Who's the best Defenceman in franchise history?

[Mosby]

Sticking with the theme of the best goalie post, because why not. Again, everything is post-1996.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Games played: 657 (1st)
Goals: 116 (1st)
Assists: 218 (2nd)
Points: 334 (1st)
Pts/GP: .508 (2nd)
Playoff GP: 16 (T-7th)
Playoff Goals: 1 (T-4th)
Playoff Points: 4 (T-5th)

Keith Yandle
Games played: 558 (3rd)
Goals: 65 (2nd)
Assists: 246 (1st)
Points: 311 (2nd)
Pts/GP: .557 (1st)
Playoff GP: 27 (1st)
Playoff Goals: 3 (T-2nd)
Playoff Points: 19 (1st)

Ed Jovanovski
Games played: 332 (7th)
Goals: 47 (4th)
Assists: 117 (4th)
Points: 164 (4th)
Pts/GP: .494 (3rd)
Playoff GP: 11 (T-9th)
Playoff Goals: 1 (T-4th)
Playoff Points: 2 (T-7th)

Teppo Numminen
Games played: 551 (4th)
Goals: 55 (3rd)
Assists: 214 (3rd)
Points: 269 (3rd)
Pts/GP: .488 (4th)
Playoff GP: 24 (2nd)
Playoff Goals: 6 (1st)
Playoff Points: 11 (2nd)

Obviously very basic metrics again, which shortchanges guys like Zbynek Michalek and Derek Morris, but these are the four. Good news is there is a certain forward at the top of most of these categories so we can skip that vote.

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[GiveAFlyingPuck]

Always a soft spot for DMo for this

 

[SniperHF]

It's Ollie, as annoyingly inconsistent as he can be compared to Teppo.

It certainly will be after 8 more years anyway.

 

[ck26]

Always a soft spot for DMo for this

I'll see your 'Pummeling Abdelkader' and raise you 'Yandle's AJ Pirzinski / Gatorade Story from Chiclets'

They're both First Team All-Badass.

 

[Summer Rose]

Ask me now and I say Teppo. Ask me in 10 years and I say OEL assuming he doesn't take a nosedive overnight.

 

[Jamieh]

Pronger easily.

 

[Prarievarg]

Ask me now and I say Teppo. Ask me in 10 years and I say OEL assuming he doesn't take a nosedive overnight.

Ask me in 10 years and I say Söderström

 

[Prarievarg]

1. OEL
2. Numminen
3. Z Michalek

 

[RABBIT]

I'll see your 'Pummeling Abdelkader' and raise you 'Yandle's AJ Pirzinski / Gatorade Story from Chiclets'

They're both First Team All-Badass.

f*** yesssss

 

[Mosby]

There are definitely some sad stats on here. Imagine being tied for 4th place with 1 goal. We need some damn playoffs.

 

[The Feckless Puck]

This is a toughie, because some of the stuff about D-men is hard to quantify in stats.

From a purely offensive stat-based position, it'd be hard not to go OEL as #1. But I've got a soft spot for Michalek in his prime. Z was the one guy on the backend upon whom you could absolutely rely in virtually any situation, the complete two-way defender.

My heart wants to pick Teppo #1, but if you limit him to what he did as a Coyote he's not objectively our best.

If you went personality, it would be Yands in a frickin' landslide AINEC.

 

[JerryBettman]

Phil the thrill baby!

 

[Vinny Boombatz]

It's really not close in my opinion. It's OEL by a wide margin.

JovoCop was one of my favorites, he made some grave errors shooting the puck into defenders legs on the PP, which often led to shorties the other way...but he was good. Teppo was a more offensive Hjalmarsson really, so you could see that he would be a popular pick, who doesn't like the no thrills, all work dudes on the back end that give everything they've got. Yands personality will always make him a fan favorite, but we can all agree that his defense is not even remotely in the same ballpark as the other 3, but he was sure fun to watch.

In my book:
OEL

Jovo
Teppo
Yandle

 

[GiveAFlyingPuck]

There are definitely some sad stats on here. Imagine being tied for 4th place with 1 goal. We need some damn playoffs.

Sami Lepisto is in that fourth place logjam with one playoff goal.

 

[Coyotedroppings]

OEL - most well rounded.

 

[LuckyNumber11]

I said Teppo but in a year or two I'll be saying OEL

 

[CBJ goalie]

This one is easier to pick than the goalie thread: OEL. Just solid all around.

I like the mention of Derek Morris, was a solid D for many years.

 

[The Feckless Puck]

I like the mention of Derek Morris, was a solid D for many years.

Rusty Klesla pre-injuries and Adrian Aucoin were not bad either.

 

[Jamieh]

Sami Lepisto is in that fourth place logjam with one playoff goal.

I kinda liked Lepisto. High risk guy though with not that much reward.

 

[Llewzaher]

Franchise or when they moved to AZ..?

Oel in AZ

All time I Liked Phil Housely from offensive perspective...his defensive side left something to be desired

 

[Prarievarg]

Rusty Klesla pre-injuries and Adrian Aucoin were not bad either.

There's something sad about considering players that had more prominent careers elsewhere.

 

[The Feckless Puck]

There's something sad about considering players that had more prominent careers elsewhere.

For the longest time, that applied to every single Coyote except for Shane Doan and Radim Vrbata.

 

[Sinurgy]

I'll see your 'Pummeling Abdelkader' and raise you 'Yandle's AJ Pirzinski / Gatorade Story from Chiclets'

They're both First Team All-Badass.

That story is the f***ing best! I love ya GMDM but I don't think I'll ever forgive him for trading Yandle, ESPECIALLY knowing Doaner only had a few years left in the tank.

 

[CC96]

I’d say Ollie and Repo are about even, due to Teppo’s rock solid consistency and having almost double the tenure of OEL, despite OEL having higher peaks.

In about 2 or 3 years though, I’d probably say OEL, unequivocally, unless he falls off a cliff or something.

 

[lanky]

1. OEL
2. Numminen
3. Z Michalek

This.

No disrespect to Yandle. He's my #4.