Slavin is like their Klefbom.
- MaximumBone

except he stays healthy but very similar.

What a garbage list. Hanifin? Ristolainen?
No Letang?

Praying for you.
- DeflatedPucks

Letang had a stroke.....

You guys are going to love tomorrow's list.
- Peter.Tessier

Kadri?

This is pretty easy..

Karlsson
Hedman
Letang
Ekblad
Weber

How Karlsson is not on top of everyone's list is beyond me. He carries the Sens year in in and year out. Consistent Norris candidate every year.

Werenski? After one year?

1. Karlsson
2. Hedman
3/4. Weber/Jones (could go either way)
5. McDonagh
HM. Letang - Ekblad

And random thoughts:

Pageau had 4 in the playoffs in one GAME in the playoffs, and if I said he was even close to the top 5 in the east at anything you'd laugh in my face. Don't be a homer.

Risto is hot garbage and not just because of Buffalo, still yet to get any of his hype

In 3 years Werenski Slavin and Provorov are all on this list

Letang had a stroke.....
- mr.sir

HockeyBuzz Hotstove: Top-5 defensemen in the Eastern Conference.....

1. Brady Skjei- 4 playoff goals
2. Hedman
3. Karlsson- Crosby owned him, and he never owns anyone

1. Ray Bourque
2. Zarley Zalapski
3. Al Iafrate
4. Brian Leetch
5. Scott Stevens

Honorable mentions:
- Larry Murphy
- Steve Duchesne
- Glen Wesley

Letang had a stroke.....
- mr.sir

Lemieux also not a top player of all time because he had cancer. Totally agree.

When you talk about the best players in the league lately, it's always an argument over Crosby or McDavid. But that's an argument for who is second after EK65.

It's too bad McDonagh wasn't in that 2009 series. Because we'd have won and you really be wrong
- jimbro83

Congratulations on your team hypothetically winning a series if MCD was there.

3-1 can be rounded up to 4000, still makes sense.

like blatantly hating the New York Rangers? is that one of your "criteria"?
- jimbro83

Well, to be fair, even some Rangers fans hate the Rangers.

Damn, late again.

1. Karlsson
2. Hedman
3. McDunugh
4. Shattenkirk
5. Gardiner
- james_tanner1

shat at 4


didn't he play bottom pair for the caps, yet he is 4th in the entire east

krug and risto have no business being on that list..im sure even sabres and bruins fans would agree.

Karlsson and Hedman are absolutely 1 and 2.
the next 2 are probably McDonagh and Jones.
last spot goes to either slavin or werenski. cant go wrong with the 2 way or pure offensive guy in that slot

Letang averages like 59 games/year. If he was healthier the 5th spot would probably be his

1. Karlsson
2. Hedman
3/4. Weber/Jones (could go either way)
5. McDonagh
HM. Letang - Ekblad

And random thoughts:

Pageau had 4 in the playoffs in one GAME in the playoffs, and if I said he was even close to the top 5 in the east at anything you'd laugh in my face. Don't be a homer.

Risto is hot garbage and not just because of Buffalo, still yet to get any of his hype

In 3 years Werenski Slavin and Provorov are all on this list
- JordanVenk

(frank) man, you forgot Skjei & his 4 playoff goals. Wait till Jimbo gets your nuts in a vice, it's going to hurt like a McD cheap shot!

If there was a choice to start a D group, & you can only pick 1 top pair Dman, would it be EK or Hedman?

I think you meant under.
I'm not talking about this forum. I mean that you rarely hear his name when talking about top players. Personally, I don't know where he slots in. After Karlsson and Hedman I think there's a bunch of guys who are right there. But, I watch just about every NY game and I can say without bias that Mac does everthing at an elite level.
- Tonybere

McD is great but he isn't top 15 in the league to me.
I also think Leddy is slightly better.

krug and risto have no business being on that list..im sure even sabres and bruins fans would agree.

Karlsson and Hedman are absolutely 1 and 2.
the next 2 are probably McDonagh and Jones.
last spot goes to either slavin or werenski. cant go wrong with the 2 way or pure offensive guy in that slot

Letang averages like 59 games/year. If he was healthier the 5th spot would probably be his
- GardinerExpress

I agree with this pretty much. Would go Slavin over Werenski for sure. I think Letang is still good enough to make the Top 5 and I think Carlson is a little underrated.

Provorov barely gets mentioned because Werenski scored more than him, but I would still hope the Flyers took Provorov 10 times out of 10. Keep in mind he spent most of the year dragging around Andrew MacDonald

McD is great but he isn't top 15 in the league to me.
I also think Leddy is slightly better.
- Danformo

This should go over well.

so little love for Kris Letang...
- martox

availability is a players #1 skill. Letang is horrible in this. If he could stay healthy, he would be up there with Karlson. unfortunately, he does not.

If there was a choice to start a D group, & you can only pick 1 top pair Dman, would it be EK or Hedman?
- Aussiepenguin

the fact that EK is a right handed Dman that can do everything well makes him the most valuable Dman in the league. If he were 2-3" taller, this would not be debate. it would be who is the #2 best dman after Karlson.

This should go over well.
- Cptmjl

This should go over well.
- Cptmjl

Well done.

Also, see Jan's blog this morning about how the Rangers should sign Jagr for more tirades from Jimbo!

Lemieux also not a top player of all time because he had cancer. Totally agree.
- Victoro311

Great argument, if the question was about their overall careers and not current pecking order. The current pecking order cannot include a guy who can't stay healthy. Just like it should not include guys who have had one good year. I agree that in the very near future, Provorov, Slavin, Werenski, and Skjei could all be on that list. For now, my list would read: ATL- Karlsson, Hedman, Weber, Krug, Ekblad. MET- McDonaugh, Carlson, Leddy, Jones, Faulk.
Overall:
1- Karlsson
2- Hedman
3- McDonaugh
4- Weber
5- Carlson

Great argument, if the question was about their overall careers and not current pecking order. The current pecking order cannot include a guy who can't stay healthy. Just like it should not include guys who have had one good year. I agree that in the very near future, Provorov, Slavin, Werenski, and Skjei could all be on that list. For now, my list would read: ATL- Karlsson, Hedman, Weber, Krug, Ekblad. MET- McDonaugh, Carlson, Leddy, Jones, Faulk.
Overall:
1- Karlsson
2- Hedman
3- McDonaugh
4- Weber
5- Carlson
- kev1586

Fair enough. But if you're going to disqualify Werenski because he's only had one season, then it's not fair to include Weber based on his past accomplishments

Present day - Weber is not a top-five defenseman in the east