Enstrom & Shattenkirk are 1 & 2 in dmen scoring
 

With 13 points each...
Not so long ago, a top 5 defensemen list was more or less looking like this (did I forget someone?):

Karlsson
Letang
Byfuglien
Pietrangelo
Yandle / Doughty

Right now, only Pietrangelo is in the top 5 in defensemen scoring, with 11 points. It's still early, injuries and cold streaks have to be considered... But where do you rank Enstrom and Shatts now on that list (or lower?) based on their season so far?

I'll go out and say they are legitimate top 10 options right now, and knocking hard on the door of the top 5.

Buff and Letang have been out of the lineup, so I think their numbers will come back. Whether his return will help or hurt Enstrom's numbers is yet to be seen. I don't see Winnipeg having the scoring to keep him in the top 5 over the course of a season though. Even a shortened one.

I think Yandle and Doughty are safe to slide down a peg. Doughty seems to have been trending downwards offensively. Yandle has been eclipsed to some extent by OEL.

I think your predictions sound right. Top 10 for sure, but very close to top 5. I came out of my pool looking like a genius getting Pietrangelo, Enstrom, Shattenkirk and Markov for my starting D (with Kronwall on my bench).

Although Pietrangelo is the man in STL and has an overall better game, Shattenkirk should easily compete with him for top scoring among Dmen on the team.

Enstrom & Shattenkirk are definitely fringe top 10 defensemen.
But so are a lot of guys.


I'm not a big fan of creating "defenseman rankings" though... because for points-only pools its basically:

1. Karlsson
...
...
2a.
2b.
2c.
2d.
2e.
2f.
etc., etc., etc.

A bunch of interchangeable guys between 40-55pts.
I honestly think there are as many as 15 defensemen that could finish 2nd in the NHL in scoring. (Chara, Campbell, Doughty, Suter, Weber, Streit, Yandle, Letang, AP, Shattenkirk, Boyle, Edler, Buff, Enstrom). And then you've got guys who could join this group if they can stay healthy like Mike Green and Andrei Markov. (both I took for this shortened season in one-year leagues).

Any of those guys listed above could finish 2nd in D scoring... or 15th.
So... sometimes doing "rankings" skew our understanding of defenseman value.

Enstrom's always been underappreciated. Not to say he's top 5 or anything like that but assuming he plays a near-full season he's pretty much as sure of a bet for 50 as anyone out there. Thing is he's not likely to go much beyond that which puts him out of the elite grouping