Langway trophy for defensive defenseman 2024

[gsharpe]

I am a Canucks fan so extremely biased and think that Tanev should always be in the running.

Demelo seems to be in the running after making every partner he has become a top ten defenseman.

Anybody else that needs a shout out?

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[Hallonbroder]

Weird idea. But, why would it be called Langway instead of Lidström?

 

[PeteEakins]

Why in the world would it be called the Lidstrom? Why wouldn't it be called The Doug Harvey Award?

 

[Mrfenn92]

Alex Vlasic

 

[NyQuil]

Nick Jensen.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

Lane Hutson

 

[eojsmada]

Just call this one the Norris and the other one the Paul Coffey Award..,or the Bobby Orr Award

 

[tarheelhockey]

Why wouldn’t this be called the Bettman Award?

 

[Martin Skoula]

The trophy should be a poll of the top 20 scorers asking them who they hate playing against the most. Journalists voting on defensive D would be only be acceptable if they had to have a televised debate about it with the Benny Hill music playing at the same volume their mic’s are at.

 

[Pablo El Perro]

Weird idea. But, why would it be called Langway instead of Lidström?

Langway had 40 points or more once in a pretty long career, with 45 in 80-81 with the Habs. I'm guessing that would be the reason.

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

Weird idea. But, why would it be called Langway instead of Lidström?

Langway was all defense and little offense.



Was it Langway, Ludwig, or both that had those massive shin pads and would block everything ?

 

[BKarchitect]

Slavin would’ve won it a few times by now. Some teams have a couple good options…Brodin and Faber. Gavrikov and Mikey Anderson. Ekholm, Forsling, Lindell. McDonagh. Vlasic.

Some of it depends on what you are prioritizing - a guy who can play a pure shutdown role against the biggest stars in the league (example - heads up against McDavid or MacKinnon or Kucherov, give me Slavin all day, I don’t care what the fancy graphs say)? Or…a guy deployed in heavy defensive situations with good defensive metrics? Does playing a more blended role with great defensive metrics penalize you? Does being a warrior blocking shots and battling to clear your own crease make you good at defense or only mean you get hemmed in a lot and bleed shots against?

As much as I love the love for “defensive” masters, such an award brings up as many mixed questions about intent and how to judge it as the existing Norris does…IMO…

 

[Mighty Makar]

Bouchard

 

[Took a pill in Sbisa]

Langway was all defense and little offense.



Was it Langway, Ludwig, or both that had those massive shin pads and would block everything ?

Definitely Ludwig. Still gives me nightmares as an Oilers fan from the late 90s

 

[carjackmalone]

The Brad Mccrimmon trophy is most apt

 

[Bouboumaster]

The other team can't score on you if you have the puck.

Lane Hutson is the answer

 

[ccman68]

Mcdonagh came back and fixed the bolts’ defense all by himself, and Nashville has turned into the worst teams in the league without him. Give him all the awards imo.

 

[PaulD]

The Josh Georges Award.

For Dmen that have zero offensive skill, dedicate themselves to shot blocking, firing puck around the boards, rap it off the glass.
50 candidates a season.

 

[gsharpe]

Slavin, McDonagh, and Ekholm seem like great answers for me.

Alex Vlasic was a surprise. What's he up to?

 

[CallMeShaft]

Slavin, McDonagh, and Ekholm seem like great answers for me.

Alex Vlasic was a surprise. What's he up to?

6ft6

He's been awesome defensively. There was an article on The Athletic back in March of last year (his rookie year) and they tried to answer who the best defensive defenseman in the league was. Vlasic was listed 2nd on that ranking and he hasn't missed a beat yet this season either.

Hawks have also killed 32 straight penalties (over the last 11 games) and he's arguably been the biggest part of that. Last time the Hawks had a PK this good, they won the President's trophy and the Stanley Cup. Just a shame so much else is wrong with the Hawks.

 

[majormajor]

The other team can't score on you if you have the puck.

Lane Hutson is the answer

The other team has scored on Lane Hutson more than all but a few D in the league. He's top 10 in most goals against.

 

[dgibb10]

Slavin would’ve won it a few times by now. Some teams have a couple good options…Brodin and Faber. Gavrikov and Mikey Anderson. Ekholm, Forsling, Lindell. McDonagh. Vlasic.

Some of it depends on what you are prioritizing - a guy who can play a pure shutdown role against the biggest stars in the league (example - heads up against McDavid or MacKinnon or Kucherov, give me Slavin all day, I don’t care what the fancy graphs say)? Or…a guy deployed in heavy defensive situations with good defensive metrics? Does playing a more blended role with great defensive metrics penalize you? Does being a warrior blocking shots and battling to clear your own crease make you good at defense or only mean you get hemmed in a lot and bleed shots against?

As much as I love the love for “defensive” masters, such an award brings up as many mixed questions about intent and how to judge it as the existing Norris does…IMO…

Yup. Is spending the entire shift in the other teams zone a form of defense?

You certainly can't get scored on if your team has the puck. But are we valuing that, or are we only looking at "defense" in the sense of "when the other team has the puck.

 

[Murzu]

Slavin.

 

[Tobias Kahun]

Langway was all defense and little offense.



Was it Langway, Ludwig, or both that had those massive shin pads and would block everything ?

ludwig had bigger shinpads than most goalies have goalie pads in 2024

 

[gsharpe]

6ft6

He's been awesome defensively. There was an article on The Athletic back in March of last year (his rookie year) and they tried to answer who the best defensive defenseman in the league was. Vlasic was listed 2nd on that ranking and he hasn't missed a beat yet this season either.

Hawks have also killed 32 straight penalties (over the last 11 games) and he's arguably been the biggest part of that. Last time the Hawks had a PK this good, they won the President's trophy and the Stanley Cup. Just a shame so much else is wrong with the Hawks.

But he's -9!

In all seriousness that's cool to hear. Seems like a random player to make his way into the NHL this way.

What is his quality? Hits? Stick work?