Surprising Red Wings Defender Proving Their Worth

Not every player on a team is a flashy one.

Every fan base, including the Detroit Red Wings fans, knows that. However, goals and assists can often take center stage in our minds over preventing goals.

Moritz Seider is the star of the Red Wings blueline. Simon Edvinsson is next up despite his low count in the games played column. Newcomers Justin Holl and Erik Gustafsson are becoming important defenders in specific situations.

And then there is Ben Chiarot.

Chiarot is a hard-nosed defender. Some may label him as "old school," which is a fair assessment. However, he has also produced lackluster results in several different analytics. Because of this, some would label him a sub-par defender.

However, he is one of the most important blueliners on the Red Wings.

According to PuckIQ, Chiarot has played the second-most minutes against the best players in the NHL. The only Red Wings defender who plays more is Seider.

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While his results haven't been as good as Seider's throughout the season, he has rebounded since the coaching change. Since Christmas, Chiarot has had a 50.9 Dangerous Fenwick For percentage, which he has achieved while primarily playing with Seider.

This change occurred almost immediately after Todd McLellan took over as head coach. Judging by these results, it's safe to say that this move has worked well.

Time will tell if this trend will continue. For now, Red Wings fans will bask in the success that their team is having, regardless of how flashy (or not) it is.

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