Thanksgiving in the United States has historically been an important benchmark for NHL teams. Teams that find themselves in a playoff spot as Americans are preparing their turkey tend to have a statistically strong likelihood of making the postseason. For what it’s worth, if the season were to end through games played on November 13, the Chicago Blackhawks would hold the second wild card spot in the Western Conference.
Because of this reality, trade rumors typically start to pick up around the middle of Thanksgiving. With a larger sample size of games played and injuries beginning to significantly impact lineups, front offices begin assessing their team’s immediate and larger-scale needs. The goal is either to solidify their playoff position or change their team’s trajectory sooner than the trade deadline.
This season, after a long list of teams were represented in the United Center press box for the Blackhawks-Devils game on Wednesday night—including an assistant general manager from Toronto and four individuals whose titles were either director of or head of pro scouting—there has been increased chatter around the Blackhawks’ potential impact on the trade market.
### Blackhawks’ Defensive Depth Sparks Trade Speculation
With the Blackhawks拥有 strong depth on the back end both in the NHL and in Rockford, speculation has grown about which players teams may target in Chicago. This has led to many discussions regarding the quality of specific Blackhawks defensemen on the current roster and potentially available in trades.
Given this context, now seems like a good time to revisit how the Blackhawks are currently deploying their seven defensemen on a nightly basis.
### Distribution of Ice Time Among the Seven Defensemen
In the middle of the Blackhawks’ six-game road trip, I previously analyzed how using a seven-defenseman lineup was benefiting individual players and serving as a development tool. Since that piece, the Blackhawks have gone 3-0-1.
Now, with about 20% of the regular season games played, the sample size is significant enough to make broader observations about player usage and its effectiveness.
According to the analytics site MoneyPuck, which breaks down the share of possible ice time for players, here’s where the Blackhawks’ seven defensemen rank in the NHL among those who have skated at least 150 minutes as of Friday:
– Alex Vlasic: 58th (35.6%)
– Wyatt Kaiser: 103rd (32.3%)
– Sam Rinzel: 123rd (30.2%)
– Artyom Levshunov: 155th (25.7%)
– Matthew Grzelcyk: 162nd (25.1%)
– Connor Murphy: 172nd (23.9%)
– Louis Crevier: 175th (22.4%)
Looking deeper into situational usage, Murphy ranks No. 1 in the NHL in defensive zone starts (25.2%), while Vlasic is No. 7 overall (21%). Meanwhile, Levshunov ranks No. 6 in offensive zone starts (19.4%) and Rinzel is No. 19 (16%).
### Penalty Kill and Special Teams Usage
Entering Friday’s games, the Blackhawks ranked eighth in the NHL in penalty killing with an 84.1% success rate. When sorting the Blackhawks’ defensemen by total short-handed time on ice, it’s clear that the team is deliberately limiting penalty kill responsibilities for their two young right-handed defensemen. This cautious approach is by design, ensuring these players are eased into all situations effectively.
### Productive Defensemen Leading the Charge
The Blackhawks’ power play has taken off since Artyom Levshunov was moved to the top unit. As of Friday, Chicago’s power play ranks fifth in the NHL at 26.0%. Notably, Levshunov ranks third in the NHL in assists per 60 minutes (2.15), trailing only Colorado’s Cale Makar and Ottawa’s Jordan Spence.
Levshunov also sits 13th in the league in points per 60 minutes (2.15), while Louis Crevier ranks 10th (2.2).
To balance the veterans with youth, the Blackhawks added Matthew Grzelcyk on a low-cost, one-year deal. His unheralded impact remains undeniable. MoneyPuck ranks Grzelcyk as the Blackhawks’ leader—and 51st in the NHL—in shifts that start on the fly (64.9%). He is second on the Blackhawks in shifts starting in the offensive zone (12.3%) and leads the team in 5-on-5 expected Goals For percentage at 57.37% (17th in the NHL, minimum 150 minutes TOI), according to Natural Stat Trick.
### Developing a Well-Rounded Defensive Group
The Blackhawks want their young defensemen to gain comfort in all game situations and consistently make a positive impact. The coaching staff is doing a masterful job of utilizing the seven-defenseman rotation to position all players for success, both in the immediate moment and over the long term.
By spreading ice time thoughtfully and assigning roles that suit each player’s strengths and development needs, Chicago is laying a strong foundation for future growth while maintaining competitiveness this season.
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*Photos: Charles LeClaire / Imagn Images and Kamil Krzaczynski / Imagn Images*
https://www.bleachernation.com/blackhawks/2025/11/14/lets-talk-about-the-blackhawks-seven-defensemen-lineup-again/
