Top 10 defensemen

Galactico

Registered User
Feb 17, 2016
752
780
Canada
Ignoring the whole definition of the Hart thing, supporting personnel has always had a skewing influence on point totals for forwards, let alone defenseman. Taking that into consideration (especially when the production is fairly equal at the moment, while the gap between their supporting players are massive) isn't punishing someone.
This thread is not about the Hart trophy, it is about the best defenseman in the league.
 

DavidHasselhoffsFist

Seen some dark places, but always pop back out!
May 9, 2010
1,545
2,124
I’m not getting into the who’s better, Makar or Hughes debate but I think if I were to make a list I would have Orlov cracking the bottom of it. I know he’s not putting up huge points totals but I feel like he has a solid defensive game.
 

Perfect_Drug

Registered User
Mar 24, 2006
16,247
13,058
Montreal
Best Dman on Oilers now is probably Ekholm. Debatably Nurse.


No way in hell Bouchard is the best Dman. He's regressed bigtime this year. Nurse is a world better.
 

rea

Registered User
Feb 8, 2011
711
941
Why do you guys bicker about whose at the top when it's a subjective answer? Also the basis of the topic was who are the top 10 dmen, not whose the best overall. Needless to say, but those 2 are at the top and you can sprinkle in whoever after.

Based on this year for me it's in no particular order after Hughes and makar:

Hughes
Makar

Morrisey
Werenski
Heiskanen
Chabot
Fox
Dahlin
Josi

And I'm cheating with the last spot cuz thereve been alot of good dmen so they should get their due and one of them I guess fills the 10th lol

Hedman
Walman
Carlson
Pionk
Sergachev


Also, the idea people have about what makes a defenceman good isn't the same as it was before. The point is to stop goals when you're on, and create goals at the same time. Being offensive shouldn't negate their value.

Puck possession nowadays is huge, so players like Hughes and Makar etc, who control the puck majority of the time they are on the ice, does that not stop the other team from scoring? Sounds like defence to me.

If you're trying to declare who the best dman is based on old logic of physical, shutdown, block everything in sight, clear front of the net, sorry this is a new era and it's a different game than it was 20 yrs ago. The reason there were defensive dmen recognized is because the rules were diff, you could murder ppl out there, hold, clutch, grab to shut down, u didn't need to control the puck, that was the forwards to deal with.

Thats my opinion of it all. As you were 👍
 

Raistlin

Registered User
Aug 25, 2006
5,153
4,146
I find it tiresome to debate these few Avs fans on Hughes vs Makar, they've had their minds cemented in that one is forever better than the other since their rookie year. Hughes is going to have one more Norris than Makar at the end of the year, maybe they will say all the PWHA voters are Canucks fans or some other excuse. But for the rest of the hockey markets, they will know who's been improving year after year on all facets of his game and who has to rise to the challenge of his closest peer.
 

Shareefruck

Registered User
Apr 2, 2005
29,284
4,031
Vancouver, BC
This thread is not about the Hart trophy, it is about the best defenseman in the league.
Err yeah, which is exactly why I said "Ignoring the whole definition of the Hart thing" and gave an argument that has nothing to do with what Hart is based on, but instead how to evaluate a defenseman in isolation. (it's an argument about natural production inflation, not relative value/importance)

You should be telling that to the other people whose argument I'm "ignoring".
 
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John Mandalorian

2022 Avs: The First Dance
Nov 29, 2018
11,966
7,714
Makar isn’t in the same universe as Hughes this year for the Hart. Aside from the fact that Hughes dominates when he is on the ice vs when he’s off, let’s look at the top 3 point producers from each team:

Canucks:
1. Hughes - 42pts
2. Pettersson - 28pts
3. Garland - 27pts

Avalanche:
1. MacKinnon - 57pts
2. Rantanen - 52pts
3. Makar - 45pts

Q. Hughes is the LEADER in scoring for his team by 14 points!!!!! It’s absolutely ridiculous that Hughes only trails Makar by 3 points with 2 games in hand. Makar is playing with way better linemates and it’s not even close.

Couldn’t help but notice you used 5 exclamation marks to emphasize your point. What made 4 not enough but 6 too much?????
 

Maurice of Orange

13:21 🏒🏒
Feb 5, 2016
10,862
7,383
  1. Cale Makar
  2. Quinn Hughes
  3. Miro Heiskanen
  4. Josh Morrissey
  5. Roman Josi
  6. Jaccob Slavin
  7. Zach Werenski
  8. Rasmus Dahlin
  9. Victor Hedman
  10. Adam Fox
  11. Gustav Forsling
  12. Noah Dobson
  13. Devon Toews
  14. Shea Theodore
  15. Charlie McAvoy
  16. Evan Bouchard
  17. MacKenzie Weegar
  18. Dougie Hamilton
  19. Chris Tanev
  20. Moritz Seider
 

Mad Dog Tannen

Registered User
Apr 10, 2010
5,058
2,844
Exact same thing the thread I made turned into. Some insane takes on there.

My crack at the top 10 below

Makar

Hughes

*massive gap*

Dahlin
Haiskanen
Fox
Werenski
Morrisey
Nurse
Reilly
Mcavoy
You have Reilly in top 10?!

He’s not even considered the best defensemen on the leafs this year. Let alone top ten in the league.

  1. Cale Makar
  2. Quinn Hughes
  3. Miro Heiskanen
  4. Josh Morrissey
  5. Roman Josi
  6. Jaccob Slavin
  7. Zach Werenski
  8. Rasmus Dahlin
  9. Victor Hedman
  10. Adam Fox
  11. Gustav Forsling
  12. Noah Dobson
  13. Devon Toews
  14. Shea Theodore
  15. Charlie McAvoy
  16. Evan Bouchard
  17. MacKenzie Weegar
  18. Dougie Hamilton
  19. Chris Tanev
  20. Moritz Seider
One of the better lists imo.

Fox is still being rated way too high imo. He’s dropped off quite a bit. Not a top 5er anymore imo.
 

kcunac

Registered User
Aug 31, 2008
1,909
1,427
Ottawa
Top D play 25min or more a night. They can’t play all the time. QH is the best 5v5 and PP is the league. Not putting him on PK is just good coaching. If Makar is better at PK and Quinn is better at 5v5 and PP, then Quinn is still the better D-man.

Here is a comparison of the two D-man’s 5v5: Player Season Totals - Natural Stat Trick Highlights:

CM QH
CF% 54.4 58.36
FF% 53.41 57.48
GF% 55.77 65.00
XGF% 57.0 57.36
HDCF% 55.0 55.24
Off Zone
Starts. 155 90

And PP: Player Season Totals - Natural Stat Trick
Highlights:

CM QH
CF% 86.72 88.03
FF% 84.31 86.14
GF% 92.0. 83.33
XGF% 86.73 89.25
HDCF% 89.86 85.71
Off Zone
Starts. 58 38

Stats this year. QH ahead on both, though it’s closer on PP than 5v5
 
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Bizzare

Registered User
May 5, 2013
2,349
1,931
Top D play 25min or more a night. They can’t play all the time. QH is the best 5v5 and PP is the league. Not putting him on PK is just good coaching. If Makar is better at PK and Quinn is better at 5v5 and PP, then Quinn is still the better D-man.

Here is a comparison of the two D-man’s 5v5: Player Season Totals - Natural Stat Trick Highlights:

CM QH
CF% 54.4 58.36
FF% 53.41 57.48
GF% 55.77 65.00
XGF% 57.0 57.36
HDCF% 55.0 55.24
Off Zone
Starts. 155 90

And PP: Player Season Totals - Natural Stat Trick
Highlights:

CM QH
CF% 86.72 88.03
FF% 84.31 86.14
GF% 92.0. 83.33
XGF% 86.73 89.25
HDCF% 89.86 85.71
Off Zone
Starts. 58 38

Stats this year. QH ahead on both, though it’s closer on PP than 5v5
Makar was also stapled to Mack last year… I assume it’s the same this year. While Hughes plays much more with the 3rd and 4th lines in comparison.
 

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