Waltz into Yost Ice Arena any weekday afternoon, and what you see hovering around the blue line might be a bit confusing.

Future NHL players and dazzling talent swirl around the zone. But this isn't an NHL prospects camp. This is the Michigan defense.

And while most of the backliners know their futures lie in pro hockey, the one concern right now is Michigan's goal - and keeping pucks out of it.

Then and now

To say the Wolverines struggled with goals against last season is an understatement. Sophomore Jack Johnson refers to it as a disaster.

The young team allowed 125 goals in 41 games, including the 5-1 thrashing from North Dakota that sealed Michigan's one-and-done NCAA Tournament appearance. The previous season saw 22 fewer pucks pass over the goal line.

"Last year with our goals against, they were higher than normal," Michigan associate coach Billy Powers said. "No one was happy about that."

Despite a promising fall that included a stint as the No. 1 team in the nation, Michigan's weakness showed as the year went on. Eleven freshmen and a slew of mistakes from all age groups produced a slumping team from one of hockey's most storied programs.

They tried tweaking lines. They tried switching goalies. But the Wolverines couldn't solve it and finished third in the CCHA for one of the program's worst seasons in more than a decade. Their offense was the best in the conference at 3.64 goals per game. Their defense? A lowly ninth in the CCHA with 2.93 goals allowed per game.

In the end, Michigan was left with an offseason of reviewing tape and a handful of questions.

"I think our team defense as a whole wasn't the best," now senior captain Matt Hunwick said. "We didn't give our goalies much help. We gave up a lot of breakaways, a lot of odd-man rushes. We can't allow those little mistakes to happen if we want to be a championship team."

Remembering last year's faults, the Michigan defense has a renewed sense of what it means to protect its goal.

Perhaps most importantly, last year's entire blue line is back to prove it's better than before. This year, it's stacked. Five NHL draftees, three of them first-round picks. Three mature seniors. Two superstar sophomores. Two highly touted freshman.

And everyone hopes that equals one stingy defense.

It's said that defense wins championships, and whether or not that's true, Powers has witnessed two of them in his 15-year tenure. The man knows an extraordinary defense when he sees one.

"This is probably our deepest and most talented group on paper - no question with that," Powers said. "We have to make that translate on the ice. We have the potential to be a very, very special defense, as far as the Michigan history goes."

Seasoned seniors

It's a powerful combination.

The poise that comes after three years of college competition, and the urgency of having just one left.

With former Wolverines Al Montoya and Jeff Tambellini among the many that left town before graduation day in recent years, it's been a while since Michigan enjoyed a non-depleted, fully developed senior class.

"It's nice to see the seniors stay and complete their four years, become dominant players and be rewarded for it," Michigan coach Red Berenson said. "I'm a big believer in that."

Hunwick, drafted by the Boston Bruins in 2004, is living evidence of the development that comes from a full college career.

The Sterling Heights native started his career with a plus-14 freshman campaign, but lit the red lamp just once all season. His second year brought six goals, followed by 11 goals his junior year. Each year he maintained his position at the top of Michigan's plus/minus list, with two back-to-back plus-15 seasons.

"Matt has become a tremendous two-way defenseman here," Powers said. "He's become a threat offensively, jumping into the play, carrying the puck up the ice. But at the same time he has not lost his bread and butter, being a reliable responsible top defenseman.

"When he got here we always knew we were going to have a great defensive defenseman. Now he's become a great defenseman because he can provide great offense as well as great defense."

The steady anchor on the blue line was awarded for his consistency and expanded skills with a "C" on his jersey. Winning the Vic Heyliger Trophy as Michigan's top defenseman each of the last two seasons, Hunwick is no stranger to leadership.

Teammates point to his work ethic as his best quality.

"Hunwick's just a horse," fellow senior defenseman Tim Cook said. "He's a really hard worker."

Alternate captain Jason Dest has also established himself as someone for others to look up to.

The Fraser native tends to fly under the radar. To someone outside the program, he might seem an odd choice for the "A" on a team full of nationally recognized names.

But watch Dest in practice and see how he interacts with his fellow players.