By: D-CENT Blue-line corps looks strong, but some troubling questions linger Ed Tait
They were an anchor last winter, a resilient group that helped keep things from tearing apart in stormy waters.
Of all the storylines that emerged during the Winnipeg Jets' 2014-15 season -- among them the first playoff berth, the emergence of Adam Lowry, the blockbuster deal with Buffalo and the work of goaltenders Ondrej Pavelec and Michael Hutchinson -- none was more important than a deep defensive corps overcoming a rash of injuries.
Consider that while the Jets finished 14th in man-games lost last season with 228, 151 of those absences came from the blue-line, including large chunks of action missed by regulars Toby Enstrom (23), Jacob Trouba (16), Zach Bogosian (15, before he was traded to the Sabres), Mark Stuart (11) and Dustin Byfuglien (9).