Most Underrated/Overrated Defensemen

[firstemperor]

Underrated: Risto, Rielly, Nurse, Morrissey, Lindholm, Montour, Stralman, Ellis
Overrated: Hamilton, Brodie, Klef, Larsson, Gardiner, Buff, Manson, Tanev, Letang

 

[Boud]

Letang has been absolute shit this season. He's nowhere near the player he was a couple seasons ago. Went through tough injuries and think he can get back to shape but he's definitely not underrated right now.

Same with Karlsson. Great player, best defensemen in the league hands down but right now he is not playing like he can. Again, tough injury and he will most likely get back to where he was but he's not there right now.

 

[Lapa]

Underrated: Ryan Suter, Erik Johnson
Overrated: Erik Karlsson*

*He's elite, but it seems he is declared as the Norris winner by some before the season even starts.

 

[yangmang]

Underrated: Ryan Suter, Erik Johnson
Overrated: Erik Karlsson*

*He's elite, but it seems he is declared as the Norris winner by some before the season even starts.

lmao you think karlsson is overrated. wow

 

[Bjornar Moxnes]

Underrated- Leddy, McDonagh, Ekholm, Skjei, Shatty, Krug, Schmidt, Orlov, Niskanen, Klingberg
Overrated- OEL, Carlson (not a 1D, I think people are realizing this now), Slavin, Klef (been saying this for a while, people were calling him a top 10/top 15 D a few months ago, LOL) Parayko, Hamonic, Rielly (when called a 1D), Braun, Tanev, Brodie

Brodie really isn't that overrated, at least thus far this season no one has said much positive about him, and he was legit elite in 2014-2015 and 2015-2016.

 

[Bjornar Moxnes]

Underrated: Risto, Rielly, Nurse, Morrissey, Lindholm, Montour, Stralman, Ellis
Overrated: Hamilton, Brodie, Klef, Larsson, Gardiner, Buff, Manson, Tanev, Letang

When people think Ellis is the MVP and the Preds best defensive player, Ellis is not underrated.

 

[Bjornar Moxnes]

Overrated: Karlsson, Brodie
Underrated: Burns, Leddy, Giordano

You mean criminally overrated?

 

[firstemperor]

When people think Ellis is the MVP and the Preds best defensive player, Ellis is not underrated.

Most people think he's #4 behind Ekholm, Subban, Josi- which he probably is when they are all peaking. But really, he's played better than that if we're judging from last year alone, and easily the most consistent of the 4. Which says a lot, as consistency is a big part about denoting a d-man.

 

[Bjornar Moxnes]

Most people think he's #4 behind Ekholm, Subban, Josi- which he probably is when they are all peaking. But really, he's played better than that if we're judging from last year alone, and easily the most consistent of the 4. Which says a lot, as consistency is a big part about denoting a d-man.

A lot of people consider Ellis better than Ekholm though. Ellis had one season better than Ekholm, and Ekholm was better in the playoffs that season as well.

 

[53or8]

Over:Giordano
Under:OEL

 

[FinnishCoyote]

Overrated: Larsson, Burns
Underrated: OEL (used to be overrated, underrated nowadays), Ekholm

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

Underrated: Rielly, Lindholm, Pietrangelo
Overrated: Calgary's defense, OEL, Larsson

 

[1Boliever]

Over:Giordano
Under:OEL

You've got it the wrong way around.

 

[jetsforever]

This is one of those threads that will never reach a consensus, almost by definition.

 

[member 105785]

Underrated: Risto, Rielly, Nurse, Morrissey, Lindholm, Montour, Stralman, Ellis
Overrated: Hamilton, Brodie, Klef, Larsson, Gardiner, Buff, Manson, Tanev, Letang

Has Tanev, Klefbom, and Brodie as overrated
Has Rielly as underrated

 

[Kase]

Underrated: Ekholm, Leddy, Niskanen

Overrated: OEL, Faulk, Trouba

 

[Atas2000]

Overrated: Provorov/Larsson
Underrated: Nurse/Sanheim

I'll just go with guys on the same team so I don't have to hear Philly and EDM fans ***** at me.

If you think Provorov is overrated you have never seen him play. It is an axiom.

 

[Atas2000]

underrated: Tanev, Vlasic
Overrated: Zaitszev

How is Zaitsev overrated? I haven't heard much praise. Neither does he deserve too much.

 

[Atas2000]

Underrated- Leddy, McDonagh, Ekholm, Skjei, Shatty, Krug, Schmidt, Orlov, Niskanen, Klingberg
Overrated- OEL, Carlson (not a 1D, I think people are realizing this now), Slavin, Klef (been saying this for a while, people were calling him a top 10/top 15 D a few months ago, LOL) Parayko, Hamonic, Rielly (when called a 1D), Braun, Tanev, Brodie

I don't think Orlov is underrated. His inability to take the next step is a big part of Washington's shortcomings.

 

[Puck Dogg]

Underrated: Hedman, Josi, Faulk
Overrated: Weber, Subban, Burns

 

[ViktorBaeArvidsson]

Underrated: Ryan McDonagh
Overrated: Jaccob Slavin

How dare you. HOW DARE YOU INSULT THE GOD OF HOCKEY SIR! I GUESS YOU'VE NEVER SEEN HIM PLAY, I MEAN COME ON! HE'S ELITE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[ViktorBaeArvidsson]

Underrated on this site: Rielly, OEL, Gostisbehere, Krug
Overrated: Ekblad, Edmundson

Do people still think Ekblad is great? I think the only people who overrated him was the Panthers management.

 

[ViktorBaeArvidsson]

Underrated- Obviously guys like Burns, Subban, Weber, and Chara.
Overrated- Too many to count! Karlsson, Giordano, Hedman, Lindstrom, Bourque, and Kieth.
Elite- However there's only one elite defender that's ever played in the NHL, and that's Jaccob Slavin.

 

[983 others]

People underrated defensemen who are actually good, like Subban, Karlsson, Keith, Doughty, etc, but love to overrate vastly inferior guys like Risto, Slavin, etc. Makes no sense.

 

[howkie]

A lot of people consider Ellis better than Ekholm though. Ellis had one season better than Ekholm, and Ekholm was better in the playoffs that season as well.

Ah remember the days when Barry Trotz called Ekholm the worst defender he ever coached (or something like that) and look today, Ekholm is 1 of the best d-men in NHL and Trotz are haning on to his job with his last limbs...

Coaches should learn, that you take a offensive 2 -way D-man from Sweden, tell him to play more defense, and you get success....
Strålman, Hjalmarsson, Oduya, Ekholm etc etc..
Next generation would be Hägg Lindholm etc etc...