Long time "Norris Candidate" Defensemen are Overrated / Not Built for Playoffs

[Groo]

- Hedman (Swept and 0 Championships)

- Letang (Swept, carried by Crosby and Malkin)

- Karlsson (Down 3-1 and 0 Championships)

- Burns (Down 3-1 and 0 Championships)

I mean the Sharks have two of the "best" and down 3-1. That shows you how worthless these type of defensemen are come playoff time. Last time the Pens won a Championship Letang was on the bench. Coincidence? No.

I watched Karlsson try to dangle somebody in front of his goalie on the PP last night down 1 and gave up a quality scoring chance from point blank. Pens scored a huge goal. Immediately Letang tries to dangle two guys at the blue line and gives up a 2 on 1, they score. Game/Series over.

Can we stop praising these ****ty defensemen who picked the wrong position as a kid?

Should this have been typed out in green?
So much wrong with this

 

[CartographerNo611]

EK 65 looks to be playing on a bum leg, but is defensive IQ is low. Poor positioning and boneheaded passes in his own zone. Really needs to simplify and quit making that highlight drive or pass. He has not helped Jones one bit. Braun has looked better in all zones so far which is freightening.

Burns has been their best D-man, even in his own zone followed by Braun. Big drop off after that.

 

[PuckSeparator]

Keith and Doughty are nothing alike Letang, Subban, Burns. You must not a lot of hockey from these two to say something like that

All the players mentioned are modern-day PMDs. I would argue that Subban, Keith and Doughty are cut from the same cloth, whereas Letang and Burns are probably worse defensively than the other 3 but just as good if not better offensively, and would include John Carlson in that group.

Still, no players in the NHL are exactly the same, but the players share enough similarities to be comparable since they are all #1 D with tremendous puck moving abilities. It's not like I'm comparing Doughty to Chara, or PK Subban to Chris Pronger here...

 

[East Coast Icestyle]

Piss on Eddie Shore! Piss on old time hawkey!



...tell me people have watched that movie

 

[Midnight Judges]

The OP demonstrates a severe lack of understanding for the game. Wildly off-base.

Winning a championship requires far more than any individual can contribute, therefore counting championships and attributing them at the individual level is going to be far from definitive.

 

[SouthGeorge]

Counter point: Keith, Doughty, Chara, Pronger

All great. I'm talking about the new overhyped ones the last 5-6 years.

Hedman and Karlsson has played with major injuries.

They are always injured. So is Letang. It's almost like doing too much = higher risk of getting injured. Maybe if they just focused on playing their position instead of being a 4th forward they wouldn't always be injured.

 

[Stuzchuk]

it's because the Norris voting has changed throughout the years... it's no longer the the best defenseman overall but the most skilled offensively

but a NORRIS doesnt mean a CUP

 

[SouthGeorge]

The OP demonstrates a severe lack of understanding for the game. Wildly off-base.

Winning a championship requires far more than any individual can contribute, therefore counting championships and attributing them at the individual level is going to be far from definitive.

Yes, it's a team game. What you fail to realize is their selfish play doesn't = team play. That's why Hedman, Karlsson, Burns, and PK are all Cup-less.

 

[Midnight Judges]

Carlson might suck defensively but he never gives up the odd man rushes...

Actually Carlson is quite good defensively, but even he has given up the occasional odd man rush.

 

[Sojourn]

Just going to say that this is a really bad take, and leave it at that.

 

[x Tame Impala]

Hedman was hurt/not playing the entire series

 

[Icarium]

Maybe if they just focused on playing their position instead of being a 4th forward they wouldn't always be injured.

Of all the controversial claims you have made in this thread this might be the dumbest one.

 

[SouthGeorge]

Hedman was hurt/not playing the entire series

And all the other years they got bounced?

 

[x Tame Impala]

And all the other years they got bounced?

Kieth has been bounced 7 times. Doughty what, 4 times?

 

[SouthGeorge]

Kieth has been bounced 7 times. Doughty what, 4 times?

Keith has 3 Cups. Doughty 2. Hedman... Zero.

 

[GeeoffBrown]

not even 4 years have passed since the hawks played 4dmen on route to winning a cup

Despite the misleading title, I believe his hot take is not that all defensemen are bad, just that all offensive defensemen are bad

 

[Kamiccolo]

What about Gio? He's had a rough series

 

[Icarium]

Keith has 3 Cups. Doughty 2. Hedman... Zero.

Scuderi has two Cups, Bourque only one. Therefore Scuderi is better than Bourque. Q. E. D.

 

[SenzZen]

What's the matter, OP? No clouds to yell at?!?

 

[koyvoo]

This is a dumb thread.

I often wonder at what point someone’s privilege to start threads gets taken away from them.

 

[SouthGeorge]

Scuderi has two Cups, Bourque only one. Therefore Scuderi is better than Bourque. Q. E. D.

You are implying Scuderi and Bourque are of the same skill level not me.

 

[Icarium]

No, you are implying that one player makes all the difference, therefore the number of won Cups is the ultimate benchmark, the favourite nonsensical argument of many people on this forum. I am just mocking it.

 

[SI90]

It’s a team game.

 

[OvermanKingGainer]

Last time the Pens won a Championship Letang was on the bench. Coincidence? No.

...huge coincidence, actually.

The 2016 Playoff Penguins would wipe the floor with the 2017 Playoff Penguins.

 

[heysmilinstrange]

FYI: SouthGeorge has a searing, primordial hatred of Letang that is honestly unlike anything I've ever witnessed before. The purpose of this thread is to bash Letang, so like, I wouldn't get caught up in it if I were you, a member of a non-Penguins fanbase.