Ek rumor FWIW. Martinez back to LA, or Nashville or Boston possibly in the mix.

Some championship teams do start here,and other teams have the same amount of top picks and can't make the playoffs.
I understand what they want to do, but I also think using all 3 of Bedard's rookie contract years to be bad and acquire more picks that will also need 2-3 years to develop is kind of dumb.
Mackinnon and McDavid both made the playoffs one time in their 1st four years in the league.
My hope is that Bedard and the Blackhawks make it next year,but with the way things are looking it doesn't seem all too realistic
- captainserious

IMO each situation is different and in the Hawks situation they landed Bedard very early in the rebuild. Bedard is really starting to get his legs under him at the NHL level but he is still very green to be expecting much in terms of playoffs. Last year he was struggling with the physical play in the regular season and would have been dominated even harder in the post season. This year he is handling it a bit better, but still not someone that you look at and expect he will be fine in close checking playoff atmosphere (yet).

We need more talented depth and the first real wave of that talent from the rebuild is 1-2 years away from trickling up to the NHL level. I think once they Hawks do become a playoff bound team, it will be a night and day difference.

I don't think the Hawks were not in a position to capitalize on Bedard's ELC without mucking up the rebuild for short term gain (with a low chance of success). KD would have had to hand out lots of term and money to try to "win now", further handcuff the team when the young talent comes up and we probably still would be easily bounced in round 1. I would argue that we don't even have the level of goaltending that is needed to be real playoff team either, Mrazek is average, but not the kind you really win with IMO.

Once we start to get the pieces in place in the NHL for example... KK, Levshunov, Nazar, Moore, Slaggert, Rinzel, Hayes, Lardis, Commesso, or similar then we need KD to fill in holes with a couple solid vets via trade or UFA to put us in a position to not just make the playoffs, but have a chance to win some series.

IMO each situation is different and in the Hawks situation they landed Bedard very early in the rebuild. Bedard is really starting to get his legs under him at the NHL level but he is still very green to be expecting much in terms of playoffs. Last year he was struggling with the physical play in the regular season and would have been dominated even harder in the post season. This year he is handling it a bit better, but still not someone that you look at and expect he will be fine in close checking playoff atmosphere (yet).

We need more talented depth and the first real wave of that talent from the rebuild is 1-2 years away from trickling up to the NHL level. I think once they Hawks do become a playoff bound team, it will be a night and day difference.

I don't think the Hawks were not in a position to capitalize on Bedard's ELC without mucking up the rebuild for short term gain (with a low chance of success). KD would have had to hand out lots of term and money to try to "win now", further handcuff the team when the young talent comes up and we probably still would be easily bounced in round 1. I would argue that we don't even have the level of goaltending that is needed to be real playoff team either, Mrazek is average, but not the kind you really win with IMO.

Once we start to get the pieces in place in the NHL for example... KK, Levshunov, Nazar, Moore, Slaggert, Rinzel, Hayes, Lardis, Commesso, or similar then we need KD to fill in holes with a couple solid vets via trade or UFA to put us in a position to not just make the playoffs, but have a chance to win some series.
- breadbag

I get what you are saying,but there is no way their prospects come up at the same time and be factors. Some of them might never make it to the NHL.

But if you plan on competing in the next year or two,then this was the year to sign a Teuvo,Bert,Martinez but at the same time let Nazar,Korch and Slaggert play with the big boys. I'm not sure exactly what Brodie,Maroon,Smith,Donato bring to the team that the kids don't.
I like that Allan and Kaiser are playing almost every night,just feel that Nazar,Slaggert and Korch could have been gaining NHL experience as well.
IF those 3 get brought up some time in late Dec or early Jan and play out the rest of the season in the NHL then fine. Otherwise this season was used for what exactly? To see if they can play in the AHL?

I get what you are saying,but there is no way their prospects come up at the same time and be factors. Some of them might never make it to the NHL.

But if you plan on competing in the next year or two,then this was the year to sign a Teuvo,Bert,Martinez but at the same time let Nazar,Korch and Slaggert play with the big boys. I'm not sure exactly what Brodie,Maroon,Smith,Donato bring to the team that the kids don't.
I like that Allan and Kaiser are playing almost every night,just feel that Nazar,Slaggert and Korch could have been gaining NHL experience as well.
IF those 3 get brought up some time in late Dec or early Jan and play out the rest of the season in the NHL then fine. Otherwise this season was used for what exactly? To see if they can play in the AHL?
- captainserious

Honestly, I get what you are saying. I think playing in the AHL does give them pro experience and allow them to play lots of minutes without so much pressure. I do think all 3 of those guys would be fine in the NHL, but I think they are trying to establish this culture that the young guys are not given a spot just to get them experience, they have to beat out an NHL level player. Guys like Brodie, Maroon, Smith, etc don't set such a high bar for them to clear.

I know there was this sentiment from the Hawks F/O that they didn't want to be in a position like last year, when they had injuries and they had to play combinations of Phillips, Megna, Crevier, Pitlik, Sanford, Beauvillier, Gutman etc. All these guys brought in or brought up to fill in holes, all while having young guys like Bedard/Korchinski as teenagers, Lukas Riechel struggling to find his game as pretty much a sophomore player. While also carrying guys who were under-achieving or limited in their impact like Raddysh, Johnson, Johnson, Entwistle, Zaitsev, Tinordi.

i.e. we had this lineup in our 8-1 loss to Dallas on New Years Eve last year.

Foligno-Bedard-Kurashev
Reichel-TJohnson-Guttman
Beauvillier-Richardinson-Blackwell
Donato-Entwistle-RJohnson

Vlasic-Murphy
Tinordi-Phillips
Korchinski-Crevier

Mrazek

I was all for KK, Nazar, or Slaggert making this team and honestly, I'm still pretty sure that injuries/trades will see most if not all of those three play some NHL games this season. The Hawks haven't been banged up too badly so far, I think if the injury bug comes around at least we'll have a bit more depth.

Honestly, I get what you are saying. I think playing in the AHL does give them pro experience and allow them to play lots of minutes without so much pressure. I do think all 3 of those guys would be fine in the NHL, but I think they are trying to establish this culture that the young guys are not given a spot just to get them experience, they have to beat out an NHL level player. Guys like Brodie, Maroon, Smith, etc don't set such a high bar for them to clear.

I know there was this sentiment from the Hawks F/O that they didn't want to be in a position like last year, when they had injuries and they had to play combinations of Phillips, Megna, Crevier, Pitlik, Sanford, Beauvillier, Gutman etc. All these guys brought in or brought up to fill in holes, all while having young guys like Bedard/Korchinski as teenagers, Lukas Riechel struggling to find his game as pretty much a sophomore player. While also carrying guys who were under-achieving or limited in their impact like Raddysh, Johnson, Johnson, Entwistle, Zaitsev, Tinordi.

i.e. we had this lineup in our 8-1 loss to Dallas on New Years Eve last year.

Foligno-Bedard-Kurashev
Reichel-TJohnson-Guttman
Beauvillier-Richardinson-Blackwell
Donato-Entwistle-RJohnson

Vlasic-Murphy
Tinordi-Phillips
Korchinski-Crevier

Mrazek

I was all for KK, Nazar, or Slaggert making this team and honestly, I'm still pretty sure that injuries/trades will see most if not all of those three play some NHL games this season. The Hawks haven't been banged up too badly so far, I think if the injury bug comes around at least we'll have a bit more depth.
- breadbag

That lineup is absolute trash
How did they manage to get to 55pts last season

From the last blog



KD is nuts if he thinks all the players on the roster are going to be his draft picks. Fire him now if that is what he's thinking.

I always thought he'd move some 1st round picks with an expiring contract for something decent.
Not sure how much value a 1st round prospect has to other teams? Doesn't the other team generally want to use that pick on someone they fits their team?

Kyle from Chicago seems to want to make a move - supposedly tried to get Montreal's pick in the last draft / put an offer out to Guentzel. But almost making a move and making a move is 2 different things.

Ryan(chief) from Barstool said it right - the moment a team landa a Bedard talent, the re-build should speed up.

I wouldn't be surprised to see them try and land Marner or Rantanen if they become FAs after this season. Not sure how much patience Bedard has.
- captainserious

No one said all the players on the roster. I said the foundational pieces

I get what you are saying,but there is no way their prospects come up at the same time and be factors. Some of them might never make it to the NHL.

But if you plan on competing in the next year or two,then this was the year to sign a Teuvo,Bert,Martinez but at the same time let Nazar,Korch and Slaggert play with the big boys. I'm not sure exactly what Brodie,Maroon,Smith,Donato bring to the team that the kids don't.
I like that Allan and Kaiser are playing almost every night,just feel that Nazar,Slaggert and Korch could have been gaining NHL experience as well.
IF those 3 get brought up some time in late Dec or early Jan and play out the rest of the season in the NHL then fine. Otherwise this season was used for what exactly? To see if they can play in the AHL?
- captainserious

Simply said, last yr was a clown show at times not just cuz they were out talented but out positioned/out structured/out properly played. ..... When a Smith, Brodie or Maroon are on the ice in any zone generally speaking they are positioned within the structure but you can't say the same about a Nazar or KK.

That is the reason they hadn't scored a goal in Denver in 3 yrs. That has now changed and they are in pretty much every game as the kids develop in the pipeline. And they should become tighter and more cohesive as LR finds the best combinations and chemistry builds.

Regarding Hall, I don't think we can really criticize his speed too much considering he is in his 30's now. He hasn't clicked quite with his linemates so far, but his wheels are roughly where the were a couple years ago with Boston based on skating metrics. He used to be closer to AA and Mikheyev in terms of pure speed, but he is still faster up and down than ice than most of the rest of the team including the much younger guys like Kurashev, Bedard, Reichel.

He might need to make adjustments, but he is still getting chances and putting pucks on net, I think maybe the coaches will get him going with a bit more production if he keeps putting in the work/effort here.
- breadbag

It was less of a critique and more matter of fact he doesn't have that extra gear like MacKinnon clicked on last night at this stage to be torching guys from the mid line or blue line into the zone.

Maybe better for him to get the puck off his blade sooner and just dump it rather than forcing the carry like he used to be able to get away with in his prime.

Ek rumor FWIW. Martinez back to LA, or Nashville or Boston possibly in the mix.
- boilermaker100

I think the only way that works is if Korch or big Arty is promoted soon and does not go back down.

Plus you know the whole being healthy thing.

From the ball arena (and last blog). The biggest pain in the ass for the 300 level is, especially behind the net you can't really see the closest net easily.

The first period was weird and the game itself was one of the less entertaining ones I've been too. Makar was certainly the best player on the ice.

The top line was ineffective. MacKinnon really has Bedards number. Though off the puck Bedard was whacking and maybe chirping Makar behind the play which was pretty hilarious and another good sign of growth from the kid. Kurashev does not fit with TT and Bedard. Still think Bertuzzi is the way to go there since he has no desire to handle the puck just win it, go to the net and look for garbage.

We were right behind the Hawks goal for the first period. You could have thrown a bed into the goal with the amount of space Georgiev left open. Woof. Yay that he finished that but he was also pretty useless 5v5.

It was interesting to see how they play with that 4th line on the ice. Basically, the two defenders and Smith and Maroon sit back in a box and Reichel just skates around like a wombat on speed looking to pop the puck off someone. It's like watching kids play. Sure it looks like he's productive and he's winning some pucks and getting a few shots and points but that definitely explains why that "productivity" doesn't translate to playing with actual hockey players. And I guess if you're getting spanked in possession - as long as its the other teams worst players how bad could it be?

Reichel still has the lowest 5v5 time by a margin but I'd just leave him there and maybe something clicks at some point to where he can play with better players in an actual system?

Reichel and Donato are shaping up to be the two best bum slayers in the league. Take em where you can get em.

Taylor Hall very clearly does not have the afterburner he had 5 or 6 years ago and probably needs to make some adjustments to his game. Still strong on his skates but can't blow past guys like he used to and is holding the puck too long and trying too hard to "be a guy". Really needs to get off the puck sooner and as Captain Can't Shut Up says "accept a role".

Pretty funny moment was on a break out thinking oh shoot a jail break - oh nope it's Foligno.

Watching MacKinnon undress Jones was hilarious. And one thing that is apparent live is Jones's skating backwards and side to side is very bad. Good for him finally making an adjustment and just skating directly to him and grabbing him in the later part of the game but I think his jock is still floating down the platt river somewhere on its way to Nebraska.

Murphy is actually a pretty solid hockey player. He gets a lot of poop here but he's usually in the right spot, reads the play reasonably well and usually makes a decent enough first pass. For a 15 minute \ night kills penalties player I think there is a lot of value. @19 mins maybe not so much.

Allen could end up being a better version. There were a few plays he just missed but looks the part. Used his frame well a few times and made some good passes. Kaiser was fine. Neither of these guys are going to be push the puck forward with purpose players though.

Brodie is bad. Whatever happened at the end of last year that got him dropped from the line up looks like it is persisting. He just isn't moving well. You almost feel bad for the guy.

Overall - good to see them win. Especially against Colorado. The Avs looked like a depleted team that played the night before for most of the the game and their goaler is horrifically bad but that's just the league and good on the Hawks for taking advantage of a group while theyre down.

Can't be stressed enough how amazing the Cale Makar show is when that guy flips the switch. MacKinnon is pretty impressive too but I think you could make a Makar is the best player in the NHL argument right now.
- fattybeef

Glad you reposted this, fatty. I had copied and was gonna paste it in the new blog but see you have. Nice read, thanks for taking the time.

As you watched Kaiser play with Jones last night he was on the ice for 8 shots for and zero against. Kid threw up a ridiculous 80% CF and a crazy 98 xGF. ... The eye saw him with his usual work rate but as time goes on he jumps in more as a 4th forward and nicely kept a few shifts alive and dangerous with some excellent keeps........ You have a thought on Kaiser's skating?

Reichel's fancies are always kinda strange. He's usually underwater in corsi like last night with a 46% CF but he had a 62% SF% and a fantastic 67% xGF. Kid has game breaking traits and his fancies and eye test backs that up but his line usually loses the CF possession battle by a bit.

Right on, keep him on L4. Simply said it's working and the savvy vets Smith and Maroon fit nicely with the dynamic yet flawed Reichel vs L4 opponents.

Glad you got to see this group live and playing as well as they did last night. The 1st period was their best period of the yr with an 81% SF advantage and a crazy high high danger chances advantage of 10-1 and 14-6 for the game!!

Ek rumor FWIW. Martinez back to LA, or Nashville or Boston possibly in the mix.
- boilermaker100

Minimum 2nd and a 1st if they make the finals.

I think the only way that works is if Korch or big Arty is promoted soon and does not go back down.

Plus you know the whole being healthy thing.
- fattybeef

Thanks for the recap from last night’s game, you can see so much more live than on tv. Martinez will stick around until the TDL, hopefully he stays healthy so the Hawks can get good value back.

https://x.com/JFreshHocke...12EUhrQOx-3PhU6umoWg&s=19

5 on 5 team defense

IMO each situation is different and in the Hawks situation they landed Bedard very early in the rebuild. Bedard is really starting to get his legs under him at the NHL level but he is still very green to be expecting much in terms of playoffs. Last year he was struggling with the physical play in the regular season and would have been dominated even harder in the post season. This year he is handling it a bit better, but still not someone that you look at and expect he will be fine in close checking playoff atmosphere (yet).

We need more talented depth and the first real wave of that talent from the rebuild is 1-2 years away from trickling up to the NHL level. I think once they Hawks do become a playoff bound team, it will be a night and day difference.

I don't think the Hawks were not in a position to capitalize on Bedard's ELC without mucking up the rebuild for short term gain (with a low chance of success). KD would have had to hand out lots of term and money to try to "win now", further handcuff the team when the young talent comes up and we probably still would be easily bounced in round 1. I would argue that we don't even have the level of goaltending that is needed to be real playoff team either, Mrazek is average, but not the kind you really win with IMO.

Once we start to get the pieces in place in the NHL for example... KK, Levshunov, Nazar, Moore, Slaggert, Rinzel, Hayes, Lardis, Commesso, or similar then we need KD to fill in holes with a couple solid vets via trade or UFA to put us in a position to not just make the playoffs, but have a chance to win some series.
- breadbag

I do think the first real wave of talent is here now with Reichel, Vlasic, Kaiser and Allan. I know fatty said Reichel is bum slaying but going up against quality NHL players with Maroon, Smith and AA having i believe the primary assist on all 3 assists is pretty fing good. He does have a different style than Bedard he's more north south player not weave and try to create space and passing lanes player like Bedard is, probably why he does better with a forward like AA.

I hope this continues for him, even on the goal he scored, win the face off and headed straight to the net.

https://x.com/JFreshHocke...OMFV2ZLUEAFl0qa-FJ0w&s=19

According to this stat looks like we should score more goals in the future, we'll see

Glad you reposted this, fatty. I had copied and was gonna paste it in the new blog but see you have. Nice read, thanks for taking the time.

As you watched Kaiser play with Jones last night he was on the ice for 8 shots for and zero against. Kid threw up a ridiculous 80% CF and a crazy 98 xGF. ... The eye saw him with his usual work rate but as time goes on he jumps in more as a 4th forward and nicely kept a few shifts alive and dangerous with some excellent keeps........ You have a thought on Kaiser's skating?

Reichel's fancies are always kinda strange. He's usually underwater in corsi like last night with a 46% CF but he had a 62% SF% and a fantastic 67% xGF. Kid has game breaking traits and his fancies and eye test backs that up but his line usually loses the CF possession battle by a bit.

Right on, keep him on L4. Simply said it's working and the savvy vets Smith and Maroon fit nicely with the dynamic yet flawed Reichel vs L4 opponents.

Glad you got to see this group live and playing as well as they did last night. The 1st period was their best period of the yr with an 81% SF advantage and a crazy high high danger chances advantage of 10-1 and 14-6 for the game!!
- Mr Ricochet

Didn't even notice that Kaiser was playing with Jones until I wondered where was Kaiser playing. That's probably a good thing.

He's getting better at closing gaps and pinching. He moves well enough in all 4 directions that he wasn't really getting roasted up the boards or chasing the play. Some unfortunate penalties, def a bit of home ice refereeing.

Vlasic is also pinching much better and Allen had a few that were well timed. I think LR wants them moving up the backside board and keeping in the ring around zone exit.

The only thing I don't like about the Reichel thing is he's just skating all over the ice. Not sure how noticeable that is on TV but live, like I mentioned, it's pretty much a box and one. It definitely helps hide some of his deficiencies but not sure that it will translate to playing up the line up. But we'll see.

Watched the second period of the Kings/Sharks game. SJ plays a good defense but their offense is horrendous. Plus, I think I had more people at my wedding than they had in the stands.

Edvinsson had 24 TOI Sunday in OT loss - same TOI as Seider

Yzerman saw how he could loose Maata on defense as he didn't need him too much

Watched the second period of the Kings/Sharks game. SJ plays a good defense but their offense is horrendous. Plus, I think I had more people at my wedding than they had in the stands.
- bjphawkfan

Good line

A key to a rebuild is goaltending. It does not need to be elite, but it needs to be good. Hawks have that. Look at Buffalo, Detroit, Edmonton, etc. During their early rebuilding years their goalies were generally subpar.

I think D!ckinson is great. But what could he bring in trade right now with everyone looking for a 2C/3C? Maybe a 1st, a 2nd, and a young big 2C prospect a year or two away from the NHL? Interesting to think about.

Practical look at forwards on the Hawks roster.

One top line player. Bedard. Is he a center or a wing. He really looks like he has as much interest in playing a 200' game as Kaner did. I think he will ultimately be an elite wing.

Two good 2nd line wingers. Hall and TT

One big good 200 foot 2C/3C (depending on the team). D!ckinson.

Three very similar middle 6 players each with some potential. Mikheyev, Kurashev, Reichel.

Five good bottom six players. Foligno, Donato, Smith, Anderson, Maroon.

Bertuzzi. So far an enigma. We probably can assess better after 25 games.

A speed merchant with little else. AA

Powers writes about Levshunov in the Athletic. Some excerpts for those who don't subscribe.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Artyom Levshunov was coming off a fractured foot. He had been in just two practices. He missed training camp and hadn’t played in a competitive game for more than six months.

When Levshunov took the ice last weekend for the Rockford IceHogs, making his pro debut as an 18-year-old (he turned 19 on Monday), he showed why the Chicago Blackhawks selected him second in the 2024 NHL Draft.

“He didn’t play like he was 18 or 19,” IceHogs coach Anders Sorensen said of the defenseman. “He looked like he’s been in the league for a while. He’s really poised, really calm under pressure. I thought that just the way he processes the game was interesting to watch.”

As Sorensen and the Blackhawks know, it’s just the start for Levshunov. They were happy to finally get him going, but they’re especially excited to see what he can do when he’s up to speed. He played nearly 24 minutes in his debut on Saturday and about another 22 minutes on Sunday.

Here are some takeaways from Levshunov’s first pro games as a Blackhawks prospect.

Levshunov’s skating immediately jumped out. With his 6-foot-2, 209-pound frame, he gets to pucks and breaks up plays quickly.

“His first step, it’s very efficient,” Sorensen said. “The way he moves, it’s one, two strides, and he’s at full speed already. Where everybody talks about the first three steps have to be explosive, but he’s like shot out of a cannon his first step. That’s part of it. He’s so balanced when he defends. His posture is very good.”

“He’s a very quiet skater,” Sorensen said. “It’s crazy. It’s like you don’t hear him when he strides. Kevin (Korchinski), you can hear. Arty’s such a powerful glider. I reference William (Nylander) because I know William so well, but it’s like you don’t hear them they’re skating and you’re like, all of sudden, where he did he come from?”

Levshunov is built like a man already, which separates him from fellow teenagers playing pro hockey. He’s not that physical, though the Big Ten probably toughed him up, but he doesn’t shy away from it, either.

“Obviously it’s a benefit that he’s got a heavy stick,” Sorensen said. “He’s got a quick stick, too, defensively. I noticed a couple of times he just anticipates and he’s able to poke the puck off the opponent’s stick. Or if it’s a 50-50 puck, he’s able to utilize his stick and jam it up the wall. That way it’s almost a breakout.”

The Blackhawks drafted Levshunov so high to be the full package. His defensive-zone play will be vital, but they also expect him to bring something offensively. In the two games, you could see where that potential could lie, too.

Levshunov also showed patience when holding the puck. A lot of players his age have quick pressure points and want to move the puck quickly.

“He’s very poised,” Sorensen said. “I think the other thing is he keeps the puck on his forehand a lot. He keeps it loaded a lot, so he’s in that threatening position to pass or shoot or hang on. He freezes a lot of opponents that way. They think he’s going to pass it or think he’s going to shoot it and he kind of hangs onto it. And because his posture is so good when he’s in those moments, he’s able to use his skating and kind of get away from guys. But the poise is definitely noticeable for a young kid.”

Sorensen played Levshunov along with fellow defenseman Kevin Korchinski on the IceHogs’ top power play. Korchinski was more of the quarterback, and Levshunov played on the flank.

“I think Arty, it’s not a position he’s been in a lot,” Sorensen said. “I talked to him a little bit about it. He’s used to being at the top of the umbrella, and I’m sure he’ll get there. We just wanted to kind of get him on on the power play at first there. He’s got a really good shot. I thought he handled the flank really well because, as a D-man, that’s a hard spot to play if you haven’t played there. But you could see the poise he had in some of those situations.”

Like with all the young defensemen, Sorensen and his staff will also work on Levshunov’s gap.

“I thought there’s definitely some times where his gaps were good, there’s times where he gave up some ice,” Sorensen said. “I think with him because he’s such a good skater, encourage him to be and defend on the front of his foot. And what I mean by that is be up a lot and skate forward a lot. We don’t need him to be backing off too much on the lines and stuff. You said it yourself that you saw him contest people early, but we can contest people even earlier at the red line or offensive blue line, and that’s what we want him to do.”

With time, the Blackhawks are hoping he’ll be doing that at the NHL level. They are going to be patient with him. They want him to get pro reps, a ton of ice time and test what he’s able to do at the pro level.

The weekend was just the beginning.

“It’s going to be fun to watch because you see how high his ceiling is in certain areas,” Sorensen said. “Just like all of them, he’s got some stuff he’s got to work on, but, again, he’s 19 years old just today. So impressive just to see some of his certain attributes that he has that he showcased in these two games. It’s going to be fun to watch.”

I think D!ckinson is great. But what could he bring in trade right now with everyone looking for a 2C/3C? Maybe a 1st, a 2nd, and a young big 2C prospect a year or two away from the NHL? Interesting to think about.
- Ztra

I think D!ckinson is worth more to the Hawks as a 3C than whatever they get back in return, because it won’t be what you’re suggesting. JMHO

Nice write up by Powers in The Athletic on Levshunov getting into RFD games with some clips of his play.

Sounds like he’s stepped in quite nicely after missing several months. If he lives up to expectations, defense looks destined to be very good for a number of years.

Edit - See Boiler’s post above…