Perhaps the hottest debate in NHL circles over the last 10 years is what role a modern defenseman should occupy.
Should a defenseman’s number one priority be what it’s traditionally been? To protect his net? To find himself in a responsible defensive position at all times?
Or should they be offensively oriented, concerned with jumping into the play and moving the puck up ice?
We’ve seen debate manifest itself in a bunch of different flash points. The 2016 Norris Trophy was a great example, where older-school writers backed the more traditional Drew Doughty over Erik Karlsson, who is regarded by some as the perfect modern defenseman.