Best Defensive Wingers

[Professor What]

It's been over 20 years since a winger won the Selke Trophy. Most of the time when people think of defensive forwards, their minds automatically go to centers. But I'd like to have a discussion about some of the best defensive wingers in the sport's history. Obviously, guys like Bob Gainey and Jere Lehtinen come to mind, but I don't want to flood with too many names to start with.

Who are some of your picks?

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[tabness]

Shawn Burr unheralded guy on the Wings. Had some others roll through, Kevin Miller and Bob Errey for example, but Burr was the guy who really paid his dues. Maltby obviously gets more of the love since he was on the glory days teams on the grind line.

Europeans surprisingly well represented in the eighties, Kurri and Tikkanen Finnish Oilers, Sinisalo too if you squint a bit (more of a team dynamic to that though). Sweden sent over a couple good ones too, Erixon and Gustafsson. These guys are mostly converted centers though.

Craig Ramsay got a lot of love for being on a less heralded team on the seventies Sabres. Definitely something there from what I've seen though I feel he's too poor a skater to actually live up to some of the reputation he gets.

Don Marshall and Claude Provost got lots of notoriety for being on the dynasty Habs in the fifties.

Especially in a very reputation heavy thing like this, lots has to do with how much success and publicity the team has especially if the players don't got as good stats. Probably were lots of unsung guys on less successful teams who could hang but will never get the credit. Nick Libett on the Dead Wings for example.

 

[VanIslander]

A guy who was criminally overlooked for Selke consideration was 11-year Bruin P.J. Axelsson.



(Yet the only tribute video i could google was his scoring - not the many takeaways and intercepted passes that led to rushes for goals.)

 

[WarriorofTime]

Hossa, great analytics

 

[frisco]

Some off the top of my head:
John Tonelli
Jari Kurri
Gaetan Duchesne
Kelly Miller
Don Marcotte
Dirk Graham
Colin Patterson
Dave Hannan
Dave Tippett
Wayne Presley

My Best-Carey

 

[Gorskyontario]

Steve Larmer