Who is your team's best defensive forward?

[Bounces R Way]

Already a great ground work for the Flames when you throw in the prospect pipeline from the backend

That is high praise from HFBoards most knowledgeable and demure poster

I agree completely.

 

[Coffees]

That is high praise from HFBoards most knowledgeable and demure poster

I agree completely.

Thank you for the kind words

 

[Honour Over Glory]

I'm sure this will definitely piss off some of my fellow Penguins fans but aside from Crosby, it'd be Rakell and I'd say last season Rakell had a greater impact defensively on any line he was on while Crosby's line suffered greatly without Rakell on it. Even when Sid was with Jake and Rakell the line was vastly better defensively than any version of O'Connor, Sid, Rust or Jake, Sid, Rust.

 

[Bouboumaster]

Nick Suzuki

 

[hangman005]

Knight’s don’t make this one easy.

Depending on health and what day of the week it is, this could be Karlsson, Eichel, Stone OR Roy.

I'd probably go with Wild Bill he seems to be guy we use in a shutdown role the most.

 

[Acetylene]

Pageau for me, cizikas is close second.

How’s Engvall doing in that part of the game? About the only thing Giraffe Man was good at while on the Leafs.

 

[voyageur]

Adam Lowry, 7th in Selke voting, should have been top 3.

 

[Kevin27NYI]

How’s Engvall doing in that part of the game? About the only thing Giraffe Man was good at while on the Leafs.

Second on our team to Barzy for transition. He spent PK which I wish he would, he covers so much ice though.

 

[Coffees]

Second on our team to Barzy for transition. He spent PK which I wish he would, he covers so much ice though.

Hey Kevin, whats that third line looking like?

 

[ScottyMascotty]

choose your fighter:

 

[Kevin27NYI]

Hey Kevin, whats that third line looking like?

Locks are

X-Horvat-Barzal
X-Nelson-Palmieri
X-Pageau-X
X-X-X

Likely day one

Duclair-Horvat-Barzal
Tsyplakov-Nelson-palms
Lee-Pageau-Engvall
Mclean-Cizikas-Holmstrom

I’d personally swap Holmstrom and the Russian. Also Engvall has really good chemistry with Nelson and Palms. So it’s all interchangeable. And if Cizikas moves up McLean can play center.

So bet on that third line staying to start, they finished together end of year and playoffs and did well together

 

[glenngineer]

Sissons

 

[Kegs]

Elias lindholm or coyle.

 

[HaNotsri]

We have a lot of turnover in the bottom 6 but of players that were on the team last year and still are this year, it might just be Zach Benson. Either him or Greenway.

Quinn?

 

[BelovedIsles]

Casey Cizikas for me.

One if the most underrated bottom-6’ers throughout his career. Relentless worker bee, and reads the D zone well.

 

[jetsforever]

Adam Lowry definitely

 

[DFC]

Cirelli for TB, although whenever Point is used in a shutdown role it might be him. It just rarely happens anymore.

 

[Jixer19]

Lehkonen (Surgery)
Landeskog (LTIR/coming back early this year?)
Nichushkin (Suspended)

Everything is fine, nothing to worry about lol

 

[AuroraBorealis]

This is actually tough. I'll go with Nieto. Puljujarvi is close.
Sid's defending, while good, is overrated.

 

[Coffees]

Adam Lowry definitely

Then you’re in trouble

 

[FlameChampion]

I see some Oilers fans with different opinions, but its Janmark for me if were just talking defense. He doesn’t make mistakes.

 

[CBJx614]

If you go by their PK usage it's Kuraly and Sillinger. Followed by Jenner and Texier(gone), Roslovic(gone), Robinson(gone), and Danforth.

Even under Evason I think those 4 will makeup the PK unless one of Fantilli, Chinny, Voronkov, Marchenko steps up in a big way or maybe Brindley makes a name for himself with his hustle and tenacity similar to Cam Atkinson.

 

[jetsforever]

Then you’re in trouble

Gave up the fewest goals in the league last year as a team

 

[Coffees]

Gave up the fewest goals in the league last year as a team

I was being sarcastic, but I don't like the emote

it's funnier to me without the emote

 

[bringbacktheskate604]

Not sure who it would be on the Canucks, Elias Pettersson or Dakota Joshua I think


Okay now your guys turn, feel free to talk about upcoming two way players or unsung heros of your team as well

I'd at JT to that list (last season) as well.
He shutdown #97 all year and avoided those mental lapses that he was known for.
But ya despite the obsession many people including many nuck fans to poke holes in EP's game, his ability to see plays happen before they happen allows him to almost always make the correct play defensively.

Teddy is another guy that always seems to be at the right spot as well.

I'll add for a most improved from a POV Boeser really impressed me.
He went from meh to a guy out in the last minute protecting leads and is proof that good coaching can have a huge impact on a player.