We talked last week about this team’s new-look defense corps. This group should be able to keep this team in a lot of games – they’re suddenly a deep, experienced team on the back end, with some durability and solid defenders added.
Still, hockey is a team sport, and that is evidenced further in the defensive zone than any other place on the ice. You can have players like Connor McDavid or Sidney Crosby, who can produce offense regardless the situation, line mates, or competition. But to have an effective defense, there is no one player that is good enough to defend against entire opposing teams.