Top 5 Russian Defenseman in the NHL?

[DonaldLockhart]

Who would you put at the top 5 from Russia on D?

1. Andrei Markov MON
2. Sergei Gonchar PIT
3. Anton Volchenkov OTT
4. Fedor Tyutin CBJ
5. Denis Grebeshkov EDM

[Casamitjana]

in soviet russia defense plays you?

[O-Chir]

Considering there are only 6 in the league, not much of a contest

[erikthered]

Who would you put at the top 5 from Russia on D?

1. Andrei Markov MON
2. Sergei Gonchar PIT
3. Anton Volchenkov OTT
4. Fedor Tyutin CBJ
5. Denis Grebeshkov EDM

I'd put Gonchar at the top and Markov second. Other than that, I'd pretty much say that's the list.

[DonaldLockhart]

Considering there are only 6 in the league, not much of a contest

There are some decent Russian rookies coming up the ranks. Kulikov could be the next great Russian defenseman. Not that there are a whole lot of great Russian defenseman though.

[O-Chir]

There are some decent Russian rookies coming up the ranks. Kulikov could be the next great Russian defenseman. Not that there are a whole lot of great Russian defenseman though.

Yea I know, but this thread isn't about the up in comers, it's about the current ones in the NHL. Kulikov has looked good, but he hasn't played enough to warrant being ahead of any of those guys. The better thread would have been for the top Swedish defensemen or something

[ColeJ.]

sergei zu....... awwww....

ivan vishne.............. soon...

[Z-Man]

Considering there are only 6 in the league, not much of a contest

Well there's also Zubov-oh wait...Kali-oh nope uhhh...Babchu-ugh hold on...uhhh...Karpovtsev?? Dammit! Oh wait what about Fetisov or Mironov or Khananov, oh nevermind.


Oh but Federov played some D...ugh forget it.

[M@estro]

I think that
1 Markov
2 Gonchar
3 Tyutin
4 Volchenkov
5 Grebeshkov
the top forwards
1 Ovechkin
2 Malkin
3 Kovalchuk
4 Frolov
5 N.Filatov
top Netminder
1 "Nabby"

P.S.KHL is best league in the world....soon
in KHL top canadians:
defenceman - Kevin Dallman(Barys Astana)
forward - Chris Simon(Vityaz Chekhov)
goalie - Robert Esche(SKA Sankt-Peterburg)

[Milly79]

in KHL top canadians:
defenceman - Kevin Dallman(Barys Astana)
forward - Chris Simon(Vityaz Chekhov)
goalie - Robert Esche(SKA Sankt-Peterburg)

Two scrubs, and an AMERICAN... right.

[Delryk]

Two scrubs, and an AMERICAN... right.

lol owned.

[M@estro]

yeah ok!
thats right
sorry for my English
the Russians best 5 def-men of all time:
1 Vyacheslav Fetisov
2 Sergei Zubov
3 Vladimir Konstantinov
4 Sergei Gonchar
5 Andrei Markov

we proud for our best players

[Lenkbron]

Although i'm a Pens fan, Markov over Gonchar? No way.

[Chris]

Tverdovsky?

[DonaldLockhart]

Although i'm a Pens fan, Markov over Gonchar? No way.

That's because any time Gonchar is on the ice he might get hurt. Other that this season Markov has been pretty solid.

[erikthered]

That's because any time Gonchar is on the ice he might get hurt. Other that this season Markov has been pretty solid.

I don't really think that's accurate. It's really only been this season and last that he's had major injuries. Yeah, he may pick up a few small ones here and there, but he played 70+ games each season from 99-00 to 07-08, with six of those with 75 or more. Last year was a major injury, and this year is another one, so yeah, that doesn't help.

The thing is, since 02-03, when Markov was in the NHL for his first full season, he's had two seasons with fewer than 70 games, not to mention he's also dealing with a major injury this year that is likely to keep him out for 4 months. Saying that Gonchar isn't as good because he might get hurt and have to miss a few games is ignoring the fact that Markov has missed his share of games, too.

[DonaldLockhart]

I don't really think that's accurate. It's really only been this season and last that he's had major injuries. Yeah, he may pick up a few small ones here and there, but he played 70+ games each season from 99-00 to 07-08, with six of those with 75 or more. Last year was a major injury, and this year is another one, so yeah, that doesn't help.

The thing is, since 02-03, when Markov was in the NHL for his first full season, he's had two seasons with fewer than 70 games, not to mention he's also dealing with a major injury this year that is likely to keep him out for 4 months. Saying that Gonchar isn't as good because he might get hurt and have to miss a few games is ignoring the fact that Markov has missed his share of games, too.

Maybe, but if Markov wouldn't have gotten hurt this season we probably wouldn't even be having this conversation.

[O-Chir]

Maybe, but if Markov wouldn't have gotten hurt this season we probably wouldn't even be having this conversation.

Same as you wouldn't be having this conversation if Gonchar didn't get hurt last year.

[clarosec]

I am, obviously, a Volchenkov fan:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q79jccXPZPQ"]YouTube - Volchenkov Destroys Hedman[/video]

[taylorbill24]

YUSHKEVICH

[DonaldLockhart]

Same as you wouldn't be having this conversation if Gonchar didn't get hurt last year.

I guess we will have to see how these guys do over the next 3-5 years. Gonchar is 34 and Markov is almost 31. I just have a gut feeling that Gonchar is going to have more injuries in the next few seasons. Gonchar will probably play at least 4 more seasons if not more so we can come back to this post later if anybody actually remembers. I just have a feeling this is the beginning of some health problems for Gonchar.

[erikthered]

I guess we will have to see how these guys do over the next 3-5 years. Gonchar is 34 and Markov is almost 31. I just have a gut feeling that Gonchar is going to have more injuries in the next few seasons. Gonchar will probably play at least 4 more seasons if not more so we can come back to this post later if anybody actually remembers. I just have a feeling this is the beginning of some health problems for Gonchar.

I never said that Gonchar is immune to injury, and you could be right about his future, but I just don't think it's fair to hold that against him when Markov isn't exactly playing 82 games every year. Right now, though, I'd still take Gonchar over Markov hands down.

[M@estro]

guys,this is the best players of alltime
very sorry for my English i try

[DonaldLockhart]

I never said that Gonchar is immune to injury, and you could be right about his future, but I just don't think it's fair to hold that against him when Markov isn't exactly playing 82 games every year. Right now, though, I'd still take Gonchar over Markov hands down.

See, now we have dialog out of a thread about a small handful of Russian defenseman in the NHL. I would take Markov any day over Gonchar. I just think that he is a better overall player.

[Lenkbron]

I guess we will have to see how these guys do over the next 3-5 years. Gonchar is 34 and Markov is almost 31. I just have a gut feeling that Gonchar is going to have more injuries in the next few seasons. Gonchar will probably play at least 4 more seasons if not more so we can come back to this post later if anybody actually remembers. I just have a feeling this is the beginning of some health problems for Gonchar.

I don't think he has serious health problems, cause both injuries he sustained were after solid contact and he had bad luck that he took an injury out of it.
It's not like he's out with hamstrings, groins or something like that every third game.
With a little bit more luck, he is going to play full seasons over the next couple of years.