Thursday night’s matchup with the Seattle Kraken marks the fourth consecutive game in which Louis Crevier finds himself on the Blackhawks’ top defensive pairing.
It may not be a true top-pairing role, as he’s yet to eclipse 18:00 of ice time in his three games since the promotion from the seventh defenseman spot. But that’s where Crevier is listed in the lineup alongside Alex Vlasic, and he’s earned that position with his impressive play this season.
Crevier, a seventh-round pick by the Blackhawks in 2020, has been a surprisingly consistent offensive contributor in recent weeks. The 6-foot-8 defenseman is riding a four-game point streak coming into Thursday, and he’s also picked up eight points (1G, 7A) in the last ten games. His ten points on the season are already more than he accumulated through his first 56 NHL contests, and it’s also tied for the team lead among blue-liners.
There wasn’t much to make about Crevier’s offensive game entering this year, with only 20 points in 118 career AHL games with the Rockford IceHogs from 2022 to 2025. Predictably, he was more known for his size, long reach, and stable defensive play. That’s always going to be Crevier’s forte, but he’s proving there’s more to his game than just that.
With head coach Jeff Blashill frequently dressing seven defensemen in his lineup, that’s allowed him to be more strategic with his pairing selections in certain situations. Blashill often mixes and matches the duos depending on where the faceoff is held, and Crevier has mostly been limited to defensive-zone draws. In 18 games this season, Crevier has started 79.7 percent of his shifts off a faceoff in the defensive zone, which is the second-highest rate behind only Connor Murphy (89.7 percent).
But despite having limited offensive chances, Crevier has found ways to provide crucial production from the blue line. He’s the only Blackhawks defenseman with more than one goal, and his eight assists are tied for third on the team. Crevier has also recorded more shots on goal (20) than Artyom Levshunov (19), Vlasic (18), and Wyatt Kaiser (14).
Defensively, Crevier hasn’t been a slouch, either. Even though he plays mostly in defensive situations, he’s been on the ice for only four goals against in 210 minutes at even strength this season. His plus-nine plus-minus rating is fourth-best on the Blackhawks, and he’s only had a dash next to his name in two of 18 appearances.
Crevier has also chipped in for some much-needed physicality on the back end, as his 25 hits trail only Colton Dach and the injured Nick Foligno. With his imposing size, Crevier has done a great job standing up for teammates and handling business in skirmishes. A perfect example was his first NHL fight in the home opener against the Canadiens, when he dropped the gloves with Kaiden Guhle after he laid a big hit on Frank Nazar.
In a defensive core filled with potential cornerstone pieces like Levshunov, Sam Rinzel, Vlasic, and Kaiser, the former 188th overall selection in Crevier has been just as essential in the Blackhawks’ success so far this season. While Rinzel has been dealing with some rookie struggles, which led to his recent demotion from the top pairing, Crevier has supplied clutch offensive help. His defensive play has remained sturdy almost every night.
Still only 24 years old, Crevier is showing he shouldn’t be forgotten about in a talented pool of young defensemen. The Blackhawks might have plucked a hidden gem in the final round of the 2020 NHL Draft.
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