Tenth Ranked Defenseman of All-Time

[RabbinsDuck]

So I was going over my Top 10 and I have:

1:
Orr

2-5:
Harvey
Bourque
Lidstrom
Shore

6-7:
Kelly
Potvin

8-9:
Fetisov
Robinson

10:
Any number of players... Up to about #15

Without thinking too much about it, I might be partial to Chelios there.

Who just squeaks into your Top 10?

Click to read more...

 

[Killion]

OK, tied for 10th with Chelios
(nope, I cant cut these guys)

Scott Stevens
Al MacInnis
Brian Leetch
Phil Housley
Scott Neidermeyer

 

[RabbinsDuck]

OK, tied for 10th with Chelios
(nope, I cant cut these guys)

Scott Stevens
Al MacInnis
Brian Leetch
Phil Housley
Scott Neidermeyer

Hmmm... Coffey, Park, Pilote, Seibert, Clancy, Horton, Cleghorn, Gadsby and Salming are up there as well - ahead of a number of those guys, IMO.

 

[mrhockey193195]

Park

 

[Dreakmur]

Park

Agreed. Park was an absolute machine.

Off the top of my head, I think he was a Norris runner-up 5 or 6 times, and at least 4 of those were to Bobby Orr. The rest were to Denis Potvin or Larry Robinson.

 

[Killion]

Hmmm... Coffey, Park, Pilote, Seibert, Clancy, Horton, Cleghorn, Gadsby and Salming are up there as well - ahead of a number of those guys, IMO.

Its a tough one alrighty. I just picked the best from the past decade and a bit. Coffey sure deserves serious consideration; Park, Pilote & Salming as well. I dont suppose we could do this by decade or era, mebbe go all Socialist and have 3 players per at 1-10, giving us 30 picks in all?.

 

[Rhiessan71]

Salming deserves to be in the mix as well.

Oh wait, what am I saying?!? I forgot that I'm North American biased

Hard not to have Park in there though. Poor guy, exact opposite of Lidstrom, couldn't buy a Norris no matter how well he played. Not sure if anyone faced a higher level of competition year after year than Park.

 

[Psycho Papa Joe]

If those are the top 9, Chelios is 10a and Park is 10b.

 

[buffalowing88]

If those are the top 9, Chelios is 10a and Park is 10b.

This.
Although I have some issues with Robinson getting a bit overvalued.

 

[CHGoalie27]

Stevens is top 10.

I'd rather have that guy in front of me than anyone not named Orr or Potvin.

When's Lemaire getting a mention?

 

[seventieslord]

Stevens is top 10.

I'd rather have that guy in front of me than anyone not named Orr or Potvin.

When's Lemaire getting a mention?

Probably never, since he was a center.


to answer the OP, I say Park has a clear edge on the rest, then Chelios, then Coffey. From there, it's really close between Clancy, Cleghorn, Seibert, Horton and Pilote.

 

[CHGoalie27]

Probably never, since he was a center.


to answer the OP, I say Park has a clear edge on the rest, then Chelios, then Coffey. From there, it's really close between Clancy, Cleghorn, Seibert, Horton and Pilote.

...well, Orr was a foward that played D!

From what I read Cleghorn was nasty.

 

[RabbinsDuck]

Park was a 1st Team All-Star 5 times and a 2nd Team All-Star twice - exactly the same as Chelios. Coffey has 4 1st Teams and 4 2nd Teams. I have both of them ahead of Park. I believe Chelios and Coffey faced maybe a bit less in #1 competition, but certainly more in top-end, elite competition than Park had to. Salming is no Bourque.

 

[Pual Statsny]

Coffey was a glorified Sandis Ozolins.

I'd go Park-Chelios-Stevens-Leetch from there.

Geoffrion might deserve a mention in the top 20, too.

 

[seventieslord]

What is with people in this thread mentioning players who aren't even defensemen?

 

[arrbez]

Coffey was a glorified Sandis Ozolins.

Sandis Ozolinsh scoring placements among defensemen: 2,7

Paul Coffey scoring placements among defensemen: 1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,2,3,3,5,5,6,7


Sandis Ozolinsh scoring placements among ALL skaters: N/A

Paul Coffey scoring placements among ALL skaters: 2,3,5,6,6,9,13


Paul Coffey is quite clearly the 2nd best offensive defenseman ever after Bobby Orr, and the only other defender of the modern era to ever come close to a scoring title. Paul Coffey was so much better offensively than even Bourque, MacInnis, Leetch, etc that he has to be in the discussion.

Geoffrion might deserve a mention in the top 20, too.

Bernie Geoffrion was a winger

 

[Infinite Vision*]

I honestly just don't see how you could not have Coffey in the top 10. The best offensive defenseman besides Orr, and by quite a margin, has to be IMO.

 

[jkrx]

Park, Salming, Chelios or Pilote. Order? Doesn't matter as its about personal preference.

Edit: In the spirit of this thread I'd say that Gordie Howe deserves a mention in the top-20.

 

[CHGoalie27]

What is with people in this thread mentioning players who aren't even defensemen?

I was kidding.

 

[Ward Cornell]

Stevens is top 10.

I'd rather have that guy in front of me than anyone not named Orr or Potvin.

and the one I would fear the most playing against!

As a matter of fact if I had to build a team to win (not just all-stars, IMHO there's a huge difference) Stevens would be in the top 5.
Orr, Potvin
Harvey, Stevens
Lidstrom, Kelly or Robinson

 

[Rhiessan71]

Stevens is top 10.

I'd rather have that guy in front of me than anyone not named Orr or Potvin.

Yep, Stevens is a perfect second or third pairing d-man for an all-time list.

Could you even imagine a team having to face say Potvin on one pairing, Chelios on the next pairing and Stevens on another pairing...nasty, nasty, nasty.
Keep your heads up folks.

 

[CHGoalie27]

and the one I would fear the most playing against!

As a matter of fact if I had to build a team to win (not just all-stars, IMHO there's a huge difference) Stevens would be in the top 5.
Orr, Potvin
Harvey, Stevens
Lidstrom, Kelly or Robinson

Dude, Exactly!~! That would be mine as well.
However, I would switch Harvey and Lidstrom. Not because one's better than the other, though.

 

[Stoneberg]

It's one of Park, Chelios and Coffey for sure. I think it's Park, personally.

I actually had to make this exact decision with my first pick in the most recent ATD.

 

[JT Dutch*]

Coffey was a glorified Sandis Ozolins.

... Wow. Is THIS the level we're dealing with here? People actually think this?

 

[jkrx]

I honestly just don't see how you could not have Coffey in the top 10. The best offensive defenseman besides Orr, and by quite a margin, has to be IMO.

Because sadly Coffeys defense isnt top 50... I might be the biggest critic of Coffey but he just wasnt that strong defensively to warrant a top-10 spot.

To the Stevens in the top 10 people, he is a valid choice but I think he is somewhere around 15 and I probably rank the guy higher than most.