Andrei Markov vs Marc-Edouard Vlasic

[Sensinitis]

I thought of this as an interesting comparison. It's 2 guys that kind of went under the radar relative to other more noteworthy top pairing defensemen during their respective careers. They don't have any noteworthy awards or things like that, but they were both clearly very good top pairing Ds and I think most would consider them 1D in their primes. Prime Markov was injured often, while Vlasic's offence I think kind of put a bit of a question mark over his status as a top defenseman. So it wasn't clear to me who was really the better overall D.

Who was better in his prime? And who do you think peaked higher?

Click to read more...

 

[MXD]

Markov CLEARLY peaked higher -- it's just that nobody realized it.

 

[Michael Farkas]

This might be unpopular, but Vlasic is about as good of a shutdown defender as there has been in the league since the lockout and that includes Zdeno Chara. Chara gets a lot of street cred for being a great shutdown man - and he is - but Vlasic is right there for me...and I mean, right there.

Markov peaked higher overall probably, and paraphrasing what MXD said, nobody cared...

 

[Sensinitis]

Markov CLEARLY peaked higher -- it's just that nobody realized it.

that's what I thought as well. he is a player that seems just so under-discussed that, I don't know, made me doubt that thought because vlasic all-in-all was praised quite a lot. by fans just as much as team Canada who's been giving him a strong role, over guys like Subban, Giordano, Letang...who are definitely at least as good as Markov was I think. I know it's the LD-RD thing but nevertheless.

 

[MXD]

This might be unpopular, but Vlasic is about as good of a shutdown defender as there has been in the league since the lockout and that includes Zdeno Chara. Chara gets a lot of street cred for being a great shutdown man - and he is - but Vlasic is right there for me...and I mean, right there.

Markov peaked higher overall probably, and paraphrasing what MXD said, nobody cared...

Players like Markov tend to be noticed, and subsequently rewarded, when they get team success. I mean, Markov is/was very Lidstrom-like, except worse (the biggest difference being skating).

Of course, Lidstrom really helped the Wings look great, and all-in-all their best player, but does anyone remotely thinks he that many Norris if he DOESN'T win a Cup at some point? Despite being, by far, the best D in the league...

 

[MXD]

that's what I thought as well. he is a player that seems just so under-discussed that, I don't know, made me doubt that thought because vlasic all-in-all was praised quite a lot. by fans just as much as team Canada who's been giving him a strong role, over guys like Subban, Giordano, Letang...who are definitely at least as good as Markov was I think. I know it's the LD-RD thing but nevertheless.

You kindof evidenced how much Under-the-rader Markov was by saying Giordano peaked higher

And Subban can REALLY thank Markov for his Norris as well.

 

[Sensinitis]

You kindof evidenced how much Under-the-rader Markov was by saying Giordano peaked higher

And Subban can REALLY thank Markov for his Norris as well.

to be fair I said was 'definitely at least as good', by which I meant that Giordano seemed, in his best years, to play a similar role as Markov. Getting hard matchups, he put up strong offensive numbers as well. different type of player of course.
and wasn't Markov kind of underwhelming in the playoffs? as in, he didn't really seem to bring an extra gear, to elevate his game more than he did during the regular season. as opposed to a guy like Subban for instance.

 

[JackSlater]

Markov, though unlike the sentiment here I think that he was somewhat overrated. Not by award voting perhaps but I heard plenty of fans talk about how Markov was actually just as good as any defenceman in the NHL during his heyday. It continued after his heyday actually, but some of that is due to geography. Markov was good defensively and strong offensively. Very smart. Vlasic doesn't bring enough offence to compensate even though his defensive play has been absolutely elite.

 

[MXD]

Markov, though unlike the sentiment here I think that he was somewhat overrated. Not by award voting perhaps but I heard plenty of fans talk about how Markov was actually just as good as any defenceman in the NHL during his heyday. It continued after his heyday actually, but some of that is due to geography. Markov was good defensively and strong offensively. Very smart. Vlasic doesn't bring enough offence to compensate even though his defensive play has been absolutely elite.

Well... I basically called him a poor man's Lidstrom.
That pretty much excludes the whole "just as good as any defenceman in the NHL during his heyday", no?

 

[JackSlater]

Well... I basically called him a poor man's Lidstrom.
That pretty much excludes the whole "just as good as any defenceman in the NHL during his heyday", no?

I'm not so confident that you are indicative of the many Montreal fans that I was talking to circa 2008-2011 in Nova Scotia. Poor man's Lidstrom is fine enough as a comparison.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

post-lockout it was insane to me that tomas kaberle got so much attention and markov got so little. just as good onthe PP, and far superior in every single other way.

looking at their resumes now, markov has the higher norris placements but from what i recall kaberle got infinitely more media attention, and it’s not like he was playing in carolina or something.

re: under-the-radarness, one guy for this thread is sami salo. not as good as either guy, but a poor man’s vlasic in terms of quiet shutdown ability, and even more injury prone than markov. in his best stretches, which would inevitably get interrupted by yet another injury, i’d say salo was a fringe top 20 dman in the league. if he had a real offensive skillset to go with the booming shot, a healthy salo could have peaked as a top ten guy and fringe norris contender.

 

[tony d]

Both played different styles but for me this is Andrei Markov.

 

[BenchBrawl]

Markov CLEARLY peaked higher -- it's just that nobody realized it.

I do.He was so good and so intelligent before the knee injuries derailed his career (though he had a surprisingly good come back in the circumstances).

The Markov -> Kovalev diagonal pass so deadly on the PP.

He was an underrated PP quarterback.

 

[cujo1117]

go ask komisarek, souray how good markov was

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

The Markov -> Kovalev diagonal pass so deadly on the PP.

He was an underrated PP quarterback.

imo peak markov was the best qb in the league, bar none.