Jack Johnson has been part of some pretty good defense corps.
He played with a group led by a young Drew Doughty that eventually won the Stanley Cup twice in Los Angeles. The Rangers had the Norris Trophy winner, Adam Fox, plus Jacob Trouba and a couple of other exciting young talents during Johnson’s one season in Manhattan.
But even start a question with, “So you’ve played with some pretty good defense …” and Johnson will be quick to cut it off.
“Ehhh,” he said. “Nothing like this one.”
The Avalanche is one of the top contenders to win the Stanley Cup this season for many of the same reasons Colorado won the title in 2022. The core of star players and playing style that meshes so well with their talent are two major reasons.
But the No. 1 reason is pretty simple: The Avs have a strong claim to make about having the best defense corps in the NHL.
“I don’t even think it is a question,” Devon Toews said. “I feel like no one can contend with us because of the way we move the puck, the way we skate and the way we help push offense.”
Toews, Johnson and Bo Byram all offered the same caveats — there are lots of great defensemen out there, lots of great defense corps, etc. But they have good reason, bias aside, to believe in their group.
Cale Makar is one of the best players on the planet, and arguably the best defenseman in the NHL. He won the Norris in 2022, and might’ve been a back-to-back winner had he not missed 22 games last season. What Erik Karlsson did in San Jose was historic, but had Makar finished with 85-plus points and his all-around numbers … that vote might have gone a different way.
Toews has finished higher in the Norris voting than any other “No. 2” defenseman for three consecutive years running. He would be the No. 1 defenseman on at least half of the teams in the NHL. If the Avs don’t get him signed to a new contract before July, the bidding war for his services will be epic.
The next three guys, however anyone wants to slot them, could all be higher on a different depth chart.
“I think Bo and G could be up there too,” Johnson said of Byram and Sam Girard after a question about Toews. “It’s a phenomenal D corps. Everyone can skate. That’s the biggest thing for me. You can’t play on this team if you can’t skate.”
Girard has been one of the most valuable defensemen in the league for multiple years because of both his on-ice play and team-friendly contract. Byram has No. 1 defenseman upside, and started to make good on that potential last year.
If those four guys can stay healthy, no other team can line up a quartet of offense-driving players at the position. Josh Manson and Johnson round out the unit and give a group a complete feel. Manson could easily play more minutes elsewhere. Johnson may have struggled at times logging big minutes in his younger days, but he fits well in his current role.
“There are a lot of good players, a lot of good ‘D’ corps,” Byram said. “They’re all built a little differently. I think we have a lot of puck movers, guys that skate. We also have a couple of guys like Jack Johnson and Josh Manson that are both big, physical dudes. We have a good balance.”
Toews named three other defense corps that he feels are among the best: Carolina, Boston and Vegas. The Hurricanes have an argument for the top spot, particularly if we include the top seven or eight, not just the first six.
Carolina is very deep, but Makar is going first in a draft featuring those two teams, and Toews could go second. The Avs also aren’t going to turn to Tony Deangelo in a big spot at any point.
Boston’s defense corps was bolstered at the 2023 trade deadline by adding Dmitry Orlov, but he’s now playing for Carolina. Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm are a great start, Brandon Carlo and Matt Grzelcyk are nice support players, but the Bruins can’t quite go punch-for-punch with the Avs and Hurricanes.
Including Vegas was part of a broader point Toews was trying to make. He said the list of names on the Golden Knights’ defense corps might not stand out as an elite group, but how they play in the team’s structure and the way they fit together makes them great.
“A lot of times that matters more than just what you have on paper,” Toews said. “I feel like the players that we have and the structure we play in as a team is really good. There’s definitely some out there that can really defend and play hard in their own zone. We pride ourselves on that, but we also pride ourselves in helping to contribute offensively.”
There are other contenders as well. Pittsburgh added Karlsson and ex-Avs defender Ryan Graves to pair with Kris Letang and Marcus Pettersson in a strong top four. New Jersey lost Graves and Damon Severson, but Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec are two of the top prospects at the position and could make a group headlined by Dougie Hamilton, John Marino and Jonas Siegenthaler scary in short order.
For now, it is a flag the Avs can plant. They are at the top of the mountain among defense corps, and others can take their shot.
“This is a ‘D’ corps that has proven themselves,” Johnson said. “Top to bottom, I think it’s kind of the way the team is built. I feel like everyone can skate. I feel like everyone can move the puck, make a play. Obviously we got the real high-end guys who can do things no one else can, but the game is played the same way no matter who is out there.”
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