Drew Doughty voted Best Defenseman in the league on NHL.com

[Degenerate]

How has noone posted this? Congrats to DD.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=729524

Excerpt: "None of Doughty's statistics, advanced or otherwise, jump off the page. He was 30th among NHL defensemen in scoring last season and his possession numbers, while strong, are not outstanding. But Doughty has played a central role in two Stanley Cup victories and two gold medal performances for Canada at the Olympics in the past four years, establishing himself as one of the top players in the NHL. All this before his 25th birthday. Scary."

Click to read more...

 

[Degenerate]

Fun fact: the definition of the word doughty is "Brave and persistent". Thanks, Google.

dough·ty
ˈdoutē
adjective
brave and persistent.
"his doughty spirit kept him going"
synonyms: fearless, dauntless, determined, resolute, indomitable, intrepid, plucky, spirited, bold, valiant, brave, stouthearted, courageous

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

While fantasy hockey geeks will knock him for his lack of regular season production, there's not a single defenseman I'd take ahead of Doughty when it comes to post season hockey. One can make a good argument in favor of Duncan Keith, but Doughty's playoff performances the past few years has been spectacular. One day he will win a Conn Smythe and be the first defenseman since Scott Niedermayer in 2007 to win it.

 

[Ron*]

While fantasy hockey geeks will knock him for his lack of regular season production, there's not a single defenseman I'd take ahead of Doughty when it comes to post season hockey. One can make a good argument in favor of Duncan Keith, but Doughty's playoff performances the past few years has been spectacular. One day he will win a Conn Smythe and be the first defenseman since Scott Niedermayer in 2007 to win it.

I agree. One could argue that he was close to winning the Conn Smythe for both 2012 and 2014.

 

[CowMix]

Muzzin made #14 on Corey Masisak list too haha

 

[Little Psycho]

Muzzin made #14 on Corey Masisak list too haha

 

[ru4reals]

No he's not the best! AINEC! NHL.com knows nothing. Hello....Karlsson, Peitrangelo, Subban aaaaaaaalll are better. I mean seriously I for one trust hfboards more!

 

[likid]

One day he will win a Conn Smythe and be the first defenseman since Scott Niedermayer in 2007 to win it.

Agree, Kopitar will probably have his turn on 4th SC win and fourth title for best scorer in PO...

 

[kingsfan]

I think comparing Neidermayer to Doughty is a good comparision. Both had significant offensive upside but had it stifled by a defensive minded system and both were rocks when need be, especially in the post-season. Hopefully Doughty gets more Norris nods than Neidermayer did. The fact Neidermayer won only won Norris is a crime.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

I think comparing Neidermayer to Doughty is a good comparision. Both had significant offensive upside but had it stifled by a defensive minded system and both were rocks when need be, especially in the post-season. Hopefully Doughty gets more Norris nods than Neidermayer did. The fact Neidermayer won only won Norris is a crime.

I'm about at the point where I consider the Norris award to be a joke. When these guys are winning it because they scored a bunch of goals, rather than it being based on their DEFENSIVE game, then it's just stupid.

 

[Buddy The Elf]

I always get a chuckle over the "who is the best player?" arguments that happen on here. I mean does it really matter? Doughty is an integral part of the Kings team. A team that has one two Stanley Cups since he has been here. That is all that matters. I don't care if people online or in the media have good things to say about him or not. We all know what he does.

 

[jfont]

I think comparing Neidermayer to Doughty is a good comparision. Both had significant offensive upside but had it stifled by a defensive minded system and both were rocks when need be, especially in the post-season. Hopefully Doughty gets more Norris nods than Neidermayer did. The fact Neidermayer won only won Norris is a crime.

Well, there was this guy named Lidstrom who's really really good...

 

[Jebus]

Well, there was this guy named Lidstrom who's really really good...

In my opinion, Niedermayer peaked later in his career and for only a handful of years. If Drew continues to evolve, stay healthy and well-conditioned it should be no comparison.

 

[Telos]

I always get a chuckle over the "who is the best player?" arguments that happen on here. I mean does it really matter? Doughty is an integral part of the Kings team. A team that has one two Stanley Cups since he has been here. That is all that matters. I don't care if people online or in the media have good things to say about him or not. We all know what he does.

That's the absolute best part about winning for me and has been since 2012. Remember before we won how it was just non-stop ranking of players and people arguing about who doesn't get respect and who deserves to be in consideration for individual awards blah blah? None of it matters now.

We have a team that plays for the betterment of the team and not themselves. In turn, who the hell cares about individual awards and who is ranked where? All the lower tier team fanbases are spending all their time arguing about who is ranked where and how their player deserves to be in the top 5, 10, 20, and so on... It's just glorious not to give a ****.

It doesn't matter where they rank a player like Doughty, he is going to go out and be the perfect piece we need every night and help the team win, same with Kopitar, Quick, etc. They can argue endlessly over whether some guy is 6th or 7th, but it is just a subjective, arbitrary number and doesn't matter at all to who gets their name etched on the cup.

 

[kingsfan]

Well, there was this guy named Lidstrom who's really really good...

Which would explain seven of the 16 full NHL seasons Neidermayer played.

In my opinion, Niedermayer peaked later in his career and for only a handful of years. If Drew continues to evolve, stay healthy and well-conditioned it should be no comparison.

Neidermayer peaked early and stayed high. The numbers increased in Anaheim is all.

 

[KingsCorona]

The thing about Doughty is that you HAVE to watch him to understand why he is so good. His game doesn't necessarily show up on the stat sheets. Yeah, he makes the occasional dazzling offensive play that shows why he is so dangerous with the puck. But even when he wasn't scoring, nobody knocks him because his defensive game is just as spectacular if not more so. He is simultaneously a top tier PMD and top tier SAH, and he understands the game so well that he can decide at the drop of a hat which he needs to be at any given moment.

 

[ADifferentTim]

Fun fact: the definition of the word doughty is "Brave and persistent". Thanks, Google.

dough·ty
ˈdoutē
adjective
brave and persistent.
"his doughty spirit kept him going"
synonyms: fearless, dauntless, determined, resolute, indomitable, intrepid, plucky, spirited, bold, valiant, brave, stouthearted, courageous

Oh, how appropriate. That just reminds me of a certain foreign-language rock song whose 1st chorus embodies that.

 

[Herby]

I think comparing Neidermayer to Doughty is a good comparision. Both had significant offensive upside but had it stifled by a defensive minded system and both were rocks when need be, especially in the post-season. Hopefully Doughty gets more Norris nods than Neidermayer did. The fact Neidermayer won only won Norris is a crime.

Niedermayer's career pretty much paralleled Lidstrom's. That is why he only won a single Norris.

 

[Rorschach]

I love how the top three haven't won any of the last three years' Norris trophies.

 

[kingsfan]

Niedermayer's career pretty much paralleled Lidstrom's. That is why he only won a single Norris.

Lidstrom won 7 Norris trophies, Neids played 16 seasons, more factors at play for that to happen.

 

[Captain Mittens*]

Blake won that one year

 

[johnjm22]

I love how the top three haven't won any of the last three years' Norris trophies.

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing.

The only reason Subban and Karlsson won the Norris is because they play for Canadian teams.

 

[kingsfan]

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing.

The only reason Subban and Karlsson won the Norris is because they play for Canadian teams.

Honestly, I think it has a lot more to do with the point totals than anything. You could but a guy like Mitchell or Scuderi on Ottawa or Montreal and they don't get a sniff because the Norris isn't about defensive play as much as it is about offensive production. Even Doughty got his only Norris trophy nomination when he put up a career high 59 points.

 

[Jebus]

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing.

The only reason Subban and Karlsson won the Norris is because they play for Canadian teams.

The Subban one doesn't bother me. At least he tries to play defense. The Karlsson Norris just debased the award in my opinion.

 

[Rorschach]

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing.

The only reason Subban and Karlsson won the Norris is because they play for Canadian teams.

The Subban one doesn't bother me. At least he tries to play defense. The Karlsson Norris just debased the award in my opinion.

It's like Phil Housely winning the Norris over Bourque and Chelios...these are the times we live in.