While you are looking over you potential defensive lineup for fantasy hockey (sometime soon hopefully) it is well worth the effort to peruse the blue line of the Boston Bruins.

While the headliner of the crew is man-mountain Zdeno Chara, the captain and statistical defensive juggernaut, the lineup goes beyond the big Czech.  Jonny Boychuk, Andrew Ference, Dennis Seidenberg, Adam McQuaid and Dougie Hamilton are the other five that round out the Bruins projected top six.

Bruin faithful will finally get to see the man-child Hamilton as he is groomed to be the heir apparent to Chara in the land of giant defensemen. The 6’5” Toronto native has been the apple of Boston’s eye while he has matured with the Niagara Ice Dogs. Many experts rank him as the top young prospect in hockey and his ascent will make the transition from the Chara era much easier.

The Bruins are hoping that the promotion of Seidenberg to the top pairing will help elevate his game. The 31-year-old veteran isn’t going to take any Norris votes from Chara, but the hope is that he can bounce back from a sub-par 2011-12 season.

The second pairing features Andrew Ference and Jonny Boychuk and two distinctly different but complementary styles. Boychuk plays a very physical game and loves to use the body. He is solid on the puck but Ference has the better touch with the stick. He’s smaller and slighter, but excellent on his feet with a great hockey sense.

The third Bruins defensive pairing (projected) features the twin towers of Adam McQuaid and the aforementioned Hamilton. While Hamilton is the more offensive minded, he still has the size to intimidate. McQuaid on the other hand is mostly there to clear the crease for Tuukka Rask.

So after all the premier defensemen have been snatched up, Chara included, take a peek at the big, bad Bruins. Specifically Boychuk and Hamilton for leagues that value hits and blocks. Boychuk in particular excels with the defensive stats, while Hamilton’s potential makes him a smart pick.