Getting To Know The Newest Blackhawk, Andrew Desjardins

He likes to bash people in the face

That’s all I’ve got on Desjardins. That’s really why the Hawks got him aside from the financial benefits. It’s something that has been missing from the Blackhawks in recent years. When the Hawks were at their peak in 2010 it was because they could play any style. They could run and gun with teams like Vancouver or Pittsburgh and they could win a slug fest against Philadelphia because they had guys like Byfuglien, Ladd, Eager, Burish, Fraser, and Brouwer to provide a team toughness. Now, I am not saying that you NEED a tough guy element to win in 2015, but it is a nice luxury to have. Tough, physical play can swing momentum whether people want to admit it or not. It gives the crowd and the bench energy. Brandon Prust talked about this at length in the players’ tribune a few weeks ago.

Desjardins is certainly not a guy that drives possession(don’t look at his corsi, its not pretty), but he brings sand and energy every night and skates well enough to play on the 4th line. He averaged about 11 mins per game the past two years for a competitive San Jose team. He is NOT just a John Scott type. In the playoffs the Blackhawks will have three lines that can skate past and light up anyone, and will have the option to throw a 4th line out there that can skate with anyone and provide toughness with Desjardins and Shaw. Tough to say how often he will dress, but it’s nice that Coach Q has the option to skate a tougher team now with Desjardins in the fold.