The offseason is starting to go by faster and faster with each passing day, which means the new season is right around the corner. However, before the season starts, we’re still taking a look back at this past season with report cards. The first group of three defensemen has already received their grades, and now it’s on to the next pair.
The next two defensemen to be graded are Jonas Brodin and his partner for most of the season, Brock Faber. The Wild have their order of defensemen, and while most would assume Jared Spurgeon and Jake Middleton would be the top pair, it can be argued that Brodin and Faber fit that spot as well. They’re all strong defensemen, and we’ll see how strong of a season Brodin and Faber had.
Brodin’s Injury Scares
Although Jonas Brodin played in 50 of the 82 games this past season, it felt like he missed a lot more due to multiple injury problems. Despite fighting injuries in most of those games, he still scored four goals and assisted on 16 more for 20 total points. Not super impactful numbers, but for what he was up against, those numbers were impressive.
His offensive contributions were small, but his defensive skills were front and center. He threw 27 hits, not a huge number, but his 104 blocked shots earned him the fourth spot on the team, despite missing considerable more time than his respective teammates. He did have 53 turnovers, but also 21 takeaways.
Brodin’s injuries stayed away for the postseason; he played in all six games and contributed a lone assist for his only point. He upped his physicality in the postseason and had six hits, but he also threw his body in front of the puck for 11 blocked shots. He did have eight turnovers, but tried to make up for it with three takeaways.
After looking over his stats for the regular season, he earned an A-. It’s not fair to punish him for his injury issues, and he did find a way to accumulate 20 points despite the issues he faced. It’s not higher, however, because he does still have to make up for the turnover issues, as do many of his teammates.
As far as his postseason is concerned, he earned an A. He produced a little offensively, but he stepped up defensively and made a difference. Combining those grades, he earned a low A for his overall grade as he worked hard to bounce back from his injuries.
Faber’s Defense Shines
Brock Faber has continued to shine; his offensive numbers weren’t as high as his first full season, but still strong. He played in 78 games this past season and scored 10 goals, plus he recorded 19 assists for 29 points. Although his points were fewer than the season before, his ice time increased to an average of just over 25 minutes per game, which landed him fourth in the entire league for most ice time per player.
He contributed a bit less in the defensive department, also with 36 hits and 115 blocked shots. His blocked shots earned him the third spot on the team, and while 115 blocks is a lot, he dropped from 150 the season before. He did battle some injuries, like Brodin, that included a puck to the throat that thankfully didn’t do any permanent damage. The number that has to be fixed for next season are his 109 turnovers and just 29 takeaways.
Faber played in all six games of the playoffs but didn’t contribute any points offensively. However, he produced defensively with four hits and 12 blocked shots. He elevated his ice time to just over 27 minutes with eight turnovers and two takeaways.
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When looking over his stats, he earned a B+ for his regular-season grade. While he did fine both offensively and defensively, he could’ve done better, but it was only his second full season in the league. He has the potential to be a top defenseman not only on the Wild but in the league. He has shown some of those skills, and hopefully, he’ll be able to show them a bit more this upcoming season. As for his postseason grade, he earned a B+ as well, for the same reasons as his regular season.
Brodin & Faber Make Strong Pair
While both players had their stats go down somewhat from the previous season, their defensive skills made up for the lack of points. However, like almost every player on the Wild’s roster, they both need to work on their turnover issues.
It’s expected for the defense to have some turnovers because they are the ones consistently breaking the puck out, but their numbers were high. If they can fix those issues and maybe improve their offense a bit, they’ll be able to help the Wild get back into the postseason once again.
