Risto has also averaged over 24 minutes a game throughout his career, gets the tough matchups, and continues to lead the Sabres in ice-time this year. Easily a first pairing D, even if many don't like him.
Romanov and Sandin are 19/20 and haven't been given a chance yet. And we can't really say anything about Gavrikov yet as he is a rookie (on a team with Jones, Werenski and Savard), but he has averaged over 21 minutes over the last 14 games (after 16 minutes a game for the first 31 games).
There is zero sense going back beyond the lockout as the game, especially for D, has changed a ton since then - and even Phaneuf was playing in the wrong era for his style.
Essentially what we have is 12 top pairing Ds, 1 who failed (Gormley) and 3 unknowns. So 12 out of 13.
Yet Sticky says: "There are a few who became top pairing defenceman, but a lot of them had short good careers in the NHL."
Of course Sticky also says: "Sandin has 7 points on the PP this season, and 5 at ES." which is completely wrong - Sandin recorded his 7th ES point this season on December 7th.
And posted this yesterday 9 minutes apart:
"Oh man, a rare mistake by Lilly. 3-3"
"Now Sandin with a mistake. This is becoming too common for him."
And believes there is an organizational conspiracy against Liljegren.
And went ballistic last fall at anyone who claimed Liljegren wasn't playing amazing - until months later Keefe and Dubas both specifically said that Liljegren had been playing poorly at that time.
There is an agenda being aggressively pushed by a small number of posters, who are not satisfied by simply admitting the improvements Liljegren has made this year, but who also have to make up negative claims about Sandin, and who claim that anyone who doesn't share their view doesn't watch the games, while making untrue claims themselves (like a week ago or so when one of them said that Liljegren was on the 1st PK last year with LoVerde, which is clearly not true and anyone who "watched the games" would know that).