Why NHL Evaluators Still See Defensemen Differently Than Fans Do

The public loves the defenseman who piles up points, throws hits, and looks like he is winning every shift by force of will. NHL evaluators tend to care more about the stuff that does not make a highlight package, and that disconnect has been around long enough to have its own rules. This story gets at the uncomfortable truth that the best defenseman in the eyes of a front office is not always the one fans would vote for in April.