Recently I wrote about how the Colorado Avalanche lack team chemistry. This could well be a team-wide problem. However, chemistry is absolutely essential for defensemen.
Defensemen in today’s NHL have such a wide-reaching job. It’s no longer enough to simply stop — or at least slow down — the opponent team. Defensemen must also be good puck movers. Being able to jump into the play and score a few goals is an added bonus.
With all of those tasks on their plates, it’s tough being an NHL defensemen — that’s probably why good ones are such an expensive commodity.