ESPN Top 10 Defenseman in the NHL

[wetcoast]

Interesting read here and not surprising really.

The 10 best defensemen in the NHL for 2023-24

Where do the high-scoring Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes land? What about "defensive defenseman" Jaccob Slavin? Here's how those in the NHL see it.

www.espn.com

Breakdown was

1. Makar
2. Hughes
3. Hesikanen
4. Fox
5. McAvoy
6. Hedman
7. Josi
8. Slavin
9. Morrisey
10. Doughty

Click to read more...

 

[Dennis Reynolds]

How last year's Norris winner has fallen.

But he could be on this list.

If Sully wasn't trying to "get him to play the right way."

 

[wetcoast]

How last year's Norris winner has fallen.

But he could be on this list.

If Sully wasn't trying to "get him to play the right way."

Last year was an offensive aberration and most people saw that.

He rightly isn't in the top 10 and frankly he wouldn't be in my top 20 his time has come and gone.

 

[Avs2022]

AN ESPN article, where, the list, seems to be decent. Amazing.

 

[Ryuji Yamazaki]

Did Forsling die?

 

[dirtydanglez]

surprisingly good list. usually these types of lists go off the rails quick

 

[wetcoast]

surprisingly good list. usually these types of lists go off the rails quick

From the story this is how the voting was determined,

The 10 best defensemen in the NHL for 2023-24

Where do the high-scoring Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes land? What about "defensive defenseman" Jaccob Slavin? Here's how those in the NHL see it.

www.espn.com

Ten NHL players were surveyed -- four from the Eastern Conference, six from the Western Conference. They range from NHL award nominees to veteran role players. To balance that perspective, we surveyed 10 people from the hockey operations departments of NHL teams -- six from the East, four from the West -- including two coaches and three general managers

 

[Big Daddy Cane]

It's a more balanced list because it's a survey of players and team personnel. Half of the Top 10 current point producers among D were left off. Dahlin, Dobson and Rielly had some support. Bouchard and Dunn were not mentioned at all.

 

[dirtydanglez]

From the story this is how the voting was determined,

The 10 best defensemen in the NHL for 2023-24

Where do the high-scoring Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes land? What about "defensive defenseman" Jaccob Slavin? Here's how those in the NHL see it.

www.espn.com

yea i was already reading through it. i like the format. i just wish they used a bigger survey population.

 

[Sasha Orlov]

Did Forsling die?

Joking?

 

[Laphroaig]

That's a surprisingly good list. I like Dobson but I'm not sure I'd bump anyone off this list.

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

Where's MacKenzie Weegar?

 

[PeE eL DuBoiS]

WHERE'S RIELLY?!

As a Leafs fan, I am exceptionally outraged. I expected 5 Leafs players on this list. No, don't ask me for "justification" because that's just a word and your "statistics" are just numbers.

Edit: the obvious answer to my question is "suspended", so high five if that was your immediate response.

 

[Edgelord]

wow, I guess ESPN does know hockey.

 

[Namikaze Minato]

WHERE'S RIELLY?!

As a Leafs fan, I am exceptionally outraged. I expected 5 Leafs players on this list. No, don't ask me for "justification" because that's just a word and your "statistics" are just numbers.

Edit: the obvious answer to my question is "suspended", so high five if that was your immediate response.

If you read the article you would have noticed it honourably mentioned him in the honourable mentions. He had 8 points total, tied with Moritz Seider and Aaron Ekblad.

 

[DaveG]

AN ESPN article, where, the list, seems to be decent. Amazing.

I actually like their approach for this list. Something they should probably consider when they're doing their other hockey oriented content when they can do it.

 

[wetcoast]

Did Forsling die?

I think you misread it said top 10 not top 100.

 

[Sasha Orlov]

WHERE'S RIELLY?!

As a Leafs fan, I am exceptionally outraged. I expected 5 Leafs players on this list. No, don't ask me for "justification" because that's just a word and your "statistics" are just numbers.

Edit: the obvious answer to my question is "suspended", so high five if that was your immediate response.

Suspended

 

[Three On Zero]

This list is actually, good?

 

[crasherino]

That's a surprisingly good list. I like Dobson but I'm not sure I'd bump anyone off this list.

Yeah - I'm an Islander fan and was wondering if he'd be there. Looks like he's #11 - can't really find fault with that.

 

[gn2007]

This about Adam fox is not shocking at all

"People hate Fox for some reason," an NHL executive said.

 

[wetcoast]

This about Adam fox is not shocking at all

"People hate Fox for some reason," an NHL executive said.

Everyone knows the reason and really his ranking isn't out of place is it?

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

Can't really be mad at that list.

 

[Ezekial]

wow, I guess ESPN does know hockey.

Nope, just what happens when sports journalism is done by someone who aggregates information from informed sources rather than made out of opinion with the goal of getting views.

 

[wintersej]

For a while it was Makar on top and a step down to Fox and then again to McAvoy, Heiskanen and Hughes in some order.

Now Hughes has taken over Fox's spot and pushed Fox down into that next tier.

Curious to see how those 5 continue to swap around over the next few years. It seemed so certain that Fox was going to be in the #2 spot for the long haul. Now it seems like it's Hughes instead. What will tomorrow bring? I dunno, but I love this group of 5 D.

Hedman just gets some benefit of the doubt that he can flip the switch defensively in the spring and summer.

After that, the list feels less predictable from season to season but can't argue what is here with any passion.