TFTC: The Gorilla From Olten, Lian Bichsel, Keeps Getting Better and Better

Tales From the Clipped: Lian Bichsel needs to be mentioned right alongside Logan Stankoven and Mavrik Bourque.

Logan Stankoven and Mavrik Bourque are the talk of the town because well…have you seen them?

Of course they’re the talk of the town. Even national outlets are taking notice. They’ve been phenomenal. And it’s not just two players finishing plays or building chemistry. It’s two players asserting dominance shift after shift with effort and talent, racking up multiple attacks in a single shift. So yea, of course they’re the story.

However, Lian Bichsel is not an offensive defensemen, so he’s not gonna stand out on the scoresheet. Without the big slappers and dirty dangles, it’ll always be easy to to miss all the good, little things he’s doing. After all, you’re not gonna see him on a highlight reel. But he’s starting to complicate this picture in the best way.

I don’t like comparisons. But as heuristics, they’re useful-ish. I’ve been hesitant to compare Bichsel to Chris Tanev because Tanev has been one of the game’s premiere shutdown defenders for years, even if he doesn’t get credit for it. But I’m growing more and more convinced he’s that and then some. Why the Tanev comparison?

Part of what makes Tanev a level beyond your Esa Lindells and your Jani Hakanpaas is that a lot of players can defend their territory; few are able to control it. The first clip in this reel below is a great example.