Early reactions to the Chicago Blackhawks defensive pairings in training camp

Training camp has finally begun, which means NHL hockey is approaching.

Throughout the offseason, the team's opening-night rosters are extensively discussed and the Chicago Blackhawks are no different.

After a busy offseason, the Blackhawks' lineup is set to look much different than it did last season, leading fans to wonder which players would be paired alongside each other on opening night.

Blackhawks training camp began on Thursday, September 19th, and fans were able to get a glimpse at what is to come in the 2024-25 season.

For starters, Blackhawks' CEO and Chairman Danny Wirtz and General Manager Kyle Davidson introduced Nick Foligno with the newly added "C" on his jersey after he was named captain the day before.

On the ice, the team debuted some new forward lines in their top-six. Connor Bedard was seen with new linemates Taylor Hall and Tyler Bertuzzi, while the second line saw Philipp Kurashev paired with Teuvo Teravainen and Lukas Reichel.

Many additions were made to the roster in the offseason which led to the question of who would end up being the odd-man-out.

Injuries derailed most of the Blackhawks' expectations last season and left management scrambling to ice a full lineup on some nights.

For both the forward and defense groups, there will be much more internal competition between players trying to earn a spot on the roster. The lineup is already looking to be more crowded than last year with more talent in the organization.

Throughout the first two days of training camp, the team has also been trying out some new defensive pairs.

Veteran additions were made to the back-end over the summer, giving the Blackhawks more experience to play alongside their influx of young defensemen.

These were the defense pairs that were seen on Friday at training camp...

First Defensive Pairing: Alec Martinez and Seth Jones

Seth Jones saw a sizeable portion of last season paired with standout rookie Alex Vlasic. However, he is beginning this year's camp paired with an experienced veteran whose resume speaks for itself.

Alec Martinez was brought in on a one-year deal this summer, bringing the three-time Stanley Cup champion to the windy city.

Martinez has played over 800 games in the NHL on many very competitive teams. He is a shot-blocking machine and provides a steady game on the back-end.

It may be a bit of a surprise to see Martinez with Jones right now, and it is entirely possible that Jones reunites with Vlasic for the season's start. However, a player like Martinez brings a lot of what Vlasic did to this pair last season. His strong defensive presence can allow Jones to be in the play more and be less conservative with the puck on his stick.