{"id":468343,"date":"2026-02-23T16:57:19","date_gmt":"2026-02-23T16:57:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/468343\/"},"modified":"2026-02-23T16:57:19","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T16:57:19","slug":"blackhawks-vlasic-crevier-building-strong-partnership-as-top-shutdown-defensive-pairing-the-hockey-writers-chicago-blackhawks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/468343\/","title":{"rendered":"Blackhawks’ Vlasic & Crevier Building Strong Partnership as Top Shutdown Defensive Pairing – The Hockey Writers – Chicago Blackhawks"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Chicago Blackhawks<\/a> are doing the best they can to return to relevance. As we know, they\u2019ve been in rebuilding mode for quite a few seasons now. General manager Kyle Davidson wants to build a contending team mostly from within, through draft picks and development of young players. It\u2019s a tall task, and a bit unorthodox. But the rising salary cap makes it even more necessary to take this route. Top free agents and big splash additions just aren\u2019t as numerous or pausible as they used to be. Essentially, Davidson and the Blackhawks are on the frontier of the new ways of working for the league.<\/p>\n

Related \u2013 3 Blackhawks Who Will Benefit From the Olympic Break the Most<\/a><\/p>\n

Tucked into this new frontier are a couple of young defensemen trying to find their way in the NHL; Alex Vlasic <\/a>and Louis Crevier<\/a>. These two blueliners are currently serving as the Blackhawks\u2019 top shutdown defensive pairing. They don\u2019t exactly come from the highest pedigree. Vlasic was chosen by the Blackhawks in the second round (43rd overall) of the 2019 NHL Draft. Crevier was eligible in 2019, but wasn\u2019t selected. Instead, he was picked in the seventh round (188th overall) of the 2020 Draft. Let\u2019s face it; a lot of seventh round picks never even make it to the NHL. Yet here we are.<\/p>\n

Just how did these two 24-year-old\u2019s get to this point, and where can they go from here? \u00a0<\/p>\n

Vlasic & Crevier With Solid Starts in the AHL<\/p>\n

It\u2019s important to note both Vlasic and Crevier spent plenty of time with the Blackhawks\u2019 AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs. Vlasic was with the IceHogs the majority of the 2022-23 season, suiting up for 56 regular season games and five playoff games. Crevier played in 62 regular season games and two postseason games that same season. Their days playing together go back to this season, as they were often-times on the same defensive pairing.<\/p>\n

\"AlexDefenseman Alex Vlasic got his start in pro hockey with the Chicago Blackhawks\u2019 AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs. (Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images)<\/p>\n

Blackhawks\u2019 head coach Jeff Blashill recently talked about the benefit of the AHL for young players, especially defensemen who take longer to develop. \u201cThe AHL is a great learning league, and it\u2019s hard to kind of learn on the fly in the NHL \u2026 certainly it just allows you to kind of be in a league where you\u2019re not just surviving. And I think that\u2019s the biggest thing, is trying to learn in those opportunities that thrive.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vlasic had a little bit shorter trajectory into the NHL. He became an everyday player with the Blackhawks in the 2023-24 season and is now nearing the end of his third full NHL campaign. Crevier, on the other hand, went back and forth between Rockford and Chicago in both the 2023-24 and the 2024-25 season. He found his footing in the NHL playing 32 games with the Blackhawks in 2024-25, mostly due to injuries of other defensemen.<\/p>\n

\"LouisLouis Crevier has spent time with the Rockford IceHogs and the Chicago Blackhawks over the last three seasons. (Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images)<\/p>\n

While Vlasic proved his worth and signed a lucrative six-year, $4.6 million annual contract extension<\/a> in the 2024 offseason, Crevier was a restricted free agent and somewhat on the bubble in the 2025 offseason. But the Blackhawks did see potential in Crevier. They gave him a qualifying offer and later signed him to a two-year, $900,000 million annual contract<\/a>. But headed into the 2025-26 season, Crevier was expected to be more of a seventh defenseman; an insurance guy on the roster. After all, much more highly touted prospects seemed primed to join the NHL ranks, namely Artyom Levshunov<\/a>, Sam Rinzel and Wyatt Kaiser. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Blashill Brings Out the Best in Crevier<\/p>\n

Enter a new head coach in Blashill, which basically gave everyone on the team a chance to prove themselves anew. Crevier did just that. While he didn\u2019t have the pedigree of other right-handed shots Levshunov and Rinzel, he had more NHL experience. This worked to his advantage. Blashill wanted to shelter his two freshest D-men, so he decided to go with a rather unconventional lineup of 11 forwards and seven defensemen.<\/p>\n

Related \u2013 Analyzing the Blackhawks\u2019 Decision to Dress 11 Forwards & 7 Defensemen<\/a><\/p>\n

This benefitted Crevier in that he was a part of the lineup, instead of the seventh defenseman as a healthy scratch. Here\u2019s more from Blashill on this thought process.<\/p>\n

The reason for it is we have a lot of really, really young D(efensemen). And I\u2019ll give you kind of two things. One is, when you have really, really young D, you don\u2019t really know what you\u2019re going to get every night (chuckles). So when there\u2019s seven there, it kind of increases the odds that certain guys are on if certain guys are off.<\/p>\n

Probably more specifically, it allows us to even the minutes out. I think Louis Crevier is an excellent penalty kill guy. So you have Murph (Connor Murphy) and Crevs who can start those kills. If one of them is not in the box. Rins (Sam Rinzel) and (Artyom) Levshunov have got the power play minutes. So on that right side, it really evens those minutes out, which I think is a positive thing. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Crevier was basically the seventh defenseman to start the season, playing the least minutes. But he impressed on the penalty kill and helped even out the minutes during five-on-five play. He also earned the trust of his coach, and his confidence grew. Said Blashill of Crevier in early December,<\/p>\n

Going to the year, I didn\u2019t know what to expect. To be honest with you. I sat on the other bench last year and was like, wow was that guy big! But I didn\u2019t know him other than that, as a player. And I think Louis\u2019s confidence is really growing. When his confidence grows, he\u2019s just becoming a better and better player. He\u2019s a six foot whatever, eight or seven (Crevier is 6-foot-8). He skates well, he\u2019s got good hands, he can shoot a puck. Those are all attributes that lead to a pretty good player, and I think he\u2019s developing into a good piece for us in front of our eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n

By mid-November, Rinzel and Levshunov were taking turns as that \u201cseventh defenseman\u201d. In early December, Rinzel was sent down to the IceHogs for further seasoning. Meanwhile, Crevier was suddenly being deployed on the top defensive pairing alongside Vlasic, going way back to their Rockford days. They\u2019ve essentially been together ever since.<\/p>\n

What Makes Vlasic & Crevier Work?<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s start with the obvious. Vlasic is 6-foot-6 and Vlasic is 6-foot-8. That\u2019s a couple of big bodies right there! But bigger players aren\u2019t always the best or fastest skaters, and being the top shutdown pairing means you often play against the other team\u2019s top lines. But Blashill feels they\u2019re up to the task. \u00a0<\/p>\n

You certainly hope that as the year progressed from training camp on, it looked like both guys could be guys that you could use as a shutdown pair. So that was our hope. They\u2019re both super long. They both have the ability to be really good defenders, but both can move a puck good enough. So sometimes when you\u2019re out there against the other team\u2019s best, you might be playing with one of our best lines too. So you got to be able to move the puck good enough. And I think they both are showing continued improvement in those areas of having poise and making the right plays. So this is certainly what we had hoped. Listen, they\u2019re still in a learning process, and don\u2019t have a crazy amount of games under their belt. There\u2019s still been up and down to their games, but I think they\u2019re headed in the right direction, and can be a big factor for us. Not only now, but into the future.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s pretty high praise from Blashill. And the fact that he added \u201cinto the future\u201d is certainly telling. Vlasic is already considered a cornerstone piece on the back end, and Crevier has one more year on his contract after this season. Can he cement a role for himself moving forward, despite A LOT of talent to compete with?<\/p>\n

\"LouisLouis Crevier wants to earn a permanent spot with the Chicago Blackhawks, who have a lot of talent on the back end. (Amy Irvin<\/a> \/ The Hockey Writers)<\/p>\n

I spoke with Crevier after practice on Feb. 17 about playing with Vlasic. He\u2019s a very even-keep and humble young man, so it\u2019s no surprise he deferred a lot to his partner.<\/p>\n

I think Vlas is a guy that\u2019s super easy to work with. We both play a simple game, and when you\u2019re starting to play more and more with someone you kind of know his habits and how he likes to do things. So I think we\u2019ve done a pretty good job. Especially playing against some good lines and having more of a defensive role is good. And we take pride in doing that role.<\/p>\n

Vlasic certainly agreed that their familiarity with each other is an asset. He brought up simple play and size as well.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve known each other for a long time. We\u2019ve played together for a long time. I think we have similar mindsets when it comes to the game. I think we we\u2019re both kind of defense-first oriented players. Which makes it easy because neither of us are taking unnecessary risks that much. I guess sometimes I\u2019ll do some stupid stuff out there (laughs). But, yeah, I think obviously our size as well is something that is really helpful for us. We cover a lot of ground, and we both have really long reaches. So it\u2019s been fun, and I\u2019m excited to keep it going.<\/p>\n

Related \u2013 Blackhawks Embrace Fresh Start as Practices Resume<\/a><\/p>\n

The defensive pairings as a whole seem to be in a state of flux right now. Rinzel and Kevin Korchinski<\/a> were both recalled on Feb. 18 and could be part of the future plans. I\u2019m sure the coaching staff will also want to re-integrate Levshunov after he was scratched for three games before the break. Kaiser is currently on injured reserve. And veterans Connor Murphy<\/a> and Matt Grzelcyk are both trade targets for the upcoming trade deadline on Mar. 6. The Vlasic\/Crevier pairing appears to be the only constant right now.<\/p>\n

How Vlasic & Crevier Can Improve<\/p>\n

What\u2019s exciting is Vlasic and Crevier are both still young with lots of room for growth and improvement. Earlier in the season, Blashill was asked about having patience with big, tall defensemen such as his top shutdown pairing. In this case, it applied to Crevier, but it easily applies to Vlasic as well.<\/p>\n

\u2026with big players a lot of times the fluidity in which they move gets better as they get a little bit older. And I think that\u2019s certainly been the case with him (Crevier). And so he\u2019s 6-foot-eight. His feet are really good for that size. He\u2019s smart defensively, and I think what he\u2019s done is he\u2019s gained poise with the puck. I think he\u2019s realized that he has an extra split second because of the size of his body, to make sure that he makes the right play with the puck as much as possible. And that right play might still be a hard play, but it\u2019s allowed him that extra split second to go tape-to-tape, and now you become a really, I think important player.<\/p>\n

I asked both Crevier and Vlasic about using their bigger body to their advantage, to have more time to make a play. Said Crevier,<\/p>\n

Yeah, I do think so. I think I can still do a better job to do it more often. Especially like the last couple of games, maybe I got away a little bit from it. But it\u2019s something I thought I was doing well. And when you play against more skilled players, sometimes they\u2019re not as physical. So you can wait one more second and something might open up, or you might just turn around. So maybe a little bit more poise in my game is something that could be helpful, and it has been helpful as well. I\u2019m trying to do it more and more. So it\u2019s still an adaptation.<\/p>\n

Vlasic agreed that he\u2019s still learning how to use his bigger body to his advantage.<\/p>\n

I feel like it has its pros and cons. Like you said, one of them is definitely you do have a long reach. You\u2019re able to kind of hold it away from players longer than somebody who\u2019s 5-foot-10 necessarily would. So you do have a little bit more time. I think you cover more ground when you have the puck. So you\u2019re able to kind of pass it around guys, or maybe, like, pull and pass through. So it\u2019s tough learning those types of skills. Obviously, you see the really good players do it, being able to pass through sticks and stuff like that. But it\u2019s definitely something that we\u2019re both working on and can help us down the road.<\/p>\n

When recently asked what he wants from his top defensive pairing, Blashill stressed that consistency is key. He mentioned breaking out the puck so they don\u2019t have to defend as much. He also emphasized what he preaches to all his players, that if they don\u2019t have their A-game they need to learn to find their B-game to help contribute to the team\u2019s success.<\/p>\n

An Engagement, Plus Cats in Common<\/p>\n

The Olympic break was a time to rest and reset for all the players, but it held special meaning for Vlasic. He proposed to his girlfriend, Payton (she said yes!). The couple has been together for eight years; they were high school sweethearts. Vlasic said he wanted to surprise her. \u201cShe thought it was coming after the season, like in the summer, so I just wanted to make sure I surprised her. And I did, so I\u2019m happy.\u201d Congrats to Alex and Payton!<\/p>\n

sounds like the fellas were enjoying the break \u2744\ufe0f\u2600\ufe0f\u2764\ufe0f pic.twitter.com\/XsyJvO9IVI<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) February 17, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n

Finally, it turns out that Vlasic and Crevier have something else in common besides being long-time defensive partners. They both have an affinity towards cats. Vlasic has a family cat named Leo (\u201csimilar to Louis!\u201d he said while pointing to Crevier a few stalls down). He says he prefers dogs, but a good cat is pretty hard to resist.<\/p>\n

A good cat is very, very cute. Like, cats are hit or miss. 50% of the time you get a cat that\u2019s like, mean. I don\u2019t want one of those; obviously nobody does. But when you get a cat that\u2019s nice. It\u2019s like, the cutest thing when they\u2019re like cuddling on you.<\/p>\n

Crevier seems to have a dilemma on his hands when it comes to his cat. They\u2019re considering fostering him out.<\/p>\n

Because we have a small apartment (he and his girlfriend). And I feel like he doesn\u2019t, he\u2019s still a kitten. He\u2019s not one (years old) yet. They have the big house he just prefers way more the big house, bigger space and all that stuff. So my girlfriend\u2019s cousin, he wants a cat, so he might take him.<\/p>\n

We wanted to keep him, but I think we\u2019re maybe not ready for a cat. I know he\u2019s a baby, and it\u2019s been harder than I thought. The plan was to keep him. I just feel like he could be happier in a bigger place, and for us too, because it\u2019s so small and you get when you have the litter box. Sometimes it\u2019s like, I think it weighs a little bit right now, so I think he\u2019s gonna be happier somewhere else.<\/p>\n

Well. We\u2019ll have to check in later in the season to see what happened with Crevier\u2019s kitten. They don\u2019t have a name for him yet, in the interest of not getting too attached. But those little balls of fur tend to grow on you\u2026<\/p>\n

Related \u2013 Blackhawks News & Rumors: Kaiser, Korchinski, Rinzel, Bedard, More<\/a><\/p>\n

Vlasic and Crevier are both only 24 years old, but they already seem to have a good head start on being the top shutdown defensive pairing for the Blackhawks. They both are learning to use their big bodies to their advantage and to hone their craft. Both individually and together, they\u2019re doing their best to be a part of the Blackhawk\u2019s returning to relevance again.<\/p>\n

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