NHL's Top Ten Bluelines

The blueline is a transition unit. It can be a catalyst for the offence and protect its goaltender.

The last two Stanley Cup Champions rode the two best bluelines in the game to the title. Meanwhile, the San Jose Sharks unit struggled to handle the forecheck, turned over the puck exposing Evgeni Nabokov, and was among the poorest point-producing units in the league. The result: they bowed out in the second round three years in a row.

In part two of this series, I analyze the top ten bluelines in the NHL. Because a team's top two defencemen play more minutes than its bottom two, I am emphasizing the unit at an approximate 40-30-20-10 ratio. The best two may not pair up, but they will be the ones getting the extra time on special teams.

Therefore, please note I am not projecting actual pairs but gauging total minutes. Furthermore, I will list a "fourth" blueline of players that may not dress but will be relied on over the course of the season due to injuries. All players are graded not for their roles, but how they rate among all defencemen.

1. The Anaheim Ducks are probably the best unit in the expansion era. Rating: 8.8

Chris Pronger (whose antics should have earned him far more suspension time) and Scott Niedermeyer are two of the three best defencemen in the league, and they're teammates. Both are outstanding on both ends of the ice, and can play a lot of minutes; both will be out on the power play and penalty kill. A+

Schneider is still elite (although rumoured to be on his way out for cap reasons) on the offencive end and solid defencively, and Francois Beauchemin is good enough on each end to be better than some teams' top defencemen. B+

Furthermore, Sean O’Donnell and Kent Huskins (+23 last season!) are solid blueliners who can handle their defencive responsibilities. C+

After 1-6, this squad is hurting. They picked up Steve Montador, who is a solid defender with playoff experience that I am projecting will not start often except due to injury or suspension of Pronger. However, the only other defenceman on the roster with NHL experience is Brennan Evans, who played two games for the Flames in the 2003-2004 season. D-

2. The Calgary Flames have the deepest and strongest unit in their own end. Rating: 8

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