Danny is an important part of the core of this hockey club. When you look at what the market has become for mobile, puck-moving defensemen who have an offensive upside to them, I thought it was very important both short term and long term.
Quotes about defensemen (16 Quotes)
I am very happy, as far as how all four lines, all six defensemen and the goalie played tonight. The key to us becoming a better team and a competitive team in this league was our work habits and our accountability. And if we lose that, we are an average to a below-average team - as we've seen when we don't work hard.
We've got some guys back there who can bring some offensive ability and make some offensive plays. That's part of being a good offensive team. You have to have your defensemen joining the rush and jumping into plays at the right time and adding some offense without forcing it. That's something young guys grow into.
Our defensemen were great and quickly got the puck out of our end. I think that was a huge difference. They couldn't sustain the attack.
What we wanted to do with our defensemen recruits was add some size and reach to protect the front of our net. And we also wanted to add some offensive punch. All three defensemen are offensive-minded. One of the reasons we were average offensively last year was because we were seventh in the league in offensive production from our defensemen.
I think he's one of the premier defensemen in this league. It's not just the numbers he's putting up. It's how much ice time he gets, the confidence he gives the team. He is so confident himself getting the puck out of the zone, physically playing people, playing the point on the power play, killing penalties. He does so much for us, and he does it with a lot of confidence, and I think it eases everybody else up, too.
We still have to determine if we're going to have 22 guys or 23 guys (on the roster). We've got a lot of defensemen in camp who have played in the NHL.
Most of the big, physical defensemen in the league are capable of punishing an opponent along the wall, ... The good ones hit with balance and don't overextend themselves . . . . But of the many solid defensemen in the NHL that do that on a nightly basis, there's probably only 10 percent that actively look for open-ice hits because there's a lot more potential to get burned if you don't seize the right opportunity and, secondly, execute. Gauthier's one of those players.
We'll see how it all plays out. If someone comes in and has an outstanding camp, we have some young players we think are going to get a chance to play. We're probably going to carry seven or eight defensemen. Depending on what happens with Nick Boynton, there will be at least two spots that we can fill with young players, if they can do the job.
It's Jamie's mobility and ability to move the puck, ... The days of having defensemen who just defend may be waning. With today's game, and the pace and tempo, and the requirement that a defenseman has to be able to make plays, makes Jamie as attractive as ever.
Throughout training camp, they've been our most consistent defensemen. Barker, he's coming out of junior. I'd like to see him elevate his assertiveness. He does everything at one speed, and I think he's finding, as more and more of the regulars are playing, he's caught in between sometimes.
I've really seen myself as a top scorer but more as role player. With my speed, I've gotten a lot of chances at the net, getting close in on the net, beating defensemen wide and getting breakaways. I like to call myself sort of a gritty player. I use my speed to get in there in the corners, but also I like to show a little bit of grit, get in there and throw the body around a little bit. I'm not the biggest guy out there, but I still like to throw a couple of hits.
The defensemen went down and got out of position. So then the goalie had no choice but to play the shot so I knew Mark had an open shot. I gave him a quick look and got him the puck.
All I ever saw Sarah Russell play was forward. I asked her two days before the season started, 'What are your thoughts about playing defense' and she said, 'Oh I love it, I've played it all my life.' But she has wonderful stick skills and an innate confidence as a competitor, and she was clearly one of our top defensemen all year.
They're quick and fast. They attack very aggressively, stretching the defense with the long pass, and their defensemen are very willing to join the rush, and if they don't pass they're willing to skate and attack and that leads to good defense.
It's hard for the defensemen to clear people when you can't tackle them in front of the net. You can still play defense, but you have to work much harder. You have to move your feet, and defensemen have to be mobile, which is how we tried to build our team.