The Chicago Blackhawks have used an unusual lineup approach this season, running seven-defenseman lines for the majority of the first 18 games.
The lines have given the Hawks opportunities to experiment with different forward combinations and confuse opposing teams. There are times when a 12th forward would’ve helped, but overall it’s been a success in the Hawks’ 9-5-4 start.
Connor Bedard has 26 points this season while seeing a variety of linemates like André Burakovsky, Ryan Greene, Tyler Bertuzzi and others. The offense has ramped up overall as they average 3.28 goals for per game, seventh in the NHL.
The forwards are getting the goods with one less position player, but what about the defensemen? An extra skater on their side means at least one defenseman will get the short end of the playing time stick.
Sam Rinzel skated for 11:29 in the Hawks’ overtime loss to the New Jersey Devils. During the road trip, Connor Murphy’s ice time was as high as 13:41 (at Detroit Red Wings) and as low as 8:30 (at Seattle Kraken).
It’s an adjustment for sure, one that even the consistent defensemen are feeling — but they are also seeing the benefits.
“It’s a chemistry thing (and) getting used to who you’re out there with,” defenseman Alex Vlasic said. “It allows for variability (and) change within the lineup.
“You can put whoever you want out there with each other. The coaches are trying to figure out the lineups that they want too, so that gives them the ability to mix things up.”
It applies less to Vlasic than to other defensemen, but when they get less playing time, it can take a mental toll. Artyom Levshunov needed to take a game off to regroup this year, and Rinzel was a healthy scratch Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
When they’re next in line for fewer minutes, the defensemen come up with methods to get involved off the ice. Having this effect, though, takes some time.
“You find ways to stay in the game on the bench,” defenseman Wyatt Kaiser said. “It’s a learned skill, just like anything in hockey.
“Take a guy who’s used to playing a ton of minutes and now he’s playing less minutes, it can be tough to adjust right away because you’re (used to) going and playing hockey. Now it’s ‘how do I stay in the game?’”
Hawks coach Jeff Blashill has noted the cons of running seven-defensemen lineups, including a change of the rhythm among the lines. “I wouldn’t say there’s no rhythm, but it’s a different rhythm,” he said.
It has also earned them a 9-5-4 record, so the 11-7 lineup won’t be abandoned anytime soon. As the season goes on, the defenseman will likely come to learn and excel with seven.
“If you’re not put out there as much, you have a little bit more time to sit there and kind of think about the mistakes you might have made or the shift that you had,” Vlasic said. “It can definitely be a little bit challenging when you’re not getting as many minutes.
“But like I said, I think when everybody’s right around the same level of minutes, it allows everybody to have more energy.”
Practice notes
Chicago Blackhawks left wing Nick Foligno headbutts a puck into the net during warmups before a game against the Seattle Kraken on Monday, Nov. 3, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Jason Redmond)
Team captain Nick Foligno (hand/wrist) was officially placed on injured reserve on Monday after blocking a shot in the second period on Saturday against the Maple Leafs.
Jason Dickinson remains on IR, but has said that he wants to take time to be 100 percent before he returns. The forward regrets pushing through his unclosed injury and said that it “gave up” on him in the Hawks’ 6-3 road loss at the Winnipeg Jets.
“It definitely was something that I should have been a little bit more cautious,” Dickinson said. “There was no way I could keep going.”
The Foligno roster move means the Hawks’ team captain and assistant captain are on IR. Connor Murphy, the other assistant captain, is the only healthy skater with a captain’s patch.
Dickinson said that Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar have impressed him with their leadership skills. In essence, they should be able to fill the shoes of him and Foligno while they heal.
“They’ve taken (it) on their shoulders to say, ‘I’m gonna win games for us’ night after night,” Dickinson said. “That leadership has been nice to see because it’s growth.”
Goaltender Laurent Brossoit was on the ice prior to practice as he eases toward a team debut. He missed the entire 2024-25 campaign with a knee injury and underwent hip surgery in the offseason.
His last game action came in 2023-24, where he had a 15-5-2 record, a .927 save percentage and a 2.00 GAA with the Jets. He signed a two-year, $6.6 million contract with the Hawks in 2024, but has yet to play a game for his new team.
“He says he feels good to be honest with you,” Blashill said. “He’s excited to be back and have the opportunity to be around more shooters and start to get from a really controlled environment into a little less controlled environment.”