Most Underrated/Overrated Defensemen

[Agent Zub]

Burns relies too much on other players and his shot for his offense.

 

[53or8]

You've got it the wrong way around.

Nobody in there right mind would call giordano underrated.

Its like hes been robbed of five norris trophys

 

[Kamiccolo]

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

Lots of people claimed he was a 2nd pairing D all offseason LOL. He's been a strong top pairing D who has played as a great #1 for the team through this season so far.

I won't throw I told you so's until he does it at least for all this year, but yeah, I'd say he is under rated.

 

[ConnorMcMullet]

Underrated: Nurse, Leddy
Overrated: Flames D

 

[Bizz]

Underrated: Yandle
Overrated: Slavin, by far.

 

[KingBran]

There's a post barely a few above you that calls him only top-15. The chronic hate the guy gets around here is unbelievable. Blues fans have him pegged pretty well so maybe it's not apparent or visible to you, but you would think the guy is simply a middle of the pack #1 d-man on this forum.

I mean... top 15 is still good... Silly, but still good.

Being in the West and not a Canadian team definitely will skew peoples view of a player (trust me, I know... the Blues are the best team in the NHL right now with the best top line in hockey but all people want to talk about is TOR, MTL or Matthews vs. Name another player on a Canadian team) but I still don't feel like Doughty is overrated. Maybe you are right and its cause I am a Blues fan but I usually see him on most peoples list of top 5. Most people meaning other places than HF too.

 

[Machinehead]

Underrated - Krug, still Karlsson, Gudas, Pesce, Subban (people think he's Nashville's #4, just stop), Gardiner, Klingberg (more so last year when people thought his career was over because one bad season), Lindholm and Manson.

Overrated - Anybody who has hard usage and does nothing positive, but they're good because they have hard usage.

 

[TheGoldenGod]

"Being in the West and not a Canadian team definitely will skew peoples view of a player (trust me, I know... the Blues are the best team in the NHL right now with the best top line in hockey but all people want to talk about is TOR, MTL or Matthews vs. Name another player on a Canadian team)"

Yep...nail on the head. Blues will never get any recognition until they get a cup.

Canadian & large market teams or nothing

 

[Ryan Michaels]

I think its far to say Doughty is underrated on this site since almost no one seems to think he deserved his Norris and there seems to be a notion that he is only considered in the coversation as the leagues best dman because he is Canadian at a time when the other 2 in talks are Swedes...ya I dont get it either.

 

[Spazkat]

I think its far to say Doughty is underrated on this site since almost no one seems to think he deserved his Norris and there seems to be a notion that he is only considered in the coversation as the leagues best dman because he is Canadian at a time when the other 2 in talks are Swedes...ya I dont get it either.

So.... either you believe Doughty deserved his Norris and is the best defenseman in the league or you're wrong and under-rating him? Seems a bit of an extreme opinion but ok.

 

[Dr John Carlson]

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

Don't know where this is coming from at all, he took the "next step" and became a great 2D. I don't think there is another step for him to take.

If there's anybody on Washington who can be criticized for not taking the next step it would be Carlson, although he's been better so far this season than last.

 

[Icebreakers]

Lol I'm pretty sure every d man that's relevant has been mentioned at least once in these threads.

 

[oconnor9sean]

Klingberg didn't even make "HF's Top 31 defensemen" polls to start this year.

 

[kmo429]

Leddy isn't underrated, he might not get much praise, but he doesn't get much s*** either, and he's a very poor player in his role (Not saying he's a bad player overall, but you get my point).

What are you talking about?

 

[bishop12]

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.

Ekholm was not better than Ellis last post season.

 

[Viqsi]

Lol I'm pretty sure every d man that's relevant has been mentioned at least once in these threads.

Curiously, Werenski and Jones hardly ever come up in these discussions as either overrated or underrated. I choose to presume that that is a good thing.

 

[Bjornar Moxnes]

What are you talking about?

His relative stats are absolutely terrible, yes he's taking the tough matchups but you get my point.

 

[Bjornar Moxnes]

Ekholm was not better than Ellis last post season.

Toews, Tarasenko, Getzlaf were completely neutralized by Ekholm-Subban, and they took the tougher matchups compared to Josi-Ellis. Ellis had an unsustainable shooting pace against the Blues, otherwise he was good but nothing special throughout the rest of the playoffs. Ekholm was far more consistent and effective.

 

[Bjornar Moxnes]

I think a truly underrated defenseman is someone who other than his own fan base rarely gets recognition positively. So someone like Giordano and Klingberg. A truly overrated defenseman is someone like Burns who is rarely criticized irrationally (People who say he isn't good defensively are correct and actually still overrating him, because his defense is worse than simply not good).

Brodie, Weber, Josi, and Karlsson are the type of Dman who are either overrated or underrated and there doesn't seem to be an inbetween. Josi and Karlsson seems to be either a one dimensional Dman, or elite complete package according to the opinions of others.

I guess Nils Erik Adam Larsson seems to be one of the few overrated Dman as well. He gets too much credit.

 

[M2Beezy]

Underrated:

Rielly
Nurse
Boychuck
Forsling

Overrated:

Parayko
Trouba
Gudbranson

 

[member 105785]

Lots of people claimed he was a 2nd pairing D all offseason LOL. He's been a strong top pairing D who has played as a great #1 for the team through this season so far.

I won't throw I told you so's until he does it at least for all this year, but yeah, I'd say he is under rated.

I think those people probably just hate the Leafs, or their fans, I'm pretty sure everyone knows he's a top pairing D

Underrated:

Rielly
Nurse
Boychuck
Forsling

Overrated:

Parayko
Trouba
Gudbranson

How could Gudbranson possibly be overrated? Everyone thinks he sucks.

 

[M2Beezy]

I think those people probably just hate the Leafs, or their fans, I'm pretty sure everyone knows he's a top pairing D



How could Gudbranson possibly be overrated? Everyone thinks he sucks.

Everyone online but apparently theres GMs who want his crappy ass

 

[member 105785]

Everyone online but apparently theres GMs who want his crappy ass

If you can afford to give him sheltered minutes, he's a reasonable defender who brings leadership, physicality and everything that advanced stats ignore.

 

[Alwalys]

Burns relies too much on other players and his shot for his offense.

lol "burns relies too much on his offensive skills from the defensive position for his offense from the defensive position" ... the f*** you want, crease crashing?
then you'll all be crying about 4th forward. burns is officially now underrated.

 

[Aladyyn]

Ristolainen has become underrated around the league after getting shit on by everyone for 2 years