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Originally Posted by PugnaciousIntern
I'm ecstatic to add a D like Hamilton, but we can't let expectations run away on us. We were already treated to one of the stronger defensive corps in the league last year, in particular one of the best top pairings.
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Our middle pairing was a defensive tire fire though, that got by on miraculous shotblocking and strong offensive output. What we should be adding is a player who can normalize the middle pairing.
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So when people say that Hamilton is a "top pairing guy" or a "#1 D" or even "franchise potential", we've got to remember that most top pairings in the league are significantly worse than ours.
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Most, but he was the #2 on the 2013-14 Bruins that won the President's Trophy, and still had guys like Boychuk and Seidenberg on their second pair.
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He should be a great addition, but we can't expect him to be another Gio.
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There is no other Gio. Gio is probably the best all around defenseman in the NHL, or at least right there in the conversation with Doughty, Keith, etc.
But what you're adding is a player who allow for an opportunity for the second pairing to succeed in either end.
Think of last year's hawks' top 4:
Keith-Seabrook
Oduya-Hjalmarsson
Whether it's Brodie or Hamilton, one of those players is able to be the Hjalmarsson on the second pairing and carry the Oduya (whether that Oduya is Wideman, Smid, Russell, Nakladal, Schlemko, Wotherspoon etc).
Last season we did not have that. And the middle (and bottom) pairings' shortcomings would end up in a lot of faceoffs in the defensive zone, which only made things harder on Gio & Brodie. But next season, Gio & Brodie can not only continue to be themselves, but be used more sparingly.