10 Greatest Red Wing Defensemen Of All Time.

[up2here 41]

I havent seen a top 10 list on here in a while and I thought this one would be interesting. Actually a little tougher than I thought it might be but heres my list:

1. Nicklas Lidstrom

2. Marcel Pronovost

3. Red Kelly

4. Reed Larson

5. Vladimir Konstantinov

6. Larry Murphy

7. Slava Fetisov

8. Chris Chelios

9. Paul Coffey

10. Steve Chiasson

[WingFanInOilCountry 0]

I believe you overlooked the pain train.

[Guest Hank=FutureCaptain]

I havent seen a top 10 list on here in a while and I thought this one would be interesting. Actually a little tougher than I thought it might be but heres my list:

1. Nicklas Lidstrom

2. Marcel Pronovost

3. Red Kelly

4. Reed Larson

5. Vladimir Konstantinov

6. Larry Murphy

7. Slava Fetisov

8. Chris Chelios

9. Paul Coffey

10. Steve Chiasson

Wow, that is VERY close to my list actually. Out of those 10, I would probably rank it:

1. Nicklas Lidstrom

2. Red Kelly

3. Reed Larson

4. Marcel Pronovost

5. Vladimir Konstantinov

6. Paul Coffey

7. Chris Chelios

8. Larry Murphy

9. Steve Chiasson

10. Slava Fetisov

[up2here 41]

Wow, that is VERY close to my list actually. Out of those 10, I would probably rank it:

1. Nicklas Lidstrom

2. Red Kelly

3. Reed Larson

4. Marcel Pronovost

5. Vladimir Konstantinov

6. Paul Coffey

7. Chris Chelios

8. Larry Murphy

9. Steve Chiasson

10. Slava Fetisov

Its interesting that Chiasson makes the list but he had a few very good years here.

[norrisnick 1]

Black Jack Stewart needs that #3 spot behind Nick and Red Kelly.

Ebbie Goodfellow (a Hart winner on the blueline) needs to be in that top half as well.

[up2here 41]

Black Jack Stewart needs that #3 spot behind Nick and Red Kelly.

Stewart was one of the tough cuts along with Leo Reise and Willie Huber.

[hallelujahlogic 1]

what, no love for mark howe?

[GMRwings1983 8,804]

1. Andreas Lilja

2. Maxim Kuznetsov

3. Yan Golubovsky

4. Cory Cross

5. Uwe Krupp

6. Dmitry Bykov

7. Jesse Wallin

8. Anders Eriksson

9. Brett Lebda

10. Brad Norton

That just shows you that size isn't everything. The top 5 in my list were pretty much the largest Wings in recent memory, yet with the exception of PAIN TRAIN, they were complete panzies.

Edited March 31, 2008 by GMRwings1983

[norrisnick 1]

what, no love for mark howe?

If we were ranking Flyers defensemen he'd likely be top dog. He just didn't do much of anything as a Red Wing.

And if we start ranking defensemen for their careers, but only played a handful of games as Wings then we have to put Doug Harvey, Brad Park, and Borje Salming somewhere as well.

[Shinzaki 72]

How does Gary Bergman not make anyone's list? He played on Team Canada in the Summit Series for Pete's sake. I'd also take Rick Zombo over Chiasson...

[HomeNugget 2]

1. Nicklas Lidstrom

2. Red Kelly

3. Vladimir Konstantinov

4. Jack Stewart

5. Marcel Pronovost

6. Ebbie Goodfellow

7. Slava Fetisov

8. Larry Murphy

9. Chris Chelios

10. Cory Cross (obligatory joke pick)

[Yzerfan1999 81]

1. Andreas Lilja

2. Maxim Kuznetsov

3. Yan Golubovsky

4. Cory Cross

5. Uwe Krupp

6. Dmitry Bykov

7. Jesse Wallin

8. Anders Eriksson

9. Brett Lebda

10. Brad Norton

Hatcher should be on your list.

[GMRwings1983 8,804]

Hatcher should be on your list.

Sadly, he might be too good for that list.

[up2here 41]

If we were ranking Flyers defensemen he'd likely be top dog. He just didn't do much of anything as a Red Wing.

And if we start ranking defensemen for their careers, but only played a handful of games as Wings then we have to put Doug Harvey, Brad Park, and Borje Salming somewhere as well.

Exactly. I put more emphasis on time with the Wings.

[theman19 47]

Big bad Vlad should be higher i think.

[wingnut40 176]

That just shows you that size isn't everything. The top 5 in my list were pretty much the largest Wings in recent memory, yet with the exception of PAIN TRAIN, they were complete panzies.

I love how you love Lilja. I'm 99.99% sure you're sarcastic though.

1. Nick Lidstrom

2.-10 Unworthy to be on the same list as Nick.

[HomeNugget 2]

I love how you love Lilja. I'm 99.99% sure you're sarcastic though.

1. Nick Lidstrom

2.-10 Unworthy to be on the same list as Nick.

i hope you aren't serious.

[wingnut40 176]

i hope you aren't serious.

I'm not. Just emphasizing the fact that Nick is the best of the best.

Edited March 31, 2008 by wingnut40

[Guest Hank=FutureCaptain]

1. Nicklas Lidstrom

2. Red Kelly

3. Vladimir Konstantinov

4. Jack Stewart

5. Marcel Pronovost

6. Ebbie Goodfellow

7. Slava Fetisov

8. Larry Murphy

9. Chris Chelios

10. Cory Cross (obligatory joke pick)

No Paul Coffey?

[puckloo39 5,686]

I'd put Nick first, Vladdy about #3.

And add # 11. Jiri Fischer, for sentimental reasons. He was just coming into his own, and I'll always wonder what a special player he was going to become.

Hatcher would not be included with these other players. He played 4 games for the Wings did come back in time to help us lose in the playoffs, but that doesn't garner him a place on this list.

[therock48880 14]

Big bad Vlad should be higher i think.

I think some people don't remember how good he actually was. The man was PHENOMENAL! Lidstrom (although he was young) was the second best d-man when vladdy was there.

I hate to think about it, but what if.......................

[betterREDthandead 58]

Black Jack Stewart needs that #3 spot behind Nick and Red Kelly.

Ebbie Goodfellow (a Hart winner on the blueline) needs to be in that top half as well.

Yes, exactly my thoughts when I read the first lists. Goodfellow doesn't get enough credit but he was one of the best of the best during the first great era of the '30s.

1. Nick Lidstrom

2. Red Kelly

3. Ebbie Goodfellow

Those three are the three premier defensemen during the three eras of Wings greatness; Lidstrom represents the '90s/'00s, Kelly the '50s, and Goodfellow the '30s.

4. Reed Larson - best of the dark times.

5. Chris Chelios - if he plays two more seasons with the Wings he will have played more games in a Wings uni than any other. Probably much fewer than two seasons if you count playoff games. That's amazing for someone who joined the team at 36. That's worth spot #5.

6. Marcel Pronovost - another longevity pick. Not an offensive dynamo but rock-steady.

7. Black Jack Stewart - Seriously? I know like zilch about him. But 10 years in a Wings sweater is worth something, and everyone says he's pretty good.

8. Vladimir Konstantinov - Partially a what-he-could-have-accomplished pick.

9-10. Who knows? The rest is a toss-up. Steve Chiasson, Paul Coffey, Gary Bergman, Larry Murphy, Slava Fetisov, Doug Young.....take your pick. Murphy was a good addition but he only played for the Wings a few years out of a long career. Coffey, same. Fetisov, same. Coffey would seem like a good addition as a Norris winner but I associate him too much with heaving the puck into his own damn net, and being traded away in essentially the trade that brought us Stanley for the first time in ages.

I do have a #11 though.

11. Barry Melrose. Yeah, him.

[therock48880 14]

I'd put Nick first, Vladdy about #3.

If Nick's number 1, then Vladdy is number 2 in my book and I would argue that if things hadn't happened the way they had, Vladdy would be number 1. In 95 he had a plus 60 rating and in what turned out to be his last year he was ROBBED of the Norris, finishing in second. He had just turned 30 when the accident happened so he had a good 7 or 8 years left in him.

For a guy who was 5'11 and weighed less than 180 pounds, he was a BEAST.

For reference sake and this is not meant to be a negative toward Lidstrom:

Vladdy in his career averaged a plus 31 and his last two years he he averaged a plus 49.

Lidstrom in his career has averaged a plus 24.

Edited April 1, 2008 by therock48880

[betterREDthandead 58]

If Nick's number 1, then Vladdy is number 2 in my book and I would argue that if things hadn't happened the way they had, Vladdy would be number 1. In 95 he had a plus 60 rating and in what turned out to be his last year he was ROBBED of the Norris, finishing in second. He had just turned 30 when the accident happened so he had a good 7 or 8 years left in him.

For a guy who was 5'11 and weighed less than 180 pounds, he was a BEAST.

#2? Absolutely no friggin' way. When you look at what other guys actually accomplished, there's no way you can put Vladdy above them. At the absolute, most generous, highest arguable place, Vladdy's #5. Tops. Sure, he was a beast. For six years, he was a very, very good defenseman, and belongs on the top ten list, no doubt. But I think sentiment and dreamy oh-what-could-have-beens are elevating his status higher than it should be.

What Vladdy did for six years does not overshadow what Kelly did for 12 or what Goodfellow did for 14.

[Never_Retire_Steve 35]

I like a lot of these picks but I'm going to play devil's advocate on those who put Coffey on their top ten list. Sure he was probably the second best offensive defensemen of all time and a definite HoF player, but was he really that good in Detroit? I remember thinking that he was somewhat of a liability on defense compared to some of the other D men that played with him.