If I was building a team and had to choose between Subban and Giordano, I would choose Subban. Why?
1) His age.
2) I would hope that given the first point, I could round him out to be elite defensively like Giordano, hopefully develop Giordano's character and leadership, but perhaps have a better point shot on top of it.
Giordano is pretty damn close to being one of the great ideal defencemen of the Lidstrom mould. Guys like Doughty, Keith, Pronger, Weber, etc. Guys who were counted on just as much for stopping the opposition as they were for helping the team win on the scoreboard.
Give me one of these guys any day over the one-trick (but still very highly skilled and valuable) ponies that often win the Norris.
I loved Al MacInnis, but he used to aggravate me as a kid early on. Suddenly, he became a much more reliable defencemen in his own end, and I thought really started coming into his own as the years went on until I thought it was a near travesty he didn't win the Norris.
Doughty may not look like the game changer Subban is, or Karlsson is, but I bet he helps the Kings tilt the ice so much more in helping them win than Subban or Karlsson. Subban and Karlsson tilt the ice more - but it often goes either way. You don't often see Doughty tilting the ice in the opposition's favor as often.
Don't get me wrong - I would love Subban and Karlsson here of course. I would absolutely love it if Kylington becomes Karlsson 2.0. They do also help a team win, that's for sure. They just help a team lose more often than a Doughty, Keith, Giordano, etc., as well.
Game 7 of a Stanley cup Finals in overtime. Who do you want to throw over the boards? Doughty and Keith, or Subban and Karlsson? I know what my choice would be (and I hate Keith by the way - but he is a heck of a 2-way defencemen).
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