Thereās a new veteran face among the group of Kraken defenders and thatās two-time Stanley Cup winner, Brian Dumoulin. After signing a two-year contract with Seattle this summer, the veteran with ten years of NHL experience under his belt is expected to bring a stout defensive presence on the ice and strong leadership abilities off of it.
āHeās just a solid player,ā said Justin Schultz who played with Dumoulin for five seasons in Pittsburgh. āHe's just so responsible. Heās got good poise with the puck. He kind of does it all. I know how much he's going to help our teamā¦heās such a great addition for us.ā
Dumoulin did have a career high in points last season, (1-24-25), but when it comes to playing defense, itās about a lot more than points.
So what exactly can Kraken fans expect to see from the newest blue liner beyond the box score?
Letās dig in.
As they saying goes, āgood defense is when you donāt get noticed.ā Dumoulin prides himself on being an example of that.
Heās a player that doesnāt take a lot of penalties and has a good stick. Last season, according to Sportlogiq, Dumoulin was among the better defenders at blocked passes per 20 minutes of play (4.22); and when it came to battling for loose pucks, in Pittsburgh, only Dumoulinās partner, Kris Letang, was more effective at regaining possession than Dumoulin (26.7% success rate, even strength).
But, equally important to gaining possession is what you do with the puck afterwards. And in that regard, Dumoulin brings a proven ability to move the puck effectively.
Last year in Pittsburgh, among blueliners who played at least 500 minutes, only Marcus Pettersson (74.5%) had a higher success rate of passes in the defensive zone than Dumoulin (73.7%). That means pucks stayed on his teamās sticks quite a bit when the 32-year-old was moving the puck in his own end of the ice.
āHe's so responsible, he's never out of position,ā Schultz said. āI think fans will notice his poise on breakouts and with the puck. Thatās something you really don't think about because he's so good defensively, but he's really good with the puck and can make some good plays under pressure which isn't easy to do these days.ā