Washington Capitals (and Saskatoon Blades alumni) Mike Green has had an outstanding season for his team. He is the first blueliner to score 30 goals since the 1992-93 season. Because of that, many are saying he is the odds-on favourite to win the Norris Trophy as the NHL's top defenceman. If Green does indeed win, they should re-name the trophy the Paul Coffey trophy because it will be obvious the award is now going to not the best defenceman but the best offensive defenceman.
Green is a good player and will most likely be a part of our Olympic team but to say he is the league's best defenceman is a little bit of a stretch. A defenceman is supposed to shut down the opposition forwards and prevent them from getting scoring chances. Guys like Zdeno Chara, Nicklas Lidstrom, Dion Phaneuf and Chris Pronger are shutdown defencemen. Mike Green is not. Chara and Lidstrom are guys that you have on the ice no matter the situation. I don't think Green is one of Washington's main guys on the PK. Chara and Lidstrom are head and shoulders a better defenceman than Mike Green and my vote would go to Chara. Green has had an outstanding season but giving him the league's best blueliner honor because he has had the best offensive numbers is a little offensive if you ask me.
7 comments:
I would hardly call Phaneuf a shutdown defenceman, I like his style, but he is constantly out of position and taking stupid chances. I really thought he'd figure it out this year, but in my opinion he's regressed. Regehr is Calgary's shutdown D-man.
Pronger is not a shut down d-man. The game has surpassed him. He is a tree trunk.
Pronger's not a shut down defenceman? I guess that is why Boston wanted to pair him with Chara or have him on the number 2 unit. Give yor head a shake!!
Green has 30 goals, 40 assists for 70 points. He is also a plus 24 in just 65 games played. Lidstrom has 15 goals and 58 points, is a plus 33 in 11 more games played. Chara has 17 goals and 47 points, has the same plus/minus as Green, and has played 13 more games. No brainer IMO, Mike Green wins the Norris. The numbers don't lie.
The Oilers won't be able to get rid of Penner. Lowe would be too embarrassed to buy out his contract, and no one would take him in a trade or on re-entry waivers because of his outrageous salary. The best they can hope is that the new coach can get something out of him.
Right on about Big Z. Ottawa made a mistake keeping Wade Redden over Chara and don't even get me started on Mike Milbury. To think he gave up Z, the pick that became Spezza (#2) for Alexei Yashin makes me wonder how he can tell anyone else what they should do with a straight face.
Are you sure the numbers don't lie? Is Green playing against the top lines like Chara and Lidstrom are? Not in the games I've watched! That being said, if you have the Selke for top defensive forward, why not a Paul Coffey award for best offensive d-man?
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