{allcanada} Ranking the top five defenses in the NHL

 

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Forwards tend to get most of the attention in the NHL because they are the ones scoring the majority of the goals. But without the guys tasked with defending the net, it doesn't matter how many goals your favorite team scores. Defensemen are some of the most underrated players in the league because they do a lot of the work that goes unrecognized in the box score.

USA TODAY Sports NHL columnist Kevin Allen and editor Jimmy Hascup weigh in on their top five defenses.

No. 1

Nashville Predators: The Predators' defense group has the best combination of skill, grit, depth and potential. Shea Weber, Roman Josi and Seth Jones are three players who have been, or will be, in the Norris debate. Mattias Ekholm is an underrated performer. Ryan Ellis is a No, 5 who scored nine goals last season. Barret Jackman is an experienced physical warhorse. This group is only going to get better. (Kevin Allen)

Nashville Predators: Check off every box when it comes to this defense. They can defend, play a rugged style, but also move the puck well and provide offense. Their possession metrics are solid, even if Weber could stand to be eased off. You could conceivably fit five of them in a top-pair role.  (Jimmy Hascup)

No. 2

New York Rangers: Advanced-stat zealots don't love the Rangers' defense because of poor Corsi ratings recorded by key players, but the league respects it. Dan Girardi, Ryan McDonagh and Marc Staal are all proven, relentless competitors, and Kevin Klein has been highly impressive since coming to the team. Keith Yandle is still among the best offensive defensemen in the game. Dan Boyle is past his best seasons, but when he's on your bottom pair, you are in good shape. He can put up numbers. (KA)

San Jose Sharks: It's hard not to like this group with their size, ability and experience. Paul Martin is a superb defensive-zone player, and Brent Burns is a wrecking ball offensively. Marc-Edouard Vlasic might be the best all-around player of the bunch. Justin Braun is a stout defender, while Brendan Dillon is a solid top-four guy. Mirco Mueller is promising. (JH)

No. 3

Chicago Blackhawks: The Blackhawks will miss Johnny Oduya's dependability, but the Big Three of Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook and Nicklas Hjalmarsson measures up favorably to any defensive unit in the game. The Blackhawks surprisingly were able to re-sign Michal Rozsival who understands his third-pairing role. The addition of Trevor Daley gives coach Joel Quenneville a new offensive weapon. Trevor van Riemsdyk showed potential before his injury last season. (KA)

New York Rangers: Even if their pairing construction isn't ideal, there's a mix here that makes them the class of the East. There's a Norris-caliber player in McDonagh. There's offensive catalysts such as Yandle and Boyle. Girardi and Staal provide a stay-at-home element, even if their possession numbers aren't glowing. Klein is more than serviceable as a sixth defenseman. (JH)

No. 4

Calgary Flames: With the addition of Dougie Hamilton, the Flames have a deep defensive group. Don't forget that Mark Giordano might have been the Norris favorite before he was injured last season. This Flames unit can handle the puck. Dennis Wideman posted 56 points last season. Hamilton can be a 50-point guy. T.J. Brodie had 42. The Flames also led the NHL in blocked shots, and Kris Russell was a major reason. He had 283 blocked shots to lead the NHL. (KA)

Minnesota Wild: Call me crazy but there's a lot to like about this group, even if the point production is not elite. Ryan Suter plays big minutes, but the two-way styles of Jared Spurgeon and Marco Scandella are just as crucial. The youth is what you can dream on. Suter, at 29, is the oldest. Jonas Brodin, Matt Dumba and Christian Folin could vault them into the top soon. This corps is on the rise. (JH)

No. 5

St. Louis Blues: It's hard not to put the Blues here when you consider they ranked third in goals-against last season. Alex Pietrangelo, Kevin Shattenkirk and Jay Bouwmeester are logging the lion's share of the minutes. Shattenkirk is one of the league's more skilled puck movers and Pietrangelo is developing into  a well-rounded defensive star. Bouwmeester is approaching 1000 games played in the NHL. Carl Gunnarsson is a dependable,  and the Blues are high on Petteri Lindbohm. (KA)

Calgary Flames: I'm not sold on this one. But the nod here goes to the Flames in total respect to their three horses -- Giordano, Brodie and Hamilton. Those three players are fantastic two-way, cornerstone pieces. The Flames' depth is lacking; Wideman is gifted offensively but struggles in his own zone. Russell is fine on a bottom pair, but Engelland should be an extra. The hope is that Hamilton's addition helps cover up for some shortcomings.

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