In terms of the defence, I'll admit that Lidstrom is the best defenceman in the series. But I would take Horton ahead of Stevens. Keep in mind that Horton set the record for points by a defenceman in the playoffs, and was the No. 1 defenceman on a team that won four Cups in six years. Had he played in the 70s, 80s or most of the 90s, his offensive abilities (especially his booming shot) would be much more heralded. A case could be made either way for Stevens or Clancy.
Keep in mind the structure of my defence. Clancy is our No. 2, then J.C. Tremblay and Cameron. IMO, I walked out of the draft with four of the top 40 defencemen ever. Tremblay's the No. 2 eligible defenceman not in the HHOF. (Flip a coin with Tremblay and Brewer for No. 2. Mark Howe is No. 1). I would take my No. 4 (Cameron) before Toronto's No. 3 (Suter). Cameron, the man who could curve his shot, is horribly underrated around here.
As far as team defence (a huge factor, as defence is not just the blue-liners' responsibility), my team definitely has the edge. We have our top six defencemen. Then we also have our third and fourth line forwards, who we think can contain (not shut down) almost any team in the draft. Toronto has a strong third line, but the only other forwards who have a defensive presence are Recchi and Armstrong.
When I look at the teams, I believe that my team is one of the few that can roll out three penalty kill units. We also have two lines when leading by a goal in the final minute of the third period - a luxury that can't be underestimated.
