Top 10 D-MEN

[Spazkat]

If we're talking about this season how is Burns on anyone's list? Surprised to see Lindholm left off so many also.

 

[BKarchitect]

Lindholm's only played a handful of games this season. And usually with "top lists" like this, unless you are a true phenom like McDavid or Matthews (and very few young defenders can be that) - it's going to take a little bit of extra sustained dominance to start surpassing known quantities.

These lists will look very different at the end of the season and certainly way different by next fall. Very likely that a few of the younger guys like Lindholm, Slavin, Provorov, etc will have sustained their excellence and proven without question they are to be included in that top tier group by that point in time. That's not to say they aren't already doing it, just that it takes time.

My one quibble is that IMO the best of all the young guns, Seth Jones, probably should be on these lists already. His playing in a small market and lack of offensive flashiness probably works against him but by next year I would be shocked if he's not well-entrenched on everbody's list and perhaps rising towards the top of them.

 

[Connor McConnor]

Currently, list who you think are the Top 10 NHL defenders in the league. Think of it this way, if you had to arm your team with a d-man for a game tonight...who would be your first 10 choices?

My list:

1)Doughty
2)Pietrangelo
3)Hedman
4)Josi
5)Keith
6)Karlsson
7)Burns
8)Werenksi
9)Parayko
10)Subban

This is a subjective list of who YOU would want, not who may actually be "the best" in the league.

Even though you kinda tried to get yourself out of it by saying "this is subjective... might not be who is actually the best.. blah blah blah" you have 0 hockey credence when you have Keith over Karlsson not to mention the numerous other blatent errors in your list. Werenski isnt even the best D-man on his team just because he puts up offensive stats Seth Jones is clearly better than him. Anyways, now that I've gotten that out of the way
1. Karlsson
2. Hedman
3. Doughty
4. Josi
5. Pietrangelo
6. Burns
7. Weber
8. Subban
9. Seth Jones
10. Keith

 

[triggrman]

Even though you kinda tried to get yourself out of it by saying "this is subjective... might not be who is actually the best.. blah blah blah" you have 0 hockey credence when you have Keith over Karlsson not to mention the numerous other blatent errors in your list. Werenski isnt even the best D-man on his team just because he puts up offensive stats Seth Jones is clearly better than him. Anyways, now that I've gotten that out of the way
1. Karlsson
2. Hedman
3. Doughty
4. Josi
5. Pietrangelo
6. Burns
7. Weber
8. Subban
9. Seth Jones
10. Keith

Pretty close to my ranking as well.

Good job

 

[ChiefWiggum]

Better get back to the drawing board.

I would love Karlsson on my team, but for a game that takes place today, I would take Piets, Doughty or Hedman before him. He's still very effective, but that ankle is raising more questions than answers at this point for a player who has already been criticized by some for losing a step after the Cooke-debacle of '13. He's proven he can improve as a player after a foot injury, let's hope he can do it again

 

[ChiefWiggum]

Even though you kinda tried to get yourself out of it by saying "this is subjective... might not be who is actually the best.. blah blah blah" you have 0 hockey credence when you have Keith over Karlsson not to mention the numerous other blatent errors in your list. Werenski isnt even the best D-man on his team just because he puts up offensive stats Seth Jones is clearly better than him. Anyways, now that I've gotten that out of the way
1. Karlsson
2. Hedman
3. Doughty
4. Josi
5. Pietrangelo
6. Burns
7. Weber
8. Subban
9. Seth Jones
10. Keith

I'm a fan of Jones, so I commend you for that nomination, but Burns cannot be that high. He lives and dies by his offensive game which has astonishingly disappeared of late. He is definitely not a shutdown defender which makes it hard to justify him as the sixth best defenseman in the world besides it being a reputation vote.

 

[Dion TheFluff]

1) Karlsson AEC IMO
2) Hedman
3) Pietrangelo
4) Subban
5) Doughty
6) josi
7) Keith
8) Klingberg
9) Burns
10) Werenski
HM) Giordano and Rielly (hes played like a top 10 defenceman so far this year. Just tough to justify putting him there without a larger sample size.)

 

[Byrral]

Werenski isnt even the best D-man on his team just because he puts up offensive stats Seth Jones is clearly better than him.

Jones has the same number of points as Werenski. Just saying.

Edit: Last season:
Werenski 47 Points
Jones 42 points

 

[57special]

1. Roman Josi
2. P.K Subban
3. Mattias Ekholm
4. Ryan Ellis
5. Matt Irwin
6. Alexie Emelin
7. Yannick Weber
8. Anthony Bitetto
9. Dante Fabbro
10. Petter Granberg

Finally, a list with a balanced viewpoint!

 

[PatrikBerglund]

All of Burns, Karlsson and Letang have looked like bright yellow poop.

 

[Wo Yorfat]

All of Burns, Karlsson and Letang have looked like bright yellow poop.

Why were they wearing Predators jerseys?

 

[mcpw]

1 Subban
2 Slavin
3 Parayko
4 Rielly
5 Hamilton
6 Giordano
7 Brodie
8 Ekman-Larsson
9 Shattenkirk
10 Tanev

 

[PatrikBerglund]

1 Subban
2 Slavin
3 Parayko
4 Rielly
5 Hamilton
6 Giordano
7 Brodie
8 Ekman-Larsson
9 Shattenkirk
10 Tanev

Are you listing the defencemen ranked 15-25?

 

[SensFactor]

Coming from a Sens fan and judging by overall play as a defenceman.

1. Doughty
2. Hedman
3. Karlsson
4. Pietrangelo
5. Burns
6. Josi
7. Werenski
8. Jones
9. Keith
10. Subban
11. Reilly
12. Ekman- Larsson

 

[Connor McConnor]

I'm a fan of Jones, so I commend you for that nomination, but Burns cannot be that high. He lives and dies by his offensive game which has astonishingly disappeared of late. He is definitely not a shutdown defender which makes it hard to justify him as the sixth best defenseman in the world besides it being a reputation vote.

On further review you are probably right, although I would point out that Burns' advanced metrics don't have him that far off from his previous years.. Basically he still drives a lot of offensive possession stats but the team around him is just straight garbage other than Couture, Hertl and Doonskoi. But reputation aside, him and Weber probably could be further down the list.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

Nick Leddy should be in the top 10.