Throughout last season I was a strong believer that Troy Brouwer had no business being with the Chicago Blackhakws. Moreover, he had no business playing on the top line, with the likes of Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane.
But what is his actual role with the Blackhawks?
Although Brouwer had always been a dominate force in the AHL, he was never able to bring those "AHL hands" to the NHL and before this season really never knew who he was with the Blackhawks.
Is he a top six forward?
If you looked at his AHL numbers you would probably think so. In Brouwer's two seasons with the Norfolk Admirals and the Rockford Ice Hogs he scored 71 goals and 57 assists.
In his first NHL season, Brouwer was far from his AHL numbers, only recording 10 goals and 16 assists. He was getting time on the top two lines with the likes of Toews, Kane and Patrick Sharp.
So is he a fourth line checker/tough guy?
Well no. He may be a big body that likes to bang and get physical, but he also has above average hands for his size and probably wouldn't flourish in that role.
So what is he?
He's this year's ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Michael Wagner
Troy Brouwer Finally Finding His Niche in the Blackhawks Lineup
November 15th, 2009 by Michael Wagner Leave a reply »
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