Adam French: Why Drafting the Top-Ranked Defender is Never a Bad Idea

Adam French: Why Drafting the Top-Ranked Defender is Never a Bad Idea
- AdamFrench

My boy Larsson looks more closer to a top pairing d-man than a bottom pairing d-man after this season

So youre saying the Leafs should pick hanafin.

So youre saying the Leafs should pick hanafin.
- TonkaPhaneuf

I want Hanifin. But i get bullied for wanting him.

I want him more than Strome or Marner.

The Arizona Coyotes are proud to select....

.... from the London knights....

Adam French: Why Drafting the Top-Ranked Defender is Never a Bad Idea
- AdamFrench

Adam Larsson really turned his play around when PDB was fired. If can carry that type of play over to this season he could be like an Anton Stralman type of defender. Steady, under appreciated, top 4 defenseman.

Adam Larsson really turned his play around when PDB was fired. If can carry that type of play over to this season he could be like an Anton Stralman type of defender. Steady, under appreciated, top 4 defenseman.
- tomburton99

I think he has more natural offensive ability than Stralman and he's a bit more physical.

Nice blog sir.

Before last year, i thought Gudbranson was the next Luke Schenn, slow, not able to do anything other than fill the role of a 5 or 6 d-man. This year, my opinion changed on him big time. I doubt he'll ever be anything offensive, but unlike schenn, he has a meanstreak, and has the makings of a tough d-man to play against. His consistency needs improvement, but he's the type of d-man I wouldn't mind having in my top 4 now. Essentially, I started noticing him on the ice, and how he consistently battled opposing teams top forwards. I expect he'll keep getting better.

How come whenever I buy a box of anything at Costco there is always multiple flavours and invariably 1/3 of the box is flavours that simply are not as good as the other flavours. It pisses me off.

The 2012 draft still looks like a recovering alcoholic at this point. Every fan base is rather quick to claim their player as the best one of the draft because it’s still that wide open. Trouba, Lindholm, Forsberg, Rielly, Yakupov, Galchenyuk and Määttä have all had varying levels of success thus far, but nothing to really separate them entirely.

So we can finally all agree with Burke that Rielly was the #1 pick in that draft

Thank you, Adam.

Think the jury is still out on the ones from the past few years...

Larsson is set for a breakout season. His assignment on our PK started single-handedly repairing it (was 70% before he came along, ended the season at 80%), and when he was put with Greene, he got something like 20 points in 40 games, mostly even strength (he doesn't PP, yet). Sign of things to come? Maybe.

While looking over everything im not sure Hanifan will be the best D man of the. THe next two are pretty solid as well.

Frenchy well done always loved your blogs.

Think the jury is still out on the ones from the past few years...

Larsson is set for a breakout season. His assignment on our PK started single-handedly repairing it (was 70% before he came along, ended the season at 80%), and when he was put with Greene, he got something like 20 points in 40 games, mostly even strength (he doesn't PP, yet). Sign of things to come? Maybe.
- archromat

Yeah, his production was actually pretty amazing considering:

1) He was given a limited role to start the season

2) Barely got any PP time all year long

3) Played on a team that struggles to generate offense

4) Was used in a shutdown role even once his minutes went way up

The 2012 draft still looks like a recovering alcoholic at this point. Every fan base is rather quick to claim their player as the best one of the draft because it’s still that wide open. Trouba, Lindholm, Forsberg, Rielly, Yakupov, Galchenyuk and Määttä have all had varying levels of success thus far, but nothing to really separate them entirely.

So we can finally all agree with Burke that Rielly was the #1 pick in that draft
- MaximusAurelius

Cody Ceci will be a very good player in this league for a long time. I'd go as far as to say he's all-star material.

So Rielly and Hanifin = Keith and Seabrook?

Leafs fans who want to take Marner over Hanifin boggle my mind. When you have two high-end guys that are roughly equal in the rankings, you take the defenseman over the winger. Every. Single. Time.

Leafs fans who want to take Marner over Hanifin boggle my mind. When you have two high-end guys that are roughly equal in the rankings, you take the defenseman over the winger. Every. Single. Time.
- DonzoBean

I think it's a pretty swell idea having Rielly and/or Hanifin on the ice for pretty much the whole game.

In jack Johnson's defense, he put up 40 pts in 79 games. Those aren't awful numbers for a defensemen on a struggling team.

"It’s Doughty. Come on. 2008 was a draft to remember for defensemen. Both for the good and for the bad. Not so oddly enough the “big strong shutdown” defenders that went early are the only real disappointments in terms of defensemen. A trend that continues a lot to this day. "

Boogisian and Petro rounded out that top end of the draft. I hardly think Petro is a bust.

"It’s Doughty. Come on. 2008 was a draft to remember for defensemen. Both for the good and for the bad. Not so oddly enough the “big strong shutdown” defenders that went early are the only real disappointments in terms of defensemen. A trend that continues a lot to this day. "

Boogisian and Petro rounded out that top end of the draft. I hardly think Petro is a bust.
- BluemanGuruu

Neither were whom I was referring to. Neither were "big strong shutdown" defenders. Luke Schenn, Colten Teubert, Luca Sbisa and Tyler Cuma were the four alluded to.

Neither were whom I was referring to. Neither were "big strong shutdown" defenders. Luke Schenn, Colten Teubert, Luca Sbisa and Tyler Cuma were the four alluded to.
- AdamFrench

And only one of them is currently making over 3M per