In this edition we share our picks for the NHL's most underrated defenseman.
Todd Cordell
There are plenty of good options for this one but I'm going to go with Jared Spurgeon.
Since the beginning of the 2014-15 season Spurgeon ranks 15th among blue liners in CF% relative to his team at +3.4%. The Wild are a very good team, too, so it's not as if he's jumping over a low bar.
He's not just a minute munching possession driver - although there's nothing wrong with that - as he records .91 points per 60 minutes of 5 vs 5 play.
That puts him a hair below the likes of Duncan Keith, Kris Letang and Dougie Hamilton and ahead of Justin Faulk, Drew Doughty, Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Ryan Suter, among others.
Spurgeon doesn't get talked about very often but he's one of Minnesota's most important players and has quietly developed into an excellent defenseman.
James Tanner It's Jake Muzzin and I know this because when you say that Jake Muzzin is a top ten defensemen, people call you an idiot, despite the fact that that is about as close to a fact as you can get when talking about something as subjective as player evaluations.
This despite being the best possession player in the NHL, a 40 point defensemen and having 2 Cups.
He just isn't too flashy, so people don't think he can possibly be effective. But he is. He is one of, if not the best shot suppressor in the NHL and he's pretty solid offensively, and he's won twice, so I am not sure what he'd have to do to be properly rated.
Jason Lewis I'm a huge Jake Muzzin guy, and I think he is definitely an underrated defenseman. However, for the sake of getting repetitive I'm going to go real off the radar and say Barret Jackman.
He has been super steady and good defensively for a number of years. Had a bit of a rough go in the lockout shortened season but was overall solid in St. Louis for a long long time. He's having a great season in Nashville so far this year as well. Big guy, physical, smart, solid penalty killer. Seth Jones is flourishing this year and it's no surprise he is paired up with Jackman. The offense is obviously nowhere to be seen, but if you want a stalwart defensive defensemen he is and has been amongst the top end in the league in shutdowners for several years. Especially in his younger days. Not sure he gets nearly the respect he deserves for it.
Ed Stein
I'm going with Roman Josi of the Predators. At times, he is the forgotten man in Nashville. Josi's notoriety is eclipsed by superstar Shea Weber on one end and the potential of Seth Jones on the other. Playing in a small non-traditional market doesn't help him get noticed either. Josi put up 55 points last year and 40 the season prior. He may score even more this year as he is on a .75 points per game clip. On the defensive end, he blocks over two shots a game and has been a close to even defender (often playing against the oppositions top line) for his career.
John Jaeckel Niklas Hjalmarsson
I know, I know. I'll be called a homer for this one. But I also get to see this guy 82+ games a year, and truly appreciate how "unappreciated" he is (pun intended).
First of all, when you look at the minutes and matchups he gets, he really is a top pairing defenseman—where most think he is a second pair guy. His Corsi Against is also off the charts top pair.
But I also feel there are things analytics can't really tell you, like the timing of a big hit (he's underrated there–he can flatten people), a big goal or an epic iron-man performance—and Hjalmarsson's have come at the right times on the way to three Stanley Cups.
Then there's the fact that he does all these things typically playing on his off side. And he's made every partner he's played with (most notably Brian Campbell and Johnny Oduya) better.
I know there are other worthy candidates for this distinction, but this is the guy I get to see every night and, in that he is somewhat overshadowed by Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook, there is definitely a strong argument here.
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