The Chicago Blackhawks had some good defensive performances over the course of 2025-26.
The Chicago Blackhawks ended the season as the youngest in the National Hockey League. Part of that was because of the youth they had on their blue line after the trade deadline.
Chicago’s defense doesn’t have a front-runner to be the future number one guy, but there are a couple of guys in the mix. They are also deep when it comes to players under the age of 24 who are capable of making an impact right now.
Throughout the season, some veterans played big minutes before the deadline, allowing the youth to be eased in.
This is every defender who skated for Chicago at some point in 2025-26, graded against their expectations:
Louis Crevier: A
Coming into the season, nobody thought that Louis Crevier was going to be an everyday defenseman. Not only did he do that, but he was the most important every single night. Crevier ended up dressing in 78 games out of 82, which is excellent for a guy who came in as the seventh defenseman.
In those 78 games, Crevier had 7 goals and 18 assists for 25 points, which led all blue-liners on the team.
Creivier admitted that even he didn't expect this, but he will also work to continue getting better in all three zones while putting extra emphasis on being a steady defender. This might be the most unexpected A-grade for any player at any position, but he's firmly a part of the future now.
Artyom Levshunov: C
Artyom Levshunov might be the hardest player, at any position, to evaluate in the entire organization. He has all of the skills in the world, and he has put them on display a lot, but he also makes mistakes from time to time that simply can't happen.
He trailed Crevier by one point for the team lead with 10 fewer games played, but nobody would ever think that he was the best defender on the team this year.
In the final four games leading up to the Olympics, the Blackhawks put Levshunov on a development plan that held him out of the lineup without sending him down to the AHL. He simply had to work on his skills in practice with the big club.
Once he was inserted back into the lineup, he played much better. Overall, he gets a C-grade for his up-and-down season, but he has much loftier goals for 2026-27.
Alex Vlasic: C
Overall, Alex Vlasic had a tough year by his standards. He didn't get much power-play time, he wasn't a high-end player at even strength, and he left a lot to be desired by the end of the season.
The fact is, however, that you're a great player at the base if this is your "tough year". Vlasic only had two goals and 19 assists for 21 points in 81 games played, but his role isn't to produce points as much, and it may never be.
Vlasic gets a C-grade for simply being a solid player this year; he just doesn't get anything better because you can't say he took a step. Expect somewhat of a bounce-back in 2026-27 if the team around him is significantly better.
Wyatt Kaiser: A
Wyatt Kaiser, like Louis Crevier, was unexpectedly a top defenseman on the team. With the way he played this year, Kaiser might officially be a part of the long-term core. That gets you an A-grade alone.
He was sensational and may only get better. Kaiser didn’t get power play time, despite displaying some offensive skills from time to time, but he was used a lot as a top penalty killer on the team. Every winning team has a defender like Kaiser, who should be a staple on the blue line for a long time.
Sam Rinzel: C
Sam Rinzel did not have the season he wanted, and he would tell you that. When camp began, few players on the blue line had the same level of hype as he did.
The start of the season was rough for him, though, and eventually he had a stint in the AHL. Without ever complaining about it, the rookie took it in stride as an opportunity to develop further.
Eventually, he came back and stayed. There is still another level for him to get to, but the end of the season got him back up to a C-grade.
Connor Murphy: B
Connor Murphy was traded to the Edmonton Oilers at the deadline, which put an emphasis on how impactful he was as a Chicago Blackhawks defenseman over the years.
They never won like they wanted to with him, but he helped them transition from the former core to the new core. The interesting stat that floated around when he was traded was that he played for the Blackhawks longer than Marian Hossa.
As far as this season, he didn’t impress with big offensive numbers, but he was a steady contributor on a team that wasn’t going anywhere. The young kids, especially on defense, loved having him around as a mentor, so for that, he gets a B-grade.
Matt Grzelcyk: C
The Blackhawks brought Matt Grzelcyk in on a PTO during training camp, and he earned a spot as a veteran on the team. With a solid NHL tenure surrounded by some of the legends of the game, he was perfect for the young group.
He didn’t have a big offensive season, and his time in that type of role never truly existed the way it has for him in the past, but he gave an honest effort in every game he played.
Grzelcyk was in the lineup in almost every match until the end of the year when he got hurt. His future in the NHL is uncertain, but a C-grade is good for him this year, as that’s exactly what was expected of him.
Kevin Korchinski: C
Kevin Korchinski was drafted 7th overall, so the organization is being patient with him. He was brought in as an offensive-minded defenseman who may have some deficiencies in his own end, but the juice hasn’t been worth the squeeze in terms of point producing.
Other young players have passed him by at his biggest strength, so he has a hill to climb after only seeing constant NHL time in the final month.
Ethan Del Mastro: C
Ethan Del Mastro didn’t play with the NHL club as much as he would have hoped, but he did get a look towards the end of the season.
There are players ahead of him on the depth chart, but he is certainly a C-grade replacement option for the organization. Being so young, Del Mastro has time to develop into an everyday contributor, but he must keep working.
Forward Grades:
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