Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
Best NHL Team That Money Can Buy: Second Pairing
- Duncan Keith. I know, I know, Keith should probably be on the first pairing. However, Keith would be much better suited if he got more offensive zone starts, in my opinion. To me, he’s not as ideal of a first pairing guy as OEL and I really strived to get lefty-righty combinations. Regardless, it’s awesome to have a guy like Keith as a second pairing guy as Keith is one of the best offensive defensemen in the NHL. Like Stralman, he benefitted from having extra games in the playoffs. However, he ended last season with a dCI of 174.27 (4th highest among NHL blue liners). He had the third highest dcF as well. Could you imagine Keith getting a ton of offensive zone starts? Good luck opposing teams! Oh, and his cap hit is an unfair $5.538 million. Once you realize how many guys make more than that, holy cow that’s a bargain.
- Jason Demers. Boy, the Sharks probably wish they had him back. They traded him to the Stars, and he wound up being an underrated blessing for Dallas. Dallas will be relying quite heavily on him next season. His dCI of 174.33 was the third highest among NHL blue liners. That’s even more impressive once you realize he only played 61 games. He also balances out Keith as he’s more of a stay at home defenseman. Having a guy like Demers allows Keith to be more aggressive, which is when Keith is at his best. He has a very nice cap hit of just $3.4 million.
Next: Third Pairing