Best defending defensemen all-time?

[sensfan4lifee]

Would Scott Neidermayer belong on this list?

No and I loved Nieds but no

 

[tarheelhockey]

And that's what I have trouble reconciling. I watched a lot of 80s and 90s hockey. Bourque was terrific and no doubt one of the best defensemen of all time but I never thought, "Wow, Bourque really shut down that guy!"

I remember a lot of Bourque leading a rush up ice after retrieving the puck on a dump in. Or someone finding him in the slot for a shot, or Bourque ragging the puck in the opposition zone, or when a forechecker was coming after him in his own zone. I remember Sweeney and Wesley as the shutdown guys on those 90s Bruins teams.

It sounds like you’re conflating “shutdown defenseman” with “stay at home defenseman”. Sweeney and Wesley were definitely not better at defense (or anything else) than Bourque. They simply played a purer defensive role where they weren’t expected to do much offensively.

 

[ESH]

That was never the arguement. What I am asking is the best defensemen at breaking up attacks, getting puck posession. Not what comes after that (transition/passing etc). Leetch for example was mesmerizing in transition, but certainly not an all time great in breaking up plays/getting posession.

It's not easy separating those things though. The point of defending is getting the puck back so you can stop defending. There's plenty of guys who can block a shot or knock the puck off someone's stick, but if you still end up chasing the puck around your own zone what's the point?

The best defenders are the guys who can cut off the attack and get the play going the other way, rather than just prolonging the other team's offensive zone time. Regaining possession and then doing something with that possession is the most important part of defending.

 

[NVious]

Brock Faber

 

[PaulD]

Orr
Robinson
Lidstrom
Potvin
Park
Chelios
Savard
Chara
Bourque
Languay

 

[CanadienShark]

There have been a lot of great defensive minded D. Many mentioned in this thread were fantastic.

Especially Ekblad.

 

[MK9]

Believe the title is 'Best....all time.' Not, 'Who was really good.'. Like 95% of the guys listed here don't even crack the top 15 'all time'.

 

[RebuildinVan]

For me peak Chara may be the most frustrating Dman Ive watched my team play against

 

[Bacon Artemi Bravo]

For me Lidstrom is the clear #1, he just made defending look so damn easy. Almost baffling to watch.

 

[vcanuck]

Tyler Myers

 

[td_ice]

mine would be (not in order necessarily), only players I have seen

1. Lidstrom
2. D. Potvin
3. Mark Howe
4. Langway
5. L. Robinson

 

[Laphroaig]

Savard/Robinson was the greatest shutdown pair I've ever seen.

 

[Stive Morgan]

Doug Harvey. If you know anyone old enough to have seen him play they'll be more than happy to let you know.

 

[Mitts]

Chris Tanev is the best defenseman at defending I’ve seen on the Flames in my lifetime

What about Robyn Regehr ?

 

[TT1]

Wheres NHL all star Habs/Leafs legend Mike Komisarek?

 

[Regal]

It's not easy separating those things though. The point of defending is getting the puck back so you can stop defending. There's plenty of guys who can block a shot or knock the puck off someone's stick, but if you still end up chasing the puck around your own zone what's the point?

The best defenders are the guys who can cut off the attack and get the play going the other way, rather than just prolonging the other team's offensive zone time. Regaining possession and then doing something with that possession is the most important part of defending.

I think that’s what the poster is saying though, and it’s reflected in the players being listed. They just didn’t want to focus on guys who mainly suppress shots/chances through that transition and offensive ability, but ones who are great in-zone and can also move the puck out efficiently onto the attack.

 

[Sky04]

What about Robyn Regehr ?

Nowhere near the mobility Tanev has.

 

[dtown77]

I sit back when ever the Lidstrom Bourque debate comes up for best defenseman of all. I keep my mouth shut when people say Bourque, I get it. I understand why they say it and i move along. But Bourque was not better then Lidstrom defensively.. I won't have it.. you hear me? I won't have it!!

 

[Winged Wheel Willy]

It's not easy separating those things though. The point of defending is getting the puck back so you can stop defending. There's plenty of guys who can block a shot or knock the puck off someone's stick, but if you still end up chasing the puck around your own zone what's the point?

The best defenders are the guys who can cut off the attack and get the play going the other way, rather than just prolonging the other team's offensive zone time. Regaining possession and then doing something with that possession is the most important part of defending.

It is not easy. I tried to make the "cut-off" at the moment when pure offensive abilities kick in and the puck is moved up the ice (defender breaks up a play or takes posession of the rubber). Not at all saying that moving the puck up ice is unimportant, but I just wanted to exclude guys like Karlsson, Makar or Hughes who excel here, but imo opinion and to varying degrees suck in some key defensive areas. And I would choose a lot of players mentioned in this thread over them.

 

[Winged Wheel Willy]

There’s one poster on here that will legit tell you that it was Erik Karlsson in his prime.

Must be someone who has a vote for the norris.^^

 

[Silky Johnson]

It's not easy separating those things though. The point of defending is getting the puck back so you can stop defending. There's plenty of guys who can block a shot or knock the puck off someone's stick, but if you still end up chasing the puck around your own zone what's the point?

The best defenders are the guys who can cut off the attack and get the play going the other way, rather than just prolonging the other team's offensive zone time. Regaining possession and then doing something with that possession is the most important part of defending.

Completely, the Defenders who most impact the game and keep the other team from scoring the most are the defensively engaged, shot suppression, transitions beasts. They often happen to be good at putting up points.

Getting the puck out of your zone and keeping it in the then opponents is a very effective defence.

At the risk of being overly simplistic:

Best defensive impact: 2 way transition beasts like Orr, Bourque & Lidsrom

Good defensive impact: Stay at home defenders like Langway, Ludwig and Foote

Bad defensive impact: one dementional offensive guys like Housley and Green.

The guys I chose are exemplars but most guys are less extreme in that spectrum.

P.S. Erik Karlsson is a very polarising player who people seem to love or hate. Anyone who has objectively watched him alot through his career has to admit he has at times been near the top & bottom of that spectrum.

 

[bleedgreen]

Ray Bourque was the best defenseman I’ve ever watched, and growing up a Whalers fan I hated every minute of it….

Guys like Lidstrom were amazing for their consistency, and I’m not suggesting he didn’t step up for big plays because he obviously did but Bourque wasn’t just a big game player - he was a big moment player in seemingly every game he played in.

 

[olli]

1. Cody Ceci
2. Darnell Nurse
3+ are very much up for debate among 10-15 different guys for the rest of the top 5

 

[slybel]

A quick (and completely subjective) top ten list:

1. Doug Harvey
2. Tim Horton
3. Larry Robinson
4. Denis Potvin
5. Ray Bourque
6. Scott Stevens
7. Chris Chelios
8. Nicklas Lidstrom
9. Chris Pronger
10. Zdeno Chara

Each of those defensemen was excellent defensively, and also good to great offensively.

If the question is the best "pure" defensive defensemen (ie their focus was almost entirely on defensive play) - Rod Langway would be a good choice. Other candidates - Valeri Vasiliev, Serge Savard, Rod Langway, Craig Ludwig, Vladimir Konstantinov, Derian Hatcher, Adam Foote.

Yes! Love the list! And I met Doug Harvey many times!

 

[frisco]

If I had to pick just one, I'd go Tim Horton.

My Best-Carey