Rank your team's defensemen based on their play this season

[Rich Nixon]

Mine are mostly relative to expectations and capabilities, but that only really impacts the bottom two:

Provorov playing basically the best hockey of his young career. Back on track after some really ugly stretches last season, a minute-eating all-scenarios 1D who is scoring more than many probably expected he would.

Niskanen is a big reason why Provorov is playing as such. Stability and intelligence. Always in the right place.

Sanheim biiiiiiiiiig leap this year. Still has some down stretches (still a really young player) but he can carry a pairing in both ends of the ice, which I don't think you could've said previously.

Myers is the unicorn. Youthful mistakes are a theme here, and he hasn't always been on this year, but when he is...what a beaut. Huge, excellent skater, ridiculously strong, good stick work, great one-on-one and on the boards, nice shot, good passing instincts. If he settles in and keeps his brain on when he plays, we end up with Parayko Lite.

Braun as expected. Can skate. Can defend. Can hit and be hit. Can ice the puck. Can't shoot. Reliable, and reliably useful yet unremarkable.

Hagg is the least-talented player on the team, but he's played his best hockey, particularly of late. Nothing more than a run-of-the-mill third pairing defensive defenseman, but when he's playing a tight game and not making many mistakes he's passable at that. He's been quite sharp by his usual standard.

Gostisbehere hasn't been bad. He also hasn't been Gostisbehere. Or anything else, really. Is he a better hockey player than Hagg and Braun? He should be. But when his offense isn't working you kinda wonder what the point is--his defense is solid, but the boy's shot and passing instincts seem like he pawned them. Nothing on net. Always sees the open man two ticks too late. Kills more possessions than he creates. Just broken.

 

[ChiefWiggum]

1. Provorov - he is so much better this year than he was last year. Even as a defenseman, he has a better shot and scoring touch than many forwards

2. Niskanen - he has stabilized the blueline. I always pictured him as a puck moving defenseman, but he has turned into more of a stay-at-home defenseman this year (and that is not an insult).

3. Sanheim - really coming into his own as a sturdy blueliner who can chip in offensively.

4. Myers - he shows flashes of his outstanding potential, both offensively and defensively.

5. Braun - he has limited offensive abilities, but he plays a good defensive game

6. Hagg - he is what he is, but he does not hurt the team when he is out there. I do like it that he is not afraid to jump into the rush when an opportunity presents itself

7. Gostisbehere - he really is a shadow of what he was in his rookie year and the 2017-2018 season. Unfortunately, his game has been lost since the 2018 playoffs and, now that Provorov has cemented his spot as the PP QB on the #1 unit, it is questionable as to whether he has a role on this team anymore...

 

[ChiefWiggum]

Mine are mostly relative to expectations and capabilities, but that only really impacts the bottom two:

Provorov playing basically the best hockey of his young career. Back on track after some really ugly stretches last season, a minute-eating all-scenarios 1D who is scoring more than many probably expected he would.

Niskanen is a big reason why Provorov is playing as such. Stability and intelligence. Always in the right place.

Sanheim biiiiiiiiiig leap this year. Still has some down stretches (still a really young player) but he can carry a pairing in both ends of the ice, which I don't think you could've said previously.

Myers is the unicorn. Youthful mistakes are a theme here, and he hasn't always been on this year, but when he is...what a beaut. Huge, excellent skater, ridiculously strong, good stick work, great one-on-one and on the boards, nice shot, good passing instincts. If he settles in and keeps his brain on when he plays, we end up with Parayko Lite.

Braun as expected. Can skate. Can defend. Can hit and be hit. Can ice the puck. Can't shoot. Reliable, and reliably useful yet unremarkable.

Hagg is the least-talented player on the team, but he's played his best hockey, particularly of late. Nothing more than a run-of-the-mill third pairing defensive defenseman, but when he's playing a tight game and not making many mistakes he's passable at that. He's been quite sharp by his usual standard.

Gostisbehere hasn't been bad. He also hasn't been Gostisbehere. Or anything else, really. Is he a better hockey player than Hagg and Braun? He should be. But when his offense isn't working you kinda wonder what the point is--his defense is solid, but the boy's shot and passing instincts seem like he pawned them. Nothing on net. Always sees the open man two ticks too late. Kills more possessions than he creates. Just broken.

Honest to god, I didn't see this before I posted my list. Great minds think alike I guess haha

 

[Viqsi]

Seth Jones - Team MVP. In a just world, would be in contention for league MVP. Does everything excellently everywhere practically all game, and generally controls how the game runs. If he was more productive offensively he'd be routinely acknowledged as being among the best defensemen in the world; as it is he can contend and some folks put him there anyways.

Zach Werenski - Has vastly improved his defensive game, and at the same time leads the NHL in goals by a defenseman. He doesn't control games like Jones does, but he's occasionally able to break them open.

Ryan Murray - When uninjured, anyways. Has been an excellent stabilizing presence; the team just plays better when he's back there. And he might have the best stretch passes of anyone on the team. Unfortunately, tho, he's still got regular injury issues.

David Savard - Absolutely killer season. He's our premiere shutdown guy - possibly even moreso than the top-pairing folks - and is great in front of the net. Old-school style favorite, basically. He doesn't really have offensive production anymore, though, but that's not what we need him for.

Vladislav Gavrikov - And here's our rookie blueliner with a surprising debut. We expected a decent debut, but he's been great. NHL-level top-4 already; if he never improves one bit beyond what he is now he'll still be a great part of the blueline. Has done a pretty good job of covering for Murray's frequent absences, although he's not the passer Murray is. Him and Savard have been one of the better shutdown pairings we've ever had.

Markus Nutivaara - By his previous standards, he's had a down year. He's put up top-4 level seasons previously, and right now he's kind of hovering just below that line. He's still a good puck mover, but has had troubles defensively for whatever reason.

Dean Kukan - Out of several options at #7, he's been our best one. Also a good puck mover, a bit better defensively than Nuti, and his possession stats are bizarrely good. Unfortunately, he's spent most of the season injured, because, well, that's how it's gone.

Andrew Peeke - Another rookie, and he started out looking promising but quickly ended up overwhelmed as injuries mounted. He'll likely be solid someday, but he'd been getting overused and it was showing.

Scott Harrington - Semicompetent warm body. He gets a lot of shade thrown at him by fans because he doesn't measure up to everyone else on the blueline here. He's not truly awful or anything like that, but injuries have given him far more ice time than he deserves, so he's been the whipping boy.

Gabriel Carlsson - Solid rumor has it that he does in fact still exist, but I can't say I'm convinced.

 

[schnapshot]

Petry: Had a rough patch for 2-3 weeks during the season, but was mostly solid offensively and defensively. Is a breakout machine with his skating and is always a threat offensively with his shot. Was on pace for a career year.

Weber: Was pretty good defensively and had a stretch where he tore it up offensively playing with Chiarot. Got injured again though, you can see the decline is coming but it’s a pretty smooth process.

Chiarot: What a revelation this guy’s been. I only rate him 3rd because of how good Petry and Weber have been but he’s pretty solid defensively and showed some pop on offense. Can falter a bit when playing top-pairing minutes but showed he can be a top 4 D.

Fleury: Hit a rough patch at midpoint and was sent down to Laval but has showed potential as a punishing 4th D. Really like his physicality and his puck moving but defense still needs work, as does his offensive game.

Kulak: Lots of ups and downs, ended the year strong but had a disappointing start to the season after a good year last season. Needs to clean up on his mistakes but is fine as a bottom-pairing Dman.

Mete: Very disappointing year. Even though he scored (4 times!!), he hasn’t showed enough offense to be a threat there and isn’t good enough defensively to be a top 4 option. Skates like the wind and breaks the puck out fine, but is clueless when he’s in the offensive zone and gets outmuscled easily.

 

[EdJovanovski]

1. DeAngelo
2. Fox
3. Lindgren
4. Smith
5. Staal
6. Trouba

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

1. Cale Makar (The truth)

2. Sammy Girard (Doesn’t get the credit he deserves, because of Makar. He’s a huge key to the Avs success. Even if Bowen Byram didn’t exist the Avs would have easily won the Duchene trade because of how good Girard is. Smooth with the puck and solid in his own zone. Hard to believe he’s only 21.)

Huge drop-off to the rest of the list.



3. Ian Cole: (Had a rough start to the season, and was struggling towards the hiatus, but overall he had a really solid year.)

4. Ryan Graves: (Significantly overrated because of his league-leading +/- stat. Has a tendency to over-shoot the puck and get danced from time-to-time, but he’s been ok for the Avs. Good offensive instincts and a heavy shot.)

5. Eric Johnson: (EJ is definitely starting to regress. Honestly the 3 through 5 on this list could be mixed up depending on who you ask.)

6. Nikita Zadorov: (Brutal year for Zadorov. Easily the worst Avs defenceman imo. He played ridiculously well for a ten-game stretch earlier in the season, but has been a massive disappointment outside of that.)

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

Seth Jones - Team MVP. In a just world, would be in contention for league MVP. Does everything excellently everywhere practically all game, and generally controls how the game runs. If he was more productive offensively he'd be routinely acknowledged as being among the best defensemen in the world; as it is he can contend and some folks put him there anyways.

Zach Werenski - Has vastly improved his defensive game, and at the same time leads the NHL in goals by a defenseman. He doesn't control games like Jones does, but he's occasionally able to break them open.

Ryan Murray - When uninjured, anyways. Has been an excellent stabilizing presence; the team just plays better when he's back there. And he might have the best stretch passes of anyone on the team. Unfortunately, tho, he's still got regular injury issues.

David Savard - Absolutely killer season. He's our premiere shutdown guy - possibly even moreso than the top-pairing folks - and is great in front of the net. Old-school style favorite, basically. He doesn't really have offensive production anymore, though, but that's not what we need him for.

Vladislav Gavrikov - And here's our rookie blueliner with a surprising debut. We expected a decent debut, but he's been great. NHL-level top-4 already; if he never improves one bit beyond what he is now he'll still be a great part of the blueline. Has done a pretty good job of covering for Murray's frequent absences, although he's not the passer Murray is. Him and Savard have been one of the better shutdown pairings we've ever had.

Markus Nutivaara - By his previous standards, he's had a down year. He's put up top-4 level seasons previously, and right now he's kind of hovering just below that line. He's still a good puck mover, but has had troubles defensively for whatever reason.

Dean Kukan - Out of several options at #7, he's been our best one. Also a good puck mover, a bit better defensively than Nuti, and his possession stats are bizarrely good. Unfortunately, he's spent most of the season injured, because, well, that's how it's gone.

Andrew Peeke - Another rookie, and he started out looking promising but quickly ended up overwhelmed as injuries mounted. He'll likely be solid someday, but he'd been getting overused and it was showing.

Scott Harrington - Semicompetent warm body. He gets a lot of shade thrown at him by fans because he doesn't measure up to everyone else on the blueline here. He's not truly awful or anything like that, but injuries have given him far more ice time than he deserves, so he's been the whipping boy.

Gabriel Carlsson - Solid rumor has it that he does in fact still exist, but I can't say I'm convinced.

People wonder how CBJ was having a good season, this is why. Super-elite defence. Deep and extremely talented on the blue-line.

 

[Dion TheFluff]

1) Muzzin - was an absolute rock defensively this year and was easily the most consistent amongst our D this year
2) Rielly - was still good but seemed to be a step slower than usual this year. Possibly still a nagging injury from the HAS
3) Holl - big, strong skater, good at advancing the puck forward and making strong pinches. Was a real natural fit next to Muzz
4) Barrie - there was no denying the offensive talent, especially once put in a position to succeed but he still had alot of defensive struggles and never really felt like a good fit for this team
5) Dermott - struggled at 1st but really picked up his game when called upon when Muzz and Rielly went down. Hopefully he takes a step forward next year
6) Sandin - was super impressed with his poise and vision but still needs to work on foot speed and bulking up. I have high expectations for him
7) Ceci - Ceci is Ceci. What you hear about him is absolutely true
8) Marincin - he has a long stick and that's about it

didn't get a good enough look at Liljegren in the NHL to form a strong enough opinion

 

[canuckking1]

1. Cale Makar (The truth)

2. Sammy Girard (Doesn’t get the credit he deserves, because of Makar. He’s a huge key to the Avs success. Even if Bowen Byram didn’t exist the Avs would have easily won the Duchene trade because of how good Girard is. Smooth with the puck and solid in his own zone. Hard to believe he’s only 21.)

Huge drop-off to the rest of the list.



3. Ian Cole: (Had a rough start to the season, and was struggling towards the hiatus, but overall he had a really solid year.)

4. Ryan Graves: (Significantly overrated because of his league-leading +/- stat. Has a tendency to over-shoot the puck and get danced from time-to-time, but he’s been ok for the Avs. Good offensive instincts and a heavy shot.)

5. Eric Johnson: (EJ is definitely starting to regress. Honestly the 3 through 5 on this list could be mixed up depending on who you ask.)

6. Nikita Zadorov: (Brutal year for Zadorov. Easily the worst Avs defenceman imo. He played ridiculously well for a ten-game stretch earlier in the season, but has been a massive disappointment outside of that.)

How good is Graves defensively? I don't watch the avs but it's pretty darn impressive to be a +40 while only putting up 26 points.

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

How good is Graves defensively? I don't watch the avs but it's pretty darn impressive to be a +40 while only putting up 26 points.

He’s fine defensively, but benefits a lot from playing with Makar. When Makar left him in his second injury stint, Graves really struggled.

Most people on the Avs board view him as a bottom pair defender moving forward.

I’m still happy to have him though, there are a lot worse NHL defenceman out there.

 

[topshelf15]

Chabot has been overplayed ,we need to get him some help..Or one of our kids need to step up

 

[ESH]

How good is Graves defensively? I don't watch the avs but it's pretty darn impressive to be a +40 while only putting up 26 points.

The fact that opposing goalies have an .857 Sv% when he’s on the ice has way more to do with his +/- than his defensive ability

 

[Anisimovs AK]

People wonder how CBJ was having a good season, this is why. Super-elite defence. Deep and extremely talented on the blue-line.

Well thanks, sir, when healthy it is pretty formidable. It would be even better had Kuch not cheapshotted Nutivaara in Game 2 last year. He hasnt appeared to have fully recovered from that with regard to his level of play

 

[57special]

Suter/Spurgeon- make a great pair. Suter has slowed down, but is healthier than before, and the staff has cut his minutes, which gives him more juice late in games. Having one of his best offensive years. Spurgeon is his usual impeccable self, using his speed and brain to make up for Suter's occasional failings, while still chipping in with timely offense. Is very clutch.

Brodin- he is not a boring defensive Dman, he is an exciting defensive Dman. He is probably just as good as Suter and Spurgeon, but doesn't have the benefit playing with either of them. Is the team's designated babysitter. Gets no PP time, so his point totals are lower than they should be.





Soucy- came out of nowhere to have a really nice season till he got injured. Long, good defensively, and has good offensive instincts. Will be interesting to see if it was a mirage next year. When he and Brodin were together this had a terrific run for a while.

Dumba- just a bad season. Shot looks off- not as hard and accurate as pre-pectoral injury. When he isn't scoring he isn't worth much, and he isn't scoring. They tried playing him with Suter at the beginning and they looked awful, so he is back again with St. Brodin. Expect a bounce back next year. His legs are still fine.








Hunt- PP specialist who is a replacement level player otherwise. Great point shot. Would be a great pickup for a team that needs PP help. Makes little sense for MN, IMO.

Pateryn- now this is a boring defensive Dman! Gets paired with Brodin in final minutes of tight games when they are trying to hold a lead. Average skater, mediocre puck mover, slightly above average physicality. Not a risk taker.

Stalock- I'm not kidding. Not great at stopping the puck, but he is good at moving the puck out of the Dzone. Risk taker.

MN has some big holes on their team that need addressing, but D isn't one of them. That's one reason that I was surprised that they insisted on Addison coming to them in the Zucker trade, but I guess you can never have too many good Dmen?

 

[The New Russian Five]

1. DeAngelo
2. Fox
3. Lindgren
4. Smith
5. Staal
6. Trouba

Lol I agree that Trouba has been underwhelming, but he hasn't been this bad. At worst he is behind Lindgren. Realistically right now he slots behind DeAngelo and Fox.

 

[Ishtabeat]

Lol I agree that Trouba has been underwhelming, but he hasn't been this bad. At worst he is behind Lindgren. Realistically right now he slots behind DeAngelo and Fox.

[mod]

Rangers defense

Fox-Almost a 1D. Best rookie defenseman defensively but he lacks Makar and Hughes’ dynamic ability. One of the smartest dmen in the league with the puck on his stick and again, his defense is incredible. Better than McDonagh ever was defensively imo and I was a big McD fan

DeAngelo-Blossomed into top pairing D. Stellar offensively and sticks up for his team mates, as well as being beloved in the locker room. Defense needs work but he’s not a liability at all. Pretty average on D but plays hard. His shot has got much, much better

Trouba-Not having a great year but still was our second best D defensively and comes up big whenever we need him to. Points are down because he has an unclear role on the PP, and he plays PP2 which sucks even with Fox and Chytil on it. He brings an element we don’t have with his physicality, defensive ability, and his shot which misses 90% of the time but creates havoc.

Lindgren-I’ve always been a big believer in him and he’s showed it this season. He’s like a better skating Adam McQuaid or a lefty Scott Mayfield. Tough kid with offensive upside who seems to bleed every game. Probably my favorite player on the team. Already a very good 4/5 D but needs slightly more offense to his game, which he’s shown flashes of

Staal-Bad decision making but very good with his stick and one on one play. Has been much better than recent years but NYR fans don’t notice. Would’ve been a top pair D for a long time if not for injuries

Hajek-Fantastic in his 5 games last year but disappointing this year. Looks very very raw and seems to get crushed by a hit at least once a game

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

I'd prefer not to for NJ

 

[The Devilish Buffoon]

NHL:

1. Thomas Chabot: far and away the best guy we have.
2. Nikita Zaitsev: serviceable - ideally a #5D but can play top 4.
3. Mark Borowiecki: see above but switch #5D to #6D.
4. Christian Wolanin: likely would be #2 had he been healthy this year; showed as a rookie that he can be a skilled offensive DMan & puck mover; defensive game coming along.
5. Ron Hainsey: has played top 4 minutes for the Sens. He is a smart player but his legs aren't really there anymore. Should be insulated on a bottom pairing, if not as a #7D.
6. Mike Reilly: good offensive skills and creativity, but only effective on the PP. Can skate the puck up ice but makes bad choices with the puck and is just ok as a defender. Should be a #6 or 7.
7. Andreas Englund: a pure plug. Some physical play and can make the right read at times, but usually doesn't make the best play available. Not an NHLer.

AHL:

1. Erik Brannstrom: a better defender than expected, he has still yet to shine offensively in the NHL. Smart and skilled, could be as high as 2nd on this list by this time next year.
2. Christian Jaros: a big, fast, physical, and toolsy player who makes bad decisions and hasnt been able to put it all together. Has top 4 potential but seems more likely to settle in as a bottom pair guy. Whether he will be a unique & valuable bottom pair guy or just a capable one is yet to be seen.
3. Max Lajoie: good skater, decent intelligence, not a ton of tools otherwise. Personally, I've never seen more from him than what I'd expect from a bottom pair guy.

 

[rocketdan9]

Slavin
Hamilton
Pesce
Fleury
TVR
Edmundson
Skjei
Gardiner

How many bodychecks has Hamilton sidestepped this season?

Gardiner has played that poorly?

 

[rocketdan9]

1. provorov
2. niskanen
3. sanheim
4. myers
5. braun
6. hagg
7. ghost-----only because he hasn't played much and the coaches aren't using him where they should for him to be successful ---but if he did he would be 5

Interesting

I thought ghost looked impressive vs Bruins

 

[rocketdan9]

Fox
DeAngelo
Lindgren
Trouba

Rest are bleh

Lindgren?

Sucks Bruins lost him for a rental

 

[EdJovanovski]

[mod]

Rangers defense

Fox-Almost a 1D. Best rookie defenseman defensively but he lacks Makar and Hughes’ dynamic ability. One of the smartest dmen in the league with the puck on his stick and again, his defense is incredible. Better than McDonagh ever was defensively imo and I was a big McD fan

DeAngelo-Blossomed into top pairing D. Stellar offensively and sticks up for his team mates, as well as being beloved in the locker room. Defense needs work but he’s not a liability at all. Pretty average on D but plays hard. His shot has got much, much better

Trouba-Not having a great year but still was our second best D defensively and comes up big whenever we need him to. Points are down because he has an unclear role on the PP, and he plays PP2 which sucks even with Fox and Chytil on it. He brings an element we don’t have with his physicality, defensive ability, and his shot which misses 90% of the time but creates havoc.

Lindgren-I’ve always been a big believer in him and he’s showed it this season. He’s like a better skating Adam McQuaid or a lefty Scott Mayfield. Tough kid with offensive upside who seems to bleed every game. Probably my favorite player on the team. Already a very good 4/5 D but needs slightly more offense to his game, which he’s shown flashes of

Staal-Bad decision making but very good with his stick and one on one play. Has been much better than recent years but NYR fans don’t notice. Would’ve been a top pair D for a long time if not for injuries

Hajek-Fantastic in his 5 games last year but disappointing this year. Looks very very raw and seems to get crushed by a hit at least once a game

[mod]

Even on your own ranking you have him slotted in as the worst RD on our team. And he’s making 8 million for the next 6 years. That’s bad.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

Jones
Werenski
Gavrikov
Murray
Savard
Kukan
Nutivaara
Peeke
Harrington

 

[Ishtabeat]

[mod]

Even on your own ranking you have him slotted in as the worst RD on our team. And he’s making 8 million for the next 6 years. That’s bad.

[mod] Sure he’s the worst RHD but all 3 are top pairing quality D. Trouba hasn’t been that this season but he’s played like a solid/good 3D. Trouba’s contract is fine and I’m a fan of having 3 great RHD