As the Checkers' 2015-16 season comes to an end and the offseason begins, let's take a player-by-player look this week at how the team fared through the season.
Next up are the defensemen.
TREVOR CARRICK | 70 GP, 9g-33a-42pts
As mentioned earlier this week when he was selected as the 2015-16 Best Defenseman, the workload that Trevor Carrick took on this season was staggering. Injuries and recalls left the Checkers’ blue line thin for much of the campaign, leaving the second-year pro to handle the bulk of the minutes at even strength and on both special teams units. And despite the high volume of ice time, Carrick never caved to the pressure, instead turning in an outstanding season statistically. His 42 points matched the second-highest single-season total by a defenseman in franchise history and tied him for eighth among all league blue liners, and he proved to be a force on the man advantage as well, chipping in a team-leading 22 power-play points.
JAKE CHELIOS | 73 GP, 7g-24a-31pts
Newcomer Jake Chelios took advantage of the Checkers’ blue line situation, ratcheting up his play and quickly securing an everyday role in the lineup. His offensive-minded style of play meshed well with his teammates and allowed him to crush his goal, assist and point totals from his rookie season. Chelios took a big step in his sophomore campaign and showed enough flair and dependency to lock up his first NHL contract right away this offseason.
RYAN MURPHY | 32 GP, 7g-17a-24pts
For the third straight season, Ryan Murphy split his time between the Checkers and the Hurricanes. In Charlotte, where he logged a career high in games played, the young defenseman was once again a consistent point producer. Murphy brought a spark whenever he was inserted into the lineup, continuing his near point-per-game scoring pace with Charlotte. He was also a key piece of the Checkers’ power-play unit when it was clicking, racking up 15 of his 24 points on the man advantage.
KEEGAN LOWE | 67 GP, 3g-11a-14pts
While Carrick and Chelios garnered a lot of the attention with their high point totals, Keegan Lowe stepped up and took on a big role on the Checkers’ blue line. Lowe stood as one of the more defensive-minded defenseman on the team, anchoring the D corps when players began to drop with injuries, but also quietly had a career year production-wise as well, setting highs in goals, assists and points.
RASMUS RISSANEN | 54 GP, 2g-11a-13pts
Similar to Lowe, Rasmus Rissanen held down the fort as one of the more “stay-at-home” leaning blue liners on the team. But he too was able to produce when called upon, establishing new career bests in assists and points. Unfortunately for the longtime Checker, injuries kept Rissanen on the sideline down the home stretch of the season, robbing Charlotte of a steady force on the blue line.
MIKE CORNELL | 51 GP, 3g-6a-9pts
For the second consecutive season, Mike Cornell was brought onto the team via a PTO in order to fill holes in the Charlotte lineup. And for the second consecutive season, Cornell stepped up and logged crucial minutes for the team. In the biggest AHL stint of his career, the third-year pro took on a hefty load of ice time and performed serviceably on the Checkers’ blue line. Cornell brought a big dose of physicality to Charlotte’s lineup, never shying away from taking the body and tying for the league lead among defensemen in major penalties.
DENNIS ROBERTSON | 21 GP, 0g-3a-3pts
One of Charlotte’s midseason acquisitions ended up being a familiar face, as Dennis Robertson returned to where he played his rookie season a year ago. Robertson stepped onto an injury-riddled blue line and continued to be a strong presence. He was also one of just three team defensemen who played more than 20 games and finished with a plus rating.
DANNY BIEGA | 27 GP, 3g-5a-8pts
It was a hot start for Danny Biega, one of the Checkers’ more seasoned blue liners, as he put up eight points in the first 27 games, including matching a career high with three goals. Unfortunately that would be all for Biega, as an injury forced him to miss the rest of the season.
