Smitty in the Pantheon of Greats

[Victor 10,940]

This won't qualify for a community theme week because I know @flyersfan1453 too well but whatever, Pavlov is a walking dead man anyway.

 

This article is inspired by a conversation I had with flyers about where Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen stands in the pantheon of great defencemen. As his career winds down this season with Vancouver, his best years are behind him. Smitty won't win any more awards to add to a stacked trophy case, unless Vancouver makes a surprise run to the cup. He'll probably add 20 points or so between now and the end of the season, falling just short of 530 and placing near the bottom of Hall of Fame defencemen in career points. In fact, by all relevant metrics he'll place just below Joseph McWolf, who isn't inducted yet. Yet it's fairly established that Smitty is the best defenceman of his generation, with those 3 straight 80+ point seasons, a cup with an expansion team in S70, and becoming the fourth defenceman ever to win the Brett Slobodzian Trophy (although two of those didn't make the Hall of Fame). Only six other defencemen have matched or bettered Smitty's 3 Sterling Labatte Trophies and all sit comfortably in the top 10 all-time discussion.

 

The top 3 of those – Low, Sullivan, and Braxton – were the dominant forces of their generation too. Smitty's argument however is how many other elite defencemen were they competing against? By looking at nothing but their in-sim overalls – a decent representation of their TPE levels – here's how the old greats compared to their contemporaries.

 

*Overall in brackets

 

S27 – Daniel Braxton (80)

Higgins (81), Intranquilo (81)

 

These were also the 3 highest scoring defencemen, with the exception of whatever black magic Japinder Singh imbued his career with – and also that generation's Helsinki Titans.

 

S28 – Daniel Braxton (84)

Higgins (83), Braun (80)

 

The trio didn't quite run away with it, but only one other defenceman hit 100 points (rookie Shane Lynch in a perfect storm).

 

S29 – Daniel Braxton (85)

Higgins (85), Braun (84)

 

Higgins and Braun had poor seasons, outperformed by younger defencemen such as Ryan Sullivan and Nic Riopel. Vladimir Boomchenko was the only blue-liner to hit 100 points finding great chemistry with Alexander Chershenko, but Braxton had better overall stats.

 

S30 – Daniel Braxton (86)

Higgins (84), Incognito (81), Riopel (81), Mjers (80), Boomchenko (80)

 

Braun moved to forward and Higgins spent too long on a rebuilding Helsinki. The main contenders somehow ended up being New York's Shane Lynch, Genghis Khan, and Dom Mazzetti, but Braxton's combination of points and hits pushed him through.

 

S31 – Ryan Sullivan (81)

Braxton (85), Riopel (84), Incognito (83), Byer (82), Mjers (82), Boomchenko (81), Muller (80)

 

Sullivan broke through in a big way in a crowded field, which also included the unfancied Theseus Athera and Alexander Valiq. A few big names underperformed, Mjers and Boomchenko were stuck on Cologne.

 

S32: Sullivan (84), Riopel (84), Incognito (83), Muller (82), Wolfe (82), Mjers (81)

 

Sullivan couldn't keep up with a career year from Incognito. Valiq also continued to be insane as the star man in Quebec.

 

S33 – Ryan Sullivan (86)

Riopel (83), Incognito (82), Muller (81)

 

Not much competition + Sullivan in full swing. Valiq only other defenceman other than these 4 to hit 85+ points.

 

S34 – Ryan Sullivan (86)

Incognito (82), Marcellin (82), Jim Gow (80)

 

As above except Marcellin put up a fight and then came out on top in S35.

 

S36 – Conner Low (75)

A. Valiq (84), N. Valiq (83), Spud (81), Jack Sound (81), Lefevre (80)

 

Talk about good timing. Low's 288 hits in his rookie season put him ahead of the older Valiq and Malcom Spud as no defenceman hits 100 points.

 

S37 – Conner Low (79)

A. Valiq (85), N. Valiq (83), Lefevre (81), Bentley (81)

 

The Valiqs don't click for whatever reason (or the Meute in general to be honest), so Low took advantage with a 100-point season.

 

S38 – Conner Low (82)

Bentley (84), N. Valiq (81), Clifford (80)

 

A slightly controversial win over Bentley here, but no one else was in the running at all.

 

S39 – Conner Low (85)

Bentley (85), Fjorsstrom (81)

 

Role reversal which went Low's way over Bentley this time. Niklas Valiq had his best claim to a Labatte after all those seasons of being good on paper.

 

S40 – Conner Low (85)

Bentley (86), Fjorsstrom (83), Draper (81), Yumalatopinto (81), Wylde (80)

 

The trio of Low, Bentley, Fjorsstrom right in the mix, along with rookie Mason Richardson. Not hugely convincing by Low but he got his fifth trophy before switching to forward.

 

 

Now Smitty. In S71, he was an 82-rated defenceman, one of 18 80+ rated ones and middle of the pack really behind the likes of Paddywagon, Tate, Hackett, and even Pavlov.

 

In S67, there were 6: Wilson, McWolf, Glade, Crosby, Sullivan Jr. (all 81), and Smitty (80). McWolf won the Labatte.

 

In S68, this went up to 10 – already more than any of Braxton, Sullivan, or Low's best years (highest was 8 in S31). Smitty was 81-rated and won his first Labatte.

 

In S69, 12 – Smitty 82-rated, joint-second just behind Starload and McWolf. In S70 this went up to 17 and Smitty had his most complete season yet despite being on paper now behind Paddywagon, Tate, Hackett, Garcia, and Pavlov.

 

So throughout his prime, Smitty had to compete with 10 or more elite defencemen. None of the established greats ever had to compete with more than 2 or 3, the most competitive season by far being S31 when Sullivan went up against 7 other 80+ rated blue-liners. What does that mean? It's hard to tell. On one hand, Smitty's career stats won't hold up to anyone considered a legendary defenceman. His trophy case does though and when you adjust for era – both in terms of lower scoring and the increased competition – well, you might just be looking at the greatest defenceman ever. Certainly there's a conversation to be had there.

[eaglesfan036 4,603]

MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW

[mediocrepony 1,216]

MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOS MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW

[Fire Tortorella 2,653]

The next 5 seasons or so of HoF discussion will be very interestinf, because the career point totals wont be there compared to the other HOFers. We'll need to continue to compare these players to those in their era, not the rest of the HoF.

[Victor 10,940]

Week 2 of 2.