[News] NHL.com: Top 20 Defensemen

[FanIn80]

Interesting no Weegar on this list. I would've put him in at #20 at least.

He did get mentioned though... (lol)

19. Brandon Montour, Florida Panthers

Montour's NHL career reached a new level after he was traded to the Panthers by the Buffalo Sabres on April 10, 2021, for a third-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft. The 29-year-old had 37 points in 2021-22 and an NHL career-high 73 last season (16 goals, 57 assists) to go along with 107 penalty minutes in 80 games. Montour's five goals in the 2023 Eastern Conference First Round were the most by a defenseman in a single series since Ed Jovanovski had five for the Vancouver Canucks in the 2003 Western Conference Semifinals against the Minnesota Wild. Montour led defensemen with eight playoff goals last season and was the 10th different player at the position to score at least that many in a single playoff year.

"It's amazing to me how he just burst onto the scene with the opportunity on a really good team with the Florida Panthers," NHL Network analyst E.J. Hradek said. "...Career highs in goals, assists and points for him. ... First defenseman with 70 points and (at least) 100 penalty minutes since Chris Chelios in '95-96 (72 points, 140 penalty minutes with Chicago Blackhawks). ... He is someone that transitioned into defense late in his development...He's found his way now with MacKenzie Weegar out of the picture in Florida, he's stepped in. No problem."

https://www.nhl.com/news/nhl-current...en/c-345580664

I have to say, I really liked Montour's game in the playoffs. I was looking forward to watching Ekblad at the start, but it didn't take long before I was watching Montour instead.

Edit: I know I said above that I would have ranked Weegar at 20th at least... but after looking a bit more at the list, I would have bumped Doughty off and my 18/19/20 would be Weegar/Montour/Theodore.

[MrMike]

I can’t believe Anahiem gave up all those defencemen.
Montour, Lindholm, Theodore.

[Hackey]

I'd put Andersson on before Weegar. Weegar wouldn't even make a top 30.

[Saqe]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

I have to say, I really liked Montour's game in the playoffs.

One of the many shrewd moves made by Zito, picking up other teams' outcasts and finding diamonds in the rough. It's an impressive list really, Montour and Forsling on defense who look top pairing material and Verhaege and Bennett on offense. All these guys except Bennett were picked up for scraps, Verhaege from Tampa as an ufa find, Forsling off waivers and Montour for a third rounder. I know I'm a "biased Panther fan" but that's really good GMing in my books. No wonder Zito trades first rounders like candy when he has a nose for finding talent for almost no cost.

[Johnny Makarov]

Originally Posted by Hackey

I'd put Andersson on before Weegar. Weegar wouldn't even make a top 30.

LOL. Weegar started off the season as a dud but he was by far the best Flames d-man the last 50 games.

[Sandman]

Weegar was 14th in Norris voting in his final year with Florida, and 8th the year prior. He is criminally underrated. His fancy stats are ridiculous, and he's one of the best D-men in the league at denying entries. When the trade went down, I was more excited about getting Weegar than Huberdeau.

Weegar is a lights-out shutdown D, who can get you 40+ points with no PP time.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Amazing how much stock they put into one playoff.

When Florida misses or is quickly eliminated this year and Weegar shines after his adjustment year the opinions will flip.

I think these things are always a little too much based on recency as opposed to a larger body of work, which imo is more telling of the player.

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by TrentCrimmIndependent

Amazing how much stock they put into one playoff.

When Florida misses or is quickly eliminated this year and Weegar shines after his adjustment year the opinions will flip.

I think these things are always a little too much based on recency as opposed to a larger body of work, which imo is more telling of the player.

Very recency biased, indeed.

[Saqe]

Originally Posted by TrentCrimmIndependent

Amazing how much stock they put into one playoff.

When Florida misses or is quickly eliminated this year and Weegar shines after his adjustment year the opinions will flip.

I think these things are always a little too much based on recency as opposed to a larger body of work, which imo is more telling of the player.

To be fair this was the first time Montour was given the minutes and opportunity running the PP1. It really was a breakout year for him and he put up ridiculous numbers and was very solid defensively.

Not a knock against Weegar though, he's a very good defenseman and I like him a lot although offensively he is fairly limited.

[Eric Vail]

I can't believe a certain defenseman making $9.25 million isn't on the list.

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by Saqe

To be fair this was the first time Montour was given the minutes and opportunity running the PP1. It really was a breakout year for him and he put up ridiculous numbers and was very solid defensively.

Not a knock against Weegar though, he's a very good defenseman and I like him a lot although offensively he is fairly limited.

Saying he's "limited offensively" is not really accurate. He put up 44 points for the Panthers in 2021-22, with only 3 PP points. He gets his points without PP time.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Originally Posted by Saqe

To be fair this was the first time Montour was given the minutes and opportunity running the PP1. It really was a breakout year for him and he put up ridiculous numbers and was very solid defensively.

Not a knock against Weegar though, he's a very good defenseman and I like him a lot although offensively he is fairly limited.

Weegar similarly has had limited opportunity bit in the second half when he finally got his legs in Calgary it looked like the sky was the limit offensively. I think it will be a huge year.

[Saqe]

Originally Posted by Sandman

Saying he's "limited offensively" is not really accurate. He put up 44 points for the Panthers in 2021-22, with only 3 PP points. He gets his points without PP time.

That's the year the Panthers were scoring like 4.5 goals per game or something ridiculous. It's the same with Huby who had about 25% jump in production, same goes with Weegar. I think he's normally around 30ish+ point defenseman which is fine, I mostly mean that he isn't a guy who should be running your PP1. He would probably do ok but shouldn't be your first option.

[Saqe]

Originally Posted by TrentCrimmIndependent

Weegar similarly has had limited opportunity bit in the second half when he finally got his legs in Calgary it looked like the sky was the limit offensively. I think it will be a huge year.

Well like I said to Sandman I don't think Weegar should be running the PP1, he never did it with the Panthers. I personally think it's mostly his sideways mobility that limits him plus he doesn't really have great hands or vision. Not that they are poor but he lacks enough to not be a PP first unit type of guy,

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by Saqe

That's the year the Panthers were scoring like 4.5 goals per game or something ridiculous. It's the same with Huby who had about 25% jump in production, same goes with Weegar. I think he's normally around 30ish+ point defenseman which is fine, I mostly mean that he isn't a guy who should be running your PP1. He would probably do ok but shouldn't be your first option.

Weegar was 14th in D-scoring the year prior, when Florida was scoring 3.36 goals per game, with 36 points in 54 games, and he had only 3 points on the PP.

[Saqe]

Originally Posted by Sandman

Weegar was 14th in D-scoring the year prior, when Florida was scoring 3.36 goals per game, with 36 points in 54 games, and he had only 3 points on the PP.

That's my point, there is reason why isn't on the PP1 unit and never has been, he just isn't very good at it. If he great tools for it he would be.



I think he is around 30+ point defenseman, just IMO. I mean you can also look at the previous years to get a bigger picture and lower point totals, not going to argue about it because point totals also depend heavily on how the team plays and deploys defensemen.

[Sandman]

I think he's a 40-50 point defenseman easy, and he'll bounce back to those totals this season.

[Phaneuf_Phan]

Agree with #1 Makar, Calgary native

[Saqe]

Originally Posted by Sandman

I think he's a 40-50 point defenseman easy, and he'll bounce back to those totals this season.

He got 44 points on a team that had the highest scoring offense in 25 years and you think he can get 50? That's pretty optimistic. I mean if he runs the PP1 then probably he could, even though he isn't great at it. Maybe if they trade Hanifin they'll use him on it although I would rather like to see Kylington get a chance.

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by Saqe

He got 44 points on a team that had the highest scoring offense in 25 years and you think he can get 50? That's pretty optimistic. I mean if he runs the PP1 then probably he could, even though he isn't great at it. Maybe if they trade Hanifin they'll use him on it although I would rather like to see Kylington get a chance.

Like I said, he was 14th in D-scoring the year prior when Florida had 3.36 goals per game. I think he'll get 40-50.

21 of his points last year came in the last 40 games.