SalarySwishSalarySwish
Forums/Armchair-GM

My Top 40 D - Tiers

Created by: A_K
Team: 2019-20 Custom Team
Initial Creation Date: Aug. 19, 2019
Published: Aug. 19, 2019
Salary Cap Mode: Basic
Description
My personal rankings coming into this season. I just put this together this morning so it's not something I'm 100% sure about.

Let me know who I missed or who you like. Just don't bring up raw point totals or TOI or whatever, let's talk about who's actually good :)

The hardest part about D-men is ranking different styles of play. I tend to prefer 2-way d-men, but if a player can produce enough offense to overcome their lack of defense, they can still climb the list. And I try not to weight PP scoring too heavily; most of that is systemic/difficult to isolate for a individual.
ROSTER SIZESALARY CAPCAP HITOVERAGES TooltipBONUSESCAP SPACE
46$81,500,000$229,856,215$0$8,210,000-$148,356,215
Left WingCentreRight Wing
First, Tier
$1,000,000$1,000,000
Logo of the San Jose Sharks
$10,000,000$10,000,000
RD
NMC
UFA - 8
Logo of the Tampa Bay Lightning
$7,875,000$7,875,000
LD
NMC
UFA - 6
Logo of the Columbus Blue Jackets
$5,400,000$5,400,000
RD
UFA - 3
Logo of the Calgary Flames
$3,375,000$3,375,000
LD
NTC
UFA - 3
Logo of the St. Louis Blues
$6,500,000$6,500,000
RD
NTC
UFA - 1
Logo of the Washington Capitals
$8,000,000$8,000,000
RD
M-NTC
UFA - 7
Logo of the Nashville Predators
$4,000,000$4,000,000
LD
UFA - 1
Second, Tier
$1,000,000$1,000,000
Logo of the San Jose Sharks
$5,280,000$5,280,000
RD
M-NTC
UFA - 6
Logo of the Los Angeles Kings
$11,000,000$11,000,000
RD
NMC
UFA - 8
Logo of the Toronto Maple Leafs
$5,000,000$5,000,000
LD
UFA - 3
Logo of the Carolina Hurricanes
$5,300,000$5,300,000
LD
UFA - 6
Logo of the St. Louis Blues
$5,500,000$5,500,000
RD
UFA - 3
Logo of the Dallas Stars
$4,250,000$4,250,000
RD
UFA - 3
Left DefenseRight DefenseGoaltender
Third, Tier
$1,000,000$1,000,000
Logo of the Nashville Predators
$3,750,000$3,750,000
LD/RD
UFA - 3
Logo of the New Jersey Devils
$9,000,000$9,000,000
RD
UFA - 3
Logo of the Pittsburgh Penguins
$7,250,000$7,250,000
RD
M-NTC, NMC
UFA - 3
McAvoy, Charlie
$8,000,000$8,000,000
Logo of the Montreal Canadiens
$7,857,143$7,857,143
RD
UFA - 7
Fourth, Tier
$1,000,000$1,000,000
Logo of the Buffalo Sabres
$925,000$925,000 (Performance Bonus$2,850,000$3M)
LD/RD
UFA - 2
Logo of the Dallas Stars
$894,166$894,166 (Performance Bonus$2,500,000$2M)
LD/RD
UFA - 2
Logo of the Anaheim Ducks
$2,602,778$2,602,778
LD
UFA - 3
Logo of the New York Rangers
$8,000,000$8,000,000
RD
UFA - 7
Logo of the Ottawa Senators
$863,333$863,333 (Performance Bonus$360,000$360K)
LD
UFA - 1
Logo of the Minnesota Wild
$6,000,000$6,000,000
RD
UFA - 4
Logo of the Toronto Maple Leafs
$2,750,000$2,750,000
RD
UFA - 1
Logo of the Winnipeg Jets
$3,150,000$3,150,000
LD
UFA - 1
ScratchesInjured Reserve (IR)Long Term IR (LTIR)
Fifth, Tier
$1,000,000$1,000,000
Logo of the Arizona Coyotes
$7,260,000$7,260,000
LD
NMC
UFA - 8
Logo of the Minnesota Wild
$5,187,500$5,187,500
RD
NMC
UFA - 1
Logo of the Carolina Hurricanes
$5,750,000$5,750,000
RD
UFA - 2
Logo of the Nashville Predators
$6,250,000$6,250,000
RD
UFA - 8
Logo of the Vegas Golden Knights
$5,200,000$5,200,000
LD/RD
UFA - 6
Logo of the Edmonton Oilers
$4,167,000$4,167,000
LD
UFA - 4
Werenski, Zach
$6,500,000$6,500,000
Logo of the Colorado Avalanche
$880,833$880,833 (Performance Bonus$2,500,000$2M)
RD
UFA - 2
Logo of the Winnipeg Jets
$7,600,000$7,600,000
RD
M-NTC
UFA - 2
Sixth, Tier
$1,000,000$1,000,000
Logo of the Boston Bruins
$5,250,000$5,250,000
LD
M-NTC
UFA - 1
Logo of the Florida Panthers
$7,500,000$7,500,000
RD
UFA - 6
Logo of the Minnesota Wild
$7,538,462$7,538,462
LD
NMC
UFA - 6
Logo of the Tampa Bay Lightning
$6,750,000$6,750,000
LD
NTC
UFA - 7
Logo of the Montreal Canadiens
$5,500,000$5,500,000
RD
M-NTC, NMC
UFA - 2

Embed Code

  • To display this team on another website or blog, add this iFrame to the appropriate page
  • Customize the height attribute in the iFrame code below to fit your website appropriately. Minimum recommended: 400px.

Text-Embed

Click to Highlight
Aug. 19, 2019 at 10:42 a.m.
#1
Avatar of the user
Joined: Jul. 2018
Posts: 799
Likes: 173
Think Krug should be higher
Aug. 19, 2019 at 10:45 a.m.
#2
torontos finest
Avatar of the user
Joined: Jul. 2019
Posts: 9,546
Likes: 11,169
personally id put doughty in the first tier, even after a bad year on a crumbling team.
A_K liked this.
Aug. 19, 2019 at 10:49 a.m.
#3
Thread Starter
Lets Go Blues
Avatar of the user
Joined: Jun. 2016
Posts: 6,749
Likes: 4,320
Quoting: CBJ4CUP
Think Krug should be higher


I don't like his defensive impacts and in the last 2 seasons he's only put up 22 primary points at 5v5 (ranks 61st over that period). I think he tends to get a little overrated - he's a fantastic PP QB and he has dynamic offensive skill, but he's not a quality top pair guy IMO.
Aug. 19, 2019 at 10:51 a.m.
#4
KFTW
Avatar of the user
Joined: Jul. 2018
Posts: 42,152
Likes: 23,514
This is all over the place. Burns and Doughty are better than Carlsson and Josi. Chabot should easily be in that 3rd tier maybe even the last of the 2nd. Dumba should be in the 3rd. OEL is way too low
Aug. 19, 2019 at 10:53 a.m.
#5
Avatar of the user
Joined: Jul. 2018
Posts: 799
Likes: 173
Quoting: A_K
I don't like his defensive impacts and in the last 2 seasons he's only put up 22 primary points at 5v5 (ranks 61st over that period). I think he tends to get a little overrated - he's a fantastic PP QB and he has dynamic offensive skill, but he's not a quality top pair guy IMO.


Guys a 60-65 point dman though... You still gotta give the guy alittle respect...
Aug. 19, 2019 at 10:54 a.m.
#6
Avatar of the user
Joined: Jun. 2018
Posts: 7,261
Likes: 2,706
Lindholm should be way higher, I'd take him over Letang any day
A_K liked this.
Aug. 19, 2019 at 10:54 a.m.
#7
Thread Starter
Lets Go Blues
Avatar of the user
Joined: Jun. 2016
Posts: 6,749
Likes: 4,320
Quoting: csick
This is all over the place. Burns and Doughty are better than Carlsson and Josi. Chabot should easily be in that 3rd tier maybe even the last of the 2nd. Dumba should be in the 3rd. OEL is way too low


Maybe 'all over the place' to you is 'in order' to me happy

You may have a point about Burns and Doughty, but it's hard to put them in that top category right now. Even though he produces at an elite rate, Burns is just terrible defensively, and Doughty had himself an awful season so he needs to bounce back to get himself back to the top tier IMO.
Aug. 19, 2019 at 10:56 a.m.
#8
Thread Starter
Lets Go Blues
Avatar of the user
Joined: Jun. 2016
Posts: 6,749
Likes: 4,320
Quoting: CBJ4CUP
Guys a 60-65 point dman though... You still gotta give the guy alittle respect...


Never had a 60+ pt season. Best year was 59 pts, 41% of them on the 4th-best PP in the league that year. Being a top-40 d-man is still respectable IMO.
Aug. 19, 2019 at 10:57 a.m.
#9
KFTW
Avatar of the user
Joined: Jul. 2018
Posts: 42,152
Likes: 23,514
Quoting: A_K
Maybe 'all over the place' to you is 'in order' to me happy

You may have a point about Burns and Doughty, but it's hard to put them in that top category right now. Even though he produces at an elite rate, Burns is just terrible defensively, and Doughty had himself an awful season so he needs to bounce back to get himself back to the top tier IMO.


Im curious why u dont put Chabot and Werenski with the McAvoy, Dahlin and Heiskanen cuz I would. Also, by the end of the season Makar and Quinn Hughes will join that tier
Aug. 19, 2019 at 10:58 a.m.
#10
Avatar of the user
Joined: Jul. 2018
Posts: 799
Likes: 173
Quoting: A_K
Never had a 60+ pt season. Best year was 59 pts, 41% of them on the 4th-best PP in the league that year. Being a top-40 d-man is still respectable IMO.


He was on pace for 67 points last year, and put up 18 points in 24 games
Aug. 19, 2019 at 10:58 a.m.
#11
Avatar of the user
Joined: Jul. 2018
Posts: 799
Likes: 173
Quoting: A_K
Never had a 60+ pt season. Best year was 59 pts, 41% of them on the 4th-best PP in the league that year. Being a top-40 d-man is still respectable IMO.


He was on pace for 67 points last year, and put up 18 points in 24 games
Aug. 19, 2019 at 11:01 a.m.
#12
Thread Starter
Lets Go Blues
Avatar of the user
Joined: Jun. 2016
Posts: 6,749
Likes: 4,320
Quoting: csick
Im curious why u dont put Chabot and Werenski with the McAvoy, Dahlin and Heiskanen cuz I would. Also, by the end of the season Makar and Quinn Hughes will join that tier


I admit I haven't watched Chabot and Werenski all that much, but I know Werenski was working through a lot of issues on the defensive side of things, and Chabot benefits from being the only good d-man on his team - his 5v5 P/60 rate is about the same as Vince Dunn and a bunch of other guys that would put up bigger numbers with more usage. Those guys definitely have the ability to climb the rankings, I guess I'm just sleeping on them a little still.
Aug. 19, 2019 at 11:03 a.m.
#13
Avatar of the user
Joined: Jul. 2019
Posts: 392
Likes: 286
Quoting: A_K
Maybe 'all over the place' to you is 'in order' to me happy

You may have a point about Burns and Doughty, but it's hard to put them in that top category right now. Even though he produces at an elite rate, Burns is just terrible defensively, and Doughty had himself an awful season so he needs to bounce back to get himself back to the top tier IMO.


Burns is not terrible defensively, he's just about average actually. This year, in fact, he was a bit above average.
Aug. 19, 2019 at 11:08 a.m.
#14
Thread Starter
Lets Go Blues
Avatar of the user
Joined: Jun. 2016
Posts: 6,749
Likes: 4,320
Quoting: MJC13
Burns is not terrible defensively, he's just about average actually. This year, in fact, he was a bit above average.


By what measure? Every time I watch him he is brutal defensively. Stick in the wrong place, chasing the play, cheating toward offense.

He was on the ice for the 9th-most goals against at 5v5 in the whole league - and his team was not that bad defensively as a whole.
hanson493 liked this.
Aug. 19, 2019 at 11:12 a.m.
#15
KFTW
Avatar of the user
Joined: Jul. 2018
Posts: 42,152
Likes: 23,514
Quoting: A_K
I admit I haven't watched Chabot and Werenski all that much, but I know Werenski was working through a lot of issues on the defensive side of things, and Chabot benefits from being the only good d-man on his team - his 5v5 P/60 rate is about the same as Vince Dunn and a bunch of other guys that would put up bigger numbers with more usage. Those guys definitely have the ability to climb the rankings, I guess I'm just sleeping on them a little still.


I think being the only good defenseman makes it harder. Not every player excels with more minutes. Chabot was playing insanely long shifts and over 30 mins a game in junior and Team canada so he's used to having a super high usage. Plus had he not gotten injured while he was hot, im sure he was gonna get 70pts this year
Aug. 19, 2019 at 11:16 a.m.
#16
Thread Starter
Lets Go Blues
Avatar of the user
Joined: Jun. 2016
Posts: 6,749
Likes: 4,320
Quoting: csick
I think being the only good defenseman makes it harder. Not every player excels with more minutes. Chabot was playing insanely long shifts and over 30 mins a game in junior and Team canada so he's used to having a super high usage. Plus had he not gotten injured while he was hot, im sure he was gonna get 70pts this year


True. I like the guy, he'll be in Norris discussions in his prime, but I have in my 4th tier before this season starts. He's 22 and has more room to grow to get into the top-of-the-league discussion. Just for consistency, I'll bump Dahlin and Heiskanen down into that tier since they're similar to Chabot.
csick liked this.
Aug. 19, 2019 at 11:29 a.m.
#17
Avatar of the user
Joined: Jun. 2019
Posts: 5,617
Likes: 2,763
Quoting: CBJ4CUP
Guys a 60-65 point dman though... You still gotta give the guy alittle respect...


Im a bruins fan and i think krugs actually listed too high on this list...werenski is way too low though.
Aug. 19, 2019 at 11:29 a.m.
#18
Avatar of the user
Joined: Jul. 2018
Posts: 799
Likes: 173
Quoting: hanson493
Im a bruins fan and i think krugs actually listed too high on this list...werenski is way too low though.


nono Werenski is so overrated
Aug. 19, 2019 at 11:30 a.m.
#19
Avatar of the user
Joined: Jul. 2019
Posts: 392
Likes: 286
Quoting: A_K
By what measure? Every time I watch him he is brutal defensively. Stick in the wrong place, chasing the play, cheating toward offense.

He was on the ice for the 9th-most goals against at 5v5 in the whole league - and his team was not that bad defensively as a whole.


the team defense wasn't great this year, and the goaltending being at a combined .890% percentage added to him being on the ice for that many goals. Cheating towards offense is his entire game, but he was very effective this year in getting back to the defensive zone and breaking up scoring plays. I won't argue he has issues in his own zone at times, but possession metrics at https://evolving-hockey.com/ have him at just about average in defensive CF, and that coupled with his clearly elite offensive capabilities would make him a top D man in the league
Aug. 19, 2019 at 11:51 a.m.
#20
Thread Starter
Lets Go Blues
Avatar of the user
Joined: Jun. 2016
Posts: 6,749
Likes: 4,320
Quoting: MJC13
the team defense wasn't great this year, and the goaltending being at a combined .890% percentage added to him being on the ice for that many goals. Cheating towards offense is his entire game, but he was very effective this year in getting back to the defensive zone and breaking up scoring plays. I won't argue he has issues in his own zone at times, but possession metrics at https://evolving-hockey.com/ have him at just about average in defensive CF, and that coupled with his clearly elite offensive capabilities would make him a top D man in the league


Fair enough. (Yeah, SJS goaltending was atrocious.) I have Burns #8; that's still elite territory. TBH that cut-off on the first tier was hard to choose, maybe it should be right after Giordano or right after Doughty.
Aug. 20, 2019 at 10:58 a.m.
#21
Avatar of the user
Joined: Jun. 2019
Posts: 5,617
Likes: 2,763
Quoting: CBJ4CUP
nono Werenski is so overrated


really? i think hes pretty good as a 2 way defenseman. blocks a ton of shots, makes correct reads. can shut down offenses. him an jones are an excellent pair together. jones is better offensively and werenski is better defensively.
Aug. 20, 2019 at 11:02 a.m.
#22
Avatar of the user
Joined: Jun. 2019
Posts: 5,617
Likes: 2,763
Quoting: A_K
Fair enough. (Yeah, SJS goaltending was atrocious.) I have Burns #8; that's still elite territory. TBH that cut-off on the first tier was hard to choose, maybe it should be right after Giordano or right after Doughty.


I listed burns outside the top 10 as well. (had some bias and had mcavoy in at 7...) the thing i kind of think about is if you take burns off the sharks and put him on minnesota or ottawa, is he still going to be the same dominant player? I think burns 100% benefits from Marc Vlasic and the stacked top 6 he usually plays with. I think with guys like doughtey (who had a drop off year because that team sucked.) and giordano. will be tier 1 players on almost any team. I dont think burns is a tier 1 player if you switch him and doughtey around.
Aug. 21, 2019 at 8:31 a.m.
#23
Avatar of the user
Joined: Jul. 2018
Posts: 799
Likes: 173
Quoting: hanson493
really? i think hes pretty good as a 2 way defenseman. blocks a ton of shots, makes correct reads. can shut down offenses. him an jones are an excellent pair together. jones is better offensively and werenski is better defensively.


omg not even close... jones carries Werenski on the defense side... Jones also activates way more than Werenski
 
Reply
To create a post please Login or Register
Question:
Options:
Add Option
Submit Poll