DALLAS -- It used to be that the ideal NHL defenseman was a 6-foot-5, 235-pound behemoth who could blast opponents into the boards and could clear the crease by simply crosschecking an opponent into submission.
Well, times have changed. This is the new NHL.
Today's prototypical blueliner is smaller, faster and far more skilled than his predecessors ever were. The game today rewards puck-carrying defensemen who can provide offense from the blueline while being positionally sound defensively, who possess a quick stick to thwart shots and clog passing lanes.
Need proof? Look no further than this weekend's NHL Draft in Dallas, a city where pluggers like Craig Ludwig and Derian Hatcher once roamed the ice.
Of the 217 prospects selected at the American Airlines Center, 70 of them were defensemen and 14 of those went in Friday's first round. And of those 14, six stood under 6-feet tall. That includes Quinn Hughes and Adam Bodqvist, who went in the top 10.
That puts Calen Addison in some pretty good company. The Penguins' pick at 53rd overall was one of 13 defensemen taken in the second round. He is generously listed at 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds, which, as he says, is not a problem:
"There's so many small defensemen, these days I'm not ever really considered a small defenseman anymore," the 18-year-old was telling me. "I'm just kind of average. The game just comes with speed and skill now. It's a perfect year for me to be in the draft."
Ten or 15 years ago though, 5-10 and 180 would have been OK for a forward. But Addison is not a forward and has never played the position. Don't ask. But like fighting and overly-physical play, the NHL has gotten away from that stuff, according to Patrik Allvin, the Penguins' director of amateur scouting:
"I'm an offensive defenseman," Addison says. "I like to bring the puck from the back and make a good first pass and join in the rush and be creative in all three zones of the ice and make things happen out there. That's just the type of player I am. I like to have fun out there."
Fun? Kevin Constantine would have cringed.
But Addison's skill set pretty much fits what the Penguins look for in defensemen in Mike Sullivan's up-tempo system: The best defense is a great offense.
"He's a very gifted player," said Brent Kisio, Addison's current coach with the Lethbridge Hurricanes. "Offensively, he's elite. What stands out most is his first pass, looks effortless. The one thing about him is he's getting better and better defensively. It's something we had to work on at the start of the year but I think all the (NHL) teams that saw him, Pittsburgh probably, saw how far he came."
As the Penguins know with Kris Letang, don't conflate smallish with weakness. The Lethbridge blueliner is tough. You have to be to when you're from Brandon, Manitoba, and play in the Western Hockey League, the most physical of the three Canadian major junior leagues. Plus, there's other less-injurious ways to defend.
"There's bigger guys in the (Western) League but because he skates so well, he moves so well, he defends with his feet and does a good job at it," said Kisio,
Addison has been compared to Letang. Kisio suggests Duncan Keith. But Addison says Tyson Barrie is probably the most similar. The Avalanche defenseman possesses a similar size (5-10, 180) and skill set.
Like the aforementioned, Addison can quarterback the power play but he's best as the set-up man. Of his 65 points last season, 33 of them came on power play assists, tying for the WHL lead. He had just 11 goals on 193 shots for a sub-par 5.7 shooting percentage.
"He's a really good skater without the puck but he's really good with the puck," Kisio said. "That's what makes him such a good player."
As good as he is at the junior level, Addison is not NHL-ready and it's unclear when he might reach the league. Addison is just 18 and he's well aware that he still has to put on some muscle to make it there.
"I think I have all the skill to play at the next level," Addison said. "It's just whether I can bear down defensively. I think I need to be bigger, stronger, and that comes with maturity."
