Blackhawks defenseman Louis Crevier is ready to spend less time in hotels.
Despite making 56 NHL appearances over the last two seasons, he never became quite established enough in the Hawks’ lineup to earn a housing letter, which would allow him to move out of the extended-stay hotel. This season, he finally got the letter, searched for an apartment, signed a lease and moved in — only to immediately fly out west.
“I spent three days there, and then we went on a two-week road trip,” Crevier said Sunday, chuckling. “But it’s nice knowing that I can come to a place [where] I have my stuff.
“It’s a sign of confidence from the team, as well. It’s going to help me when I come back to my place. It’s going to help me refocus after a good or bad game.”
It is indeed a sign of confidence from the Hawks and coach Jeff Blashill, who seems to trust Crevier wholeheartedly.
The 6-foot-8 former seventh-round pick from Quebec, now locked up on a two-year contract, has proved he deserves a full-time spot within a young defensive corps otherwise loaded with top prospects. He’s borderline bashful off the ice but increasingly confident on it.
“He’s been really, really good for us,” Blashill said. “What is he, 6-100? He’s a huge guy, real long reach, does a great job defending, has been really good on our penalty kill [and] can add some offense with his shot.”
Crevier said he’s trying to hold onto the mentality that his instability forced him to adopt the past two seasons — that he has to earn his playing time every day — even though he has stability. On the other hand, he’s putting less pressure on himself now.
“The Jell-O is coming together,” he said. “I have a lot of fun playing, and I’m enjoying every moment.”
He’ll never be confused with an offensive defenseman, but he does tout a respectable six points in 15 games.
And as Blashill noted, his shot is an asset. He shoots without hesitation whenever he gets a chance, and the puck rockets off his stick. His 98.3 mph blast last week in Edmonton is the eighth-hardest shot measured in the NHL this season.
His biggest focus right now, however, is more frequently executing a very different type of play: short passes in the defensive zone to relieve pressure and jumpstart breakouts.
“I could make an easy play, just rimming it [around the boards] or something like that, but sometimes you have a better play out there,” Crevier said. “I’m never going to be the crazy defenseman that tries all these small plays, but once in a while, [I will] not panic and make a pass that’s a little bit harder to do. It helps us get out of the zone better.”
The coaching staff has talked to him about that at length, and he pushes it to the forefront of his brain before every game — because simply staying calm and looking for those passing options is more than half the battle. Protecting the puck isn’t difficult at his size.
“An important piece of his maturation process,” Blashill said, “is understanding he’s such a big man that that allows you that extra split-second to hold onto the puck and … not just necessarily throw it up the wall.
“Sometimes you have to make a hard play, for sure. But when you have that extra split-second, it allows you to go tape-to-tape on a more consistent basis.”
His growing comfort level in the league aids with that, too.
“I’m not scared of making a mistake,” Crevier said. “I don’t want to, but I’m not thinking about it all the time. It’s the opposite. [I’m] thinking, ‘I can make the play,’ instead of, ‘What if I miss?’ It’s a different approach.”
