Top 100 Keeper League Defensemen – June 2017

Dobber

2017-06-02

The Top 100 defensemen to own in your points-only keeper league – June edition

Further to yesterday's Top 300 Players ranking, here are the defensemen broken out of that list. Don't forget to pick up the Fantasy Prospects Report, which is out now – get it here. As always, two players within +/-5.0 rating points of each other are to be considered equal fantasy value and are not really worth debating because at that point it would depend on your needs.

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Def. Rk	Player	Team	Rating	June	May
1	Erik Karlsson	OTT	125.1	14	14
2	Brent Burns	SJS	105.2	28	28
3	Victor Hedman	TBL	92.6	43	43
4	P.K. Subban	NSH	76.9	67	69
5	John Klingberg	DAL	71	82	82
6	Roman Josi	NSH	62.1	104	108
7	Oliver Ekman-Larsson	ARI	60.5	108	109
8	Kevin Shattenkirk	UFA	58.1	115	104
9	Drew Doughty	LAK	56.7	119	119
10	Dougie Hamilton	CGY	55.2	122	122
11	Duncan Keith	CHI	54.9	123	123
12	John Carlson	WAS	53.9	127	127
13	Shayne Gostisbehere	PHI	51.5	130	131
14	Dustin Byfuglien	WPG	51.3	131	132
15	Tyson Barrie	COL	50.3	136	136
16	Alex Pietrangelo	STL	50	138	138
17	Kris Letang	PIT	47.8	146	144
18	Torey Krug	BOS	47.5	148	146
19	Seth Jones	CBJ	46.1	152	153
20	Zach Werenski	CBJ	45.3	156	155
21	Justin Schultz	PIT	42.7	165	163
22	Morgan Rielly	TOR	42.6	166	164
23	Ryan Ellis	NSH	42.2	167	168
24	Jake Gardiner	TOR	39.3	175	173
25	Rasmus Ristolainen	BUF	38.1	178	176
26	Shea Weber	MON	37.8	179	177
27	Keith Yandle	FLA	37.6	181	178
28	Nick Leddy	NYI	35.2	187	183
29	Jacob Trouba	WPG	34	191	188
30	Matt Dumba	MIN	33.1	194	192
31	Justin Faulk	CAR	32.1	198	196
32	Ryan McDonagh	NYR	30.9	204	204
33	Brady Skjei	NYR	30.3	206	206
34	Cam Fowler	ANA	29.5	209	209
35	Oscar Klefbom	EDM	28.7	212	212
36	Aaron Ekblad	FLA	28.5	214	214
37	Mark Giordano	CGY	27.4	216	216
38	Ryan Suter	MIN	26.6	222	222
39	Ivan Provorov	PHI	25.8	223	241
40	Colton Parayko	STL	24.1	232	230
41	TJ Brodie	CGY	23.7	239	235
42	Brent Seabrook	CHI	23.6	241	237
43	Dmitry Orlov	WAS	23.2	242	239
44	Nikita Zaitsev	TOR	23.2	243	240
45	Matt Niskanen	WAS	22.2	246	245
46	Damon Severson	NJD	17.7	273	269
47	Jared Spurgeon	MIN	17.5	275	272
48	Nathan Beaulieu	MON	17.1	281	278
49	Jaccob Slavin	CAR	16.6	286	283
50	Hampus Lindholm	ANA	16	292	267
51	Shea Theodore	ANA	15.7	295	289
52	Tyler Myers	WPG	15.5	301	295
53	Mike Green	DET	15.5	302	296
54	Anthony DeAngelo	ARI	13.3	338	330
55	Sami Vatanen	ANA	13.3	339	270
56	Mike Matheson	FLA	13.3	342	332
57	Marc-Edouard Vlasic	SJS	11.7	356	347
58	Darnell Nurse	EDM	11.6	357	348
59	Ryan Pulock	NYI	11.4	361	362
60	Joshua Morrissey	WPG	11.3	363	346
61	Brandon Montour	ANA	11.2	364	355
62	Mattias Ekholm	NSH	10.8	369	378
63	Julius Honka	DAL	10.7	371	370
64	Colin Miller	BOS	10.7	372	358
65	Adam Larsson	EDM	10.7	373	359
66	Jake Muzzin	LAK	10.7	374	360
67	Alec Martinez	LAK	10.3	379	366
68	Cody Ceci	OTT	9.9	383	368
69	Esa Lindell	DAL	9.9	384	369
70	Anton Stralman	TBL	9.7	386	372
71	Erik Johnson	COL	9.5	389	376
72	Derrick Pouliot	PIT	9.1	392	391
73	Alex Goligoski	ARI	8.7	396	384
74	Charlie McAvoy	BOS	8.6	398	527
75	Brian Dumoulin	PIT	8.5	400	388
76	Michael Stone	UFA	8.3	402	415
77	Connor Murphy	ARI	8.2	404	392
78	Madison Bowey	WAS	8.1	405	393
79	Connor Carrick	TOR	8.1	407	408
80	Noah Hanifin	CAR	8	409	396
81	David Savard	CBJ	8	410	397
82	Dion Phaneuf	OTT	8	411	398
83	Thomas Chabot	OTT	7.8	413	400
84	Michael Del Zotto	UFA	7.7	416	424
85	Nikita Zadorov	COL	7.7	417	403
86	Will Butcher	COL	7.3	421	406
87	Ryan Sproul	DET	7.3	423	NR
88	Jordan Schmaltz	STL	7.2	424	409
89	Jake Walman	STL	7.1	426	411
90	Andrej Sekera	EDM	7	428	317
91	Jakob Chychrun	ARI	6.7	434	419
92	Cody Franson	UFA	6.6	436	445
93	Mikhail Sergachev	MON	6.2	439	426
94	Steven Santini	NJD	6.1	440	428
95	Nick Holden	NYR	6.1	441	429
96	Jonas Brodin	MIN	6	442	432
97	Kyle Wood	ARI	5.9	443	412
98	Ville Pokka	CHI	5.8	446	430
99	Jake McCabe	BUF	5.7	447	435
100	Troy Stecher	VAN	5.7	448	436

Sam 2017-06-02 at 10:19Log in to Reply

I’m curious why you would have Jake Gardiner ahead of Rasmus Ristolainen here? Rasmus is 4 years younger and already has more value, especially in points only. Has all the opportunity in the world on a great power play. Am i missing something?
- Dobber 2017-06-02 at 11:03Log in to Reply
  
  Rasmus was primarily a two-way, more defensive defenseman with untapped offense and because Buffalo had nobody else – he’s getting all the opportunity and is flourishing. Gardner is one-dimensional: offense. Either he gets points or it’s a short career.
  Risto 17 points in last 37 games, best years are about four years away.
  Gardner 34 points in last 51 games, best years start immediately
  - Hugo Twigg 2017-06-02 at 15:01Log in to Reply
    
    You cannot be serious here Dobber………….
    
    Ristolainen is probably the worse 5on5 D in the NHL. He’s a PP specialist.
    While Gardiner is the Leafs best defensive D….
    - Dobber 2017-06-02 at 15:17Log in to Reply
      
      Perhaps you are right. I’m giving you my honest opinion on their pre-draft scouting report.
      
      From 2013: Rasmus Ristolainen – RD (TPS, FIN)
      
      Take the physical and mental attributes of the ideal do-it-all type of defenseman and you have 6-3 Finnish blueliner Rasmus Ristolainen. Patrolling the ice with a huge frame, Ristolainen also possesses some of the best skating skills among defensemen in this draft. He has been on scout’s radars from a very young age so he falls victim to perhaps being over-scouted but make no mistake, Rasmus is a Top 15 talent. Ristolainen will never be an elite offensive defenseman but his mobility and puck moving abilities (strong first pass) are already pro caliber and make him equally adept at operating the power play, especially since he owns a quick accurate point shot. The big Finn is a cerebral defender that controls his gaps well and maintains excellent positioning in the defensive zone, making him easy to project as a safe top-four defenseman.
      
      Upside: Number two mobile defenseman (Jay Bouwmeester), 10-35-45
      - Dobber 2017-06-02 at 15:21
        
        Gardiner’s, from 2008:
        
        Rounding out an exceptional class of American defenders is Minnetonka Skippers Captain and scoring leader Jake
        Gardiner. A late conversion to D, Gardiner is still finding his way as a responsible defender. To complicate matters
        is a need to add muscle to a very scrawny frame that wouldn’t even survive college right now. However, the skill
        and creativity are certainly there for Gardiner to become an elite NHL powerplay quarterback. It’ll just take time.
      - Dobber 2017-06-02 at 15:23
        
        I follow players from the beginning, and I adjust (many times) from there. I don’t jump in when they’re 23 and create a fresh opinion. Perhaps I should.
        
        Anyway, my +/- 5.0 ratings points rule is being broken here ;) I won’t argue or discuss why Player X is above Player Y if they are within 5.0 ratings of each other – they are to be considered equal. I didn’t post this rule on this page, but I posted it in the Top 300 skaters that it links to.
      - Hugo Twigg 2017-06-02 at 15:26
        
        Yeah I was just pointing out how your evaluation of both players seems completely inverse. I don’t have much issue with the ranking.
      - Pat Fraser 2017-06-08 at 13:50
        
        Guys, Ristolainen is a better player in perspective of a keeper league because he’s younger (it means more upside, I can understand Dobber putting him after Gardiner) Gardiner production is now … but gardiner flaws = Makes a lot of bad mistakes with the puck, so he must clean things up defensively. that’s the reputation. And Ristolainen has almost the same reputation flaws = Needs to improve his overall play without the puck and defensive-zone coverage in order to become an elite. that’s the reputation. Both guys plays PP1, for a raison we don’t know, TOR won’t play Morgan Reilly on PP and that’s an aberration. But definitely, the guy I want in my keeper league is Ristolainen over Gardiner.
      - Dobber 2017-06-02 at 15:34
        
        I haven’t seen much of Risto – I generally watch late games, or TOR/EDM/PIT followed in preference with teams I have players on – and I own zero Sabres in any of my three leagues for the last few years.
        But your tire fire description is pretty apt for Gardiner, in my opinion. I’ve seen lots of him. But he is getting better, and offensively he’s not as good as we thought he would be
      - Hugo Twigg 2017-06-02 at 15:26
        
        I got this from a quick google search at Hockey Future:
        Talent Analysis
        Rasmus Ristolainen has the size, skating ability and shooting and stick handling skills that make him an outstanding offensive defenseman prospect. Plays with a physical component to his game and has become more disciplined as he’s gained more experience. Still developing in terms of positional play and defensive responsibilities – his calling card is his willingness to be involved in the play and to push the envelope at times.
        
        Still those profile are from years ago, didn’t you watch them play? It’s pretty easy to see how efficient Gardiner is defensively while Ristolainen is a tirefire in his zone…