Cage Match Tournament - DEFENSEMEN BREAKOUTS - vote here!

[RizzeeDizzee]

Greetings again DobberHockey-ites, and welcome back to the Summer 2016 Cage Match Tournaments. Before talking about this week’s tournament, I want to pass along major news, which is that by popular demand (and with approval from the head honcho) there will be two more tournaments! Next week we’ll cover forward fallers, and then in two weeks it will be the defensemen droppers; in both cases, you’ll be voting on players you think will see their scoring reduced by the highest percentage as compared to last season. So mark your calendars and be sure to come back and vote!

But onto more pressing matters, which is this week’s tournament. Here you’re voting on which defenseman who’s never previously scored more than 35 points is most likely to score 40 or more points in 2016-17.

Full details and rules for this tournament are posted in the accompanying Cage Match column, including more about the players involved as well as which players are excluded from consideration and why. Here's a link to the column: http://www.dobberhockey.com/hockey-h...nner-forwards/

You can vote for up to two players, or just one if you prefer. So as not to influence voting, I've listed the players in alphabetical order. Voting will be open until Monday August 8th. One key difference from the just completed tournament on breakout forwards is this will be the only voting round. In other words, there is no round two for this tournament – your votes this week will decide the winner, so make sure you vote or your opinion won’t be heard.

To make it more fun, and to help increase the valuable fantasy takeaways, I hope everyone posts in this thread explaining the reasons why they picked – or didn’t pick – certain players.

Be sure to read Wednesday’s column, and see you back here next week for the forward fallers bonus tournament!

[hockeyrobot]

Lot of great options here....although where is Dekeyser!?!?!

I voted Parayko assuming Shattenkirk gets hurt.

Also like Maata, Larsson, Jones, Dumba

[hockeymanG23]

I went with Jones and Gardiner. I figure they have the right mix of experience, opportunity, and talent.

[Goldendelicious]

Kelfbom if healthy should surpass this number. Jones with all the opportunity in the world I think takes that next step here too.

[Sulla]

Jones....

Lindholm could be interesting depending on how the Ducks D shakes out. I also have a sneaky feeling that maybe Josi and Subban don't play together which may make Ellis or Ekholm possibly dark dark dark horses

With Krug being injured to start the season I can see Miller going at it at a 40 point pace to begin with, much like Parayoko last season, but don't think he will hang in there to reach the 40... I also don't see Shatenkirk moving so Parayoko misses out again too

[RizzeeDizzee]

Thanks for the votes and posts so far. I just noticed - too late unfortunately - that I used too many characters for the title of the poll. It should say: "Which d-man is most likely to score 40+ points in 2016-17 despite never previously scoring more than 35"

Fortunately I made note of that in the first post and the key number - 40+ - made it through okay. Still though - apologies for any confusion.

[Eskimo Brother]

Ekholm, Jones and Parayko were my votes. Jones has the run of CLB, so he should fly past it. Ekholm was a stud after the Jones trade and will pile up some PP2 points. Parayko could hit 40 even with Shatty in the way, but if/when he gets injured/traded, then Parayko is the top PPQB.

[4T2]

I voted for Parayako (assuming Shattenkirk gets traded) and Trouba (best offensive D-man on the list and only Buff ahead of him).

Jones is a very viable option as well. Klefbom and Martinez would not surprise me either.

Lindholm/Ellis/Ekholm would be viable options if they weren't buried on their teams depth charts.

[chuckcouples]

Seth Jones and Hampus Lindholm

Jones and Ryan Murray are going to become the new Suter/Weber or Josi/Weber. Columbus is not as bad as people think they are. I think both Jones and Murray will be above or very close to 40 points this season.

Hampus Lindholm is just too good of a dman not to get more ice time this season. The Ducks are also still likely to move one of Vatanen or Fowler which would open up PP 1 time for Lindholm. The Ducks scored on only 5.65% of the shots they had while Lindholm was on the ice last season compared to 8.6% for the season. That's a huge difference and he still put up 28 points.

[Sulla]

Do you not think Werenski supplants Murray?

[RizzeeDizzee]

Great stuff so far - not just because after fewer than 20 ballots cast each player already has one or more vote, but also because the posts in the thread have been great. I'll spread rep where I can.

Sulla - I think your question was directed to chuck, but in case it wasn't please note that Werenski was not among the choices because I opted to exclude rookies.

[Eskimo Brother]

I agree with leaving the rookies off, because they are a whole different beast, however I do agree with Sulla that I would have Werenski supplanting Murray (if we had a guarantee that he started off the season in the NHL, AND with a fair shot from Torts).

[lucafen4]

I got Lindholm & Parayko. If Lindholm had two halves to his season, he hits 40 last year & Parayko is going to get there regrardless of Shattenkirk next year.

[Sulla]

Great stuff so far - not just because after fewer than 20 ballots cast each player already has one or more vote, but also because the posts in the thread have been great. I'll spread rep where I can.

Sulla - I think your question was directed to chuck, but in case it wasn't please note that Werenski was not among the choices because I opted to exclude rookies.

Yeah it was aimed at Chuck as a point re Murray hitting the plateau - I just don't see it but that's the joy of these threads

[jarja]

so people don't Murray becoming a 40pt dman anymore? he was looking like a #1 guy for awhile.