell and Seabrook
Rasmus Andersson - Seabrook
TJ Brodie - Duncan Keith
Oliver Kylington - Duncan Keith
Derek Forbort - Niklas Hjalmarsson
Travis Hamonic - Niklas Hjalmarsson though he's had a rough year. Maybe the time off will help him get back to his expected level.
Hanifin - Johnny Oduya
Gustafsson - somewhere between Rundblad and Byfgulien

On paper our blueline has all the pieces you need. It'll be interesting to see if it comes together as it should. There are around twenty games of runway to rectify our defensive woes and start playing championship hockey heading into the postseason. The Blues, Capitals and Kings have done it in past years after kind of stumbling through the regular season.
 
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OvermanKingGainer

#BennettFreed #CurseofTheSpulll #FreeOliver
Feb 3, 2015
16,133
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2022 Cup to Calgary
Oof that’s certainly a lot to unpack.

You know, some frame of reference for these comparisons would be beneficial to help those who... may not quite get it.

I just finished doing so in the other thread. Lemmy copy and past it in:

OKG said:
TJ Brodie is one of the most stifling and smoothskating defensemen in the league who can play huge minutes. We've got our Keith.

Mark Giordano is one of the most dependable defensemen in the league who can play huge minutes. We've got our Seabrook. I think he's a bit better in some areas than Seabrook though, so I would add in a bit of that Cambell smoothness.

Oliver Kylington is another Keith, although he's a bit younger and also a better skater. Maybe his time is in the future. At least he's still a Flame today along with Juuso Valimaki. Eventually these two may replace Giordano and Brodie.

Rasmus Andersson is a highly dependable 200 foot defenseman with a bomb of a point shot, and a right hand shot too. We've got the rest of our Seabrook.

Noah Hanifin is a pretty decent skater. He's inconsistent but when he's on his game he can log big minutes. We've got our Oduya.

Derek Forbort, and when healthy Travis Hamonic, are two shutdown defensemen who can lock down a big game with shot blocking, and generally steady Dzone play. We've got our Hjalmarssons.

Erik Gustafsson is a potent offensive player who can provide instant offense when the team is on a lull.

I will add that Forbort is proven in a tough minutes role. He's not a bottom pair defenseman like people are assuming. He's had issues with back problems this year but Treliving says he's finally healthy. What perfect timing!
 
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thaman8765678

Registered User
Jun 11, 2011
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It's interesting how after these trades every player on our blueline now has a direct comparable on the Blackhawks' runs


Mark Giordano - somewhere between Brian Campbell and Seabrook
Rasmus Andersson - Seabrook
TJ Brodie - Duncan Keith
Oliver Kylington - Duncan Keith
Derek Forbort - Niklas Hjalmarsson
Travis Hamonic - Niklas Hjalmarsson though he's had a rough year. Maybe the time off will help him get back to his expected level.
Hanifin - Johnny Oduya
Gustafsson - somewhere between Rundblad and Byfgulien

On paper our blueline has all the pieces you need. It'll be interesting to see if it comes together as it should. There are around twenty games of runway to rectify our defensive woes and start playing championship hockey heading into the postseason. The Blues, Capitals and Kings have done it in past years after kind of stumbling through the regular season.
This is a very biased take. I really don't see the comparisons especially the Forbert, Kylington and Gustafsson ones.

These 3 players are average to below average #6/7 defensemen so to compare them to these great Blackhawks defenders is.... weird.
 

OvermanKingGainer

#BennettFreed #CurseofTheSpulll #FreeOliver
Feb 3, 2015
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This is a very biased take. I really don't see the comparisons especially the Forbert, Kylington and Gustafsson ones.

These 3 players are average to below average #6/7 defensemen so to compare them to these great Blackhawks defenders is.... weird.

Kylington is an easy comparision to see. He's practically the same player as Keith. Just hasn't been put in the same role. He is elite. His biggest weakness is point shots and prime Duncan Keith was also famous for shooting into shinpads so it's not like there's much of a gap there. People just can't see past the difference in usage.

I haven't watched a ton of Gustaffsson but there's no denying he's a 3rd pair D who can provide offense, just like the other two. Byfuglien was so bad at defense when he was a Blackhawk that they actually played him at right wing - he wasn't the Winnipeg version who was actually a solid (if overrated) defenseman.

As for Forbort, he is no 6/7 defenseman. Injuries derailed his season (and his trade value!!) but he's shut down defenseman who can log huge minutes. he's averaged 20:24 of ice time in the last 3 and a half seasons on a defensively stingy team. If you're calling him anything less than a second pair guy you're just talking out of your ass.
 
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ESH

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Kylington is an easy comparision to see. He's practically the same player as Keith. Just hasn't been put in the same role. He is elite. His biggest weakness is point shots and prime Duncan Keith was also famous for shooting into shinpads so it's not like there's much of a gap there. People just can't see past the difference in usage.

I haven't watched a ton of Gustaffsson but there's no denying he's a 3rd pair D who can provide offense, just like the other two. Byfuglien was so bad at defense when he was a Blackhawk that they actually played him at right wing - he wasn't the Winnipeg version who was actually a solid (if overrated) defenseman.

As for Forbort, he is no 6/7 defenseman. Injuries derailed his season (and his trade value!!) but he's shut down defenseman who can log huge minutes. he's averaged 20:24 of ice time in the last 3 and a half seasons on a defensively stingy team. If you're calling him anything less than a second pair guy you're just talking out of your ass.

Don’t go spouting off your crazy opinions and then tell someone they’re talking out of their *** for having a different opinion
 

thaman8765678

Registered User
Jun 11, 2011
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Kylington is an easy comparision to see. He's practically the same player as Keith. Just hasn't been put in the same role. He is elite. His biggest weakness is point shots and prime Duncan Keith was also famous for shooting into shinpads so it's not like there's much of a gap there. People just can't see past the difference in usage.

I haven't watched a ton of Gustaffsson but there's no denying he's a 3rd pair D who can provide offense, just like the other two. Byfuglien was so bad at defense when he was a Blackhawk that they actually played him at right wing - he wasn't the Winnipeg version who was actually a solid (if overrated) defenseman.

As for Forbort, he is no 6/7 defenseman. Injuries derailed his season (and his trade value!!) but he's shut down defenseman who can log huge minutes. he's averaged 20:24 of ice time in the last 3 and a half seasons on a defensively stingy team. If you're calling him anything less than a second pair guy you're just talking out of your ass.
Kylington elite? Forbert second pairing?

Now I know you're delusional, get some sleep bud.
 

Captain Controversy

Registered User
Apr 30, 2015
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Alberta
It's interesting how after these trades every player on our blueline now has a direct comparable on the Blackhawks' runs


Mark Giordano - somewhere between Brian Campbell and Seabrook
Rasmus Andersson - Seabrook
TJ Brodie - Duncan Keith
Oliver Kylington - Duncan Keith
Derek Forbort - Niklas Hjalmarsson
Travis Hamonic - Niklas Hjalmarsson though he's had a rough year. Maybe the time off will help him get back to his expected level.
Hanifin - Johnny Oduya
Gustafsson - somewhere between Rundblad and Byfgulien

On paper our blueline has all the pieces you need. It'll be interesting to see if it comes together as it should. There are around twenty games of runway to rectify our defensive woes and start playing championship hockey heading into the postseason. The Blues, Capitals and Kings have done it in past years after kind of stumbling through the regular season.
What ? Lol


Duncan Kieth is better than any of the d men you compared him to. The hammer comparables are Terrible too. Andersson is better defensively than Seabrook but won't have the same output offensively. Bad comparison again.

Gustafson to big buff ? Really ? Why don't you just compare him to Chara ?
 

DCDM

Da Rink Cats
Mar 24, 2008
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As for Forbort, he is no 6/7 defenseman. Injuries derailed his season (and his trade value!!) but he's shut down defenseman who can log huge minutes. he's averaged 20:24 of ice time in the last 3 and a half seasons on a defensively stingy team. If you're calling him anything less than a second pair guy you're just talking out of your ass.
There is... a lot going on this thread that I'm sure other people will touch on, for better or worse, so I'm not going to get into a lot of it. But I do want to say that I agree with this sentiment, at least. Forbort has played a lot with Doughty in the past, so he's no stranger to playing top 4 minutes, and that's not even mentioning how deep defensively the Kings have been in recent history. I think the likelihood of Forbort being more than a 5/6 guy for the Flames is pretty low, but there's some potential for him to do more than that in a pinch... I just doubt we'll get a chance to see it in action.
 

Tkachuky

Registered User
Dec 30, 2009
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I could see the D being better down the stretch, but if Certain top forwards don’t elevate their game we’re toast. ( no pun intended with regards to toasters)

Lastly, I love BSD but he could also be something that could let us down when the going gets tough.

excited to have 2 Keiths on the team though.
 
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DFF

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Feb 28, 2002
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I stopped reading when I see we have multiple prime Duncan Keith.

It has to be faked news.

Always appreciate OKG's posts though very informative even I disagree with his enthusiasm some times
 
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Iggys Dome

Not allowed to say the “R-Word” (rebuild)
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We're missing one Joel Quenneville.

But yeah man you're out to lunch here. On paper we have a great defence, top 3 in the league if they ever lived up to their potential. But life doesn't work that way, this team is hella inconsistent and I have little faith they'll win anything more than a round if they're lucky to even get in.
 

Volica

Papa Shango
May 15, 2012
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Kylington isn't even as dependable or good as 36 year old Duncan Keith.
 
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