Build an all-time team but with dmen playing all positions

[tinyzombies]

What if you had to take on the best ever but with dmen filling the forward positions? Who would be your 5 all-time dman team?

dman dman dman
Orr? dman
Hasek?

A team to take on the usual best 5 of Gretzky, Orr, Howe, etc.

Pick a goalie too.

Click to read more...

 

[Michael Farkas]

Bourque-Kelly-Shore
Harvey-Orr
Brodeur

Bourque and Kelly had played those positions, so that'll be easy. I've often compared Shore to Brent Burns, he's basically a plug and play guy. Harvey and Orr are the two best ever.

If the goalie also needed to be a d-man...Anton Volchenkov or Craig Ludwig make sense. But if not, I want Brodeur. Who was often referred to as a third defenseman back there.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

Bourque-Kelly-Shore
Harvey-Orr
Brodeur

Bourque and Kelly had played those positions, so that'll be easy. I've often compared Shore to Brent Burns, he's basically a plug and play guy. Harvey and Orr are the two best ever.

If the goalie also needed to be a d-man...Anton Volchenkov or Craig Ludwig make sense. But if not, I want Brodeur. Who was often referred to as a third defenseman back there.

I'd be tempted to play Orr at center. Let's him still defend and control the offense.

Move Bourque to D with Harvey, especially with his ability to run things from the point

 

[tinyzombies]

Bourque-Kelly-Shore
Harvey-Orr
Brodeur

Bourque and Kelly had played those positions, so that'll be easy. I've often compared Shore to Brent Burns, he's basically a plug and play guy. Harvey and Orr are the two best ever.

If the goalie also needed to be a d-man...Anton Volchenkov or Craig Ludwig make sense. But if not, I want Brodeur. Who was often referred to as a third defenseman back there.

That’s a good team. Will be hard to top.

 

[Michael Farkas]

I was trying to be careful to ensure that the skating/puck carrying ability wasn't too limited by putting players at forward. The best skater ever needs to play defense, for me. If I move Orr to center, I don't want Kelly at all, and I'd swap Lidstrom in on the back end.

I'd rather not have Bourque playing back because I feel like I can get better defending from others. Ya know, relative to the field we're picking from.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

I was trying to be careful to ensure that the skating/puck carrying ability wasn't too limited by putting players at forward. The best skater ever needs to play defense, for me. If I move Orr to center, I don't want Kelly at all, and I'd swap Lidstrom in on the back end.

I'd rather not have Bourque playing back because I feel like I can get better defending from others. Ya know, relative to the field we're picking from.

Fair point.

My rationale for Orr at center was because of his skating. Frees him up to free wheel in the offensive zone and he's got the skating to recover and get back on D against anyone

 

[tinyzombies]

I was trying to be careful to ensure that the skating/puck carrying ability wasn't too limited by putting players at forward. The best skater ever needs to play defense, for me. If I move Orr to center, I don't want Kelly at all, and I'd swap Lidstrom in on the back end.

I'd rather not have Bourque playing back because I feel like I can get better defending from others. Ya know, relative to the field we're picking from.

Remember whoever is at center has to line up against (most likely) Gretzky. Or equally nightmarish… Mario.

 

[Stephen]

I'd be tempted to play Orr at center. Let's him still defend and control the offense.

Move Bourque to D with Harvey, especially with his ability to run things from the point

I'd be hesitant to use Orr in any forward position. Seems like he was really able to dominate the game by making use of the amount of ice available while bringing up the rear, escaping to the defensive zone and then winding up again as much as he felt like, and make use of that elite vision watching the play unfold with all pieces ahead of him. As a center, I don't think he would have had that 200 foot freedom the same way with the escape routes back towards the defensive zone, with back pressure and other teammates in the way. I'm sure he would have figured it out in any case but he wouldn't have been Full Orr in any other position.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

robinson chelios coffey
orr langway
roy

coffey for his skating and goal scoring ability, robinson because he played forward late into his development and for a bigass power forward, and i just feel like chelios with his genius level hockey iq and mastery of the little things would make an excellent two-way center. like, he assuredly would become a top faceoff guy right?

on d, orr is automatic. langway for size and a safe guy.

roy because a team like that just needs a guy who is predictable and imo roy is the most constant of all top goalies ever in terms of how he will play the position.

 

[tinyzombies]

I'd be hesitant to use Orr in any forward position. Seems like he was really able to dominate the game by making use of the amount of ice available while bringing up the rear, escaping to the defensive zone and then winding up again as much as he felt like, and make use of that elite vision watching the play unfold with all pieces ahead of him. As a center, I don't think he would have had that 200 foot freedom the same way with the escape routes back towards the defensive zone, with back pressure and other teammates in the way. I'm sure he would have figured it out in any case but he wouldn't have been Full Orr in any other position.

The flipside is - how on earth would Gretzky or Mario be able to stop Orr at center?

robinson chelios coffey
orr langway
roy

coffey for his skating and goal scoring ability, robinson because he played forward late into his development and for a bugass power forward, and i just feel like chelios with his genius level hockey iq and mastery of the little things would make an excellent two-way center. like, he assuredly would become a top faceoff guy right?

on d, orr is automatic. langway for size and a safe guy.

I like it.

 

[Michael Farkas]

Remember whoever is at center has to line up against (most likely) Gretzky. Or equally nightmarish… Mario.

It's all defensemen league, man. The center on this team is probably going against Andrei Markov and Ebbie Goodfellow haha

 

[tinyzombies]

Robinson - Orr - Shore
Bourque - Harvey

I’m gonna snipe some ideas from you guys.

And if they are up against

Hull - Gretzky - Howe
Orr - Harvey

Orr vs Gretzky puts them on their heels a bit.

It's all defensemen league, man. The center on this team is probably going against Andrei Markov and Ebbie Goodfellow haha

Those aren’t the rules. Rules are important or we’ll have anarchy. Lol

 

[BenchBrawl]

.

 

[67 others]

Remember whoever is at center has to line up against (most likely) Gretzky. Or equally nightmarish… Mario.

In this intellectual exercise, does this mean the 5 players on Team Gretzky have to be forwards, with 2 forwards playing D?

This is one time I think Paul Coffey will make my top 5 Dmen to play RW. He could play wing and won't be counted on for defense. I am guessing Red Kelly also makes the forward squad as LW. Who gets to take faceoffs? Which Dmen get to take faceoffs? Im sure I have seen videos of some Defensemen like Al Macinnis taking faceoffs before, but I doubt he makes the team.

 

[BraveCanadian]

I'd be tempted to play Orr at center. Let's him still defend and control the offense.

Orr specifically said he wasn't as good up front where he couldn't see the play unfolding as he came up the ice.

 

[Stephen]

Orr specifically said he wasn't as good up front where he couldn't see the play unfolding as he came up the ice.

Yeah the way Orr worked the ice forward and backwards, built up speed, played the change-up game, the extreme curl backs, surveying the entire ice... I just don't see the same effectiveness from the center ice position where he's spearheading the transition, leading from the front. I think you'd be taking away what made Orr unique, and somewhat misguided in trying to upgrade him into a more 'prestigious' C role.

 

[tinyzombies]

Orr specifically said he wasn't as good up front where he couldn't see the play unfolding as he came up the ice.

Maybe so but you are building a five man defense team here and a not as good orr is probably still awesome at center.

But I could see clearing the track for him also, and making him the focal point. From defense.

 

[GMR]

This should be one thread where Phil Housley finally gets some love.

Right?

 

[tinyzombies]

orr would also be amazing on the wing also because of his stop/start ability and he had that great shot. But the open space center would be amazing for him too. Bottom line he could play anywhere.

This should be one thread where Phil Housley finally gets some love.

Right?

Absolutely he was a dynamic player and if you can move him upfront, who knows. But the task for this team is a tall one. It has to be a team of the best ever.

 

[DJ Man]

Lester Patrick could be the goaltender, based on his historic substitution in 1928.