Do The Blues Have The Best Defense In The NHL?

[82Ninety42011]

They are definitely top 5 arguments can be made for a few teams. Regardless Blues are set up very nicely to have another go at it this season.

 

[Svechhammer]

I'm going to say that the team that deemed Faulk expendable might have a better defense than the one who just acquired him.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

Hedman is over rated IMO but still a top D. However Shattenkirk has been meh and Serg is meh as well. Both are over rated.

If anyone's overrated its Parayko

 

[Stealth JD]

I'm going to say that the team that deemed Faulk expendable might have a better defense than the one who just acquired him.

how does replacing Faulk with an inferior Edmundson strengthen the Canes defense?

 

[tsujimoto74]

They allowed fewer goals against in the regular season and the playoffs than St Louis (despite a brutal run of injuries), so there's that.

They also had reliable goaltending for the entire season, though. The Blues could've had the best defense ever assembled in NHL history and still bled GA with Allen in net.

 

[Blanick]

I still think from top to bottom the best core belongs to the Canes. Tampa, Boston, Blues and Columbus are all in the mix though IMO.

 

[Svechhammer]

how does replacing Faulk with an inferior Edmundson strengthen the Canes defense?

Edmundson is a better 3rd line fit and should be a better PK specialist for what we're looking to do. Trying to fit Faulk on our 3rd line was always going to be a struggle this year, and this allows us to play our top two lines more often while having a better purely defensive player pairing with whatever prospect is filling in for the injured TVR until his return. We won't need to ask said prospect to do as much defensively with Edmundson out there in regards to Faulk.

 

[izzy]

Tampa, Carolina, Boston and maybe Nashville still

Edit: for sure Nashville and I forgot the Wild, Dallas and on pieces alone I’d rather have Colorado’s

what the f***?

 

[DaveG]

how does replacing Faulk with an inferior Edmundson strengthen the Canes defense?

That in itself didn't, but the defensive moves in totality this off-season do.

Out:
Faulk
De Haan
Carrick
Renouf

In:
Gardiner
Edmundson
Forsling
Claesson
Priskie

 

[LetsGoBLUES91]

If Shattenkirk can get back to his old self ... Hedman, McDonagh, Shattenkirk, Cernak, Sergachev, Coburn is as good as it gets.

Hedman - Sergachev > Dunn - Pietrangelo

McDonagh - Cernak > Bouwmeester - Parayko

Coburn - Shattenkirk > Gunnarson - Faulk

Almost fainted reading that.

I’d take their top four over anyone not name pietrangelo (I spelled that horribly) and parayko

I.....what??

 

[ccman68]

Almost fainted reading that.

Parayko>Mcdonagh but Cernak>>>>>>>>Bouwmeester so that seems about right.

As far as the bottom pairing goes I would give the Blues a slight edge but it could go either way really.

 

[CanadienShark]

Sharks are ahead. Arguably Nashville and Tampa too. Canes too.

 

[TheGoldenGod]

I do not understand how Nashville has a better corps.

Josi = Petro
Ekholm=Parayko
Ellis = Faulk
Fabbro < Dunn
Hamhuis < Bouwmeester
Weber < Gunnarson

I dont mean to nitpick their team but I'd honestly like to hear what actual Nashville fans and other central division fans thought as well vs. all of the comments that are coming from fans of eastern conference teams that barely see either team play. The blueline is the backbone of STL and it has been for most of the decade.

And man...I don't think many people watched Jay Bouwmeester play last year....That shutdown pairing was MASSIVE against the other teams top lines for all of last season. Again, MASSIVE and he played a big role in that.

 

[tony d]

Nope, it's top 5 for me but #1 for me in terms of defense is Tampa or Nashville.

 

[Dr Salt]

Carolina.

 

[um]

If Shattenkirk can get back to his old self ... Hedman, McDonagh, Shattenkirk, Cernak, Sergachev, Coburn is as good as it gets.

Hedman - Sergachev > Dunn - Pietrangelo

McDonagh - Cernak > Bouwmeester - Parayko

Coburn - Shattenkirk > Gunnarson - Faulk

Its fun to see people get excited about Shattenkirk... slow learners I guess.

 

[Stopsight]

Feels like i'm taking crazy pills seeing teams like Carolina and Nashville even mentioned in the contention for #1, let alone Colorado and Dallas.

Sharks are frail and/or old on top of being shallow. Tampa is who i would put in #2 thanks to their depth and myself being more positive towards Shattenkirk's chances than many.

 

[Note Worthy]

Yes but this means we get to use that against Binnington now

Deal.

 

[sr edler]

This is feeling like that old tired "does Calgary have the best defense?" trope thing from when they acquired Bouwmeester to Phanuef.

Is Faulk even that good on actual defense? Adding Faulk/Shattenkirk type players doesn't necessarily make your defense stellar, but it might give you some nice PP goals here and there though.

 

[ManyIdeas]

This is feeling like that old tired "does Calgary have the best defense?" trope thing from when they acquired Bouwmeester to Phanuef.

Is Faulk even that good on actual defense? Adding Faulk/Shattenkirk type players doesn't necessarily make your defense stellar, but it might give you some nice PP goals here and there though.

Adding Faulk as a 3rd pairing dman behind someone who is regarded as a top dman in the league and also the giant that shut down top lines all postseason makes the defense better, yes.

 

[bob27]

Boston? What’s so special about their defense?

Best 5v5 CA/60 and 2nd best xGA/60 in the last 2 years. May not have super flashy names, but when it comes to limiting scoring chances Bruins are the best.

 

[LetsGoBLUES91]

Parayko>Mcdonagh but Cernak>>>>>>>>Bouwmeester so that seems about right.

As far as the bottom pairing goes I would give the Blues a slight edge but it could go either way really.

You either think way too highly of Cernak or way too little of Bouwmeester.

 

[Regal]

I do not understand how Nashville has a better corps.

Josi = Petro
Ekholm=Parayko
Ellis = Faulk
Fabbro < Dunn
Hamhuis < Bouwmeester
Weber < Gunnarson

I dont mean to nitpick their team but I'd honestly like to hear what actual Nashville fans and other central division fans thought as well vs. all of the comments that are coming from fans of eastern conference teams that barely see either team play. The blueline is the backbone of STL and it has been for most of the decade.

And man...I don't think many people watched Jay Bouwmeester play last year....That shutdown pairing was MASSIVE against the other teams top lines for all of last season. Again, MASSIVE and he played a big role in that.

I'd say Ellis is decently better than Faulk, but otherwise agree.

 

[Hockey Stick]

I'd take the Habs LHD over anyone else in the league any day, and twice on Sunday.

 

[Fugazy]

I'd give the slight edge to Carolina.