St. Louis Blues Defense Doubles Down On Jets

Continuing in our summer series where we pit St. Louis Blues lineups against conference rivals, we last took on the Winnipeg Jets’ forward lines, and found that while the first line was a pretty even match with St. Louis, their second line left a lot to be desired.

Today, we focus on the defense. Andrei Lutz of sister site Hockey at the Forks was kind enough to participate and send us his top defensive pairs to see who we would ice on defense simultaneously. With Winnipeg on the rise in the central division, making the playoffs last season for the first time since the franchise left Atlanta, their back end may be difficult to match for St. Louis, whose current defensive roster is short.

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On to Lutz’s projected pairings:

Tyler Myers – Dustin Byfuglien

Tyler Myers: Our second Buffalo Sabre in Tyler Myers was thought of to be one of the league’s next best defensemen. Myers is a tall and hard-hitting defenseman who can score more and amass more points then most of the Jets offense. Like Stafford, Myers saw a solid increase in his stats upon being traded to the Jets, showing that he still has the potential that was once thought of him. Look for Myers to lead what may be a brick wall on defense and a danger offensively in what may be his best season to date with one of the younger and more skilled teams he has played on.

Dustin Byfuglien: Arguably one of the Jets best players, Dustin adds Jets brick wall with his outstanding offensive and defensive abilities. Dustin is most likely the Jets most well rounded player (it is difficult to tell if he’s a forward or defender) scoring 18 goals last season and amongst the team leaders in shots on goal he showed that he could be dangerous at both ends and crafty in the middle (yes I quoted Sherlock Holmes). Dustin also has a little contractual motivation as Ladd does with his contract expiring at the end of the year, so look for a little bit more jump to his step this season.

The St. Louis Blues would ice….

Petteri Lindbohm-Alex Pietrangelo

I’m switching it up with this pairing. The Blues don’t have a defender who plays a game that’s as physical as Big Buff’s can be, so instead I chose to match with offensive momentum, size and positioning. Against Byfuglien’s physicality, I want Lindbohm for his size and reach. At 6’3″, Lindbohm’s long enough to give him the edge when it comes to reach, as well as lateral puck movement. His positioning is another strong point, and will help Pietrangelo out from time to time as he can hang back while Petro speeds up front for a quick shot off the point.

Pietrangelo has a great shot from the point, speedy and accurate, and his size and reach combined with a natural aggression make him a strong choice against pretty much any pairing, but give him a real chance against a Myers-Byfuglien combo. His skating is a strong point in his favor, allowing him to make some unexpected maneuvers for a man his size, as well.

Jacob Trouba – Toby Enstrom

Jacob Trouba: Trouba is yet another young star on the Jets (9th overall pick in 2012. Trouba was considered to be one of the Jets best young prospects and he has delivered solid stats in his first two seasons in the NHL. It remains to be seen if Trouba has the offensive capabilities of Myers and Byfuglien, but he can for sure deliver (22 points last season and 29 the year before). Trouba is expected to be on the top defensive line one day leading the brick wall on defense and with Dustin’s contract coming to and end that may be rather soon.

Toby Enstrom: Toby is one of the more seasoned hard hitting vets on the Jets (yes rhymed) and has been with the club since the Thrashers of 2007. Enstrom is not a goal scorer, but he can dish out assists better then most of the offensive players and like Myers and Byfuglien he always holds high point totals. This last season he only captured 23 points (one of his weaker seasons of recent) and it seems that his best days may be behind with many young defensive prospects in the wings it would not be a shocker to see Enstrom traded later this season. Nevertheless, Enstrom is hard hitting defensemen and a strong veteran presence on the Jets.

The St. Louis Blues would ice…

Jay Bouwmeester – Kevin Shattenkirk

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Normally Bouw and Shatty would be the top pairing, but these two focus more on skating and finesse, and play a less physical game than Pietrangelo can and does. Both have the ability to be physical, but why pit them against someone it would be a struggle against if there’s a better option?

Shattenkirk’s offensive momentum is a great answer to Trouba in this situation, given his points production, strength and fantastic hockey sense. In my opinion, it’s a no-brainer to answer Trouba with Shattenkirk, and laugh while you’re doing it. The top pairing on the Jets might be a bit of a problem for St. Louis, but the second pairing will be a breeze (as long as St. Louis employs Shattenkirk).

Bouwmeester’s skating is his strong point, and a nagging groin injury over the past season made him less effective than usual. He’s back in top form, he says, and if he can move like he used to, he’ll be able to avoid hits from Enstrom with ease. Both Bouwmeester and Shattenkirk are top-notch puck-movers, regularly able to transition the puck out of their zone and putting the Blues on the offensive in the space of only a few seconds.

Who would you ice against the Jets?

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