NHL.com TOP 20 Defenseman

[sensfan4lifee]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1828957932995641552

Evan bouchard has done nothing to be in the top ten

 

[strattonius]

Fox and Dahlin way too low, Hedman way too high, Hughes too high (why does it feel like any other player would be asked to prove the season wasn't a fluke but Hughes just gets anointed? Is it just because people don't want to deal with Canucks fans?)

A 90 pt Norris winning season is never a fluke.

You are trying to devolve the argument in to what logo he wears and flukes. Truly pathetic.

 

[Sasha Orlov]

Fox at 8 is crazy

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

Forsling quickly going from most underrated to most overrated.

Makes this list laughable.

 

[Mr Kot]

Fox that low? NHL.com is shite

 

[Czechboy]

Eh, even as a Wings fan this season will be telling.

He has mildly more support this season than before, so his horrific usage should be at least partially helped

There were certain points last season he was just bad. Mostly near the start

Hedman is not a top 3 D anymore

His last season's seems to be a split review...

Many point out he got caved and hasn't progressed

Many point out he had very hard deployment and that it is why

For me.. I've always thought he was in the top tier of D in the NHL.

 

[sensfan4lifee]

Evan bouchard has done nothing to be in the top ten

Laugh all you want but he needs to repeat next year for me to be in the top ten

Consistency matters

 

[LemonSauceD]

Fair, but he still had a great season and had the best (+\-) iirc. I’m not saying I disagree, I just think the criteria for “best defensemen) is skewed toward point getters too often.

I don’t think that’s the case.

The last couple of years, defenseman have been putting up near 100 point seasons. Karlsson was the first in like what, 3 decades, to put up a 100 point season? That’s extremely rare nowadays and it’s being done now.

Orr, Bourque, Housley, Coffey, Lidstrom were all points leaders when they won their Norris. You can say there were *better* defensive players than them 1 for 1. But that’s the thing, those guys wouldn’t even come close to the above offensively.

Historically speaking, the Norris trophy was always more favourited towards point leaders. And majority of the Norris winners (with the exception of 2023 Karlsson who was IMO the worst defensive player to win it) can hold their own defensively. What seperates them from other defenseman is that they simply produce more which has a much more direct impact for the team. If you spend more time on the transition, can effectively hold onto the puck in the offensive zone, and maintain consistent possession, you will concede less goals. Currently, no one does this better than Makar, Hughes, Fox or Josi.

There will always be someone better than another defensively. In terms of determining who’s better than the other offensively, that’s easy. The higher scoring player and the one that does it frequently.

 

[I am not exposed]

Hedman still living off past reputation. Way too high.

 

[HockeyWooot]

most of the names are expected but the order for some a bit off. Hedman a bit high, Forsling too high, Fox too low etc

My groupings are

Makar
Hughes
Fox
Josi

Heiskanen
McAvoy
Slavin
Hedman
Toews

Dahlin
Bouchard
Morrisey
Forsling
Hamilton

Seider
Ekholm
Brodin
Weegar
Dobson
Lindholm

Hm: Hanafin, Doughty, Pietrangelo, Werenski

 

[Washed Up 29YearOld]

Agree with your point about the Leafs, but that doesn't take away from what I said above.

Maybe I'm wrong, but something like this:

Tier 1
Makar Hughes Heiskanen Dahlin Josi

Tier 2
Fox Hedman MacAvoy Bouchard Toews

Tier 3
Dobson Morrissey Doughty Hamilton Seider

Tier 4
Forsling Werenski Slavin Ekholm Hanafin Weegar Theodore Reilly Montour

I'm probably forgetting some too...

I’m a pretty big Dahlin Homer but no way does he deserve a tier over Bouchard. Defensive play aside, EB puts up ungodly numbers in reg and post season.

 

[HighLifeMan]

Mackenzie Weegar is most certainly better than Noah Hanifin.

 

[Machinehead]

Obligatory:

Forget defensemen, Fox is higher than 8 if you did players.

 

[TageGod]

1-Makar

2-7-Fox Hughes Heiskanen Dahlin Josi Bouchard

8-11-Hedman MacAvoy Toews Hamilton

12-16-Dobson Morrissey Doughty Hamilton Ekholm

17+-Forsling Werenski Slavin Theodore Reilly Montour

Not a big fan of a # list so here is tiers with players organized in no specific order.

Sorry Seider Fans, you can't make the top 20 off of his lowest Time on ice average of his career.

 

[A1LeafNation]

I’m a pretty big Dahlin Homer but no way does he deserve a tier over Bouchard. Defensive play aside, EB puts up ungodly numbers in reg and post season.

Right or wrongly, I knock Bouchard down a bit bc he has the luxury of playing with McDrai.

 

[bobholly39]

I like the top 2. Adam Fox should definitely be there though, probably #3, but top 5 at worst.

Rest looks kind of ok at the top, except Forsling is too high. But no issue with the top 9 outside of those 2 things.

A bit less sure about the rankings of ~10-20, so i'll let others comment there.

 

[Voight]

He was the #1 defenseman on a Cup winner. Helped shutdown the best player in the world for most of the series AND scored some great goals…all while having a really solid season.

Sour grapes cause he’s higher than your boy is funny.

It’s top 20 defensemen, not top 20 defenders who’ll score the most points.

I think Forsling is a great defensemen but sixth is too high.

Not sure who you're referring to but sour grapes does not apply to me. I'm a Blackhawks fan, I didn't expect Jones to be ranked here.

 

[Aladyyn]

A 90 pt Norris winning season is never a fluke.

You are trying to devolve the argument in to what logo he wears and flukes. Truly pathetic.

Karlsson had a 100 point Norris season the year before and he's not on the list at all.

 

[Washed Up 29YearOld]

Right or wrongly, I knock Bouchard down a bit bc he has the luxury of playing with McDrai.

Good players play well with good players. But I get where you’re coming from. McDavid is pretty much the GOAT and Bouchard prob wouldn’t do as well on another team. Good list, Leafs fan

 

[The Nuge]

That Hanafin ranking is absolutely bonkers. He’s probably not top 40 let alone top 20. He was the 3rd or 4th best dman on the Flames last year but suddenly he’s ahead of Weegar/Andersson, and in the top 20???

 

[Glen Sathers Cigar]

Fox’s Norris finishes the last 4 season:

1st
5th
2nd
4th

He was 2nd team all NHL last season. Why did he drop on their rankings? Because he had a so-so playoffs while playing on a torn MCL? Makes no sense.

 

[Machinehead]

Fox’s Norris finishes the last 4 season:

1st
5th
2nd
4th

He was 2nd team all NHL last season. Why did he drop on their rankings? Because he had a so-so playoffs while playing on a torn MCL? Makes no sense.

No, it's because they wanted to generate clicks and looked at a population density map.

 

[strattonius]

Karlsson had a 100 point Norris season the year before and he's not on the list at all.

Karlsson has multiple Norris' and was arguably a generations best defenseman. His decline isn't exactly a surprise...He's old now.

I don't get your logic. Are you expecting Hughes to fall off a cliff? And why?

 

[Aladyyn]

Karlsson has multiple Norris' and was arguably a generations best defenseman. His decline isn't exactly a surprise...He's old now.

I don't get your logic. Are you expecting Hughes to fall off a cliff? And why?

104 PDO

Doubled his career high in goals and then proceeded to score 0 in playoffs, it's already begun.

 

[strattonius]

104 PDO

Doubled his career high in goals and then proceeded to score 0 in playoffs, it's already begun.

Wow what a sizzling hot take. Good for you.