Quote:
Originally Posted by 1qqaaz
Hedman was one of the best defensemen on earth by his 5th season (22 years old). Ekblad, 24, is no where near that level and never will be.
I also doubt Hanifin gets to that level.
Hardly anyone does. No defenseman in the entire league has had the career that Hedman has. Maybe Keith, but I don't even think he deserved the two Norris trophies. Doughty's peak didn't last as long. Josi took way longer to develop.
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First of all, let's be clear about how it unfolded. Hedman was a disappointment (as most young defensemen are) for his first 4 seasons. By season 5, he really started to come around. However, it is a stretch to say he was 'one of the best defensemen on earth' at that point. I would argue that he achieved that level by his 8th season (16-17), and has probably been the best Dman in the NHL for the last 4 years (along with Josi)