Defense could definitely use some new blood. The same three guys have been monopolizing the top of the charts for years now and several aging superstars are about ready to hang 'em up. Who's gonna take their place? Oh, the mystery of sport. One thing's for certain... it won't be anyone on the Pittsburgh Penguins. Yikes! I've seen better defenses on XFL teams. Those guys couldn't keep the puck out of the net with bricks and mortar. Ricky Ricardo's conga drum was never beaten as hard or as often.

Player Ratings The LCS Hockey Player Rating Extravaganza: Centers Left wings Right wings Defensemen Goaltenders

1. Rob Blake, Colorado Avalanche: The honor of the top spot was a two-horse race between Blake and Nicklas Lidstrom. If you break down their games, they're very similar in just about every skill category.

Lidstrom is easily the more agile skater, but Blake's powerful stride gives him deceptive straight-line speed. Blake clearly has the harder shot, but Lidstrom's might be a bit more accurate. Both guys are great passers, although Lidstrom probably has the better hands. They're both distinguished defensively, with maybe a slight edge going to Lidstrom because he plays a simpler, safer style.

The deciding factor is physical play. Lidstrom just can't compete. It's not that he's soft, because he's not. It's just that hitting isn't his bag. Lidstrom had 46 hits last season. Blake had 193. And Blake doesn't just hit, he annihilates. We're talking about a guy that's 6'4", 220 pounds. He's a freight train on skates, if freight trains even hit this hard, which I doubt. Blake can dominate games with his checking alone. His open-ice hits are legendary. Folk songs have been written.

By now everyone knows the story of how shoulder problems early in his career forced Blake to alter his approach to hitting. Instead of going in straight up, Blake prefers to turn his body and lay the smack down with his hip and rear end. It may seem unusual, but the effects are devastating. Oddly enough, Chris Chelios employs a similar ass-first technique, but it has nothing to do with hockey.

Blake's slap shot is another point in his favor. A serious case could be made that it's the hardest shot in the NHL. It's scary enough from the blue line, but Blake relishes the opportunity to jump into the play late. Heaven help the poor netminder that has to face a Blake slapper off the wing after the big man's gotten a head of steam. Over the past three seasons, Blake's used his marrow-shattering drives to connect for 53 goals and 172 points.

And this was touched on earlier, but Blake can dominate games. That's the other key difference between him and Lidstrom. For all his greatness, Lidstrom can control contests, allowing time for his teammates to step up and win them, but he rarely dominates. Blake, through his shooting and hitting, can win games all by himself.

Blake is the man.

2. Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit Red Wings: Lidstrom is pimp smooth without all the platform shoes, fur coats, and feathered hats. He makes everything look easier than alcohol dependency. But nothing he does is flashy. Lidstrom just quietly goes about his business without drawing any undo attention to himself or distracting from the team concept.

An effortless skater, Lidstrom can stay step-for-step with the fleetest of NHL forwards. Even when he encounters opposition with superior speed, Lidstrom's sound positioning and flawless technique make him nearly impossible to beat. He's a surgeon with the poke-check. While he doesn't hit hard enough to crack an egg, he isn't scared of the physical stuff and eliminates his man without hesitation.

Offensively, Lidstrom has all the tools. His crisp outlet passing powers Detroit's potent attack. He helps more than the Red Cross, ringing up 159 assists over the past three seasons. His shooting is just as impressive. There may not be a more dangerous point shot in hockey. While he can't bring it as hard as Blake or Al MacInnis, Lidstrom keeps everything low and on net. He generates more tips than a slutty girl at Hooters.

Lidstrom tied for the league lead in scoring among NHL defensemen last season with 59 points. That's nothing new. He's had at least 57 points in each of the past seven years. Sadly, his goal production was down. The nine he scored in 2001-02 snapped a string of six consecutive seasons with at least 14 goals and marked only the second time in his 11-year NHL career that he's failed to reach double digits. Yeah, he's really starting to slack off. What a loser.

Another anomaly of Lidstrom's 2001-02 campaign appeared in the "games played" column. He skated in 78 contests, yet the fact he sat four times is what's newsworthy. Lidstrom's missed only 12 games over the past seven years. That's remarkable considering his ice time and Detroit's annual trips to the postseason.

And, of course, Lidstrom is one of the NHL's finest citizens. He's so smart and so skilled that there's really no need for him to take penalties. He's always in control of himself and the situation. That command is reflected in his minuscule PIM totals. Lidstrom has never spent more than 30 minutes in the box during any of his aforementioned 11 seasons.

3. Chris Pronger, St. Louis Blues: Pronger has fallen behind Blake and Lidstrom of late due to injuries and sporadic production, but he's still one of the NHL's top players. He's damn close to being the perfect defenseman.

At 6'6", Pronger's freakishly long reach enables him to tie up opposing forwards with all the gluey viscosity of government red tape. Yeah, like it really takes eight forms to get that unemployment extension. Those things don't fill out themselves, ya know. That's a lot of work. If I wanted a job I'd get one.

Pronger's personal jurisdiction of terror is extended even further by his loping gait. He covers more ground than Starbucks. One step can carry him from corner to corner. There's no escaping him. He's kind of like the Grim Reaper himself. Except even the Reaper never swung his scythe with as cold a hand as Pronger wields his stick. Lumberjacks take fewer chops. Don't like getting cracked in the ribs? Then stay the hell away from Pronger. All complaints get handled personally, usually with a right cross or a left hook.

This abundance of aggression does nothing to take away from Pronger's skill. He's a tremendous passer and can launch bombs from the point. His shot never gets the credit it deserves simply because he shares the firing range with Al MacInnis. Pronger's best season came in 1999-00. Not only was he his usual violent self, but he also notched career-highs in goals (14), assists (48), points (62), and plus-minus (+52). 2000-01 saw injuries limit Pronger to 51 games, yet he still scored at an impressive clip with eight goals and 47 points. He matched those 47 points last year, only it took him 27 more games to get them.

Pronger injured his knee in a playoff wreck with Steve Yzerman and could miss the first few months of the 2002-03 season. There was no malice intended on Yzerman's part, and the play itself seemed rather innocent at the time, but Pronger was sure to chase down Stevie Y and treat him to a vile slash across the arm. That's so beautiful. Almost brings a tear to the eye...

4. Sergei Gonchar, Washington Capitals: Gonchar's overall game can't match those of Blake, Lidstrom, or Pronger, but there can be no argument that he's the best goal-scoring defenseman in hockey. The red light doesn't lie. Gonchar had a career-high 26 goals and 59 points in 2001-02, tying him for the scoring lead among defensemen and giving him 84 goals over the past four seasons. Finding a defender that can even approach 20 goals in today's anemic NHL is a near impossibility, and then there's Gonchar averaging 21 a year. He's good and stuff.

The cool thing about Gonchar is that he doesn't just get his goals by blasting away from the point. He loves to jump like a bunny and will finish as often with wrist shots from the high slot as he will with slappers from the stripe. It's his wrister that makes him special. It's heavy, accurate, and almost magnetically drawn to the corners. Gonchar's precision is displayed by his .120 shooting percentage last season; the highest among defensemen with at least 40 shots on goal.

Sergei does most of his damage five-on-five. With Peter Bondra serving as the true trigger man at the point on Washington's power play, only seven of Gonchar's 26 tallies came with the extra skater. His 19 even-strength goals were still two more than the next-highest scoring defenseman.

Granted, Gonchar doesn't exactly rule the defensive zone. He makes his share of mistakes. But he's hardly a liability. His -2 last season marked only the second time in his eight-year career he posted a negative plus-minus.

5. Brian Leetch, New York Rangers: After nearly having his career derailed by injury and absurdly poor plus-minus ratings, Leetch has experienced somewhat of a renaissance the past two years. His points did fall last season from 79 to 55 and his goals dropped from 21 to 10, but Leetch remains one of the most consistent point producers among NHL defensemen. He's scored 20 or more goals five times in his career and should be a threat to do so again now that teams have to sag low to cover Pavel Bure on the power play.

Leetch is indeed an artisan with the man-advantage. He's the best in the league at keeping the puck in at the point. He's where clearing attempts go to die. Once he gets control, Leetch relies more on his wrist shot than his slapper to get the puck to the net. Not only is his wrister good enough to beat goalies clean, its accuracy and quick release combine to create a cash crop of deflections and rebounds.

While his scoring numbers were down, Leetch's +14 was his first positive plus-minus since he was a +31 in 1996-97. If he could be a plus last year, with the Rangers having no clue whatsoever as to defense, he should be able to keep it rolling as the team improves around him in 2002-03. It also seems that his injury woes are behind him. Leetch has appeared in all 82 games in each of the last two seasons and has worked a full slate in seven of the past nine years.

6. Adam Foote, Colorado Avalanche: The best defensive defenseman in hockey, Foote is plain nasty to play against. He's meaner than three-dollar Scotch. He'll hit you, slash you, punch you in the face, then he'll go to your house and piss on your dog. Don't mess with Foote. He's an emotional leader and would be a captain in any city that didn't already have Joe Sakic. He's even starting to add a little offense to his game, posting career-highs in assists (22) and points (27) last season despite playing in only 55 games.

And that's the rub with Foote. He plays with such reckless abandon, blocking every shot in sight and never passing on a chance for brutality, that his body often breaks down. Since 1998-99, Foote has missed 115 contests due to injury and hasn't appeared in more than 64 games in any given season. But he shows up come playoff time. Hide the women and children. And dogs.

7. Ed Jovanovski, Vancouver Canucks: That Pavel Bure trade isn't looking so bad now. At the time Florida sent Jovanovski, Kevin Weekes, Mike Brown and Dave Gagner to the Canucks in exchange for the Russian Rocket, Jovo had never scored more than 23 points in a season and was struggling to find the hard- hitting, defensive game that made him a rookie phenom in 1995-96. Now Jovanovski is the cornerstone of Vancouver's blue line and Bure is scoring goals for the Rangers. At least Florida's defense is so stacked it doesn't miss Jovanovski. Where could he even fit? The Panthers are very good. And that, my friends, is sarcasm.

Jovanovski followed up his 47 points in 2000-01 with a career- high 17 goals and 48 points last season while leading Vancouver's resurgence in the standings. Even though he's not the most nimble of skaters, Jovanovski has excellent speed and loves to join the rush. Yet his offensive contributions, as substantial as they are, often get overshadowed by his tenacity and his penchant for punishment. Jovo loves to mix it up. His gloves are no strangers to the ice and he's created more cataclysmic collisions than the producers of "CHiPs".

The Olympics were Jovanovski's coming-out party. Not only did he prove that he belonged on the ice with the world's best, Canada didn't begin putting it all together until Jovanovski started getting a regular shift. He was instrumental to the cause. He had as much to do with that gold medal as anyone.

Not everything is all puppet shows and candy canes, though. There's still some work to be done. Jovanovski has never been a plus-player in his seven NHL seasons and skated at a -7 last year, the worst plus-minus rating on the team. He was the only regular Canuck defender to finish with a minus. It's time to tighten things up. But his aggression, toughness, and nose for the net secures Jovanovski's place among the NHL's elite.

8. Al MacInnis, St. Louis Blues: Father Time hasn't caught MacInnis yet, but Big Daddy Mac can definitely hear footsteps. He's starting to show the wear and tear of 39 years on Earth, not to mention 19 full seasons of competing in the world's premier hockey league. MacInnis missed 11 games last year and a total of 55 over the past three seasons. The health woes have affected his productivity. A seven-time 20-goal scorer, MacInnis has gone for just 11, 12, and 11 the last three years.

A decent skater for his age, MacInnis still won't win many foot races. He gets the job done with intelligence and the type of defensive positioning found in instructional videos. He just doesn't make mistakes. And as long as he keeps his game simple and continues to blast widowmakers from the point, MacInnis will always find a spot in the top ten.

9. Scott Stevens, New Jersey Devils: At 38, Stevens is definitely slowing down. His offensive numbers have all but disappeared. His one goal and 17 points last year were both the lowest totals of his Hall-of-Fame career. It's hard to believe, but Stevens actually scored 78 points back in 1993-94. Since then he's had six seasons in the 20s, one 31-point campaign, and the 17 last year. Hmm ha. Six 20s, a 31, and a 17? That sounds a lot like the staff of LCS Hockey's SAT scores.

Of course, you don't want Stevens on your team for offense. He controls the defensive zone with the best of them. A punishing hitter, Stevens is a fearsome presence whenever he's on the ice. He's intimidating to say the least. And how good is he defensively? His +15 last season was his lowest plus-minus since he recorded a +7 in 1995-96. In fact, Stevens has never finished as a minus-player in any of his 20 NHL seasons. Where's Cathy Lee Crosby? Because that's incredible.

10. Sandis Ozolinsh, Florida Panthers: Don't scoff. Ozolinsh has bounced around a bit lately, going from Colorado to Carolina to Florida, but he keeps producing. His 14 goals and 52 points last season placed him fifth among defensemen, behind only Lidstrom, Gonchar, Blake, and Leetch.

There aren't many defensemen that can dominate games. Ozolinsh is one of them. When he's locked in, which is never as often as his coaches would like, Sandis is a force in all three zones and can take a game over with a big hit, a mad rush up ice, or a bullet to the twine. His puck skills are extraordinary. Ozo deserves mentioning in any discussion of the NHL's best passers and stickhandlers.

Ozolinsh also has the knack for showing up in big games. His name's on the Cup for a reason. And watching him skate for Latvia at the Olympics was a distinct pleasure. He carried that team, not to mention the country, on his back.

Sure, Sandis takes some ridiculous chances and can make even routine plays in the defensive zone an adventure, but who cares? He's makin' it fun, people! C'mon! Make it fun!

Darius Kasparaitis, New York Rangers: It's for the best that Kaspar bailed on Colorado. He just didn't really fit into the Avs' safety-first defensive scheme. Not allowing Kasparaitis to step up and blast people is like telling Picasso not to paint.

Darius gets listed here for his ferocious hitting and his all- consuming competitive spirit. He'll do anything to win. There isn't a shot he won't block or a punch he won't take. We're talking about a guy that once played through a torn knee ligament because he knew he couldn't help the Penguins make the playoffs on crutches. The lack of respect Pittsburgh showed toward Darius during his contract negotiations was nothing short of ungrateful. And for that, GM Craig Patrick will never be forgiven.

Kaspar's quest to clobber can get him out of position on occasion, but it's a small price to pay for the intensity he brings to a blue line. With defensive hockey being little more than a rumor in New York, Kaspar should have the freedom he needs to search and destroy with the Rangers. And even though they're on the same team now, Lindros better keep his head up. Kaspar's sneaky like that.

Mattias Norstrom, Los Angeles Kings: Like Kasparaitis, Norstrom will never score enough to crack the top ten, but he's one of the best defensive defensemen around and gets mentioned here in hopes that he finally starts getting some attention. One half of the NHL's best defensive pair when Rob Blake was in town, Norstrom's a great skater that loves to hit. He also plays Peter Forsberg better than any defenseman in the league. That deserves recognition, if not a medal named in his honor.

Teppo Numminen, Phoenix Coyotes: For a long time, Teppo Numminen was the most underrated player in the NHL. We here at LCS Hockey like to think that we had more than a little to do with Teppo finally getting the respect he deserves. We used to always praise the fine Finn back in the day. So why stop now? Teppo compiled 48 points last season, including a career-high 13 goals. Numminen has notched 40 or more points in five of the past seven years and gets beaten one-on-one with all the frequency of a cheap transistor radio. He's also deserving of some serious Lady Byng consideration. Numminen had just 20 penalty minutes last year and has never had more than 36 in any of his 14 pro seasons.

Brian Rafalski, New Jersey Devils: Isn't it funny how Scott Niedermayer's offensive production was always hampered by New Jersey's defensive system, yet Rafalski comes in and puts up points from day one? Rafalski has used his remarkable speed and agility to put together two consecutive 40-assist seasons.

Sergei Zubov, Dallas Stars: Zubov is hardly a threatening presence, but he is one of the most consistent point producers among defensemen. With his 12 goals and 44 points in 2001-02, Zubov has posted at least 42 points in each of his last seven seasons and 10 or more goals in eight of his 10 NHL campaigns.

While it's easy to knock Zubov for his lack of hitting, questionable toughness, and reluctance to shoot the puck, there's no denying that he's one of the best skaters in the league. He's so fluent on his blades that sometimes it can seem like he's dogging it when he's tracking down loose pucks that most defenseman would never even reach. Zubie covers a lot of ice. It's almost impossible to appreciate the subtleties of his game until he's gone. Just ask fans in New York and Pittsburgh who have had to witness less adroit defenders struggle to play pucks that Zubov would have handled in his sleep.

Adrian Aucoin, New York Islanders: Everyone knew Aucoin could rocket a puck. In 1998-99, his 23 goals, 18 of which came on the power play, announced it to the world. But for some reason he never found his niche in Vancouver or Tampa Bay. It wasn't until he landed in Long Island that Aucoin's all-around game caught up to his shot. He was a +23 last year for the Isles while leading the league in total ice time. His 34 points matched his career-high and his 12 goals gave him at least 10 in three of the past four seasons. With Roman Hamrlik and Kenny Jonsson already on board, Aucoin's emergence has given the Islanders a top three that can rival any blue line in the NHL.

Kim Johnsson, Philadelphia Flyers: The departure of Eric Lindros did more than raise the morale of the Flyers, it also boosted their blue line. Johnsson arrived from New York and quickly developed into a solid two-way threat. His 11 goals, 30 assists, and 41 points last season were all career-highs. With Eric Desjardins stumbling over the hill, Johnsson is positioned to assume the offensive responsibilities for the Flyer defense.

Bryan McCabe, Toronto Maple Leafs: McCabe is really coming into his own with the Maple Leafs. Not only has he been a +16 in each of his two years in Toronto, he also set career-highs last season in goals (17), assists (26), and points (43). His 17 goals were a 12-goal improvement over his 2000-01 total and nine better than his previous career-high of eight in 1996-97. Now that he's established himself at the point on the Leafs' top power-play unit, his hefty slap shot should guarantee healthy goal totals for the foreseeable future.

The best aspect of McCabe's game, though, is his competitiveness. He battles every shift. He knows what it's like to wear the "C" and he'll always be the first to stand up for a teammate. He can get a little crazy at times, but he doesn't take as many unnecessary whistles as he once did. He's cut back his penalty minutes to the 120-range the past few years and should probably try and get them at 100 or less if he ever wants to move into the top echelon of defensemen. While it won't be easy, since you wouldn't want to take away from his fiery play, it's tough to lead a club from the penalty box.

Oleg Tverdovsky, New Jersey Devils: Tverdovsky must be Russian for "underachieving." It appeared Oleg had finally turned the corner when he posted back-to-back 50-point seasons for the Ducks in 1999-00 and 2000-01, but the good times didn't last long. Tverdovsky went for only six goals and 32 points last season, punching his ticket out of town. Despite his marvelous skating and rifle shot, Tverdovsky has now been traded three times in his eight-year career. Good luck in New Jersey. Because if it's one thing Pat Burns loves, it's that rare combination of inconsistency and questionable attitude that Tverdovsky brings to the rink... or at least he brings it sometimes. You know, when he feels like it.

Dan McGillis, Philadelphia Flyers: McGillis has been on one year and off the next, which really isn't that bad. I mean, my life's been off for 27 years now. You know you may need a change when you can recognize reruns of "Beat the Geeks." But, unlike myself, McGillis could be ready to rebound. See, he had eight goals and 45 points back in 1998-99. He followed that up with a disappointing four goals and 18 points in 99-00. Just when all hope was lost, 2000-01 was a career year with 14 goals and 49 points. Then he was back slummin' it with five goals and 19 points last season. So if things hold true to form, McGillis will be in the 40s again this year. And my life will continue to suck. The more things change...

Robert Svehla, Toronto Maple Leafs: Svehla's "retirement" didn't last long. Having missed only six games in seven years, he should be a welcome addition to a Maple Leaf squad that has had its problems with injuries. Moving north should also give his numbers a significant boost. After scoring at least 43 points in four of his first five years, Svehla's managed just 28 and 29 points the past two seasons.

Yet it's Svehla's hit totals that inspire the Vinnie Barbarino impressions. According to the NHL bean counters, Svehla led the league last season with 386 hits; 13 ahead of second-place Darius Kasparaitis. Wha'? How'd that happen? When did the NHL hire Arthur Anderson? I hope they have a lot of salt down in Florida because someone was definitely cookin' the books. Sure, Svehla is gritty and plays with an edge, but more hits than Kaspar? Whatever. And exactly what constitutes a hit? They must have been counting dimpled chads. I've never seen Svehla knock anyone down, let alone out. At least 350 of Kaspar's 373 hits were home runs. Let's see how many hits Svehla gets credited with this season now that he's on a new club.

Eric Desjardins, Philadelphia Flyers: If Desjardins looked old and slow last season, don't worry. There's nothing wrong with your TV set. He really is old and slow. After three straight years with at least 14 goals and 48 points, Desjardins managed a mere six goals and 25 points in 65 games last season. It's hard to imagine him recapturing his 50-point ways with a net.

Scott Niedermayer, New Jersey Devils: Can we finally say that Niedermayer is never going to be star offensive defenseman? He's 29 and has been in the league 10 years. If it was gonna happen, it would have happened. It's over. This guy's been more disappointing than "Cannonball Run II". His numbers have dropped every year since he scored a career-high 14 goals and 57 points in 1997-98, bottoming out last season with 33 points. Niedermayer's a solid defenseman with great wheels, but that's it.

You may have noticed that Chris Chelios was nowhere to be found in the top ten. There's a good reason for that... he's really lame. And really old. Here are some of our favorite Chelios old jokes: Chris Chelios is so old...

... his Social Security Number is 3.

... he sees in black and white.

... his brother was an amphibian.

... if you cut him dust comes out.

... when he walks by a graveyard people chase him with shovels.

... Anna Nicole Smith proposed to him.

... he remembers when Robin Williams was funny.

... he's nailed three of the four Golden Girls.

... his first goal was scored against Moses.

... he remembers when "Old Faithful" was just "Faithful."

... when he broke into the league, Detroit was known as the "Steam Engine City."

... his pregame meal consists of pudding and hard candies.

... he was witness to some of the world's great technological advances: the personal computer, the automobile... fire.

... his first job was as a lifeguard at the Primordial Ooze.

That's enough. Wait, do you hear that? It's Chelios getting older.

home | about | search | archive | lcs classic © 1994 - 2012 LCS Hockey. Produced by wonderchimp technology company. All Rights Reserved. Made in U.S.A.