NHL.com rates best Defensemen - Gio in at #9

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by codynw

Karlsson is too high (unless they're fantasy ratings, in which case he's too low). It's cool that he can score 70 points, but he should not be ranked higher than Suter or Pietrangelo.

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

The issue is it isn't an apples to apples comparison. I would say Karlsson plays a different position - a rover on the ice. Comparing him to Suter or Pietrangelo is not too different from trying to compare him to a forward. It just isn't the same thing.

I don't know if Karlsson currently has a comparative in the league - Mike Green from 5 years ago or so is the closest.

Agreed. I don't think elite offensive d-men should be discounted from the conversation of best overall defensemen. Paul Coffey had virtually no defensive game to speak of and he won three Norris trophies.

[BACKCHECK!!!]

Mark Giordano has had ONE season where he has played like a number one defenceman.

I'm just as amazed as everyone else by his performance, and I think it's no exaggeration to say that a repeat performance will get him some well-deserved Norris consideration (but of course it will go to some knob who can't play defence but puts up 60 points).

And he has played at a very high level for stretches throughout his career.

But I have no idea if the Giordano we saw this year was the real thing or not.

I have to think the most likely outcome is that he puts up one or two more seasons at a level similar to this, and then slides back down to being a mere mortal again.

But man, his performance was one of the brightest spots in a season that most Flames fans would call the most enjoyable in years.

[#-3]

Didn't read the article yet but low top 10 seems about right to me for Gio.

To me Gio has been our best Dman since 2009. And for much of that time we had at least an above average D core.

[Erick Estrada]

Glad Gio is getting recognition but a couple of those guys voted like they don't even watch the NHL and simply looked at stats. Horrible.

[trackercowe]

Danny Formo · SUNY College at Oneonta Super Stars (1-2)
Weber
Doughty (when this guy tries, he is an animal)

Elite (3-6)
Chara (slowing down a bit, no longer Super Star but great player)
Keith
Suter
Petri

Perennial All-star(7-14)
Hedman (if he repeats another season like last he is easily top 5)
Subban
Kronwall
Karlsson*...
OEL
McDonagh
Vlasic (seriously underrated)
Giordano

Jeff Petry?!? Wtf, he must mean someone else, right?

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by trackercowe

Jeff Petry?!? Wtf, he must mean someone else, right?

Pietrangelo.

[SuperMatt18]

Pretty sure he means Pietrangelo.

[To Be Quite Honest]

As a Flames fan I find it pretty neat to see the media attention the Flames are getting. It's much more positive than it has ever been. There is the respect where it is due and nods to where there needs to be improvement. Or perhaps I'm just the one who is excited so that's just what I chose to see...

[pylon]

Originally Posted by Bourque's Twin

Think back 5 years:

Who would've thought Mark Giordano would be the #9 ranked defenceman in the NHL and Dion Phaneuf nowhere to be seen...

I certainly predicted the second half of that equation 5 years ago. Phaneuf always seemed destined to be a bust to me. When Gio scored that epic goal in Phoenix where he turned half of the Coyotes inside out, I predicted he would be captain, but I never expected him to excel to the level he has.

Gio is one of the best feel good stories in Flames history.

[Bourque's Twin]

Originally Posted by pylon

I certainly predicted the second half of that equation 5 years ago. Phaneuf always seemed destined to be a bust to me. When Gio scored that epic goal in Phoenix where he turned half of the Coyotes inside out, I predicted he would be captain, but I never expected him to excel to the level he has.

Gio is one of the best feel good stories in Flames history.

You're certainly a rarity.

When Dion scored 20 goals as a rookie and put up 50 pts then 60 pts the following two years, not to mention his huge hits, I thought we had something special and never would've thought he would disappear from top 20 rankings.

Giordano always looked good, but it was difficult to ever imagine as the future captain 5 years ago. First, he was overlooked when the Flames had Phaneuf, Regehr, Bouwmeester, and a younger Sarich. Second, who could even picture another captain at the time besides Iggy?

[Pontine]

Great to see Gio recognized, hopefully he can be healthy this year and build on last season to establish himself as one of the top defenceman in the league.

[cannon7]

How long until Brodie starts to get some real recognition?

Glad to see Gio get the accolades he so justly deserves, he has emerged as a key player for us.-comer" despite playing alongside Gio on the top pairing.

[pylon]

Originally Posted by Bourque's Twin

You're certainly a rarity.

When Dion scored 20 goals as a rookie and put up 50 pts then 60 pts the following two years, not to mention his huge hits, I thought we had something special and never would've thought he would disappear from top 20 rankings.

Giordano always looked good, but it was difficult to ever imagine as the future captain 5 years ago. First, he was overlooked when the Flames had Phaneuf, Regehr, Bouwmeester, and a younger Sarich. Second, who could even picture another captain at the time besides Iggy?

My big thing with Phaneuf was how stupid he was, and one dimentional he played. I knew he was bound to be exposed eventually. He was playing very sheltered minutes when he was lighting it up, and once he was playing against top lines, he was getting embarrassed regularily.

Honestly, who could expect a defenseman that can only turn one direction when transitioning from forward to backward skating to excel? He regularly was turning his back to his opponents during this transition, and I think it is a big reason Sutter finally dusted him. That is a Peewee level mistake.

[codynw]

Originally Posted by cannon7

How long until Brodie starts to get some real recognition?

Glad to see Gio get the accolades he so justly deserves, he has emerged as a key player for us.-comer" despite playing alongside Gio on the top pairing.

Brodie only just finished his first full season. If he keeps it up over the next 1-2 seasons (or even gets better, which he definitely could since he's only 24), he'll start getting recognized more.

[btimbit]

Looks about right to me. Another season like last and he'll get bumped up a few spots for sure, bet he's absolutely top 15, if not 10, right now.

Only thing stopping him from being top 5 is that it's really just one great season, but if he keeps it up he's bound to be way up there soon.

[CubicleGeek]

Great guy, my bro in law just finished shooting the ATB commercial and he stuck around to sign stuff for everyone - got my jersey signed. In comparison he also brought my buddy's Eberle jersey and the guy wouldn't stick around to sign anything, lol...

[bluloc]

Originally Posted by cannon7

How long until Brodie starts to get some real recognition?

Glad to see Gio get the accolades he so justly deserves, he has emerged as a key player for us.-comer" despite playing alongside Gio on the top pairing.

Brodie made some big strides last year, but he still has a long way to go to be in the same company aas those guys.

[BigTuna]

Chara is rated based on past performance. Anyone watch him last season? He has lost a massive step. He was a pylon in the playoffs. Subban destroyed him.

And Vlasic as a top 10 D-Man? yeesh.

[Vulcan]

The way I look at it is that Giordano has been playing at a high level for a number of years but when he's been put into the position of playing top and high minutes (20+) he's run into trouble. This seems to me to have been a conditioning problem which he seems to have solved. Maybe he was a smoker who quit or maybe he's upped his training or maybe he's just working smarter and more efficiently. I'm just guessing here but it's great to see him take over as our #1 and I'm a big fan.

[BACKCHECK!!!]

Originally Posted by BigTuna

Chara is rated based on past performance. Anyone watch him last season? He has lost a massive step. He was a pylon in the playoffs. Subban destroyed him.

And Vlasic as a top 10 D-Man? yeesh.

Chara has lost a step, but even with that missing step is still a top-10 defenceman in the NHL.