Ranking My D for NEXT YEAR (Keep 4)
 

IT's looking more and more like we may not have a season. This is troublesome to me as I drafted some young defenders with what I feel are High Ceilings, and I'll likely have to let 1 or more go sight unseen.

Help me out boys....Below is my Defense Core. I can keep 4.

Please help me decide who are my 4 keepers...and who is the 1 Fringe guy to consider (my 5th and swing vote).

Cats below in my signature. (I think top 3 are a lock, then it gets more interesting between 4th and 5th. Thanks!

Doughty
R. Whitney (Edm)
Kulikov
Phaneuf
B. Smith (Det)
Edler
Gonchar

These would be my 4:
Doughty, Phaneuf, Edler, Kulikov

I'd clearly go with

Doughty
Phaneuf
Edler
Smith

The others are either no locks for big contributons or have not as high an upside as Smith.

So Far Exactly what I figured...

Doughty, Phaneuf and Edler are locks.

An early split between Kulikov and Smith.

So Essentially...the question is...who would you rather
Kulikov or B. Smith...for right now...and down the road.

Does either have a chance to out rank Doughty, Phaneuf or Edler within 3 years?

The top 3 are definite locks for me: Doughty, Edler, and Phaneuf. After that it's between Kulikov and Smith, like you've said.

I like Kulikov over Smith, but it's pretty close. In the end I think Kulikov's experience is the deciding factor. The injuries are an issue, certainly, but he put up 28 points in 58 games on the 2nd pairing and PP2, behind Garrison and Campbell. That's a 40 point pace as a #3/4 defenseman. There's no reason that he won't be a top pairing, PP1 guy this year.

You can make an argument either way, but that's what I'd be thinking.

Thanks Bizzl...I'm very much Torn. To be honest, there's just something about taking the expected #1 in Detroit over the POSSIBLE #2 one day...maybe #1 one day further away.

Call it the Detroit blinders...but it's like having the ACE of the Yankees over the ACE of the Astros.

One may be better than the other, perhaps from a talent wise, they're equal, but I just can't get past the fact that one may be in a better situation than the other...hence me leaning toward Smith...

But from a body of work...he's essentially unknown at the NHL level where Kulikov is showing flashes of Offensive upside already (muted by injuries).

And as i complete this post, I've clearly toiled myself back into an undecided frame of mind!

lol

I'm on team Smith here. Florida is full of young talent (Gudbranson, Petrovic, Matheson) while Detroit is pretty shallow in the D prospects section. Smith has a path paved in front of him to become the go-to guy on the blueline at the Joe. It's his chance to blow.

Doughty (These three can be flip flopped.. order doesn't really matter - all locks to be kept)
Phaneuf
Edler

Kulikov <- #4
B. Smith (Det) - fringe guy... his peripherals can help even when he's not scoring.. and could be gold down the road if you can hold him


R. Whitney (Edm)
Gonchar

Big Kulikov fan and I don't think it is close between him and Smith. Kulikov with Campbell will light it up for years, and Smith hasn't proven a thing.

Doughty, Edler, Phaneuf, Kulikov

Good Point.

Down the Road, Kulikov may have a better supporting cast to pair him with on the #1/2 Defensive line.

As it currently stands, with the departure of Lidstrom, Smith may very well become the #1 guy...but who's left to help him thrive? Ian White? Kyle Quincy?

But I do like the additional cats (PIM's and PPP) that Smith brings. Can't see Kulikov being overly physical...and if he is...can his body hold up to the demand?