They’re likely having a better season than last year, a trend that should continue, but that’s not saying much. Three of Chicago’s best defensemen came via trades, and of the seven defensemen (more) permanently on this roster, only Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook were drafted by the Blackhawks (Erik Gustafsson was an Oilers pick).
So how did they get here? There will be a wave of defensemen like Adam Boqvist, Ian Mitchell and Nicolas Beaudin in the future, but where is the wave of defensemen to help in the present?