James Tanner: Who Is the Best Defenseman in the NHL? PART 2 Part two of a thrilling two part series on who is the best defenseman in the NHL.

Nope, Letang is #1 in points... 9 times out of 10, that wins it

Cool analysis. Post the formula next time tho.

Do you take into consideration the percentage of games Byfuglien and Burns have played at forward? I would think that their stats while playing wing would be irrelevant to this analysis.

I'd also be interested in seeing your formula for compiling stats. I'd say it's incredibly relevant to this discussion. You're ranking a top 5 based on a formula that the rest of us aren't privy to.

Jake Gardiner is hands down the worst defenseman in the NHL, and it isn't even close. If you watch him play, and I do almost every game you see a guy with sublime skating skills, with good hands but with zero hockey sense. In his own end he is constanly standing still, out of position, with one hand on his stick looking totally bewildered.

Do you take into consideration the percentage of games Byfuglien and Burns have played at forward? I would think that their stats while playing wing would be irrelevant to this analysis.

I'd also be interested in seeing your formula for compiling stats. I'd say it's incredibly relevant to this discussion. You're ranking a top 5 based on a formula that the rest of us aren't privy to.
- Lash8

Well, I figured we would all have our preferences of what we value, so I thought mine would be irrelevant. It's not meant as a definitive list.

I didn't really take into consideration the whole Winger/Defenseman thing since it turned out that neither of those players ranked near the top. If one of them made the top of the list I would have.

Jake Gardiner is hands down the worst defenseman in the NHL, and it isn't even close. If you watch him play, and I do almost every game you see a guy with sublime skating skills, with good hands but with zero hockey sense. In his own end he is constanly standing still, out of position, with one hand on his stick looking totally bewildered.
- paulr

i don't like gardiner either, but try watching engallend all season

btw this new list is perfect and perfectly accurate brodie and gio for shared norris

Jake Gardiner is hands down the worst defenseman in the NHL, and it isn't even close. If you watch him play, and I do almost every game you see a guy with sublime skating skills, with good hands but with zero hockey sense. In his own end he is constanly standing still, out of position, with one hand on his stick looking totally bewildered.
- paulr

This sounds like a stock answer from a TSN panel. However, you will find that no one on the TSN panel wants to learn about advanced stats or what they might mean and that people who are into them consider Jake Gardiner criminally underrated.

Power Play Points
Yandle 26
Strait 25
Shattenkirk 24
Karlsson 22
Letang 22

I think you mean **streit** BIG difference...

I think you mean **streit** BIG difference...
- benjichronic

On Latter. Nat thet bog.

On Latter. Nat thet bog.
- James_Tanner

What's that even mean? lol

i cannot believe we've gotten to the point where the only thing that matters when evaluating players and teams is shot attempts and we now live in a world where Jake Gardiner is great and PK Subban is way overrated.

Hi you must really like the Canucks then since they currently have Subban hidden away in the OHL and Weber only made top 4 minutes recently because 3 of their top 4 were off with injuries at the same time.

Wow - I am Really impressed with them now!!!

i cannot believe we've gotten to the point where the only thing that matters when evaluating players and teams is shot attempts and we now live in a world where Jake Gardiner is great and PK Subban is way overrated.
- DoubleDown

this is one time in the history of history where CORSI helped a Leafs player look adequate.....LEAVE IT ALONE!

i cannot believe we've gotten to the point where the only thing that matters when evaluating players and teams is shot attempts and we now live in a world where Jake Gardiner is great and PK Subban is way overrated.
- DoubleDown

And a world where jordie benn... yes jordie benn, is considered undervalued/underrated. That's like saying luke schenn is underrated...

i cannot believe we've gotten to the point where the only thing that matters when evaluating players and teams is shot attempts and we now live in a world where Jake Gardiner is great and PK Subban is way overrated.
- DoubleDown

Just because Jake Gardiner is massively underrated and PK isn't the best in the NHL doesn't mean that PK isn't 400X the player Gardiner is.

And a world where jordie benn... yes jordie benn, is considered undervalued/underrated. That's like saying luke schenn is underrated...
- benjichronic

But he quite clearly is underrated, as I think your post demonstrates. Again, it doesn't mean he's one of the best in the league, just that he's quietly alright.

i cannot believe we've gotten to the point where the only thing that matters when evaluating players and teams is shot attempts and we now live in a world where Jake Gardiner is great and PK Subban is way overrated.
- DoubleDown

He said underrated, not great. He is rated very low that it could be said it's not that hard to be better than that.

Subban, Weber, Keith all don't make the top 5, but I think we've all seen them completely take control in big games. I like advanced stats to a point, but when they're saying a player like Brodie is better than Weber, I think there's something wrong there. Nothing against Brodie, but you can't discount the eye test...

It's Doughty.

With honorable mentions to Subban, Keith, Suter, Weber and Giordano.

Karlsson is definitely the best offensively, but if you are nursing a 1-goal lead with a minute left and could pick any two defenseman in the world, does Karlsson even crack the top 100 on that list?

This sounds like a stock answer from a TSN panel. However, you will find that no one on the TSN panel wants to learn about advanced stats or what they might mean and that people who are into them consider Jake Gardiner criminally underrated.
- James_Tanner

Have you actually watched him play?...or just looked at some (frank)ing graph?

It's Doughty.

With honorable mentions to Subban, Keith, Suter, Weber and Giordano.

Karlsson is definitely the best offensively, but if you are nursing a 1-goal lead with a minute left and could pick any two defenseman in the world, does Karlsson even crack the top 100 on that list?
- Snowblind

Yes he does, because when he's on the ice, his team generally doesn't need to play defense. I would rank Karlsson easy in the top ten of guys I'd want on the ice to protect a one goal lead.

You can make an argument that Subban and Weber are both elite defensemen, but I think Suter as a top ten NHL D is impossible to defend.

Have you actually watched him play?...or just looked at some (frank)ing graph?
- Garnie

I think I've seen 95% of all games he's ever played.

It's an absolute pleasure to watch Giordano and Brodie playing together. While saying that, I'd live to see how they would do playing on a different team, in a different system, and vice versa for some of the other pairings in the league.

i don't like gardiner either, but try watching engallend all season

btw this new list is perfect and perfectly accurate brodie and gio for shared norris
- Bigern4MVP

At least Engelland is good at 1 part of the game..even if it is dropping the gloves...still ahead of Gard's

I think I've seen 95% of all games he's ever played.
- James_Tanner

he's certainly not underrated.