As we are reaching the mid-point of September, the World Cup holds over us hockey hungry fans. As pre-season approaches quickly there is still much preparation in order for me to feel fully prepared for another glorified fantasy season. There is just something special about fantasy hockey that I can’t explain why I enjoy it so much. Maybe each game, goal and even penalty can mean so much at any given time, it really does make the games that much more exciting.
There are always trades talks circulating between friends, friendly chirping about players on each other’s teams and of course bringing up past trades and players dropped that never should have been. Each year brings something different and sometimes the intensity of sitting up on Sunday night, cheering on some third liner you scooped up off the free agency list can make or break your week. I love it.
Be sure to check over my list, and make up a list for yourself that reflects the categories of your hockey pool. My fantasy hockey defensemen list is based upon these categories: goals, assists, points, plus/minus, power play points, shorthanded points, penalty minutes and game winning goals. So if your setup includes hitting, blocked shots, or shots, be sure to keep those stats in mind when making your list.
Top 50 Defensemen:
1. Erik Karlsson 2. Brent Burns 3. P.K. Subban 4. Kris Letang 5. Dustin Byfuglien 6. Oliver Ekman-Larsson 7. John Klingberg 8. Shea Weber 9. John Carlson 10. Victor Hedman 11. Shayne Gostisbehere 12. Mark Giordano 13. Drew Doughty 14. Roman Josi 15. Keith Yandle 16. Kevin Shattenkirk 17. Duncan Keith 18. Aaron Ekblad 19. Torey Krug 20. Justin Faulk 21. Tyson Barrie 22. Brent Seabrook 23. Sami Vatanen 24. Alex Pietrangelo 25. Rasmus Ristolainen 26. Jake Muzzin 27. Colton Parayko 28. Hampus Lindholm 29. Ryan Suter 30. TJ Brodie 31. Morgan Rielly 32. Dougie Hamilton 33. Marc –Edward Vlasic 34. Seth Jones 35. Anton Stralman 36. Brian Campbell 37. Mike Green 38. Jacob Trouba 39. Ryan McDonagh 40. Dion Phaneuf 41. Andrei Markov 42. Zdeno Chara 43. Michael Stone 44. Matt Dumba 45. Adam Larsson 46. Alec Martinez 47. Trevor Daley 48. Mattias Ekholm 49. Johnny Boychuk 50. Noah Hanifin
If I missed anyone or you feel one of my rankings were off, please chime in. Any input is good input, as I will be updating my list of my top 100 forwards, top 50 defensemen and top 30 goaltenders about a week before the season starts. This should give most people time to adjust before their drafts take place.
Thanks for reading, I hope my last two lists have you thinking about NHL fantasy and of course joining the HBSL (HockeyBuzz Super League). Keep an eye open for when the HBSL starts up!