Next to join top tier of D-Men

[forsbergfan]

The top tier of fantasy defencemen is pretty clear. It was Karlsson and Burns, who were joined this year by Hedman. Letang is also up there, however he's also a big injury risk.
My questions is: Who is the next to join this very elite tier? And which players/prospects do you one day see joining the top tier?

[Moses]

Great question for a Saturday in May. +1

This should be a good thread.

[DudeImJason]

my bet would be Ristolainen

last season 45 points, 25PPP mind you only 1 being a goal but that's definitely going to increase, if your league has SOG/BS/HIT then even better last year 186 SOG, 195 HITS, 161 BS, multi cat stud w/ good offensive upside

all this and only 22 years old

[Sulla]

Josi is on the brink IMO issue for him will always be his supporting cast - when you consider the others they have nowhere near what he has - and probably ties in with why Risto is probably next

[forsbergfan]

Josi is on the brink IMO issue for him will always be his supporting cast - when you consider the others they have nowhere near what he has - and probably ties in with why Risto is probably next

I agree with you that he's got the talent but the supporting cast will prevent him from getting anywhere near 70 points, which seems to be the benchmark for the top tier. Watching the Predators in the playoffs, Subban seems to be their go-to guy on D.

What about Werenski? Probably not for a couple more seasons, but he's definitely got the talent and the opportunity.

And for an absolute dark horse (so probably a crazy pick, but still wouldn't surprise me), long term I would also say Brandon Montour. He's very similar to Brent Burns. Much like Josi, it might be an issue of too much supporting cast, but he shoots the puck so much and is so ridiculously talented offensively that I could see him being a top tier dman.

[Sulla]

I do wonder how Ghost bounces back as his overall totals last season aren't bad for someone a lot of people soured on

realistically though I don't think there will ever be more than 4 or 5 in that group as it is purely Elite.

I like Werenski but think he is a tier or two below as he matures in the league... Same with Montour. It's also worth considering the teams they are in and how they are built - to be a Karlsson, Letang etc you have to be THE man and have no one their to cannibalise your stats - lets be honest that's why Hedman has only just reached this standard and it's not even a given he retains it...

darker we horse seeing as we are going there could be Emblad when Yandle's contract is out of Florida... Reminds me a little of Hedman's previous situation...

[Tfan5211]

rasmus dahlin

[RizzeeDizzee]

Risto, but it might take 1-3 years. Josi had 27 points in his last 30 games FWIW, so he's a candidate as well. I'm no longer sold on Klingberg, given his shot volume and how Dallas is using him. My "reach" pick is Dougie Hamilton.

[Eskimo Brother]

I came here to say Risto, both in points only, and in multicat leagues. I like Josi to stay in that 50-60 point range but I don't see him really topping 60 over a full season.
Hamilton, Werenski, and Montour as a dark horse are all intriguing names. I also want to throw Parayko into that mix, as we have a lot to look forward to with his development. Not saying they will for sure, but it wouldn't surprise me too much to see them do it.
As far as wildcards go, McAvoy is another name to bring up. He looked the part in Boston's first round series, and I could see him following the Hedman kind of path up to that top tier.

[DusterDave]

Roman Josi is a great candidate. Also surprised no one has mentioned Oliver Ekman-Larsson yet. Most people were extremely high on OEL going into last season's drafts but he had a pretty mediocre year. He has to top the list for a bounce back season. Other than that, I am very curious to see how well Julius Honka and Charlie McAvoy break into the NHL next year.

[Eskimo Brother]

Roman Josi is a great candidate. Also surprised no one has mentioned Oliver Ekman-Larsson yet. Most people were extremely high on OEL going into last season's drafts but he had a pretty mediocre year. He has to top the list for a bounce back season. Other than that, I am very curious to see how well Julius Honka and Charlie McAvoy break into the NHL next year.

I think OEL has kind of settled himself into that next tier below where we find guys like Subban, Josi, Buff, Shattenkirk, Keith, etc. Any given season they could have an outlier that puts them up with the top tier, but for the most part, they're playing second fiddle.

[Jouko-Pouko]

Out of all the names mentioned here, Werenski is the only one I could see getting 65+ points at some point in the future but I think even that's unlikely.

Ristolainen is a beast in multi-cat but I don't see 60+ in his future.

[FinnishFlash]

I still think Reilly is going to eventually make the jump. It may be a few years away, but once he gets consistent PP time his ceiling goes to 55+

[LuigiC173]

the answers I see here make me pumped for my keeper blue line.

[DusterDave]

the answers I see here make me pumped for my keeper blue line.

Your keeper D-men for Peter North Stars are amazing! Probably the best in your league I would assume. Is it a keep 8 in any position? If it is, I'd be curious to see the rest of your roster. Is keeping Jones necessary? Maybe a better skater option for you?