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Hotstove: Top-5 Defensemen In The NHL Age 22 & Under? |
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In this edition of the hotstove we rank the top-5 defensemen in the NHL age 22 and under.
Todd Cordell
1. Hampus Lindholm - He drives possession, is excellent defensively and can contribute offensively despite playing big minutes against top competition.
2. Aaron Ekblad - Alongside Brian Campbell he was part of one of the most underrated defense pairings in the NHL over the last couple years. Has scored 27 goals in two seasons to date.
3. Jacob Trouba - Is excellent defensively and has produced fairly good offensive numbers considering his defense partner is Mark Stuart and he doesn't get much power play time.
4. Seth Jones - Logs big minutes in Columbus and never seems to tire. Think he has more to give offensively than he has shown.
5. Morgan Rielly - He is coming off a very good season where he recorded almost 40 points and logged more than 23 minutes of ice on a nightly basis.
James Tanner
1. Hampus Lindholm
He's a top five in the whole NHL, so he easily tops this list. No one else his age is even close to him, Ekblad included.
2. Aaron Ekblad
He's no Lindholm, and he didn't have as good a year last year as he did as a rookie, but he's still one of the best young players in hockey.
3. Seth Jones
Jones is already pretty good, no reason he can't become an elite player.
4. Morgan Rielly
He's got the offensive skills to pay the billz and he's only getting better. No reason he can't grow into a Kris Letang.
5. Noah Hanifin
Sure, I guess someone like Trouba is probably currently better, but I'm betting Hanifn is a better long term bet to become an elite player.
Recent posts:
Top-5 wingers 21 and under?
Top-5 centers 21 and under?
Top-5 goaltenders in the NHL?
Top-5 defensemen in the NHL?
Top-5 wingers in the NHL?
Top-5 centers in the NHL?
Which rules would you change?
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