Who are your top 10 defenseman next season?

[Shroud of Orrin]

Hamilton’s shot is still top 5 easily. He should be PP1 with 65% share and 28 min every night. He’s top 10 without a career year yet. He could blow everyone away with 80 games played.

 

[OilWagon]

How does Dobson get so much love all the time? Do people think he's remotely good defensively?

 

[GOALOFSSON]

If Dahlin is in the top 10 he's already overrated. The fact I've seen one person put him in top 5...

Guess we'll see

 

[Bank Shot]

I’m not sure I agree with the current Norris winning defence man sitting below Josi, McAvoy, and Heiskanen

Looking forward to the fireworks of Oilers fans seeing their guy off the list, though

Meh.

Last season Bouchard was worse than all of K'Andre Miller, Dobson, Byram, and Hronek according to half of HFboards:

Rank these young defencemen: Miller, Dobson, Bouchard, Bynam, Hronek

I was curious how people would order these production and contract comparable defencemen: K'Andre Miller (2x3.872) Noah Dobson (2x4.00) Evan Bouchard (2x3.9) Bo Byram (2x3.85) Filip Hronek (1x4.4)

forums.hfboards.com

And before that he was worse than Ty Smith and Boqvist, and was a first round bust in the making.

I'm sure we are getting pretty used to hilariously bad takes about Bouchard.

 

[Bjornar Moxnes]

Meh.

Last season Bouchard was worse than all of K'Andre Miller, Dobson, Byram, and Hronek according to half of HFboards:

Rank these young defencemen: Miller, Dobson, Bouchard, Bynam, Hronek

I was curious how people would order these production and contract comparable defencemen: K'Andre Miller (2x3.872) Noah Dobson (2x4.00) Evan Bouchard (2x3.9) Bo Byram (2x3.85) Filip Hronek (1x4.4)

forums.hfboards.com

And before that he was worse than Ty Smith and Boqvist, and was a first round bust in the making.

I'm sure we are getting pretty used to hilariously bad takes about Bouchard.

TBF people saying he was worse than Miller, Dobson, Byram, and Hronek wasn't a stretch. He hadn't really proven much yet at that point. Saying he was worse than SMith and Boqvist was just a terrible take.

Even though he had more points in 2023-2024 than Dobson, I'd still take Dobson over him in the regular season. But Bouchard was fantastic in the playoffs and Dobson struggled hard, so that gives Bouchard a slight edge right now.

 

[Bank Shot]

TBF people saying he was worse than Miller, Dobson, Byram, and Hronek wasn't a stretch. He hadn't really proven much yet at that point. Saying he was worse than SMith and Boqvist was just a terrible take.

I think it just showed no one was actually watching him play, or perhaps they were just ignoring his positives because they are fans of rival teams.

Pretty bad scouting display no question.

 

[DJN21]

Dahlin getting massively overrated on here.

You meant to say underrated im sure...

 

[Three On Zero]

People seem to have failed both the eye test and the advanced stats test for Bouchard lmao. He's a great defenseman.

No, he really isn’t.

He’s great at taking advantage of a good situation. With Ekholm he’s a defensive mess

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

Makar
Josi
Fox
Hughes
Heiskanen
McAvoy
Morrissey
Slavin
Dahlin
Toews

 

[Chet Manley]

I did a top 25 current list.

1. Cale Makar
2. Quinn Hughes
3. Miro Heiskanen
4. Roman Josi
5. Adam Fox
6. Victor Hedman
7. Evan Bouchard
8. Noah Dobson
9. Rasmus Dahlin
10. Jaccob Slavin
11. Josh Morrissey
12. Charlie McAvoy
13. Shea Theodore
14. Gustav Forsling
15. Morgan Rielly
16. Mattias Ekholm
17. Drew Doughty
18. MacKenzie Weegar
19. Zach Werenski
20. Brock Faber
21. Moritz Seider
22. John Carlson
23. Erik Karlsson
24. Devon Toews
25. Thomas Harley

Who has the time to watch all of these players enough to rank them? Do you not follow any teams in particular and watch a little bit of every club?

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

I did a top 25 current list.

1. Cale Makar
2. Quinn Hughes
3. Miro Heiskanen
4. Roman Josi
5. Adam Fox
6. Victor Hedman
7. Evan Bouchard
8. Noah Dobson
9. Rasmus Dahlin
10. Jaccob Slavin
11. Josh Morrissey
12. Charlie McAvoy
13. Shea Theodore
14. Gustav Forsling
15. Morgan Rielly
16. Mattias Ekholm
17. Drew Doughty
18. MacKenzie Weegar
19. Zach Werenski
20. Brock Faber
21. Moritz Seider
22. John Carlson
23. Erik Karlsson
24. Devon Toews
25. Thomas Harley

Toews at 24 is so hilariously bad.

 

[LordBacon]

Very pleased to see Hughes getting the recognition that he deserves.

Anyways heres my list in no particular order

Hughes
Makar
Heiskeinen
Fox
Josi
Dahlin
Bouchard
Hedmen
Forsling





and TYLER MYERS BABEEEEEE

 

[Canucks LB]

Makar
Hughes
Heiskanen
Bouchard
Fox
Mccovoy
Josi
Dahlin
Morrissey
Hamilton

Is my top 10 currently

 

[HockeyWooot]

Makar
Hughes
Josi
Fox
Heiskanen
McAvoy
Slavin
Morrisey
Hedman
Forsling

HM: Bouchard/Dahlin/Dobson

 

[Nucks2001]

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

I know Fox had an atrocious postseason, but to me he's the most well-rounded defenceman in the modern-day NHL. As a Canucks fan, he brings the skating and scoring that Hughes does, but is much better defensively. He wasn't as effective on the PK this past season, but was much more aggressive offensively.

I still think Hedman is a great defenceman. I think people forget that Tampa is not what it used to be and Hedman's advanced analytics suffer because of that. He's still a true #1 at his age, logs a ton of minutes. Just watching him play last season, I easily have him in my top 5 and the only other defenceman that I would trust over him in the playoffs is Cale Makar.

If Dahlin continues his current trajectory, I think he pushes into the top 5 next season. I just can't justify putting him over guys like Josi, McAvoy or Morrisey who have been defensive stalwarts on their bluelines for years. His skating and puck handling is up there with Makar and Hughes from an eye test standpoint.

 

[geebster]

1. Hughes
2. Josi
3. Makar

4. Fox
5. Heiskanen
6. McAvoy
7. Hedman
8. Dahlin
9. Morrissey
10. Forsling

4 to 10 I could be convinced of any order really. And guys like Bouchard or Dobson or Slavin could be in those last few slots too. Hedman is higher simply on leadership.

Way I see it, if I ask the question who would I want on a totally generic team, then this is the order I'd go with. That test overvalues guys that have a high impact on possession and are designated puck carriers. If you were to value being solid but not the focus of opposition defenses then Bouchard for example would rate much higher. Some guys are a great cog, other guys are the machine itself.

 

[PaulD]

We just did the forwards in the other thread, figure we should rifle off top 10 D as well.

Mine in no order
Hughes
McAvoy
Heiskanen
Makar
Fox
Josi
Dahlin
Hedman
Slavin
Dobson

Good list. My only switch.
Ekholm in for McAvoy

 

[Machinehead]

The people who have Fox 6th or 7th are going on a list of their own.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

Good list. My only switch.
Ekholm in for McAvoy

Ekholm is not a better d-man than McAvoy.

 

[Kingsfan1]

Good list. My only switch.
Ekholm in for McAvoy

Dont hold out on us budd plz !!!

 

[Laus723]

What metrics is everyone using to rank defensemen? 10 best in terms of what? Points? Defensive ability? Points for as opposed to points against (+\-)??

People’s lists seem random.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

What metrics is everyone using to rank defensemen? 10 best in terms of what? Points? Defensive ability? Points for as opposed to points against (+\-)??

People’s lists seem random.

Points, recency bias, and vague echos of things they have heard.

 

[WildWingz68JAGR]

faber

 

[Laus723]

Points, recency bias, and vague echos of things they have heard.

Lol, I would agree.

 

[JPT]

Who has the time to watch all of these players enough to rank them? Do you not follow any teams in particular and watch a little bit of every club?

Almost no one lol. Most people just read a lot of hockey articles and regurgitate the takes they like. That mixed in with a healthy dose of homerism.