When news broke Tuesday about the signing of Chicago Blackhawks 2017 first-round pick Henri Jokiharju, fans rejoiced hoping that reinforcements are hopefully on the way. After a long season of watching Brent Seabrook get blown by and counting the games Duncan Keith went without a goal, it was frustrating watching what has been a solid defensive core get old overnight.
But over the last three seasons, the ‘Hawks have been stockpiling young defensemen in their system hoping a few of them become everyday NHL players.
It’s easy for fans to want top draft selections like Jokiharju and 2017 second-round pick Ian Mitchell to come up quickly, but defensemen typically take longer to adjust to the pro game.