Scott welcomes help in the toughness department

John Scott’s role won’t change this season for the Blackhawks, but the big difference is he will have plenty of help doing it.

Nobody was happier than Scott when the Hawks signed Dan Carcillo, Jamal Mayers, Sean O’Donnell and Steve Montador as free agents and all of a sudden became a tougher team to play against.

There’s a difference between what Scott’s job is as the Hawks’ heavyweight enforcer and what Carcillo and Mayers bring as stir-the-pot, in-your-face, energy players on the fourth line. Montador and O’Donnell bring a more rugged aspect to the defense.

“I think it will make a big difference,” Scott said. “We needed a little more sandpaper last year because we were pretty easy to play against, for the most part. I think it’ll make us a tougher to play against and give our top two lines a little more room.

“It’s nice to have more guys that are willing to drop the gloves. Last year I had Jake Dowell, and that was about it. It’s nice to have some guys who like to throw their weight around this year.”

Scott said playing against Mayers and Carcillo always has given him fits and looks forward to having them on his side.

“I’m going to let Carcillo go do his thing and mess things up,” Scott said. “That’s what we didn’t have last year. No one started stuff or started scrums or got under the other team’s skin. I’ll say go for it and I’ll be there to back him up. He’s one of the toughest guys out there, pound for pound. I can take care of the big boys and he can take care of the middle guys.”

Scott isn’t the only Hawk who likes the added size and toughness. Add captain Jonathan Toews and Patrick Sharp to the list as well.

“I’m excited about the changes,” Toews said, and that includes the addition of the controversial Carcillo.

“That’s what we like,” Toews said. “I’ll never say anything bad about our locker room last year, but we want to add some of that charisma and personality. A noisy locker room is always better than the opposite.

“With the changes the previous summer, when you lose guys like (Adam) Burish, (Kris) Versteeg and (Dustin) Byfuglien, those are big shoes to fill. Guys like Carcillo and (Andrew) Brunette, we’re adding a lot of skill and personality, too.”

There was no doubt in the Stanley Cup season that the role players on the third and fourth lines took a lot of pressure off Toews, Sharp, Patrick Kane and Marian Hossa.

Sharp sees the recent additions as making it easier for the top two lines to play without worrying about being physical targets.

“It definitely takes the attention off,” Sharp said. “Before each game our team keys on skill players on the other team so when you have some toughness, some energy and some grit on the lower end of the forwards or defense, it always makes a difference playing the game.

“You look at what the presence of John Scott did for us last year in the playoffs and other regular-season games. I think the tougher and feistier you are helps the skill guys definitely.”

Scott knows there is no guarantee he will be in the lineup regularly as the eighth defenseman on the depth chart, but he continues to work on his all-around game to be a more dependable option for coach Joel Quenneville.

“I struggled last year because I was worried about fighting so much and I didn’t really focus on my game as much as I should have,” Scott said. “I can still do my thing, but the urgency won’t be there to do it every game.”

tsassone@dailyherald.com