NHL Central Division: Team Defense Comparison For 2016-17
Nov 25, 2013; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith (2) and Brent Seabrook (7) celebrate with Jonathan Toews (19) after his first period goal against the Edmonton Oilers at Rexall Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports
The NHL’s Central Division saw some of its teams try to improve defensively this offseason
The battle among NHL fans over which team has the best overall defense is something that can never be solved or quelled. Everybody has an opinion on what constitutes good defense, how much value you should put into offensive defensemen and the like.
Thankfully, I’m here to sort this out for the NHL’s Central Division teams. And I’m always right, so there’s no way my conclusions can be shot down. (Please shoot down my conclusions in the comments section.)
We know our Chicago Blackhawks made a concerted effort this offseason to improve the defense, while the Nashville Predators made a major splash on the blue line. Other teams re-signed young players in hopes of keeping the back end strong now and in the future.
Where does this leave the seven teams ranked heading into the 2016-17 season? I offer my estimations.
Apr 3, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Avalanche defenseman Tyson Barrie (4) looks to pass the puck in the second period against the St. Louis Blues at the Pepsi Center. The Blues defeated the Avalanche 5-1. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
No. 7: Colorado Avalanche
There’s just not a whole lot to be happy about in Colorado pertaining to the defense. And in front of a goaltender who goes from All-Star caliber (mostly against Chicago) to hot garbage (mostly against anyone else), that’s a bad setup.
Tyson Barrie and Francois Beauchemin are the best of this bunch. Barrie is offensively solid, though his possession numbers have been trash the last two seasons. Beauchemin can also provide some scoring, but his puck-holding numbers suffered heavily from a lot of defensive-zone starts last season.
Erik Johnson is still the guy who was taken before Jonathan Toews in the 2006 draft, and he has a hard time staying healthy or consistently producing at either end of the ice.
Nikita Zadorov is young but already on his second NHL team. Patrick Wiercioch is far from the answer to Colorado’s blue line problems, as he’s just a glorified bruiser. And Fedor Tyutin was a guy you could bury in Columbus’ third pairing for years on end.
That’s just not a great that’s going to do a lot for you, nor is it one that will be able to keep up with its forwards’ collective speed. It’ll limit some of the offensive push from the group, then get it in trouble when play turns the other way.
Oct 23, 2015; Winnipeg, Manitoba, CAN; Tampa Bay Lightning center Cedric Paquette (13) fights with Winnipeg Jets defenseman Dustin Byfuglien (33) during the second period at MTS Centre. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Fedyck-USA TODAY Sports
No. 6: Winnipeg Jets
The defense in the great white north has a chance to be more of a threat in the near future, but there are some guys who still need development. Basically, this is just a group that tries to bull you off the puck, but one that can be worked around by speedy and talented opposing forward corps.
This group is currently led by Dustin Byfuglien and Mark Stuart, two guys who are big bruisers but aren’t great at hanging on to the puck. Stuart also doesn’t score a whole lot or move real well. But the Jets love size on the back end, so these two aren’t going anywhere.
Tyler Myers is also a behemoth but consistently underwhelming. Paul Postma and Ben Chiarot are kind of just there.
Further down the card offers promise. Tobias Enstrom is a solid puck possessor who contributes offensive, and who can actually move (he’s just 5-foot-10; tiny on this roster). Jacob Trouba will eventually get a new contract and provide a powerful shot from the back end. His defensive responsibility still needs some work, though.
Then you’ve got young, developing guys like Josh Morrissey. A first-round choice in 2013, he sounds like a far better, far younger version of Byfuglien. If the Jets continue to struggle and rack up early picks, then use them on guys like Morrissey, that would certainly be to their benefit.
Apr 24, 2016; Saint Paul, MN, USA; Minnesota Wild defenseman Ryan Suter (20) defends against Dallas Stars forward Jamie Benn (14) in front of goalie Devan Dubnyk (40) during the third period in game six of the first round of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Xcel Energy Center. The Stars win 5-4 over the Wild. Mandatory Credit: Marilyn Indahl-USA TODAY Sports
No. 5: Minnesota Wild
Like the rest of this team, the defensive corps is just blah. There are certainly good spots, but it’s just not a unit that’s going to steal you games or bail out the starting goaltender night in and night out.
Ryan Suter still leads the charge, though his game deteriorates each passing year as a result of playing 59:30 per night. He popped for a career-best 51 points last season, but his defensive positioning and abilities get a step slower each year, it seems.
Jared Spurgeon is extremely tiny but also really smart at handing out the puck and making plays under pressure. Jonas Brodin is young but struggling with his assignment of taking on more defensive-zone opportunities. Marco Scandella is in the same boat, though a few years older.
Mathew Dumba was a frequently talked-about piece when he got to the NHL, and he’s doing fine from an offensive perspective. But the Wild need a lot more from him on the defensive end, as he frequently gets lost in his own zone. Nate Prosser sucks, but he’ll probably get more rope at 6D than anyone else Minnesota can offer right now (Christian Folin).
Again, it’s not a bad group. It’ll produce a fair amount offensively and has enough guys who can make plays with their bodies and sticks defensively. But it doesn’t do anything spectacularly. And it’s part of the reason the team keeps flaming out in the postseason.
May 19, 2016; San Jose, CA, USA; San Jose Sharks center Melker Karlsson (68) is defended by St. Louis Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester (19) during the second period in game three of the Western Conference Final of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports
No. 4: St. Louis Blues
“Nasty” is the first word that comes to mind when you talk about the Blues defense. And not just the smell — more so that most of them will put you through a wall, then try to knock the wall on top of you.
But they offer more offensive capability than, say, the guys in Winnipeg. And there are a couple guys who aren’t out trying to detach heads from bodies. St. Louis has a decent balance in place, but some of their guys also aren’t well-rounded enough.
Alex Pietrangelo is now the captain of this team, a vast improvement over village idiot David Backes. He’s also the team’s best defenseman. His point production has slowly dropped in recent seasons, but only because he’s asked to take on tougher assignments. And he handles them with aplomb, holding a positive puck possession rating last season despite defensively-tilted zone starts.
Kevin Shattenkirk is also solid, though he and team couldn’t decide whether they wanted to remain together earlier this offseason. Shattenkirk is an excellent puck possessor and powerplay quarterback who you don’t want to leave open for a shot. He’s also a fair defender.
Colton Parayko is apparently the truth in St. Louis now. He’s big and can score, but he’s clueless in his own zone. Jay Bouwmeester‘s skills get more and more overshadowed by his age each passing season, as a lot of players can fly by him now. The triumvirate of Robert Bortuzzo, Joel Edmundson and Carl Gunnarsson offers brute strength and occasional offense, but little in the way of defensive instincts.
So the top two on this team is solid, while the rest of the group is capable but with flaws. Feels very Chicago Blackhawks-y from last season, without the unbridled rage (mostly).
May 7, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Stars defenseman John Klingberg (3) blocks a shot by St. Louis Blues defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk (22) during the first period in game five of the second round of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
No. 3: Dallas Stars
Dallas’ problems allowing goals last season didn’t have so much to do with its defense as it did with its incredibly poor goaltending. Still, GM Jim Nill thinks his team has a scoring issue despite putting up about 15 goals a game last season. To each his own.
John Klingberg, unlike Parayko in St. Louis, is the truth in Dallas. The talented Swede burst onto the scene in 2014-15 and followed it up with 58 points, solid defense and stellar puck possession in Season 2. He’s a terror in all three phases of the game, someone the Stars will want to build around.
Alex Goligoski is gone from the Lone Star State, so who becomes Klingberg’s partner in crime remains to be seen. First crack will probably go to offseason pickup Dan Hamhuis, who is good enough on both sides of the ice but far from stellar. He’s also on the wrong side of 30.
Same can be said for Johnny Oduya, though Blackhawks fans know of his talents as a defensive defenseman, especially in crunch-time situations. The Stars, however, have some great youth working through the system, in addition to Klingberg.
Stephen Johns appears to be working toward making the Blackhawks pay for trading him. He was immediately trusted with some defensive-zone shifts upon his NHL debut last season and came out of them well. Patrik Nemeth and Jamie Oleksiak also have promise. Oh, and Jordie Benn is here.
Dallas has a pretty deep defense, though there are some young guys still looking to prove themselves and some older guys who could be on the downslide. Still, this is a solid unit heading into the new season.
Jan 8, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson (4) celebrates his goal against the Buffalo Sabres during the first period at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
No. 2: Chicago Blackhawks
If the Blackhawks had somehow, some way stood pat this offseason regarding their defense, they’d be in the bottom two on this list. It was just brutal last season. But GM Stan Bowman made some nice moves to address obvious issues.
First, we start with the returnees. Duncan Keith is still a machine at 33. He’s taking off the World Cup to rest his knee, which is great for Chicago. He pushes a lot of the offense from the blue line and shuts down so many opposing chances the other way. A generational defenseman as he is makes this defense solid to start.
Niklas Hjalmarsson is still insane from a shot-blocking perspective, and also one of the game’s best shutdown defenders. His offense saw an uptick last season as well. Brent Seabrook is in line for a bounceback campaign, though we know he brings nice offensive push and good stick positioning regardless.
Now on to the new No. 4 and 5 guys (theoretically). Brian Campbell returns to Chicago, with Joel Quenneville likely hoping Soupy will retake his role as an offensively-inclined defenseman who also provides just enough defensive tendencies to shore up the second pairing. Michal Kempny from the KHL sounds promising on both ends of the ice, though it remains to be seen how he’ll adjust to the North American game.
And then … and then. Trevor van Riemsdyk will hopefully benefit from being off the second pairing this season. Erik Gustafsson offers offensive promise from the blue line, but may not be defensively inclined enough to suit Q at this time. Michal Rozsival still exists. Viktor Svedberg is the Iron Giant’s second cousin. Yeah, it’s a motley crew for 6D.
But with the top five being considered generally solid, the Blackhawks are in fine shape, especially from a division standpoint and double especially considering last year’s group.
May 1, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Montreal Canadiens defenceman P.K. Subban smiles and gestures as he watches from courtside as the Toronto Raptors defeat Indiana Pacers 89-84 in game seven of the first round of the 2016 NBA Playoffs at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
No. 1: Nashville Predators
This isn’t all about the team acquiring P.K. Subban in the biggest fleecing of a trade since … Anthony Rizzo for Andrew Cashner? But a lot of it is. Subban is just that good. And he’s just what Nashville needed.
As much as Montreal liked to pretend Subban was a locker room and on-ice cancer, the defenseman is known as a great guy off the ice and one of the game’s better players on it. He’ll bring a win-now mentality to the Preds. He’ll also bring solid speed, great instincts in all three segments of the ice, strong offensive production, strong puck possession, a Norris Trophy … eh, I should just cut it off here.
But it doesn’t start and end with Subban. Roman Josi was arguably better than now-departed Shea Weber last season, maybe even the last two seasons. He’s defensively stout and turning into an offensive force, especially on the man-advantage. And he’s just 26 years old.
Ryan Ellis will give you some points and some really quiet-but-effective defense. Mattias Ekholm is coming into his own offensively and has no problem turning defensive-zone starts into offense for his team. Yannick Weber has struggled but could benefit from a change of scenery, and the triumvirate of Anthony Bitetto, Matt Carle and Matt Irwin will fill 6D. Not great, but easily overshadowed by what’s above it.
There are two really terrifying parts about the Preds, from an opposing perspective. First, their big guns are all in their mid-20s. AKA, they’re just now reaching their prime, and they’ll hit that after having a season or two to gel together.
Secondly, this group is playing under the go-go direction of Peter Laviolette. The coach isn’t a genius, but his up-tempo direction will make this defense a terror on the offensive side. And it won’t be a slouch defending the goal. The Preds, at this point in time, have the best team defense in the Central Division for 2016-17.
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