Wednesday, April 4, 2012

NHL 12: Build of the Week -- Defensive Defensemen

This week's build (maybe I should call these builds of the month instead) is a hard hitting defensive defenseman.

A link to the build can be found here.




Defensive Defenseman
Legend 3
6'2"
210lbs
11inch skates
Regular flex
Lowest curve

Deking: 50
Hand Eye: 70 (+5)
Off Awareness: 40
Passing: 80 (+5)
Puck Control: 79 (+5)
SS Accuracy: 72 (+8)
SS Power: 77
WS Accuracy: 50
WS Power: 70

Aggression: 98
Body Check: 90
Def Awareness: 99
Discipline: 99
Faceoffs: 50
Fighting: 60
Shot Blocking: 85
Stick Check: 94 (+5)

Acceleration: 77 (+8)
Agility: 77 (+8)
Balance: 76
Durability: 60
Endurance: 85
Speed: 80 (+5)
Strength: 81 (+5)

Offensively this build lacks punch. You really want to get the puck off of your stick and to the forwards as soon as possible. The passing is mediocre but good enough for passes mainly straight up the ice. The puck control is also somewhat suspect so you don't want to hold it longer than you have to. With the slapper you have the limited ability to one time it but you mainly want to try and get it low and on net to cause the goalie problems.

Defensively is where this build comes into its own. It has maxed attributes in almost every category that matters. This build excels at taking away the puck and cutting off passes through the center of the ice in the offensive zone. If you are in the right position this build will stop almost anything from going through you.The hitting isn't maxed but the aggression is nearly and that is what makes this build work. The intimidation factor lets you pick up pucks in the defensive zone that other builds shy away from. If you can get a couple of hits in on players (and a lot of times even when you don't) they will lose puck battles to you just because you have your aggression so high.

Athletically this build is very average. Balanced skating attributes let you pivot comfortably but you really need to concentrate on being in proper position because the lack of overall speed can be a liability. You have some endurance to be able to recover quickly but you want to again focus on position.

This isn't a flashy build and I personally prefer offensive defenseman or two way defenseman but with the right D partner and team you can do well with this setup.