Staal 19th Best Defensive Defenseman

James MIrtle of the Globe & Mail has a breakdown of which defensemen have excelled in their own end, calling it the "Rod Langway Award" for a fictional NHL trophy dedicated to the league's top defensive defensemen. Marc Staal, who won the fictional award last year, is currently 19th.

Brooks Orpik is #1.

MIrtle ranks every defenseman who plays in defensive situations by the quality of players they face (QCMP) and how many goals they are on the ice for at even strength and while shorthanded.

...while Staal was great last year, you would assume he'd still be #1 based on how much better he is this year. I guess the stats don't lie.

...h/t to reader Christian F.

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