Best Future NHL defense

[elphy101]

I'm trying to determine what NHL team has the best future defense. IMO Florida, Calgary and Edmonton have the best future defenses. Thoughts? Comments? Am I forgetting any team?

Here is each teams depth chart. Using only defensemen under 25, NHL'ers and quality prospects.

Edmonton: Eric Brewer, Alexei Semenov, Doug Lynch, Jeff Wowitka, Matt Greene, and Marc-Andre Bergeron

Calgary: Jordan Leopold, Dion Phaneuf, Robyn Regehr, Andrew Ference, Tim Ramholt, and Mike Commodore

Florida: Jay Bowmeester, Mike Van Ryn, Branislav Mezei, Lukas Krajicek, Flip Novak, Mathieu Biron

Click to read more...

 

[Hossa]

Well, Ottawa...

Chara (26), Redden (26), Phillips (25), Rachunek (24), Anton Volchenkov (21).

 

[gohabsgo2010]

Hainsey, Komisarek, and Markov form an incredible top three.

Others such as Konstantin Korneev, Francois Beauchemin and Ryan O'Byrne look solid too.

 

[elphy101]

Well, Ottawa...

Chara (26), Redden (26), Phillips (25), Rachunek (24), Anton Volchenkov (21).

Yep, if you include that extra 2 years, Ottawa has the best defense. Although I would argue, that those three players are close to if not in their prime, I'd kinda prefer to stick with more future. That's why I went with under 25 defensemen.

 

[nomorekids]

nashville should be mentioned: timonen, zidlicky, suter, hamhuis, stehlik, hutchinson

balanced and EXTREMELY skilled. factor in the fact that mark eaton(that's right, mark eaton) has turned into ap retty incredible shut-down d-man(plays the toplines every night, +12 on the year) and nashville looks pretty solid.

 

[elphy101]

nashville should be mentioned: timonen, zidlicky, suter, hamhuis, stehlik, hutchinson

I completely forgot about Nashville. Suter and Hamhuis will be studs. Zidlicky has sure been impressive recently. Klein will pan out as well.

Timmonen is already 28 though so would not fit under my listing, however they should definitely be up there

 

[Mike8]

I think Nashville deserves a mention. While they don't have the current young NHL talent to get attention, Hamhuis and Suter are both bluechippers. Kevin Klein's a rock, Stehlik, Sulzer, Hutchinson add some potential depth as well.

 

[PanthersRule96]

IN Order
Florida
Nashville
Calgary


Bouwmeester
VanRyn
Kudroc
Mezei
Novak
Krajicek
Biron
Swanson
Tuma
Lojek
Rossiter

 

[leafaholix*]

Toronto...

Aki Berg (26)
Karel Pilar (26)
Tomas Kaberle (25)
Pierre Hedin (25)
Jay Harrison (21)
Carlo Colaiacovo (20)
Maxim Kondratiev (20)
Brendan Bell (20)
Ian White (19)
John Doherty (19)

 

[easton122]

I think the Flyers used to have the best future NHL defense before Woywitka was traded but they still look pretty good.

Pitkanen, Seidenberg, Vandermeer, Korovkin and add Woywitka in the mix back before he was traded I think that was the hands down #1. Let's not forget Markov and Johnsson are still pretty young.

 

[leafaholix*]

Aside from Pitkanen, there's nobody else on the Philly future blue line that I'd take ahead of either Leopold, Phaneuf, or Regehr.

Even prior to that Woywitka move, Philly would not have been #1.

 

[icarus]

I guess it depends how far in the future we're looking. Ottawa looks better than Nashville for the immediate future, but that could change further down the road, for example.

I am happy with the Flames' future blueline. Currently, there is not one defenseman in the organisation who is 28 (although Warrener will be hitting that mark in a few days, I think). So barring any trades, Calgary's future would have Regehr, Leopold, Warrener, Gauthier, Lydman, Ference, Phaneuf, and Ramholt, with Commodore, Montador, Wallin and Pierre Johnsson as insurance.

All the teams mentioned in this thread so far have bright futures on the back end though.

 

[RokhedCommish]

I'm trying to determine what NHL team has the best future defense. IMO Florida, Calgary and Edmonton have the best future defenses. Thoughts? Comments? Am I forgetting any team?

Here is each teams depth chart. Using only defensemen under 25, NHL'ers and quality prospects.

Edmonton: Eric Brewer, Alexei Semenov, Doug Lynch, Jeff Wowitka, Matt Greene, and Marc-Andre Bergeron

Calgary: Jordan Leopold, Dion Phaneuf, Robyn Regehr, Andrew Ference, Tim Ramholt, and Mike Commodore

Florida: Jay Bowmeester, Mike Van Ryn, Branislav Mezei, Lukas Krajicek, Flip Novak, Mathieu Biron

First of alll..take out Ference from the Flames list. If I said he was a poor player I would be overrating him. He is brutal. SO many times I have seen Lydman save his ass by stopping a 2 on 1 after Ference doesnt read the play correctly and pinches at the wrong time.

second, i think putting Biron in there is a mistake too. Never seen anything decent from this kid either.

Being a Flames fan, it hurts me to say this, but it looks like Edmonton has the better young blueline in the future. (although Leopold WILL become an elite blueliner) The Flames have higher quality d-men, but are very thin as far as depth in that department. The OIlers are not. FLames will have the best top two out of this group with Leo and Phaneuf but the other teams seem to be more balanced 6 years down the road. Since Florida does not have a defensive minded coach, so that hurts their learning ability. SO i have to give the nod to the *cough* Oilers *cough*.

 

[BronxBruin]

They probably aren't as good as Calgary or Nashville but Boston's blueline appears to be in pretty good shape:

Nick Boynton (25)
Jeff Jillson (23)
Shaone Morrisonn (21)
Mark Stuart (19)
Lars Jonsson (22)
Milan Jurcina (20)
Andrew Alberts (22)

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

Niedermayer, Rafalski, White, Hale, Martin, Kadeikin....If your looking past 5 years who knows what trades and drafts will occur.

 

[looooob]

The Flames have higher quality d-men, but are very thin as far as depth in that department. The OIlers are not. FLames will have the best top two out of this group with Leo and Phaneuf but the other teams seem to be more balanced 6 years down the road.
I'm not so sure about this. you can only go with 6 or 7 dmen at a time, so if someone throws up a list of 12 guys it doesn't do much for me.
I"m not sure anyone can project 6 years down the line, but look at say 3-4 years down the line
Warrener 31
Lydman 30
Gauthier 30
Leopold 27
Regehr 27
Phaneuf 22
Ramholt 22
Commodore 27
Ference 28

what more could you want really? (of course not all of these guys will be here then, but that is true for all teams). I guess the reason I like Calgary's d is because they've got 6 guys who are already sure thing NHLers 27 and under, a prospect who is about as can't miss as they come and another pretty good prospect....Edmonton's list includes only 3 bonafide current NHLers (and even then Bergeron and Semenov have been on the cusp this year) and 3 prospects, that's the difference IMO

anyways back to the original exercise if Ottawa is adding Reddon and Phillips, and Boston is adding Boynton and Nashville is adding Zidlicky and Toronto is adding Berg and Pilar then add Lydman and Gauthier to the Flames as they are also in the same age bracket

 

[Mizral]

One for for Nashville here.

Suter is going to be one of the best blueliners in the league if you ask me.

Hamhuis should be a good complimentary guy.

Klein, Sulzer, Hutchinson, etc... all look to be good prospects

My Canucks have Eddie Jovanovski (27) and Mattias Ohlund (27) whom are both 2 years above 25, but are still young by NHL defenseman standards. Bryan Allen (23) is having a really fantastic year, although it's not technically his rookie season, it may as well be. Kirril Koltsov and Tomas Mojizs in the pipeline. Not bad, though I'd like to see Burke pick up one more defense-first defenseman around the age of 20.

 

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Being a Flames fan, it hurts me to say this, but it looks like Edmonton has the better young blueline in the future. (although Leopold WILL become an elite blueliner) The Flames have higher quality d-men, but are very thin as far as depth in that department. The OIlers are not. FLames will have the best top two out of this group with Leo and Phaneuf but the other teams seem to be more balanced 6 years down the road. Since Florida does not have a defensive minded coach, so that hurts their learning ability. SO i have to give the nod to the *cough* Oilers *cough*.

Ference is only 23, don't judge him too harshly. He's doing quite well for his age.

As for your EDM vs CGY comments I really can't agree. I would take Regehr, Leopold and Phaneuf over any of the Edmonton players. I fail to see how Edmonton has significantly more depth at that position.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

Ference also is godawful.

Pittsburgh and Nashville have very solid futures on D.

 

[looooob]

This whole Ference is awful business is a bit much

He's 23 or 24, he has 14 points, is +10 and he's our 6th defenceman now, and probably the 7 or 8 guy next year. if anything that speaks to Calgary's depth of young d, whereas some people seem to be implying that the mere existence of Andrew Ference on the Flames blueline is some sort of black mark against them

 

[Burke's Evil Spirit]

Nashville, Pittsburgh and Calgary are way ahead of the pack in terms of prospects, IMO...If I had to pick one...I'd say Calgary, because I'm a Dion Phaneuf fanboy!

 

[Vatican Roulette]

Detroit. Hands down.

Fischer, Kronvall, Groulx, Quincey???

I mean come on, no contest guys!!!

Everyone else was being a homer, thought i'd go along with it.


Anyway.

Flordia, Nashville and Calgary are the top 3 IMO. Nashville i would put #1 since last draft they did amazing, but the Flordia guys are a little more well know and further along in their development.

If 2 or 3 of the Nashville d-man prospects pan out though, that defense will be amazing. Now if they could only score a goal.

 

[J-D]

Toronto...

Aki Berg (26)
Karel Pilar (26)
Tomas Kaberle (25)
Pierre Hedin (25)
Jay Harrison (21)
Carlo Colaiacovo (20)
Maxim Kondratiev (20)
Brendan Bell (20)
Ian White (19)
John Doherty (19)

IMO this is not even top (edit) 10. Colaiacovo, Bell and White are overrated, while Berg just plain sucks. Harrison will surely become a good d-man as well as Kondratiev, though. And we had many discussions about Kaberle here at HF but IMO he's not much to drool over.

Nashville, Calgary, Philadelphia, Florida, Montreal, Ottawa, St-Louis, Vancouver, New Jersey and Detroit will have a better d-corps in years to come.

 

[BlueAndWhite]

IMO this is not even top 15.

Name the 15 teams....

 

[J-D]

Switched to ten, jumped on the gun too fast sorry.