Top 10 D-men In The Atlantic Division With Poll
May 3, 2014; Boston, MA, USA; Montreal Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban (76) passes the puck during the first period against the Boston Bruins in game two of the second round of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs at TD Banknorth Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Defenceman are often misjudged by the casual fan. They look at the point totals and often assume that just because a D-man puts up only 15-20 points he’s a bad player when in fact he may be a very good shut-down defenceman. In my rankings I took into account both offensive and defensive capabilities. Be sure to vote in the poll on the last slide! Here are my rankings for the Atlantic Division:
Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
10. Johnny Boychuk
– Starting off my rankings is Johnny Boychuk. Last season Boychuk had a career year in points (5 G, 18 A) and the plus/minus stat category (+31). He possesses a great slapshot from the point making him a threat on the power-play and he loves to hit.
Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
9. Anton Stralman
– Stralman is the perfect example of a good defenceman who doesn’t put up many points (1 G, 12 A). He really stood out in the playoffs and made some game-changing defensive plays throughout the playoffs which earned him a 5-year, $20 million contract with Tampa.
Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
8. Dion Phaneuf
– Phaneuf is a threat from both sides of the ice. He is extremely strong and physical in the defensive end and loves to pinch in offensively with his hard shot. He’s an absolute workhorse for Toronto and is a great team leader.
Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports
7. Andrei Markov
– Markov is still going strong at the age of 35. He is gifted offensively and is one of the best puck-moving D-men in the league. Last season he scored 7 goals and dished out 36 assists and the Habs this off-season decided to re-sign him to a 3-year deal.
Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports
6. Brian Campbell
– Campbell is incredibly underrated because he plays for the Panthers. He is one of the best skaters in the league, he’s confident with the puck, quarterbacks our power play, is durable, and plays tons of minutes for us. Last season he put up 37 points on a bad team and I would expect a jump in his numbers next season with our much improved team.
Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
5. Niklas Kronwall
– Kronwall does it all. He hits, skates well, is a great passer and put up some good points for a defenceman. He had a great year for the Wings last season as he posted 8 goals and 41 assists.
Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
4. P.K. Subban
-This is where the rankings got difficult as any of these next four guys could be ranked the # 1 D-man. I might catch some grief for placing Subban at four but I think his decision making is very poor at times. Other than that he is an elite player who is flashy offensively and can hurt you physically if you don’t watch out. Last season he had 10 goals and 43 assists and the Habs rewarded him with a huge 8-year $72 million contract.
Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
3. Victor Hedman
– Hedman had a massive breakout year for Tampa last season. He potted 13 goals and assisted on 42 for a total of 55 points. He has tremendous size, can skate well, is physical, and can chip in offensively when needed. The scary thing is he is still only 23 years old so there is still room for growth.
Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
2. Zdeno Chara
– Chara is HUGE as he stands at 6’9”, and weighs 255 lbs. He uses his size to his advantage and shuts down the opposition with his long reach. His defensive game is off the charts. Offensively he is good to and he has a cannon of a shot that has been recorded to reach 108 mph. Last season he had 17 goals and 23 assists.
Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports
1. Erik Karlsson
– Coming in at # 1 for me is Ottawa’s superstar Erik Karlsson. His offensive and skating ability is unmatched by any defenceman in the league IMO but he does need to improve defensively just a tad. Last season for the Sens he scored 20 times and had 54 assists for 74 points which is unbelievable for a defenceman. The thing that’s even more unbelievable is the fact that during the 2011-2012 season he put up 78 points. Incredible talent and that’s why he’s my # 1 defenceman in the Atlantic Division.
What do you think of my rankings? Did I miss anyone? Let us know in the comments section as your input is appreciated. Thanks for reading and next up I will have my rankings for the top 5 goalies in the Atlantic Division.