Best NHL defenseman to play the game. Agree or Disagree?

[Flavius]

Raymond Bourque!

Many of you out there are going to say Bobby Orr and I would agree had he played for a long period of time, but his injuries cut his career short. Because of this reason, I stand firm that Raymond Bourque was the best D'man of all time.

Raymond Bourque, statically, is number 1 in almost all categories (points, goals, assists, games played, playoff games played, and so on).

Agree or Disagree?

 

[87112]

For me Brian Leetch's style of play especially 1994 will always be my favorite. I did not watch too much of Ray Borque, the guy was not flashy enough for me. Just a machine of a d man.

 

[Flavius]

For me Brian Leetch's style of play especially 1994 will always be my favorite. I did not watch too much of Ray Borque, the guy was not flashy enough for me. Just a machine of a d man.

Brian Leetch is very good and even great but unfortunately doesn't compare statically to Ray Bourque ( unless you use the stat who got their Stanley Cup Ring first).

 

[manni]

Raymond Bourque!

Many of you out there are going to say Bobby Orr and I would agree had he played for a long period of time, but his injuries cut his career short. Because of this reason, I stand firm that Raymond Bourque was the best D'man of all time.

Raymond Bourque, statically, is number 1 in almost all categories (points, goals, assists, games played, playoff games played, and so on).

Agree or Disagree?

Disagree with a cap D!
Nick Lidstrom gets my vote.

 

[harrington]

Cmon guys, there can't even be a debate about this one.

It has to be Bobby Orr.

Best defenceman ever by far and, arguably, best player ever (maybe #2 to Wayne).

His only knock is he was cut short by injuries. That's bad luck - could have happened to Lidstrom and Bourque at same stage of their careers and they'd both be footnotes on this list. that's the test.

Orr dominated at both ends of the ice and controlled the game. I saw him play. Never seen another like him. I like Lidstrom, Bourque, Niedermeyer, Coffee - they're all great, but they're not Bobby Orr. He was amazing.

He averaged almost a + 1 PER GAME for his whole career. PER GAME !!! That's like a +80 for a season ( and I think one season he even had more than a +100).

Despite only playing 9 or 10 years, he still won the Norris trophy almost every year (and still holds the record) Sure Lidstrom is close but he played twice as many games.

If you compare game for game, impact for impact, and how he personally changed the game of hockey (like Wayne did for forwards after him) there really can't be a debate.

I agree with Lance. Bobby Orr, hands down, is the greatest defenseman to ever play the game. He revolutionize how the position is played - he is the original offensive, two way defenseman. He is the only player and possibly the only player ever to win the Art Ross, Hart, Norris and Conn Smythe in one year. That's pretty incredible.

 

[badbadboy]

Some great names from different eras as the greatest of all time.

Thing that is different now is everyone is fast, everyone is very fit and nobody is immune to the big hitters anymore. The style of the game has significantly.

I'd pic Orr definitely from that era. From the recent past, I would choose Scott Niedermayer over Bourque because he was a total player offensively and defensively. Bourque's game was more on the defensive side IMHO.

 

[ValleyGuy]

Bobby Orr and it`s not even close. Not only is he the best defenceman of all time, he is the greatest player period of all time. He dominated the game like no other and changed the way the game was played. He was a one of a kind talent.

 

[papillion]

Cmon guys, there can't even be a debate about this one.

It has to be Bobby Orr.

Best defenceman ever by far and, arguably, best player ever (maybe #2 to Wayne).


His only knock is he was cut short by injuries. That's bad luck - could have happened to Lidstrom and Bourque at same stage of their careers and they'd both be footnotes on this list. that's the test.

Orr dominated at both ends of the ice and controlled the game. I saw him play. Never seen another like him. I like Lidstrom, Bourque, Niedermeyer, Coffee - they're all great, but they're not Bobby Orr. He was amazing.

He averaged almost a + 1 PER GAME for his whole career. PER GAME !!! That's like a +80 for a season ( and I think one season he even had more than a +100).

Despite only playing 9 or 10 years, he still won the Norris trophy almost every year (and still holds the record) Sure Lidstrom is close but he played twice as many games.

If you compare game for game, impact for impact, and how he personally changed the game of hockey (like Wayne did for forwards after him) there really can't be a debate.

This.
I would speculate that a team of 5 Bobby Orrs would beat a team of 5 Ray Borques, Larry Robinsons, or any other 5 man roster.
He was that good.

 

[usernametaken]

a better comparison is Orr to Gretky , unfortunately with Orr' carreer being cut short it 's hard to know how long he would have kept up that pace.

 

[Man in Submission]

Cmon guys, there can't even be a debate about this one.

It has to be Bobby Orr.

Best defenceman ever by far and, arguably, best player ever (maybe #2 to Wayne).

His only knock is he was cut short by injuries. That's bad luck - could have happened to Lidstrom and Bourque at same stage of their careers and they'd both be footnotes on this list. that's the test.

Orr dominated at both ends of the ice and controlled the game. I saw him play. Never seen another like him. I like Lidstrom, Bourque, Niedermeyer, Coffee - they're all great, but they're not Bobby Orr. He was amazing.

He averaged almost a + 1 PER GAME for his whole career. PER GAME !!! That's like a +80 for a season ( and I think one season he even had more than a +100).

Despite only playing 9 or 10 years, he still won the Norris trophy almost every year (and still holds the record) Sure Lidstrom is close but he played twice as many games.

If you compare game for game, impact for impact, and how he personally changed the game of hockey (like Wayne did for forwards after him) there really can't be a debate.

100 per cent bang on. My family moved to Oshawa, Ont. in the 60s and just missed getting to see Bobby play for the Generals in the Ontario Hockey League by 3 months. Would have been amazing to get to see that. He went to Boston as a teenager and dominated right from the first game he played. He singlehandedly beat my Rangers - who had a far better overall team if Orr wasn't playing for Boston - in the 1972 Cup final. Broke my heart but little did I know I had plenty more heartbreak to come as a Rangers fan, lol. Seriously though, guys like Bourque and Lidstrom were solid, durable players with above average skills, vision and hockey sense who enjoyed long careers, much longer than Orr due to his knee injuries. When healthy and in his prime though, Bobby was incomparable. It is hard to compare eras, but I don't know if we'll see another player like Bobby Orr, who completely revolutionized his position ... and the game itself.

 

[Tod789]

Lidstrom has my vote.

 

[apl16]

Orr. Without a doubt.

 

[Lo-ki]

Terry Harper from Montreal.........NOT......ound:ound:ound:

 

[Booblover123]

Gotta be Bobby Orr he changed the game the way he played.

 

[sevenofnine]

I was old enough to watch him play,

I think there were only two other players in all of sports who could control and dominate a game at will like he did,

MJ Michael Jordon and Tiger Woods when he was on track and in form,
The best player to ever lace on a pair of skates period,

Number four

 

[manni]

I was old enough to watch him play,

I think there were only two other players in all of sports who could control and dominate a game at will like he did,

MJ Michael Jordon and Tiger Woods when he was on track and in form,
The best player to ever lace on a pair of skates period,

Number four

if we're talking domination,
how about Roger Federer, Serena Williams, Usain Bolt and Muhammad Ali?

 

[summerbreeze]

Would not be able to say it is anything other than personal opinion but personally would have to go with Bobby Orr.

After all these years his ability to go end to end is still unmatched.

He sure paid a price for it though....

 

[wilde]

I'll take Bobby Orr followed by Larry Robinson, Raymond Bourque - not even close...

 

[ValleyGuy]

Where would you have Denny Potvin?

 

[usernametaken]

Where would you have Denny Potvin?

Denny was good!