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TheScorpion · 08-02-2019, 04:48 AM

Defense

1. Jake Gardiner // LD
Last year: Toronto

A top-four option in every sense, Gardiner is an unusual talent to be available in August. He provides excellent value in the offensive and defensive zones and can easily drive a pairing. After being met with lukewarm fan reception in his eight years in Toronto, it seemed that Gardiner was destined to take after his wife's maiden name and "Cashin," but he enters his 33rd day on the market having been the subject of little rumour. Toronto would probably love to have him back, but with Mitch Marner still unsigned, Gardiner is about as much of a priority there as a toenail is to a proctologist. Montreal has been linked to Gardiner, but their fanbase can be just as ravenous as those in the 6ix. Given the quality of the defensemen in trade rumours (see Ristolainen, Rasmus and Brodie, Thomas James), one wonders if Gardiner is the critical boulder suppressing a rockslide of movement.

2. Kevin Shattenkirk // RD
Last year: New York Rangers
Signed with Tampa Bay: 1 years, $1.75 million

Bought out by the Rangers on Thursday, Shattenkirk is an offensive defenseman with plenty to prove. Once looked to in St. Louis as a top-pairing option, Shattenkirk struggled in Manhattan with two coaches, two systems, and two injury-affected seasons. Funnily enough, Shattenkirk was truly awful on the powerplay last year, taking a flamethrower to his former calling card. Flipping the script on its head, he provided marginally positive value in his own end. Indeed, it is rather puzzling that the Rangers would choose to cut ties with Shattenkirk while other, far worse defensemen like Marc Staal and Brendan Smith make comparable money to play worse hockey, but alas—the damage is done. Shattenkirk would be wise to sign with a team like Tampa Bay and reset his value, much like Derick Brassard could. The difference here is that Brassard is looking to hit the heights that Shattenkirk reached in his worst years; the 30-year-old defenseman is far likelier to exceed expectations if slotted in the right spot on a contender.

3. Ben Hutton // LD
Last year: Vancouver

On paper, Hutton looks like a solid bet for a team looking for a player who can devour minutes. Playing over 22 minutes a night in 2018-19, Hutton is the workhorse of the remaining UFAs. Conversely, there is something to be said for quality over quantity. The Canucks bled scoring chances against when Hutton was on the ice, with his HockeyViz defensive-zone heatmaps looking like an overzealous child spilled ketchup all over them. His CA/60 of 64.4 ranked first among Canucks skaters with 30-plus games played. When a team's #2 defenseman is also its worst... well, it makes it no surprise that the Canucks opted to cut ties with him. Still, Hutton brings some offensive value, and there are surely some bluelines that could give him some much-needed sheltering. Once Gardiner signs, a Hutton announcement will likely follow.

4. Michael Stone // RD
Last year: Calgary

Another buyout victim, Stone is much like Jamie McGinn in that he lost the vast majority of 2018-19 to injury. Coupled with the emergence of Rasmus Andersson, Stone's injury spelled his end in Calgary. Still a serviceable defenseman, Stone provides some physical value and can play second-pairing minutes in a pinch without missing much of a step. He is seldom a liability, but he wastes his cannon of a shot in the offensive zone by usually missing wide by a county's breadth whenever he fires it. Stone is still on the right side of 30 and some team will likely take a flier on him for a year to see if he can bounce back from his injury. His right-handedness will help boost his value.

5. Niklas Kronwall // LD
Last year: Detroit

A fifteen-year Detroit Red Wing, Niklas Kronwall will turn 39 in January and is expected to make a decision this month on whether to retire or return for one more year in Michigan. Kronwall still provides decent value in his own zone and can still bang and crash with the best of them, and still ranks as one of the best options on a relatively thin Detroit defense. With Detroit's top pairing of Mike Green and Danny DeKeyser seemingly never intact due to injuries, Kronwall is as good of an option as any to have around as a mentor and a stop-gap fill-in. One thing is for certain: Kronwall isn't going anywhere else.

6. Andrew MacDonald // LD
Last year: Philadelphia

The third buyout from this list, MacDonald was more of a cap casualty than anything else for the Flyers. He provided adequate value at both ends of the ice in 2018-19, registering in the positives for Corsi for and against and posting a positive expected goals-for percentage. He remains a solid penalty-killer, and at the age of 32, he is less of a retread than many on this list. More than anything, it seems that the Flyers were just sick of MacDonald after six seasons of him being overpaid, but to some other team looking for low-risk defensive depth, he could be a good buy-low candidate.

7. Dan Girardi // RD
Last year: Tampa Bay

Once an analytical nightmare, Girardi carved out a decent niche for himself in Tampa Bay as a solid stay-at-home option. Yes, much of his effectiveness was buoyed by Victor Hedman, but Girardi was not the deleterious influence on his teammates that he once was in New York. His right-handedness works in his favour, but at the age of 35, teams may be more inclined to lend leeway to their internal options. Still, Girardi probably nabs a tryout at the very least.

8. Adam McQuaid // RD
Last year: New York Rangers and Columbus

Alongside Matt Duchene, Keith Kinkaid, Ryan Dzingel, and roughly a million other players, McQuaid was acquired by the Columbus Blue Jackets at the trade deadline in 2019. While he did not appear in the playoffs, McQuaid provided some very physical play in the regular season for both of his teams, registering 122 hits in just 50 games. McQuaid is a competent defender who can eat difficult minutes but has significant difficulty with mustering anything of quality in the offensive zone. He only gets slower with every passing year, but his positioning skills in his own end remain an asset. There are far worse options for depth defenders.

9. Dion Phaneuf // LD
Last year: Los Angeles

Dion Phaneuf had three primary points at even-strength in 2018-19, which is a far cry from his heyday of Norris contention and EA Sports covers. Honestly, though, Phaneuf was reasonably adequate in his own end last season, and although that does nothing to justify the $7 million he was paid last year, it brings into question what he could give to a more promising club. Phaneuf is just two years removed from being the #3 defenseman on a strong Senators team, and while players have fallen further in shorter amounts of time, Phaneuf still has underlying numbers that suggest he should be more of a #6 in the NHL than a total outcast. Relative to the rest of the Kings, Phaneuf was a positive influence on even-strength defensive play and the penalty-kill last year. That said, he is very slow, and in a league that is turning to value speed over anything else, it seems like Phaneuf's days are definitely numbered. At 34, he could have a year or two left in him, but that might be stretching it.

10. Alex Petrovic // RD
Last year: Florida and Edmonton

Infamously protected in the Vegas expansion draft at the expense of Reilly Smith and Jonathan Marchessault, Petrovic was subsequently shuffled to Edmonton last year in the midst of a concussion-affected season. Petrovic is probably the best of the three depth defenders inexplicably acquired by Peter Chiarelli last year (he's miles ahead of Brandon Manning, for sure), but he was still heinously bad in almost every measurable way. That being said, Petrovic has shown in previous seasons that he can provide marginal defensive value, and it is possible that, in a healthy season, he might be able to show even a shadow of the talent that caused Florida to foolishly keep him two short seasons ago. With Calgary linked to him in some rumblings, the 27-year-old Petrovic is one to watch.

That's all for the lists. I'd normally go on to discuss goaltenders but there are none worth mentioning (poor Chad Johnson, he really fell off a cliff). Thanks for reading.

08-02-2019, 04:48 AM	#4
TheScorpion First round-bust Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: speculating about AHL players Exp:	Defense 1. Jake Gardiner // LD Last year: Toronto A top-four option in every sense, Gardiner is an unusual talent to be available in August. He provides excellent value in the offensive and defensive zones and can easily drive a pairing. After being met with lukewarm fan reception in his eight years in Toronto, it seemed that Gardiner was destined to take after his wife's maiden name and "Cashin," but he enters his 33rd day on the market having been the subject of little rumour. Toronto would probably love to have him back, but with Mitch Marner still unsigned, Gardiner is about as much of a priority there as a toenail is to a proctologist. Montreal has been linked to Gardiner, but their fanbase can be just as ravenous as those in the 6ix. Given the quality of the defensemen in trade rumours (see Ristolainen, Rasmus and Brodie, Thomas James), one wonders if Gardiner is the critical boulder suppressing a rockslide of movement. 2. Kevin Shattenkirk // RD Last year: New York Rangers Signed with Tampa Bay: 1 years, $1.75 million Bought out by the Rangers on Thursday, Shattenkirk is an offensive defenseman with plenty to prove. Once looked to in St. Louis as a top-pairing option, Shattenkirk struggled in Manhattan with two coaches, two systems, and two injury-affected seasons. Funnily enough, Shattenkirk was truly awful on the powerplay last year, taking a flamethrower to his former calling card. Flipping the script on its head, he provided marginally positive value in his own end. Indeed, it is rather puzzling that the Rangers would choose to cut ties with Shattenkirk while other, far worse defensemen like Marc Staal and Brendan Smith make comparable money to play worse hockey, but alas—the damage is done. Shattenkirk would be wise to sign with a team like Tampa Bay and reset his value, much like Derick Brassard could. The difference here is that Brassard is looking to hit the heights that Shattenkirk reached in his worst years; the 30-year-old defenseman is far likelier to exceed expectations if slotted in the right spot on a contender. 3. Ben Hutton // LD Last year: Vancouver On paper, Hutton looks like a solid bet for a team looking for a player who can devour minutes. Playing over 22 minutes a night in 2018-19, Hutton is the workhorse of the remaining UFAs. Conversely, there is something to be said for quality over quantity. The Canucks bled scoring chances against when Hutton was on the ice, with his HockeyViz defensive-zone heatmaps looking like an overzealous child spilled ketchup all over them. His CA/60 of 64.4 ranked first among Canucks skaters with 30-plus games played. When a team's #2 defenseman is also its worst... well, it makes it no surprise that the Canucks opted to cut ties with him. Still, Hutton brings some offensive value, and there are surely some bluelines that could give him some much-needed sheltering. Once Gardiner signs, a Hutton announcement will likely follow. 4. Michael Stone // RD Last year: Calgary Another buyout victim, Stone is much like Jamie McGinn in that he lost the vast majority of 2018-19 to injury. Coupled with the emergence of Rasmus Andersson, Stone's injury spelled his end in Calgary. Still a serviceable defenseman, Stone provides some physical value and can play second-pairing minutes in a pinch without missing much of a step. He is seldom a liability, but he wastes his cannon of a shot in the offensive zone by usually missing wide by a county's breadth whenever he fires it. Stone is still on the right side of 30 and some team will likely take a flier on him for a year to see if he can bounce back from his injury. His right-handedness will help boost his value. 5. Niklas Kronwall // LD Last year: Detroit A fifteen-year Detroit Red Wing, Niklas Kronwall will turn 39 in January and is expected to make a decision this month on whether to retire or return for one more year in Michigan. Kronwall still provides decent value in his own zone and can still bang and crash with the best of them, and still ranks as one of the best options on a relatively thin Detroit defense. With Detroit's top pairing of Mike Green and Danny DeKeyser seemingly never intact due to injuries, Kronwall is as good of an option as any to have around as a mentor and a stop-gap fill-in. One thing is for certain: Kronwall isn't going anywhere else. 6. Andrew MacDonald // LD Last year: Philadelphia The third buyout from this list, MacDonald was more of a cap casualty than anything else for the Flyers. He provided adequate value at both ends of the ice in 2018-19, registering in the positives for Corsi for and against and posting a positive expected goals-for percentage. He remains a solid penalty-killer, and at the age of 32, he is less of a retread than many on this list. More than anything, it seems that the Flyers were just sick of MacDonald after six seasons of him being overpaid, but to some other team looking for low-risk defensive depth, he could be a good buy-low candidate. 7. Dan Girardi // RD Last year: Tampa Bay Once an analytical nightmare, Girardi carved out a decent niche for himself in Tampa Bay as a solid stay-at-home option. Yes, much of his effectiveness was buoyed by Victor Hedman, but Girardi was not the deleterious influence on his teammates that he once was in New York. His right-handedness works in his favour, but at the age of 35, teams may be more inclined to lend leeway to their internal options. Still, Girardi probably nabs a tryout at the very least. 8. Adam McQuaid // RD Last year: New York Rangers and Columbus Alongside Matt Duchene, Keith Kinkaid, Ryan Dzingel, and roughly a million other players, McQuaid was acquired by the Columbus Blue Jackets at the trade deadline in 2019. While he did not appear in the playoffs, McQuaid provided some very physical play in the regular season for both of his teams, registering 122 hits in just 50 games. McQuaid is a competent defender who can eat difficult minutes but has significant difficulty with mustering anything of quality in the offensive zone. He only gets slower with every passing year, but his positioning skills in his own end remain an asset. There are far worse options for depth defenders. 9. Dion Phaneuf // LD Last year: Los Angeles Dion Phaneuf had three primary points at even-strength in 2018-19, which is a far cry from his heyday of Norris contention and EA Sports covers. Honestly, though, Phaneuf was reasonably adequate in his own end last season, and although that does nothing to justify the $7 million he was paid last year, it brings into question what he could give to a more promising club. Phaneuf is just two years removed from being the #3 defenseman on a strong Senators team, and while players have fallen further in shorter amounts of time, Phaneuf still has underlying numbers that suggest he should be more of a #6 in the NHL than a total outcast. Relative to the rest of the Kings, Phaneuf was a positive influence on even-strength defensive play and the penalty-kill last year. That said, he is very slow, and in a league that is turning to value speed over anything else, it seems like Phaneuf's days are definitely numbered. At 34, he could have a year or two left in him, but that might be stretching it. 10. Alex Petrovic // RD Last year: Florida and Edmonton Infamously protected in the Vegas expansion draft at the expense of Reilly Smith and Jonathan Marchessault, Petrovic was subsequently shuffled to Edmonton last year in the midst of a concussion-affected season. Petrovic is probably the best of the three depth defenders inexplicably acquired by Peter Chiarelli last year (he's miles ahead of Brandon Manning, for sure), but he was still heinously bad in almost every measurable way. That being said, Petrovic has shown in previous seasons that he can provide marginal defensive value, and it is possible that, in a healthy season, he might be able to show even a shadow of the talent that caused Florida to foolishly keep him two short seasons ago. With Calgary linked to him in some rumblings, the 27-year-old Petrovic is one to watch. That's all for the lists. I'd normally go on to discuss goaltenders but there are none worth mentioning (poor Chad Johnson, he really fell off a cliff). Thanks for reading. __________________ "This has been TheScorpion's shtick for years. All these hot takes, clickbait nonsense just to feed his social media algorithms." –Tuco Last edited by TheScorpion; 08-05-2019 at 08:55 AM.