It has become almost cliche to bring up the absence of Justin Schulz when discussing the 2012-13 Wisconsin defensemen. While there is no denying what an Incredible asset Schultz was, it needs to be pointed out that his second coming probably isn't lurking on the backside of the Badgers' attack this season.
But that does not leave the Cardinal and White inept on the defensive end. The Badgers return a fairly experienced bunch of defensemen that are complemented by some emerging talent.
Jake McCabe- He played in 26 games as a freshman and tallied three goals and nine assists, a mark that is second among returning defensemen. McCabe was a second round selection of the Buffalo Sabres in the 212 NHL Draft. He played as part of the top pairing on a few occasions last season and will see the bulk of the time there this year.
Frankie Simonelli- The junior led returning defensemen in points with 19. He skated in all 37 contests a year ago. Simply put, Simonelli is solid, but not flashy. He can definitely be trusted playing top-line minutes.
John Ramage- Ramage had the option of jumping to the NHL, but chose to return for his senior season. He is a dominant physical presence, but still needs to fine-tune a few aspects of his game, this season should provide him with a chance to do that.
Eddie Wittchow- A newcomer to the lineup, Wittchow will be expected to contribute almost immediately. In regards to his physical play, his style is comparable to that of Ramage. Wittchow is coming fresh off a successful season in the USHL with the Waterloo Blackhawks. His plus 22 led the team in +/-.
Chase Drake- Drake saw a little bit of ice time last season, but, truthfully, wasn't much of a factor for the Badgers. By most accounts, the potential is there, it is just a matter of gaining some additional in-game experience. Drake had a nice game in the exhibition last Saturday, collecting three points, including a powerplay goal.
Joe Faust- The junior laced them up for all 37 games last season. He is opportunistic in the offensive zone and solid in his own end. Some have suggested that he may be more of an offensive presence this year with the absence of Schultz.
Gavin Hartzog- He has some experience as a defenseman, but is still new to the position. With a solid group of six in front of him, it is hard to see exactly where he fits into the puzzle. If the blueliners can stay healthy, there may not be a lot of minutes available for Hartzog.
Kevin Schulze- The other freshman in the bunch, Schulze simply may not be ready to take on a sizeable workload this season and that is ok. He has some consistency issues to work out and Bill Butters and the rest of the coaching staff should be able to help him with that. It is hard to tell exactly how long that process will take.
Photo from badgerherald.com
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