Zdeno Chara vs Brian Leetch
- Thread starter Boreal01
- Start date
BigBadBruins7708
Registered User
Leetch had the better season, Chara had the better career and was the better overall defenseman
1,2,2,3,3,3,4,5 Norris finishes
3x AS-1
4x AS-2
1,2,2,3,3,3,4,5 Norris finishes
3x AS-1
4x AS-2
BraveCanadian
Registered User
- Jun 30, 2010
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Really close, but I lean Leetch on this one. At their bests, the difference offensively between them is bigger than the difference defensively, I think. So Leetch was better.
Chara probably aged better because as he declined, being 6ft9 made it easier to be a defensive defenseman as the footspeed was lost.
Tough call depending on the question being asked.
Chara probably aged better because as he declined, being 6ft9 made it easier to be a defensive defenseman as the footspeed was lost.
Tough call depending on the question being asked.
OKR
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- Nov 18, 2015
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Leetch for sure. Chara has to be one of the most overrated hockey players ever.
sr edler
gold is not reality
- Mar 20, 2010
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Norris voting isn't scripture, we shouldn't forget it's voted on by journalists and journalists aren't without flaws. By Norris voting Zubov and McCabe have the same peak value, which is absurd, McCabe wasn't even better than Kaberle. Also Leetch faced overall harder competition (Chelios, Bourque, Stevens, MacInnis, et cetera).
I voted Leetch.... I was just giving those who say "it's not close" some perspective. Chara was more consistent for longer too on top of the Norris votes. Leetch was quite bad in his own end in his latter years.
Leetch was just better at controlling the game, a much better transition player and his difference on offense was greater than the one on defense imo. Chara had incredible longevity, but he also became a top defenceman later, and he wasn’t really a major difference maker for a lot of his final seasons. I don’t think there’s a large difference in the length of their primes, and I don’t put a ton of stock in accumulating useful seasons that are much lower than their primes for this level of player
I also think Leetch was probably underrated in his 30s due to playing huge minutes on poor Ranger teams. I know Machinehead did a deeper dive into his ‘01 season where he had 79 to lead all defensemen in scoring (significantly so over anyone other than Lidstrom), but he only finished 5th in Norris voting because his -18 made him look poor defensively, when Machinehead showed a lot of that was actually things like empty netters and short handed goals and Leetch was a huge positive impact on the team at ES. Chara always got the benefit of the doubt defensively when it came to Norris voting, which explains some of the difference.
I also think Leetch was probably underrated in his 30s due to playing huge minutes on poor Ranger teams. I know Machinehead did a deeper dive into his ‘01 season where he had 79 to lead all defensemen in scoring (significantly so over anyone other than Lidstrom), but he only finished 5th in Norris voting because his -18 made him look poor defensively, when Machinehead showed a lot of that was actually things like empty netters and short handed goals and Leetch was a huge positive impact on the team at ES. Chara always got the benefit of the doubt defensively when it came to Norris voting, which explains some of the difference.
Post 90s do you mean after the 89-90 season and starting with the 90-1 season, if so how could one have Bourque over Lidstrom?
Also without looking at it I think some of the other 80s guys are too high as well.
Im saying defencemen who played into the 90s, not counting Robinson since he was more or less done. So yes, take the 80s into consideration for Bourque, Coffey, etc
nowhereman
Registered User
It's a coin flip, even though Leetch's offense seems to be propping him up in this thread.
I went with Chara. I feel his longevity and physical play give him the edge. Definitely close though.
It’s funny how perceptions ebb and flow. Leetch seems to be getting the benefit of folks remembering his prime and folks seem to be remembering the last few years of Chara. It’s a good poll. Two guys in the same tier. But I think folks are forgetting how long it took Leetch to find his stride defensively and how young he flamed out for an elite defenseman. I also think that Chara was super underrated in his Ottawa days as many thought Redden had equal claim to being the star d-man. All that being said. I have no idea who to vote for. Leetch’s peak was sooooo good.
Love
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- Feb 29, 2012
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Leetch’s peak was perhaps as good as any defenceman in the modern era
Okay fair enough but it just looked awkward with post 90 guys on there as well.
It wasn't just his ofesne but he had some really good defensive play in the first part of his career and he has that Conn Smythe worthy run as well
But I came here to say that his peak was just so much higher than Chara.
Voodoo Child
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- Jun 16, 2009
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Leetch was the better skills guy while Chara was the better physical presence. Leetch's peak offensive presence is almost as good as any other Dman of his era while Chara's physical dominance ( reach, strength ) and high IQ allowed him to be the most dominant in his own end during his era.
I think it's a coin flip depending on what side of a dman's game you value more.
I think it's a coin flip depending on what side of a dman's game you value more.
biturbo19
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- Jul 13, 2010
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Leetch was tremendously talented, and not just extremely tall. He was also not supremely unlikeable as a player and person. Which is another advantage for Leetch. Who...despite the fact i should hate him as Canucks fan...i just can't. Chara on the other hand, can go kick rocks.
Chara was a legit Norris contender for 10 years and a legit top pair defenseman for 20. Leetch was a legit top pair defenseman for 15 years, but his run as a true Norris contender was really only 6 years, albeit a better 6 years than any 6 years Chara can make a case for.
I get the excuses that Leetch was on a lot of bad teams, but he was a 50 point player that played a lot of minutes to bump up those stats from 29 year old and on. Pointing to his one outlier season in his 30s as a norm seems a little dicey. Leetch at 29 and on was good (well, until he got to Boston), but was not the Makar/prime Karlsson like force he was in his mid 20s.
And I think you are vastly overestimating the number of "useful tack on seasons" for Chara. He was still a legit top pair defenseman at 41 years old. His last season in Boston he was very much being carried by McAvoy, and the two seasons in Washington and NY were just there to get him past Chelios for games played. But, he was the Bruins #1D for most of his 41 year old season, before McAvoy clearly took the torch. That team made it to the Cup.
You can also make an argument that Chara was extremely underrated in his 20s because of everyones fixation with the ridiculously overrated Redden.
I think its totally within reason to conclude that Leetch's better peak puts him ahead, but I think you are needlessly overstepping in your arguments.
I think you know that what made Chara great wasn't that he was tall... there are a lot of 6'7" and 6'8
d-prospects that don't do shit... it was because of his awesome hockey IQ AND the big reach.
General Fanager
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