cup2006sensrule said:
Bobby Orr
Doug Harvey
Eddie Shore
Ray Bourque
Denis Potvin
Brad Park
Larry Robinson
Paul Coffey
Chris Chelios
Scott Stevens or Al MacInnis
Good list, mine is very similar. I'll restrict this to the NHL only, but only because that's what I'm most familiar with. I haven’t seen every player on this list, but I think I’ve done enough reading/watching videos to have an informed opinion.
1. Bobby Orr. There's nothing he couldn't do. Orr was by far the best offensive blueliner ever and was excellent defensively. Perhaps the greatest skater of all-time, strong checker, elevated his play in the post season, deadly on both the powerplay and penalty kill. Three Hart's, two Conn Smythe's, eight Norris's.
2. Eddie Shore. By all account he was an excellent defensive player and one of the strongest, fiercest defensemen in NHL history. He was great offensively and led defensemen in scoring five times. A true competitor and warrior if there ever was one. Shore is the only defenseman to win four Hart trophies, and would probably have 5-8 Norris trophies if they were around back then. (I give Shore the edge over Harvey largely because of his 4-0 lead in Hart trophies).
3. Doug Harvey. Take this with a grain of salt since I've only seen him on video, but Harvey is perhaps the greatest defensive player of all-time. His ability to control the tempo of the game to meet his teams' needs was incredible. Good hitter, great playmaker. Seven Norris trophies in eight years.
4. Ray Bourque. An incredible blend of consistency and dominance. He was a legitimate Norris contender every season of his career. Logged a ton of ice time and was great on the PP and PK. Great goal-scorer and playmaker, underrated hitter and great defensively. Excellent playoff performer. Won 5 Norris's. Bourque did everything very well for two decades.
5. Red Kelly. Arguably the greatest offensive defenseman until Orr. Excellent powerplay quarterback with outstanding offensive skills. Extremely durable and played 30-40 minutes per game. Great skater, good defensively. Very disciplined, meaning he didn't force his team to kill a lot of penalties. Won one Norris, would have had more if they were around earlier in his career.
6. Denis Potvin. Did everything well on one of the greatest dynasties of all time. An elite defensive player and deadly hitter. An excellent playmaker and the best goal-scoring defenseman of all time, after Orr and Coffey. Three Norris’s in four years.
7. Brad Park. The only reason Park doesn’t have three or four Norris trophies is because his prime coincided with that of Orr. Great offensive instincts and a dangerous hitter. Deadly on the powerplay, but also a good penalty killer. Comparable to Pronger in style, but was much better.
8. Paul Coffey. The second best offensive defenseman ever (after Orr), and the second best skater ever (after Orr). His ability to bring the puck up the ice, find and open position, or to dish the puck off to a teammate was truly breathtaking. I disagree with those who say that he was overrated and poor defensively. Coffey was average defensively, and I’d gladly take an average defensive player if he scores 120+ points. Three Norris’s.
9. Larry Robinson. Logged a ton of ice time on perhaps the greatest and deepest team in NHL history. Good playmaker, strong hitter, and excellent defensively. Two Norris’s and a Conn Smythe.
10. Nicklas Lidstrom. Lidstrom is the sublime blueliner: he does everything well with incredible poise and efficiency. Has been among the top blueliners in the league, offensively and defensively, for his whole career. The fact that he doesn’t take a lot of penalties is a good thing: it allows him to spend more time on the ice, and it doesn’t force the Wings to kill a lot of penalties. A first-team all star for six years in a row and has a Conn Smythe.
Honourable mentions go to Chelios, Seibert (the most underrated ten-time all-star in history), Pilotte, Horton, Salming, and Langway, who were all contenders for the #10 spot.
