In these cases I'm relying on anecdotal evidence. ![]() Players from earlier eras who are included often don't have comparable statistics. This list then will be highly weighted towards defensemen who have played in the last 45 years in the NHL. Throw in the fact that the slap shot wasn't popularized until Bernie "Boom Boom" Geoffrion had success with it in the early 1950's and it's easy to see why the offensive contribution from defensmen in those era's was often minimal. ![]() Likewise, earlier than that, slowly evolving offside rules and different rules for what constituted an assist severely limited what kind of statistically counted offensive contribution even the most skilled defenders could make. Players from that era were severely limited in what they were allowed to do offensively and often ostracized or traded if they tried to do more. The Original Six era featured a conservatism of play that frequently quashed any offensive creativity from defensemen. Most of the players on this list come from 1967 on. That combined with the Second Six expansion that doubled the number of NHL teams from six to 12 teams for the 1967-68 season lead to an era of unrivaled offensive production, especially from defensemen. Offensive defensemen were popularized with the coming of Bobby Orr in 1966-67. ![]() This slide show is designed to honour and rank those offensively skilled players who have played defense in the NHL. ![]() A defenseman starts out behind his own net and skates through an entire team to score a goal. The most exciting play in hockey is the end to end rush.
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