What are your preferred D-pairs

Created by: Roviet_Sussia

Team: 2019-20 Chicago Blackhawks

Initial Creation Date: Jun. 10, 2020

Published: Jun. 11, 2020

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

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Right Handed

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McDavid, Connor

$12,500,000 ( Performance Bonus

$250,000)

NMC

UFA - 5

Description

I was thinking about what CHI should roll with going in to the play-in series. Going off of most updated reports, Caggiula, Boqvist, and De Haan (likely) will be back from injury. Seabrook, Shaw, and Smith are all considered closed for the season. As of right now, Mitchell isn't technically signed and thus unable to play.

The defense can only be so good with what personnel CHI has, but my thinking on these pairs:

KEITH - BOQIVST: Have played with each other all season, generated an xGF% and CF% just shy of 50%. Not ideal as your top pair, but it's a pair that can skate well and will attempt to control possession. Boqvist has one of the highest quality shots among defenseman in the league, so he needs to allowed to use that as much as possible. As such, this pair would start in the offensive-zone almost exclusively and split PP time.

DE HAAN - MURPHY: Stereotypical "shutdown" pair, with excellent exit-and-entry percentages while under pressure from forechecks. Both are adequate skaters and aren't afraid to lob shots on net. This pair would get the majority of defensive-zone starts and feature on the PK.

MAATTA - KOEKKOEK: CHI's most reliable pair should be able to chunk out some minutes and ease pressure for the other two pairs. Maatta and Koekkoek have proven to control all three zones effectively, and I wouldn't be afraid to lean on them regularly in 5v5 play.

All pairs would ideally have equal minutes, as they all complement each other and can support one other across the length of a game.

Retained Salary Transactions

Robin Lehner: $2,500,000 (50%)

Draft	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Round 4	Round 5	Round 6	Round 7
2020
2021
2022

ROSTER

LONG-TERM OUTLOOK

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ROSTER SIZE	SALARY CAP	CAP HIT	OVERAGES	BONUSES	CAP SPACE
24	$81,500,000	$61,739,186	$0	$7,797,500	$19,760,814

Left Wing	Centre	Right Wing
Kubalik, Dominik $925,000$925,000 ($850,000$850K) LW, RW UFA - 1	Toews, Jonathan $10,500,000$10,500,000 C NMC UFA - 4	Caggiula, Drake $1,500,000$1,500,000 LW, RW UFA - 1
Nylander, Alexander $863,333$863,333 ($850,000$850K) RW, LW RFA - 2	Strome, Dylan $863,333$863,333 ($2,475,000$2M) C UFA - 1	Kane, Patrick $2,625,000$2,625,000 RW NMC UFA - 4
DeBrincat, Alex $778,333$778,333 ($32,500$32K) LW, RW UFA - 1	Dach, Kirby $925,000$925,000 ($2,500,000$2M) C, RW RFA - 3	Saad, Brandon $5,000,000$5,000,000 LW, RW UFA - 2
Highmore, Matthew $775,833$775,833 ($107,500$108K) LW, RW UFA - 1	Kämpf, David $1,000,000$1,000,000 C UFA - 2	Carpenter, Ryan $1,000,000$1,000,000 RW, C UFA - 3

Left Defense	Right Defense	Goaltender
Keith, Duncan $5,538,462$5,538,462 LD NMC UFA - 4	Boqvist, Adam $894,167$894,167 ($850,000$850K) RD RFA - 3	Crawford, Corey $6,000,000$6,000,000 G M-NTC, NMC UFA - 1
De Haan, Calvin $4,550,000$4,550,000 LD/RD UFA - 3	Murphy, Connor $3,850,000$3,850,000 RD UFA - 3	Subban, Malcolm $850,000$850,000 G UFA - 1
Määttä, Olli $3,333,225$3,333,225 LD UFA - 3	Koekkoek, Slater $925,000$925,000 LD/RD UFA - 1

Scratches	Injured Reserve (IR)	Long Term IR (LTIR)
Hagel, Brandon $880,833$880,833 LW UFA - 2	Smith, Zack $3,250,000$3,250,000 LW, C M-NTC UFA - 2	Shaw, Andrew $3,900,000$3,900,000 C, RW UFA - 3
Beaudin, Nicolas $894,167$894,167 LD UFA - 4		Seabrook, Brent $6,875,000$6,875,000 RD NMC UFA - 5
Carlsson, Lucas $792,500$792,500 ($132,500$132K) LD UFA - 2
Seeler, Nick $725,000$725,000 LD/RD UFA - 2

Top Comments

Jun. 11, 2020 at 3:38 p.m.

ChiHawk

Joined: Apr. 2017

Posts: 19,080

Likes: 9,404

Those are the pairs they likely roll with. However, I think they should also entertain swapping Murphy and BoQ. Murphy and Keith were the best pairing on the team this season. BoQ and De Haan would potentially balance one another well.

Up front, that line of Nylander - Strome - Kane will get killed defensively. Swap Dach and Strome. Also see no reason to break up the best line of Kubalik - Toews - Saad.

treemos27, CFMan and exo2769 liked this.

Jun. 11, 2020 at 4:22 p.m.

SlickWilly

Joined: Nov. 2017

Posts: 3,238

Likes: 2,190

I wouldnt mind letting Carlsson Platoon with De Haan and not rush him back in completely after his surgery

exo2769 liked this.

Jun. 11, 2020 at 5:07 p.m.

exo2769

Joined: Jul. 2015

Posts: 15,683

Likes: 9,837

Quoting: ChiHawk

I agree with swapping Boqvist and Murphy as well. That pair is more likely to succeed when someone like McDavid or Drai are out there. There are other intangible reason why to do this as well. I want Boqvist to be 100% fresh for the PP. It's the playoffs...so we're going to have to play our strengths and hope things work out. Boqvist is our best PP quarterback even as a rookie. We can't roll him out there to play defense against McDavid/Drai as a rookie and just expect everything to be ok. I do agree with the 4k and Maatta pair. They were better than anyone outside of Chicago is willing to give them credit for.

I also agree with Swapping Dach/Strome. it's not a slight against anyone on the 2nd or 3rd line. Debrincat and Strome BOTH play better when together. AND if Dach's truly supposed to be the centerman that Kane's always wanted....then they just need a ton of ice time together. Dach's a #3OA pick...toss him in the fire with a VERY experience vet.

ChiHawk liked this.

Jun. 11, 2020 at 5:25 p.m.

SlickWilly

Joined: Nov. 2017

Posts: 3,238

Likes: 2,190

I guess Regula has been at the Phase 2 training sessions as well, think he might get a shot there? I know he's technically listed as RD but was Boqvists partner for a time. Maybe
2-5
44-68 (Koekkoek, its been too long I mightve forgot)
Regula-Boqvist
? Maybe ?

Jun. 11, 2020 at 5:46 p.m.

exo2769

Joined: Jul. 2015

Posts: 15,683

Likes: 9,837

Quoting: SlickWilly

I don't see him getting any ice time, but getting familiar with the team is always a good thing. Treat this like playoff hockey and all the rookies will gain in experience. I'm happy he's training with them.

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What are your preferred D-pairs

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