Top 10 NHL Defensemen of All Time

Goals and flashy plays may put fans in the seats, but defense wins hockey games. If you trace back the Stanley Cup winners throughout the years you'll find one common factor on nearly every team that hoisted the silver chalice: one or more great defensemen. However, playing defense involves more than just stopping the opposing teams' forwards. The most valuable blueliners in the history of the game were great shutdown men, yes, but they also were great passers, shooters, and racked up plenty of points while somehow managing to keep the opposition in check. The ability to walk this tightrope is a trait shared by the greatest the game has ever seen. Here is my list of the guys who did it the best: the top ten NHL defensemen of all time:

10 - Scott Niedermayer

Every team this guy laces up the blades for wins. It's as simple as that. Some may question Niedermayer's inclusion on this list, and I'll grant he is right on the bubble, but take a look at the hardware he has acquired over his career as a hockey player and you'll have to admit that he is certainly deserving of consideration. Not only does he have four Stanley Cup rings, he also won a Memorial Cup, a World Junior gold medal, and Olympic gold medal, a World Championship gold, and a World Cup of Hockey title. He also has a Conn Smythe trophy as the MVP of the playoffs as well as a Norris trophy as the league's best defenseman. Other players might have better individual stats, but Nieds has been a winner at every level he has played at, and that, more than any other stat, defines greatness in the sport.

9 - Paul Coffey

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