Speculation: Do the Habs have the toughest defense in the league?

[habs03]

Disagree about habs not having guys that move the puck.

Only Pateryn who is likely a 8th dmen can't move the puck.

Weber and Emelin are far more elite but can move a decent first pass. Specially Emelin, who IMO gets understand for his first pass.

 

[Lshap]

Habs defence is definitely among the toughest and most physical in the league. It'll be interesting to see how this model works. Total switch from four/five years ago when we had Kaberle, Diaz, Yannick Weber, Gorges, Markov and Subban. Aside from Emelin, the Habs had the softest defence in the league. For all the puck-moving skill those guys had, they couldn't win a puck battle to save their lives and ended up stuck in our zone forever. You can't move the puck if you can't recover it.

 

[Habs]

I don't quite see it for the Canucks and the Islanders (for the D). Even Ottawa is a bit far-fetched. I mean... Unless they have new pieces I'm not aware of, they'd have to dress Borowiecki for it to remotely makes sense.

The Canucks have one of the softest bluelines in the leauge.

 

[Habs Icing]

With the recent trend favoring analytics and defensemen who can quickly and efficiently move the puck, the Habs have gone in a different direction with the likes of Emelin, Weber and Pateryn being in the team's defensive squad.

My questions are:

a) Are they the toughest D in the league?

b) If it's the case, is that a good thing or a bad thing with the way the NHL is trending?

I don't know if they're the toughest but it's not a bad thing. That I know. Especially since you have PMDs of some quality in Beaulieu, Petry, Barberio and yes Markov.

 

[Le Barron de HF]

The Canucks have one of the softest bluelines in the leauge.

They have Gudbransson, Sbisa, Tryamkin plus Edler who's not soft by any means.

 

[Apoplectic Habs Fan]

Not the toughest but also depends on definition of tough.

Hits is a part of it but prefer players who are nasty in front of their net and and along the boards. Weber definitely helps there however i dont find any of the other defenseman particularly menacing in this regard.

 

[shamrun]

I thought the new nhl was about puck moving and keeping the time in the defensive zone really low. I think the habs have a balanced defense. On paper at least.
I dont need them to be tough. I just want them to be effective.

A crappy example here but instead of punching players after they hit price maybe if they could find a way to steer the net crashes away from price early on.

 

[Runner77]

They're tougher to play against for sure. I can't say "toughest" without looking at all the other groups. Price will definitely have bigger guys looking out for him back there if someone tries running him.

That's one area that had been severely lacking -- we've seen way too many liberties taken on Price.

 

[Michelangelo]

Tougher physically? Yes.

Easier to score goals against? Yes.

 

[M.C.G. 31]

Toughest is Boston with Chara, McQuaid and Miller .

Yeah, but at least all of our top-six defensemen have a regular spot in the NHL and are actually NHL-calibre talents. McQuaid and Miller are barely NHLers.

Tougher physically? Yes.

Easier to score goals against? Yes.

That's literally impossible with a healthy Price.

 

[DJ Breadman]

No they don't, absolutely not

 

[Habs Man]

To give an idea of the numbers:

Weber: 169 hits
Emelin: 256 hits
Pateryn: 100 hits in 38 GP

Even guys like Petry (86 hits), Beaulieu (59) and Markov (56) are not soft by any means.

Exactly... Weber is huge here though... I believe that having a guy like him around makes everyone a few inches taller and that much tougher.

 

[Michelangelo]

Yeah, but at least all of our top-six defensemen have a regular spot in the NHL and are actually NHL-calibre talents. McQuaid and Miller are barely NHLers.



That's literally impossible with a healthy Price.

There will never be a 100% healthy Price anymore ever again.

 

[Le Barron de HF]

No they don't, absolutely not

Look around the league. Theyre at least top 3 if not the toughest.

 

[Habs]

They have Gudbransson, Sbisa, Tryamkin plus Edler who's not soft by any means.

Oh please, Gudbransson is the only one who hits. Edler is terrible, and the rest are not hard to play against at all.

Source : Father is a season ticket holder.

 

[M.C.G. 31]

There will never be a 100% healthy Price anymore ever again.

Dude did almost a full year of physical therapy. I have faith that he's 100% healthy.

 

[Tankster*]

Tougher physically? Yes.

Easier to score goals against? Yes.

Dumbest thing ive read. You think by switching Weber for Pk inc. that the Habs will be worse defensively ?
I see someone is still feeling the sting of an amazing trade. Get over it already.

 

[Le Barron de HF]

Oh please, Gudbransson is the only one who hits. Edler is terrible, and the rest are not hard to play against at all.

Source : Father is a season ticket holder.

Cool, your father has his own opinion. Tryamkin is some 6 foot 7 defenseman and had 31 hits in 13 GP. Sbisa had 151 hits last season, he's not soft by any means. If he was then he'd be utterly useless.

 

[jaffy27]

They're tougher to play against for sure. I can't say "toughest" without looking at all the other groups. Price will definitely have bigger guys looking out for him back there if someone tries running him.

Gone are the days of Diaz, Weber (Swiss one of course), Campoli, Kaberle, Gorges, Spacek.....all players who were weak in the corners and intimidated NO ONE!!!!!!

Hello Weber (the Canadian one ), Emelin, Pateryn.......hello 6'3 Sergachev, 6'2 Beaulieu. This to me is the biggest I've ever seen the habs defence be, it's comforting and refreshing!! A nice combination of passers, hitters, intimidaters, speedsters, PP QB's, scorers

 

[Habby Gilmore]

Exactly... Weber is huge here though... I believe that having a guy like him around makes everyone a few inches taller and that much tougher.

Exactly, we all knew that kid in school who thought he was tougher than he really was because he had that big mean older brother backing him up. Well Weber is that Big Mean older brother, and the whole team could feel like that kid lol.

 

[PuckSeparator]

Exactly, we all knew that kid in school who thought he was tougher than he really was because he had that big mean older brother backing him up. Well Weber is that Big Mean older brother, and the whole team could feel like that kid lol.

That would have been a very welcome addition 5 years ago when we were getting the living snot beaten out of us by the Big Bad Bruins... The league changed significantly since then.

 

[jaffy27]

That's one area that had been severely lacking -- we've seen way too many liberties taken on Price.

Remember the days where Price would get run over, or Zednik would get an elbow across the chin....teammates would skate away with their heads down or give a tongue lashing to the culprit, it was embarrassing as a Hab fan.

 

[CHarlie]

So pumped to see a full year of Price/Weber backing this team to an incredible year defensively................A major injury can change all that....so we have all seen.

 

[CHarlie]

That would have been a very welcome addition 5 years ago when we were getting the living snot beaten out of us by the Big Bad Bruins... The league changed significantly since then.

and so have the big bad bruins...........we will run them over.

 

[PuckSeparator]

and so have the big bad bruins...........we will run them over.

If Weber stanchions Chara into retirement I will consider the trade a success.